by Hart, Rebel
“All right. Ready for me to read it back to you?” she asked.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Do you really need to do that?”
She nodded. “This is your official record. I want to make sure it’s right. I’ll read it back, we’ll fix what we need to, and then you’ll sign it. And once it’s signed, there’s no going back on your word. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“Good. Now, sit back and relax.”
I blinked. “You serious right now?”
She snickered. “Sorry about that. Force of habit.”
“Uh huh.”
She crossed her legs. “Ready to begin?”
I nodded. “Ready when you are.”
And as she started reading my words back to me, I stopped her to fill in the blanks. Give her more information as it came to me. Even if we had to sit here for the rest of the twenty-four hours, I didn’t give a shit. If this was what it took to get me out of here and back into the world, I’d do it. If this was what it took for me to get back to Dani, I’d do it. Time, and time, and time again.
Until we got it right.
18
Dani
I wrung my hands together as I paced the living room of Max’s house. I kept drawing in deep breaths trying to calm myself. Every inch of my body was hyper-focused. I felt like I could see musical notes and smell colors. The world blended and ebbed and flowed before bursting into its smallest pieces and making me even more anxious. I heard John typing away on his phone while he sat on the couch, his cane propped between his knees. And as I turned to face him, he looked up at me.
“Relax. They’ll be here,” he said.
I scoffed. “That’s what I’m worried about.”
I wiped my palms off on my jeans and rushed into the kitchen. I needed another bottle of water. My mouth felt like cotton and my stomach felt like a desert and I needed more water. More, and more, and more of it. I ripped the fridge open and reached for the bottle I had already opened. And after grabbing John one, I booked it back to the living room.
“John, I don’t know if this is such a--”
The front door crashed open and I jumped. The bottled water tumbled from my hands and crashed against my bare foot and I hissed with pain. I jumped around, trying to shake the pain out of my big toe. The front door slammed closed again and it brought me back to reality. I whipped around and gazed at the beast of a human being standing in the doorway of the living room.
Then he moved towards John.
Max’s brother stood from the couch and shook the giant’s hand. The man was clad in dark, thick leather and his boot strikes fell heavily against the carpeted floor. It felt like the entire foundation of the house creaked beneath him, groaning, and grumbling, and cursing the weight that had flooded the house. John patted the man’s arm before his eyes fell to me. And as he adjusted his jeans, he nodded at me.
“The rest are right behind me, little lady.”
I swallowed hard. “How many?”
He shrugged. “Thirty, give or take.”
I felt like I was going to pass out. The room started swirling around me as John and the giant got to talking. Their voices muffled as my ears muted themselves and my head spun on my shoulders. Thirty of them? Seriously? Were they all as massive as this man was? I didn’t remember thirty men. I remembered a handful, sure. But thirty?
A rumble off in the distance caught my ear and it forced my eyes out the window. I rushed to it, pulling back the curtain as I peered outside. John and the giant were still talking as I searched for a source of the sound. And as it grew louder and louder, I saw dots appearing on the horizon.
Dozens and dozens of black dots.
“Sounds like a lot more than thirty,” John said.
The massive man snickered. “I mean, give or take, sure.”
My jaw dropped open as the Red Thorns blazed a trail straight for Max’s place. The roar of thirty-plus motorcycle engines rattled my ribcage and pushed all other sounds out of my mind. All I knew was that roar. All I felt was its trembling sound. All I heard and all I tasted and all I smelled were those bikes.
The exhaust.
The motor oil.
The growl of gears shifting.
One by one, the men pulled up and parked. They stuffed the driveway full and pulled behind the house. Some of them parked on the curb while others took a spot right on the front lawn. I counted thirty-four bikes in all, which meant thirty-four massive brutes stacking this house from corner to corner.
I felt a hand come down against my shoulder.
“Shit!” I jumped before I whipped around and found John frowning at me.
“You have to keep your cool. If they see you panicking, they’re going to think there’s something to panic over.”
I paused. “Isn’t there something to panic over?”
He blinked. “Good point.”
By the handful, these men pushed their way into the house. With the door wide open and spitting out mounds of muscle and leather, the house quickly filled with the smell of musk, sweat, and the inside of some guy’s boots. They all nodded their heads at me before shaking John’s hand. I shoved my own hands into my pockets to keep from wringing them in front of me. They were already growing sore and red. The last thing I needed was to rub them until they blistered.
I needed a way to dispel this nervous energy, though.
A sharp whistle pierced the chaos of men and they all turned to John. He flagged them down with his free hand as he leaned against his cane with the other. Then, without a word, he beckoned to me.
And the wall of thick-muscled men turned to face me.
I couldn't see anything. All of these men were much taller than me, and I felt like I was staring at their crotches more than their faces. I walked over to a chair in the corner and stood on it, trying to seem more even with the crowd. I cleared my throat as they all looked at me, waiting for me to feed them more information.
At least they don’t look angry.
“We all know Max is in trouble,” I said.
“What?” one guy asked.
