“Bullet is going to lose his shit,” Frost warns.
Rose smirks. “And that’s different how? Now, I want to see Hulk, and these three want some privacy.”
“Bullet and Sniper are in with him right now, but as soon as they’re done, I’ll take you,” Frost agrees.
In that instant, I know I’m going to like Rose. Her face goes from sweet and warm to cool and intense. “I don’t believe I asked you to take me, Frost,” she reminds him coolly. “I’m seeing Hulk, and anyone who gets in my way is going to have more to worry about than a bat.” Then she turns and stalks out, making Frost curse and rush out after her.
“She’s kind of scary, but she’s really cool,” Isla announces with a grin, pulling away from me and wiping the tears drying on her cheeks.
“That’s all well and good, but what do we do now?” Sawyer asks.
I look at him, thinking the same thing. What do we do now? Are we safe here with the Devil’s Soldiers? Especially with Vlad knowing by now that I’m one of the people to help get him out and away from them? Or the fact that there are clearly a few of the bikers here that don’t trust me.
And if we’re not safe here, where the hell are we going to go?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
AVERY
I don’t know how I became his angel, but if it means calming him down, I’ll be whatever he needs me to be.
The roomthat Rose eventually leads us to is decently spacious, but I can already tell that they squeezed an extra bed in here because there isn’t much room to maneuver around. “Sorry for the tight quarters, but I figured that you wouldn’t want to be separated considering the circumstances,” Rose explains as she gives us a small smile.
“Thank you,” I say with a tired, but grateful, smile.
“And we also made sure to give you a room with a private bathroom,” Rose adds, moving to the left side of the room to open another door. I move forward to peek inside and see a small bathroom with just a toilet, sink, and stand-up shower. “I put some items in there for you like soap, towels, and shampoo, but if you need anything else, just let me know and I can get someone to get you anything. And I had them grab a change ofclothes for each of you so if you want to change into something else, you have the option. Hopefully, they will fit.”
“I think we’re good,” I assure her. “Thank you again, Rose. It’s really appreciated.” She has no idea how much.
“Honey, because of you, one of my boys is home, so you have nothing to thank me for. It’s me who is thanking you. Now, all of you relax and feel free to get some sleep if you need it. If you need anything, just come on downstairs, alright?”
We nod and then she leaves, shutting the door quietly behind her. “I’m getting my own bed,” Sawyer announced immediately, moving to the twin bed and flopping back on it. “You two can share the bigger bed.”
“Fine.” Isla shrugs, flopping on the larger bed as well. “I don’t want to share a bed with you anyway. You stink. And you’re a sheet hog.” Sawyer doesn’t reply to that, he just lifts his hand and flips her off. I probably should tell them to cut it out but I’m too fucking tired, and some of the banter between them is comforting.
I’m bone-deep tired, and I don’t even know what to do with myself right now. But I also know I need to get a shower. “Both of you get some sleep or figure out something else to do, but I’m going to shower,” I tell them as I head for the bathroom. “And no snooping around. Stay in the room until I’m done, and don’t open it to anyone.”
“I thought you said we’re safe here,” Isla says, her voice quivering slightly.
Sawyer sits up quickly, his face also concerned.
“As far as I know, we are, but we don’t know these people, and I think we need to remember that,” I answer honestly. The suspicious faces filter through my mind. “They helped us, and yes, they took us in to keep us safe from Vlad, but that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down either.”
Both share a glance and then slowly nod. “Yeah, you’re right,” Isla agrees softly. “I like everyone here, especially Rose, but you’re right, we don’t know them.”
I nod. “Good. Both of you relax. We’ll talk more once I get out of the shower.”
“You’re okay though, right?” Isla asks, softly. “You weren’t hurt?”
I shake my head and give her a reassuring smile. “No, I wasn’t hurt, I promise. But it’s been a long day and we’re all exhausted. Might be a good idea to get some sleep.”
“I can’t sleep now,” Sawyer huffs. “It’s like only suppertime. If I sleep now, I’ll be up at like two in the morning.”
I shrug. “Fine, then the two of you figure out what you want to do, but I’m going for a shower.” I shut the door, but leave it unlocked just in case. When I step under the hot water, I close my eyes and let it pour over me. I’m so tired. Bone-deep exhaustion in a way that I haven’t felt in a very long time. Both from relief, the adrenaline crashing inside me, and a lingering fear that this isn’t over. That Vlad or Nikolai are going to be after us more than ever.
Another small part of me worries that they might kill our mother to try and get her to tell them where we might be, but that’s on her, not me. She’s the one who put us in this situation in the first place, and I have more to worry about.
Namely, that we don’t all end up dead alongside her.
