Page 128 of Unhinged

“How did you get past the guard, anyway?” I ask, wondering about Mayhem and hoping he’s okay. I don’t think I’d handle it if he was killed to get to me.

"Ivan knocked out the guard," he says. "He'll wake up… eventually."

My heart’s pounding harder. There’s still a chance if I play this right.

"What's it gonna be, Earl?" I grind out.

He grins wider. "Come over here. Then I'll let 'em go."

I breathe out slowly.

No choice.

Not if I want Dillon and Judge alive.

I flick a glance toward the clubhouse, hope burning a hole in my chest. God, I wish somebody could hear us. But the fucking bass is too loud, thudding like a war drum.

Nobody’s gonna hear a damn thing. I bite my lip so hard I taste blood. If this place had outside only smoking, maybesomebody would have come out for a light. Maybe I could have planned for that.

Maybe someone would have seen. Maybe. I suck in a breath. Gotta move.

Gotta save my kid.

I step forward. Each step feels like dragging cement blocks. The second I'm close enough, Earl lunges, grabbing me roughly, yanking me hard into his chest. His stink, booze, rot and filth, wraps around me and I gotta fight not to gag.

Judge's voice cuts through the dark. "Mom!"

I twist, trying to smile through the panic. "Shh, baby," I say, voice shaking. "It’s okay. I’ll be okay."

Earl laughs, low and mean. "She won’t," he says, loud enough for Judge to hear. "But that’s her problem. Tell your daddy I'll be coming for him next."

"Fuck you!" Judge spits back, fire in every word.

Pride punches me square in the chest.

My boy. My fierce, brave boy.

Earl chuckles. "Little firecracker," he says. "You sure he ain’t mine?"

"I'm sure," I snarl.

He squeezes me tighter, ribs groaning. "You lie to me, Brydgett, and I'll come back for him. Burn this fucking place down."

"I'm not lying," I bite out.

He grins and nods at his guys. "Let 'em go. Girl, you keep that boy still. Count to one hundred before you move. We got a rifle on you. You twitch before then, you die. Got it?"

Dillon sneers like she's ready to murder him herself. "Got it."

"Good girl," Earl says mock-sweet.

I thrash, fighting to break loose.

Maybe if I can claw him.

Maybe if I can?—

Something hard slams into the back of my skull.