5. Devil
Ely
T he morning air is thick.
It wraps around me like a noose as I'm shoved toward the van. My body screams in pain, every step a reminder that I'm already broken, already ruined.
But nothing hurts as much as him.
Bones.
He stands at the edge of the clubhouse steps, his expression cold, unreadable, his hands tucked into the pockets of his cut like he couldn't care less.
Like I was never in his bed. Like he never kissed me breathless. Like I never fucking mattered.
Joker and Tank don't look at me. No one does.
Except Bones.
He watches without a word as I'm dragged across the dirt lot, toward a blacked-out van parked at the edge of the compound.
A Crimson Riders patch glints in the daylight, sewn onto the jacket of the man waiting beside the open doors.
Jinx.
My lungs seize. Panic coils in my chest.
I dig my heels into the ground, a choked sound escaping my throat as I thrash against Joker's grip.
"No! No! Don't do this, please!"
Jinx grins. Smug. Sadistic. Fucking triumphant.
"Missed me, sweetheart?"
I jerk away from Joker, my nails clawing at his arms. I try to run, fight, something, anything.
But it doesn't matter.
He catches me, his fingers clamping around my jaw as he forces me to look at him.
"Shit, girl," he drawls, his breath hot, reeking of cigarettes. "You really thought we wouldn't take you back? Don't worry, your real family is eager to see you again."
My stomach churns.
Bones still doesn't move.
Still doesn't fucking speak.
I turn my head, desperate, my voice raw and wrecked as I plead with him.
"Bones, please! Please, don't let them take me! Don't let them do this!"
His jaw clenches.
But he doesn't stop it.
He never planned to stop it.
That's when I know I'm already dead.
Bones
I force myself to stand still, to hold my ground. I force myself to ignore the feeling crawling under my skin, the urge to move, to reach for her, to tear her away from this fucking nightmare.
Because traitors don't get saved.
Even when you love them.
Even when you still fucking love them.
And as the van doors slam shut behind her, as the engine roars to life, as the woman I've spent the last eight months calling mine disappears into the distance, I finally let myself admit it.
I feel like I'm going to be sick.
Ely
The inside of the van is dark and cold and it smells like cigarettes and blood.
My blood.
Jinx didn’t waste any time.
My arms are tied behind my back, my wrists aching from the zip ties. My cheek presses against the floor, the metal vibrating beneath me as the tires grind against the road.
He sits on the bench seat above me, his boot resting against my hip, tapping in a slow, lazy rhythm.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Like he's waiting. Like he's savoring this. The other men chuckle around me, their voices a low hum of amusement.
"She really thought she was safe, huh? Tisha did good."
"Bones gave her up real easy. Almost like he wanted to erase her. I was hoping he wouldn't kill her. I thought he'd just throw her at the side of the road, but the fucker gave her right back. Too bad Tisha thought we'd come for her, too," he cackles.
My stomach twists.
I can't breathe.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Jinx leans down, his fingers threading through my hair before he yanks my head up, forcing me to meet his dark, soulless eyes.
"He didn't even ask anything in return for giving you back." His voice is almost playful, like he's enjoying this game. "Like you're a disease he wanted to be rid of."
I try to jerk away, but his grip tightens.
"You broke my fucking heart, Ely," he murmurs, his lips curving into a twisted smile. "You let another man touch what's mine."
A shiver rips through me, bile rising in my throat.
"I'm not yours," I rasp.
Jinx tuts. "That's a lovely tattoo you have on your arm, sweetheart."
TRAITOR.
The ink burns all over again, seared into my skin, into my heart. Jinx's fingers trail down my throat, slow and possessive. His touch makes me want to cry, but I stop the tears before they can escape.
"First thing I'm gonna do when we get back?" His voice drops lower. Darker. "Gonna take my time reminding you who you truly belong to."
I choke on a shuddering breath, my body trembling. I know what he means. I know what's waiting for me back at the Crimson Riders clubhouse. And I know no one is coming to save me.