Page 91 of Property of Anchor

Cross sat back on his heels and wiped his eyes with a blood-soaked hand.“She’s gone,” he said quietly.

“Son of a bitch!”Vin hollered and slammed a hand against the wall.

There was a roar of noise outside, and then a voice that split the air.

“Where is she?!”

Anchor.

He barreled into the cabin, Skull and Prime right behind him.His eyes scanned the room and then locked on me.

“Pearl—” he said.

I couldn’t speak.Couldn’t move.

He was beside me in an instant and pulled me off the floor and into his arms.I collapsed against his chest and sobbed as he held me tightly.

“She’s gone,” I whispered.“She’s gone, Anchor.Why her?”

Anchor cursed and pressed a kiss to the top of my head and held me like he could shield me from everything.

The wail of sirens screamed in the distance.

But they were too late.

We were too late.

Bernice was gone.

Bob was barely holding on.

And someone was still out there.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Anchor

I sat in the stiff-ass plastic chair with Pearl curled into my side, her head resting on my shoulder like it belonged there.And it did.It fucking did.She was mine.

And I had failed her.

Shay was next to her, quiet, with her arms wrapped around her middle like if she let go, she’d fall apart.I got it.We all did.No one had said much since we got to the hospital.The waiting room was packed with every brother from the Kings.Cross, Piney, Vin, Wannabe, Lost, Post, Push, Skull, Pull.Prime sat in the corner with his elbows on his knees and head bowed like he was praying.

But I didn’t think any of us had prayers left.

Bernice was gone.

The medics had tried.I watched them pump her chest, listened to the machine scream its flatline.But that was it.Nothing.

Pearl had crumpled in my arms when I pulled her off Bernice’s bloodied body.She’d screamed, sobbed, begged the old woman to wake up.None of us could look away, but none of us could help either.Bernice was already gone.

And Bob?Fuck.Bob was hanging on by a thread.

That was the kicker.He’d been on duty.He was watching her.And somehow, it still happened.I didn’t know how.I didn’t know how a killer got past the cameras, got past us.But they did.

Once Pearl had calmed down enough to talk, she told me Bernice had whispered something before she died.“You need to find her.”

I didn’t know what the hell that meant.Pearl didn’t either.But it hadn’t beenhim.It hadn’t beenthem.Not “find him,” not “find them.”