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17
Madeline
I couldn’t stop shaking as I fought back my tears.Don’t show weakness. Stay strong.I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed we’d been missing a couple of hours. No question, Storm was out of his mind with worry. Why didn’t I listen to him and stay on the compound? So stupid. It was my fault we were here. My fault my man was sick with worry. My fault AJ was hurt… or worse.
My muscles tightened in my shoulders, remembering the single gunshot. Swallowing my emotions, I refused to believe what I knew in my heart to be true. AJ wasn’t dead. He had to be alive.
But there was so much blood pouring out of his chest. He’d gone white as a sheet as he stared at me.
No, AJ’s okay. He’s got to be.
I tilted my chin down, glancing at Emilee. When I’d woken up in this unknown place after they captured us, it overwhelmed me. Panic had flooded my veins. Emilee and I were alone. Filled with terror. No sign of Hero and Tara in this metal building.
God, please, let them be okay.
Maybe they were left behind. Maybe they ran to get help? Everything happened so fast. My brain could’ve fabricated them being in the van. Everything was so fuzzy I couldn’t make sense of it. I hoped that was the case, then they could get to Storm. The club would rescue us.
Yes, they’re getting help. Help is coming.
I forced myself to breathe through my mouth. The rank-smelling air made me nauseous. My skin crawled as I kept an eye out for the mice I saw scurrying around.
My heart rate hadn’t normalized since I woke. I was hot and dirty. Throat, bone dry. Scared for our lives.
“I need to tell you something,” Emilee whispered so quietly I barely heard her.
Our fingers entwined as we sat huddled together against a filthy metal wall. I guessed we were inside an empty grain silo, judging by its cylinder shape and tall ceiling. They were everywhere on the outskirts of town. Never had been inside one, until now. They looked bigger from the road.
“Mhm.” I flicked my eyes toward the guard, hoping he didn’t notice us whispering.
“You know Danny?”
Danny? The name didn’t sound familiar. Had she mentioned him during one of our conversations, and I missed it? Emilee didn’t have any friends in Bastion. Justin kept her on a tight leash. It surprised me that he let her go away to college. Emilee had told me that he felt she was safer a few hours away from the MC.
“No. I don’t know Danny.” I kept my voice low. The Dirty Hunters prospect had no problem slapping us around. My aching cheekbone was proof. I’d gotten a little mouthy when we first arrived. Storm would be furious that I didn’t keep silent. After getting backhanded, I heard my man’s voice telling me to shut it and not anger anyone. I’d been quiet since. Our safety was my top priority.
“I mean, Dodge, he guards the gate at the compound.” Emilee snuggled closer into my shoulder.
“Oh, yeah. Nice guy.”Oh my gosh. She’s talking about Track’s cousin. Her father will lose it.Alarms went off inside me as I sensed she was about to drop a bomb.
A tear skittered down Emilee’s cheek. “He’s so nice. We’ve been dating in secret since Christmas.” She squeezed my hand.
There it was, a ginormous confession.
I wasn’t surprised Dodge liked Emilee. She was a beautiful girl. Sweet and personable with long hair the color of spun gold and warm, honey-colored eyes. A natural beauty. Wholesome. I wondered how she was interested in Dodge. He hardly talked and wore a constant scowl. Similar to the other guys in the club, he was rough around the edges. Like he’d seen some shit in his life.
I never thought Emilee would be with him, knowing how her parents felt about bikers. On the same thought, Dodge was ballsy for getting with Emilee. Justin had made his position regarding his girl and bikers abundantly clear.
Storm flashed in my head. People probably said the same thing about my intimidating man and me. We were an unlikely pair. Who knew a tattooed, tempestuous biker and a kindergarten teacher would be perfect together—an ideal match. The same could be true for Emilee and Dodge.
Emilee squeezed my hand, pulling me back to the present.
“Wow… In secret, huh?” For nearly nine months! How did they hide it so long?
“My dad will have a cow when he finds out.”
I gave her a slight nod. “Mhm.” I completely understood. Even though I loved Storm, life at the compound wasn’t pleasant. I understood why her dad wanted her out of the MC life. I had a feeling Emilee felt as I did. I loved Storm more than the danger I was in. It wouldn’t keep me from being with him.
My stomach churned, imagining Storm’s reaction when he found out I was missing. Emilee squeezed my hand twice. I’d zoned out again. She whispered, “I’m pregnant.”
