Live Free (Lords of Mayhem 3)

“There’s the Firecracker I know.”

“This isn’t a game!” she yelled, furious that he’d wound her up on purpose.

“No it’s not. And if you don’t get your head out of your ass you won’t make it. He knew what he was doing when he called you and you fell for it,” he growled.

“Fuck you.” She spat the words out like they tasted bad.

“Get angry but don’t direct it at me. I’m not the one who twisted you into knots. Direct that toward him.”

His words penetrated her rage. Shame cooled the flames like a bucket of water and she ceased her struggle, dropping her head.

“Look, I know it’s a lot and heavy, but you got to keep it together. I need you to think before you do shit. You go off half-cocked and bad shit tends to happen. That means trouble for you and my crew.” Rocky shook his head.

“I hear you,” she whispered.

“Good. You ready to go back in?”

She nodded, unable to speak.

“All right. Next time you run out like that solo, I’m going to put you over my knee and spank your ass.”

“It was stupid. I won’t do it again,” she said.

He grunted and tugged her back toward the entrance. “Let’s see if Specs and Gadget got anything from the call.”

Subdued now, she nodded. Her life had turned into an episode made for a TV drama. Back inside, the mood seemed to have shifted from relaxed to full alert. She trailed beside him, silent as she slogged through the swampland her mind had become. Less than kind thoughts and emotions flooded in, and she lost some of the ground gained in recent weeks.

“No, bastard is smart. Even if we could’ve traced it, I get the feeling he’s on a prepaid burner phone. She might be better off changing her number so she doesn’t have to deal with him. I don’ think we’ll get a damn thing this way,” Specs said.

“Damn,” Rocky growled. “We’ll get you set up with a new phone tomorrow, okay?”

Evonne nodded.

“We’re going to head home now,” Rocky informed her.

She tuned out as he said his goodbyes and led her out to his bike. The freedom that normally came with being on the back of his bike felt stifled. Reality just knocked her on her ass and shoved her failings in her face—a lot to swallow. They turned the corner and she clutched Rocky’s waist tightly. When they passed the house and he hit the throttle, she couldn’t help but feel relieved. Anywhere would be better than stuck behind four walls with nothing else to do but replay her mistakes on a loop. Pressing closer to Rocky’s broad back, she let his warmth and the vibrations of the bike lull her into a false sense of contentment as the wind caught her hair.

They pulled up to a worn-down-looking warehouse and she frowned. Butterflies zoomed around in her belly as he shut off the bike. “Where are we?”

“My gym.”

“Wait—you’re going to train?” She asked.

“No, you are.”

“What?” She removed her helmet and handed it to him, slightly dazed.

“I know what it’s like to feel helpless, to be a victim of your circumstances. It robs you of your peace of mind…makes you shut down and get tunnel vision. Until one day, you decide you’ve had enough. Today is your day to take back control.”

“How? I don’t know where he is, or when he’ll be back—”

Rocky covered her mouth with a calloused hand. “Shhh. None of that matters. This is about here.” He removed his hand and tapped her forehead with two fingers. “And here.” He covered her chest with his hand.

She stared into his eyes, and her mouth went dry.

“You feel me? Being strong, training, it’s sixty percent mental and forty percent physical.”

She nodded, entranced by the wisdom and the serious tone he’d taken on.