Page 7

I climb over the fence into the parking lot that runs alongside the Pemberton shipyard boundary, making sure to keep out of the path of the security lights as I rush across to the fence on the other side of it.

I can see the black cage that my brother’s watching from, parked far enough down the street opposite the entrance gates to not stand out, and I have to be sure he doesn’t see me.

I get to the spot we used to gain access from when we were kids, and smile to myself when I see that gap we made in the fence is still there. I brought a pair of wire cutters with me in case, but it turns out I don’t need them.

Bobby Rendall may not have been academically smart in fifth grade, but he knew how to get shit done.

The gap he made in the fence is low and leads on to the back of one of the huge, rusty storage containers.

No one would have noticed where it is. Weeds are the only thing I have to clear before I attempt to get through a gap we made when I was ten years old.

I snag my shoulder on one of the rough edges as I force myself into the space between the container and the fence.

It’s much tighter than I remember, but I guess that's to be expected.

Coming out from behind the container, I shuffle into the gap that's between it and the next one along.

With barely enough room to breathe, I then carefully pop my head out at the other side to check the coast is clear.

I’m assuming the men here will be using the main office building that's on the other side of the yard, so the closer I can get the cameras to that location, the more information I can feed back to Raze and the club.

I look through the huge gates in front of me that lead out onto the street where I know Dev and Vike are keeping watch, fully aware of how angry Dev will be with me for doing this…initially.

Once he sees how the club is gonna benefit, I'm hoping he’ll realize that I’m not a kid anymore.

I’m more than capable of taking care of myself, and I’m ready to become a prospect.

I already know Ruckus would sponsor me if he had my brother’s backing, but who knows after this? Dev might want to sponsor me himself.

I see a shadow moving toward me, so tuck back into the dark and wait for the footsteps to pass.

Once it’s safe, I start moving closer to the office, using the containers as a shield.

There’s a warm glow that lights up the tarmac, and I hear the laughter get louder when someone opens the door to enter, and when it slams back shut, I decide to make a break for it, keeping low as I move on to the storage container that's closest to them.

I catch my breath back before I’m brave enough to take another peek out of the shadows, and when I do, I count at least four men through the office window.

None of them is close to being the size of Dev.

I could easily take a few on myself, especially with some of the moves Ruck has shown me since I’ve been working at the gym.

I have a good view of the office from here, so I take one of the cameras outta the belt bag, press the tiny button on top, and wait for the blue light to flick.

Then, carefully peeling the back of the sticky pad off, I reach up and around the front of the container, pressing it hard against the metal lip above me.

My heart is pumping now that I’m closer; the voices inside are loud and shouting over each other in strong Irish accents.

But it’s not clear enough. I need to get closer.

Maybe I could get a camera onto a window ledge, even if the picture isn’t good, the audio is what's going to be most useful to the Souls. I’m just about to make another quick dart to the side of the building when I hear a shuffle come from behind me.

Spinning around, I get struck by a pain that makes my bones rattle and my teeth clatter in my skull.

My body hits the ground with a thud, and a man with red hair and a big, bushy beard stands over me, wearing a wicked smile as he stuns me a second time with the cattle prod he’s holding.

“Wakey, wakey, sleepin’ beauty.” I gasp awake when I feel the ice-cold water drench me, and the guy who threw it steps back in line with the other four men in front of me.

I’m not outside anymore. It looks as if I might be in one of the containers because there ain’t much space between me and the walls.

“Me and me pals were wonderin’ what ye were after…

with ye snoopin’ around out here,” one of them speaks up, and I keep my mouth firmly shut.

Looking down, I realize the reason I can’t move…

I’m tied to a chair; there’s no escape, and although these assholes ain’t all that big, now that I’m closer, they sure look like they could do some damage.

“He asked ye a question, lad.” The bald guy who strokes his knuckle duster, stares at me, and waits for a response. But I won’t be giving him one.

“Ye see, we found these here in yer bag and looks to be that ye was lookin’ to spy on us.

” He holds out the belt bag in front of him, turning it up and letting its contents spill to the ground.

“We got yer phone here, too.” One of them waves it in front of my face, unlocking it with my face ID.

“If ye won’t tell us who ye are, we’ll just have to find out for ourselves.

” He smiles at me as I struggle against the ropes that are tied tight around my chest to try to get free.

“Now, will ye look at this, Robbie. Ain’t she a fine wee lass?” He holds the phone out to show his friend. “Is this yer yerdarlin’?”

“Don’t you fuckin’ look at her.” I find my voice when I realize they’re looking at Millie.

“We’ll take that as a yes.” The ginger one sniggers, snatching the phone off his friend. “This really yer woman?” He frowns at me.

“I said, don’t look at her.” I may be tied up and helpless, but I swear rage alone would get me free.

“Look at her?” He laughs at me. “We’ll do far worse than feckin’ look at her, if ye don’t tell us what yer doin’ here, now.”

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare!” I shift my body, making the chair scrape on the metal floor as I gain an inch toward them.

“Not gonna do much to save her when yer dead, lad, might as well tell us who yer here for.”

I shake my head, knowing that one of the club’s most important rules is that you never rat. I heard from Sinner that my brother’s taken a few ex-members' tongues for it.

“C’mon, if I were you, I’d wanna be goin’ home to her this evenin’.

I’ll bet she warms the bed, nicely.” I feel the anger itch under my skin as he and his friends start to laugh, and the knots tighten in my stomach when I realize that I have no way outta this.

Not only have I fuckin’ failed, but I’ve put Millie in danger, too.

“Still got nothin’ to say for yerself?” The guy holding my phone checks as he continues to scroll through it, and I take the heavy blow one of them makes to my stomach with a baseball bat without crying out.

I know what's coming is gonna be much worse. These bastards are gonna do to me what my brother does to whoever's brave enough to wrong the club. They’ll torture me till I talk, and I’ll bleed and fuckin’ curse, but I won’t rat.

I came here to prove I’m worthy of the cut.

I hiss when I get landed with another sharp blow to the guts, but I look the fucker who dealt it straight in his eyes.

“Hold on, there, Rowan.” The guy going through my phone holds up his hand.

“I think I’ve found what we’re lookin’ for.

” He slowly turns the phone screen around to face me, showing the picture Saint took of me and Dev on my eighteenth birthday.

“I spy with my little eye…” He uses his thumb and finger to scroll in closer to my brother's chest, magnifying the club patch on the chest of his cut. “...A dirty feckin’ Soul.” The smirk on his face as he holds the phone in front of me is chilling, and I close my eyes, knowing that I’ve fucked up the whole club’s plan.

These fuckers are gonna hold me here at ransom, use me as a pawn, and Dev is gonna be humiliated, as well as furious. I don’t even wanna think about what Raze is gonna do.

“C’mon, we better take this to the boss.

Robbie, ye know what to do.” He nods at the guy still holding the cattle prod, as they all leave us alone, and I swallow down the dread that's blocking my throat. I’m gonna have to find a way to switch off to the pain that's coming. I know it can be done. I’ve seen Sinner hold a flame under his palm without so much as twitching.

“They can’t hurt her, she’s got nothing to do with any of this….I swear if any of you touch her, I’ll–”

“You’ll do shit, son.” He raises his other arm, and when I see that he’s holding a gun. I don’t have time to panic. Instead, I close my eyes and ensure I see her one last time.