Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66859 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66859 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“How the hell do you stay so small when you eat like a fully grown man?” Remy asks me, a grin on his face.
“It’ll catch up on me one day, I’m sure,” I say between mouthfuls.
“Where did you stay last night?” Eve asks me.
“Beckett’s ...”
Her brows go up and she looks to Beckett, who shoots her a glare mid bite. She grins.
“Wish we were here to chat about your night,” Riggs interrupts. “But we ain’t.”
“Well, that sounds like it’s going to ruin my appetite,” I mutter. “Can I finish eating before you destroy my life.”
The expression on his face tells me whatever news he’s about to share I won’t like.
He lets me finish my burger.
Then, he tells me the news.
“Cartel doesn’t seem to believe that we’re not holdin’ onto you. They’re sniffin’ around, askin’ questions. They think we’re hidin’ you and I can’t see them goin’ away anytime soon.”
Oh.
Wonderful.
“Good chance they saw you at the clubhouse last night,” Remy fills in. “Can’t be sure, but we had a visit today from one of them looking for you.”
“Can’t we just give them the money I took and be done with it?” I question.
“Don’t work like that.” Riggs shakes his head. “They’re goin’ to make a point, and that point is you don’t get away from stealing from them. Even if you do pay it back.”
“So, basically, unless we can take down the entire cartel, then I’m going to die eventually ...” I say, my voice timid and small.
That scares me.
Scares the absolute shit out of me.
“Not if we find something they want more,” Beckett says. “Make a deal.”
“What could they possibly want more than to make their ‘point’?” I question.
“Always somethin’ they want more.” Riggs nods. “Beckett’s right. We do a deal with them, get you off the hook.”
I narrow my eyes. “Why would you risk your club to help me?”
“Nobody said anythin’ about me riskin’ my club,” Riggs goes on, his eyes hard. “You’re the one who is going to make the deal, and you’re the one who is going to deliver it.”
I blink. “They’ll kill me on the spot, we both know there will be no time for a deal.”
“We’ll negotiate that part of it.”
I close my eyes. This is a bad idea, a very bad idea.
“I think I’d rather take the bullet,” I mutter.
“You know people, you’ve been around,” Riggs goes on. “There has to be somethin’ you can offer them. Someone you can give a location to. Some sort of trade off you can make.”
“None of which won’t be a risk to my life,” I point out.
“Your life is at risk already, this is the best you’ve got.”
I stare down at my crossed legs.
“Can’t we just do it for her?” Eve asks. “I mean, come on, you’re a biker club. Surely you can do some sort of deal with them in exchange for her freedom. She’s helping us, can’t we help her?”
“She’s helpin’ us, because she stole from us,” Riggs tells her. “It’s not up to us to fix her mess. We’re already keepin’ her safe, and we’ll make sure she gets a deal, but it’ll be her who carries out that deal.”
God.
I get it, I do. I stole from them.
But I’m also helping them now.
Still, they seem unable to see me as a real person.
As someone worth helping.
Story of my damned life.
“I need some air,” I say, getting to my feet and walking outside.
Suddenly, the burger my stomach was craving minutes earlier feels like it doesn’t belong.
Just like me.
I feel you, burger.
I feel you.
5
“You okay?” Eve asks, sitting down beside me on an old fallen tree out the back of the warehouse.
I shrug. “I basically have to accept that either way this goes, I’m likely to die sometime soon.”
“I won’t let that happen. I’ll get through to Riggs, I promise.”
I glance at her. “You don’t understand how this works, I get that. But I’ve been in this life a long time, I know exactly how it works. The club, that is far more important than me and nothing you say or do will get Riggs to change his mind. You know that; deep down, you know that.”
Eve drops her head, exhaling. “Either way, I’m going to do the best I can to make sure whatever happens, you’re safe. The club might not want to be involved, but they can sure as hell offer some protection for whatever it is you have to do.”
Right.
Like they’re going to do that.
“I got myself into this mess,” I say. “I’ll get out of it.”
“Eve,” Riggs yells. “Gotta roll, come on.”
Eve frowns and glances at me. “We’ll make this work, we will.”
I give her a small smile as she stands and disappears. I stay on my log until Beckett finds me.
“Let’s keep workin’, I got shit to do.”
I ignore him, because, quite frankly, I can’t deal with his rude shit right now.