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“I don’t know yet. We’ll see. I might look into some other ones that have caught my eye.” He shrugs.
After what feels like the longest drive we finally pull off onto a deserted gravel road that leads us back to the large old warehouse. A few of the windows are busted, and it looks to be falling apart where it stands. As we park the truck, I glance around and notice that there are no other cars here yet.
“Five minutes. Hurry, Stone,” Jackson urges.
Stone jumps out and grabs his rifle before taking off at a sprint into the trees behind the warehouse.
Then Jackson gets out and walks around to the passenger side, opening my door. I turn, ready to get out, but he braces his arms on each side of my legs. With the height of the truck, it brings us to eye level. “I hate this. I hate it so fucking much, but I am trusting you and my brothers. I need you to promise me something.”
“What?” I whisper, furrowing my brows in worry.
“If anything, and I mean anything at all happens, you run out here, get in this truck, and drive away. Drive straight back to the compound. There is a tracker in the truck. Nerds will know you’re coming. But you get yourself the fuck out. Do you hear me?”
All the blood leaves my face. “Jackson—”
“No.” He shakes his head. “I know you don’t like this, but I’m not asking. You have to promise me. I cannot have my brothers’ backs and protect us all if I am terrified for you. I need to know you will leave.”
I know he’s serious, and he needs to hear me say it. So I do. I tell him what he wants to hear, even though I don’t think I could force myself to leave him if something was happening. “Okay, I will. I’ll leave. I promise.” The lie slips off my tongue easier than it should.
He takes a few deep breaths and nods. “Let’s go. They’ll be here soon.”
Heading inside the warehouse that is surprisingly well lit, it opens up to a huge empty room. The ground is all gravel, and it’s completely open besides the back half where there is a set of stairs that goes up to a second-floor landing that overlooks the open space we stand in.
Jackson leads me towards the center of the room where Rage and Blade are waiting. “Remember, he is going to try and intimidate you. Don’t let him. You’re strong, Presley.”
Blade gives me a comforting nod. “Yeah, you’re a fucking badass for doing this. Don’t be afraid of him. He has no power over you,” he says.
I take a deep breath and take Jackson’s hand. Rage stands on one side of us with Blade on the other.
Not even a minute later, the sound of cars hitting the gravel grows louder as they get closer. Doors open and close, and my head spins, but I force myself to take a few deep breaths.
I can do this. I have people at my back. Everything will be fine.
A tall, built man walks through the door. He is in a full suit, clean shaved, perfectly put together and looks extremely out of place here. He glances around the room with mild disgust. His dark, almost black eyes stop on me, and he scans me from head to toe. His eyes seem to take in every little thing as he keeps his jaw tightly clenched, but the rest of his body remains relaxed.
I straighten my spine, trying to make myself feel more confident than I do. His lip barely tips up on one side.
“If you are done checking out my woman, I would like to get this meeting over with,” Jackson growls next to me, using a tone of voice I’ve never heard from him before.
While I had been looking at who I assume is Vance, I didn’t notice the four other men who came in with him. Two of them split off to the far sides of the warehouse. They are in full black tactical gear, and the other two stay at Vance’s side, both dressed just as impeccable as Vance himself.
“Presley?” Vance asks calmly, completely ignoring Jackson.
When I feel him tense next to me, I squeeze his hand, then release it and take a step forward. I hear movement behind me but don’t bother glancing back.
I nod. “Yes, that’s me. You wanted to speak with me?”
Vance smiles, the gesture sending shivers down my spine. It’s a smile that makes me want to run out the door and not stop until I am as far away from him as possible, but I don’t. I stand tall and face my fears because there are bigger things at risk, and I refuse to lose them because I am a coward.
My family.
Chapter Eight
Axe (Jackson)
Rageholdsmyshoulderin a bruising grip as Presley releases my hand and takes a step forward. She shouldn’t be doing this. I should be standing in front of her.Protectingher. Not the other way around.
Rage murmurs quietly, his lips barely moving, “Calm the fuck down.”
