AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rounding the corner, three Desert Howlers appeared, swinging baseball bats. The one in the lead—a tall, lean man with sharp angles like a razor—gave his bat a wild, one-handed swing and slammed it into the nearest shelf. Cans scattered. Food toppled to the floor.
More smashing could be heard throughout the store, followed by hysterical laughter.
I dropped my food and ran, searching for Cam. One aisle after another went by and there was no sign of her. My heart surged up my throat.
“Where ya goin’ in such a hurry, sweetheart?” the tall man called. Judging by the way the other men were falling in behind him, watching his every move, I guessed he was the ringleader. “The fun is just getting started!”
As I reached the last aisle, Cam came hurtling around the corner. Two more Howlers were on her heels.
I caught her in my arms, backing us up until we bumped against a shelf of baking mixes. With three Howlers to my left and two more on my right, we were blocked in. I could make a run for it, dragging Cam with me, but that would probably only excite them even more.
“I’ve seen you around,” the tall man said, gesturing at Cam with his baseball bat. “You’ve been talking to that Alpha Rider. Red, is it?”
“Leave him alone,” Cam hissed.
I held her tighter. “Quiet,” I whispered, part command, part plea. I didn’t need her provoking these men who were so eager to cause destruction.
The tall man smiled, revealing yellow-stained teeth.
“Where are my manners? I should introduce myself. I’m Tyson. The boys call me Thunder. And you…” He tapped Cam’s chin with the tip of his baseball bat. I flinched but Cam remained rigid as steel, staring at him without blinking. “I bet if I made an example out of you, ol’ Red would pay close attention to every word I had to say.”
A menacing chuckle rippled through the Howlers. Cam swatted Tyson’s baseball bat away from her face.
“I’m not your messenger. Whatever you want to say, tell him yourself.”
Tyson raised an eyebrow. I shouldered my way in front of Cam. This was spiraling out of control so fast.
“You talk tough for a kid,” Tyson said in an icy tone. “I’m not afraid of you, girlie.”
A slow, wicked smile spread across Cam’s face.
“I’m not the one you should be afraid of. It’s my dad you have to worry about.”
As soon as Cam had spoken, Joel charged out of nowhere. His face was dark, his mouth set in a grim line. Every muscle in his body was tense and primed for violence. The quiet, soft-spoken man I loved was replaced by a beast ready to kill.
Chapter Eleven
Red
Dad, I’m scared.
When I heard Cam’s whispered voice over the phone, something primal and dark inside me rose to the surface with an ugly snarl. She’d called the clubhouse since she didn’t have my personal phone number, and her voice was tense as she explained in hushed tones about the Desert Howlers invading the grocery store she was in.
It was hours before we’d expected the Howlers to make a move. But it wasn’t surprising. By staying unpredictable in their actions, it would be harder to stop them. It forced us to remain one step behind them on the defensive.
The cops had probably already been notified, but it was a small, sleepy town. They would get there long after the damage was done. When I relayed what was happening to my club, they fell into step behind me without batting an eye as we headed to the store.
I slipped in the back through the delivery entrance, staying low, with Crow, Brewer, and Tank fanning out behind me. Someone barked with laughter on the next aisle over, followed by the shatter of glass, the clatter of food as it hit the floor and scattered.
I nearly tripped over a young couple huddled on the floor, clinging to each other. I gestured behind me.
“Go,” I whispered. “There’s an exit that way.”
They nodded in understanding and hurried off.
A split second later, shouting erupted. The sickening sound of flesh and bone colliding indicated the fight between Alpha Riders and Desert Howlers had begun.
I didn’t bother trying to hide anymore and I took off running, searching for Abby and Cam. As I careened around a corner, I spotted them, backed against a wall, with five Howlers surrounding them. And Acosta was in the lead.
