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Chapter one

I’ve never really thought about what it would be like to witness someone’s murder through the lens of my camera. I sure in the hell didn’t set out to capture it on film.

The way the sun shines through the trees to create beautiful halos of light along the moss-filled ground continuously calls to me. Since it’s been such a beautiful day, I know I’ll get some amazing shots as dusk settles into the sky. So, I grab my camera and trek through the dense cluster of trees to see what magic I can find.

Things that aren’t always visible to the naked eye can be caught with a quick press of my finger against the button.

Goosebumps break out across my skin as I clamber over a broken log, trying to catch the snake slithering along the damp fallen leaves. It pauses for a minute, as if striking a pose, giving me enough time to squat down quietly and bring the camera to my eye. I hold the button down so that it captures an image every two seconds, catching the beautiful little creature from his moment of stillness to his speedy escape.

Satisfied, I hang the camera around my neck and watch his long body wriggle back and forth as he slinks away.

As I venture deeper into the woods, the wind carries low-pitched voices to me. One trembles in fear, while the others are sharp with anger.

Stopping in my tracks, I cock my head, trying to get a feel for their direction.

A sense of hopelessness fills the air and presses down on me, unpleasant and heavy, until my lungs tighten, suffocating me with their distress.

What if this was the reason I was so drawn here today?

Carefully, I slide my hiking boots from my feet and place them off to the side to keep my steps quiet.

Man, I really hope my body doesn’t become food for the damn scavengers. That’d suck since there’s still so much I want to do with my life.

Bright green eyes tease my mind, but I shove them away when the voices become more enraged.

Dampness seeps through my socks as I skirt closer, the rising volume of the voices assuring me that I’m heading in the right direction.

The harrowing screams that rush through the forest raise the hair on my arms, and I pick up the pace while doing my best to keep my steps muffled. Unease coils through me—an ominous foreshadowing of my future demise if I continue this path.

Curiosity kills the fucking cat, Bailee.

“You know what happens to people who betray us, Swirly,” a chilling, dark voice barks.

“I didn’t betray you, Killer. Your head is fucking with you again, brother.”

There’s a huge tree about twelve feet in front of the men, and it’s wide enough that I can easily hide my small body behind it.

I check the shutter sound on my camera to make sure it’s off before I bring it to my face.

This is such a stupid idea.

My sharp inhale seems loud, but they’re so focused on causing the man damage, they couldn’t hear it even if it was.

I click away, capturing each moment in clear clarity. Zooming in on their faces until every detail is recognizable, I catch the rage and bloodthirst. The malevolence in their eyes dries my throat, and for one split second, I send thanks to whoever is listening that I’m not facing their cruelty.

Is there something worse than the devil? Because if there is, that’s what I’m witnessing now.

They’re wearing leather vests like the one Steel always wore when we were together. The skull on the back of theirs has a knife stabbed through each side with blood dripping off it.

Night Skulls MC.

I focus on the logo and snap a picture, making sure it’s identifiable if I make it out of this alive.

Why the hell did I think it would be smart to stick around after the first scream?

My brother, Reed, is always the first to point out that my soft heart and my damn curiosity is going to end up being my downfall.

Until now, I’ve laughed in his face and told him to go fuck himself.

Closing my eyes, I lean my head back against the tree and try to block out the sickening sounds of flesh hitting flesh, but it’s no use. The sound burns into my brain.

A lizard skitters over the top of my foot, and I bite down on my tongue to keep the squeal inside. Everything is amplified as I wait for them to realize they’re not alone out here and the littlest things make me jumpy.

Any second now, they’re going to step around the tree, say gotcha, and put a bullet between my eyes.

“I swear to you, Killer. I’d never betray you or our club,” the man they called Swirly pleads.

The pernicious laugh echoing through the trees slices against my skin, warning me that Swirly isn’t coming out of these woods alive. If I don’t get a move on, my life will end prematurely as well.

But there is no way I can walk out of here without making sure I have enough evidence to get him justice.

Being brave, I pull in a deep breath and lean around the tree. My fingers twist the lens until I have the crispness I need, and just in time too. No sooner do I focus than Killer pulls a gun from the back of his waistband and settles the barrel against Swirly’s forehead.

“Tell the devil I said hello,” Killer says, wearing a smile that is frightening in its intensity.

Swirly opens his mouth but doesn’t get the chance to utter a word before Killer squeezes the trigger and sends the bullet lodging into his brain.

