Page 19 of Thorned Vengeance

I roll my eyes at the lie my parents have so easily believed over the years. They think I travel so much in order to write a travel blog. Of course, I don’t write the blog I talk to them about. I do, however, write a true crime blog under a pseudonym, and the blog focuses on, you guessed it… The Phantom Strangler and similar crimes.

“Pretty good,” I tell her. “I don’t know that I’ll make it home this month, but I’m trying.”

“Well, your father’s birthday is next week, so if you could manage a day or two, I know he’d love to see you.”

I sigh. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Oh, wonderful.”

“I’m gonna be off the grid for the rest of the week though, so I won’t be able to let you know until Sunday,” I tell her.

“That’s fine, honey.”

“Okay. Well, I gotta go. Love you, Mom.”

“Love you too.”

CHAPTER 10

THORN

“T-minus five hours!”

Apple’s voice carries through the air as she shouts her hourly reminder. We arrived in Nashville last night, and it’s been balls to the wall since the moment we killed the engines on our Harleys. We barely had time to get settled into the hotel before Apple was barking orders.

“Thank fuck she’s not this bossy back home,” Malice mutters.

“If she were, I’d be worried about your…” I let the words trail off as I dip my head to indicate his crotch.

Malice shoves me, and I stumble as I laugh.

“You’re a dick,” he accuses.

“And you love me.”

He groans as he stalks closer to the stage. Apple is about to do her last rehearsal, and when she’s out in the open, Malice isn’t far away.

Lock, Fort, and Rogue are working with the stadium’s security team to ensure all the cameras are functioning. We added almost a hundred to the existing setup to ensure there were no blind spots. Fortunately, Apple is very good at laying on the charm when she has to so the staff didn’t balk too much.

“Thorn, I need you to come with me.”

I turn toward Soul and nod. We head through the stadium and out to the parking lot where he stops near the VIP parking section.

“What’s up, Pres?”

Soul inhales deeply as he runs a hand through his hair. “I need you to stay at the hotel tonight.”

Rage boils my blood. “No fucking way! I’ve been after this sonofabitch for?—”

“Remember who you’re talking to,” he snarls, and my shoulders fall. “Look, I know you want in on this, but I need someone to stay with the women at the hotel.”

“If you were gonna have me babysit, why the hell did they come?”

Soul hauls me toward him by my cut. “Watch your tone, or I’ll send your ass back to Nevada.”

Yanking out of his hold, I throw my hands in the air. “I’m not sitting this one out, Pres. You can take my patch for disobeying if that’s what you have to do, but I’m not going to be anywhere but right fucking here tonight.”

“You’re proving my point,” he snaps.

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