by Sophia Gray
There’s a pit of dread gnawing in my stomach, but I nod even though he can’t see me. “Yes. I want to punch you in the face right now for getting yourself into this much trouble, but I trust you.”
When he laughs, warmth pours into my belly. I grip the phone tighter. “Please tell me you’re not going to let them drag me off to the east coast.”
“No way in hell is that happening. But I need to go, okay? I’ll see you soon.”
That pit of dread grows deeper and heavier when he hangs up. I have no idea what he’s about to do, but I have a feeling that it won’t be subtle and it won’t be gentle. That’s just not Andre’s style. “Damn it, don’t do anything stupid, you idiot,” I whisper with my eyes closed. “Don’t do anything stupid…”
“Damn right you won’t do anything stupid.” I gasp and jerk my head up. My mother stands in the doorway with her arms crossed. “Who were you talking to just now?”
“I was talking to myself. No one else in here but me.”
My mother frowns at me, but doesn’t inquire further. “We’re leaving now, so come on.”
My mother has never been great at being assertive, but I get up anyway and tuck the phone into a back pocket when she looks toward the door. Andre’s words repeat themselves in my head over and over again. I have to trust him. Silent, I gather my purse and a few personal items before I leave my room and move down the stairs. My chin is high, and I refuse to give either parent the satisfaction of knowing how much I hate them for this. The only reason I haven’t reported them to the police is standing outside by the car: my father. He has bags packed and in the trunk, and his arms are folded across his chest as though he’s the hero of the hour. To me, he’s the backstabbing antagonist, and all I want to do is run; but where would I go?
I should do it anyway.
As we get closer to the car, I suddenly bolt toward the park across from my parent’s house. On the other side of the park is the police station, and if there’s any chance I can make my father look bad, I’ll take it.
“Hey!” My father yells at me, and I can hear his footsteps behind me. He’s closing in fast.
When I know I won’t make it to the station, I whirl around to face him. “Get away from me! I hate you!” I sound like a moody teenager, but there is real fear in my voice. Real hurt.
“Kristel, that’s enough! We’re going!” He grabs my upper arm in a bone crushing grip. I don’t even have a chance to retaliate as he uses his strength against me and literally drags me to the car. My fists fly at every opportunity, but he swats them away as my mother opens the back door of the car. I can’t believe this is happening.
The door slams shut, and I hear a loudclick as my mother sets the child locks. Now I can’t open the doors, but neither can they. In this moment, I want to strangle them both and leave them for dead.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Andre
“Okay, people…” I pace back and forth in front of nine men and two women. “A member of our crew is up shit’s creek, so we need to go get her. But it won’t be easy. Her father is a cop, and he’s completely nuts. So is his partner, Officer Crow, which means that the whole station could be in need of some mood stabilizers. I hate hiding out in this place like a coward as much as the rest of you, but not everyone will be able to go. I need some of you to stay, here because this is where Kristel will come once we grab her. First of all, do I have any volunteers who want to stay here?”
No one holds up a hand or says anything.
“Figures.” I offer them all a wry smile. “Hailey and Debbie, you’re with me. You two will flank me and watch my back while I go in and get Kristel. Grant, you’re about my size, so you can be my ‘double’. You’ll hop on my bike and pretend to be me to distract Kristel’s parents. At this point, anything goes, so use your best judgment. Erik, Carter, and Stanley, I need you boys to follow Grant, but stay out of sight. If he gets into trouble, you guys are there for him. Everyone else will stay here and keep an eye on the place. Make sure you’re armed at all times and, if you have to use a firearm, shoot to kill. That goes for other weapons, too, or whatever the hell you happen to have handy. I’m not fucking playing, and neither are they. Any questions?”
“Yeah.” Debbie steps closer to me and folds her arms across her chest. She’s a big girl with a lip ring and too much eye shadow, but she can take down any one of my crew members any day of the week. “How do we know where they are?”
“I gave Kristel a phone a while back, and it has a GPS setting.” I hold up my own phone. “I’ve already sent locations and information regarding her whereabouts to all of you, so no one has any excuse to fuck up.”
A few of my members laugh softly, and I flash them a quick grin. “I take it that means everyone is ready to get this over with?”
“Yeah, let’s roll!”
“Fuck those cops, kill 'em all!”
“Let’s do this!”
“Hell yeah!”
The room erupts into enthusiastic cheering and excited rambling, so I make my way over to Grant and clap a hand over his shoulder. “Hey. You ready for this?”
“Yeah, I’m ready. Are you?” He smiles at me and dips his chin in a nod.
“I’m ready.” My body doesn’t exactly feel ready, but no one needs to know how much pain I’m really in. “Here, take my jacket. You need to play hard to convince Bryce that you’re me.”
As he takes my jacket and pulls it on, he scoffs at me. “Please! I’ve known you since before you could crawl, it’s not hard being you.” He puffs out his chest and struts around in a circle while pretending to smoke a cigarette.
I roll my eyes and playfully punch his chest. “No, man, that’s not even close to me. Am I gonna have to pick someone else for my role?”
