Page 77 of Cash

“Val, we have a problem.”

“What’s wrong?”

“The Death Dogs are in Diamond Creek.”

The phone was silent. I knew she was thinking, but the monsters were screaming, and I needed her to tell me what to do.

“How many?”

“A dozen maybe? When I pulled into the motel, there was a line of bikes. I saw the patch on his back when one of the men came out of the front office.”

“Was it him?”

“No. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t here,” I told her. And she knew that.

“Did he see you?”

“Yea. But I don’t think he knew who I was. I fiddled with my bike as if I hadn’t noticed him.”

“You can’t stay there. Go to the clubhouse.”

I shook my head vehemently. “I can’t. Not yet.”

“Then go to Sypher. Tell him what you saw and he will go to the clubhouse. We need to keep her safe. If he finds her, he will kill her.”

“Should we call Zeus?”

“No. Not unless she says it’s ok. She doesn’t want her family to know where she is either.”

“How did he find her?” I asked, knowing everything we did was hidden so deep it would take another Sypher to find it.

“I don’t know. But we’ll find out.” I could hear her breathing through the line. Could feel the anger and frustration in her voice. “Dammit, I should be there.”

I didn’t say anything. The longer Val stayed away, the longer I still had her. Once she came to Diamond Creek and Amber knew who she was, she would take my place.

Then I would have no one.

Thorne is still out there!

I DON’T KNOW WHERE HE IS!

My nails dug at my leg as I scratched. They weren’t sharp enough to pierce the skin, but the pressure was still there. The pressure helped. Like a snack to appease the monsters until I could feed them.

“Call Sypher.”

The call ended, and I held the phone in my hand, staring at it. Amber was her focus.

Not me.

Not Irene.

I looked at the bed. Then the bathroom door. Did I have time? I debated between calling Sypher and feeding the monsters. Would a few minutes make that much of a difference?

The screams got louder the longer I warred with myself until I had no choice but to let them out. I wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else until I fed them.

I undressed and lay on the bed. My hand ran over my legs as I tried to find a smooth area. They were getting smaller and smaller. I trembled as I realized there was no space left large enough to cut that would appease them.

My hand caressed my belly. I considered the ramifications of piercing the skin there. It wasn’t as tight, so it wouldn’t hurt as much, but would it bleed enough?