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Smack!

He slaps her hard across the face with the back of his hand. The sound is so loud that I wince.

‘Don’t lie to me. Why help the Steel Vipers? What did they promise you?”

“Nothing. I swear, Leah isn’t here.”

All my doubts about Ashley’s honesty disappear. She really was telling me the truth. I should go down and help her. The old Leah would. But now I have four lives to worry about other than my own. Tony hits her again, harder this time and I swear I hear bone crunch.

Where are the guys? They need to get here, and fast.

He punches her again, almost knocking her unconscious. She won’t last long like this.

“The truth,” he demands.

“Okay, okay,” she replies, spitting blood. “I’m not lying when I say that I’m not working with the Steel Vipers, nor am I lying about Leah not being here. But you’re right, I did take her. But only because Lucifer asked me to.”

She’s caught his attention now. Mine too. Is this the truth? Or has she thought of some way to buy us time? If she was working with Lucifer, why lie about me still?

“And why would Lucifer do that?”

“Because he wants an insurance policy against you. Lucifer doesn’t like being second to anyone, not even you. Leah is your one weakness, he wanted to use her against you for more power.”

If it’s a lie, it’s a damn smart one. Tony will believe it, I’m certain.

“If she’s not here, then where is she?” he asks coolly.

“With Lucifer.”

I can’t see his face, but I can only imagine the triumphant gleam in his eyes. “Well, now that, Ashley, is a lie because I happen to know that Lucifer is in the process of ending the Steel Vipers once and for all. One of their own betrayed them. That’s right, the cavalry isn’t coming. Those four brutes everyone seems to love won’t be coming to the rescue, you’re all alone.”

I feel sick with worry. As much as I don’t want to believe he’s telling the truth, I don’t doubt him. They’d be here by now if something hadn’t happened. Help isn’t coming.

We’re on our own.

Chapter 32

Knox

We didn’t realize it was an ambush until it was too late. Wolf betrayed us. He pulled his gun on Rider the moment he realized our observant friend saw past his lies. Axel jumped in front, taking a shot to the shoulder, a shot that was otherwise destined for Rider’s chest, and barreled his way toward the man, pulling his own gun and firing off a shot that met its mark, hitting Wolf in the gut.

It wasn’t until we heard the shot that the rest of us realized what was happening. From where we’re standing, tending to Chug’s wounds, I can’t hear what Wolf is saying to Axel. But the rumbling of motorcycles in the distance tells me it’s nothing good. If we stay here, we’re inviting a shootout. If we get on our bikes now, we stand a chance of outrunning them. But Chug and Fastman are too injured to ride.

Rider and Axel come running over. Axel barely seems to notice the bullet wound in his arm. They fill us in on everything that Wolf told them.

“Fastman’s dead. I think Wolf finished the job if the crash didn’t kill him,” Axel says grimly.

“That has to be the Hellhounds coming to finish the job Wolf started. What do we do?”

Axel considers my question, his face grave. “The way I see it, we’ve got no choice. Chug can’t ride and we’re not leaving him behind.”

“Like fuck you ain’t,” Chug groans. His sentence is punctuated by a coughing fit, a trickle of blood remains in thecorner of his mouth, highlighting just how injured he is. He needs medical attention, and fast.”

Chuck already called an ambulance, but it won’t get here fast enough.

“What about Leah and the babies?” I ask. As much as I don’t want to abandon our friend, my worry for Leah is stronger. “Could Ashley be in on this?”

I haven’t trusted Ashley this whole time. I never liked that the rescue plan relied so heavily on her. What if Wolf wasn’t the only one who betrayed us? Hellhounds could be headed for the safehouse right now.