Page 105 of Where We Ended

NATTY

PRESENT DAY

I had texted Pen what I was doing so she could fill in Jameson and Killian. It wasn’t really their fight now that I was recovered, and Killian’s mother was safe. I wanted them to stay out of this, knowing Fable was only coming for me.

Alec and Silas could handle things from here on out, but I still wanted someone to know what I was doing and considering Giles was Jameson’s cousin, it was a good idea to make sure he was aware since it was technically considered his territory.

I was pacing around the front of the shed, trying to keep warm when Alec finally shoved the metal door open and started toward me. He used a rag to wipe off his face and sling. He had dark smudges all along his shirt and jeans that I had to turn away from him.

“The old mill in Gundry.”

Hope soared as Alec walked to the bike and Giles began heading inside the shack. I waved goodbye to him as he yelled back at me, “We’re square, Natty!”

I jogged to catch up with Alec’s long stride.

“We have to go back to the Stone Riders and get them, my club and The Death Raiders all ready to ride over there; it’s the only way to ensure we can defeat his Destroyers.”

I thought back to what Rachel had said and shook my head. “We go now before he has a chance to realize he’s been compromised.”

Alec paused, inspecting me with his lips turned down. “His army will?—”

“Not be a problem.” I grabbed my helmet and pulled it on. Alec’s hand was at my waist as he gently pulled me toward him.

“Natty, I know you’re worried and even nervous but we’re going to catch him. We will, I promise you, but we have to do it right.”

I pulled away from him so he wasn’t holding my hip, then flipped my visor up.

“We go now.”

He let out a sigh, clenching his teeth. I continued to stare at him while he crawled on the back, leaving his hand on the side of the seat, as if he were ready for me to sit between his thighs again.

“What about Silas?” he whispered in my ear after I straddled the bike and placed my hands over the gears. His hand continued to cup my hip while we sat there.

My chest tightened while guilt prodded around for entry. I didn’t want him behind me, touching me, and I didn’t want to do this without Silas…but I wanted my life back. I wanted my future back, so I would go with my husband’s brother and make this work.

“We’re going to handle this without him,” I said over my shoulder, then started the bike.

Alec’s arm came around me, engulfing my stomach and holding me tight to his chest. I inhaled a shaky breath and silently hoped Silas would forgive me for this and all my other failures later when we finally had a chance at starting over.

It took us forty-five minutes to get to the old mill and nearly a mile out, I shut off the engine and parked the bike out of sight, so we wouldn’t alert anyone to our approach. There was nothing but corn fields around for miles, which made me think back to not very long ago when Silas fucked me in one.

I missed him.

I needed him, but I’d already ruined him by omitting the biggest secret of my life; I had to let him process that.

I wore my property patch, in the form of my leather jacket that fit snugly over my shoulders, and concealed the handgun I had strapped to my ribs. There were many things I wasn’t very good at, but shooting and accuracy was actually something I excelled at…when I didn’t freeze.

“We need to get off the gravel path,” Alec murmured close to my ear, gently pulling my hip off to the side. My boots sank into soft soil but removed the loud echoing sound of gravel crunching. Carefully and quietly, we moved through the corn toward the large silo and lumber yard. There were no lights, no cars or bikes that I could see, and my stomach began to twist with worry over this being a trap. Fable always seemed to be one step ahead of us…and I was hoping that just once we’d be able to have the drop on him.

Alec took my hand in his, keeping me close behind him, and I knew it wasn’t the time to fight him.

The cicadas sang and a few distant frogs bellowed as the stars began to appear and then the silo was directly in front of us, looming to blot out any light.

We snuck through the grounds, which were eerily silent and deserted. The reality that Fable was really alone gave me some hope, especially as we snuck in through a side door to the main part of the mill and there wasn’t a single person in sight.

There was sawdust on the floor as we walked in and suddenly a large overhead light flicked on, making us both freeze.

Tied to a metal chair in the middle of the floor, with his head hanging lifelessly, was Silas. I immediately started running for him, but Alec pulled me back.

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