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Cheree steps back. “I’m not you.”
I shake my head again. “Doesn’t matter. Might not be tonight, might not be for years to come but eventually it’ll catch up with you.”
“So, what do we do?” A single tear runs down her cheek.
“We tie him up, call 911 and let the police handle him.”
Cheree gives me her back and throws her hands in the air. “That’s not guarantee he’s going to leave me alone.” More tears stream down her beautiful face. “And he killed my mother!”
Closing the gap between us, I engulf her in my embrace as she cries. I know she’s right; Viper won’t let her go but killing a man when he’s knocked out cold or letting her do it, isn’t something I can do.
When her tears and cries stop, I let her go. Looking down at Viper, I remove his belt and my own and hog tie him. Using my shirt, I wipe down the gun and put it on his back then I pull out my cellphone and call 911. Cheree says nothing as she watches me work.
“911? Yeah, there’s a guy tied up on the sidewalk, he’s got a gun on him. Looks like a bad dude and he’s wearing a cut, it says, Defiant Men MC.”
I end the call, pull out my sim card and drop it into the sewer, then hold out my hand to her, hoping she’ll trust me enough to put her hand in mine.
Chapter Eight
Cheree
JD’s outstretched hand is before me. It’s rough, scarred, just like the man himself. He’s had a life like mine but right now, it’s not just a hand, it’s a promise for a different kind of life. Bue before I can commit to him, there’s something I need to do.
Stepping around JD, I kick Viper as hard as I can in the ribs. Bones snap and Viper cries out in pain. He coughs and spits and thrashes about on the ground.
“You fucking cunt!”
Smiling, I turn back to JD, put my hand in his then look down at the piece of filth at my feet.
“Never again,” I whisper to the monster writhing at my feet.
My hand trembles slightly in JD’s grip but his is solid, unyielding. In his hold, I find the strength that's grown within me, fostered by his belief in what we could be together.
"Let's go," JD says, and there's no room for argument in his tone. It's an order, but one given with a reverence that makes my heart stumble and regain its rhythm, stronger than before.
We don't look back as we leave Viper behind, each step with JD taking me further from the world that tried to break me. I know escaping the Defiant Men MC doesn't mean I'll ever be completely free from what I was. But with JD, there's a chance, however slim, to redefine who I am.
JD's silence is heavy, and I wonder if he’s a man torn between two worlds. One with me or one back in Texas with Grim.
"Cheree," JD finally says, his voice barely above a growl, "we've got this. No matter what comes our way, we've got this."
His conviction steadies me, and all doubts disappear. I clutch onto JD's hand tighter, letting his strength seep into my bones.
***
The clatter of the train's wheels against the tracks is a rhythmic chant, taking us away from the life I'm desperate to shed. We sit in silence, the landscape outside blurring into streaks of color.
"Next stop, Penn Station, New York," the intercom crackles above our heads, and my heart jolts.
We rise in unison as the train slows, its brakes squealing a protest. The doors slide open, and we step out into the jarring noise of New York. It's a different kind of chaos here, one not governed by the savage laws of the Defiant Men MC but just as daunting.
The bus station looms like a gateway, teeming with strangers all hustling to get somewhere else. JD leads the way, his broad back a shield against the surge of the crowd.
"Cheree?" His voice cuts through the noise.
A shiver runs down my spine as my name on his lips reminds me that I am no longer that woman, the club whore whose worth was measured in the currency of flesh and fear. But can I ever really escape? The darkness within me stirs, a reminder of the stains that taint my soul.
"JD," I murmur, and my voice trembles despite my resolve. "Even though we've left them behind, the Defiant Men...they're part of me. How can we build something real when I'm still..."
