“Then they’re going to kill me,” I said. Angel gasped in shock before she wrapped her arms around me tightly again. I pushed her off and kneeled so I could be closer to her eye level.
“Angel, I need you to listen to me.”
“No! No, I don’t want to hear it Ink!” She shook her head side to side widely and tried to wrap her arms around me again, but I pushed them down.
“Angel! Look at me!”
Her big blue eyes, ones that looked too big for her too skinny frame, met mine. “I have to do this. We can’t run forever. If I don’t come back, I need you to be safe.” I felt my throat trying to close, “You fucking promise me you will do whatever you have to do to be safe. Never stop fighting. It’ll be scary, but you’re the bravest little woman I have ever met. So if I’m not here to protect you, you need to do everything to keep yourself safe.”
The little girl sobbed loudly, big tears streaming fast down her face as she nodded her head. “Inkpop. My Inkpop.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and cried. I rubbed her long blonde curls and prayed for one of those miracles that seemed to keep popping up as of late.
I stood, and Angel turned to hug Jazmine’s waist, still crying just as hard.
“You’re going to be fine, and you’re going to come back to us.” Jazmine tugged on one of the earrings in her ears before reaching up and rubbing the stubble on my face.
“You better fucking believe it.” I gave her a full smile before I turned to the back door.
“She will be safe; I promise on my life. I will keep her safe.” Jazmine vowed behind me. I only turned and nodded once. The proclamation was a short one, but it lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders.
I walked out and got into the van. Time for some truth.
***
I pulled up about a mile away from the clubhouse, the same spot I was drugged and kidnapped from years ago. I ran the rest of the way there. The air felt good, rushing in and out of my lungs. I was staring at the big solid wood doors within minutes. The Wings of Diablo insignia carved deeply in the wood. All the bikes were still lined up; they must still be sleeping. It was barely ten in the morning. I raised my arm to push open the door, but the shake in my hand caused me to drop it back down.
This clubhouse had been my home, the people inside I considered family. Now I wasn’t sure if they were going to accept me back with open arms or if they were going to put a bullet in my head.
I took a step backward, my instinct trying to force me away from the danger. What if Ruby and Harrington got to them first? What if they killed me for what I did to Storm? What if they…”
I shook my head, trying to stop all the doubts and fears screaming at me, “Gut up, pussy.” I scolded at myself.
I raised my hand again and, with little effort, pushed the door open.
“State your fucking business before shit gets bad for you.” A prospect said as he stood in the walkway. He was a hefty dude, his hair short and tightly curled. He looked like he wasn’t a day over eighteen. I wondered if he knew what he was signing up for? If he knew one day, he could be me.
“Get your president. He has business.”
“My president is asleep, and I don’t know about any business.” The prospect stepped further into my space.
Close contact.
My fists balled up, and I instinctively moved into a fighting position. I could take him down in an instant.
“Pope. Fuck off.” Ryder’s gruff voice echoed behind us.
The prospect turned and looked at him, nodding his head once before moving from my space.
“Ink? Is that you?” Ryder took a step forward, his eyes squinting as he moved closer. He had a cane and was walking slowly.
“What the fuck happened to you, old man?” I asked, taking my first step over the threshold and standing there. I didn’t want to be too far from the door in case I had to get the fuck out of there. The last thing I wanted was to be trapped in this place.
A broad smile broke across his face. The asshole himself was smiling at me. “Shit happens. I could ask you the same thing.”
I shrugged a shoulder lazily, never taking my eyes of the man. “As you said, shit happens.”
“You here to cause shit?” He asked the smile dropping.
“I’m here to talk, but I make no promises.”
He nodded and then pulled his phone out. He swiped at the screen a few times, and then suddenly, a white light began to flash steadily over all the doors to the room.
I backed up, “What in the shit is that?” I didn’t know what it was, but it could be a signal of some kind. Was he calling in reinforcements or some shit?
“Easy. It’s just like an intercom; white is attention, red is danger.” Ryder tried to explain, “Not like I was going to run around knocking on everyone’s door.”
Quickly doors began to open, “The fuck! What do you want, Ryder? It’s too early for this shit! Unless you have food? Oooh, is it food?” Clean barged out of the door and stood looking over the railing. His badly bruised face dropped in shock when he saw me.
“Yeah, what’s up?” Devin stepped out. He did a double-take when he saw me. He looked between Ryder and me, trying to assess the damage.
Long blond hair appeared in my peripheral vision. I looked up and saw Vale, my body tensed, ready for the fight. He saw my reaction, and a look of confusion passed over his face.
Storm. That wasn’t Vale that was Storm. That shit was going to
