Page 158 of Dirty Salvation

"On three..." he mouthed to Grinder who nodded back.

It wasn't the first time the Renegade Souls had stormed a building. But it was the first one they stormed to find ...

"What the fuck?"

The sentiment was echoed by all four men as Rider strode through the burned shack, dampness, old smoke and mold stung his nose. What he noticed right away was an open grate in the floor, from what used to be a drainage system, next to that was a pile of bricks, and on top of that a simple piece of white paper.

Better luck next time. I'll say goodbye to the bitch for you.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

"The bible was right. The devil did have a handsome face. He was also bat-shit crazy.” – Zara

"Isn't she gorgeous, Mace? she drives like a dream. Did you hear her purr?" Gushed Zara, running her hands over the yellow hood of her brand newpreviously ownedcar. She was grinning ear from ear.

Pretty-boy chuckled rubbed a hand over his mouth, but she saw his smirk. "Oh sure, Ma'am, the best yellow car I ever saw and make no mistake, people will see you coming for miles in this banana skin."

"Oh quiet, you. She's beautiful! You don't have to wait, I want to drive her home and surprise Rider."

Her biker man wasn't back yet, still, only nine am, and sure she was a little worried but had to believe he was taking care of himself. Instead of getting more sleep last night, she'd cleaned the house from top to bottom and just thirty minutes ago called Mace to go and get the car with her, too excited to wait another minute. The two prospects stayed back at the house for when she returned.

Her heart softened thinking of Rider as though today was the beginning of the rest of her life and she was eager to share it with him. Silly, but it was how she felt.

"Okay. But straight to the clubhouse, you get me? Prez will have my spleen if you're out alone right now."

She agreed and climbed behind the wheel.

Maybe it was a mistake to stop at the seven-eleven for a few supplies, maybe she could wait until later, but she was passing right by there,Beyoncékeeping her company on the radio, she pulled into the parking lot. She'd get the fixings for burgers tonight, maybe a couple of cases of beers for the boys, whichever ones happened to stop by the house.

In her own little happy bubble, she exited her car, gave it an affectionate pat.

Maybe if she hadn't stopped.

Maybe if she hadn't beensoin her own happy circle.

Maybe if she'd only stayed home and listened to Rider.Stay at fucking home.

Maybe.

Maybe.

Then just perhaps Zara would not have seen the large figure hidden mostly at the side of the store, with his shoulder resting to the brickwork and a nasty smirk on his face.

"You're a hard one to find, sweet love, but how serendipitous that we're both here at the same time? Nah, I followed you. I thought you’d never leave that house, but here you are and here we are. Don’t you have a kiss for me? I thought you’d be pining for me. I told you once I’d always find you, didn’t I?"

Thatvoice.

It was his simple wicked voice that brought Zara's feet to a dead stop and rendered her nervous system into a sloppy mess of panic. Transported back years to the first time she’d heard the same voice and how it rendered her powerless then, too. A shiver began in her belly and reached out across her body, frozen and terrified looking at the man she hated with all her being.

Hades; two feet away.

Think. Think. She screamed in her own head, her heart hammering, moisture dried in her mouth, she swallowed a few times to unstick her tongue, eyes darting left and right between the distance of the store door and her car. She could make it, just walk away, what was he even going to do in broad daylight? But it was Hades. That old feeling of being without a solution barraged her mind, rendered her useless.

She couldn't seem to come unglued.Move goddammit, Zara! He can’t frighten me anymore.But he did. He really did. Many times, she'd had that mental conversation of what she would do and say if ever faced with this man again and everything she'd planned, all her cocksure insults just drifted away.

Fear was immobilizing. Coming face to face with the devil himself.

CHAPTER FORTY