Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
SADIE
I had exactly two hours to get in and out, and if Rowan found out what I was doing, I knew I would be wishing for a painless death. But I was doing this for him. I was doing it for all of us.
I squinted into the rattling rearview mirror, keeping an eye on Scout as he trailed behind me on his Harley.
He was sticking to me like a foul smell, and his eagerness was driving me a little mad.
Not that he had a choice. When Daddy Knight barked orders, all any of us could do was bow our heads and say, “Yes, sir.”
Still, what I was about to do was going to test Scout’s loyalty to Rowan.
He wore it like pride, the kind that ran deeper than blood.
Anyone, even blind Betty, could see it. Rowan had already proven he’d take a bullet for his Rider brothers.
Just as he’d sworn Scout would take a bullet for me.
But I didn’t need Scout to do that. I just needed him to keep his damn mouth shut.
Not that it would make a difference. By the time Scout had even a single chance to fill Rowan in, it’d be too late. I’d have already made my move. That kind of head start was all I needed, and I didn’t plan on wasting it.
Rowan was over an hour away in Sydney, and I was already turning into the street where Snake’s run-down shack sat empty, the kind of place love had abandoned a long time ago.
It wasn’t hard to find his address. Snake left his mail lying around the clubhouse for anyone to see. Either he was that arrogant, or he was that stupid. I hadn’t yet decided which one. My guess? Likely both. The bastard’s carelessness would be his downfall.
I parked a hundred metres from Snake’s house, under the cover of dusk, and killed the engine. My hands clamped around the steering wheel, my heart rate spiking. I’d told myself this would be easy. Like walking through an unlocked door. But nothing in this town ever was.
I couldn’t think about the repercussions of defying Rowan again—my chest had already cracked open, and I wouldn’t survive it when he finally ripped my heart out.
His voice from this morning ran through my head. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m away. Can you manage that?” he had said while walking out the door.
I had nodded, hiding my master plan behind the innocence I pretended still existed inside me. I’d played on Rowan’s weakness when it came to me. Still didn’t think he’d bought it, though.
Squaring my shoulders, I shoved the door open, the metal creaking in the quiet, and climbed out. The humid early-evening air smacked me in the face like an open oven. The sense of foreboding was strong enough to taste, the bitterness lingering at the back of my throat.
This wasn’t a great idea, not by any stretch of the word.
The street ran wide, red dirt, like paint, etched into every crack in the bitumen.
This town was drowning in it, and most people didn’t even try to save themselves.
Barrenridge’s quicksand didn’t just swallow dreams—it digested them, spat them out, and left the bones bleaching in the sun.
But I wasn’t going to be another victim. My mother and Logan had died for a secret buried somewhere under the overgrown grass, and if Snake had his slimy hands near the shovel, I was going to dig up every rotten piece.
Scout pulled up behind me, the rumble of his engine ripping through the silence until he killed it. If anyone was going to give us away, it was going to be him.
Before I could say a word, he jumped off his bike, yanking off his helmet as he stormed towards me. The gravel crunched under his boots, the only sound in a neighbourhood abandoned by God and everyone else.
“What the hell are you doing, Sadie?” His voice was a low growl, sharp against my nerves. He snatched my upper arm, tugging me to the side of my car. His eyes darted like he expected an ambush. “Are you trying to get us killed?” He lowered his voice even further.
I couldn’t blame him for being pissed. He’d just realised he’d walked blindly into the lion’s den.
I shrugged out of his grip, and he raked a hand through his blond mop, groaning. “You can leave if you want,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “But I’m not going anywhere until I find something that ties Snake to the shooting.” I had to play on his attachment to Rowan.
“That’s not playing fair, Sadie. You know I can’t leave you,” he said. That was Scout’s version of deadly serious. “But this is a death sentence if we get caught.”
His fear was almost catching, but I pushed it down. The same way I pushed everything down—mostly my need to tell Rowan how I really felt.
I sighed. “How about this genius idea? I go inside, dig around for what I need, and you can stand guard to make sure no-one surprises us.” I leaned closer, lowering my voice like I was letting him in on a big secret. “Deal?”
