I continue eating, not bothering to look at her. I wash down a bite with a long pull from the energy drink, the artificial sweetness making my teeth ache.
“Viper,” Diesel says, his voice lower, more reasonable. “Come on, brother. Talk to us.”
I finish the sandwich, crumple the wrapper, and toss it in the nearby trash can. Still, I say nothing. I straddle my bike, keys in hand, ready to leave them all behind again.
“This is ridiculous,” Naomi snaps, stepping in front of the bike to block my path. Her face is flushed with anger, freckles standing out starkly against her pale skin. “You’ve been out here for more than a week, and what do you have to show for it? Nothing.”
I take another swig of the energy drink, feeling the caffeine hit my bloodstream. I just needs to keep me going for a little while longer. Just long enough for me to find Kayla.
“Atlas sent us to bring you back,” Naomi continues when I don’t respond. “He says if you come back now, there won’t be any club discipline for walking out.”
I don’t respond, just finish off the energy drink and crush the can in my fist. Naomi shifts her weight, impatient with my silence.
“Did you hear what I said? Atlas will forget this whole thing if you just come back. Do you know how rare that is? Do you know how much I had to beg to make that happen?”
I finally look at her, really look at her, for what feels like the first time in my life. She’s beautiful in that fierce way she’s always been, with her wild red curls and sharp edges. But I see her differently now. See the manipulation in her wide eyes, the calculation behind her concern.
“If you’re so afraid of Demon,” I say slowly, “why are you out here right now? Why aren’t you safe at the clubhouse?”
The question catches her off guard. Her mouth opens, then closes again. For a moment, she looks almost confused, as if she hasn’t considered this inconsistency in her own behavior.
“I—“ She stops, regroups. “I have protection.” She gestures to the men around her. “These guys aren’t letting anything happen to me.”
I scoff, “right.”
Her eyes narrow and her face twists in anger. “What are you trying to say, Viper?”
“I’m saying that one of these days, you’re going to have to tell me what really happened with Demon.” I toss the crushed can into the trash. “What I almost died for. What I screwed up my marriage for. What Kayla got kidnapped for.”
Naomi’s face flushes darker, her hands curling into fists at her sides. “I told you what happened,” she says, her voice rising. “Demon and I had a thing. I ended it. He couldn’t handle rejection. He took me, and when you came to save me, he tried to kill you. I shot him. End of story.”
“Whatever you say.” I turn the key in the ignition, my bike rumbling to life beneath me.
“Don’t you walk away from me again,” Naomi hisses, stepping even closer, her hand landing on my arm. “You’re making a mistake, Viper.”
I look down at her hand on my arm, then back to her face. “Move,” I say quietly. “Or I’ll move you myself.”
Her face contorts with rage, but she steps back, hand dropping to her side. “Fine. Have it your way. But don’t come crawling back when you’ve got nothing left.” She turns to the others. “Let’s go.”
They hesitate a moment, looking between the two of us.
“Now!” Naomi snaps, and they fall in behind her, heading toward their bikes parked on the far side of the lot.
I watch them go, a strange feeling settling in my gut. There’s something wrong with Naomi’s story. Something that doesn’t fit. But right now, I can’t afford to dwell on it. Kayla is all that matters.
Just as I’m about to pull away, my phone buzzes again. I almost ignore it, but some instinct makes me fish it out of my pocket. Unknown number. Usually I’d let it go to voicemail, but something tells me to answer this one.
“Yeah?” My voice sounds like I’ve been gargling gravel.
“Meet me where they took her.” Dragon’s voice is unmistakable, cool and controlled. “Now.”
My heart rate kicks up a notch. “How do you know where—“
But the line is already dead. He hung up.
I stare at the phone for a second, adrenaline surging through my system. Dragon has something. Maybe a lead, maybe more. It’s the first real hope I’ve had in days.
I kick my bike into gear and roar out of the gas station, leaving Naomi and the others behind. The wind whips at my face as I push the speed, cutting through the night toward County Road 16, where Kayla’s car was found. Fear and hope wage war in my chest, neither winning the upper hand.