Page 42 of Wild Side (Vicious Reapers MC #3)

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My decision has been made yet again. My clothes are neatly packed inside my suitcase, and my computer is already nestled neatly in its place in the front seat of my car. My purse will join it when I climb inside.

I’ve asked myself a dozen times what the hell I was thinking, and I’ve yet to feel an answer. So, here I am, getting ready to go somewhere else in an attempt to find myself, or maybe what I’m doing is trying to lose myself, no matter the case, I’m walking away… again.

This time, I rationalize that I’m walking away for my own safety.

That weirdo I went out with three times is still watching me, relentlessly.

I don’t know what I did to make him want to follow me around and stand outside my window on a nightly basis, but he’s made it his mission to creep me out, and it worked.

Stepping outside the apartment, my suitcase handle in hand, I look behind me as I close the door and let out a sigh. I’m not sure if it’s a sigh of relief, but I don’t really know how I feel right now.

I need to just do what I’m going to do. Get in the car and drive. This time, I have zero destination in mind. I’ve tried the East Coast and the West Coast. I tried a place with a big lake. But I think this time, maybe I might try one of the states in the middle. See what that life is all about.

I’m halfway down the hallway when I hear my phone ringing in my back pocket. I usually don’t keep my volume on at all, but since I was moving around the apartment so much, I didn’t want to miss a call.

Dakota is supposed to call me today. We talk once a week, and today is that day.

I try not to bother her because I know that her schedule isn’t anywhere near regulated.

It’s all over the place half the time. Not just with Bishop being who he is in the motorcycle club, but also with the bakery, her remote job, and Nathan.

Tugging my phone out of my hand, I slide my thumb across the screen when I see that it is her calling me.

“Girl, how did you know I was just getting ready for my next adventure?” She doesn’t say anything immediately, but then I hear her sniffle. “What’s wrong?” I ask, my tone shifting immediately.

“It’s Lightning. He’s been shot.”

LIGHTNING

Walking up to the bakery, I notice there’s a pickup truck parked right in front.

I don’t know why I see it, maybe because it’s running and nobody is in the driver’s seat.

It’s not a foreign thing for people to be hopping into a store to grab something and leave their vehicles running, especially downtown, but it catches my eye nonetheless.

Moving into the bakery, I jerk my chin toward Lainey behind the counter, then my gaze slides over to Cidney, who is standing just a few feet away from me, looking at the case, no doubt trying to figure out what to take back to the office.

Lainey says hello, waving her hand shyly as she does. Cidney turns her head, her eyes finding mine, and she smiles softly.

“Hey Lightning,” she murmurs.

“You taking shit back to the office?” I ask.

She opens her mouth to speak, but the bell above the door rings, signaling a new customer. Cidney’s eyes widen, I watch as they flick behind me, and she opens her mouth, but words don’t come out.

Wondering what’s got her so spooked, I turn my head, looking behind me, and see that a man is walking through the door, but he doesn’t look like he’s here to buy muffins. Judging by the expression of pure rage on his face, I don’t think he’d actually enjoy a sweet treat at the moment.

He also doesn’t look like he belongs in Thunder Rock, not in his three-piece business suit. In fact, he looks like he works at a bank or some such shit. He takes a step forward, looking right past me and directly into Cidney’s eyes.

I do not like the way he’s looking at her, and I really don’t like the angry vibes he’s giving off either.

“You fucking cunt,” he growls.

“Wait a fuckin’ minute,” I say, taking a step to move in front of her.

Then it happens. It’s so fast that I don’t realize what’s going on. He pulls a gun out of the back of his waistband. Without a second thought, I jump in front of Cidney just as he pulls the trigger.

Something hot slices through my shoulder. A bullet. Lainey screams in the background, then another shot goes off, and like a hot knife, another bullet slides through me, this time my belly.

Taking my gun out of my shoulder holster, I point it at him. But before I can get even one round off, he’s gone. I watch as he climbs into that running pickup, and his wheels screech as he backs up and peels down the road.