Chapter 38
38
Grim
It’s been just one long day of nerves and waiting. Hot, but not because of the temperature. Simply because I’m always too hot when we’re gearing up for missions. Especially for ones where the wait is long and the outcome completely uncertain.
All the Lost Sons are starting to gather in the yard, decked out for a long ride. Me and my guys—Psycho, Poison, Ivy, and Karma—had been keeping to the sides of the giant yard around the three windowless building, staking it out and trying to come up with a plan of attack as inconspicuously as we could. But it’s only now that Scorpio told Karma that most of the Lost Sons are moving out ahead that we can actually make a plan.
Before now, it all just looked fucked.
I never imagined Joker had this many guys. By my best count, there’s a hundred and thirty-eight of them. We’d stand no chance of getting that woman away from them if they were all here. We haven’t even seen the woman. And if Scorpio hadn’t told me he was the one who brought her here last night, I’d think she wasn’t here at all.
After a day of waiting and worrying, I have to admit I’d prefer it that way. I’d like to just ride off with Scorpio and his guys today, fight whatever war they want to fight and hope we all come out alive on the other end. That’s clean and simple. What we’re doing is underhanded and traitorous. It might be for the greater good, but still… it’s not who I am.
Scorpio’s been rushing around all day, making sure this exodus goes off without a hitch. But we’ve all been standing in the yard for an hour now and he still hasn’t given the order to ride. Some of his brothers are starting to grumble. If I’d have to guess they’re not all equally loyal to the MC. They’re probably just loyal to the revenge against Devil’s Nightmare MC they were promised. Which probably amounts to the same thing.
We’re about to fuck that up for them.
Never mind getting Scorpio’s forgiveness, we’ll also have to somehow survive the anger of all these other guys. Maybe we should rethink that.
Scorpio comes out of the main building, interrupting my thoughts of imminent doom. Most turn to face him, ready to hear the order to ride. He doesn’t give it, which causes yet more grumbling and muffled cursing.
His eyes catch on mine with unwavering accuracy. We’re separated by a throng of guys and their bikes, but I don’t even notice any of them. Just him.
I don’t even decide to walk to him, my legs just start taking me there on their own.
He’s getting bombarded with questions about when we’re finally leaving, but he ignores them all as he watches me approach. I’d like to have his undivided attention like this for the rest of my life. And watch that half smile on his lips as he waits for me. And this feeling that there’s only us in this world. I hope some of this will remain after today.
“It won’t be much longer now,” he tells me. “But it’ll be worth the wait.”
We’re standing just to the side of the door leading into the building, surrounded by loud men, but it’s like we’re alone. I wish we were, because watching and talking is all I can do with him now. I want more.
“I’m sure it will,” I say, giving him a look that clearly says I mean him, that he will be worth the wait. I enjoy seeing the softness cross his eyes and his breath hitch before he pulls himself upright and becomes the VP of his MC again.
“I can pretty much guarantee that,” he says.
Then he waves over the three Devils. Ruin isn’t with them, and I haven’t seen him all day, even though he left the inn with us this morning. That discrepancy has been gnawing at me all day. But to ask would be too nosey, could risk Scorpio figuring out that we have different plans from his.
He tells the Devils to go inside, into something they call the Family Room, then turns back to me.
“I’ll see you soon, Grim,” he says.
It sounds like a question. Realizing that sends my heart racing and I grow even hotter than I was. Does he know? How can he? But then again, he’s in my head so much he might be able to read my thoughts by now.
“Try and stop me,” I say and grin. He grins back and my anxiety dissipates like smoke. That’s the kind of power he has over me. This better not be the end of things for us. I don’t know if I can face that.
He disappears back into the building and I return to my guys.
“Did you find out something?” Psycho asks. “What’s the plan now?”
“The same as it was,” I say. “We leave when they tell us to leave, then come back and wait for them to bring out the girl. I’m thinking they’ll only use a few guys to transport her. We’ll have a shot.”
“Not without killing,” Ivy says.
Her long purple hair is loose today, falling over her back like velvet. The color matches the accents on her tight riding get up.
“We can’t hurt Scorpio, or Joker,” I say, though in the case of the latter, I kind of wish we could. That would end this dream of going to war with the Devils all in itself, I’m sure. But I’m also sure Scorpio could never forgive us for that.