“Speak up, Bambi. Can’t hear ya.”
“Yell like this!”
The guys laughed and the sound almost drowned me in its vibrance. I clenched my teeth, girded my core, and drew in a deep breath.
“We all know Max is in trouble. Right?” I asked.
The men nodded, signaling that they’d heard me. And the more I continued to speak, the more my nerves dwindled.
“Right now, we are the only thing standing between him and his father. There’s corruption in the police precinct where he is being held. His father’s minions have him right where they want him, and I know they won’t stop until Max is buried up to his neck in litigation and charges.”
My eyes danced around the room and I noticed something. Not only did I have their undivided attention, but they were nodding along with me. Really, truly listening to me. Intent on hearing what I had to say. They weren’t snickering or rolling their eyes. They weren’t correcting me or trying to interrupt. It was as if they regarded me as one of their own. Deserving of the respect they gave one another, including Max.
I knew these men would help me. Fearlessly. And my worries about whether or not Max would be all right quickly melted away.
“Gentlemen, I saw it with my own eyes. I heard the discrepancies with my own ears. And Ashton Ryddle is going to use everything he can as leverage against Max. Against all of us, really. We have to move quickly if we want to get Max out of there legally. And at this point? Legally is our best option if we don’t want to be on the run for the rest of our lives.”
The giant spoke. “What do you suggest?”
I swallowed hard. “We have to turn the story around. We have to finish Ashton Ryddle before he finishes Max.”
A chuckle trickled across the room and I felt my strength falter.
“And how do you plan on doing that, Bambi?”
“If he has the cops in his back pocket
there ain’t shit we can do against him.”
“He runs this town, Bambi.”
“I’m surprised he hasn’t already killed--”
I tightened my fists in my pockets. “Don’t you even say it.”
My growl silenced the men as a few of them nudged one another.
“And no, he doesn’t. Ashton Ryddle wants us to think he owns this town. But the truth of the matter is that the rules of this place have been lying under the surface waiting for our call to action all this time.”
The men stared at me with apprehensive glances as I gathered my thoughts.
“Look, we rule this town. The Red Thorns have been here much, much longer than Ashton Ryddle. Yes, that man might have founded this crew. But Ashton Ryddle wasn’t Ashton Ryddle before this club was founded. That man made his dark fortune off the backs of this crew. You guys are the reason why he stands in the position he does, and all because he played every single person in this room for fools.”
The men looked around at each other as hope filled my chest.
“And I think it’s about damn time we shook those chains from our wrists, put our boots down, and took this damn city back. I think it’s about time we pushed Ashton Ryddle out of this place. I think it’s about fucking time you guys got your due around here!”
“Yeah!” they exclaimed.
“I think it’s about time we rose up from the shadows he pushed us into!”
“Yeah!”
“And I sure as hell think it’s about time to get Max out of jail!”
“Hell fuckin’ yeah!”
The guys started clapping and whistling. I peeked through the crowd at John and saw a massive smile spreading across his face. He held his hands out as if to say Look at what you’ve done. Look at what you’ve rallied. And as the men high-fived one another and chest-bumped each other into walls, John let out another piercing whistle, settling the crowd down one more time.
“If we do this, gentlemen, we do this right. If we take back this city, we do it right. For Max, for ourselves, and for the future of our families. If we really do this, we’re going to put Ashton Ryddle exactly where he belongs. Behind bars, for the rest of that fucker’s life. This is it, gentlemen. This is our call to action. So are we going to stand by? Or are we going to stand up?”
19
Max
Of course I was being held for the full ninety-six hours. Why the hell should I have expected differently? The only thing that made me nervous was that I hadn’t seen my lawyer yesterday. Ever since our Monday meeting where she gave me the rundown of how this might pan out, I hadn’t seen her. Or heard from her. I hadn’t gotten a phone call, I was lucky if I got snacks for meals, and I felt my mouth running dry.
I could drink that fucking pool right now.
While I shouldn't have expected anything different, I had been hoping my lawyer would get me out of here sooner rather than later. Time passed by much too slowly, and I had been interrogated over a dozen times. But at least the cops were playing hardball now. Not once did I sit in an interrogation without her present. Which is what frustrated me about not having another private meeting with her.
She was here for the interrogations. Then she’d leave before those assholes released me from the damn table.
What if she’s working for him, too?
The thought had occurred to me more than once. And it wouldn't have shocked me one bit. The way these cops looked at me, the way they jeered at me and the things they asked in these interrogations, I knew without a shadow of a doubt at least half of these fuckers worked with my father. Miss Hall gave me knowing looks, too. Nothing got by her, I was quickly coming to find out.
I had to keep convincing myself that she was on my side.
And I didn’t like that.
I watched the torturous clock on the wall slowly tick down. Every time the door at the end of the hallway opened, I jumped. I didn’t want to tell my story another fucking time to a bunch of cops I knew were just getting paid off by my father. I didn’t want to recount everything and relive what happened to Dani and rehash that nightmare to assholes who were only going to turn it around on me. Who were going to use it against me.
