Page 46 of Blaze
Then it’s time to leave the room—and Blaze—behind.
I’m so focused on my goal and trying not to let myself cry, I miss the sound of voices until I’m almost at the end of the hallway.
“They’ll be here soon,” Stubs says. I freeze, pressing my back against the wall and peering around the corner. The bikers have all congregated in the main party room of the clubhouse.
“How the fuck did they get here without us noticing?” Brute demands. “We’ve had surveillance on that compound for days.”
“My best guess is the Light Justicars have some way of cloaking themselves now,” Stubs says with a shrug.
“It doesn’t matter how they got close, just that they are,” Reaper states coolly. I can see why he’s the president and how he was a commander in the demon army. I shiver, recalling how his power felt when he broke up the fight between Blaze and Heathen. “I want all the Knights ready for them. They might have gotten the jump on us, but if they’re hoping to have an easy fight, I want us to show them how wrong they are.”
The Knights shout and holler. My eyes find Blaze, the only one not joining the hype. My will falters at the sight of his blank eyes. He looks nothing like the life-filled man who showed me who I can be again. I did that to him. I snuffed out his flames.
But at least he’ll be alive, I remind myself. Soon, he’ll forget all about me.
“Blaze, Chainz, Heathen, you’ll come with me,” Reaper announces, his voice cutting through the noise of the bikers.
“Yes, sir,” Blaze’s voice is sharp.
I watch as Blaze nods and stands. He’s dressed the same as earlier, his leather jacket tight over his biceps, a black shirt underneath. I bite the inside of my cheek, the urge to run into his arms strong.
I don’t, though.
He’s moving before I can blink, and his footsteps are silent on the floor as he heads towards me. I stiffen, knowing that any moment he’ll see me, that he’ll know what I’m trying to do. If he asks me to stay, I know my courage will fail and I will. I’ll let him protect me. And he’ll be hurt because of me.
Chainz says something to Blaze, making him stop. I take my chance and dart across the doorway, holding my breath as I hustle down the narrow hall. But it doesn’t sound like anyone saw me, or if they did, no one suspects my plans to leave.
I need to get a cell phone. It’s the only way my plan will work now that Enzo is so close.
One of the bedroom doors is ajar, and I recognize the off-key, happy singing coming from inside. This must be Lacy and Cinder’s room. I peek in through the crack and spy the empty room within. Easing myself inside, Lacy continues to sing, her voice drifting in through the open door to the right. She’s in the shower.
Glancing around, my eyes land on her cell phone, connected to the charger on the nightstand.
Silently apologizing to my new friend, I grab it and shove it into my bag. The water turns off, and I race out of there.
I hurry through the dark kitchen. There are no signs of anyone else here. The bikers are all in the party room. No women are in sight, which makes sense. The only women here are me, Lacy, and Sydney. The Knights aren’t taking any unnecessary chances.
Another minute and I’m at the door Heathen and Cinder brought us through earlier. Turning the knob slowly, I ease it open as silently as I can. Then I slip outside, closing it just as carefully. A relieved breath rushes from me. It’s not even close to the first time I’ve sneaked out of a building.
Now for the tricky part.
I make myself walk casually across the parking lot. Once I’m far enough away from the clubhouse that no one will hear, I break into a jog. The massive garage has a bay door open, and that’s where I head. If the keys are still where Heathen put them, I’ll take the Suburban.
When no one yells for me, my pulse eases up and I slow to a walk.
The garage is empty, and I realize Reaper must have called all the bikers inside for the meeting. I need to take advantage while I can. I know if one of them tries to stop me, there’s no way I can win.
Heathen’s key fob is still hanging in the office and I grab it, breathing out a sigh. It’s only half a second of relief, though. Because when I turn around, Sydney is in the doorway, looking as surprised as I feel.
“What are you doing here?” she asks. Her hands are on her hips, and her gaze drops to the fob dangling from my fingers.
“I...” I struggle to find an answer that isn’t a lie. “I’m leaving. You can’t stop me.”
Sydney raises a brow. “Why would I stop you?”
I open my mouth and then shut it. I narrow my eyes, not sure what to say.
Sydney’s lips twitch. “I’m not going to stop you from being an idiot, Kennedy.” She crosses her arms, pinning me in place with a hard glare. “But I want to know why you’re leaving. Despite my issues with the prez, they’re good at their job. They’ll keep you safe.”