“Like I’d let anyone else take it!”
I chuckle and ease out a deep breath. As dire as the circumstances are, I feel good about this. I feel like we’ll get the job done, just like we always do. Kristel will be back in my arms by the time the day has ended. “All right, enough shit talking. Let’s get this done.”
“Let’s do it!” Grant gives me a sharp nod and grabs my bike helmet. When he turns his back and slides the helmet on, I have to admit he looks just like me. That’s good. If it can fool me, it’s almost guaranteed to fool the cops.
Erik, Carter, and Stanley follow Grant out the front door, and within seconds I hear the rumble of bikes. I know my own by heart, and it heads out first in the direction of Kristel’s GPS coordinates. Within a few minutes, I hear the other three bikes as they go in the same direction. It’s now or never.
“All right, Hailey, Debbie, you’re with me. Hailey, you’re our best driver so you take the wheel. Debbie, make sure you have extra ammo just in case. I know you’re a good shot with that rifle, but this is do or die.”
“You’re so dramatic.” She rolls her eyes and waves her middle finger at me.
I let out a snort of laughter. “Okay, then, we’re good. Let’s go!” As I half run toward the door, I pat myself down to make sure I have all the gear I need: Handgun, throwing knives, armored vest, survival and first aid gear, and a bag for food, water, and clothes. It may seem like overkill, but anything is possible. Kristel and the baby are worth the supplies to me. They’re even worth lives.
Debbie is in the car first, and I slide in next to her. As soon as I close the door, Hailey slams on the gas. We tear away from the safe house, and my eyes shift to the GPS up by the rearview mirror. I can see the location of everyone, including Kristel. She’s a bright red dot while everyone else is orange. I wish we had the technology to track the cops, but the police scanner in place of the radio will have to do. I check the extra ammunition in my bag as we close in fast. There isn’t as much as I want, but if the cops raid the safe house, the rest of the crew will need all the help they can get.
Within a few minutes, the traffic begins to slow down. I pay attention to the police scanner, but so far there’s nothing going on over on this par
t of town. From what I can tell from the GPS, Kristel is about half a mile ahead of us.
“Hailey, get us closer.”
“Andre, I fucking can’t. They won’t let me through!”
“Make them!”
She grinds her teeth and hisses as she jerks the steering wheel over and literally drives onto the shoulder and sidewalk of the road. There is a cacophony of honks and shouts, but my eyes are on the goal up ahead: Kristel’s car. I think I see it up ahead. It’s dark red with a tennis ball on the antenna.
“Turn onto any side street you can get onto, Hailey, so we don’t get caught up in this jam.” As I speak, I hear Officer Crow’s voice on the radio:
“We’ve got one biker on the corner of Max Street and Dulna Avenue. Requesting backup, now! I have my eyes on one, and he’s got a gun in his hand. Traffic has stopped. Again, I have an armed biker on the corner of Max and Dulna. Backup requested immediately.”
Hailey jerks the wheel to the left, and the car rushes around a corner and into an alley. As it slams to a stop, I open my door. “Keep it idling. You two stay by the car. Debbie, you be ready with the rifle in case I get in shit.”
Both women nod, and as I stay low and creep toward the road, I hear Debbie behind me with the rifle. The sound of a cartridge shooting into the chamber comforts me more than it scares me. I know the Black Knights who remain are like family now. I have to trust them as much as I trust Kristel despite some of the setbacks we’ve had.
When I reach the sidewalk, I want to break into a trot, but keep walking. My whole body vibrates with anticipation, and my eyes continuously scan the cars. The closer I get to that red car with the tennis ball on the antenna, the more I’m convinced it’s Kristel’s vehicle.
I come to an unsteady halt when I see a tall, burly man climb from that red car. Even though I can only see him from behind, I know it’s Officer Bryce. I recognize that haircut and that heavy build. My jaw grows tight and my nostrils flare. I breathe deep to keep myself calm, my eyes narrowed. If I lose my head here, it’s all over and I may never see Kristel again.
Up ahead, I spot a police cruiser. It stops about a mile down the road, and there’s a slight decline so I can see everything from my higher vantage point. Grant rolls up on my bike, and with that helmet and leather jacket, he still looks just like me, especially from a distance. He revs the engine to get attention, and suddenly the cop car’s lights flash in flickers of red and blue. Close to me, his back still turned, Bryce breaks into a run and heads down toward Grant, and I notice a line of orange cones across the entire intersection. No one wants to go through. They probably think there’s some kind of construction going on, and while it’s a brilliant plan, it won’t last for long. Horns are already starting to blare, and I hear confused murmurs from people in cars close to me.
As Crow gets closer and closer to Grant, I make my move. With a sharp huff, I break into a trot and weave my way through the traffic jam toward that red car. The tennis ball on the antenna is like a beacon. No other vehicle in its vicinity has one. I don’t have to look back to make sure Debbie and Hailey are on the ball. As soon as I have Kristel, I have faith that they’ll be there.