Who were going to toss me in jail for the rest of my life over it.
I ran my fingers through my hair. I talked myself through some deep breaths. If I had to be interrogated again, at least I’d see my lawyer again. And maybe I could talk her into having another meeting with me before I was ultimately released. I raked my hands through my hair. I felt someone approaching my cell. Sounds around me were muffled as I slowly lifted my head, trying to fight through the hopelessness I felt burrowing into the marrow of my bones.
Then I heard the iron bars rattling open.
“You’re free to go, Max.”
Miss Hall’s voice piped up behind me and I shot to my feet. I whipped around, staring at the tired, grinning woman. On either side of her were two very displeased-looking officers. And as Miss Hall stood there with her grin continuing to grow, she folded her hands in front of her.
“Don’t tell me you love this place so much you want to stay,” she said.
I blinked. “I’m free to go?”
She nodded. “Yep.”
“Now.”
“Uh huh.”
“Right this second.”
The cop piped up. “Get out or stay in. But make a choice.”
My lawyer dismissed the officers with a flick of her wrist. And as they grumbled to themselves, they started back down the hallway. I was more confused than ever before. But she didn’t look as if she was joking.
“I should still be in here for--”
She cut me off. “Another eight hours. I know. Trust me, this might not be a good thing. As you can see, the police aren’t happy about it at all. Which means I’m sure you can wager a guess as to why.”
Yeah. This isn’t my father’s doing.
“So you didn’t do anything?” I asked.
Miss Hall shrugged. “I haven’t presented them with anything they don’t already know. Nonetheless, you’re free to go.”
I stepped out into the hallway before I felt Miss Hall pat my back. I looked down at the small woman, and she gave me a hearty smile. Together, we started down the hallway, with every cop giving me the dirtiest look they could muster.
Once Miss Hall opened the door that led me into the main lobby, I heard an all-too-familiar sound.
Bikes.
My spirits lifted as I made my way to the glass double doors. I shoved myself through them, only to be met with the roaring sound of what could only be described as the entirety of my crew. There were a sea of faces. Men I had grown to love. Men I had come to respect. Men I regarded as family. As my best of friends. As those I could lean on in times of need. My heart stopped in my chest. The guys all revved their engines, applauding me as I walked out of those doors a free man.
Then, the person standing at the front of the pack removed their helmet.
“Dani?” I asked.
She tucked the helmet underneath her arm. “I wondered how long it would take you to get out here.”
I stepped off the curb and headed straight for her. She smiled up at me as I wrapped my arms around her, picking her up against my body. She giggled as I held her close. She wrapped her legs around me, her face hovering above mine. And as I gazed into her eyes, my heart filled with delight.
“You’re a wild woman, you know that?” I asked.
She snickered. “No. I’m your wild woman. And it’s about damn time we got out of here.”
I growled as her lips crashed down against mine. My crew erupted into applause and laughter as a few of them revved their engines again. Holy fuck, it felt like it had been ages since I’d tasted the woman I loved. Her tongue fell against mine and I felt her sucking on my lower lip. The guys whooped and hollered, and the sounds only seemed to egg Dani on. I set her back down onto her feet and fisted her hair. I tilted my head off to the side as her free hand fisted my
leather jacket. I wanted to ravish her. I wanted to rip her clothes off and bury my face between her breasts while my cock sought out its home.
But I settled for claiming her in front of my guys.
I had to force myself away from her as one of the guys walked up. He nodded at me as he handed me my helmet, and I searched for my bike. Snake parted the group with his skinny ass, pushing my bike to the forefront. And after passing it off to me, he hopped into a sidecar Colter had attached to his bike.
Usually used for his wife, but it would do in a pinch.
“Yeah. Let’s get the hell out of here,” I said.
I thrust my helmet into the air and the deafening roar of their cheers made me laugh. Dani led me over to my bike before we both hopped on, and I groaned at the feeling of her arms wrapped tightly around me. It felt like I’d been in purgatory for years. Finally released from captivity and experiencing life for the first time again. I slid my helmet over my head as her hands gripped my leather jacket. I felt her tense against me, and I grinned to myself. Her legs flexed as I kicked up the kickstand. I revved my engine in a very distinct pattern, signaling to the guys to all follow me.
We took off toward home.
Thirty-four bikes rumbling down the road. Speeding through yellow lights, kicking up burnt rubber around corners, and marking our town with our presence. I took the long way home. I wanted everyone to see us. I wanted my father’s minions to know I was out and coming for them, whether they were ready or not. I wrapped around and headed for the house. I pulled into the driveway and felt my men parking in any free spot they could find. And after I slipped off my bike, I pulled my helmet off my head.
Only to find Dani’s beautiful eyes staring up at me.
“What in the world is this all about?” I asked.
She hooked her thumb in the belt loop of my jeans. “Nothing special. You know, just letting your father know he has to go through all of us to get to you.”
