The baby could be Otto’s.
My gut and chest tighten, squeezing my heart and sending pain into every nerve ending.
It hurts, but I hurt for her, not for me.
My thoughts turn back to Otto.
What kind of man does this?
Correction, he’s not a man—real men don’t rape—no, he’s a predator who hides his inadequacies behind intimidation because he’s built like a Mack truck and can overpower easily. He’s a pitiful, inept weakling who’s going to know what my fist feels like being smashed into his face… repeatedly.
Steering my bike through the winding mountain road, I eventually pull over and kill the engine. I’m at Danger’s Point, a little-known lookout deep in the mountainside where the Earth meets the sky.
After I climb off my bike, I walk to the edge of the ridge and look out at the spectacular panoramic view of tree-blanketed mountains, vast winding valleys, and shimmering streams cutting their path through the many gorges. Standing beneath the enormous sky with the valley stretching as far as the eye can see, I feel as close to righteousness as I’ll ever know.
Out here, I can think.
Get my head straight.
Clear my mind and try to make sense of the chaos.
But it isn’t just my rage that brings me here, it’s my guilt.
For not believing in her.
For giving in to my doubts in the months she was gone.
For leaving her behind.
I raise my face to the heavens and close my eyes. Then opening them, I suddenly roar into the golden light. I roar so loud, I think my lungs are going to burst, and just when I start to go dizzy from the lack of oxygen, I draw in a deep breath, and I roar again.
Listening to it echo throughout the valley, I drop to my haunches and put my face in my hands. If the baby isn’t mine, it changes nothing. I will love and protect him with every fiber of my being and ensure he never knows the darkness behind his conception.
But I swear Otto will.
He’ll know every second of my wrath.
I don’t care if it’s right or wrong because just thinking about what he did to Lily ignites my fury.
My fists clench until my nails dig into my palms.
Her revenge will be mine.
But right now, nothing is more important than letting her know I’ve got her back.
Climbing back on my bike, I ride through the hazy afternoon light, keen to get back to Lily, but when I return to the clubhouse, Jack is waiting for me.
And he’s furious as fuck.
“You and I need to talk.” He points to his office. “Now.”
LILY
When I wake, I’m alone.
After telling Doc about what happened following his escape, I slept like the dead in the safety of his bed. Now, I’m wrapped in the cocoon of his sheets, surrounded by his smell, and I feel the unease creep back and nestle into the base of my spine.
My body feels heavy from sleep, but it’s my mind that’s heavier because while I told Doc what happened, I didn’t tell him all of it because I’m not ready to speak the words.
I’m not ashamed. I did what I had to do to survive, but I know it’s going to hurt Doc when he learns the truth. Pushing it out of my head, I take a shower and let the massaging spray of water wash my unease away, then dry off to stand at the basin where I brush my teeth and tie my hair into a ponytail.
My stomach growls, empty and hungry. I haven’t had much of an appetite lately. But I have a feeling it’s more to do with recent traumas than the baby. Before I fell asleep, Doc suggested I talk to someone about what happened to me. He has been seeing a doctor since escaping the UFO Hotel. I think he’s right. I need to untangle the knots in my emotions and mind. I know talking about it should help, but I want to talk to him first. Because I haven’t told him everything yet, and until I find the right words, I can’t.
Deciding to go on the hunt for food, I dress and pull on my boots, but when I leave the room, I hear voices down the hallway.
It’s Doc and Jack, and they’re arguing.
And they’re arguing about me.
“You saw what they did to Venom. They’re getting ready to make a move, and you can’t tell me she isn’t here to give her fucking father inside information.”
Jack is angry. The agitation in his voice is a sharp blade cutting through his words.
But Doc is quick to defend me. “She isn’t involved with him or any of the Inferno.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’d trust her… with my life.”
I can’t see them, but I imagine Jack has fixed his eyes to Doc while his jaw ticks with irritation.