I try to keep quiet. I really do, but it’s not every day I’m a witness to someone’s murder.

Their heads whip in my direction at my loud gasp, and without a second thought, I take off. My breath explodes from my chest as I race through the trees, jumping over fallen logs and ducking around low-hanging branches. Some snag my clothes, and I waste precious minutes untangling them.

The heavy fall of their boots hitting the ground and growing closer have pitiful whimpers passing my lips.

One of them let loose a crazy laugh and whoops. “Run while you can, girl. When we catch you, we’re gonna have some fun.”

My camera cracks against the trunk of a tree, and I wince as sorrow fills me.

I’ve had this thing for as long as I can remember. It needs to be replaced, but I’ve been unable to let it go. Reed bought the camera for me the first time he noticed my passion for photography. It was my one escape in our cold house, and my brothers were always looking out for me. Our parents were never really the greatest, so it’s always just been Reed, Jedreck, and me. Mother wasn’t anywhere near as bad as our father, Edgar, though. These men remind me a lot of him. They’ve got the same evil running straight through their core.

A gunshot cracks through the air, and I stumble, scraping my hand against the bark of the tree as I catch myself.

Holy shit. That was way too close.

The air brushes against my skin, cooling the tears on my cheeks and leaving wet streaks behind.

I can’t believe I was so stupid. Why did my bleeding heart have to try to do something to help someone who I knew deep down was beyond my help?

Steel’s startling green eyes flash in my mind again.

It’s not the first time it’s happened in the last seven years. I find myself dreaming about him more than I’d like. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m being chased through the woods by two evil bikers intent on putting a bullet in my head that makes him cross my mind at this inappropriate time.

Another shot rings out and this time a sharp pain makes me cry out as my legs buckle under me.

Oh, fuck.

These bastards just shot me in the thigh.

My heart races in my chest as adrenaline surges through my system.

I grit my teeth and climb to my feet.

I’m not as fast as I was considering there’s a bullet in my leg and I’m leaking blood that’s going to lead them right to me. Which means I’m going to have to outsmart them. I don’t know how familiar they are with these woods, but I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl. Hopefully, that gives me an advantage over them and I can make it back to my car without losing my life. If not, then maybe I can at least make it to the abandoned subdivision on the other side.

Having learned from my time with my brothers, our friends, and our countless games of paintball and tag, I know to never move in a straight line. I zig and zag, which probably saves my life as they fire in my direction a few more times.

When I glance over my shoulder, their faces are blurry, and the shadows of the trees make them seem more sinister than they already are.

I start listing off all the reasons I have to make it out of here with my heart beating.

Reed. Jedreck. Macey. My best friend, Lena. Steel .

It’s ridiculous that a man whose voice I haven’t heard in at least three years is one of my reasons, but it is what it is.

There’s always been this hypnotic attraction that lured me to him, catching me in a trap of burning lust that quickly turned to feelings.

For me, anyway.

Three years ago, he and Heather had split up again, starting our semi-toxic cycle all over. For some damn reason, I’m unable to say no to the sexy asshole whenever he comes to me. Sometimes, I get a weekend. Sometimes, I get a week. One time, I was lucky enough to earn a whole month.

Lucky fucking me.

Then Heather would call and threaten to take his daughter away, and he was gone again, leaving me with muttered apologies, regret, and a damn broken heart.

You’d think with him being part of a motorcycle club, he wouldn’t let her have that kind of hold over him, but what do I know.

For some stupid reason, I’d always open my door and my bed to him in the faint hope that he’d eventually choose me. Which is ridiculous because he already cares about Emmy Lou in a way that goes beyond platonic. She’s been his best friend for years. Ever since the Dirty Mavericks were called in to help her husband rescue her. And he wouldn’t choose me over his daughter. Not that I expect nor want him to. I’d never ask him that. I just want him to pick me over Heather, or even over his feelings for Emmy Lou.

Or at least, I did.

But after the last time I had pleaded with him to stay, I realized I’d never be put before his child’s mother or Em, and I wasn’t okay with that.

When they split up again a few months later, he’d called wanting a hookup. That time, I’d grown a spine and told him no, that I deserved more than to be a man’s side piece. It didn’t matter that they weren’t officially together any of the times we’d slept together—so he says, anyway. Even if they weren’t, we both knew it was only a matter of time before they’d be back together because their toxic cycle was worse than ours.

That’s what I had been relegated to be in his life . . .

A fucking side piece.