“And don’t hurt any of their closest brothers,” Karma adds.
The other three look confused.
“Who are their closest brothers?” Poison asks.
“Just aim for the ones we don’t know and it should be fine,” Karma says.
The last of her sentence is drowned out by the call to ride. And in the noise that follows as a hundred engines come on, it’s hard to hear my own thoughts. Good. Because they’re starting to tell me this is a bad idea.
We hang back and leave with the last wave, then hang back some more, until no one ahead of us can see us riding off into the trees instead of along the forest road that leads away from this compound.
About five minutes later, we’re well hidden by the trees but still have a good view through the gates in the wall.
The dust and debris all those bikes leaving kicked up is starting to settle. Only three guys are left in the yard. They’re readying a black van with the flower shop logo on the side, which is now parked in front of the main building.
Scorpio comes out too. And after a while he’s followed by Ruin and his girlfriend Ariel, chained together by a set of handcuffs. They’re escorted by Sarge, Manic, and Razor, three Lost Sons we can’t harm during this.
“Is she the one we’re hare to rescue?” Ivy asks. “But she’s chained to that other guy… “
“We have to rescue her too,” Karma says, giving me a look of pure confusion. Shock even. “How many people did they abduct?”
The answer comes out of the building next, led by Joker on a chain—a pretty brunette wearing a white dress, looking dazed and confused, even though her eyes are flashing angrily.
“She’s the one he’s been seeing,” Psycho says.
“We get them all,” Karma says. “Ruin will fight. We just have to free him.”
At that exact moment, Ruin proves her words true as he lunges at Joker.
“We move! Now!” I yell and rev my bike, riding in a straight line for the gate, praying I don’t hit any trees. My guys are all behind me.
Our re-entry into the yard makes everyone freeze. Ruin has already released Joker, who is staring at us with disbelief etched onto his face just like everyone else. Including Scorpio, who is standing next to the driver's side door of the van. I only glance at him. Can’t face seeing even a tiny bit of disappointment or hurt of confusion on his face. I’m doing this for him as much as for the girl. Probably more. If we succeed, he’ll live. If we don’t, I’m already looking at a dead man and I can’t do that. Never that again.
A gun is fired, the bang echoing over the trees and ripping right through everyone’s stupor. After that, more bullets start flying.
Joker reacts fast, dragging the girl into the back of the van and screaming orders for them to move out. Scorpio gets behind the wheel of the van.
“I’ll shoot out the tires,” Karma says and runs towards the van, taking aim. But Ruin knocks her out of the way. Thankfully. Scorpio was in that van. She’s a good shot, but she could’ve hit him.
More bullets are exchanged, one of them narrowly missing my head. But then all is quiet again. And the van with the girl we wanted to save is gone.
We failed.
That is the only thought in my head and it’s louder than an explosion that just won’t quit.
Karma should’ve taken that shot. Her aim is always true. She would’ve hit the tires and then we would’ve had the girl. And Joker. And Scorpio too.
Now we only have the betrayal. That thought is very loud too.
“Let’s get out of here while the getting’s good,” Psycho says to me. I barely hear him over my echoing, thundering thoughts of utter and complete defeat.
“No,” Karma says. “We don’t need the Devils as enemies. So we can’t leave them thinking we had anything to do with this.”
She turns to Ruin. “Joker’s main compound is in a town called Roaring Brook on the Nevada border. We’ll be at the Inn if Cross wants to know more.”
Ruin nods and I hope he’s buying all this. And I hope I’m the only one who can hear the shaking in her voice. She knows how bad we messed this up as well as I do.
“You heard her. Let’s ride,” I tell my guys and hang back while the rest mount up.
“Maybe we can still stop this by getting in with the Devils. Without actually telling them everything we know and making this betrayal any worse,” Karma says to me, speaking so quietly I barely hear her.
“It’s all my fault,” I say. “I did it again. I lost us Scorpio, just like I lost us Reaper.”
I was the one who insisted we take that job that took him from us. And I insisted we do this crazy stunt today with no real plan, just lots of hope for success.
“We’ll fix this,” Karma says.
“How?”
She shrugs, her eyes empty and lost. “We gotta.”
But the fear and doubt is loud in her voice. And my chest. I don’t have that feeling of time slipping through my fingers like sand anymore. Because it’s just all gone.