Page 10
T he dim glow of the corridor stretches long, sinister shadows as I dart down the hall, my heart a chaotic. I move swiftly, silently, knowing that what I am doing is going to ruin everything I’ve built with Talon. That breaks my heart more than anything, but I have to save Lily. I promised her, and I can’t go on until I know she is safe.
The club is on high alert, coming up with plans to save Lily, but I know that we don’t have any more time. Right now, I have to do what is best, even if it will ensure I lose the one person I am falling in love with. Talon will never forgive me for this betrayal, I know it deep down in my soul, but my mind is made up.
My stomach turns as I halt outside Talon's door, my fingers curling around the doorknob. I don’t think too much about the fact that I have woken up nauseous again. I can’t think about that right now. I push the door open. The room is shrouded in darkness, and I can just make out the silhouette of him sleeping in the bed. My heart constricts painfully, and I hate myself so damn much for this.
I close the door gently and step into the dark room, moving as quietly as I can.
If I wake him, this is all for nothing.
Talon's breathing is rhythmic and untroubled, while mine is held hostage, as I carefully use a small flashlight to find what it is I’m after. A gun. On the bedside table, as expected, I see Talon’s weapon. I carefully tread over, reaching down and lifting it up. Its weight is formidable, its touch icy against my skin. God, I have no right to be here. No right to do this, but Lily's image sears into mind.
I'm sorry, Talon.
I stare down at him for a long moment, taking in his perfect face. He’s sleeping on his back, his arms tucked up behind his head, looking so peaceful it tugs at my heart. His biceps bulge due to the position, and I fight the urge to reach out and trace my fingers over the colorful tattoos there. My eyes burn with unshed tears as I exhale softly, turning away.
I slip back out of the room as quickly as I got in, closing the door softly behind me. I clench my eyes shut as I press my back against the wall, hating what I just did to him. I betrayed him in the worst way. I wouldn’t blame him if he never forgave me. Why would he? I don’t deserve it.
I just hope he understands I was doing it for Lily.
It is all for her.
Everything I do is for her.
So why does it feel so damn horrible.
MY FOOTSTEPS ARE QUICK as I make my way out of the compound.
There is no way I'm walking out of here without a plan. Everything is set up, and all I have to do is make sure nobody catches me. I move down the side of one of the old sheds, where I noticed some timber stacked high earlier in the day. My plan is to knock it over, then slip back behind the shed. When the guys guarding the gate come over, I will slip out.
I can only hope it works.
Reaching the logs, I take in a deep breath and peer around the side of the shed, making sure I can see the two men at the gate. They are standing, smoking cigarettes and talking low to each other. Inhaling deep, I lift my foot and push the timber. It comes crashing down harder than I anticipated, stumbling to the ground and making a sound so loud it is guaranteed to wake everyone up.
“Fuck,” I gasp, moving back behind the shed quickly as the sound of footsteps near.
I have seconds before the other club members are out of their beds. Talon included.
I shuffle along the wall, holding my breath as I make a run for it. The second the two men are out of sight, I sprint towards the gate. It isn’t padlocked, but I do have to unlatch it and it opens with a loud creak. God dammit. I didn’t think this through. Shouting voices can be heard behind me and my heart lurches into my throat as I rush into the darkness, the cold steel of Talon’s gun pressing against my hip as I move.
I’m out, but it won’t be long before they figure it out.
I have to move, and I have to move quickly.
I run down the road, my legs moving as quickly as possible, carrying my small frame as I create distance between the club and myself. Only when the shouting subsides, do I slow down, dropping my hands to my knees and taking a deep, painful breath. My lungs burn and sweat trickles down my forehead. That was far too close.
Lifting my head, I glance up just as a car begins slowing down next to me.
Just as I predicted.
They were waiting for me. Like I knew they would be.
Here goes nothing.
IT ONLY TAKES ME A moment to realize that it is Cyrus in the car, and I can breathe a sigh of relief. He is the only person I can manipulate enough to give me what I want. This is a huge risk, I know it, but it is the only option I have. As the window winds down and I see Cyrus, I know I have to find a strength I have never felt before.
I have to bring out the kind of inner warrior I have never shown them.
Now is my time to shine.
A slow smirk spreads across Cyrus’s face, and I know he thinks he’s won. How wrong he is. “I see you got our message. You made the right choice, Nia. Get in.”
I grin, reaching around behind me and pulling out the gun, aiming it right at his face. “I’m not going anywhere with you, not yet. We’re going to make a deal.”
His eyes widen, a hint of shock washing over his face. It’s incredibly satisfying, knowing that he didn’t think I had it in me. “It takes a lot of courage to think you have enough power to make demands.”
His voice is calm, but I can see he’s nervous.
Good.
He should be.
“It’s simple. You take me back, and I speak to my father, or I shoot you right now and they can deal with the fallout of that. Either option is fine with me.”
My voice is steady, and I don’t waver, not even for a second.
“You’re not going to shoot anyone.”
I grin. “Try me.”
He glares, but I see the flicker of uncertainty. He doesn’t know me anymore. He doesn’t know what I’m capable of. I see it in his eyes—the doubt, the surprise. Like he can’t believe the girl he thought he owned is standing here, gun in hand, defying him. It’s enough to shake him.
I love every second of it.
“Fine,” he snaps. “Get in. But you’ll regret this.”
I lower the gun slightly, enough to let him know I’m still in control, but not enough to give him any ideas. I move around to the passenger side, my heart still thundering from the run, from the fear, from the knowledge that I’ve just turned my back on the only people who were really willing to help me.
I get in, and the door clicks shut, the cold leather seat pressing against my skin. It takes everything in me not to look back. I know by now the club has probably figured out I’m gone, and I know that right now, Talon is feeling something I never wanted him to feel.
Pure betrayal.
Cyrus drives, his jaw tight. “You think you have the upper hand, Nia. But you don’t know what you’re dealing with.”
I keep the gun pointed at him, and I know I’m more than willing to pull the trigger if I have to. “I know exactly what I’m dealing with. That’s why I’m not scared of you.”
The darkness surrounds us, and I feel it closing in, suffocating, but I don’t let it show. I’m in the car with the enemy, heading straight back to a place that almost broke me. But this time, I’m not the same girl I was. This time, I have something to fight for.
I am going to get Lily out.
I vow it.
The familiar landscape blurs past, and I feel a strange, sick twist in my stomach, a mix of fear and determination. I did this. I made this choice. I try to convince myself it was the right one, but doubt claws at me, vicious and relentless.
“What the hell are you thinking?” Cyrus mutters, his voice laced with anger and something else—a hint of admiration, maybe. “You think you can just walk away from them and come back like it’s nothing?”
“I think you underestimate me.”
His lips curl into a sneer. “You’re still just a scared little girl, Nia. You’ll fall in line soon enough.”
I don’t answer, focusing instead on the road ahead, the stretch of asphalt leading me back to a world I thought I’d escaped. My grip on the gun tightens. I can’t afford to be scared. I can’t afford to be weak. Not now, not when I’m this close.
I will shoot if I need to.
Oh, and I’ll enjoy every second of it.