Jasper lifts his chin at me. “Gear up. Tell the prospects to roll out both vans. We leave in five.”
I push my chair back and head for the door. The shift inside me is complete now. I’m in battle mode and Christina needs me. And Hydro Relief is about to experience exactly what happens when the Sons of Rage protect what is theirs.
I cut through the hall to the locker room and focus on putting on my body armor under my clothes, strapping on my Glock and shoving some extra ammo in my pockets.
Jinx enters behind me and opens a metal case. He hands me one of the club’s secure radios, sets his to channel three, then clips it to his vest.
Onyx steps inside a second later. He runs a final check on his gear, then looks directly at me. “Morgan texted. He and two units are already en route. He’s gonna notify the locals at the lastminute in order to make sure he has control of the scene well before they arrive.”
Mica appears in the doorway. “Striker is loading the van. He wants to run intel from the backseat instead of staying here.”
I grunt my approval. I want Striker close. He’s most likely to be able to hack their security when he’s on site and we might need that.
I head out into the garage to see the vans and bikes backed up to the exit. My father stands beside his bike with his helmet in hand. His posture is stiff, but there’s fire in his eyes. He lifts his chin when I approach. “You ready, son?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
That’s when my phone buzzes. I check the message and see it’s Christina. However, my initial happiness evaporates when I read it, and I let loose with a long string of curses. When did she send this? Rivera phoned us almost thirty minutes ago. I turn my phone around so my dad can see it.
Christina: Help. I’m at Hydro Relief in Greer County with Rivera. They’re coming for me.
My old man says grimly, “Send it to the group chat, so everyone is aware.”
I do as he says. “We need to get the fuck on the road. She needs me.”
My old man reaches out and grabs the front of my cut, giving it a little jerk. “When you get inside, keep your head on straight in there. That’s the best way to bring your old lady home.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I grumble. “I’m the thing danger should fuckin’ look out for, not the other way around.”
“Just keep your shit together in there.”
I try calling Christina, but the phone rings and goes straight to voicemail again. So I send a text back, hoping she receives it:
Me: Hold tight babe, we’re coming.
One by one the engines turn over. The sound vibrates throughout the huge triple bay garage. The air shifts as we form two long rows. The garage door lifts and the night swoops in chillin’ us. We roll out in time to see the setting sun. The pack falls into formation around me as we turn towards the highway.
Chapter 18
Christina
The room they put me into is more like a storage bay. It has a concrete floor, a metal table and chairs, but no windows. The walls and ceiling are painted stark white. I’m uncomfortable and getting chilled sitting on the metal chair.
My wrists ache where the zip-ties bit into my skin during the struggle. One of the guards finally cut them off, but the marks still throb. My body wants to shake but I fight it because I don’t want to seem weak. I wrap my hands around my stomach and try to keep my shit together.
The door opens and Hanley steps inside. His pleasant smile from the tour is completely gone. Now his lips are pressed together in a hard line, his face is pale and he moves stiffly. Everything about his presentation screams angry and anxious. That tells me he isn’t used to dealing with situations like this.
He closes the door behind him with a soft click and adjusts his tie before walking towards me. “Christina Lane,” he says.
Hearing my real name sends a shiver up my spine. His security team figured out who I am pretty damn quick. When I don’t answer, he adds, “You caused quite a problem today.”
“All I did was ask for a tour,” I say calmly. “Then I got turned around when I came out of the restroom and got lost.”
Hanley sits across the table from me and folds his hands together. “Let us avoid the games. You went into a restricted wing. You were looking for something. What was it?”
I do not give him the satisfaction of looking away. “I was looking for a way out and accidentally ended up there.”
He leans back in the metal chair. “Why did you use a fake press pass when you entered our building?”
