Page 30 of T-Bone (Steel Demons MC #11)

T-Bone

“W here the hell is she?” The question came out on a roar, but Slate wasn’t fazed by my pissed off mood. I ignored the pain in my side and blinked away the fog of sleep that still hung on tight before popping three painkillers that still hadn’t kicked in yet.

“I don’t know yet, T-Bone.” He bit back a grin, not looking at me as his fingers flew over the keyboard. “I’m guessing she’s on her way to Shiloh Valley.”

I nodded. “That would be my guess too.” Fucking stubborn woman darted out into the night while I was knocked out on painkillers.

“Have you tried calling her?’ Rocky sat somewhere behind me but still I heard the smile in his voice.

“Yeah, obviously,” I started to, my voice heavy with sarcasm but then I stopped. I thought about it. “Fuck, I haven’t.” I pulled out my phone and groaned—it was switched off. “You fuckers put me to bed and didn’t charge my phone?” Assholes.

“You’re welcome,” Rebel snorted. “We could’ve just let you sleep on the pool table.”

Slate snatched the phone from my hand with one hand and plugged it in, all while his other hand continued to fly over the keyboard trying to track Faith’s movements. “The last time her phone hit a tower she was headed north. Towards Shiloh Valley.”

“Fuck!” I knew it but the confirmation sent me reeling. She was out there all alone, very likely with the Ghost Riders hot on her ass. “Gimme the phone.”

“It’s not charged… yet.” He threw his hands up in frustration when I snatched the phone from the charger. “Good thing I used the fast charger. It should have enough juice for a call.”

I ignored him, impatient as fuck while I waited for the phone to power on. As soon as it did, I slid my thumb across the screen and saw the voicemail icon. “I have a message.” I pressed the button to listen.

Faith’s voice was breathless and tinged with worry.

“Hey T-Bone. I know you’re pissed,” she began.

“But I had to do this. This isn’t your fight, not really.

I know Ashley was like family to you, but this happened because of my family, which makes it my problem to solve.

” She fell silent for a long moment. “You’re more than I thought you were, in the best possible way.

You’re so much more than I gave you credit for and I’m sorry.

You’re a good man. Gruff and a little too bossy, but good.

” A long, shaky sigh escaped. “Listen, I did want to do this on my own, but I have a problem There are three Ghost Riders on my ass and I’m more than an hour from Shiloh Valley, or I was. ”

“Fuck,” I growled as my hand shook.

“I just got off the highway, number seven-six-nine, on the same road we took the first and the second time,” she let out a shaky laugh.

“I’m leading them away, oh fuck. My tire is flat so I have about five hundred feet before my car is useless and don’t you dare fucking say I told you so , because yeah, you did, and I didn’t listen.

Anyway listen, I’m leading them away from the cabin, so I need you to go to the cabin, please.

Get Gemma somewhere safe, no matter what. Thank you.”

The line was quiet for a long time. Quiet, but not silent, she hadn’t disconnected.

There was noise, most notably the sound of bike engines in the distance.

A gear shift and the squeak of a car door opening, then her voice again.

“Okay. I’m running towards what I hope isn’t a goddamn forest, but the Ghost Riders are close.

Get to Gemma, T-Bone. Please. And… I’m sorry.

About everything. You’re… I… Gemma,” she said again.

“Gemma is all that matters,” she said and then the line went dead.

“Son of a bitch!” I never felt worried and furious at the same time for a woman, and that’s all I felt right fucking now. Her words left me stunned. Shocked to my fucking core. And worried as hell. “We have to go.”

“You need shoes,” Slate snickered and pointed at my bare feet.

“Then we can go.” I went to grab my shoes, my mind filled with all the words Faith hadn’t said.

She felt what I was just starting to realize I felt too, which was just fucking great.

But I don’t have time to focus on that right now because I needed to get to Gemma.

And then I needed to find Faith, wherever in the fuck she might be.

“Okay, I’m ready to roll.” I frowned at my brothers still sitting on their asses like this wasn’t a fucking emergency. “What the fuck, guys?”

Diesel stood first and came to me, clapping me on the shoulder. “You sure you’re up to the drive?”

Hell no I wasn’t sure. “I have to do this.”

“Sounds like you had a love affair during all this.” Gio’s smug smile made me want to punch him because he was right.

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter, not right now. We have to go. I’m good to drive. I’m good,” I insisted. None of them looked convinced. “Look, we have to act fast. Faith is distracting them right now . This is the perfect time to find out who else is at that cabin with the little girl.”

Slowly my brothers got off their asses and slowly headed to the door. “We can go for you, brother.” Rocky clapped me on the back.

I shook my head. “If Gemma is there, she’ll be scared but I know enough about her that she won’t see me as a threat.” At least I hoped that was the case. “I’m going.”

“Then get your ass movin’.” Rocky shoved me towards the door.

Hawk stopped in front of me, his expression serious as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll try to find Faith while you head to Shiloh Valley.”

I nodded, grateful to my brothers for doing what I needed them to do without having to ask, because I wasn’t sure I knew how to ask for that kind of help. “Thanks, man.”

“Of course. I’ll get with Slate to see if we can pinpoint her location so you can focus on what she asked you to do.”

“Find her.” It was about all I could get past my lips without exploding in rage that Faith had gone and done something so fucking dangerous. “Find her.”

He nodded. “I will.”

I joined the rest of my brothers outside, ignoring the pain in my side because I had more important shit to worry about. The ride to Shiloh Valley would take a couple hours, which was too much time to think about everything and by everything I meant Faith.

Why had she snuck out? Was it really because she didn’t want to get us involved in her business, or was it that she still didn’t trust me?

She said I was a good man , I reminded myself. She trusted me enough to do the right thing, to save her niece. But I didn’t think she was sure she could trust me with her heart.

I don’t blame her. What the fuck do I know about love and romance and shit?

Relationships and me weren’t exactly compatible and it wasn’t a skill I’d worked on at all in my thirty-odd years on this fucking ball of fire we call a planet.

But now, the shit I felt for Faith was making me think about it.

A lot.

Too much.

I pushed it aside—for now—and focused on what needed to be done right now. Get Gemma first and then Faith and I can figure our shit out.

Maybe.

Hopefully.