Rundas and Theron are sitting on their bikes outside the clubhouse waiting for me.After killing the motor and walking the bike back while I’m still seated, I kick out the stand and park next to them.
“Where’re Jaecar and Artim?”
His back stiff with disapproval, Rundas fills me in.“At the inn.Seeing if there are any bottles left lying around.Where the fuck is Tempest?She said everything would be sorted by now.”
Always the most intuitive, Theron can read my face in the dark.“Something happened to Tempest.”Not a question.A sorrowful stillness descends over us.I can hear Artim and Jaecar sifting through the pile of empty bottles in the recycling bin.
“Tempest is dead.”
It takes Rundas a moment to process this before he reacts.Getting off his bike, he kicks the toe of his boot at the ground dirt, scattering pebbles and grit into the air.
“Ah, fuck it.Screw this.Do we even need her?We did fine riding in Canada.No probs.”
Theron waits to take his lead from me.He’s cautious, not knowing how I’m going to react.
Whirling around, Rundas confronts me.“What did Muohta want to show you?Is Tempest dead in the forest?”
I’m only going to tell this story once.
Whistling sharply to get the other two riders’ attention, I stomp into the clubhouse.It’s been a while.The place looks rough.
And the bar is empty.That’s… deeply fucking problematic, to say the least.
Perching on one of the bar stools, I wait until the other four riders have joined me.
“Muohta called me into the forest for a reason.Tempest left everything to her niece.Luna Blackwood.Little Luna cut across Ben’s land and went and got her ankle caught in an old snare.I gave her a lift home.Tempest is dead.That’s what Luna told me.But I have to ride out again to make sure.”
“Tempest can’t be dead.”Jaecar is adamant.“She knew the score.She always took precautions.This Luna woman has to be some grifter with a good angle.”
A sneer makes my lip curl.“A grifter who just happens to have the keys to the house and the inn?I saw the bunch of keys—the same one Tempest always used to carry everywhere with her—hanging by the door.Luna is legit.”
Never taking his eyes off me, Rundas interrupts the mutters of disbelief coming from the rest of the crew.“Why are you riding out again?”
Fair question.As veep of the MC, Rundas is able to control himself better than the others.He’s in charge when I’m not around.
“Luna mentioned an attorney.It behooves me to make double sure about Tempest’s death by paying the gentleman a visit.”
“You want me to ride out with you?”Rundas checks, but he already knows what my reply is going to be.
“No.I will go quicker on my own.”
“Shit, dude.”Artim chuckles.“Rather you than me.I hate crossing over with no land bridge.It goes so hard on the patches and the leather.”
Standing up, I have a final few words to say.
“Look after Luna.Maintain the perimeter.Constant vigilance.”
Only Theron is brave enough to say it.“What happens ifhehas already been here?”
“Luna arrived a couple of days ago, so I doubt it.It’s more likely that he is still on the mainland.”
“Just like Tempest’s corpse,” Jaecar mutters under his breath.
Ignoring him, I head out again, making sure to keep the revs low so no one clocks the noise.
Artim is right, it is an effort to cross over without the land bridge.A mental effort, not a physical one.
Looking at the moon, I check to see if I’ve got enough time.It’s just past midnight.Should be good.
