Read Wild Within (Wild at Heart #1) for Free Online Page B

downhill.
    “Now this is more like it.” He leaned forward and shifted into high gear. His legs pedaled furiously, increasing his pace.
    The bike bounced across small rocks and dirt, skidding from side to side. It slithered around a turn. Jerry dropped his foot, scraping a long, thin line in the sand. The shrubbery and trees sped past his peripheral vision in a blur. Before long, he arrived back at Panoramic Highway. He turned down the first road he saw. There, the initial descent petered out quickly and his pace slowed as the street meandered past multi-million dollar houses perched on the hillside.
    Who the fuck lives here?
    He passed gated driveways with surveillance cameras and mysterious steps leading to impenetrable fences. Occasionally, beat up cars hugged the side of the road.
    Must be the cleaning ladies’ cars. People around here drive Beemers and Ferraris.
    As if to prove him right, a gleaming black metalic Mercedes SL Roadster pulled around a corner. Jerry braked. The balding man in the convertible gave him a wave as he roared past.
    Jerry returned the wave with a salute.
    Sweet ride .
    Around another corner, he saw what he had been looking for: a narrow dirt and gravel footpath sloping steeply downhill.
    Awesome.
    He swerved onto the trail.
    Now this is effing mountain biking.
    The wheels bounced precariously and threatened to throw him off. Lattices of exposed roots and large rocks jutted out at unexpected intervals. Jerry braked, tipped, and seesawed down the path. He grazed a tree. Vines and brush that clung to the upside of the hill clutched at him as he sped past.
    A little more lift and I’ll take right off. Who said mountain biking is difficult? I’ve got natural talent. With a little practice I’ll probably make a team.
    A large rock jerked his thoughts back to the trail. His front tire spun. He caught a brief glimpse of the steep ravine to his left.
    Don’t want to end up down there.
    His feet pushed the bike to quicken its pace. He rounded a sharp corner.
    The next instant, the world moved in slow motion. Flash of blue. Handlebars yanked right. Fingers clenched. Eyes closed. Tires skidding. Body off seat. Bike into hillside. Head back. Shoulder into protruding root. Pain down arm. Leg pinned to slope.
    Ouch.
    Jerry moved his arm.
    That hurts.
    He wiggled his fingers.
    Don’t think anything’s broken.
    Then his leg.
    I’m okay.
    He stood.
    Christ, that was lucky. I could have gone over the handlebars. And down the cliff.
    He reoriented himself.
    Then he heard screaming.
    “Kaylee!” A woman’s voice rose from the woods below him, drifting up through the grey mist. “Kaylee! Are you all right? Kaylee, answer me!”
    Jerry pushed his bike back onto the trail and returned to the spot where he’d been knocked off balance. He peered over the edge of the cliff and glimpsed a curled hand. A crumpled body. Sky blue shorts from which protruding legs twisted obscenely, like a mutilated doll. The back of a torn white jacket patched with a crimson that deepened as he watched.
    “Kaylee!” The shouting neared.
    Jerry grabbed his bike.
    The girl’s beyond help. Save my own ass. That’s always the best plan.
    He ran up the hill, shoving his bike ahead of him.
    “Stop! You hit Kaylee.”
    The cries urged him on. Jerry clambered erratically up the trail. His feet toppled over roots. The bike wheels snagged on bushes. He plowed ahead, fueled by fear and adrenaline. The shrieks grew fainter.
    When he reached the pavement, Jerry jumped on the seat. The road flashed under his tires as he put distance between himself and the broken girl. Back at the highway, a few cars filled the parking spaces beside his truck. He slid to a stop beside it, hefted his bike, and tossed it onto the lumpy mattress without an ounce of his prior pride or care.
    “Easy, dude, easy.” He gunned the engine. His heart pounded in his head like thunder. His hands sweated through the bike gloves. He floored the accelerator.
    His