10. Thorn
CHAPTER 10
THORN
“T-minus five hours!”
Apple’s voice carries through the air as she shouts her hourly reminder. We arrived in Nashville last night, and it’s been balls to the wall since the moment we killed the engines on our Harleys. We barely had time to get settled into the hotel before Apple was barking orders.
“Thank fuck she’s not this bossy back home,” Malice mutters.
“If she were, I’d be worried about your…” I let the words trail off as I dip my head to indicate his crotch.
Malice shoves me, and I stumble as I laugh.
“You’re a dick,” he accuses.
“And you love me.”
He groans as he stalks closer to the stage. Apple is about to do her last rehearsal, and when she’s out in the open, Malice isn’t far away.
Lock, Fort, and Rogue are working with the stadium’s security team to ensure all the cameras are functioning. We added almost a hundred to the existing setup to ensure there were no blind spots. Fortunately, Apple is very good at laying on the charm when she has to so the staff didn’t balk too much.
“Thorn, I need you to come with me.”
I turn toward Soul and nod. We head through the stadium and out to the parking lot where he stops near the VIP parking section.
“What’s up, Pres?”
Soul inhales deeply as he runs a hand through his hair. “I need you to stay at the hotel tonight.”
Rage boils my blood. “No fucking way! I’ve been after this sonofabitch for?—”
“Remember who you’re talking to,” he snarls, and my shoulders fall. “Look, I know you want in on this, but I need someone to stay with the women at the hotel.”
“If you were gonna have me babysit, why the hell did they come?”
Soul hauls me toward him by my cut. “Watch your tone, or I’ll send your ass back to Nevada.”
Yanking out of his hold, I throw my hands in the air. “I’m not sitting this one out, Pres. You can take my patch for disobeying if that’s what you have to do, but I’m not going to be anywhere but right fucking here tonight.”
“You’re proving my point,” he snaps.
“What point?”
“You’re too damn close to this one,” he explains. “If I let you stay, we’re gonna end up with a stack of dead bodies because you’re gonna see the Phantom in everyone. I can’t have that.”
“I’m not the serial killer here!” I shout, annoyed that he doesn’t seem to trust me.
“I know, but?—”
“But nothing, Matt.”
My president jerks back at my use of his given name, and the crease in his forehead becomes more pronounced. Jez, his twin, has dubbed it the worry crease, and she gets the same one.
Soul stares at me, and I can practically see the wheels turning in his head. I’ve been around the man enough to know when he’s caving. He might not like it. Hell, he fucking hates it. But he’s gonna cave.
“You’d really give up your patch for this bastard?” he finally asks.
“What do you think?”
He smirks. “I think you’re just crazy enough and determined enough to do it.”
“Then don’t send me packin’, Pres.” I take a deep breath. “Please.”
“Fine. But you’re on lot duty.”
I nod. “Okay. I can handle that.”
The parking lot is the perfect breeding ground for a serial killer, so I’ve got no problem being banished there. I’m more likely to catch the freak in the act than my brothers on the inside.
“I’ll give you Knuckles, Zippy, Possum, and Mark,” he says. “Do you think the five of you can handle the entire lot, or do you want more?”
“Can you spare Frenzy and Animal?”
“I can make that happen.”
“Then yeah, we’ll be good.”
Soul stabs a finger in my chest. “Don’t make me regret this, Thorn.”
“I won’t.”
“Yo, Soul!”
We both turn toward the stadium’s main entrance where Spike and Grim are standing. Grim lifts his hands.
“We need to run through each security checkpoint one last time. It’s gonna take a few hours since there’s so many so we need to get started.”
Soul signs his response. “Be there in a minute.”
Grim nods, and Spike says, “We’ll meet you by the bathrooms on the second level.”
Once they’re gone, Soul levels his gaze on me. “I mean it, Thorn. Don’t fuck this up.”
“I won’t,” I repeat and shrug. “I’m gonna say the same to you.”
Soul chuckles. “We won’t fuck shit up, brother. I promise you that.”