Nonononononononono. Lana’s breath hitched and her vision sheeted white. God, would it never end?
James pushed her toward Jackie’s room. “Go inside with Jackie.”
“I can’t leave you out here alone,” she said, shaking him off. “They’re coming for me. I won’t let you die on my account.”
“Babe. Go inside with Jackie. Try to get out the back and into the forest. Run east but stay out of sight of the highway. I’ll find you.” He drew his weapons and Lana’s blood chilled.
“Don’t do this, James. There’s no point. You don’t have a chance. There’re eight of them and only one of you.”
He shifted his stance and tightened his grip on his weapons. “Go inside.”
“Please. I don’t want to lose you again.” She hated herself for begging but if logic wasn’t going to move him, maybe tears would.
“I have no intention of dying today,” he said, his focus wholly on the Wolverines dismounting their motorcycles in front of the motel. “You promised me a night at Carpe Noctem and I intend to collect.”
Lana’s heart pounded so loud in her ears she could barely hear the thud of Levi’s feet on the pavement as he stalked toward them. For the first time ever, she had no desire to run. If she ran, he would come after her again and again. She would spend a lifetime looking over her shoulder, jumping at every shadow. She had to stand up to him and take back the life he’d taken from her. A life with James in it.
Quietly, she said, “I need to face him, James. I need this to end.”
“Too stubborn for your own good,” he muttered, half to himself. “Stay behind me then.”
“You got something that belongs to me.” Levi stopped in front of them and narrowed his eyes. “And to the Wolverines.”
The Wolverines made a show of drawing their weapons, an assortment of Glocks and Rugers, all illegal in Canada. Lana wondered how they had managed to get them across the border.
James leveled his guns. “She belongs to no one.”
Levi snorted a laugh and then snapped his fingers. Two Wolverines dragged a rider off the back of one of the motorcycles and marched him across the parking lot. One of them tugged off his helmet and tossed it to the ground.
Lana gasped as a sliver of moonlight pierced Kickstand’s blond hair and illuminated his battered face.
“He should really be dead.” Levi forced Kickstand to his knees and pointed a handgun at his head. “He thought he could outrun us on his piece-of-shit Sportster.”
“No.” Lana took a step forward. “He isn’t part of this. Leave him alone.”
Levi’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “Not part of this? He tracked us down and told us he knew where you were. Led us on a wild-goose chase around the city until Hang Nail…” he nodded to the tall, burly biker beside him, “…decided to have an intimate conversation with him. Guess what Hang Nail discovered? Boy was telling the truth. He had a piece of paper with this address on it and your name. Must just have a bad sense of direction.” He thumped Kickstand on the head with the butt of his gun and Kickstand shuddered.
“What do you want?” James’s deep voice, confident and powerful, rang out across the parking lot.
Levi’s gaze flicked to him. “A trade. Your prospect for my wife. Usually I just take what I want, but I’m in a good mood since she was so easy to find. My advice? Take the deal. You don’t, the boy dies, you die and I take her anyway.” He pressed the gun to Kickstand’s head.
“Don’t do it,” Kickstand said firmly. “They’re gonna hurt her so bad she’ll wish she was dead. He told me what he was going to do to her. Made me sick to my stomach. No one should have to go through that. Especially not after what they already did to her.”
Raw hatred flowed through Lana’s veins. It was time to deal with Levi. No more running. No more hiding. Regardless of what he did to her, she would survive on hate and the burning need for revenge.
“I’ll go.” Lana stepped out from behind James.
His arm shot out, pushing her back. “You won’t.”
“I can’t let them hurt Kickstand. And we can’t take them on. Even I know a losing battle when I see it. It’s time I dealt with him and I can’t do it hiding behind your back. But I’ll only be able to manage if I know you and Kickstand are alive. I’ll go and I’ll find a way to end it, and I’ll come back to you.”
“Wait.” Jackie raced out of the motel room and threw her arms around Lana. “Let me come with you,” she murmured. “You saved me when you pulled me off the streets. I can use the tricks I learned… I could have us home in a day.”