Somewhere in the distance, a car door slammed. Scout tensed, his eyes flicking toward the noise. My heart climbed a little higher into my throat, but I kept my face neutral.
Scout shook his head, jaw tense. “Do I even have a choice?” His eyes were desperate, begging me to level with him.
For a second, I almost caved. Almost told him I was scared too. But there wasn’t time for honesty. I wasn’t going to let him back down, not now. Rowan took a goddamn bullet for him, so he could suck it up.
I lifted a shoulder, an attempt at indifference, even though I needed him onboard as much as he needed the reassurance of sticking with me. If this went sideways, I might not get the chance to tell Rowan anything.
“I’m doing this with or without you,” I said, arching a brow. “So, you better make a decision fast.” I forced the words out with a sharpness I hoped would shake him. “Either you’re staying or you’re leaving.”
Scout swore under his breath, the sound full of frustration and resignation.
“Fine,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck like he could physically spin the tension out of himself.
“But your eulogy at my funeral better be epic.” As much as he tried to infuse as much exasperation into his tone, he could barely hide the grin lifting the corners of his mouth.
He was such an open book. And I already knew how the last chapter ended. I just hadn’t told him yet.
“That’s a boy,” I said, wrapping an arm around his waist so he could feel the warmth of my appreciation even if I wouldn’t say it out loud. The truth and me still weren’t great friends, so this was the best I could do. “I promise I’ll be quick. In and out. ”
“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, as unconvinced as Rowan had been that morning when he’d trusted me to obey him. Still, relief flashed in Scout’s eyes, a beacon of hope that I hadn’t completely ruined our growing friendship. “Would you blame me if I said I didn’t believe you?”
“Suit yourself,” I said, throwing him a playful wink. I was just glad to have him on my side. “Just think of it as a lesson in surveillance. You’ve been doing such a great job sticking to my arse for the last week. Now you owe me.”
Scout scoffed. “Right, because Rowan gave me a choice. It was either follow you around or clean the clubhouse toilets for the next year.” A breeze swept through the trees, kicking up dust and the scent of motor oil.
A shiver raced through him, visible even in the dim light, his gaze flicking back towards his bike like he was contemplating an escape.
“Now, I’m seriously questioning my decision.
The toilets would have been less painful to deal with. ”
I slapped his chest, the lean muscle beneath his shirt tensing under my palm. “Yeah, but that wouldn’t have been as much fun.”
Scout lifted a brow, his expression almost lost under the mop of hair that fell into his eyes. “You call this fun?”
“No,” I said, gripping his hand as my way of saying thank you.
It wasn’t enough—not for what I was asking.
But it was all I had left to give. “I call this necessary. We have to nail him, Scout. Now, keep a lookout, and text me if we have company.” I forced confidence into my voice, but it landed hollow.
The risk of getting caught was real, but I couldn’t let Scout know how much it gnawed at me.
Snake had tried to have Rowan killed. Bear and Scout, too.
I was making sure he’d never get another chance.
Because if I failed now, I’d lose more than Rowan.
I’d lose the only piece of myself I still believed in .
Scout groaned again, his shoulders sagging. “Hurry up before I leave your arse here to deal with Snake yourself.”
We both knew that was a lie but letting him feel like he had the upper hand even for a second was exactly what he needed. Nothing would separate him from what he thought of as his duty, not even the fear I saw plain as day in his blue eyes.
I narrowed my focus on him. “Snake’s locked away, and you know that. Besides, you wouldn’t.”
He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Oh, I don’t trust that slimy prick for a second. And, you don’t know me all that well yet, Sades. Because right now, I would leave you here.” He waved me off with a flick of his wrist. “Now, go.”
I took a step backwards, my boots crunching over the shattered glass of a beer bottle. If I believed in superstition, that would have been my first warning. Too bad for me, warnings were merely a give-way sign where a stop sign should have been.
With a final nod at Scout, I took off down the sidewalk and around the back of Snake’s house, adrenaline fuelling my movements.
I hoped it would last. In and out. That’s what I’d promised Scout, but there was no way to know until I started digging what sort of boogeymen Snake kept hidden in his closets.