Chapter 34 #2
“I have to tell Rafe.” It would be easier to tell Bishop, but Rafe was the one who controlled everything.
One of the men turned and disappeared inside.
He returned a few minutes later with Rafe.
I almost ran into his arms.
The look on his face stopped me.
Even in the dim light, his cold fury shone with epic clarity. “You have some nerve showing up here after what you did.”
I ignored the soft tone that chilled my blood.
I didn’t have time for our hurt feelings. “You’re in danger. That gang you warned me about is going to take you all out. They’re going to ambush you during the delivery.”
He snorted and crossed his arms. “Is that right?”
“Yes.”
“I hope they bring their A-game.” He jerked his chin toward my car. “Get out of here. You won’t get another warning.”
“Rafe.” I took a step forward and three men closed in around Rafe like I’d aimed a gun at him.
He stared down at me without flinching, without any emotion at all. “It doesn’t matter. We’re not going to let them stop us. Nothing is going to keep us from delivering those toys.”
“I can help.”
“You’ve helped enough.” He walked backward to the door. “Leave. Now. If I ever see your face again, you’ll regret it.”
For the first time, I believed he meant it.
I’d really done it.
I’d ruined any chance of being with Rafe, Ash, and Bishop.
That didn’t stop me from checking the house one last time, my heart breaking as I hoped for a glimpse of Ash or Bishop.
Did they feel the same as Rafe?
They must.
I backed toward my car on shaky legs and climbed behind the wheel again.
I’d lost them.
My eyes burned and my nose started running as tears trickled in a slow crash.
The drive out of town took me down Main Street, past all the shops I’d come to love during my time here.
I dried my eyes on my sleeve and tried my hardest to stop the tears once and for all.
Stop blubbering and think.
They didn’t want my help, but surely, there was something I could do.
They knew they were riding into a trap.
That gave them a chance.
Headlights appeared in my rearview mirror.
I slowed, hope blooming impossibly bright.
Had they changed their minds?
Two lights closed in.
Two motorcycles staying close but not overtaking me.
My pulse spiked, but I kept my cool.
Just bikers heading in the same direction.
Happened all the time.
But my detective instincts gave a warning buzz that traveled along my arms.
Engines revved, and the bikers split.
One came up on either side of my car, and a third peeled out of an alley as I passed.
They boxed me in so smooth and clean, I barely had time to understand what they’d done.
The rider at my driver’s side window motioned for me to pull over. I took one look at the red serpent patch on his back and said to hell with that.
When I gave him the middle finger, he swerved toward my car.
Okay then. I whipped the wheel hard to the right, almost running over his buddy.
They shouted at each other, and I righted the wheel.
Let them stew on that one.
Movement in the rearview mirror captured my attention.
The man behind me shouted something, and both men swerved away from the car.
An instant later, he pulled a gun and fired at my car.
The series of rapid-fire pops exploded through the back glass.
I flinched and slid lower in the seat.
If I stopped, I was dead.
The location of the nearest police station was locked in my head, and I took the next left, heading toward safety.
Another series of shots, and my rear tires burst.
The car fishtailed, and I let the wheel turn into the slide.
My defensive tactics training prepared me for this, but not for the patch of black ice that lifted the front end and sent me spinning in a complete three-sixty.
The car slammed into a street sign and came to a stop.
My ragged breathing filled the car.
I dove sideways, reaching for my purse and the phone and weapon inside.
I hadn’t bothered strapping the weapon to my waist because I hadn’t seen the need.
That foolish thought was going to get me killed.
Three guns appeared, two at the passenger side and one at the front of the car.
“Get out, Detective.”
Finally, the title I’d hoped to hear, and it came from the wrong set of mouths.
There was still no respect for the title.
“We need to have a little chat.” One of the men at the passenger side used his gun to make a ‘hurry up’ motion.
I knew better than to comply, but three guns against one unarmed person trumped mouthing off.
Not shooting right away told me they wanted me for something.
I would have time to plan and escape later.
I just had to get through this part.
My purse lay sideways in the floor, too far away for a successful grab before they’d fill me with bullets.
I couldn’t risk their orders not including killing me if I put up too much of a fight.
I stepped out of the car, and the second man on the passenger side circled around to put zip ties on my wrists while the other two held me at gunpoint.
“About time you do as you’re fucking told.” The man leaned in close enough that my face reflected in his helmet visor. “You’ll ride with me.”
Less than a minute later, they’d hauled me onto the back of a bike and driven away.
I’d come back to help and now I’d become part of the trap.
Well, the joke was on them.
No one was coming to save me.
The thought brought a kind of savage satisfaction.