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Win and kill. Fight and protect. That’s what I’ve always done.
My guys need me, even if Cora thinks she doesn’t.
Even if it kills me.
“All right, brother,” I say, turning from the mirror.
Turning from the monster staring back at me.
“Let’s go put the word on the street,” Eric says, grinning as I step out of the bathroom. “Hugh’s dead and anyone else in the ORB is a target. It’s open season on those biker fucks.”
“Open season,” I echo and my hands curl into fists. “I can handle that.”
Chapter 20
Cora
The Rover crunches over gravel as it pulls up a long slope. We left the main roads behind a couple days ago. I drove us on a round-about route, mixing up highways with country lanes, skirting down into Alabama, into the northern edge of Florida, before we turned and began west toward Louisiana.
“There’s not much around here,” Kady says peering out at the woods. It’s dripping wet outside, humid and hot, and the Rover’s AC is blasting despite the fact that we’re low on fuel. “I’m not even sure this is the right place.”
“I hope this is it.” I frown as we reach the top of the slope and roll toward a small cabin set back in the trees. It’s brown with a screened-in front porch and a red mossy roof. There’s a motorcycle parked out front but everything’s quiet.
We’ve been living rough since we left Marietta. Most nights we slept curled up in the back with the seats down and a couple of scratchy blankets and cheap pillows we bought at Wal-Mart. That’s been fine but Kady’s pregnant and she needs a bed and real food and a doctor—we can’t survive on McDonald’s and fumes forever.
I park next to the motorcycle and kill the engine. Kady doesn’t move, only frowns out the window at the cabin. “It looks familiar,” she says but she doesn’t sound sure. “I’m going on memory here. He told me it’s near this lake, and he said it’s on a gravel road, and this is the right address…” She trails off and chews her lip. “I think that’s his motorcycle.”
“If we’re wrong, we’ll leave. Not much else we can do.”
“But we’re almost out of money and how much gas is in the tank?”
“Enough to make it to another station. We’ll refuel and drive as far as we can before it runs out then we’ll stop and figure out what to do from there.”
“Right. Okay. But maybe this is him.”
“Stay here.” I open the door and step out. “Let me make sure.”
She nods, looking uncertain, but there’s no fear in me, not anymore. Not since running from Marietta and Nolan. All the fear’s gone, which is a relief, like a weight’s been lifted.
Except where I expected to feel something, there’s old cold deadness.
I’m doing the right thing, getting Kady away from the fighting. I have to do whatever it takes to protect her and the baby. Even still, I feel like part of me died and won’t ever come back, like when I ran off on Nolan, I ran off on myself, too.
The poor door swings open. I stand in the open staring up at Jaxson as he looks down at me, a shotgun clutched in both hands. We look at each other, not saying anything, and his eyes dart from me to the Rover and back again.
“I know Kady’s pregnant,” I say, breaking the tense silence. “She’s in the car.”
He softens slightly. “Kady’s here? And the baby?” But when I take a step forward, he raises the gun. “Stop. Don’t move. How do I know you’re not fucking with me?”
“I got her away from Marietta. She wasn’t safe there, not with me and Nolan, so I get her away and we came here hoping we’d find you. Kady says you talked about this cabin a lot and we figured—” I shrug hopelessly. I don’t care if he shoves that gun in my face, nothing else matters so long as Kady and her baby are safe. “We don’t have anywhere else to go.”
I can see the uncertainty and fear warring on his face. Finally, he calls out, “Kady! Come out of the car.”
The door opens and she steps down from the passenger side. “It’s okay, Jaxson. Put the damn gun down. It’s just me and Cora.”
“How do I know this isn’t a trap, huh? Last time you texted me, you dragged me into a damn barn with her boyfriend.” He twitches slightly and I can see the bruises and cuts Nolan left still scarring his face.
“I’m sorry,” Kady says, coming around the car. I want to tell her to stop, but at least Jaxson keeps the gun trained on me. “That was a mistake. I never should’ve done it and I’m so, so sorry, Jaxson, I really am. But we ran away too and we need your help.”
