“Then we drag them back kicking and screaming,” Saint said darkly. “They made a vow. And they’re going to stick to it. There is no getting out of the bond the five of us share. Not in this life. So if they try to run, we catch them and drag them the fuck back.”
“I can pin Tatum down if I get close enough to catch her,” Kyan said with a smirk that said he was more than happy to do that. “She’ll fight like a tomcat but I don’t mind her roughing me up. I can keep her in my arms in here the whole way back to campus.”
“Yeah, sitting on your lap, I’m guessing,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Well, if that’s what it takes, I’m sure I can suffer through it,” he teased and Saint huffed irritably.
“And what about Monroe?” I asked. “You gonna perch him on your lap too? Give him a nice ride on your dick the whole way back?”
“We all know he prefers pretty boys like you,” Kyan tossed at me and I smirked, running a hand through my black hair like a douche and not even caring that I was one. I liked my pretty face.
“If Monroe has tried to run off with our girl then he’s in for a world of pain,” Saint promised. “And the least he can expect is a few savage smacks from Kyan’s bat, a damn good kicking from all of us and a journey back to school in the trunk of my car. After that, if they’re still a flight risk we’ll have to give them plenty of reasons to change their fucking minds. Even if that means chaining our girl to one of us at all times.”
The look I exchanged with Kyan let me know that neither of us hated that idea and I had to wonder what that said about the three of us. We’d literally vowed to destroy a guy for stalking our girl and now we were all chasing her into the dark and planning to drag her back to our lair kicking and screaming and chaining her to us if she still wanted to run. Yeah, we definitely had some problems. I bet we could have kept a therapist in work for years with our emotional issues. Not that that made me want to change my mind about the plan. Tatum Rivers had promised to be ours and I was going to hold her to that vow no matter what. Even though I knew it was fucked up, I just couldn’t stand the alternative.
I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted as we sped on down the dark roads. “I am the dark in the dead of the night!”
“Hear me roar!” Saint and Kyan instantly replied and I laughed darkly as we all howled like animals.
I had to admit, my monster was showing again. And it liked the scent of blood in the air.
“I know you want to help, kiddo, but you can’t come with me,” Dad said seriously. “It’s too dangerous.”
“But-” I started and he cut over me.
“It’s not a debate. I need you safe. You’ve gotta give me that, Tatum. You can be of more help at Everlake anyway.”
“How?” I demanded as he rose from his seat, glancing out the window again. He didn’t answer and I got to my feet in frustration. “How, Dad?”
“I hear the Governor’s son is there, right? Can you get close to him?”
“Dad, I…” So many words got stuck in my throat and I couldn’t let any of them out. I know him, he tortured me, tried to destroy me, he holds me captive, punishes me, cares for me, killed for me… Holy shit. “Yeah, I can talk to him,” I said at last.
“Tell him what I told you and ask him to speak with his father. If the Governor will listen, give him this.” He reached into his coat pocket and took out a folded wad of papers. “It’s everything I have left from my correspondence with Mortez. The number he called me on, the emails we shared. It’s not much, but if someone looks into him there has to be a trail. There has to be evidence,” he said, his voice rising as if he was desperate to believe his own words.
I took the wad of paper and tucked it into my pocket. “I’ll do my best,” I promised.
“Then you will do exceptionally.” He smiled, moving toward me. “I’ll contact you again when I can. I’m sorry…” He inhaled deeply, the weight of the world seeming to hang on him. “I’m sorry for everything, for all I’ve put you through. When this is over, I’m going to buy us a house on the beach. One home, no more moving around.”
“You mean it?” My heart squeezed at the thought.
“Promise, Tater-tot.” He pulled me into a hug and I tried not to come apart in his arms. I was afraid of how long it would be until I could see him again. But I had to be strong, do what he’d asked and ensure his name was cleared.
He stiffened suddenly and stepped away, grabbing his gun just before Monroe burst through the door.
“There’s men out there, coming this way,” he panted, his breath fogging before him as the cold air swept in from outside before he pushed the door shut. “They’re close.”
“Fuck.” Dad strode to the window, closing the curtains then gazing through the crack in the middle. “Get out the back.”
Monroe grabbed my hand, but I dug my heels in as my heart lurched. “Dad, come on.”
“Take my daughter. Get her out of here,” Dad
