I looked out at the rain, thinking that my Americar would be a whole lot more comfortable. And the streets would be slick and slippery. But Rafael was careful when I was on the back of his bike. He rode recklessly and pulled incredibly risky stunts when he was alone, but when I rode with him he took it smooth—not slow, mind you, but smooth. He always insisted that I wear a full-face helmet and a heavy leather jacket. Although I was an ex-cop with a number of gun fights and high-speed chases under my belt, he was still protective of me. It was kind of sweet, really. Besides, driving me somewhere would keep him out of trouble. And so I said yes.