Trinity looks over her shoulder at me. “Yeah. Why?”
“Be ready at seven,” I tell her before pushing to my feet and making my way to the back door. “I’ll pick you up.” Without waiting for her response, I step inside and shut the door behind me. I don’t know why I’m doing this, but I want to. Spending time with her chases away the demons that haunt me. She reminds me of the young man I was before all the shit happened in my life. And I’m a selfish bastard, but I want to feel normal again.
When I walk into the living room, Dad looks up from the sofa, his face white as a ghost. “They’ve found him, he’s two towns over with about fifteen men from his club. And I think he has some backup from two other chapters as well.”
“I don’t give a shit who’s with him,” I bite out, my blood already boiling in my veins. “When are we heading out?”
“Snake wants to meet. He has a plan, and I want you to listen to him.” Dad’s on his feet, shrugging on his cut as he tells me this, and I have a feeling they’re going to ask me to sit here and wait for them to get back. That’s not fucking happening.
We’re all seated around the long, wooden table. Hack walks in, shutting the door behind him as we turn to regard him. He sets down the laptop, turning it toward me, and points to the location onscreen. It seems Lex is nearing Anchor Bay. Perhaps the prey is coming to the hunter after all.
“We’ll head out now,” I tell them, then snap my gaze over to Snake who’s watching me intently. “Can we?” I ask, realizing I just took over the meeting when he should be the one who gives the order.
“I want at least ten of us out there now. I’ve called for backup. Our neighboring chapter will be here within a few hours. Once they arrive, I’ll head out and lock up the clubhouse.” Snake’s grin widens as he regards all of us. “Let’s kill some fuckers.” More cheers go up around the room, and this time, seeing the tracker on Jord’s computer has me less stressed than I was when we went on a wild fucking goose chase and came up empty-handed.
I’m on my feet, shrugging on my cut before pushing my chair back. “I’m ready,” I tell the room. The guys follow me out, but I’m stopped by Dad’s hand on my shoulder.
“I’m coming with you,” he tells me. It’s always been me who’s wanted to find vengeance, but the look in my father’s eyes tells me I’m not alone in this.
“I’d like that,” I tell him. “I was ready to do this alone. I was ready to wait for him to get here and have him locked up in a warehouse alone, but I’ll happily kill the fucker on any soil.”
We move out to the bikes, and I swing my leg over, turning the engine on, giving it a roar before I kick up the stand and reverse out of my parking spot. The deep rumble of the other bikes has me smiling with satisfaction. It’s a sound of support, a sound of pure adrenalin coursing through my veins.
As we speed out of the lot and onto the road, Snake’s not here, but his VP, Diablo, takes the lead, and we all fall into our places within the group. One thing about this type of family is they’re respectful. And we may be new to Anchor Bay and this chapter, but I already feel like I belong.
We rumble down the road out of Anchor Bay and toward the neighboring town which is Green Hills. When I looked it up, I noticed it’s nothing more than a main road with a few houses and a store. I’m pretty sure there was a church as well, but other than that, it’s not some place I would put on a map. There are certainly no fucking hills, so I’m not sure where they got their name from.
Our destination is actually just past Green Hills and out toward a bigger town with more going on, which I would expect from Lex. He always loved the city, knowing where he could hide when needed, and also where to find the fucking strip clubs when desire took a front seat to his club.
When I was young and stupid, I looked up to Lex thinking he was a hero. My dad and I were on the outs so I got lost in false promises. The Serpents were calling to me, wanting me to become a fully-fledged member, and Lex promised me the world. He wanted to give me a fucking patch, one of the lead roles. He took one look at me and said I would become their Road Captain, with a bit of a violent streak. I should’ve known he was bad news when he laughed at that.
Granted, it’s something that we do, something we at times aspire to, but there was something malevolent in his gaze—dark and foreboding. A promise of evil. And he did take pleasure in torturing people. Most times it was warranted, but there were those moments when I was forced to watch him hurt innocents, and that was what broke me. What brought me back to reality, and I walked back into The Kovenant and told Dad I wanted back in.
