Outlaw's Promise(47)

The owners of the diner raced over. Mac was on his feet instantly, trying to calm them down and snapping at the guys who’d drawn their guns to put them away. But the damage was done: half the restaurant had cleared out. Mac started counting out bills to pay for the window and the trouble, but we wouldn’t be welcome back here. All his careful work to keep the town on our side had just been undone.

I grabbed the rock and unwrapped the paper from it. A handwritten note, just one sentence.

Give up the bitch or I’ll tear your club apart.





26





Carrick





“How do we find the bastard?” I snarled as I marched into the meeting room. I was the last to arrive—I’d stopped in with Annabelle at the medical center.

“She okay?” asked Mac.

I nodded. The doctor had dressed the cut but it wouldn’t need stitches. “It’s Volos,” I said savagely. “He wants her. He’s not getting her. So how do we find him?” My voice shook with rage.

Mac put his hand on my shoulder. “Easy, brother.” He looked me in the eye. “Damn right, he’s not getting her.” He looked around the table and everyone nodded. “We’ll protect her.”

I grimly nodded my thanks but inside I was knotted up. I’d thought this was all over after we confronted Hay at the sawmill. Now the club was taking the heat again and it was all down to me rescuing Annabelle. I didn’t regret what I’d done, not for a second...but I wished it was me catching the fallout, not them.

Mac turned to Hunter. “I talked to Sheriff Harris. He’s looking into Volos for us but he didn’t sound hopeful. You have any luck with your friends?”

Hunter still had some contacts from his bounty-hunting days. “Guy’s a ghost,” he said. “Most of the people I called thought he was just a myth. No one knows his real name. People agree he’s powerful, though: money and connections.” He looked between our faces. “Being blunt: we’re small time, compared to him.”

There was a round of cursing. Great. We’d made ourselves a brand new enemy. I almost wished for the Blood Spiders back: at least we knew where to find them. And however much I’d wanted to kill Hay, at least he was just a scumbag crook. Volos...he thought he owned Annabelle, that he’d bought her body and soul. That made me want to rip his throat out.#p#分页标题#e#

“Everyone be careful,” said Mac. “We don’t know what this psycho will do, once he realizes we’re not giving her up. Nobody rides alone. Keep your eyes open.” He banged the gavel and I went to find Annabelle.

I found her with Scooter in the workshop, wheeling out Hunter’s rebuilt bike. We all watched as he climbed on and gave it a test run around the compound, then nodded approvingly. Annabelle grinned like a proud mom but I could see the fear she was trying to hide. She’d thought this whole thing was over and now it had found us again. I felt a wave of deep, protective rage wash through me. I stalked over and pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her and kissing the top of her head. No way was he ever going to hurt her again. No way.

Somehow, I had to find a way to end this. And I had to do it without putting the rest of the club at risk.





27





Carrick





“You want to what?” I asked slowly, sipping my coffee.

“Ride. I’m learning all about bikes but I’ve never actually ridden one.”

I scratched at my stubble, still half-asleep. Despite the comforting press of Annabelle’s body, I’d had a lousy night’s sleep. I’d kept waking and pacing the house, peeking out of the windows for any sign of trouble. What if Volos had found out where I lived?

It was the first bad night’s sleep I’d had since we’d gotten together. I used to be like this all the time. Did I always feel this bad? I was starting to realize what a mess I’d been, before I knew her. Now, I couldn’t do without her. Part of me hated the idea of letting her loose on a Harley. But all of me knew how good riding felt. I couldn’t deny her that.

Plus, ever since the diner, the fear had come back into her eyes. She’d thought she’d escaped Volos and now the psycho was back. This was about more than just learning a new skill: I figured it was her way of taking control.

“Guys’ll be weird about it,” I warned her. Outlaws aren’t the most progressive bunch. Women ride on the back of bikes, not in the saddle.

“I don’t mean be a biker or join the club or anything. I just mean learning to ride. I just want to know what it feels like.”

I sighed. “You’ve gotta do exactly what I say,” I warned, trying to kid myself I had some shred of control over the situation.