Page 119 of Misery

His face is tight with worry. "What's wrong?"

"Magnus called. We need to get to the clubhouse."

"I'll drive," he says, taking the keys from Helle. "You've all been drinking."

We pile into Mom's SUV, me in the front, Mom and Helle in the back.

The drive feels like hours compressed into minutes.

Every red light is agony.

Every turn could be the one that takes too long.

I dig my nails into my palms hard enough to leave marks, needing the pain to stay grounded.

"He didn't say," I tell them. "Magnus didn't say if he was alive."

"If he was dead, he would have said," Helle offers. "The fact that he didn't?—"

"Or he didn't want to tell me over the phone. Didn't want us grief-stricken and drunk."

Aren glances at me. "Your father's tough. Toughest man I know besides Runes."

"You don't know what Thiago's capable of."

"No," he agrees. "But I know what Oskar's capable of. And he wouldn't let your father die. Not when it would hurt you."

There's something in his voice. Knowledge maybe. "You knew. About Oskar watching me."

His hands tighten on the wheel. "Not my place to say."

"But you knew."

"We all suspected. The way he was always around. Always aware of where you were." He takes a turn too fast, tires squealing. "But knowing and suspecting are different things."

"And you said nothing."

"Would you have believed me? The prospect telling you that the Executioner was stalking you with Runes' blessing?" He shakes his head. "Besides, he kept you safe. That's what mattered, and Runes gave him the order, which means he was doing club business, so who am I to interfere?"

"That's what everyone keeps saying. Like safety justifies everything."

"In this life? Sometimes it does."

The clubhouse comes into view, bikes everywhere, more than usual.

This is serious.

Every member has been called in, either for a celebration or mourning.

We park and I'm out before the engine's fully off, running for the door.

It opens before I reach it—Rio standing there, face unreadable.

"Is he?—"

"He's alive," Rio says quickly. "But Elfe... prepare yourself."

I push past him, my mother and sister close behind.