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Hawk looks up at me and frowns. “I’m sorry you have to see this.”
“Wh—who is that?”
He gives me a tight smile as he pulls his cut off. “It’s me.”
My heart is pounding, and my legs are quivering as I watch them dressing the corpse in Hawk’s cut and his plan finally falls into place for me. I see what he’s doing. As horrific as it is, I know it serves a purpose. I just hate that somebody had to die so that I could be free.
Reaper doesn’t seem like a cold-blooded murderer. But as I see him talking with Hawk, I can see that he’s a loyal friend—one who would obviously do literally anything for him. And I guess by extension, he did what he did for me too. But saying “thank you” for killing somebody on my behalf just seems… weird. Not quite right. So I don’t say anything right now.
“All right. I think we’re done here,” Reaper says.
“It’s hasty and anybody with half a brain is going to see through it,” Hawk replies. “But it’s the best we can do right now. If nothing else, at least it’s going to buy us some time.”
Reaper laughs. “If anybody with half a brain can see through it, I think we’ll be fine,” he says. “Those morons I ditched don’t have half a brain between them. Seriously, they’re morons. I’ve never advocated for an IQ requirement to join the Kings, but I think I’m going to bring that up at Church.”
Hawk laughs and I nod. “I couldn’t agree more. Most of these guys are just blind followers and suck-ups. They’re idiots.”
Reaper gives me a smile. “I like her.”
Hawks grins and gives my hand a squeeze. “Yeah, so do I,” he says. “All right, let’s hit it. We have to go.”
Reaper grabs a can of lighter fluid and douses the living room floor, adding to the already-flammable liquor strewn everywhere. It’s not really enough to burn down the entire house, just enough for one last kick in the teeth.
Hawk taps my shoulder, and I turn around to see he’s produced a match out of somewhere.
“Would you like to do the honors?” he asks.
“I’ve never wanted anything more.”
I strike the match and watch as the tiny head erupts into flame. I hold it in front of me for a moment, thinking of how this little match is just like that spark I’ve held inside of me for so long. My mind is instantly filled with memories of the pain, the humiliation, and the suffering I endured there. There are no good memories. No happiness or joy. It was nothing but constant suffering.
I toss the match into the fire and watch it take hold with a loud woosh, mirroring that very feeling inside of me. My own spark of hope is now a roaring flame, and it’s growing higher and hotter by the second.
We all head outside as the flames start to climb up to the ceiling, and Reaper climbs on his bike and points to the one that belonged to the former Deviant turned Hawk stand-in.
“There’s your ride, man,” Reaper calls.
Hawk nods. “She’s a beaut. But she’s not mine,” he says sadly.
I see him turn and look toward his bike, which is parked off to the side of the lot. It’s been beaten up by the gunfire from earlier. A look of sadness crosses his features, and he frowns. I can see how much his bike means to him and it sends a lance of pain straight through my heart to know he has to give it up because of me. Because he’s helping me escape.
“Thanks for everything, old girl,” he whispers.
Hawk hands me a helmet and a pair of glasses, which I quickly put on. He puts his own on as well as pair of gloves then mounts the bike. He starts it with a thunderous roar and helps me onto the back of it. I feel my belly and heart both fluttering wildly. I’ve never been on a bike before and I’m kind of scared. Okay, I’m really scared. He turns his head, giving me his profile so I can see he’s speaking.
“Hold on tight,” he calls over the rumble of the engine.
I slide my hands around his waist and grab onto him tightly. He revs the throttle again then turns and rides out with Reaper falling in next to us. I turn and look back at the old clubhouse, watching the flames dance and flicker as we pull away.
That place can never hurt me again. The entire world is open to me, stretching on into eternity. It will be what I make of it. My life is now my own again.
I dreamed of this moment for so long. I dreamed of what I would do or say when I finally escaped. But all the words I ever thought I’d say don’t come out. I have no idea what to say.
So I give it the finger.
I hear Reaper laughing over the roar of the engines and see him looking over at Hawk.
“I really like her,” he shouts.