I told Lex to kiss my ass, more or less. I guess me turning my back on him hit somewhere deep, because a few months later, I walked into my home and found blood everywhere. There were no screams, no cries of help, or even final breaths. He made sure I couldn’t even tell my mother and my sister I loved them.
He took it all from me.
And I’m about to take it back.
I’m about to give him what I should’ve done months ago, and I’ll make sure to enjoy it.
12
Rogue
When we reach the town, it’s quiet. There are a few people in the streets, but mostly, it’s a ghost town. I’m not sure what Lex would be doing here, but it seems the Serpents have already put their stamp on this place. It feels cold.
“Motel up ahead. Let’s pull in,” our VP calls out, and we follow behind, making our way to the strangely colored building on the left. Three floors of bright, blue doors, each with a number glinting in the low light as the sun hits them just enough to show off the metal. As we each pull into a parking spot, I can feel eyes on us, but I can’t put a finger on where it’s coming from.
Intuition has always been my forte, and this time, it’s not different because I know for a fact that either he or his men are watching us. It’s not like we entered this shithole quietly. And if we made an entrance for the handful of residents, then we most certainly caught the attention of the dick I’m about to murder.
Swinging my leg over my bike, I pull off the helmet and hang it on the handlebars, finding my dad’s eyes on me. There is fear flickering in his stare, and I know he’s worried about what I would do. He’s never seen me like this, so focused. Not even when I was in high school, not even when I wanted to be patched into The Kovenant. This is where my life was leading me, and it’s time for me to step up, to earn the vengeance I’ve been seeking for my mother and my sister.
For a brief second, my mind flits back to Anchor Bay, to the girl I left there, waiting for me to return. I’ve never had anyone wait for me before. I certainly never wanted to go back to anyone before. Trinity has somehow changed my mindset. I’m not sure what to make of it right now, but I’ll focus on that when I’m not away from her.
When Diablo returns with a key, we all filter into one small fucking room the size of our bathroom back home. But Jord doesn’t take much notice of his surroundings. His focus is on finding our mark. He settles in and opens his laptop to get the location of Lex and his men. There is a distant rumble, and for a moment, I’m pretty sure all of us hold our breath, but when we glimpse the first riders from The Kovenant pulling into the same lot, there is a collective sigh of relief.
The men collect in the room with us. There are far too many in this small space, but when Snake saunters in, taking the lead, silence falls, and we’re all watching him. Since he’s President, he’s the one who gives us the go-ahead. His gaze falls on me. For a moment, the silence is heavy, hanging over us, making sure we remember this isn’t some quick run. This is something that could have a few of us killed.
“I’m the first to step up to a fight, but we all know the Serpents aren’t the nicest fuckers out there,” he starts, looking out at all of us. “This is a job that I have asked you to help my chapter with, and even though I’m the founding member, I need you all to understand, shit is going to go down. It’s not going to be a walk in the fuckin’ park.”
“I hate parks anyway,
” one of the members I don’t know pipes up and earns a collective chuckle from the club.
“These assholes will shoot to kill, which means we do the same. We’re not here to save lives,” Snake tells us. “There’s only one man who will be off-limits to the members—except for Rogue,” he says, pointing at me, which has all eyes turning toward mine. “Lex is his. This is a personal fucking job, and we’re not going to let a brother down.”
One of the men who’s just joined us asks, “If we find him—”
“You bring him in. You make sure that bastard is tied up with anything you find. Make sure you disarm, and if you want to get a shot in, use his hands, feet, anything you want, just keep him alive.”
“I’ve got him,” Jord announces excitedly before realizing Snake was speaking. “Sorry, Dad.” He seems almost sheepish, but then again, if I were Snake’s son, I’d quake in my fucking boots.
