“I would appreciate it if you’d walk with me to my car.” He gestures to the dirt road leading toward the public one.
I check my surroundings, and see no one, so I walk ahead of him down the path. That seems to be my only option. My head is working overtime. If I’m close to the road, maybe I can get away by making a run for it?
But what if no one’s driving there? Where will I go then? My steps falter and panic clouds my train of thought.
A black Escalade with tinted windows appears in the distance. Acid rises up and I try to swallow it.
Three more steps and then I’ll try.
One.
Two.
Three.
I ball my fists and set off running. The road’s already in view when suddenly a blond man emerges from behind the black car, pointing a gun at me.
I freeze and raise my hands in the air.
“Well, well, little lady thought she’d run off?” He tilts his head.
My heart pounds like crazy as I stare down the barrel.
Come on, think, Layne.“What do you want from me?” I exclaim as panic takes over. Thank God Rebel isn’t here, but what happens if I don’t pick her up? What on earth will happen to her then? I’m all she has.
“Just get in, lady.” The brute now also has a gun in his hand and gestures toward the Escalade with it.
Desperately, my gaze scans the road. Please let someone drive by, anyone.
A tear slides down my cheek as I take a step toward the car.
That’s when I hear it.
In the distance, the familiar roar of engines resounds and for once in my life I pray it’s Kyler. Or Ballistic or Paxton for all I care, but please let someone I know drive by. My heart’s in my throat and I take three more steps. “Why should I go with you?” I whisper, trying to buy some time.
That’s exactly when the motorcycles round the corner and my gaze falls on the one in the front.
Kyler.I exhale deeply. Relief races through me.
“Mrs. Hayes.” The voice is a lot darker now, and the threat is clear. When I feel a hand on my shoulder, I turn around at lightning speed.
“Get away from me,” I scream in a falsetto voice. Immediately, I slap his hand away from me in reflex.
Silence follows the rumble of motorcycles behind me, then Kyler’s deep voice nearly stops my heart. “Layne?”
Eight
Thetransferwentperfectly,and Paxton and I ride back to the MC’s compound with another batch of coke. The wind rushes past the tails of my cut and the roar of the bike between my legs is a wonderful feeling. As we come around the bend in the road along the American River, two men and a woman catch my eye. Both men have guns in their hands and the woman… that woman… My gaze falls on the sleeve tattoo on her left arm.
Fuck, that’s Layne!
I gesture to my little brother and then point at the scene. What the fuck is going on there? Without thinking, I drive up and stop near them. “Layne?”
At the exact time all eyes turn my way, Pax stops next to me. “What’s going on?” I ask and focus only on Layne.
She takes a step in my direction and the blond guy turns to keep his gun trained on her.
“Jesse,” the other guy hisses. He has a military look about him.
