I shook it.“Goldie.”
He nodded toward the other two.“Swift.Gramps.”
Both men offered greetings.
I could feel them studying me.Trying to figure me out.Trying to decide if I was worth the trouble.
Oddly enough, it didn’t feel threatening.It felt practical.Like they were assessing a situation, not judging me.
Twister folded his arms.“We all want to know what you know.”
My stomach tightened.Of course they did.
“But,” he continued, “you look exhausted.”
I laughed weakly.That might have been the understatement of the year.
“So does everyone else,” he added.
Gramps snorted.“No shit.We’ve been cleaning up bullet holes and broken glass all night.”
The reminder sent a fresh wave of guilt through me.
People got shot because of me.The buildings got damaged because of me.Everything I’d touched lately seemed to turn into a disaster.
Twister must have seen something on my face, because his expression softened slightly.“We’ve got a room upstairs.”
A room.The idea sounded incredible.Sleep sounded even better.
“You can get some rest,” he said.
And suddenly I realized just how tired I really was.The adrenaline was gone and the panic was fading.For the first time since this nightmare started, I wasn’t alone.
I still didn’t trust them, though.
Wheels and the club hadn’t handed me over.They hadn’t threatened me.They hadn’t tried to use me.If they were going to hurt me, they’d had plenty of opportunities already.
That made them the lesser evil, at least for now.
Twister gestured toward the door.“Come on.”
The clubhouse was warm when we stepped inside.The main room was larger than I’d expected.
A bar stretched along one side.Tables, couches, and a pool table were opposite the bar.
It felt more like a strange combination of home and business than the criminal headquarters I’d imagined.
Boots echoed against the floor as we crossed the room, and my backpack suddenly felt twice as heavy.
Twister looked toward Wheels.“Get her upstairs.”
Wheels nodded.“Got it.”
“She’s your responsibility.”
My eyes flicked between them.
Wheels didn’t even hesitate.“Understood.”
