Getting out of the shower, I made a quick decision and grabbed some clothes, stuffing them in an old backpack before I lost my courage.
“Hey, Fin. The pizza should be here soon.” He stood when he saw the backpack in my hand. “No,” he said with finality. His fist clenched at his side.
“I’m not a child anymore. I can’t describe it, but I felt something different with him. Like we belonged together.” I dug the toe of my boot in the carpet, not able to meet his face.
“You’re not a child anymore? Well, you’re fucking acting like one. I swear Finley, this is a huge mistake. Go put the backpack in your room, and get your jammies on.”
“No,” I said it just as firmly as he told me no, when he saw my decision.
“Finley this is a huge mistake. I refuse to let you do this.”
“What the hell does that even mean? You can’t stop me, Flame. I’m twenty-three you can’t keep me here against my will.”
“Like hell I can’t.” He lunged toward me, and I moved quickly to the left, dodging him.
“Stop it, Flame. I’ll be back if it doesn’t work out.” I ran through the door, heading toward my bike as he bellowed behind me.
“If you leave, you’re not allowed to come back.”
My feet stopped, and I slid through the gravel at the abrupt movement. I turned, my eyes were wide, and my heart was beating against my breastbone. Would Flame really not let me come back? We were the only family we had. It had been just the two of us since I was born.
“You would really deny me my home?”
My hands were trembling. My keys hit the ground as I lost feeling in my fingers. It took me several swipes to pick them up.
“If you leave you’ll be making a stupid decision. I can’t save you. I couldn’t save Mom, and I refuse to go down that path again.”
A tear slipped down my cheek as I straddled my bike.
“Please don’t do this, Fin.”
I started my bike not able to hear what he was saying. Unable to listen to anything else from the man I’d always considered to be my hero. I was crying so hard I had to pull over after three miles. My mind alternated back and forth with my decision, but in the end, I started my bike and headed toward the Reaper’s Rebels’ compound.
I couldn’t be that stupid, could I? It felt so real with Banshee as if a missing piece I didn’t even know was missing had been returned. He also seemed so genuine when he asked me to go with him. The look of devastation when he left without me couldn’t have been faked.
Memories of Dylan and how he tricked me flittered across my mind, but I pushed them back. I was not an idiot, and I trusted what I felt.
The huge metal gates in front of the Reaper’s Rebels’ compound were extremely intimidating, but the armed guards in the guard house were even more intimidating.
“What’s your business here?” one of the guards barked. He wasn’t pointing a gun at me, but he was fingering it where it was strapped to his side.
“I’m here to see Banshee.”
They smiled at each other, and I wondered again if Flame was right. Obviously, they thought I was here like some biker slut sacrifice. At the way they were smirking it seemed this wasn’t the first time this had happened.
“You know what, never mind.” I went to turn my bike around. Humiliated and pissed, I was going to have to grovel to Flame, admitting to him that he was right.
“Finley?” another voice asked.
I turned to see one of the men that was with Banshee at the Outsiders’ property.
“Yes,” I said. My heart beat so wildly, I was pretty sure I was about to pass out.
“She says she’s here to see Banshee, Doc. We were going to let her in, but I think she’s getting cold feet.” the other security guard said with an exaggerated eye roll.
“You will never roll your eyes in front of me again. I’ll take her to Banshee. And never disrespect her, or you’ll have Banshee’s fist down your throat.”
Doc swaggered over to me. His cowboy boots oddly perfect with his biker vest.
