Page 5 of Hatter

“Underland till we die,” March said, pounding his fist against his chest.

“Damn straight,” Absolem added, his voice cold as ice. “Let’s do this.”

I nodded, strapping on my helmet and mounting my bike. My brothers followed suit, the sound of engines revving filling the air like thunder. Part of me really hoped it wasn’t one of our brothers. While we didn’t have prospects, there were a few men in town who would come to hang out from time to time. The betrayal would hurt a lot less if it wasn’t an official member of the club.

“Remember,” I said, my voice just loud enough to be heard over the roar of our bikes. “We stick together, no matter what. We got each other’s backs. We may not be on foreign soil, but this is still war.”

“Always,” Cheshire replied, his eyes gleaming with that fierce loyalty I’ve come to rely on.

“Ride or die,” March echoed, grinning like a man possessed.

“Let’s roll,” Absolem said, flicking the safety off his pistol and tucking it into his waistband.

With one last deep breath, I twisted the throttle and led my brothers out of the Underland MC compound. We rode as one, a united front against the darkness that threatened us. The sun sank lower in the sky, casting elongated shadows across the road as we sped toward the unknown.

Tonight, we’d face the threat head-on, ready to fight for our family, our club, and our very lives. And we wouldn’t back down until the job was done.

The thought we’d be short one brother by the end of the night weighed on me. I hoped like fuck March and Rabbit were wrong. But if they weren’t, I’d make the bastard pay.

Chapter Two

Jo

The wind cut through me like a razor, the darkness swallowing me whole. I walked fast, my boots pounding against the cold pavement. My breath came in short gasps, fogging up the air as I glanced over my shoulder for the hundredth time. I’d finally found the courage to run. It didn’t mean I was safe.

“Hey, sweetheart!” The sound of rowdy laughter and footsteps made my heart race. A group of men, maybe four or five of them, swaggered toward me like they owned the entire town. I could smell the booze and cheap cologne from here. I wasn’t going to be their next victim. Not tonight, not ever.

“Looks like we got ourselves a little bird,” one of the men hollered, his tone dripping with malice.

My insides twisted into knots, but I wouldn’t show them an ounce of fear. I changed direction, ducking into a nearby alleyway. It was dark and smelled like piss and garbage, but it was better than facing those pricks. I pushed myself farther into the shadows, praying they wouldn’t follow. I hadn’t escaped one abusive asshole only to fall prey to a group of them.

My hands trembled like a damn leaf, clutching my bag so tight my knuckles turned white. I had to hide, find a place to disappear before they came looking. My breaths were shallow gasps, barely filling my lungs as I scanned the alley for any sign of danger.

“Where’d she go?” one of the men called out from the street, his voice all too close.

A rat scurried past my boot, and I stifled a yelp. Focus, Jo. I’d been through worse. Hiding spots weren’t in abundance here, just dumpsters and some old crates.

Footsteps echoed, growing louder with each second. They were coming, those Goddamn bastards. I pressed myself against the wall, praying they wouldn’t see me. My heart pounded and adrenaline pumped through my body.

“Come on, sweetheart,” one of them taunted, his words slurred. “Don’t be shy.”

Shy? Right. It wouldn’t occur to them I didn’t feel honored by their interest. What woman would want to be groped by the likes of them?

“Leave her alone, man,” another said, but he didn’t sound too convinced. Probably just wanted to save face, pretend he wasn’t as bad as the rest.

“Shut up,” the first guy snapped. “I know she’s around here somewhere.”

With every ounce of strength I had, I shoved one of the crates in front of me, hoping it’d buy me some time. It wasn’t much, but maybe, just maybe, it’d be enough.

“Hey! Over there!” one of them shouted, and I knew I’d been spotted.

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, bracing myself for whatever came next. There was no way I was going down without a fight. I hadn’t survived my asshole ex only to end up losing to these drunks.

Except, I heard them run off in the other direction. It seemed they’d mistaken someone else for me. As much as I pitied the woman, I didn’t dare come out of hiding. I waited, tense and listening for any sounds in the alley.

Right as I thought it might be safe to come out, I heard more people entering the alley. I hoped they’d keep going, pass by me without noticing my presence.

But they lingered, and then I heard harsh voices and a grunt of pain. Everything in me screamed I should run. But I couldn’t ignore the sound of fists meeting flesh, the grunts and curses echoing throughout the alley. I pressed myself tighter against the wall, straining to hear what was going on.

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