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“I’m going out,” I tell Nitro as I walk through the kitchen.

“Where?” Nitro asks.

“I don’t know.”

“Now’s not a good time to be outside.”

“Now’s the best time.” I turn my attention to Max. He’s sitting at the island with a huge bowl of Sugar Bear cereal. It’s quickly becoming his favorite, too. “I’d like to see your fortress when I get back. Will you finish it for me?”

“You’re not mad at me?”

His question hurts my heart. I’m an asshole. Max should feel safe with me, but my bullshit is making me say and do things I don’t mean. I need to make this right before I leave.

“He’s not mad,” Nitro answers for me. “He’s just having a hard time right now.”

“My dad has hard times, too,” Max says.

“Not like that. He’d never do anything to hurt you,” Nitro assures him.

“Never,” I say vehemently. Max won’t meet my gaze, so I move to stand right in front of him. “Look at me, Max.”

“Yeah?” He lifts his little head and gives me the bravest look I’ve ever seen.

“I shouldn’t have yelled. I was being a jerk, and I’m sorry. I want you to know you’re safe here. I won’t let anyone hurt you, especially not me. I’m nothing like your dad. I can’t stand men like him. I keep other kids safe from guys like that, and I’m going to keep you safe, too. I promise.”

“Okay.” Max nods slowly as if he’s still trying to process what I’m telling him. I don’t know if he fully believes me or not, and that cuts straight through my heart. I need to get my shit together, but I can’t do it in front of other people. I need to be alone.

When Max turns his attention to his cereal, I step away to give him some space. “I’m going out.”

“Be careful. Matrix texted the club. A group of Demon Riders left the clubhouse an hour ago. They could be lined up anywhere on the road, ready to ambush us. I know you’re going through some stuff, but don’t do anything that’ll get you killed. You’re useless to us if you’re dead,” Nitro says.

“I’m not going to die.” Not a fucking chance. Not until I kill Blackstone first.

“Be careful, pres.”

I hear Julia and Nina’s voices carry from down the hall. I can’t make out what they’re saying, but the temptation to go back to Julia and warn her to run as far away from me as she can get is overwhelming. But I can’t do it. I can’t make her leave. Not until we get Max into the underground system that we’ve set up for kids who need to disappear. Once he’s gone, I can get rid of Julia, too. Then I’ll be free to focus on making Blackstone pay for what he did to us.

When I open the garage door, sunlight chases away the darkness. In the past, if organizing some stuff didn’t work, I’d ride instead. That always did the trick.

The minute I get on my bike, I feel the first hints of freedom. It’s just me, the bike, and the open road. If I’m lucky, I’ll run into one of those Demon Rider fucks. They started a war when they took shots at Julia and me. As far as I’m concerned, anyone wearing their colors is fair game. I’d like to put a bullet into every one of their warped brains. They’re aligned with Blackstone, so they’re either already twisted beyond repair or they’re on that path. Either way, they’re dangerous to everyone who gets in their way. It’s my job to destroy them.

After leaving Nina’s property, I pull onto the highway. I’m about a mile away when I glance in my mirror and spot another bike trailing behind me. It’s all black. At first, I can’t make out any details, but when we take a sharp curve, I spot the white reaper painted on the fuel tank. I should have known he’d follow me. I’m tempted to call him off, but he doesn’t always listen to orders. It’s a problem.

I’m on high alert since the road is lined with plenty of places to pull off. Demon Riders could be hiding in any of the alcoves or up in the rocks overhanging the road. I pay particularly close attention to places where the road narrows. Perfect ambush spots.

But nothing happens.

When I left, I didn’t have a destination in mind, but I’m not surprised when I end up a mile away from Blackstone’s place. I pull off onto an old forest service road that isn’t maintained anymore. I park near one of Matrix’s surveillance cameras and hike in the rest of the way. I stand under the camera and look toward the mansion. It’s over a mile away, but I may as well be trapped inside it again. I’m haunted by that hellhole. If I were sure there weren’t any kids trapped inside, I’d try to blow it up. But I don’t know that with one hundred percent certainty. Until I do, I can’t burn that hellish place to the ground.

The only indication I get that Reaper’s standing behind me is the faint scent of death. I don’t know what the hell he killed today, or who, but I don’t ask questions. That’s his business. As long as club business gets done, I don’t care what he does on his own time. He’s got the same demons, but his are different. Maybe worse. I don’t know. I don’t want to ever get that deep into his head. I try like hell to avoid seeing his plans, but sometimes those images pop into my mind, and I can’t avoid them.

“What’s going on?” Reaper asks in that low rumble that sounds like distant thunder.

“Just needed to get away.”

“You never run. What are you running from?” He moves to stand beside me.

“That woman is … she’s … It’s just that …” I punch the nearest tree because I don’t know how to explain this shit. It’s pissing me off. “She thinks she loves me.”