I bite my bottom lip as I continue to listen in. I can only guess at what’s being said. Makes sense that they would just hold the bodies before dumping them. They don’t know me.I could be the psychotic one in all of this for all they know. I’m assuming he’s talking about Maddy being in the cave. They like to call her Mama Bear and the kids cubs, so it makes sense that she would have a cave.
Chains puts his phone away and walks over to us. “Law wants to talk to her,” he says to Bass, who just nods, and my eyes go as big as saucers.
“Law? As in ‘I am the Law’? That’s who wants to talk to me?” I knew he was the boss guy even before meeting him. You don’t call yourself something like that for shits and giggles.
Chains just raises an eyebrow, and Bass shrugs. But it’s Domino, who’s leaning over the railing of the porch, who laughs and clues them in. “Ha, that’s funny. Never thought of him as aJudge Dreddtype, but he kind of fits the bill.”
I’m just glad to see that someone watches classic movies around here. Before all this started, I spent more than a few nights with the boob tube. Not that I didn’t go out. Hell, my family sure thought I went out way too much. I didn’t, but the impression was there. But I also like to curl under a blanket and watch TV just like everyone else. And when I watch something, it’s usually of the classic eighties or nineties action vibe.
What can I say? They don’t make them like they used to.
“Let’s go. Domino, stick around with Koop. A few brothers will be by soon to help clean this up,” Chains says before gesturing for me to walk ahead of him and Bass.
I take a hesitant step before pausing. Until I have Ollie back, there’s no reason to run. They might be lying and Ollie’s not with Maddy, but I’ve got a feeling they aren’t. There are some sick people in this world who use kids in all ways, lyingabout them being the easiest. But I don’t get that vibe from this group. Say what you want, but I don’t think a bunch of bikers would go all out for a one-year-old’s birthday party unless they actually like kids.
“We need to worry about the cops coming?” I say it to pass the time. I really don’t give a shit if the cops come or not.
Okay, that isn’t true. I don’t want the cops, as it possibly leads to getting in the system. A place I don’t want to end up in, as it means putting black-and-white details on what I look like, and what Ollie looks like, out there. And while I didn’t change my appearance much when this started, I still changed enough that it’s difficult for anyone to find us as quickly. Unless, of course, they have fucking pictures of what we look like to show around town.
“Cops know we own the building.” This is from Bass.
I look over my shoulder at them and hear what he isn’t saying. The police will stay out of this. Not sure what kind of pull they have—dirty cops on their payroll or just a working relationship—but it tells me something else.
The Hounds of the Reaper fear no one.
Bass just killed someone, and he isn’t sweating about it. Not even worried he could get locked up for it. Sure, so did I, but I’m also shaking bad enough that I wrap my arms around myself to seem like I’m cold and not trying to hide the tremors in my hands. Which I doubt fools anyone, but it makes me feel better. My body is freaking out about what happened, but my mind is still working, knowing I can’t panic completely. I have to stay alert and keep going. It’s the only way I can survive this, that Ollie can survive this.
As we make it across the road and onto the gravel driveway that leads into the clubhouse, I’m thankful for mylittle quirks, like always wearing shoes, even when sleeping. Well, I call them survival tips, but Ollie says they’re quirks.
The thought of him makes me smile and also frown. I hope he’s okay.
“When do I get to see Ollie?”
Chains eats up the small distance between us and the door and opens it for me. He nods at me to go inside, but I cock a brow. I might seem like a toddler following them, even if I was in front, and playing the part of a dutiful victim, but I’m not going into a dark building with no weapon. And I think they get that when I don’t move forward.
“We’ve got someone bringing him here now.”
“Fine, I’ll wait.” I slide my hands to my hips and shrug. My arm’s killing me, and I’m colder than an iceberg, but I’ll stick it out. I’m sure the adrenaline will eventually kick off and I’ll feel the heat of the night on my skin again soon, even if it’ll bring more pain to my wound that my body is slowly starting to become unnumbed around.
“Can’t see him till we get some answers first.”
My eyes flash to Bass. His voice dropped a few octaves with that statement, and I refuse to believe that butterflies took flight in my stomach at his authoritative tone.
It’s got to be fear.Fear I can work with. I know how to live with that and mold it into action. If it’s anything else, then I’m fucked. And even though that one word swimming in my head sends my sex pulsing a bit since it’s been forevvvvver since I got laid, I can’t afford to let my mind go that route. It’s a selfish thought that could get someone killed.
I steel my spine and decide that facing who knows what in the building is better than facing the man outside. Ichoose fear over lust and turn to walk in. But as I feel him take a step with me and then place his hand on my lower back, I almost trip. It’s a slight heat from his skin through the thin fabric, but I swear it’s a damn hot poker. I feel that touch everywhere.
Not good. This isnotgood.
Even if a small part of my brain says it is.
Chapter 5—Bass
Casper meets us as we get halfway to the bar. I feel her stiffen beneath my touch—I haven’t taken my hand off her back yet. Her words got her under my skin, but I have zero trust in her. I might have protected her by taking that shot at the guy firing at her, but there’s zero loyalty. My hand on her is just to guide her around, to keep her tethered to me rather than bolting like I know she wants to. That’s easy to read on her.
About the only thing easy to read.
I hate that I was right. That we missed something. Sure, background checks don’t turn up everything, but no way is she just some random chick with three dead bodies in her apartment. The fact that she got two on her own and reacted to the third the way she did proves that someone has trained her.
