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“It’s not a lie,” I tell him.
Ariel keeps her face buried in my chest and is shaking like a tiny bird caught in the winter wind. I stroke her hair and hope she can pull it together fast.
Joker turns to one of his men. “Give the order to ride. We’ll be right behind you.”
Four of the Sons leave, one stays behind, standing behind Joker like a wall. I can see a Glock peeking out from a holster under his left arm and the butt of another from the waistband of his jeans. Joker has an ornate pistol in a holster at his right hip like some wannabe fastest gun in the West. And my Desert Eagle in a holster under his cut. Fucking prick.
I gotta get one of those guns. And I’m tempted to go for my own, just because he’s being so arrogant. But in reality, the other guy’s will be easier to reach.
Just because he cuffed me, doesn’t mean he’s safe to stay alone with me—just him and that tall clumsy-looking dude behind him. He wasn’t safe while he had five of them with him.
Downstairs the sound of engines revving grows louder. Then the thunder of all of them leaving fills the small room and makes the glass in the tiny window rattle and chime.
For a while we just stand there, listening to it all. Ariel isn’t shaking anymore. And she’s not holding onto me quite so tight anymore either. Good. Because we’re in this together and I’ll need her in a minute.
“So what now?” I ask. “The four of us stay here in your little tower and become best friends?”
He laughs like he finds me genuinely amusing. But turns serious in the next moment.
“No,” he says. “You two stay here. I have a message for Ice. And Cross, of course. Just like the Devils like to leave messages. I was left with such a message once upon a time. And now I’m ready to send my answer.”
“What? You’re gonna leave us chained up here to tell the Devils you remember them killing your scumbag father?” I ask.
His eyes turn viciously dark, displaying the only emotion I’ve seen in them so far. Ariel shudders and holds me tighter.
“So they know who I am? I figured as much,” he says, his face relaxing again. “But that’s not the whole of my message. Let’s go, I’ll show you… “
He strides out of the room, and we get prodded to follow by the tall, silent dude.
We’re at least two stories up and the rumble of bikes outside hasn’t died down completely yet. Too soon to make my move. But it’s coming.
We’re descending the second flight of stairs when the sound of gunshots joins the echoes of bike engines. Five shots, maybe six.
Three Sons come out of Joker’s throne room as we pass it. Behind them, Bane, Archer, and Fossil are lying on the ground, their blood seeping into the concrete. I stop dead so fast, Ariel is jerked back into me.
Joker stops too and smiles at me over his shoulder. “Those three have outlived their usefulness to me. But that’s just part of my message to the Devils. Let’s keep walking.”
Outside in the courtyard, the afternoon light is made dim by all the dust and fumes raised by the swarm of bikers leaving. The metal gate is wide open and there’s a black van with the back doors open facing it. I see mine and my brothers’ bikes overturned off to the side.
Four more Sons are out here. Together that makes eight plus Joker. Probably too many for me to take alone, chained as I am to Ariel. If I was alone I’d go for it. Now I gotta think.
“And now for the real message,” Joker says and heads back into the building. “Wait here… “
“Is he always this dramatic?” I ask the rest of the Sons once he disappears back into the building.
“Shut the fuck up,” one of them growls at me and that’s all the reaction I get.
Ariel is looking at me with very wide eyes. I’m pretty sure she’s asking me if everything is still going to be all right. I nod to her, because it will.
Then I move with her to the left of the door, so that our backs are against the wall.
“I’ll need you to move with me when the time comes,” I whisper into her ear as I hug her tight. “Just trust me.”
She nods, but she’s looking at me with very big questions in her eyes as I release her. No way to answer those now.
I can hear Joker returning. As soon as he’s out, I’ll grab him, wrap the handcuff chain tight around his throat and get my Desert Eagle back from him.
Then the three of us will go for a ride in that perfectly parked black van. Simple.
