My Big Bad Alpha Biker

he found me 8

Chapter 8

Alice POV

The farther I drove, the more exhausted I became. The sun had disappeared behind the trees, leaving only darkness and the occasional headlights of another car passing in the opposite direction. I kept my eyes on the road, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

I still had one more day. Just one more day, and I would finally be somewhere Randy couldn't find me. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. I glanced at the bag of fries sitting on the passenger seat. My stomach growled again.

"Okay, okay. I hear you."

I reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of fries, eating them while I drove. They weren't exactly the best fries I'd ever had, but right now, they tasted amazing. I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten a real meal. As I chewed, I thought about the strange diner.

Something about that place had bothered me. Everyone had stared at me. Then Sally had practically pushed me out the door. Don't look back. I shivered. What had she meant by that? Maybe the people in that town simply didn't like outsiders. That had to be it.

I glanced into the rearview mirror. Nothing. Just an empty road behind me. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. I turned the radio on, hoping the music would help take my mind off everything. Instead, static filled the car. I frowned and tried another station. Static. Another. More static. "Seriously?"

I smacked the radio. "Come on." Finally, a station came through.

I turned the volume up and tried to relax. I had to stop being paranoid. I had been running for days. Of course, I was going to feel like someone was following me. Every sound made me jump. Every car behind me made my heart race. I needed sleep. That was all.

A few miles later, I noticed a sign ahead. REST AREA … 5 MILES.

I groaned. I really didn't want to sleep in my car again, but I was too tired to keep driving. Five miles later, I pulled into the rest area.

There were only a few cars scattered around the parking lot. I parked underneath a light and locked the doors. Before I leaned the seat back, I checked my phone. No missed calls. No messages.

Nothing. For the first time in days, I smiled. Maybe I had finally gotten far enough away. Maybe Randy had gotten the message, and I blocked him.

I knew that was wishful thinking. Randy didn't give up. Not when he wanted something. And right now, he wanted me. I turned my phone off completely and tossed it into my purse. "No more," I whispered.

I wasn't going to let him control me anymore. I closed my eyes.

Within minutes, I was asleep.

Randy POV

"Pull over."

Franky looked at me. "What?"

"I said pull over."

He immediately slowed down and pulled onto the side of the road.

The other vehicles behind us followed. I grabbed my phone and looked at the information we had collected. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Alice had disappeared.

"How the hell can someone just disappear?" I asked.

Franky shrugged. "She's been planning this for a while. You know that."

I glared at him. "I know." I wasn't stupid. I knew Alice had been unhappy for a long time. But I never thought she would actually leave me. People didn't leave me. They didn't walk away from me.

And they definitely didn't block my number. I rubbed my face.

"Check every gas station, motel, restaurant, and rest stop within a hundred-mile radius."

Franky raised an eyebrow. "A hundred miles?"

"Yes."

"Randy, we've already checked half of those."

"Then check them again."

He sighed but pulled out his phone. I stared through the windshield.

I knew Alice. She would be trying to stay somewhere nobody would recognize her. She wouldn't use a credit card. She wouldn't stay at a hotel because they needed identification. She'd probably sleep in her car. The thought made my blood boil. She shouldn't have to sleep in her car. She should be home with me.

"Wait."

Franky looked up. "What?"

"Run the rest stops."

He nodded. "I'm on it."

A few minutes later, his expression changed. "What?"

He looked at me. "We have something."

My heart jumped. "What?"

"One of the guys spotted her car."

I grabbed his phone. "Where?"

"About sixty miles from here."

I smiled. "There you are."

Franky didn't look as excited as I was. "Randy..."

"What?"

"Maybe you should think about what you're going to do when you find her."

I stared at him. "I'm bringing her home."

"That's not what I meant."

I knew exactly what he meant. He thought Alice wouldn't want to come back. He was wrong. She would come back. She always did.

"Get everyone moving."

Franky nodded. Within seconds, the engines roared to life. We were back on the road.

Alice POV

Something woke me. I opened my eyes slowly. For a moment, I didn't know where I was. Then I remembered. My car. The rest stop.

I sat up and looked around. It was still dark outside. I checked the clock. I had only been asleep for about three hours. I groaned.

"I can't do this anymore." My neck hurt. My back hurt. Everything hurt. I reached for my purse and pulled out the fries. There were only a few left. I ate them slowly while staring out the windshield.

Then I heard something. A vehicle. I looked up. A pair of headlights appeared at the entrance to the rest stop. My heart immediately started pounding. I watched as the vehicle drove slowly through the parking lot.

Then, another set of headlights appeared. Then another. I sat perfectly still. There were too many cars. My breathing became shallow. "No."

I looked around. There were at least ten vehicles entering the rest stop. I couldn't see who was inside them. But something deep inside me told me to leave. Now. I grabbed my keys and started the engine. The car roared to life. I pulled out of the parking space before the first vehicle could get close. As I sped toward the exit, I looked in my rearview mirror. One of the vehicles turned around.

It was following me.

"Oh my God."

My hands tightened around the steering wheel. I pressed the gas pedal. The car behind me sped up. Another vehicle joined the chase. Then another. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe. They had found me. Randy had found me.

"Come on, Alice." I pushed the car faster. "You can do this." I wasn't going back. Not this time. I couldn't. Behind me, the vehicles continued gaining ground. And somewhere in the darkness ahead, something moved across the road. I slammed on the brakes. The car swerved. "What the hell?"

For one second, I thought I had hit someone. I looked ahead. There was nothing there. Just trees. I sat frozen behind the wheel. Then I heard it. A howl. Long. Loud. And completely unlike anything I had ever heard before. Another howl answered from somewhere deeper in the woods. I stared into the darkness. "What is happening?"

Behind me, Randy's vehicles were getting closer. Ahead of me was a dark forest. I had two choices. Keep driving and risk Randy catching me… Or take the road through the woods. I didn't know what was waiting for me in those trees. But I knew exactly what was waiting for me if I stayed on the road. Randy. I turned the steering wheel. The car left the highway. And I drove straight into the darkness.