Chapter Twenty-One
I nstead of making the drive to Dave’s place, Wrath had brought Rebel back to the hotel room he had shared with Rogue. He spent the day sleeping while Rebel roamed the room.
“Try to get some sleep,” he told the boy.
“Why aren’t we leaving?”
“I want to travel at night. It’s better.”
When on a job, he only ever traveled at night and that skill had saved his ass more times than he could count. It was one of the things he and Rogue had in common, and he knew that wherever Rogue was, he would also be resting during the day and moving at night.
Perhaps he’d reply to that text and tell Rogue he’d be going to Nevada regardless.
But that would be a lie. He was going to drop Rebel at Dave’s place and then hunt Rogue down.
They had things that needed to be settled before either of them could walk away.
Not that he wanted to walk away, but he wasn’t going to chase Rogue if the guy didn’t want him.
That night, he got on the road with Rebel. They were two hours outside of Keeler when the phone call from Savage came in.
Wrath pressed the button on the steering wheel. “What’s up, Savage?”
“Where are you?”
“Driving down Highway 14 coming up to California City. Why?”
“I just got a call from Boston. He’s on the run in the woods just south of San Lucas. Rogue was with him, but they got separated.”
“I don’t follow,” he snapped. Pulling off the highway at the next exit, he whipped into a Circle K gas station.
“Rogue went up north to Redding to retrieve Boston. They were on their way back when they got chased by a gang from Redding.”
“What gang and why are they chasing Rogue?” He gripped the wheel.
“Steve Lister ran a gang up north. Boston told me that Lister raped him, so he killed the guy and stole his phone.”
“Shit.” Stealing a phone meant the gang could track Boston and Rogue.
“Exactly,” Savage said. “Now Lister’s second-in-command, Doug Smalls, is hunting Boston. I had him ditch the phone, but I can’t get ahold of Rogue.”
Fear knotted Wrath’s chest, and he squeezed the steering wheel tighter.
“I’ll handle it,” he told Savage and ended the phone call.
Instead of continuing down Highway 14 towards Dave’s place, he would catch the 58 to Bakersfield. According to Maps, it would take him roughly three and a half hours to reach San Lucas.
Right now, his biggest regret was not texting Rogue back when he had had the chance. Now, he couldn’t risk it because it might compromise the man’s location.
He kept a death grip on the wheel and reminded himself that Rogue was a killer and it would take an army to take the man down.
Or a bullet. He sucked in a gulp of air and punched the gas, the SUV flew down the road, but after a moment, he eased off the gas a bit.
“Are we going after them?” Rebel gazed at him from the passenger seat.
“Reach into the glove compartment and push the inside button located in the far right back,” Wrath said instead of answering.
Without another word, Rebel followed his instructions, and a separate compartment opened beyond the gloved compartment. In there were several handguns.
“Choose whichever one you want and load it.”
Rebel selected a nine-millimeter, slapped a clip home, and tucked another clip into his coat. Just the way the teenager handled the weapon told Wrath the boy was experienced.
Good, he was going into an unknown situation.
“Why did it take you so long in Jeff’s room?” Rebel asked.
He was wondering when Rebel would get around to asking about that and he didn’t censor his words.
“I made him feel it.”
It hadn’t started out that way, but when he spotted duct tape on the dresser along with a whip and chains, he had used Jeff’s own equipment against him. Slapping tape on the fucker’s mouth to muffle screams, Wrath had used the duct tape, then emasculated the guy while holding a pillow over his head to further muffle any sounds.
Wrath had jerked the pillow away and leaned in the fucker’s face. “You fucked with the wrong kid,” he whispered and slit the man’s throat.
The fury he felt knowing the man had raped Rebel had somewhat subsided, but now…knowing that Rogue was out there being hunted by a fucking gang had that same fury rising.
“Good. I hope he felt every fucking thing,” Rebel said tightly, and it took Wrath a moment to snap out of his red haze.
“He did. Trust me.”
The skies opened up and rain dumped onto the wet road.
Wrath flipped on the windshield wipers and kept the SUV between five to ten miles over the top speed limit. The last thing he wanted was to get pulled over.
Hang on, Rogue, I’m coming.
The silent litany ran over and over in his head.
Rebel was quiet. It was one of the things he liked about the younger man.
They reached San Lucas and Wrath sent a text to Savage. When the man got the ping on Rogue’s last known location, Wrath drove a ways out of the city and found the gas station where Rogue had filled up his truck. It took a hundred bucks to get the gas station attendant to let him view the video feed of the parking lot.
The guy along with both him and Rebel watched as Rogue filled up while Boston went inside. The pair drove away unbothered.
Making his way back to his SUV, Wrath slid behind the wheel.
“So, they made it out of here and could be anywhere on the road,” Rebel said, snapping his seatbelt.
Wrath had missed a call from Savage, but in the next instance, a text came through.
Crow found Rogue. They are at or near a diner just down the road from the gas station.