Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 42863 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42863 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
Before he walked into a cruel fate, choosing to sacrifice himself to save us. What if it was the last time he ever uttered those words to me? What if, when he did make it back home, he wasn’t alive?
Clarke lifted her head from my shoulder, staring out the window next to me with blank, withdrawn eyes. She’d woken up about two hours ago but had remained mute despite my desperate attempts to find out if she was okay. She wasn’t interested in talking. She had shut down, her mind on survival mode.
Out of everything she’d gone through, the thing to break her was knowing Tank was gone. And I was sure it was gutting her as much as it was gutting me that we were the reasons he was missing. Because he’d chosen to protect us. Because he chose to sacrifice himself so we would always be safe.
The door beside me opened, and the two men who’d come down into the basement with Tank after I’d been captured appeared, blocking anyone’s view of me and Clarke. Both of them held assault rifles, and bulletproof vests were strapped to their chests. I swallowed thickly.
Just how bad had everything gotten while we’d been gone?
“When you step out of the vehicle,” the man wearing the president patch, who I assumed was River, said, “I need you both to huddle close but move fast to get into the clubhouse. Clear?”
I nodded. “Clear,” I rasped. “Clarke isn’t really… here at the moment,” I warned them.
The Vice President shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. Just get her to cooperate. Reina and Adelaide can take care of her when we get you two inside.”
I nodded and gripped Clarke tightly before pulling her out of the vehicle with me. Her legs were stiff as I maneuvered her to the clubhouse, the two men following closely behind us, their boots crunching over the gravel. As soon as we were inside the clubhouse, Alejandro ran his eyes over us and then slipped outside, more than likely to debrief his men and send them back home.
Two women rushed forward, who I assumed were Reina and Adelaide. Clarke frowned at them, pressing herself back against the front of my body. “Sweetheart,” the thinner woman breathed, “I know. It’s okay. He’s going to be okay.”
Clarke suddenly burst into tears, a sob ripping from her throat. My own throat tightened with sadness and pain. I hated seeing her like this. Hated that Ash was gone. Hated that we had no idea where he was or if he was okay. Was he even still alive? If he was, was he okay, or were they torturing him?
A hand rested on my shoulder as Adelaide and Reina gently took Clarke from my arms and led her toward the stairs. I looked over at the VP. “Come to the chapel, kid.”
I slowly nodded, and he dropped his hand. I stared after Clarke until she disappeared from my view, though her sobs were still audible, twisting my heart tighter and tighter in my chest with every single one. Sighing, I turned and followed the men into the chapel. I swallowed thickly at the empty seat.
Tank’s seat.
“You can sit there, Beck,” River said. “I’m River.” I nodded, already knowing that. He gestured to the VP sitting to the right of him. “This is Sam.” His gaze moved to the man next to Sam. “Holden is my Sergeant at Arms. Gin,” Gin lifted his finger from the table, “is the Treasurer. Drake,” my gaze slid to the man sitting next to Gin, closer to River, “is the Secretary. Link,” Link dipped his chin in my direction, “is a patched member without an officer ranking, but he’s just as important. We’re all Tank’s family, and I swear to you, Beck, I’m going to do everything in my fucking power, even if I have to sell my soul, to bring him back home to you and Clarke.”
I exhaled a shaky breath and clenched my hands into fists on top of my thighs. “You have no idea where he is?” I croaked.
“We have a faint idea,” Alejandro said, coming into the room. His suit was impeccable, not a single wrinkle lining it. His hair was slicked back from his face, his olive skin void of any imperfections. “The moment Emmanuel called to inform me Tank was missing, we began hunting for him. They came in via the beach, so we’re assuming that’s the way they left, too. Immediately, we began trying to track them. No luck yet, but we’re assuming they’re bringing him either to the newest place they’ve set up shop about ten miles east of here, or they’re taking him to DC to their private home.”
“Who are they?” I asked.
“The Bradley family,” River informed me.
My stomach cramped. Tank had mentioned the Bradley family was the reason Clarke was kidnapped. Why she was raped and beaten over and over and over again. And now Tank was with them.