by Sarah Bale
“You did great today.”
I nod, feeling sick to my stomach. He has to say shit like that to keep morale up. It’s not very encouraging to tell someone they’re doing exactly the same as they were the day before. And the week before.
“Would you like your nurse to stop by?”
“Please.”
He nods, leaving me to wallow in my pain and self-pity.
There’s a knock on the door and Agent Hill enters without waiting for me to answer.
“I don’t want any visitors.”
Not like this. Not when I’m so fucking weak and fragile.
“I’ve kept them all away, but you need to stop sulking and hear what’s happened. Her father found out where she was staying. We’ve moved her to another location, but we both know it’s only a matter of time before he finds her again.”
I freeze. Her father found her! No! I move and let out a groan as my burned skin stretches.
“What the fuck am I supposed to do about it? I can barely walk. There’s no way I can protect her.”
Agent Hill laughs at me. The motherfucker laughs.
“Forgive me. I had no idea how easily you’d give up, Gideon. I’ll leave you to it, then.”
I hate that he uses my real name. But mostly, I hate that he’s right. He walks away still laughing and it fucking pisses me off. How dare he treat me this way? He wasn’t the one who almost fucking died in that fire. He has no idea what I’m going through.
I yell after him, “Don’t come back. You’re not welcome here.”
He doesn’t answer. Fucking prick! I’ll show him. Swinging my legs over the bed, I stand. I’m going to get out of here come hell or high water. And when I do, the first thing I’m going to do is punch Agent Hill in the fucking face!
8
Olivia
Saint’s been acting weird all day, and I can’t put my finger on it. I don’t get a feeling that it’s bad, but it’s irritating the hell out of me for some reason. Maybe it’s because we’ve been stuck here for a week in tight quarters. The only time he leaves is to go to the clubhouse, which also pisses me off, because I’m not allowed to go. No, I get to wait at the window like a fucking puppy until he gets home.
“Are you sure nothing is wrong?”
He drops his cell phone at my question, like he’s been caught doing something wrong, which also proves my point further.
“I’m sure. Why do you keep asking, darlin’?”
“Because you’re acting weird, Saint.”
“Am I?”
“Yes,” I grit out.
He glances at his phone, a smile working on his lips. “Sorry. Just laughing at something someone sent me.”
“Whatever.” I stand. “I’m going to lie down for a bit.”
I love Saint and I love living with him, but this apartment is too fucking small. I take the twenty-two steps to the bedroom and close the door behind me. Fuck it. Might as well take a nap.
I must doze off at some point, because a tap on the door startles me awake.
“Liv. Come out to the living room. Agent Hill is here.”
My heart pounds. Is it my father? Is that why Agent Hill is here? Or did something happen to King, Bash, or Razor?
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Hurry, though.”
Saint’s tone is reassuring. He wouldn’t lie to me, not about something like this. So, what in the heck is Agent Hill here for?
I run my fingers through my hair, making sure I look okay before I open the door. When I come out of the bedroom, Saint and Agent Hill are sitting on the loveseat, which is fucking hilarious. They’re both big guys, and they’re crammed together like sardines in a can.
I snort. “You two look comfortable.”
Saint stands. “King is being released from the hospital.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow. As soon as we get him.” He hedges. “There’s not enough room here for the three of us in this apartment. And Razor will be home soon with Bash.”
I’m not certain, but it sounds like he mutters hopefully. But then his words hit me. No! Not again!
“What are you saying?”
“I’m going to take him to the new clubhouse. We got the security system hooked up and Agent Hill thinks we’ll be safe.”
I’m trying to stay calm, but it’s hard. Because Saint Massacre has a history of leaving me behind, all in the name of protecting me.
“Do I need to pack my bag?”
He glances at Agent Hill.
FUCK. He’s going to do it again.
But I’m not going to sit idle this time. No, I’m going to tell him what I think.
“Yes.”
“Saint, you’re not going to—wait. What?”
“Yes, you need to pack a bag. That is, if you want to come with me.”
I’m the one who looks at Agent Hill this time.
“Is he serious?”
Agent Hill nods. “He is. My team checked out the security system today. It’s solid. I think you’ll be safe there.”
“Why now? Why the change of heart?”
Agent Hill and Saint exchange looks again.
“Is it my father?”
Agent Hill answers, “He’s been seen in the area, but we’ve also got intel on him in surrounding cities. He’s planning something. We just don’t know what it is.”
I knew there was something else. That’s why he’s here. To warn me.
“Is there anything I should do?”
“I’d like you to take a firearms class. Get comfortable with a gun.”
I start to shake my head, but see the look on both their faces.
“You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”
Saint says, “Liv, it’s not a bad idea.”
Agent Hill adds, “We’re not saying you have to use a gun, but it will be helpful if you knew how. You got lucky last time.”
