It lightens a weight from my shoulders. There’s something about him that puts me at ease, even in a situation like this.
Hayes turns to leave, but I stop him at the last second. “Please be safe.”
He glances over his shoulder with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Or, as safe as you can be. I hate to think what might happen because of what I’ve done.”
“I’ll be back, Emery. I promise. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
I wish that were true with my whole heart.
9
Soul
The Shack sits atthe back edge of the Twisted Kings compound. It’s small and smells like blood and bleach. If I close my eyes, I can hear the screams of those we’ve brought here over the years.
It’s a place of terror.
Of judgment.
But for me, it’s the one place I find peace.
A place I find answers.
A place where things feel attainable when so much time is wasted chasing dead ends.
Here, there’s a body to take out my aggression on. Skin to be peeled off. Teeth to tear out. Here, everyone breaks eventually, and I get the answers I’m looking for.
My fingers clench as I walk inside and evaluate the man chained to the chair ahead of me. One eye is swollen shut; blood drips down his chin. He might think that’s the worst of it, but his night is about to getmuch worse.
“Where did this asshole come from?” I ask Ghost, who is standing at the edge of the Shack, watching him while he waits for everyone to arrive.
“One of the sensors caught him shortly after Emery showed up at the compound. He was in a car at the back entrance, scoping out the property.”
“He was looking for her?”
Ghost nods. “Seems like it. His equipment was top of the line, so he’s well-funded.”
“It didn’t take Zane long to get a tail on her.”
“Which means he probably knew the second she left.” His eyes slide to me, and my teeth clench.
“Are you suggesting she knew they were tailing her and brought them here?”
“I’m not.” He crosses his arms over his chest, his face unflinching. “I understand why Steel has his doubts—it’s his job. But I was there when she came through the gate. I saw the look on her face.”
“And…” I push when he pauses, scratching his jaw with his tattooed fingers.
“And she was scared. There’s no faking the look in her eyes. She needs our help. That’s why I let her through. She’s here for you, Soul.” He lifts off the wall as the rest of the guys walk in, meeting Steel at the door to update him on the situation.
Ghost is a man of few words, so I know he’s not bullshitting me. And to hear him confirm what I already knew in my gut—that Emery is here because she needs me, not because she’s working for her uncle, only fuels my rage.
Zane kept her from me.
He kept my daughter from me.
I’ve been scouring Vegas for the past ten months looking for Emery, and he had her all along.
