Page 17 of Dark Savior

“No!” I gasped, watching as it landed in a stream. I quickly lurched forward, snatching it from the water, but it was fucked. “No, no, no,” I mumbled, tears blurring my vision as hopelessness crashed down on me.

Something smacked hard across my back, and I sprawled forward again, my head slamming against a rock this time. My body was rolled over, and I blinked, staring up at the blurry image of…

Oh, fuck.

The president of the Sons of Grim MC.

He’d come for me.

“You’ve been a lot of trouble, sweetheart,” he murmured, crouching in front of me and leaning his arm on the end of his bat, which was what he’d probably smacked me with. My vision wavered, winking in and out. “I think I need to teach you a lesson.”

“Fuck…” Black spots began to spot my vision. “You,” I whispered.

Everything went dark.

9

Callan

Carter’s phone rang just as we were straddling our bikes, getting ready to leave the gas station. I paused with my hand over the key in the ignition, something in my gut telling me I was going to want to hear whatever Carter was about to be told. The acid in my gut boiled, threatening to turn against me and make me vomit.

I’d been against leaving Rachel, but the club came first. I took a fucking vow. And for the past few hours, I’d been regretting the fuck out of that vow, even if this club had given me a home and freedom I wouldn’t have otherwise. Because when I’d met Carter, I’d been on a path of self-destruction, and it would’ve only been a matter of time before I ended up in prison. This man—my best friend—had saved me.

I trusted Brittany and Genesis… but I didn’t trust them enough with Rachel. Not with the Souls of Grim after her specifically. We still didn’t know why. Carter’s grandfather was still in a coma, so we had no fucking answers. And I had a feeling that the old man knew everything we needed to know so we could protect her better.

He’d sent her running straight to us without a stitch of clothing packed for a reason. But other than the Souls of Grim MC being after her, we knew nothing of the why.

Since I’d left home early this morning though, my gut had been so tight, I couldn’t even stomach a cup of coffee when we’d stopped a few hours ago, and while Carter, Orlando, and Bruce had grabbed a bite to eat from the backwoods gas station we’d stopped at, the thought of food or drink made me nauseous.

Carter’s face paled. “What?” he growled. His eyes flickered to me for a moment, and then, he cursed, yanking his fingers through his hair. “Fuck!” he shouted. He looked at me, but I already knew.

I already fucking knew.

“Rachel is missing⁠—”

I punched him in the face. He stumbled, his back slamming against the pole holding up the covering over the gas pumps we were parked next to. He worked his jaw around, mumbled something to whoever called him, and then shoved his phone into his pocket. Blood ran down his chin, and he spit some out on the ground.

“We’re turning the fuck around,” I snarled at him before he could say a word. Fuck this run. Fuck this cut. Fuck this club. “I told you I didn’t want to fucking leave her. This is why.”

He spit more blood onto the ground, his lips bloody. “They’re searching for her⁠—”

“Who?!” I barked, turned my bike on and strapping my helmet to my head. He could follow me or not. I didn’t give a fuck. But I was turning around.

I should have never left her.

“Brittany,” he told me over the roar of my bike engine. “Genesis is on her way to the hospital. Henry is…” Carter swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “He didn’t fucking make it.”

I shook my head and gunned the engine, the beast roaring beneath me as I tore out of the parking lot, heading back home, not even waiting on Carter.

Fuck ranking. Fuck how we were supposed to ride.

My fucking woman was missing, and I was about to rain hell down on whoever took her from me.

The Bluetooth earpiece connected to my burner began ringing in my ear. I cursed and reached up, pressing it to answer the call. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to someone, but it could be news on Rachel. “What?” I growled.

“Brittany found her,” Carter told me. My heart clenched in my chest because there was something in his voice that screamed he had bad news for me. “Head for the hospital.”

My grip tightened on the handlebars. The hospital…