“Look, my girl’s missing. I’m going to check her room, and you can either come with me or step aside.”
The officer unclipped his radio from his belt. “I got a biker making noise. Says there’s still a girl in a room on the west side.”
“We’re doing a grid search now. Tell him to stand down, or he’s going to jail. I don’t have time to deal with the club,” a voice cracked through the radio.
I lunged to shove past the officer, but he held out his hand, forcing me to stop. I didn’t dare touch him, afraid he’d arrest me out of spite.
“That’s threatening an officer,” he said, unclipping his taser from the holster.
I wanted to hit him. One quick shot to the temple to knock his ass out. It’d be worth it, but I’d get cuffed. Roxy was going to need me, and that was the only thought that mattered.
I’d never asked for help, and especially not from the club. I was usually the one they called when shit hit the fan, so when Tumbleweed and Eights boxed the officer in, I stood there staring at them. It wasn’t uncommon to trade favors among club members, but I wondered what their endgame was. They’d never come to my defense before, and I didn’t trust their motives. Whatever their reasoning, I’d take it for now, but they better not ask me for a thing.
The officer would shift to one side, running into Tumbleweed. He’d try to bypass him, sliding again to the other side, only to be met by Eights. They never touched him, but they kept the officer busy, asking questions. The first one I heard was something about his badge number, like they gave a fuck. I was still standing there, watching them, when Huck grabbed my arm. Together, we jumped the tape.
“You’re going to need me to break down the door,” he said as we climbed the stairs. Outside her room, he yanked his bandana up over his nose. It was a good thing he was with me because I didn’t have any rational thoughts. Following his lead, I was eager to get to her.
Huck was the largest man in the club, so when he raised his boot and hit it against the lock, the door splintered open. “It’s a gas leak, so we have to hurry.” He moved to the side, letting me enter first.
I dashed through the door, only to stop immediately. She lay unconscious where I had kissed her goodbye merely hours ago. Her face was ghostly white against her black hair. My eyes instantly went to her chest, but I couldn’t tell if there was any movement. I wanted to beg her for forgiveness. I’d never leave her again, I told myself as I flew to her side.
Checking her pulse, I felt the weak beats against my fingertips. Relief rushed through me so quickly, my knees almost gave out. She was still alive, and as long as she was breathing, no matter how shallow, she was mine. That was all thatmattered. We’d figure out the rest when she was better. “You’re not leaving me,” I told her, not giving a fuck if Huck heard.
Opening the nightstand drawer, I grabbed her money bag, throwing it at Huck. “Grab her shit. She’s done staying here.” I ignored him as I slid the covers back. She’d gotten up sometime today, putting on a t-shirt and her sleep shorts. “It’s alright, sweetheart. I’m here.” Picking her up, I settled her in my arms, but as I pivoted towards the door, I paused.
“Huck!” I screamed, getting his attention. I’d meant for him to shut her suitcase and grab it, but he’d taken me literally, running around for any little thing. “Look!” I tilted my head towards the front wall. I needed another brother to back up my claims when I took them to our executive meeting. After this, the brothers would have no choice but to believe me. They’d left a message painted in red on the wall. “Tick. Tock. The Saints are old news on the block. The clock will strike one when they’re done.”
I had no clue what it meant, but I didn’t have to guess who had sent it. Underneath the words was a painted phoenix, done in reds and oranges. It was the same image I’d seen on the biker’s wrists we’d met in the desert.How long were they in this room with her?
“Fuck, we need to go.” I heard Huck, but my feet were stuck to the ground. There was a whirling sound between my ears, and the only thing I could focus on was the crude painting on the wall.
Anger flashed through me, followed by a mixture of bitterness and shame. I’d told the club this was a possibility, but it’d been too little, too late. They’d already struck, showing they’d used the women against us. The ache in my chest widened. None of it would matter if I lost Roxy. I’d worry about the other women later.
Any of the brothers who still thought we weren’t being targeted were sadly mistaken. The bikers had come into the saloon for lunch. They’d been in this room after I’d left this morning. It wasn’t hard to imagine they knew Roxy was mine. They’d come after her, sending a message. They were provoking us, forcing us into a war we weren’t prepared to fight.
I followed Huck out the door and down the hallway, but he stopped right before the staircase. “They’re here,” he yelled to the other brothers on the ground floor. “That biker gang. They’re watching us.” This time, he pointed out to the road that ran behind the motel. There were four bikers sitting on crotch rockets. Black helmets. Black clothes. They were watching us scramble.
“Huck, there’s a bomb. That’s why they’re here. They’re here to watch when it explodes. Move.” He took the stairs two at a time, but I didn’t have that luxury while holding Roxy.
“Fucking dammit. Get those people back. This whole place could blow.” Huck was waving his hands in the air, trying to direct the brothers from halfway across the lot.
As my foot hit the last stair, a loud boom sounded from somewhere behind us. Heat tore across my spine, but I kept moving, tucking her closer to my chest. The windows were breaking, glass flying everywhere. “I’m not letting you go,” I whispered to her, bending over to shield her. “I’ll lose myself if I do.”
I heard motorcycles revving, but I didn’t pay them any attention as I scanned the crowd, looking for my next move. I was learning they didn’t always need me to wipe their asses. The brothers would give chase, hoping it would end in a fight. They could fill me in later when the dust had settled. I’d normally go on a rampage, eliminating the club’s enemies, but if the brothers didn’t step up, I wasn’t sticking my neck out alone.
If we were to have any chance of eliminating them, we needed to learn who their leader was. The bikers were just following orders, but someone wanted credit. The clock was ticking. If the club wanted a war, they’d better be prepared to fight one.
“Sir,” a paramedic called out, standing on the other side of the tape. “Over here.” He waved his arms around to grab my attention.
The cop yelled something I couldn’t process. Voices blurred into static noise. All I saw was the paramedic directing me to lay Roxy on the stretcher. Standing at the back of the ambulance, I watched as one paramedic pulled an oxygen mask over her face, while the other checked her vitals. Her face was blank. Nomovement. No color. She wasn’t invisible, just too quiet. Like she was already gone.
“You might have gotten to her in time. She’s breathing on her own, but it’s shallow. You the husband?”
“Yeah.” I didn’t even think twice, even though the thought of marriage scared me shitless. We’d said we’d take this slow, but I wasn’t walking away. I’d already given her my soul, and I didn’t need a fucking piece of paper to prove my devotion.
“If you want to ride with us, we’re leaving in a second for the ER, or you can meet us there.”
Angelica’s hand on my arm startled me. I’d forgotten she was here in all the chaos. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, stealing some of her strength. “She needs you, Grant.” Ang let out a heavy sigh. “You need her, too. Second chances don’t always come. Don’t waste this.”
