“Fine, let’s ride then,” he says. “But this is madness.”
No, it’s not.
It’s the only right thing to do.
* * *
Veronica
There’s an unnatural heat in my belly from the two times Gazz has punched me so far, the last after I yelled for Chance to be careful while they spoke. I hope he heard me. I hope I at least got that much right.
But all those thoughts and the pain are something I only notice in a very vague sort of way, because my head feels like it’s filled with burning cotton and when I don’t focus real hard everything’s blurry. I can’t focus anymore. Don’t have the strength. Yet I can’t close my eyes either. What comes next is something I have to see.
I did what I had to in trying to warn Chance. I did what was right.
And the moments following it were the longest in my life. But the shot ending my sister’s life, the shot I feared would come as soon as the phone call was over, never did.
There was plenty of arguing among the men, plenty of growling and complaining, plenty of suggesting they just kill the both of us and ride off while the getting is good. But Gazz silenced them all. The venomous hate he has for Chance and his MC is clearly stronger than any common sense.
“They’ll hunt us. Better to let them come on our terms,” he finally said and that was the end of it.
They left the container and locked us in again. And now they’re scrambling around outside, some of them still arguing, by the sound of it. I can’t make out the words. Just their angry tone.
We’re huddled in one of the dark corners, Ariel’s arms around me and her long, soft hair tickling my cheek.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter. “I just couldn’t lie to Chance… “
“You did the right thing,” Ariel says in that raspy dead voice. But her arms around me are soft and warm and I can feel the burning love and life inside her.
“The men that took you were here in town all along,” I say. “Why didn’t you say? Why didn’t you tell the police?”
“I didn’t know who they were,” she says. “I only know Gazz. He enjoyed torturing me. He thought he broke me. I thought he broke me. But now I know he didn’t. He’s just a sniveling little coward, isn’t he? Did you see? He almost started crying when you refused to call Chance.”
She chuckles mirthlessly.
“No, I didn’t see that. But I wish I had,” I say, trying to sound brave like her.
“I saw it,” Lacy says. I thought she had lost consciousness again because she hadn’t said anything, or even moved for so long. “And don’t worry about Chance. He won’t be coming alone. He has the entire Devil’s Nightmare MC behind him.”
She says it with great significance and like it will solve all our problems.
“We’re as good as free,” she adds for good measure.
“How can you be so sure?” I ask. “And why would they all come just for us?”
“Chance’s father is their vice-president for one thing,” she says. “And the idiot Riders almost killed their president’s son about a week ago. Their days are numbered as it is. And the Devils never lose. Everyone knows that.”
I don’t. But I’d like to believe in her certainty. So I let myself.
There’s so much I got wrong about Chance. So very much. But I think I finally got it right now.
I just hope we meet again so I can tell him that.