I glance in the mirror and run my fingers through my waves. I was going to put it up in a high bun, but…I picture Aiden’s face if I take Libby’s advice. My hair wild, red-coated lips. I wonder which way he’d prefer me, and suddenly, I feel compelled to find out.
I reach out and take the lipstick from her.
“That’s the spirit. Let me get the curling iron hot. I’ll do it for you.”
She claps, reminding me of Nic when she used to spend hours doing my hair and makeup. “That shade will be so pretty on you.” She smiles, and I look at the color name on the bottom of the tube:Crimson Siren.Perfect. After rubbing my lips together, I look in the mirror, feeling pretty in makeup for the first time in a long time.
Libby takes her time curling my hair into masses of waves, chatting my ear off the whole time about her favorite movies, foods, and funny things that have happened to her at the club. By the time she’s done, I actually feel sexy and like I almost have a friend, something that doesn’t come easy. I smile at the mirror, feeling confident as my phone buzzes on the makeup table in front of me.
Unknown
Come to the alley.
Only one person would command me this way, so I instantly know it’s Aiden and that Roz has given him my number.
I’m not ready yet.
Unknown
If I have to come in to get you, I’ll drag you out by your hair.
I flip my phone over and give it the middle finger, taking an extra few minutes to finish just to spite him.
The place is already filling up when I make my way across the floor and down the long narrow hall to the exit sign. I push through the door and look around, but I don’t see Aiden or his bike. The sky is just starting to get dark when one strong arm wraps around my waist from behind and a piece of tape is pressed over my mouth.
I kick and struggle, but I’m no match for my attacker as a black hood is pulled down over my head. Everything goes dark just as the scent of leather, mint, and smoke washes over me.
The deep voice I’ve come to know so well whispers, razor sharp and ice cold, “You fuckingliedto me,Rhiannon.”
Chapter 30
Mia
For the first time with Aiden, I feel fear.Real fear.I try to scream, but his hand is covering my mouth so the sound is pathetically small, and I know out here no one would hear me anyway. I can’t bite through the material of the hood, and while I’m strong, Aiden is much stronger, especially when he’s gripping me tight, obvious rage fueling him. The realization that he’s going to actually kill me for whatever lie he’s discovered runs through my head. I feel him open a door with one arm, still holding me tight with the other.
He tosses me into a vehicle. My body hits the cold metal floor with a thud, and Aiden quickly zip-ties my hands together behind my back. I flail and kick, but it doesn’t stop him or even slow him down.
True panic washes over me as the door slams shut. I sit in total darkness and silence, chest heaving. I’m choked with fear and regret as we begin to move. I feel every bump in the road on the hard floor of the van. All the mistakes I’ve made leading up to this point flood my mind.
Remorse takes over as I ask myself how I thought I could possibly fuck with the president of the Disciples of Sin and get away with it. Was I just so lost in my grief that I was delusional? Nausea sets in as my mind runs through every detail he could have found out. Every last little lie.
We drive for a long time. No sound comes from the front seat, leading me to believe that Aiden might be alone. The only sign it’s him driving is his scent and the occasional smell of cigarette smoke when I hear the window open. I can’t talk. I can’t get loose. The zip ties are so tight that my hands are numb when the van finally comes to a stop.
As a last resort, I scoot back as far as I can into the van, but deep down I know there’s nowhere I can go to save myself.
The door opens and fresh air rushes in. The sound of cicadas fills the air, and I know instantly I’m near some sort of water. I can smell it and hear it. Marshall River? That is the only one I can think of close to Lakeside.
I’m breathing so frantically that I feel faint when Aiden’s powerful arms lift me out of the back of the van. He grunts as he hoists me over his shoulder.
I wriggle and squirm but get nowhere. Muffled sounds leave my mouth and tears run down my face. I’m covered in sweat but feel cold everywhere.
“Trying to fight won’t help you.”
My stomach drops as I realize he’s right. I need to conserve energy. Wood creaks under his boots, and a door opens. We’re inside an old musty house now, the kind that’s been neglected for a really long time.
He drops me down roughly on a hard wooden chair and zip-ties my ankles together. When he pulls the hood away, the dim lamplight in the room seems shockingly bright.
I slowly crack one eye open. Aiden stands in front of me, staring down at me like the Angel of Death in black jeans and a black T-shirt. He isn’t wearing his cut, and that terrifies me even more, because I know the only time an outlaw takes off his cut is when he’s about to rain down carnage.
