Chapter 4
Salem
The night had a chill to it that settled deep in my bones as I rode alongside the other Hell on Heelz sisters. My hands gripped the handlebars of my bike, the familiar hum of the engine beneath me, a comforting sound in the chaos of my mind. I wasn’t just any prospect—I was Salem, the one with the witchy reputation, the one who could scare a grown man by just pulling out a tarot deck or whispering a few words about fate.
I didn’t mind it, though. Let them be scared. The more distance they kept, the better. People didn’t need to get too close to my mess, anyway. My family? That was a disaster I didn’t even want to think about most days. And love? Hell no. Love was a trap. But the road, the freedom of being a Hell on Heelz prospect? That was something real. Something I could trust. I just had to prove it.
But lately, something was messing with my focus. And right now that something was Heresy. A fucking Slayer. The Slayers were the enemy. They’d been the enemy for as long as I could remember, even if there was a truce now. I was a hang around long before I became a prospect.
So, I knew, they were enemies in name only, basically harmless. Doesn’t mean I trusted them—especially him. Heresy had this dark, brooding energy, like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders but never let anyone see how heavy it was. It didn’t help that he kept popping up, all quiet and intense, like a shadow that wouldn’t leave me alone.
The wind whipped through my hair as I followed the other women, but my mind wasn’t on the ride. It was on Heresy’s words from the night before: “You should be scared, Salem.”
I wasn’t sure why it got to me so much. It wasn’t like I hadn’t dealt with worse. My family? They were a shitshow, always on me about being different, about being a ‘witch’ when really, I just found comfort in the unknown. Herbs, tarot, witchcraft—that was my peace. Not them. But Heresy? He was a different kind of mystery, and I hated that he had wormed his way into my thoughts.
We pulled into the Roost, and I parked my bike, my mind still swirling. Rage was already barking orders for us to get things sorted for the night, but my head wasn’t in it. I needed to clear the fog that was building up inside. I needed some time alone to think about the mess that had started in my head the minute Heresy opened his mouth.
I slipped away from the group, my feet crunching on the gravel as I headed for the edge of the lot. The moon was high, casting eerie shadows on the trees, and I pulled out my deck of tarot cards, shuffling them in my hands. Maybe a little reading would give me some clarity. Maybe it’d help me figure out why I couldn’t get Heresy’s words out of my mind.
I drew the Death card, staring down at the image. Death didn’t mean literal death—it was transformation, change. I knew that, but still, it felt too close to home tonight. I shoved the card back into the deck, frustrated.
“Looking for answers?”
I jumped, spinning around to see Heresy standing there, his arms crossed, that same damn look in his eyes like he was keeping secrets. How the hell had I not heard him coming?
“I don’t need your smartass commentary,” I snapped, shoving the cards back into my pocket.
He didn’t move, didn’t even flinch. “Ain’t trying to be a smartass. Just curious.”
“Curious about what?” I crossed my arms, matching his stance.
Heresy’s eyes flicked to my pocket, where the tarot deck sat. “About you. You’re not like the rest of them.”
“Yeah, well, neither are you,” I shot back, trying to sound tougher than I felt.
He took a step closer, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “You’ve got that right.”
The space between us crackled with tension, and for a split second, I wondered what it would be like to let my guard down around him. But then I reminded myself—he was a Slayer, and I was a Hell on Heelz prospect. We weren’t supposed to mix. Ever.
“Look, Heresy, whatever this is…” I gestured between us, “it’s not happening. We’re not on the same side.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. I wasn’t sure about anything anymore. Not when Heresy was around, messing with my head, making me question everything I thought I knew.