I think back to the RV where I had to shoot Maniac. He’s right—I did get lucky. I also managed to get shot twice in the process. If I had known how to use a gun, that might not have happened. Or maybe it would have. I don’t really know.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
Saint smiles. “Good. I’ll take you to the gun range tomorrow, before we get King.”
“Why can’t we get him tonight?”
They exchange another look.
“What is it?”
“Darlin’, you need to be prepared. King’s not himself right now.”
“What does that mean?”
Agent Hill answers, “It means he’s blaming himself for the shape he’s in. Doesn’t make any sense, but that doesn’t stop him from feeling that way.”
Saint adds, “That’s part of the reason no one could see him while he was in the ICU.”
Because he didn’t want us to see him. The truth hits me square in the gut. He didn’t want me to see him.
Saint touches my arm. “It’s not like that.”
But, it kind of is.
Bash doesn’t want to see me.
King doesn’t want to see me.
I’m starting to see a pattern here.
“Liv?”
I force a smile on my lips. “It’s okay. You said we’re going to the new clubhouse tomorrow?”
He nods, but doesn’t look convinced.
“Great. I’ll pack up my bag.” I turn to Agent Hill. “Can I have the rest of my stuff moved out of storage to the clubhouse?”
“I’ve already put the paperwork in.”
“Thank you.”
They exchange another look and I bite back the words that are dying to escape my mouth. They’ve got to stop doing this. I know they’re worried, but they’re driving me crazy with all their looks.
“I’m going to call it a night since we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”
Agent Hill stands. “I better be going, too. My daughter is home for Thanksgiving break and is cooking dinner tonight.”
I feel horrible. I knew
she was coming and didn’t even think to ask how their visit was going.
“Have a good evening, Agent Hill.”
“See you later,” I say, as he leaves.
The next morning Saint is awake before me. He greets me with a travel mug full of coffee when I walk into the kitchen.
“Thanks,” I murmur, taking a sip of the decaf brew.
He watches me, not saying a word.
Finally, I say, “Spit it out.”
“I worried about King. And Bash. And you.”
“Not Razor?”
My poor attempt at a joke makes him sigh.
“Liv-”
“Saint, I don’t want to fight today. King’s coming home. We’re moving into the new clubhouse. Those are both good things.”
“I’m not trying to fight, either, but I feel like we need to talk about what’s going on. Dr. Cross says it’s important to keep the lines of communication open.”
That makes me snort.
“Sorry. It’s just funny hearing you quote my therapist.”
“She’s my therapist, too.”
“I know. I’m sorry for laughing.”
He sighs. “So, want to talk?”
“Not really.” At his raised eyebrow I go on, “What do you want me to say? My father is still out there. Bash isn’t here. And King didn’t want me to see him the entire time he was in the ICU. I’m pretty sure you can guess how that makes me feel.”
“It makes me feel fucking helpless. I can’t imagine how it makes you feel.”
I lean against the counter. “I feel the same way. But I also get tired of talking or thinking about it all the time. I’m sure you mean well, but I just can’t do this. Not today.”
“You have to promise me that you’ll keep me in the loop, Liv. I need to know how you’re feeling and if it gets to be too much. In return, I’ll promise not to bug you. Too much.”
“Deal.” Leaning over, I brush my lips against his. “Thank you for giving a shit about me.”
“Always. Do you want to grab a bite to eat before we go to the gun range?”
The thought of food makes me feel queasy right now. I’m too excited about seeing King, even if he’s not excited to see me.
“No. My coffee is enough. Let’s go.”
He grabs his mug and we go outside where his Rolls Royce awaits. I get all tingly thinking about the last time we were in this car.
“Didn’t know if I’d ever see this beauty again.”
He opens my door for me and answers, “The fire never spread to the garage. Just the clubhouse.”
Where my father knew they would be.
“I’m sorry it happened, Saint. Your life would’ve been a lot better if I hadn’t showed up at your bar.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s true.”
“No, it’s not. Liv, my life is better because you’re in it. I know Bash, King, and Razor feel the same way, too. I don’t know how to explain it, but I think we would have met one way or another.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The first time I laid eyes on you, I felt a spark. Never experienced anything like that in my life.”
I blink back tears that are suddenly filling my eyes. “Saint.”
He kisses me. “I mean it. And I mean it when I say you make my life better.”
“Well, how can I argue with that?”
“You can’t. Now, let’s go to the gun range.”
“And then get King.”
“And get King,” he agrees.
As we leave my apartment behind, I can’t help but feel a sense of dread. I’m not sure where the feeling comes from, but if I’ve learned one thing, it’s to not ignore what my gut says. And my gut says that the other shoe is about to drop.
9
Olivia
The gun range isn’t what I expected it to be, but I have fun, nonetheless. The first time I fire the pistol, I’m reminded of when I shot Maniac.
“You okay?”
