Page 90 of The Riders’ Reign

Damn him, they’re all going to get hurt at this rate. Who are these people?

On my hands and knees, I crawl nearer, trying to make sure I can hear what’s going down.

“Clay? What the absolute fuck is this?” Rook demands. “You hit an ol’ lady with your truck, and your men could have shot someone. I thought we were friends.”

“You think you can kill my bro and get away with it, Ryan?” the man called Clay yells.

“Whatever you think you know, it’s wrong.” Rook shakes his head.

Though the firing, and the screaming and shouting, have stopped, it’s still very tense. Half of Jack’s club are armed, and there’s what appears to be a standoff with the guys in the trucks.

Phoenix moves cautiously to stand close to Megan, and I like how much he seems to care about her and Shelley, even though he doesn’t really know them. Megan’s entire body is shaking. Shelley and Bear are on the other side of her, and Shelley takes hold of one arm, as Phoenix grabs her by the other, and they practically hold her up. The PTSD she must be experiencing right now is horrendous to imagine.

“I know you went to my brother for help, you fucking snake, after you betrayed all of us, and he gave you what you deserved.”

“What?” Rook raises his arms and slaps them back down against his sides in frustration. “You think I betrayed you? Are you fucking kidding me? Were you and your brother dropped on the head as babies? I did way more time than I should have for simply being the driver.”

“You didn’t, though, did you? You got out.” Clay sneers at Rook with real hatred etched on his pointed face. “Then you had the audacity to contact Jarrod and ask for a favor? Oh, no, fuck you. He did right to hand you over, but you got away, and now he’s missing, and I assume dead. I mean, it’s something of a coincidence, no?”

Rook’s hands are clenching and unclenching as if he’s trying not to hit Clay. “You think I deserved to be betrayed by Jarrod? When I actually served more than my time because I refused to cooperate with the police? You piece of shit.”

With a roar, Rook rushes Clay and takes him to the ground. Gunshots ring out again, and Megan screams. Phoenix pushes her down, so she’s partly shielded by the bikes, and I hedge back to the dumpster.

Above the cacophony comes the wail of a police siren. Thank God. Three police vehicles race into the compound, pulling up, with the lead one letting out one last whoop-whoop.

I’ve never been happier to see the police. I know the club has some cops in their pockets, but have issues with some others, but right now, whoever these police are, they are about the only thing that can stop any bloodshed.

“Hands in the air.” The speaker from one of the vehicles rings out with the words of the cop inside. “Right fucking now. All of you.”

How did they get here so fast? Someone from the club must have called them, surely. I doubt there’s anyone close enough to the compound to have heard the gunshots and arguing.

One cop is standing on the side ledge of the front vehicle, a massive rifle aimed into the air. “One more person even twitches, and I’m taking your balls off. Now, slowly, lower your weapons. Anyone from the penitentiary, keep those hands in the air. If you are an escaped prisoner and I do not see your hands, I will take that as a sign you are still trying to evade capture. Then we will use whatever force is necessary.”

Everyone starts to drop their guns or bends to put them on the ground, except for Jack.

He shoves his into the waistband of his jeans and saunters over to the man. “Evening, Deputy Dawson.”

The man nods at Jack. “We received information that the escaped prisoners were heading this way, so we thought we’d come and see what was going on. Don’t want any more trouble around these parts.”

“No, of course not.” Jack nods. “You have your escaped prisoners, so I guess we’ll let your men round them up.”

He jerks his chin to the men standing with their hands in the air. Rook’s old gang member, Clay, is one of them, and what’s happened dawns on me. They’ve broken out of prison because his brother, the man we used as a fake Ledger, is now missing and, they rightly assume, dead.

The deputy nods and starts to shout rapid fire instructions to the officers he brought with him. My heart is only just starting to slow down after that adrenaline buzz, and I’m glad this was all contained so quickly.

Finally standing and walking out from behind the dumpster, to go and be with my men, I falter when Megan let’s out an unholy screech. It’s a sound of anger and torment, and she runs at one of the cops.

“You!” she screams. “It was you!”

“Megan! Stop,” Shelley shouts, but her sister is not listening.

“You piece of shit,” she yells at the police officer.

She clearly recognizes him from somewhere, and understanding hits me. She said she was abducted by two men posing as cops, but what if at least one of them hadn’t been posing, and he’s found his way here now? He most likely thought Megan would be dead.

The cop raises his weapon and time slows.

“Stop right there.” He aims the gun directly at Megan, his eyes widening with recognition.