Chapter 19 Makenna #2
He freezes just long enough for my pulse to flutter wildly. It’s the smallest hesitation, the kind only I would catch, but he knows I’ve seen it.
His eyes flick to mine, like he’s expecting me to pull away, but I don’t flinch. I swallow the bile pooling in my throat and nod.
I don’t need the details. I don’t ask whose blood it is. Whatever he’s done, whatever he’s carrying, I’ll shoulder that weight too.
An hour later, we’re on the road. I’m sitting in the back of a van with Zane’s arm wrapped around my shoulders like a shield.
My veins are pulsing with adrenaline and fear, my stomach in knots. I interlace my fingers with his, rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand like it can fix the terror screaming inside me.
It’s the quiet that scares me the most. The guys are deflated, lost in whatever atrocity they’re reliving.
When the van comes to a stop, my heart leaps into my throat. What are we walking into? What is so bad that they’ve brought us somewhere that was previously off limits.
Zane squeezes my hand when he senses my fear and when the back doors open, his fingers flex in mine.
My breath hitches until I realise it’s Riley. He peers in the back, taking all of us in, before he steps back.
Zane helps me out of the van, as if he thinks I’m made of glass. I let him, for his sake rather than mine.
When my feet touch the ground, I stare at the building in front of me. It’s large, squat, and doesn’t look like much from the outside. ‘Untamed Sons’ spans over the doors, and the insignia they wear on the back of their kuttes is painted on the brickwork in white.
Zane tucks me into his side as we head into the clubhouse.
I scan as we walk, taking in everything. I can smell bleach, thick and heavy in the air. The chemical scent of it stings my nose and feels like an omen.
The main room looks like any bar in any town and isn’t what I was expecting. It’s rough around the edges, worn but cosy. There’s a large flatscreen TV on one wall, and pool table pushed against the corner.
Riot leads Ivy and Maylie to a table toward the back of the room—away from any windows or doors.
My pulse flutters again, dread clawing through my stomach.
I take a seat next to Dayna, who is holding her bump like she can protect her baby from whatever is going on.
There are so many men in this room all wearing the club’s name on their backs, all from different cities across the UK.
Zane bends down and brushes a kiss on my temple, as if we’re not standing in the middle of a fire, watching everything burn around us. “Don’t move.”
I don’t want to add to the pressure he’s clearly under, but my smile is not reassuring. His eyes narrow, searching mine for any sign I might be about to break. I want to, but I force my tears back.
For him.
He gives me a lingering look before he walks over to Nic, and joins his brothers huddled together.
Dayna leans forward, whispering, “What the fuck is going on?”
Ivy’s gaze drifts to Riot. His head is lowered, hands on his hips as Nic says something to quiet for us to hear. “I don’t like this.”
Toby helps Dash into a chair, and both of them are quiet too.
I don’t breathe a full breath until Zane returns and gestures for me to follow him. I give the girls a wobbly smile and grab my bag to follow him.
He’s a wall in front of me as we move through the room, slipping around men who are built like violence and death is stitched into their veins. My heart is still pounding that staccato beat beneath my ribs when we step in an empty hallway.
Even though we’re alone, I don’t say a word until he stops outside a room and unlocks it. He ducks in first, checking for… enemies? I don’t know. Then opens the door fully for me.
My feet move on autopilot, like my legs no longer remember how to work. He closes the door behind us, locking it, but I’m too busy scanning the space.
It’s a small room, barely big enough for the bed and wardrobe. There’s a bathroom through a door at the edge of the bed, and it smells of stale smoke.
I track him as he drops onto the bed, his shoulders rounding. I’m not sure whether he wants me to come to him or stay where I am, so I stand there like an idiot.
After a moment, his head lifts and our eyes connect. His jaw twitches as he holds his hand out to me. I take it and let him pull me between his legs.
My fingers thread through his hair automatically when he presses his head to my belly.
“Zane, what’s going on?” He shakes his head against my stomach. I pull back, forcing him to look at me. “Please, talk to me.”
He’s coiled tight, tension wound through every part of his body. “Crank was gone when he got here. He killed the brothers who wouldn’t follow him.”
I blink as my brain tries to sidestep the horror he’s just delivered. “How… how many?”
“Too many.” He looks gutted when he lifts his head. “I’m sorry I brought you into this, firefly.”
“Don’t. You’re not to blame for this, Zane.” I cup his face between my hands, his stubble rough against my palms. “I see it now, what you were trying to build. And this…” I gesture around us. “Everything’s gone to hell, sure, but everyone here is looking out for each other, and that’s rare, Zane.”
He lets out a breath that sounds like it’s been locked in his chest since he left the safe house. “We’re close to finishing this thing. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need you to hold on for a little bit longer.”
“I’m in this now,” I assure him. Then I kiss the corner of his mouth, his temple, the top of his head. “What happens next?”
He holds my hips, peering up at me like I’m the sun rising in his sky. “In the morning, me and my brothers will go hunting, but tonight—tonight, you’re mine, Makenna.”