AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Instead, I keep it in, feeding this unbearable pain to my beast, knowing that one day soon, I’m going to unleash him on the Reapers, and they are going to get what they deserve.
Zoe
IfeellikeI’min a soundless trance. One where everyone around me moves sluggishly, and when their lips part, the words don’t float to my ears. All I hear is the horrifying gurgling from Sasha, it’s echoing on repeat through my mind.
When I talked to the police, or detectives, or whatever the hell they were, it was only Gray’s hold on me that kept me grounded, kept me present instead of getting lost in my head.
It’s not like I was of any use to them because even though it only went down a short time ago, I barely remember anything. I think I was running a lot, and judging by the throbbing from the side of my head, I’ve suffered some kind of injury.
Fuck, there it is again… the gurgling sound I can’t shake.
I lean more on Gray, willingly following him over to his bike, which is miraculously unharmed. Maybe that’s too generous to say since it’s battered, but still functioning.
“Are you ready, Princess?” Gray asks.
He tries to let go of my hand as he swings one leg over his bike, but I dig my nails into the skin and vehemently shake my head.
“I-I don’t want to sit behind you,” I stutter as panic washes over me.
The thought of not having his arms around me makes it hard to breathe, and the sounds of the strangled gurgling grows louder in my mind.
“What do you mean, Princess?” Gray asks, concern lilting his tone.
Holding up our still intertwined hands, I gesture to the front. “Can’t I sit there? I…” Trailing off, I bite down on my sore bottom lip. Then I swallow and decide to throw caution to the wind. If I want something, I need to ask for it. “I want to sit in front so I can feel your arms around me.”
Gray’s expression softens as he nods. Then he scoots back, making room for me in front of him. His eyes widen comically as I get on, and I know it’s because I’m facing him instead of the road ahead.
After moving around so my legs are thrown over his thighs, I wrap my arms around his torso. My head is resting against his chest, and I greedily sniff, letting his scent wash over me, replacing the stink of death all around us.
“Princess—”
I interrupt his rasp. “I don’t care if it’s comfortable or safe, Gray,” I clarify, because I just know that’s going to be his argument. “Right now, I need you to hold me. Can you do that?”
When he lets go of my hand this time, I don’t fight him on it. And when he moves said hand to my throat, I sigh in relief.
“As my princess commands,” he murmurs against the shell of my ear.
I try to move even closer to him as he starts the bike. It’s not because I’m scared, it’s a deep-rooted need that’s so potent I can practically taste it on my tongue.
“Hold on tight,” he murmurs directly into my ear.
With the destruction done to the clubhouse, I know it would make us vulnerable to stay. Especially since some walls were literally destroyed in the attack. Not to mention that it’s an active crime scene, so even if we wanted to, we’re not allowed to stay.
That doesn’t mean I’m happy about the alternative.
I close my eyes, clinging to Gray for dear life as he drives us to Dirty Diamonds. Fuck, I’m not relishing the thought of going back there. Hell, I’d hoped to never walk into that place again, but here we are.
When we arrive, Gray circles the building before driving down a ramp that takes us to an underground parking area. Rocco is hot on our heels. Unfortunately, his bike didn’t survive the attack, so he’s driving one of their beat-up cars with Slasher as his passenger.
Fuck, my heart breaks as I look through the dirty window, seeing Slasher slumped in the passenger seat. His head is thrown back, leaning against the headrest. The look in his eyes is hauntingly empty, there’s no other way to describe it. He looks like a man that’s fighting to take his next breath, all while keeping a tight hold on his emotions.
Losing Leslie hit me in ways I could never have predicted, so I know that whatever Slasher is feeling right now is only the tip of the iceberg—the beginning. My experience with loss tells me that there’s a lot to come. Feelings and thoughts he’ll never see coming. Most likely in the form of reminders and memories from out of nowhere.
I don’t believe in comparing grief, yet I feel like it’s worse for Slasher. What eats at me is regret. I didn’t spend my time with my sister wisely. But Slasher did. He and Slayer were thick as thieves, a part of each other.
From what I’ve heard, the twins shared everything from the womb to women, which means that everything is going to be a constant reminder of that part of himself that’s forever lost. Ripped away in a brutal attack.
I barely register Gray lifting me off the bike, threading our fingers together as he walks us over to an elevator that’s hidden in an alcove. Rather than waiting for Rocco and Slasher, Gray pushes the button to take us… well I don’t know where it’s going to take us.
