Outlaw's Vow: Grizzlies MC Romance(42)

Of course I loved the bastard too, and I'd meant it when I told him. Now, whenever this crap was finally done, I just hoped I could hold it all together until he shoved the divorce papers in my face and broke me a second time.

I couldn't let him see how bad he'd hurt me. Not today, and not ever.

“Your dad's gonna make it all right, Elle Jo. He knows what he's doing. If those fucks down in California had a little more brains, we wouldn't be having this shitty problem right now,” Sear growled, pounding his truck's steering wheel. “You wouldn't be wearing that bald fuck's brand neither. We've done a damned good job throwing them off the trail, but if that won't work no more, then we'll throw fists instead.”

I grimaced. Civil war was brewing in the club, and nothing would slow it down.

I looked at him, eyeing the bandage on his nose. Asphalt had smashed it just a few nights ago at daddy's house, and I'd fought him too.

He'd won me over, and lost me in the same agonizing week. I couldn't believe how fast the world raised me up and smashed me on my face again.

“Sear, I didn't ask for any commentary. Just drive.”

He listened. The big prospect chomped a cheap cigar and drove on, toward daddy's house.

When we got out, everything seemed eerily quiet. As far as he knew, my father was supposed to meet us here, and we'd all ride down with the club to deal with the Chinese.

There hadn't been much notice. I fought more tears, remembering how I'd listened to daddy with one ear, more worried about losing what I had with Asphalt, rather than this stupid gun trade going right.

“Fuck.” Sear came upstairs, slamming the basement door shut behind him. “No sign of 'em anywhere. The other brothers aren't answering their phones, but I got a message from Line – we gotta go to the warehouse downtown, Elle. They're probably all waiting for us.”

“The warehouse?” I cocked my head and squinted. “Daddy always said that was off limits for me. Too dangerous.”

That was the word he'd used for the club storage site since I was a little girl. He probably had good reason for scaring my teenage self straight, but he'd talked about it just before the wedding, reminding me that was where club business began and my involvement ended.

“That's what the VP says,” Sear growled. “Come on. Let's get our asses down there.”

Back into the truck we went. I couldn't take my mind off the stink beginning to rise from this situation the entire ride there.

It was almost dark by the time we rolled through the huge, high gate with a rusted sign marking club territory.

PROPERTY OF THE GRIZZLIES MC. KEEP THE FUCK OUT.

I clenched my jaw. Sear seemed a little more tense than usual too, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel.

His eyes lit up when he saw two familiar club trucks and a sleek row of bikes parked near the side. “Oh, thank fuck. Everybody's here. Guess they're all inside. I'll get this thing parked, and then we can head in. Let me go a ways ahead, just to make sure nothing fucking crazy happens. I'll –“

One second, Sear's lips were moving like he'd been rattling off this week's groceries for pickup. Then something whizzed by my face, tore through the windshield, and went right through him.

Quick. Hot. Blinding.

I opened my eyes and took in the gruesome scene. Something had totally taken out the driver's window, shattered it to little bits. Sear's head went with it.

The bloody crater where his face had been slumped forward, leaking red gore all over the seat. Only the seat belt stopped his body from totally falling on the steering wheel and blasting the horn.

My eyes snapped down, trying to comprehend what I'd seen without losing my sanity. My hands, my arms, my shirt was completely sprayed with blood, and more red droplets rained down on me. I opened my mouth and screamed.

The world spun, went silent. I barely noticed my door ripping open, and two sets of angry hands pulling me out of the truck before I blacked out.



When the world stopped spinning, it blurred. I woke up with a terrible headache, woozy like I'd taken a long road trip on an upset stomach.

The blood all over me, now dried to a rusty brown color, caused me to heave. My hands were tied to the back of the chair I found myself in. There was nowhere to go but to the side.

I tipped my head and vomited, then barfed some more when I thought about how incredibly fucked we all were if these assholes could kill Sear in cold blood.

Cold, rapid fire words in Chinese echoed a few feet away. I struggled to make them out.

Girl's awake. Go say hi. Maybe she'll talk more than these dead fucking Grizzlies, if she knows anything.

Three cold faced Chinese men leaned over me. The one in the middle looked older, wearing a salt and pepper goatee. He reached into his gray suit pocket and pulled out a small LED flashlight.