Page 92 of Where We Ended

My breath caught and tangled with the sob trapped in my chest. I didn’t care that we now understood how Fable had gotten in. I didn’t care that there were men flooding out of the club house, running after him.

I registered vaguely that I was on the ground, being held, and they were whispering something in my ear, but my eyes wouldn’t leave Red’s. I was thankful for the darkness because it would cover the blood. All I saw was her beautiful white hair, and those pretty blue eyes, staring.

Staring and staring.

Why couldn’t I seem to get any air into my chest? I tasted salt, so much salt. My tears…and my head hurt. It pounded and ached.

“Shhhhh, baby.” Silas soothed my hair down and that’s when I realized how badly my throat hurt.

I’d been screaming for her. My face was wet, and there was a terrible lump caught in my chest as if I couldn’t quite fit all the pain that would be needed to fully feel her death.

Laura was running toward me from her back fence. She was wearing a t-shirt, pajama shorts, and glasses. Her hair was down, flying behind her as she came to kneel next to me. Killian was right behind her, his gun drawn while he was searching the area.

Tears coated her lashes as she stared at me.

“Where is Brooks? Go find Brooks. He has to be here. He has to know…Fable took his cut and…he tricked Red. He’s probably in bed, he sometimes falls asleep in front of the tv at seven. He puts up a big game about being a hard motorcycle member, but he loves his hunting shows, and he loves falling asleep in that chair. Check the chair. He’s probably asleep right now. He doesn’t know that Red…that she?—"

Laura stroked carefully down my arm, then my face. Her chin wobbled as she glanced up at Silas. She needed to go find Brooks. He had to come here; his heart would break…he’d be devastated, but he had to be here. “He’s gone, Natty. They just found him—” Her lips twisted as another sob seemed to wrap around her voice.

“Found him where?”

“Behind the cabin. He’s dead, Natty.”

A stupid memory surfaced of Brooks telling me that he only liked classic soda with real sugar, the ones that came in glass bottles. This memory was of him telling me it helped him to not drink as much beer because Red worried about him.

I started hunting them down for him, so he’d have a fresh bottle every time I went to the store. But I’d forgotten the last few times. I’d been so preoccupied…I should have remembered him. I should have been over there, checking on them. They never had kids. They never…

Silas picked me up and took me inside and I closed my eyes, pushing out the image of her getting shot.

Eventually I fell asleep, but all I did was remember, which was somehow worse than sitting awake with this reality.

TWENTY-THREE

TWO YEARS AGO

ONE MONTH LIVING WITH THE STONE RIDERS

Natty

My room was bigger than anything I’d ever had in my life. It was a suite that had a small kitchen, enough space for a couch, bed and full-sized bathroom. It was slightly dizzying to be in a space that wouldn’t be shared for the first time ever.

Not to mention, my room was all the way at the end of the hall, away from where any other members stayed. Across the hall from me was a laundry room, and the door next to it was a bathroom. It created a barrier between me and the rest of the club, which was hugely helpful.

I was still shy whenever I did venture downstairs, but a month into staying here, I had finally braved stepping foot in the massive kitchen, but the only reason I wanted to was to see if I could use a phone to call Sasha.

This situation wasn’t going to work if it meant I was completely shut off from everyone I ever knew. I needed to see Silas.

There was a woman bustling around the space, humming to herself. Her white hair was piled on top of her head, and the curls were pinned back in place with a black bandana. It matched her property patch that boasted of her belonging to someone named Brooks.

“Umm, excuse me.” I cleared my throat, tugging on the ends of my sleeve.

The woman turned toward me with a blinding smile. “There you are! I was wondering when you’d come down here. I’m Red, in charge of pretty much everything, so if you need something, just come to me.”

I pressed farther into the kitchen, loving all the natural light that poured in through the windows. There were butcher block counters along the wall, an industrial-sized sink, and professional ovens; it felt like a professional kitchen, but the only person I’d seen so far in this space was this woman, Red.

“A phone?” I asked, hoping her offer for help was genuine.

She glanced back at the pot in front of her where she continued to stir.

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