Page 33 of Vapor's Blaze

“Look, you gotta get as far away from Las Salinas as possible. I scraped together a couple of hundred dollars. It’s all I could get without arousing suspicion. You can get a bus ticket or rent a car, I don’t know if using your own car would be a good idea.”

I’m standing beside the back door wondering if this is the biggest mistake of my life, “Are you sure about this? I don’t want you to catch flack for my escape.”

“Ain’t nobody gonna catch any blowback for this. Gramps called every available brother out to raid the Savage Legion clubhouse tonight. He’s got his balls in a twist about something, and decided leaving you alone in lockup was an acceptable risk.”

“What about you? Surely if you’re the only person at the clubhouse, then he’s going to suspect?” I ask.

“As far as anyone knows I’m camping out in the woods with Johnny. I have no idea what Gramps is gonna think, but that’s not my problem, there’s no way he can trace it to me.” He points to the bag, “There’s a change of clothing, a burner phone, and cash in the duffle.”

I stand there undecided, the enormity of what I’m about to do weighing heavy on me.

He opens the door and says, “Go now, Trix, before the security cameras come back up.”

I give him a quick hug and whisper, “Thanks, I won’t forget this.”

“You’re welcome. Now, seriously run as fast as you can. It’s the only way you’re ever gonna be free.”

I drape the duffle bag over my shoulder and do exactly like my little brother says. I run for my life because he’s right about this being my only chance. I have no idea where I’m running to, but I’m very aware of what I’m running from and it’s enough to light a fire under my feet.

I take about three seconds to get to the grass at the far end of our back parking lot and then take off like a bat out of hell. I stumble over a few twigs and weeds but keep picking myself up and running some more.

When I finally stumble out onto the highway, I panic at the sight of a single motorcycle with a rider sitting on the far side of the road. At first, I think it might be my grandfather or one of the Hellfire Hounds watching the clubhouse. But when the rider turns on his lights and heads over to me, to my relief I realize that it’s Vapor.

“Come on, we don’t have much time.”

I jog over to him. He might be the enemy, but given what I’ve just done I’ve already got a target on my back. He takes my duffle bag and drops it over his shoulder, and I quickly climb on behind him and he speeds off. I hold on for dear life, if I fall off without a helmet, I probably wouldn’t survive at the speed we’re going. However, after a few miles Vapor stops and pulls a smaller helmet out of the compartment on his bike. I quickly put it on, and he takes off again. I realize at some point that he’s taking me back to his tattoo shop.

***

The second the door shuts, I ask, “How did you know I was getting busted out at this very moment?”

He ushers me into the small living area. I walk over to the sofa and take a load off. He drops down in the chair across from me and begins taking his boots off. “I didn’t, that was pure luck. After you vanished, I tried to hunt you down like I said I would. We’re bugging King’s cell phone, and I heard him say you were in the lock up. I wanted to spring you free then and there, but Siege told me to hold off until—”

“They’re gonna raid the Savage Legion clubhouse tonight!” I exclaim, remembering what Hark told me.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, that’s all taken care of, my club brothers were ready and waiting. That’s why I was there, I was gonna get you out, but it looks like you had help on the inside.”

“That was my younger brother. Wow, I know you said you were eyes on with my grandfather’s club, but I never suspected you were bugging his phone.”

“To be quite honest, I heard him explode on you when you screwed up the arranged marriage, he set up for you.” He smothers back a smile. “I can’t believe you sent flirty text messages to Decker’s brother. That was ingenious. I heard though the grapevine that caused a huge rift at the Diggers MC. You know, two brothers fighting over the beautiful daughter of a potential ally. It’s the story legends are made of.”

“Yeah,” I respond quietly. “I heard that brother of his is a nasty piece work.”

“That what I heard as well. His name is Double.”

I make a disbelieving face. “As in Double and Decker.”

“Double is older, and Decker is younger, so that can’t be a mere coincidence.”

I tilt my head back and stare at the ceiling. “The whole family is unhinged. That’s what I’m getting from this.”

“Yeah, that’s the impression I got as well.” A short silence spun out between us before Vapor speaks. “I guess now you see me as the lesser of two evils.”

I look up into his eyes. “I’m just trying to survive against the odds. Is that so awful?”

“Absolutely not. What’s your plan?”

I shrug, feeling both mentally and physically exhausted. “I have no idea. I wasn’t expecting to get sprung from lockup, it was all so spur of the moment. Hark gave me enough money to get a bus ticket, but I honestly don’t know where to go. I should probably go and get my car, it’s still parked outside my apartment.”

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