Chapter Twenty-Three
Spencer
Thinking he could claim me as his old man then leave me behind while he’s riding off to his potential death was Grinder’s first mistake.
Forgetting that my best friend is his club Enforcer’s wife is his second mistake.
“Are you sure about this, Spence? It feels like one of those dumb bitch moves from romance novels.” Mac’s concerned frown is almost amusing. Mostly because it’s usually me on the other side of said frown.
“I’ve never seen him like this before, Mac. If something’s happened…” I take a deep breath and shake my head because it doesn’t bear thinking about. “I can’t let him go through it alone.”
“The club knows what they’re doing andyouvery much don’t. That’s all I’m saying.” She holds her hands up in surrender and sighs. One of the rats, I think it’s Bandit, is running across the back seat of my car, no doubt investigating all the smells. The other rat, Ninja, is curled up on Mac’s lap, and even he gives me a look that says I’m out of my mind.
“I’m not planning to rush in and do a damn thing. I’ll stay a safe distance away and observe before approaching. Don’t worry. I’m not Psycho or you.” Giving her a playful wink, I allow myself a half-hearted smile. “Please?”
Rolling her eyes, she huffs. “I’m not giving this to you.” She pulls a piece of scrap paper from her purse, along with a pen, and scribbles down what I’m hoping is the address I need. Slamming it down on the dash of my car, she gives me judgey eyes. “I left this behind by mistake. Blame it on baby brain.”
For a moment, we hold each other’s gaze knowingly, each of us saying a thousand things that ultimately meanI love you.
“Come on, Bandit, let’s go home.” She holds out her hand into the back seat for Bandit, who eagerly steps onto her palm. After putting both rats in the special section her mom sewed into her purse specifically for them, she gives me a disapproving but amused stare.
“They left Jonesy here to keep me company taking some of the motorcycles back to the compound, so go now before I change my mind.” Leaning forward, she air kisses my cheek before slapping it lightly. “Knew you were a sucker for Grinder.” She laughs and climbs out of my car, bounding toward the club van and truck where Jonesy has just finished loading everything from the races.
Taking a few deep breaths, in through my nose and out through my mouth, I grip my steering wheel with both hands and stare at the paper on my dash. I have a large first aid kit and a few basic tools. There’s a small gun in my glovebox…and that’s it. I’m not armed to the teeth with weapons or skills, but for some reason, I feel compelled to follow Grinder. To see for myself that he and Parker are okay. I can’t just sit at home and wait patiently.
I know the address. It’s a couple of hours away. The brothers all left about ten minutes ago. As soon as Grinder relayed thethreats from the phone call, they rode off quicker than I’ve ever seen them. It’ll take me longer to get there than them, widening the gap, but hopefully that means the dangerous part will be over by the time I arrive.
I’m calm, I’m calculated, and I’m aware that I’m driving straight into the lion’s den. Does that make me as crazy as Grinder? No…but it does make me a fool.
The thing is, I’m okay with that because I’m jumping into this thing feet first. And I can’t do that effectively if my new boyfriend or his girlfriend die tonight.
Ten minutes from the destination, I almost crap myself when a rear tire bursts and the car skids to a stop. And of course it’s on a road surrounded by trees. It doesn’t frighten me, but the lack of streetlights means I’m going to need to play ‘balance the flashlight’ while I change the tire.
With everything I need from the trunk, I set about fixing the problem, cursing a few times because when does it ever go right the first try?
The wind is putting an additional chill in the air tonight, rustling the leaves of the trees and giving off eerie vibes. Being unafraid doesn’t mean I want to stick around and I’m relieved as I tighten the final wheelnut.
“You better have some grub in that car because I’m fuckin’ starvin’.”
My stomach leaps to my throat as I spin, only to see a battered and bruised Parker leaning heavily against a tree.
She grins and it looks painful, a cut by her mouth cracking with the action.
“I thought I was gonna have to skin a rabbit or something for dinner because where the fuck are we?” Raising one arm, she gestures all around us. “This place is a serial killer’s wet dream and the only house I managed to find belongs to said killers.”
Shaking myself from the pure shock, I drop the tools into the trunk and grab a blanket.
“Where have you been?” Approaching with caution, because this is Parker, I unfold the blanket and hold it out for her. “What happened?”
“I went fucking berry picking, what does it look like?” Snatching the blanket from me, she huffs and immediately wraps herself up.
“It looks like you got beat the hell up, but if you’re just out here berry picking, I’ll leave you to it.” I know strong women like Parker…and it’s always fun to mess with them a little. They get fiery but they make the best friends.
“Oh, but wait. I have something for you.” She reaches her hand into the front of her black shirt and pulls it out again to flip me off as she pokes her tongue at me.
I laugh and grab one of the protein bars I have for emergencies, holding it out as a way of peace making.
“Thanks.” Hopping forward with impressive speed and balance, she grabs the offered food and rips into it. “Ohmygod, this is fuckin’ disgusting, tastes like cardboard. Mmmm.” She eats the whole thing in just a few seconds. “It’s also the best thing ever because of course I chose this morning to skip breakfast.”