I let out a nervous laugh. “The last time I held one of these I killed someone.”
“I know it’s tough, but the more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be.”
“Is there any way to stop the kickback?”
He moves behind me, positioning my arms and legs. When he nudges my hip, I let out a small gasp. Damn this man and damn the spark I feel when I’m with him. And damn my horny-ass body. You’d think I’d be sated, since we fuck every chance we get. Oh hell. Now I’m getting all tingly again.
“There. That should help.”
Focusing on the target at the end of the range, I aim and then fire. There’s still a slight kickback, but it’s not as bad as before. And, I came closer to actually hitting the target.
“There you go.”
“It’s a miracle I hit Maniac on the first try.”
“You were at close range. That helped, for sure.”
Snorting, I aim again and fire. I do this until I hit the target. By the time our session is over, I’ve hit the target more times than not.
“You did good,” Saint said. “We’ll get you your concealed carry permit next.”
“How does one go about doing that?”
“It’s easy. You’ve already done the hard part. We’ll talk to Agent Hill and see if there’s any classes coming up.” He grins. “He’ll never forgive me if you don’t do this the legal way.”
I laugh. “You’re right.”
“He doesn’t need to know about the pistol you’ll be carrying on you, though. That’ll be our little secret until you get your permit.”
“Saint-”
“You need to be protected, Liv. This isn’t up for debate.”
“Fine. But if Agent Hill finds out, then you get to tell him this was your bright idea.”
“Deal.”
I’m going to hold him to it, too.
“Come on.”
“Are we going to get King?”
“No. I want to take you by the new clubhouse first.”
“Let’s go!”
We walk outside and I can already tell it’s going to be a lovely fall day. That’s one thing I love about Savannah—during this time of year the temperature is perfect. It’s not too hot or cold, and the humidity isn’t bad, either. Saint opens the car door for me, and I slide onto the leather seat. He closes my door and then goes around to the driver’s side.
“Why aren’t we getting King first?”
“His doctor called. Said he wanted King to have one more session of physical therapy before he goes home.”
“Will he have to go to therapy after he gets home?”
“Yeah. We can either have someone come to the clubhouse, or we can take him to the center. He has to go every day.”
Again, I wonder just how badly King was hurt.
Saint reaches over, taking my hand into his. “Ready to see our new place?”
I low-key love it that he calls it our place. I’ve never had a place that I considered mine, or even home for that matter. The closest I’ve come to that was living at the old clubhouse and when I lived with Lucy. The thought of my sweet friend makes me frown.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Always.”
“Do you think Lucy is alive?”
I watch him intently. I don’t think he’ll lie to me, but I just want to be sure.
“I don’t know,” he finally says.
“What does your gut say?”
“I’ve done a lot of fucked up shit in my life, but kidnapping an innocent woman isn’t one of those things. Your father, well, he’s a loose cannon. On one hand, it would make sense to kill her at this point.”
I flinch.
“Why is that?”
“She’s an extra mouth to feed and isn’t really helping him. Not as far as I can see. She was just a means to hurt you.”
“And on the other hand?”
I’m really hoping it’s something better than what he just said.
“On the other han
d, if she’s alive, he can still use her to hurt you. Agent Hill said he was seen in Florida. If she’s alive, he might try to hurt her and send it to you as proof as another way to get in your head.”
“So, either way she’s screwed?”
He doesn’t say anything, which says plenty. I lean back in my seat, sighing.
Just fucking great.
We drive for a while, making me wonder if he’s taking a page out of Agent Hill’s playbook. It’s funny how well they get along. I wonder if they would have been friends in another life.
The scenery passes by as I stare out the window, but I’m not really paying attention. Why hasn’t my father tried anything else? And why now? He’s been gone for six years. What changed that made him decide he needed to resurface?
“We’re here, darlin’.”
A jolt of excitement courses through my veins as I shove all thoughts of my father away and take in my surroundings. The first thing I notice is there’s a tall fence spanning the entire property line. To get in, you have to enter a code and wait for two different gates to open, both with the Devil’s Regents logo on it. It’s like entering a fortress.
I point to the gate. “Was this already here or did you add it?”
“I added it.”
The driveway is paved and winds through a wooded area until the clubhouse comes into sight. It’s massive. At least three times as big as the old one. Bikes are parked in an actual paved parking lot. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when everyone is here.
I point to a large building to the left of the clubhouse. “What’s that building over there?”
“That’s the shop. For the new business.”
That makes me smile. “I’m happy for you.”
“Some of the men still aren’t on board. Once Razor and Bash get back, we’ll have Church to address the issues.”
“You’re worried?”
“I think I’m going to lose men over this. I’ve heard rumbles of displeasure after the fire. They blame me. They’re not wrong, either.”
“Saint-”
“No, they’re right. I let them down. But this new endeavor, well, it’s going to change things for all of us.”