Free To Betray A Brother by G.W. Gibson Page A

seat.
    Penny sat opposite, passing him a mug of coffee. "Tell me, what did you have in mind when you said, here I am ready to help?"
    "When you came and saw me, you asked if I would help you out with your motorcycle racing while Mick was out of action."
    Penny looked him in the eye. "Yes, I did. Mick works in the pits and keeps the bike running, which is where I thought you might be able to help."
    Bryce didn't answer right away. He drank a mouthful of coffee and placed the mug on the table. "You asked for my help. If I am going to help, you get everything I have to offer, not just part of it." His dark eyes blazed. Penny squirmed under the force of his scrutiny. "Your bike will be better than it has ever been, faster, more nimble, and stop quicker."
    Penny found no arrogance in the way he spoke, rather a statement of fact made by a man confident in his own skills and abilities.
    "Part of my job is to make sure you are in the best position to take advantage of what your bike has to offer and the errors the other riders are making around you. Make no mistake, Penny Macintyre, I intend for you to win and win often. You will be the best you can possibly be."
    Her heart rate increased under Bryce's scrutiny. "Ok." Penny sat back and folded her arms. A smile crossed her face. "If we are going to go down this path, I'm curious to know how much time you’ve spent on the track. And what makes you think you are a better track rider than I am?"
    Bryce nodded ever so slightly in acknowledgment. "Tell you what, let's go to the track for a few hours, and you can decide from there.”
    He leaned back into the chair, annoyingly confident while he watched her, his expression neutral. She finished her coffee, irritated by his scrutiny, not wanting him to stop at the same time. She cleared the mugs. "It’s a nice day for a ride. Why not? I'll grab my jacket and meet you outside."
    * * * *
    Bryce wandered toward the front door as Penny grabbed her gear. He stopped at the photograph of her, Steele, and himself, arms draped over each other’s shoulders and devilish grins on their faces. Damn, that time was a world away. They had all gone through so much since then. The last time he had seen Steele he’d been getting on the plane to return home. The two of them had been on a forty-eight hour bender at the Camp X-Ray boozer. They’d come straight off the back of a thirty hour fire fight in which they had been pinned down for close to fifteen hours by sniper fire. What a shit storm! They had been tighter than family then. Steele’s absence bit at him. When Steele disappeared it had been like losing his right arm, they had come to rely on each other so much. Eighteen months ago he’d last heard of Steele who had jetted off to Ibiza to hit the party circuit. He’d gone off the rails once Bryce left to come home. Steele had so far resisted all of Bryce’s attempts at contact, phone, email-even Facebook Bryce pulled his sunglasses down and went outside to the sound of the garage door opening.
    Inside was the BSA Penny had ridden through the mountains, plus an Aprilia and Indian Scout. "Nice." He nodded in approval as Penny slid onto the Aprilia and rolled out into the sun.
    Penny raised her head. "What's nice?” Something deep inside Bryce melted momentarily when she smiled. He was glad his mirrored glasses provided a haven.
    "Everything." A grin split his face as he sat onto his own black and gold Norton Commando.
    Penny pulled up beside him. "Okay then, Big Boy. Let's see what you've got." She dropped her visor and accelerated away.
    Bryce eased away from the curb. He watched Penny as she wove her bike through the traffic, every movement smooth and precise, elegant as she shifted her weight to guide the machine. He could not help notice the way her jeans clung to her body, accentuating her shape. She was undeniably attractive and talk about sexy! Wow! Every time she moved, he struggled to refocus on the task at hand.
    They arrived at the