Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 102136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102136 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
“Maddie, please—” Bella began to speak.
“You stopped the men from hurting Rider in the barn when he came back from New Zion. We, your sisters, stood beside you in solidarity. Well, this is my barn. Flame has gone somewhere we do not know. I will find out, and I shall follow him. He needs me. I will not be cast aside because I am not a brother in the Hangmen.” I took a deep breath and tried to not let my voice shake when I said, “I am his wife. And I am the only one who can save him.” But I failed to disguise a crack in my voice when I added, “I will not live without him. He is not thinking straight. I need to save him from himself. I will save him and bring him back home, where he belongs.” I cradled my stomach. “With us.” I straightened my shoulders but kept a hold of my baby, closing my eyes when I felt movement.
When I opened my eyes, Bella nodded and sighed in defeat. Her hand reached across the console and she took hold of Rider’s hand. I could not tear my eyes from the sight. Of how they held onto one another. No flames. No demons and no fear of death. Just love and affection. I looked down at my own hand. I will have Flame’s hand in mine once more, I will accept nothing less. He had fought this before. He could do it again. I always knew that for Flame, he would be in a lifelong war with his past. He did not think like others. He was fixated on the one thing that had plagued his mind for all his days. For him it was the flames. They were ever present in his life. And they always would be, too ingrained in him since childhood to be vanquished for good.
So, we would face each battle as it came with our swords held high, our courage strong and unwavering. This is just another battle, I told myself. I pushed dread and fear aside and gripped onto hope. I refused to entertain anything else.
Hope was all I had.
*****
Rider pulled onto the land surrounding Styx and Mae’s cabin. I saw AK dismounting his bike. He turned his head and I met his eyes through the windshield. He shook his head, cursing under his breath and darted across the yard. “They’re using Styx’s yard as church for now. The compound has already begun getting rebuilt, but it’ll be a while before it’s ready,” Rider said.
I pulled open the door and steeled my nerves. Determination flooded my veins as my feet met grass. I did not wait another second. Instead, I followed the sound of male voices across the yard until they came into view. They were seated around a large table, Styx at the head. And they were all looking straight at me. AK was pushing his hands through his dark hair. My feet almost faltered when I saw Viking rise from his seat and stand beside him. Pain was etched on their faces. Flame was their best friend. They had been the pair to rescue him from the mental hospital and give him a family when he had nothing. They gave him a life here at the Hangmen. A stab of sadness dug into my chest, imagining how they must feel too. But I pushed that aside and I held my head high.
Ky turned to me. “Madds, you can’t be here. We’ve got it—”
“I will not be sent away, Kyler. I am Flame’s wife and will not be cast aside because I am female. I have had a lifetime of this kind of treatment in The Order. I shall not tolerate it from men who are meant to be my family.” Silence followed my curt interruption. I had no time to give a soft and gentle appeal. My gaze moved from Ky’s hard blue gaze to Styx’s. His hazel eyes were tightly focused on mine. He didn’t move from the President’s seat. I heard voices from Mae’s home. I flicked my attention to the porch. Mae, Lilah, Phebe and Bella were stood there. Sapphira and Grace and the babies were there too. Mae handed Charon to Bella and I watched my sister hesitate about what to do, on whether to stand beside me or not. Her blue eyes flicked between her husband and me: concerned, conflicted, confused.
But this was not Mae’s battle. It was my battle. “Do you know where Flame is?” I demanded. Styx’s hard gaze was fiercely intimidating. As much as I loved Styx as my brother-in-law, I was not naïve concerning his reputation, why he was so feared by enemies, and so respected by each one of these men. Even by Flame. But I would not let him scare me in this moment of truth. If he knew where Flame was, he was going to tell me. The sound of a bike came roaring from behind me. I turned to see Smiler park his bike and saunter toward the table, as though he had not a care in the world.