Ride With The Devil (Devil's Riders 2)

But he'd just been doing what he did. He was like a medieval knight in that way. A hero who always did the right thing. It didn't mean he cared.

Nobody really cared about her.

She swallowed back the sob that caught in her throat. No time for tears. She was on her own now, once and for all. She had to do this herself. She was strong. She's survived shin splints and bloody toes on a weekly basis when she was dancing. She'd survived the loss of her chance to be a prima ballerina… the one thing she loved doing most in the world, the thing that defined her.

She'd taken on of one the Spawn's toe to toe for God's sake.

She could do this.

She knew Kaylie would try to help her but she didn't know how or when. Maybe once she was on her feet. But what could Kaylie really do?

No, Janet was on her own in this. Kaylie couldn't solve this disaster. She was no match for Janet's evil witch of a mother. She said a little prayer of thanks to God for giving her one true friend.

Her only friend in the world.

Then she swung the chair back over her head and threw it at the window.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Jack

Red…

He cracked his eyes open and tried to shake off the dream. She’d been there, telling him she wanted him. Begging him to take her in his arms and-

Well, fuck if that wasn’t the worst possible time to wake up from a dream.

Jack sat up. He was on the roof with the worst hangover he'd had in his life. No, wait, that was yesterday. Or the day before.

Today was the worst hangover anyone had had, ever, in the Goddamn history of man kind. He moaned and rolled over to a seated position. It was the fourth day of his bender.

He picked up the empty tequila bottle and grimaced. He needed a cup of coffee. He needed a shower.

He needed a shower with coffee instead of water.

"Jack man, you up there? Come down! We gotta talk to you."

Dev was calling him. He stood unsteadily and headed to the roof hatch. He flung it open and took the service ladder down to the main level.

When he got downstairs, a terrible feeling of foreboding came over him. He rubbed his head, wondering if it was just from the abuse he’d heaped on his liver. But he couldn’t shake the feeling.

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

“We’re out back!”

Kaylie and Dev stood in the back alley. She looked distraught. Hell, even Dev looked worried about something.

"Man, you look like shit."

Jack ignored the comment. He just waited. But they looked at each other, neither of them speaking. Finally, he spoke.

“What is it?”

Kaylie stepped forward nervously, as if she weren't sure she should be telling him something. He stood there silently, watching her decide what to say. She swallowed and finally opened her mouth.

"It's Janet."

He said nothing, fully expecting her to tear into him for what had happened in the alley. What had almost happened.

He almost laughed. He should have just taken her up against the wall. Then maybe she'd be out of his system by now.

That was a joke. Nothing would do that. He knew that now.

God knows the booze hadn't blotted her from his mind.

She was it for him, and he’d blown it.

"I don't know if there's anything going on with the two of you, or if you care about her but…"

He looked at Dev over her shoulder to see if his friend was mad at him. How was he supposed to explain this fiasco to him? To anyone?

He had taken the sweetest, fieriest, most beautiful girl in the world, and made her hate him. And he didn’t blame her one bit.

"There isn't."

Kaylie stared at him.

"There isn't anything going on."

"Okay. I just thought maybe you wanted to help her. After what happened at the mall. Even if there isn’t… I know she likes you Jack."

He blinked. They weren’t yelling at him.

And she said Janet liked him, She did, did she? He felt a tiny flicker of something foreign.

Hope. It was hope.

So she still liked him. She must be insane. But he didn’t care. He’d take her, if she was still willing.

No holding back this time.

“Where is she?”

He stared at Kaylie with one eyebrow raised. Even that movement was painful in his recently inebriated state. Didn’t matter.

He wanted to go get Janet. Now. But instead of telling him where to find her, Kaylie let out a deep breath.

"I'm scared for her."

"What?"

He was prepared for her to tell him that Janet had gotten herself into trouble. Fine. He'd help her.

He was prepared for her to tell him that Janet was angry at him and wouldn't come to the clubhouse. Even better. He’d beg her forgiveness.

He was not prepared for what Kaylie said next.