Page 90 of Massacre

He said he would, and God forgive me, I really wanted him to.

For a long moment, I just stood there, the silence pressing in all around me. There was a heaviness in the air—an unspoken promise, or maybe a threat, lingering like the morning mist beyond the windows. Massacre’s absence echoed through the small cabin, sharp and unsettling. I carried my mug to the table and sat down, the note still clenched tight in my fist.

I let my coffee go cold as the sunlight crept in, painting gold on the scratched floorboards. A thousand scenarios spun through my mind: where he’d gone, what he might do, what Iwould do next. But the truth was clear, as clear as the empty bed and the ache in my chest. He was already gone, chasing vengeance or maybe just justice.

I didn’t know how long I had sat there when someone knocked on the front door. I didn’t bother answering. I knew whoever it was would walk in eventually, and they did.

“Amber.” King’s voice penetrated the silence of the cabin. “Where is Massacre?”

Still, I said nothing. I just sat there looking at the rays of sunlight filtering through the window, wondering if he had found him yet.

“He’s not here,” Cash said moments later.

Someone ran up onto the porch. “The ATV is gone, and Sypher said the cameras picked up Winchester and Romeo.”

“What the fuck were they doing here?”

“He didn’t say. Only that all three left together.”

I smirked. Of course. Gunner was never far from either of them.

Then he was pulling out a chair next to me.

“Amber?” King said softly as I slowly turned and looked at the man I considered one of my closest friends, a brother almost. “Where is Massacre?”

Turning back to the window, I unfurled my hand, showing him the crumpled note. Taking it, he read it.

“Shit.”

Cash walked over. “What?”

Handing Cash the note, King said, “He’s gone after Daniel Scott.”

“How do you know that? All the note said wasI love you.”

“Because it’s what I would do,” King admitted before taking my hand. “Amber. When did they leave?”

“She won’t tell you,” Haizley said calmly as she walked over to me. Taking the other seat next to me, she took my other hand and stroked her thumb along my skin.

“Why not?” King asked.

“Because he promised to protect her, and she’s going to let him.”

“Babe,” Gunner sighed. “Make sense.”

“He’s the last one,” I whispered.

“The last one what?” Cash asked.

Turning to look at the man standing next to King, I smiled. “That hurt me.”

“Those goddamn motherfucking Golden Skulls!” King cursed, getting to his feet. “Cash, call all the brothers back to the clubhouse. Gunner, have Nav start searching for that motherfucker Daniel Scott. If he’s still in Diamond Creek, I want to know where. Haizley, help Amber get dressed. Until I find and beat the shit out of Massacre, I want her locked down at the clubhouse, where I can keep an eye on her. In the meantime, I’m gonna go have a talk with Sypher.”

“What for?” Gunner asked.

“To get the rest of the motherfucking story!”

When King said he wanted to keep an eye on me, he meant that—literally, because instead of sitting with the women or resting in my room, I was sitting in church as King threatened sanctions. “I want those fuckers found and thrown downstairs! I will decide after I kick their asses in the ring, if they can keep their cuts or not!”