He gestures toward the door.“She’s inside washing the cat.From the sounds of it, it’s not going well.”Prophet laughs.“I’ll give you two some alone time, and I’ll go knock on a few doors.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Prophet, you’re wiped and covered in blood.”
He looks down at his clothes and shakes his head.“Probably not a good look.I might head back to the compound.Want me to send someone else to chat with her neighbors?”
“Yeah, send Hollywood.The women will fall over themselves to talk to him, and so will some of the men.”
Prophet nods, then pulls the keys for the truck out of his pocket.“Will do.”
Reaching out, I place a hand on his shoulder.“Don’t drive.It’ll take too long.Give me the keys.I’ll get Scout to return it to the clubhouse.”
Prophet nods.“Okay, Prez.I’ll just take a walk farther into the woods at the back of Hannah’s house.You never know, I might find something while I’m there.”
“Be safe.”
Turning into Hannah’s home, I pause at the threshold, catching the echo of her animated conversation with Grace.
“Stop it!I’m trying to help you,” she insists, her voice firm yet gentle.
Smiling to myself, I navigate around the corner toward her bathroom.The trail of blood catches my attention, leading me down the hallway and into her bedroom.The once pristine walls mock the chaos inside—the bed is stained, the sheets soaked in a darkness that doesn’t belong here.
Taking a deep breath, the coppery tang of blood fills my senses.I reach for my cellphone and dial Scout’s number.
“Blade, how goes it?”His voice crackles over the line.
“Are you at the compound?”I ask.
“Yes,” he confirms.
“Has Prophet arrived?”I inquire further.
“Hang on.”I hear faint footsteps, the tension building with each passing second.“He’s just landed.Man, he looks bad.Did you want to talk to him?”
“No,” I respond quickly.“Just make sure he’s settled.Scout, I need you and Rooster at Hannah’s place.Have Fury look after Prophet.Get him fed and rested.Something tells me we’re going to need him very soon.”
“Okay, I’ll let them know, and I’ll be there ASAP.”Scout’s voice fades as I end the call.
Turning my attention back to the bed, I lift the quilt cover, then the sheet beneath it.The blood has soaked deep into the mattress, staining it a sickly shade of red.It’s worse than I thought.The silence in the room presses down on me, thick with the weight of whatever happened here.
The soft creak of floorboards breaks the tension, and without turning, I already know who it is.
“It’s not good to sneak up on me, Scout,” I mutter, not bothering to look up from the mess on the bed.
“As if I could,” he replies dryly, his boots scuffing the floor as he steps beside me.“Rooster will be a while, he’s riding in.What the fuck happened here?”
I let out a heavy breath, rubbing a hand across my face before answering.“Someone broke in and tried to kill Hannah’s cat.”
“A warning?”Scout asks, the seriousness in his tone matching the scene before us.
“Could be,” I say, but something in my gut doesn’t sit right.“She has an ex who can’t take the hint, but this doesn’t feel like him.The guy was a pussy...no way he’s capable of this.”
Scout’s eyes narrow.“Who then?”
I shake my head, frustration bubbling up.“No fucking idea.Maybe Hannah can shed some light on possible suspects.But this doesn’t sit right.Something is off.”