“Give us the location. We’ll move out immediately.” Snake grins, his eyes sparking with excitement, and I can’t stop the adrenalin from coursing through my veins.
Each man is tense. It’s as if we move in sync to our bikes. The tracker that Jord picked up is not far from where we are now. Just outside town, a smallholding waits for us with at most probably two to three chapters of the Serpents. And they will be armed. There is no doubt about it.
But I’m ready.
With a vibration of engines all revving at the same time, it’s as if we’re bringing a fucking earthquake to town. A glance at my dad is the last thing I see before we make our way out of the lot and into the double-wide street.
Cars pass us, slowing down to stare. People walk along the sidewalks, and they can’t keep their eyes off us. It’s one of the perks of being in a motorcycle club—some people respect you, others fear you. I haven’t decided which I prefer, but I know that I’m proud to wear the leather; I’m proud to have the patch on my chest.
Snake signals as he takes a dirt road that leads off the tarred course we’d taken, and then we’re headed out into the middle of fucking nowhere. Buildings disappear, and all you can see for miles are trees in every direction. I knew there were woods out here, but this is like being in a goddamned forest.
Once we reach the stop a few miles out, we kill our engines. The plan is to head toward the house on foot, so we have the element of surprise. The only thing is, I’m not sure we do. Lex isn’t stupid. The man has the instincts of a hunter, and when the prey is near, he can sniff out blood from far away.
Glancing around me, I take in every leather cut, each man holding his weapon of choice. Whether it’s a gun, or a hunting knife, or even metal chains, they’re all ready for war. And that’s what we’re walking into.
The deeper into the woods we move, the more tension grabs a hold of me and doesn’t let go. When you spend all your time focusing on something, on getting a moment to finally achieve a goal, then having it right within your grasp can make you anxious.
My hand fists the handle of the Glock tighter when the house comes into view. Bikes are parked out front, an easy count of at least fifteen, and I’m sure there are more in back. Nothing will stop me though. My feet carry me forward, and the crunch of footsteps behind me confirms I’m not alone.
By the time we reach the perimeter of the garden, the violent beat of my heart thumps against my ribs, my stomach is twisted into knots, but the blood coursing through my veins is hot and ready.
A few shots go off from around the side of the house, and that’s when all hell breaks loose. The front door flies open, and men in Serpent cuts race for us. My father and I snake around the side, making our way toward the back of the house where we find the rest of the men trying to get Lex to safety, and that’s when I see him. The man who turned my world upside down.
Even in the noise of war behind me, my focus is on him. Everything is drowned out. There aren’t any other brothers here—it’s only me and the bastard who’s staring right at me. His dark eyes piercing right to the core of me, the flicker of a smirk on his face has me seeing red, and I don’t hear anything but the thundering of my heartbeat.
Raising the gun, I hold it steady. I’m not shaking. I’m not even fucking breathing because he’s right there. Yards from me. And I know the moment I pull this trigger, I’ll finally find peace. I’m sure of it.
“What? Can’t do it?” Lex taunts. “You know, I enjoyed watching the beautiful crimson patterns of your mother and sister.” His words cut me—they slice deep into my soul. My finger tightens on the trigger. And the moment I push it down, the shot rings in my ears, and agony courses through me.
Searing pain right in my chest, and another shot bounces around the bubble it feels like I’m in, and I feel the way the bullet hits me right in the gut. My finger pulls the trigger once more, and I see it for one split second, blood oozing from Lex’s chest, but he doesn’t go down.
My vision blurs. My breathing halts. And my knees hit the ground.
But I don’t scream.
I don’t cry.
I smile.
I watch his leather cut drip with deep, dark, metallic blood.
Then the world goes black.
13
Trinity
“You’re not going anywhere near the hospital,” my mother hisses. Her glare is piercing as she stares at me. When the text came through on my phone from Larkin, I was almost out the door when my mother pulled into the driveway of our home. She knew I’d want to see him, yet she’s standing in my way.
