He kisses my forehead and turns us, and I finally see a few of his club brothers standing in the room.
“Hey, Flint,” I say lamely, since I don’t remember the other guys’ names, but I can’t forget my best friend’s man.
“Hey, Troublemaker. Looking good,” he says with a wink.
I snort but then wince from the pain. I know I look like shit. From the beating Troy gave me, to the dirt and grim of this place, then being choked, I must look horrible. But I’m alive.
And as I look at the girls and Hunter, I breathe easier.They’re alive too.
“All clear,” Bulldog says as he walks in, Mad Max at his back. Some girls scurry back from the size of them.
“It’s okay. They’re here to help us,” I tell them and hope it’s enough. “These are the friends I was telling you about.”
“They don’t look like dogs,” one of the little girls says, and I bite back a smile but notice the others don’t.
It’s Bulldog who takes a step closer and bends down on his knees. “But we are. We’re Hounds. We’re better than any dog out there because we’re the best hunters. And do you know what we hunt?”
The little girl and a few others shake their heads.
“Bad men,” Mad Max says. “We hunt anyone who hurts those we protect.”
“That’s right.” Bulldog looks over his shoulder and nods at his brother’s words, then turns back to group. “Do you want to be our friends and help us hunt the bad men who did this to you?”
I gasp a little at what he’s saying.He can’t possibly mean for these kids to help them.I wouldn’t think they would want to, would prefer to just forget about it, forget everything.
But as I watch each little head nod, even Hunter’s, I find myself nodding too. Pretending it didn’t happen or talking about it with a shrink might help a bit. But revenge? Making people pay and getting them not to do it to others? Yeah, that will heal a person. Maybe not make them whole, but it’ll at least fill a void inside them that wants to lash out.
I only got a taste of this place. Some of them got a lot more. There’s no telling what they need, and I’m not about to deny them something just because I think I know best. They were the victims. They get to decide what they want.
Bulldog reaches out to take the hand of the little girl who spoke earlier.
Reese nods at her. “Good girl.”
She dips her head and lets Bulldog lead her, and the rest who follow, out the door.
“I thoughtIwas your good girl,” I say as I slump into him a bit, knowing he’ll take my weight happily.
I feel his smile on my forehead after he kisses me. “You’re only my good girl in bed. Everywhere else, you’re a troublemaker. But you’remyTroublemaker.”
For the first time in a long while, I smile.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
I follow him out, not even looking at the dead guard at my feet, or the many we pass as we make our way up the stairs. I had no idea there were so many. I would have been dead the second I tried to get past the first one.
When we get to the front of the house, I see a hole where a wall should be. I look to Reese, who just shrugs.
“It was easier than knocking. Or that’s what Domino said.” Reese nods over to the guy leaning on one side of the hole with his back to the jagged rock.
“Itwaseasier,” the guy, Domino, says with a nod as he steps away and comes toward us. “Blowing out a side wall is like using a secret passage. Everyone always thinks to cover the back and front exits.” He looks back at his handiwork, almost in awe with himself as he continues. “No one ever thinks to guard a side wall, and if you do it right, the whole place won’t crumble in on you.”
Gator shakes his head, and I just keep smiling. Domino is obviously in love with blowing things up. I don’t really care how they got here, just that they did, and now all of us are walking out.
I put my hand up to block the sun as I take my first steps outside in days. I thought it was night, but that’s what being held in a dark room causes: disorientation. It takes a second, but when my eyes finally adjust, I see rows and rows of motorcycles. I can’t help the tears that fall.
“Yeah, babe.” Gator looks down at me, brushing a tear track away. “I brought everyone willing.”
I nod at his words, not able to speak as I fear my silent tears will turn into sobs if I open up. Gator squeezes my shoulder in understanding and guides me over to a few brothers I’ve seen before. There are a lot of them here, and some have different patches.
