He takes a bite, chews thoughtfully, then meets my gaze. “They’re done. No more threats from that corner of the world.”
“Dead,” I whisper, and he nods once, confirming the finality of it all.
“And the women?” I ask, my heart hammering with the weight of what’s to come.
“They’re safe, Lyric. As long as the Diablos are kept at bay and the cops aren’t sniffing around, they’ll be free to go.”
“Promise?” The word hangs between us.
“Promise,” he replies, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me in closer.
“Thanks, Highway,” I breathe out, relief mingling with worry, my mind already racing ahead to the next battle.
I press my lips to Highway’s in a quick, fierce kiss. “Be right back,” I murmur against his mouth, then slip away before he can pull me back.
The hallway is thick with people, but I navigate through them and reach the door where the women are located. I knock twice,softly, and push it open.
Inside, the smell of antiseptic stings my nostrils. My father, whose face is pinched with concern, hovers over a girl lying on a bed.
“This is Mia,” Dad says with a smile.
The girl looks up at me, and she must be the fifteen-year-old. Her eyes are too old for her face. Her back is a mess of angry red welts. My stomach clenches as bile rises.
“Hey, Mia,” I say gently, kneeling beside her. “You’re safe now, okay? You’re with us.”
“Am I?” she whispers, her voice barely there.
“Yes,” I insist, brushing a strand of hair from her damp forehead.
“Can I have a phone?” Jet’s voice cuts through the thick air. She stands in the corner, arms wrapped around herself like she’s holding herself together.
“Why?” I ask.
“I need to call my mom,” she says, a tremble in her voice. “Been almost a year since—”
“Since what, Jet?” I prod.
“Since Hawk died,” she blurts out. “My brother. He was friends with Reaper and wanted to be in the Royal Bastards till a bullet ended that dream.”
“Jesus…” I whisper.
“Didn’t know MCs saw women as nothing, but…” She doesn’t finish.
“The Royal Bastards aren’t like that,” I say. “They protect their own.”
“Can I leave then?” Jet challenges, her eyes sparking with rebellion.
“Gwen…” Dad’s warning tone slices through the tension. “They were forced here.”
“Doesn’t feel safe,” Jet spits, disbelief etched in every line ofher face. “Feels like a cage.”
“Trust me,” I plead, my heart a drumbeat in my chest. “We’re the good guys.”
Jet just stares, her gaze loaded with doubt. The tension in the room is so thick it’s like trying to breathe through a wet blanket.
Lucy bursts in, her eyes scanning the scene. “You’re not prisoners. Diablos could be on your tails if you step out,” she adds, but there’s a softness there, too, a crack in her tough-girl façade.
That’s when Devil struts into the chaos, that wild Aussie spark in her eyes. “No need to be worried about nothing, loves.” She chuckles, waving off the concern with a flick of her wrist. “If you want to leave, door’s open. But trust me, this is the safest bloody place for you.” She turns to Jet. “Come shopping with me? We need food and clothes for you lot.”