“I have to go!” My voice comes out in a shrill screech. I’m shaking. My hands are trembling at the thought of him being hurt. I had a bad feeling this morning after seeing him pull out on his Harley. There was so much rage emanating from him when I watched from the porch. He looked directly at me, and I knew something was wrong.
My mother folds her arms across her chest as she regards me. The one thing she didn’t want to happen has already happened, and there’s nothing she can do to stop it. There’s nothing I can do to change it. I like him. A lot.
At first, I pushed it aside, but when Larkin told me Rogue had been shot, my stomach dropped, and my chest tightened painfully. The only thing that made sense was that I had to see him, to know he’s alive. Even if he couldn’t or didn’t want to see me, I wanted to be there.
“This is what I was afraid of,” Mom says. “You’re too young to be racing after some boy.” Her words hit me right in the chest, slicing through the pain of not knowing if he’s going to make it or not.
Rage explodes through me as tears burn their way down my cheeks. “And that’s the exact same thing you did anyway. Don’t be so hypocritical, Mom. Please?” I stare at her for a long time, shock paints her features. She didn’t expect me to lash out. But I’m right, I know I am. “If you hated this life so much, why didn’t you just leave Dad? Because that’s what this is about. Isn’t it? You’re angry at him, so you’re taking it out on me. And that’s not fair because I’m not you, and Rogue isn’t Dad.”
Pushing by her, I make it to the door before my mother responds, “If you leave, you don’t walk back into this house again.” My hand twists the door handle, and I pull it open. I should apologize. I should go back to her and tell her how much I’m hurting because of what my father did. And I should tell her I’m not going to get stuck in this town, but that’s a lie because I love Anchor Bay, and I can’t walk away from Rogue after he saved my life.
I’m on the porch when she calls my name again, but I ignore her. Swinging my leg over my bicycle, I pedal down the road with my mother screaming my name behind me. I know she won’t follow me. Her anger will force her to stay in the house, and my rage will propel me forward to him.
The only difference is that I’m not my mother. I know how to forgive. She never forgave my dad for leaving, and since the door shut behind him, she’s been angry at me. She doesn’t necessarily blame me for him leaving, but I know she thinks he left because he couldn’t hack being a dad. Which is such bullshit.
Tear
s stream down my face as I turn onto the main road, which will lead me right to Rogue. The rumble of bikes from behind me calms me somewhat. It’s a sound that reminds me of my dad. A bike pulls up beside me, and I recognize Gunner grinning at me as he signals for me to face forward.
Moments later, we’re pulling up to the hospital where I lock my bike before heading inside. The entrance is filled with men in black leather and tattered jeans. Family. Snake turns to see me enter, and his luminous green eyes have me stilling.
“What are you doing here?” He doesn’t seem angry, and I wonder if my mother called him to tell him I was coming.
“I needed to know if he’s okay,” I admit to him, keeping my voice low so the other guys don’t hear me. But they most probably know why I’m here. And it’s fairly obvious I’ve been crying. When Snake pulls me into his arms, I can’t stop the onslaught of emotion. Tears fall from my lashes, trickling down my cheeks. His large hand circles my back, calming me, and I realize this is what I wanted my mom to do. I needed her to see how much I care. I wanted her to hold me and tell me he’ll be okay, to understand that the heart wants what it wants.
Snake steps back, his hands gripping my shoulders as he holds me steady. When my watery gaze locks on his, I see the emotion swirling in his stare. I’m not sure what clicks in that moment, but something niggles at the back of my mind.
“He’ll be okay. He’s strong and stubborn,” he tells me honestly. Snake leads me to a chair to sit down and settles beside me as we all wait for the doctor to come out of the operating room. The air is stifling, heavy with concern. “You know, your mother is worried about you.”
“Yeah,” I tell him. “She told me if I came here, I shouldn’t return home.” I turn my attention away from the double doors down the hall and meet Snake’s inquiring gaze. “I walked out.”
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