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I should have been more aware of my surroundings instead of thinking about Heather, stuck in the memories of the last few days, and the girl I couldn’t stop obsessing over every waking moment. Hell, I even dreamed about her.
She became my whole reason for pushing through the shit each day, staying in Tonopah when I knew I should have moved on. I knew my past would catch up, but I never expected it to happen so soon.
My body had finally warmed up as I walked the aisles inside the grocery store, pretending to shop with a basket in my hand. I placed a few cheap items inside but never had any intention of paying. Hard to do when you don’t have money. I wasn’t proud of the fact that I stole on occasion, but I also had to survive. What the fuck was a homeless seventeen-year-old supposed to do with forged documents and fake IDs? It wasn’t like I could get a job and earn an honest wage.
Nothing about my fucking life was normal.
“Hello, little Spook.”
I froze as my fingers released the basket, and it clattered to the ground, the plastic handle snapping as the contents spilled onto the floor.
That fucking voice. Deep. Scratchy. Terrifying.
He found me.
I slowly turned my head and met the sinister gaze of one of the vilest human beings ever to live. He preyed on the weakest in our society, the most vulnerable, and sold them to be used. A trafficker of innocents. But he didn’t sell them all. He kept one as a pet, chained him in a basement, and set him free whenever he felt the need to hunt.
I would know.
That child was me.
THE DAY SPOOK DISAPPEARED—
Five hours. Fourteen minutes. Thirty-nine seconds.
The amount of time since my father, Uncle Hale, and most of the Royal Bastards left to search for Country.
Will, Micah, and Wraith remained in the house to ensure I didn’t do anything stupid. And I was tempted to tell them all to fuck off while I left to find my Spook.
With a sigh, I pushed away from the countertop in my kitchen, dumping the cup of coffee I made but couldn’t finish. That feeling in my gut twisted and intensified to the point that I thought I would throw up. It gave the phrasesick with worryan all too true physical meaning.
Fixing my cousin with a determined stare, I folded my arms across my chest. I needed answers, and I had a feeling that Micah knew a lot more than he ever revealed.
“Where does Country live?”
My cousin shrugged. “How would I know?”
I wasn’t buying that he didn’t have that information. “You’ve followed every boyfriend I’ve ever had, Micah. Stop the bullshit.”
“Heath, this isn’t the time.”
My arms dropped as a cold chill brushed across my skin. “Micah?”
He rushed toward me, lifting his hands as they rested on my shoulders. “It’s not my secret to tell, but he’s safe enough. I made sure of that.”
Safe enough? What the hell did that mean?
“Explain.”
“I’ve been watching his back. Well, not just me. The club.”
That caught my attention.
“Why would he need the club’s protection?”
“You’re not gonna let this go, huh?”
I shook my head. “No.”
