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I’m not the only one surprised by this request. I truly believed that I would be buried in my colors. Prez taking this away from me cuts me to the bone. I could fight it and challenge him on it, make him take if off me by force. Instead, I stand up, take the cut off, fold it carefully and place it on the table in front of me. He doesn’t ask for me to slide it over to him, and I don’t attempt to do it either.
“The last matter and point of discussion is the manner in which Hawk will be taken out.”
I swallow hard and say a little prayer. It is not for myself but for my mother not to ever be aware of my demise. I don’t want this kind of pain on her in the last years of her life, if she even makes it for years and not months.
I also send a prayer for Ruby Santiago, the girl who stole my heart without permission. The girl I will never forget, not even in the afterlife.
“A new item has come up for vote, and it needs to be decided tonight. Devereaux is offering the Savages MC a twenty-year contract on all his firearm dealings. This includes his entire organization as long as we can show that we can work the load.”
My brain goes into business mode on instinct. It’s what I’ve always done.
“What’d the catch?” Winger asks the question that’s sitting on the tip of my tongue.
“In exchange for this agreement, Devereaux wants Hawk to be turned over to him. Immediately.”
I am lightheaded from the instant rush of blood to my brain. I’m sure I understand what’s happening.
“All in favor of accepting Devereaux’s offer and for Hawk being banished from ever stepping foot in the state of Texas or neighboring states, including signing a legally binding non-disclosure agreement that would clear the club of any wrongdoing in the event that he got arrested, say aye.”
I look around the room in astonishment, unsure of what is happening. Before we all got up from the table, it was decided that the brothers would be voting on the manner in which I would die. But what Prez is now saying… What he is saying is that I would be free to leave, cut all ties with the club. Forever.
The only issue I currently see with this is that the room is deadly quiet. No one is saying a damn word.
Crickets.
TWENTY-FOUR
Ruby
I blink my eyes open, confused as to my location. My body is lying on the most comfortable surface I have ever felt in my life. I am snuggled into a soft comforter of some sort, making it very hard for me to focus.
When I dare to look around, I realize that I am in a bedroom, definitely not my own. It’s luxurious looking, with large windows and big heavy drapes that are now drawn, making it hard to tell what time of the day this could possibly be.
I try to figure out how I even got in here. It’s as if my memory has been completely erased. My heartbeat takes off at a higher rate when I remember being at the bus station. I wanted to buy a ticket somewhere, and I was scared of what was to come of me. That’s when I was approached by a handsome older man in a business suite.
“Hawk!” I scream when it suddenly hits me.
I remember in vivid detail everything the man named Deveraux told me. He explained to me what being part of a motorcycle club meant, and what being disloyal entailed. He told me that Hawk would die because he chose to save me.
Sobs get ripped from my chest, and it affects my entire body. Everything hurts, reminding me that I am alive while he’s not. How am I supposed to continue living my life when he sacrificed his own for me? What will happen to Mary now that Hawk is gone?
I have all these questions running through my head and absolutely no answers. First, I need to find out where I am and how I can get out.
In complete panic now, I throw the comforter off me, relieved to see that I am still wearing everything I had on before I passed out. That includes Hawk’s humongous hoodie. I should probably take it off since I feel overheated, but I am not ready for that just yet.
“Oh my God, my money!”
I don’t have time to appreciate the plushness of the rug under my feet when I start to frantically look around for the backpack I was holding the last time I was awake. I finally notice it perfectly sitting on a chair across from a loveseat. I run to it and grab it with shaky hands. When I try to undo the zipper, my fingers refuse to cooperate. After the third try, it finally works. I look inside and notice that everything is just as I had it. When I pat the pockets of my jeans, I find that all the cash I’d stuffed in them at Hawk’s suggestion is there.
I press a hand to my chest and try to calm down. Then, I slide the backpack over my shoulders and look around for my boots. Another wave of sadness hits me when I can’t find them anywhere. Going barefoot is not a problem, but those were the boots that Hawk bought me. I can’t just lose them.
Deciding that I don’t have time for that, I move closer to the door, then press an ear against it, trying to figure out if there is anyone out there. When I can’t hear anything, I press my hand against the door handle, and it pops open. I jump back, startled by how loud it sounded.
I find myself walking into a hallway that has three other doors. They are all closed, and I don’t want to risk anything by going to look in each one. With only one obvious way out, I walk on the tips of my toes toward the end of the hallway. When I get there, I am scared to stick my head out and look.
Struggling to regulate my breathing, I’m not sure for how long I stand there. When someone clears their throat on the other side, I about jump out of my skin.
“Miss, you can come out. No one is going to hurt you.”
