“You know who it was?”Maverick asks, and I nod, biting my lip.
“Fuck me, Ry-Ry,” Ryland grumbles, getting my attention. When I lock eyes with him for the first time, I see the anguish in his gaze. The hardened expression coming over him. “I know that look, Ryann Morgan Branch, don’t try to hide shit now.”
“Don’t call me by my full name, Ryland McCay Branch,” I retort, narrowing my gaze.
So, I’ve always loved my brother, but we’re siblings who bicker. We fight. Our parents would always start laughing, they thought it was hilarious. Me, five years younger than my brother, and I’d throw so much sass at Ryland and make him mad enough his face would get red.
“Fuckin’ hell, I think I just had a flashback.” My brother’s best friend, and from what his cut says, he now goes by Risk, laughs.
“Don’t get her started,” Ryland grumbles, and I take a split second to take a look at his cut and see not only is he the VP of the club, but he goes by Warrant now.
“Warrant? Really?” I blurt out. “Let me guess, ‘cause you always have a warrant out for your arrest?”
“Oh shit,” Pike says as Risk and the one on the other side of him, Butcher, burst out laughing. “That was good.”
“Fuckin’ hell, Ryann, just tell us who the fuck it was that took you rather than attempting to take us off the subject at hand.” He glowers.
Okay, he had my number. He knew what I was doing and refused to take the bait.
“Fine,” I snap, look to the ceiling, and taking a breath.
Sabotage’s fingers trace circles on my lower back, relaxing me.
I give myself a moment to let his touch soothe me and return my attention to the matter at hand. Giving them the answer they want.
“Remember Roy?” I ask, knowing well and good he remembered.
“What about the little cock suckin’ weasel?” This time, it was Risk who spoke up.
“The night I went missing, he’s the one who took me. He ran us off the road. It was him who took me this time too.” It’s all I can do to get that out before my brother, Risk, and the others lose their shit.
“You telling me that fuckwad is responsible for not only kidnapping my little sister, but killing our dad?”
“Yes,” I confirm.Quickly, I take a breath and glance around the table before sharing what happened when I woke in the abandoned warehouse. “It felt too easy getting away from him. The first time he took me, he kept me chained for over a year before selling me off to a man who then sold me to . . .” I look to Sabotage and whisper the last. “You know who.”
“Yeah, gorgeous, I know,” he growls, nodding.
“This time, though, I wasn’t restrained. I didn’t think, I just kneed him when he got close and ran out of there. I knew where I was. Dad taught us how to drive there,” I explain, looking at my brother. “I remember you joining the club. I didn’t know your road name or any of that, but I ran straight here.”
Ryland looks to Risk. “We need to send someone to that warehouse and see if he’s still there.”
“Agreed.” Risk nods, “Pike, take Throttle and Spark with you, show them the way.”
“You got it.”
Getting to his feet, Pike motions to two men I’d never seen before, and they follow him silently.
“Throttle and Spark just moved here from our Louisiana charter. Throttle’s our enforcer, and Spark is our Sergeant at Arms.”
“I know who they are.” Viking nods. “They’re from Chains’s club.”
“Yeah,” Ryland confirms and looks at Risk, silently communicating as I remember seeing them do so often. Risk nods, and my brother looks back at me. “Need to let Mom know you’re here.”
My lips part to protest, but Sabotage speaks up first.
“Ryann, you need to let her know.”
“Okay, but I really want to get back home. Back to Nevaeh, Fawn, and Peyton.” I love my brother. I love my mom. But after the hell I’ve lived, I feel closer to them. We’re like sisters. We share a bond none of the others understand.