Page 52 of Thorned Vengeance

I shove her arms away and jump to my feet. “So, you keep telling me.”

“Dammit, Thorn,” she snaps. “You can let me in on this and have my back or not. Either way, I’m going after the Phantom. How it all goes down is up to you.”

“You’d really go without me?” I demand.

“I’ve been hunting on my own for years, and I’m not about to stop just because some man feels the need to be all protective and shit.”

“Some man?” I seethe, closing the distance between us.

“You know what I meant.”

“Do I?”

“Thorn, please.”

“Please what, sweetheart?”

“Why does it have to be your way or no way?”

“Because I can’t lose you too!” The words are out of my mouth before my brain has a chance to catch up.

Delaney’s eyes widen, and she wraps her arms around my waist. “You’re not gonna lose me. We’re gonna take the Phantom out together.”

“You’re making me crazy, Delaney,” I admit. “From the moment I laid eyes on you…”

“Let’s just get this fucker, and then we can talk about how crazy I make you.” She tightens her hold. “Or better yet, you can show me any time we have to stop driving for the night.”

“Aw, hell.”

She steps back and levels her gaze on mine. “What?”

“I forgot to tell you…”

“Tell me what?”

“This trip is straight through with no overnight stops, and Mark’s coming with us.”

“Oh, well… Shit.”

CHAPTER 24

DELANEY

“I miss my bike.”

We’ve been on the road for a couple of days and only have a few more hours to go until we reach Philadelphia. Mark is currently driving, and Thorn is taking a nap in the backseat. Thorn wasn’t kidding about no overnight stops until we reach our destination, so it’s been nice having three drivers. We’ve only had to take breaks to stretch our legs, grab food or gas, and use the bathrooms. We took one of the club’s SUVs so we could stretch out in the back and have room to return with the Phantom.

“Hopefully, we’ll find this asshole in Philly, and you can get back to your precious Harley,” I snap.

“Fuck, De.” Mark glances over at me before turning back to watch the road. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

I blow out a breath. He’s right. I’m being a complete bitch, but I’m getting restless. After riding on the back of Thorn’s motorcycle, I understand the feeling of flying down the open road and wish that’s how we were taking this little trip. However, I had the Phantom in my grasp, and he got away. I can’t afford to let anything distract me again.

“Sorry.” I fidget with the monkey fist on my keychain. “I need to catch this guy. He can’t get away again.”

“He won’t.” Mark reaches over and pats my arm.

I dig my phone out of my purse, scroll through my messages, and start responding.

---