I hear shouts up ahead, but I can’t pay any attention to that right now. Kristel is less than ten cars ahead of me. My heart thunders in my chest, and I can barely take in a breath when I see her slam her hands against the window. She is clearly trying to get out, but her mother has her by the wrist and the doors don’t seem to open. They must have child locks. Her eyes are locked on Grant, but she must think it’s me. Why else would she be trying to get to him?
Five cars from Kristel’s vehicle, I speed up. A quick glance tells me that Crow is almost at the intersection. I see him reach for his gun.
Chapter Thirty
Kristel
“Andre!” I wrench at the door handles and jam down on the electric window buttons, but nothing moves. Even though the doors are unlocked from the outside, the child locks prevent me from getting any doors open from the inside. My mother is in the front passenger seat, and only she has access to those child locks. Each time I try to reach around her, she squishes herself against them. She may be a small woman, but she defends that lock too well for me to get to it.
“Kristel, stop it! He’s not good for you or that baby, and you know it.” She snorts. “And a motorcycle gang? What good would any of it do for you or your child? You both belong with your father and me. It’s safer."
“Shut up, Mom, I don’t want to hear it anymore!”
“Howdare you speak to me like that, young lady! You have no right."
“And you have no right to tell me what to do! I’m not your little girl anymore, so let me out! You and Dad are both crazy!”
“We have a right to-”
Once again, my mother doesn’t get to finish, but not because I interrupt her. A gunshot rings out, followed by a second one. As I suck in a gasp, I sit up and stare out the window of the car. The man on the bike, who has to be Andre, jerks back as my father opens fire. Before my father can get another shot off, a second round is fired, but not from the biker. It comes from somewhere behind us.
It’s like slow motion as my father’s arms reach out for support, his back arching away from the bullet that slams into him. He drops down to his knees, and I can’t see him anymore because there are too many cars in the way. People start to scream and scramble from their cars; they run up toward us, but my wide eyes are riveted on the space where my father just was moments ago.
My mother screams as though she’s been shot herself and flips the child lock switch off. She wrenches the door open and runs out onto the road. I watch in horror, torn between shock and relief. Before I can truly process what has just happened, the door next to me opens and familiar arms wrap around my shoulders.
“Andre?!” I know it’s him just from how he holds me. My hands grip his shoulders as I turn to stare at him. Confusion grips me, and my heart clenches in my chest. “But… the man on the bike…”
“No time, let’s go!” He half pulls me from the car, and I scramble out onto the road. As I run with him toward a nearby alley, I can’t help but look back toward the man on the bike. My father is still nowhere to be seen.
As we round the corner into the alley, Andre’s hand firmly in mine, the color drains from my face. I see Debbie there, laying over the top of a car with a rifle in her hands; I have no evidence, but from what I can see, she’s the one who shot my father. Once again, I have no idea how to feel, and numbness overcomes me as I slide into the back of the car. My fingers clench themselves together, and I look over my shoulder toward the road constantly. When Andre slides in next to me, though, I am involuntarily drawn to him. My arms wrap around his waist, and when he kisses me, everything feels right in the world again.
“You came…”
“Of course. I always do, don’t I?” The wink he gives me makes me roll my eyes, but I still can’t fully comprehend what is happening.
“The man on the bike… I swore that was you. And my dad…”
“That was Grant posing as me. Debbie took your dad out. She had to, Kristel, I’m sorry. But she really did.” He takes my face in his hands, and I look at him. My whole body feels tight as I hold back the tears. “Your dad beat the fuckingshit out of me at the station. He threw me in a cell after he caught me at my hotel, and then he showed up and he punched me. When I tried to defend myself, he went completely mental. He only stopped kicking the hell out of me because my boys showed up and broke me out.”
“Are you being serious? Why did… why were you even in jail in the first place? What did he arrest you for?”
He shrugs as he holds me closer to him. “Probably something Will said to him. I’m betting that asshole tipped him off about where I’d be. Will was always good at staying a few steps ahead of everyone. That’s one of the reasons I valued him so much, not to mention he was my best friend. Who the hell can you trust if you can’t even trust someone who’s practically your b
rother?”
I still can’t process any of this, but instead of dwelling on it, I cup his face in my hands and brush my lips across his. “It’ll be okay. Dad is gone, and everyone will be focused on that until we can figure things out.” There’s a chill to my voice as I talk about my father. My father forced me to choose between him and Andre. For that, I will never be able to forgive him, but the pain that comes with losing a loved one is still there, a heavy pang in my chest. I feel a slow wave of nausea and pull away from Andre with a hard swallow.
“Is there any…. Okay, Hailey, pull over. I’m gonna barf all over this car.” My voice is strained as my gut rolls and grows tighter. I’ve barely eaten anything, but I can still feel and taste whatever’s coming up my esophagus.
“No can do. Find a bag. Or vomit in your boyfriend’s lap.” Hailey and Debbie share a giggle.
“You guys, I’m…" Before I can say another word, I slam my fingers on the electronic window button to lower it, and lean out of the car. The sensation of puke as it rolls from my throat and out my mouth is unbelievably disgusting, but it also gives me hope. Maybe the baby is okay.
