“I can’t.” It comes out in a whisper.
“Why not?”
“I have no idea.” She shrugs. “I just know that I can’t leave. If I do, he’ll kill me.”
Reaching over, I touch her face, but she flinches as my fingers make contact with her cheek. I let my hand fall as I start to speak to her again. “Did he do this to you?” She doesn’t need to say anything more, because how she quickly looks away tells me everything I need to know. Somehow, I think that my iced-over heart hurts for her, and all I can think about is when all of the girls were cut off how much I wanted to protect them but couldn’t. “What about if you go get dressed, get ready, and think if you want to come with us. You don’t have to, but if you want, you’re more than welcome.”
“He’ll kill me.” She reiterates.
“We can protect you, if you want us too. You choose.” She looks up at me and I slowly nod my head again, telling her that it’s okay, encouraging her, letting her know that she’s safe. Slowly, she stands up and I make myself look away as the smooth skin is fully on display for me. She turns around and begins to walk out of the closet. “There is one rule though.” I call to her as she makes it to the door and she halts, glancing back over her shoulder at me, and waiting for me to finish. “You can’t have any drugs there.”
“Not a problem.” She says without any hesitation as if she’s unaware just how goddamn transparent she is. She continues out the closet and I shake my head as I pull up the flooring, sighing with relief when I see the stacks of cash still in their place.
Plucking the bands out from underneath the closet, and putting them inside of the bag I brought up for this.
When the hidden compartment is empty, I zip up the bag, gripping onto the straps as I move out of the closet, and see her as she slides on a pair of flip flops, and nod to her.
“What do you want to do?” I ask her, and she nods her head, trying to say that she wants to come, but I assuming not able to actually muster up the words. “Come on.” I nod to the door as I turn around and hear her fall in step behind me.
As I make it to the door, I stop, and look over at her. “You never told me what your name is, though.”
“Sadie.” She whispers.
“Alright, Sadie, let’s go.” I tell her as I turn around and walk with her down the stairs.
Tally shouts from the backdoor, “We gotta go now!”
“Right behind you.” I reach back for Sadie, gripping onto her arm as I start to run, pulling her with me. We move out the door and down the trail where we parked the bikes.
“Who the fuck is that?” Venom shouts as we appear from the tree line.
“Don’t worry about it.” I snap at him as I quickly hand the helmet to Sadie, she puts it on her head. I kick across the seat, cranking the bike, and waiting for her to move onto the back. I’m only slightly surprised when she doesn’t.
As I look over at her, I see her standing, fear in her eyes. “Lean when I lean and hold on. You’ll be fine.” I tell her as she looks up at me again, her eyes holding a mix of fear and sadness, and nods her head, slowly kicking her foot over the side and sliding onto the seat behind me. Shaking off the way that her eyes just sucked me in. How seeing the mix in them, I want nothing more than to dive in and figure out exactly what has made her feel that way.
“I know, I’ve ridden before.” I glance back at her as she says it, wondering why she looks terrified of it.
“Hang back some.” I shout at the club, I don’t wait for them to answer me, I know that they’ll listen. “I want him to think it’s only me.”
“Hold on.” I call back to her then she wraps her arms around me. I turn the key and the bike roars to life. I pull back the throttle causing her arms to tighten almost instinctually around me, and we slide around the corner as we take it. My club falls in behind me as we move down the old road that I spent so much of the last fucking 15 years traveling down. Gravel kicks up as we pick up speed, the club hanging back now as I asked them to, flying down the trail, and I see it before it happens. I’m not even sure how I know, but I do. Pulling back on the throttle and shooting towards the end as the van comes into view.
I swerve as the van pulls across the trail, and barely make it out of the opening, the club is still nowhere near us, there’s no way that he’s seen them. Glancing back into my side mirror to see the van swerving onto the street, following us.
Keeping an eye on the mirror as I continue to put more distance between us and the men who are chasing after us.
“Sadie.” I call back to her, slowing down just enough so that she can hopefully hear me, and feel her move her head. “Nod if you can understand me.” I can feel her head moving. “Good, I’m going to stop. I want you to find somewhere to hide. Don’t come out. Okay?” I can feel her nod her head a second time. “If something happens, can you ride?” This time she doesn’t nod, but her entire body becomes rigid against mine.
She exhales, her breath dancing against my skin. “I know how.” It’s a whisper, but even in the whisper her voice still cracks. I feel like it needs more explanation, but I don’t have time to ask them or wait for the answers right now.
“Good, if something happens to me, the GPS will take you to the clubhouse.” I reach over, inputting it in quickly as I slide the bike around, and stop. “Hide.” I tell her, and she nods her head quickly. She hops off the bike and runs to the side of the road, and moves into the terrain concealing herself within the landscape. Pulling the slide on the gun back, making sure my .9 is ready I stand in the middle of the road, waiting for the van to come back into view.
Once it does, I straighten up and start to walk towards the van as it closes in the distance. Raising my arm, aiming the gun in the van’s direction as I continue to walk towards it, and pull the trigger, firing bullets into the windshield of it. The van wavers from side to side quickly but continues to come towards me, picking up speed as it does. J moves out the window, shooting back at me. Exhaling, I stop before I smirk, and pull the trigger, once more. Not aiming at J at all, I laugh as I watch the blood spray from the back of the driver’s head. J starts to scream in the passenger seat, and reaches for the steering wheels but not quick enough as it slams into the side of the mountain. Smoke begins to billow from the engine. I can see from where I stand J’s slumped over body laying against the dashboard. Serves the motherfucker right.
“Sadie.” I call out to her and then she merges from behind the small bushes. “Come on, hurry up.” I hear the rumble of the motorcycles coming in the distance, she rushes over to my side and slides on behind me.
“Where’s your helmet?” She asks me and I shake my head.
“Only had the one with me. You wear it. I’ll be fine.” I assure her before I skid around in a circle, leaving a trail of burnt tire and smoke before we peel out in the direction of the clubhouse. No real reason for doing so except that I fucking love it and just to make sure J has something to remember me by when he wakes up. But I think I hear her actually giggle from behind me.
