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“You’re going to pay for that one,” I murmur against her lips.
“Promise?” A challenge if I ever heard of one. I kiss her again before pulling away.
“The second these fuckers leave, and we get Harrison into a room of his own, your ass is mine, lock, stock, and barrel. You have new neighbors to piss off.”
Cora smiles, and in that smile, I find my peace, believing that maybe things are finally starting to look up for our club and my life after all.
The party rolls into the wee hours of the night, until the only people left are Judge and me, picking up the discarded beer cans from the yard and putting away what couldn’t wait until the next morning. We get the last of it put into the garage before settling into a pair of iron patio chairs I’d inherited with the house. He leans over and hands me a beer from the cooler next to him.
“It’s good to be home.”
“It’s good to have you home, TK.” Judge takes a swig of his beer before resting the can on the edge of the chair’s arm.
“Never thought I’d miss this place, miss the guys, but fuck, I did. Where was Mom? Didn’t see him around.”
“He’s still dealing with some shit. As much as he wanted to be here, he couldn’t make it.”
“I get it, family shit. You have Priest on guard duty at the clubhouse for not checking in?”
Judge turns to look at me.
“He still hasn’t checked in, TK. No one’s heard from him since he left Sturgis, unless he’s gotten back with you.”
“I haven’t heard shit from him. Tried texting him a couple of times since I called you, but got radio silence. Why didn’t you say something before I left? I could’ve looked out for him on my drive down.”
“You said he was taking the scenic route. Unless he’s circumventing the globe, he should’ve been back now, even with that fucking scenic route of his.”
“You don’t think…? I can’t see him taking off. He loves this shit too much, even if he is a boy scout.” Priest is many things, but he isn’t the kind of guy to abandon his post. Well, again, after the whole priest thing.
“I don’t know what to think. Hashtag’s been trying to track his phone, but it’s been off. I’ve got a bad feeling about it, TK.”
Me too, Judge. Me fucking too.
PRIEST
My brain throbs.It feels like a marching band of bass drummers is having drum line practice inside my skull. The thin strip of light from the window above me does little to illuminate the dark, damp room. All I can make out are the four cement walls encasing me, and a makeshift bed that creaks beneath me when I try to move.
“Fuck.”
Every muscle in my body screams in agony with any movement I make. It’s been days, I think, since I was brought here, maybe longer. Endless cycles of darkness and brief periods of consciousness has my mind all messed up.
My stomach growls. Turning as far as I can on the bed, I retch over the side.
I lie here in pain for what feels like hours before a clunking noise draws my attention to the metal door. I stay quiet as a woman with hot pink braids on either side of her face slips inside the room, then quietly closes the door behind her.
“I brought you something to eat.” Taking a few steps forward, she reveals a paper plate with a slice of bread and a smear of peanut butter across it. I try shifting in the cot, but my body is so weak. She moves closer and helps me up before handing me the plate.
My hands shake as I bring the sandwich to my lips. It stings when I swallow, feeling like sandpaper against my throat. I have to cough in an attempt to force it down.
“I’ll bring you water next time. They were watching me, so I couldn’t bring both.”
“Where am I?”
“I can’t tell you. If they knew I was in here, they’d kill me.”
“Who are they?” I study her pale face, taking in the scars that mark her cheeks and trail down to her collarbone and shoulders. Her left eye is black and blue from a fresh strike that could only be a few days old. “What do they want with me?”
“I don’t know that, either.”
“Then why are you helping me?”
“Because the only way to survive here is giving them what they want, and the only way we’re getting out is if you’re still alive.”