I think we could have been more, but he ended up knocking Heather up a month or so after Emmy Lou’s wedding, and he’s been in a seriously fucked-up on-and-off-again relationship with her ever since.

“You’re letting the stupid bitch get away. Fucking aim better, you useless fuck,” screams the man I’m coming to recognize as Killer.

Up ahead is my chance to get away. If I can get lost in the dense trees across the creek bed, I should be able to lose them. With night closing in, it’ll be a lot harder to get an aim on me.

I try not to think about all the shit that can get into the open wound on my thigh. I’ll be lucky not to end up with a leg full of infection by the time I get out of here. Hell, I’ll be lucky if I don’t lose so much blood that I end up dying anyway.

I’m right at the edge of the creek bed when another shot cracks through the air. My body twists sideways, and I fall into the water with a loud splash.

Get up, Bailee. If they catch you, you’re dead.

Agony rushes through me as I struggle to my knees then my feet, and my vision blinks in and out a couple times. Sharp slices of pain throb in my right thigh and shoulder.

My energy is depleted. I’ve been shot twice and have obviously lost more blood than I thought. Trembles wrack my body as my damp hair hangs limp in front of my face.

My camera is soaked, and I shake it off while praying my film is still salvageable.

I’m really freaking glad I chose to go analog instead of digital for these pictures because I doubt my digital camera would have survived the fall into the water.

The men chasing me are idiots. Otherwise, they’d keep their steps quiet to have a better chance of sneaking up on me. Instead, they’re heavy as they crunch against the twigs and broken leaves on the ground in their hurry to catch up to me. Each noise helps me pinpoint their locations.

I’ve never been one to quit fighting, so with a deep breath, I lock all the pain behind the titanium vault in my mind where I shove everything else and climb to my feet.

There will be time to rest when I get to safety.

With one last glance over my shoulder, I determine they’re far enough away that I have about a five-minute start ahead of them.

I hurry through the water to the other side. It only takes me a few minutes to disappear in the foliage as the bikers’ rage-filled curses float to my ears on the breeze.

I’m light and limber on my feet thanks to the daily yoga I do to keep in shape. Even wounded, it gives me an edge over these men, who are huge, bulky, and weighed down by their jeans, leather, and boots.

Of course, adrenaline plays a huge part in me still functioning.

When I’m far enough in, I stop to create a quick makeshift tourniquet on my thigh to stop the bleeding until I get somewhere safe.

Using the tree trunk as an anchor, I lean my left hip against it to take pressure off my right thigh and grab the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head.

Streaks of fire burning over my skin have me biting my tongue to keep from screaming when I struggle with my injured shoulder.

One . . . two . . . three . . . four . . .

Counting the seconds in my head helps keep it clear while I quickly fold the cotton material over until it’s about the width of three of my fingers and then wrap the piece of fabric around my thigh. I spot a thick piece of stick to use as a windlass and place it on top of the knot I created before making another knot to hold it in place. Twisting the thing to tighten the tourniquet is a lot freaking harder when you’ve got a wounded shoulder, but I’m able to get it done by the time I hit thirty-five seconds. Using the loose end of the knot, I secure the windlass in place and check it over one last time.

A trail of blood will do nothing but lead them to me.

Sixty seconds.

I still have a four-minute head start. That’s enough to get the hell out of Dodge. If this adrenaline keeps pumping through me, anyway.

Pushing to my feet with the last bit of energy I have left, I fight my way through the deepest part of the woods, gaining distance from them.

My lips curl a little at the corners listening to their frustration. They should have done more research on the place they were planning on murdering someone. Then, maybe they’d know this place as well as I do.

Their voices fade the farther I get from them.

The abandoned subdivision should be up here somewhere, and I pray I stumble into it soon. My head feels full of cotton, I can barely feel any part of my body as a freeze has settled deep into my core, and I fight to suppress the wave of nausea that tries to roll over me.

My teeth chatter, joining in the harmony of chirps from crickets and hoots from the owls perched on branches.

I’m sure I’ve lost them because the only sounds keeping me company the last few minutes have been the natural melody of the woods, but I still try to keep as fast a pace as my body will allow.

“Thank you, goddess,” I whisper as soon as the break in the trees is in sight.

I drop to the ground when I make it out of the woods and stare around at all the empty houses. If they know these buildings are here, they might try to search them, so I need to pick the one they’d least think I’m in and not one that’s closest to the tree line.

