Page 27 of Sweet Anarchy

"So, we tell Rylee," Zayn says confidently, laying back on the bed. "She will handle it fine. She's tough."

"I know she is," I mutter in a low tone. "But she's also going to be shocked. Possibly mad… enraged, even."

Zayn laughs. "Nah, she will be fine. I think all her dealings with bikers has given her a tough shell. She's just relieved that Chuck is alive."

"I don't know what she'll think," I respond. "But regardless, there's something else too."

Zayn sits up, looking at me expectedly. "Spit it out, B."

I sigh, running my hand over my face. "Bill had a list of the guys who were killed. There's a few familiar names on the list."

"Who?" he asks, his voice serious.

"Denver, Shev, and Austen were on the list."

Zayn lets out a low whistle. "Shit. I didn't even know they were there. And others, I assume?"

I nod. "A dozen others, but mostly acquaintances."

He falls silent, thinking. "That's devastating. We should reach out."

"We will. But for now, we need to cross that other bridge first."

Zayn nods. "We'll tell Rylee when she wakes up."

I must doze off at some stage, because next thing I know, my bedroom door is flung open, smashing into the wall.

My eyes jolt open, the sun burning my retinas before Rylee stops at the end of my bed.

I blink at her a few times before spotting Zayn curled up at the end of the bed, also just waking up.

"Oh, thank God," she breathes out. "I woke up and he was gone," she points to Zayn. "And I had no idea if you had made it back safely."

"Good morning to you too, babe," Zayn yawns, stretching. "You know we're never far away."

Rylee nods, but her face is full of concern. She's dressed in shorts and an oversized shirt – Asher's, I think – and her blonde hair is sticking up like a bird's nest.

"I only got back a few hours ago," I tell her, checking the time on my cell. "I must have fallen asleep."

She walks around to the side of the bed, sitting on the edge. "I was worried."

"I know," I answer dryly. "That's why I didn't tell you I was going. The plan was you weren't going to find out until this morning."

Zayn pretends to look guilty, but just ends up giving her a grin. She returns a smile to him, relief starting to settle over her features.

"I can handle it," she says quietly. "You don't have to sneak out without telling me."

"I know you can handle it. But you would have wanted to come and you needed rest," I reply.

Rylee shakes her head. "I hate not knowing things. What if something had happened and I was just asleep? It scares me, Blake."

She has a point, I guess. I can understand where she's coming from, but I still know her stubborn ass would have argued with me last night if she had known beforehand.

"You just have to trust me, Ry," I say to her, shuffling over to sit next to her.

Rylee rests her head on my shoulder, reaching for my hand. "I do trust you. I just don't trust other people. I nearly lost Chuck. I can't lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere."

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