“Hell?” he answers, sounding confused.
“I need you to pick us up,” I say firmly, looking behind me to make sure we aren’t being followed.
“What?” he asks, amusement in his tone. “Wait, what’s that noise? Where are you?”
I hear his chair scrape back like he’s standing, and I imagine him running his hand through his hair.
“No time to explain. We need a car. I’ll text the address.”
“Hell, what the fuck is going on? You’re supposed to be upstairs.”
“We snuck out.” He inhales sharply before the line is cut off.
Twenty minutes later, a car slows by the kerb. I get in the front, leaning over to kiss Drifter, but realise it’s Gears.
I frown, sitting back and pulling the seatbelt on.
“He’s pissed,” Gears explains, staring straight ahead.
“He’ll get over it,” I mutter, ignoring the pang of guilt in my chest.
I rest my head back and stare out at the passing streetlights. My head is already pounding, and my mouth feels way too dry. And on top of all that, my anxiety is back ten-fold. Being reckless was not the fun night out I had planned.
DRIFTER
How could she be so fucking stupid? She knows the risk of being out of the compound without some kind of protection. We aren’t fifteen anymore. I wish she would start taking this shit seriously.
I slam my phone on the bar as Clay takes a seat beside me at the bar.
“I’ll sort this, Pres.”
“We all need to get our women in line. This shit cannot happen again.”
“Honestly, I’m shocked, I mean, I know this is something Rochelle has done in the past, but Belle is usually scared of her own shadow,” he mutters, shaking his head. His body is tense, and I can tell he’s worried.
My phone pings, and I take a look at the screen.
“Gears has them,” I inform him before placing my phone back on the bar.
Rock paces somewhere behind us with his phone pressed to his ear. “Red, are you fucking kidding me right now?” he yells. “What the fuck do you think you’re playing at? You’re meant to be a mother. Responsible. Grown-up.”
And in this moment, the last twenty-four hours hit me hard. This is Rochelle taking control, trying to make sense of whatever’s happening in her crazy little head. But I wish she wouldn’t jeopardise her own safety in the process, or that of Red and Bella.
My phone rings out, and I stare at Hell’s name bouncing across the screen. I don’t have the strength to argue right now, not over the phone.
Rock drops onto the stool beside us.
“Can you believe it, she fucking hung up?” he grumbles.
Clay sniggers. “Yeah, I can. She’s a law unto her own.”
He shakes his head. “This is a new fucking low. They know of the dangers.”
Five minutes later, the door swings open, and the women walk in. The room fills with the sound of their laughter, like what they did hasn’t earned me a hundred more grey hairs.
I exchange a wary look with the other two, and then Rock is up and out of his seat, followed swiftly by Clay.
I remain still, trying to contain my anger as I clench my jaw and drum my thumb against the bar. I keep my back to them, not wanting to even look at Hell right now.