A few houses to the left of me is one that is nearly falling apart. The roof is caved in, windows are broken, doors hang from the hinges, and graffiti decorates its brick foundation.

“Pull yourself together, Bailee. You’ve made it this far. Don’t give up now. Get there and get safe, then call that sexy hunk to come save the day.”

As I give myself a whispered pep talk, I struggle to my feet and let the moonlight guide my way to the hideaway I’ve chosen.

There’s no precious time to waste, but if I miss any blood that possibly leaked from me, I’m just going to lead them right to my hiding spot. So, I walk up to one of the other deserted houses. If they happen to catch any blood drops, this will be the first one they come to.

I’m scared that if I sit down, I won’t have the energy to get back up, so I lean against the side of the house and check the tourniquet around my thigh. No blood is leaking from it, and the windlass is still secured in place.

Guess my brother’s lessons paid off.

Basic first aid was the first thing Reed made me learn when he realized I was going to go traipsing all over the place taking pictures. Then he went over other bits of survival knowledge he thought I would need if something was to ever happen. This is my first time having to use what he taught me, and I hope to goddess I never have to use it again.

This shit sucks.

Normally, I’d keep a first aid kit strapped around my waist, but the calling toward that spot in the woods had all my concentration and I forgot it in my Range Rover.

Crap. My vehicle.

If they find it, I’m so screwed. My little wallet with all my pertinent stuff is in my back pocket, but my registration will have all my information on it.

As much as I want to call my brothers and warn them of the danger that could be coming their way, I need to focus my energy on getting out of here first.

Which means my future hinges on Steel and whether he’s got time to play hero.

My shoulder throbs in tune with my heartbeat, making my stomach swirl with sickness again.

How the hell am I supposed to take care of the back of this wound if I can’t freaking see it? It’s too dark out here, and I don’t have a mirror.

Maybe there’s still one left in this place.

The cool air brushes against my skin, and I shiver. Even though I’m freezing on the inside, sweat rolls down my temples and beads on my upper lip.

Before I head inside the house I’ve picked out, I glance behind me. The woods are quiet, and there’s nothing that indicates they’re close. Hopefully, the quick precautions I took will keep them off my ass long enough for Steel to come get me.

There’s just enough space between the broken door and the frame for me to squeeze through, but not without a few scraps of wood and other sharp objects scuffing against my skin. The sharp sting that penetrates my flesh as I squeeze through the small space has me gritting my teeth against the pain.

My hand shakes as I pull my phone from my pocket. “Please be working.”

For once, my forethought into choosing one that’s waterproof because of my clumsiness pays off. Too many times, I’ve dropped my phone in the toilet because I would forget it was in my back pocket, or I’d have it sitting on the sink while I wash my hands and it would fall into the basin while the water was running. Hell, there was one time when I tripped over my own feet, and it managed to find the one puddle in the entire parking lot.

My sigh of relief is quiet as the light shines in my face when I press the power button on the side. I go into the settings quickly to change the display so that it stays on. Using the flashlight will only draw unwanted attention, so I’m going to have to find my way with a minimum light source.

Rats scurry away from my footsteps and back into hiding, and cockroaches scamper across the broken hardwood floor.

The broken window in the hallway upstairs will probably give me the best vantage point to the woods. There’s a cracked crate sitting off to the side of it, as if someone has already been in this position before, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I don’t have the damn energy.

A sigh escapes when I finally take a seat, and I lean my head against the window frame, looking out into the darkness. I hate that I can only see the front of the house. They could easily come at me from the rear. I’m just really hoping they don’t come at me at all, because if they do, I’m done for.

I stretch out my injured leg while I pull up Steel’s contact information. It’s been so long since I’ve heard his voice, I know I’m going to break down as soon as his deep growl comes through the speaker.

But considering this is the first time I’m running for my life, I think I’m holding up damn well. My brothers would be proud of me.

Hell, I’m proud of myself.

It rings so many times that I’m about to give up on him answering when his breathless, husky voice comes across the line. It warms my blood like a shot of Devil’s Mark bourbon.

“Bailee?”

“Steel,” I whimper, “I need your help.”

“Tell me what’s happening,” he demands.

For the first time since I stumbled across the bikers in the woods, my shoulders droop as exhaustion sets in.

This isn’t the way I planned on seeing the man I continuously ache for again, but a girl’s gotta take what she can get.

I’m going to see Steel for the first time in three years with two gunshot wounds and an angry club out for my blood.

Sounds like such a fun time.