Forgot about me.
Or at least remembered me fondly.
My thoughts were interrupted by the now familiar sound of heavy boots, that slow gait belonged to Vendetta, the man responsible for my current state. The chains began to move, lowering me to the ground and I braced myself for the floor under my feet. My legs wobbled when my feet hit the cement floor, but I dug my heels in, refusing to show this asshole any weakness. The hood was yanked off my head roughly, just another childish power play.
Vendetta appeared right in front of me, a shit-eating grin lit up his face. “Pike, got some good news. Good for me, anyway.”
I gave him nothing but a blank stare, just to piss him off.
“Your MC gave up the location of the little girl in exchange for your pretty little head.” He stared at me, still smiling, waiting for my reaction.
I didn’t believe that shit for one fucking second. It had to be a trap, even my weakened mind knew that, but I also knew what Vendetta expected. Panic. Disbelief. And if my guys had a plan in place, this was my part to play. “What!” I shouted so loud it echoed all around us. “No they didn’t! You’re a fucking liar!” I shook my head, thrashing it side to side. “They wouldn’t do pussy ass shit like this. That’s the Ghost Riders playbook.” That last sentence earned me a backhand, but I kept up the charade. “Liar. Fucking goddamn liar. Unlike your fucking club we’d never put a kid’s life at risk. Fucking bullshit.”
Vendetta’s face split into a satisfied smile. “Don’t believe me? Guess what, I don’t give a fuck.”
I sneered. “Just what a liar would say.”
He shrugged and turned away, staring at the men that stood around, guarding me. Protecting him. “You’ll see soon enough. Get him in the fucking van.”
I didn’t put up a fight when they released the chains from my wrists even though the relief was palpable. I relaxed my limbs as the flexi-cuffs were secured in place of the chains, and when the hood went back over my head, I put up a good show of resistance just to keep Vendetta engaged. When they dragged me into the van and pushed me against the side wall, I grinned to myself because certainty burned deep in my gut that soon, I’d see Chloe and Gemma.
And my MC.
Somewhere during the ride one of them yanked the hood off my head. I looked up but I was met with the inside paneling of the metal walls instead of windows. Still, a glance through the windshield revealed we were on the interstate, and I knew exactly where we were going.
The cabin.
If they knew the location, then that sure as fuck meant that my brothers had something planned.
“You know,” Vendetta began, surprising me that he hadn’t ridden his bike like a real Prez would. “I was gonna let you go, let you limp back to your brothers after we beat the fuck out of you. But now I have a better idea,” his smile was downright devious and that wicked glint in his eyes told me I wouldn’t like his plan.
I knew my MC wouldn’t have given up Chloe and Gemma just to save me. I had no fucking clue what had been happening since the Ghost Riders snatched me off the highway, I just had to hope that whatever my brothers were going to do in retaliation was watertight and that somehow, they’d gotten Chloe and Gemma away to a safe place. If we were going back to the cabin, I had an advantage. I knew the layout, and I knew all the hiding places.
If we went someplace else, I was fucked.
***
Finally the van slowed to a stop, giving me no damn clue where we were. Two sets of hands handled me roughly until the feel of leaves, dirt, and gravel crunched under my boots. We weren’t in the city, I knew that much because of the absence of car engines and horns, conversations at sidewalk eateries, thegeneral hum of city living. Instead, there were birds and bugs, and somewhere in the distance the sound of water.
We’re at the cabin.
When the hood came off, I blinked to adjust to the daylight and gave myself a moment to look around. There were no bikes visible other than those that belonged to the Ghost Riders. Though if my club brothers were lying in wait then they’d have made sure to hide their motorcycles.
Someone pushed me forward and I walked, sandwiched between Vendetta and one of his minions. “Let me tell you about my new plan,” he said, and I realized how uncomfortable he was with the silence.
So I gave him more than he could stand.
“Instead of returning you to your MC, I’m going to let you watch me pump the little brat full of bullets before we slit her throat. And then I’ll do the same to you. Since your club is so protective of her, you can die with her,” he laughed, watching me. Waiting for a reaction.
I kept my expression carefully blank.
“It’ll show your MC how fucking stupid it is to trust the enemy,” his smile wavered.
Finally, I smiled.
“Go check the inside,” he barked and two of his men who had to be prospects, rushed up the familiar steps and pushed the door wide open. No gunfire erupted but instead, they came out a minute later and shrugged.
“The place is empty.”
