Page 47 of Cocky Secrets

“No,” Briar mumbles. “I deserve to be with them.”

“But you…”

“He kidnapped you, Sage,” Dad says, like he’s talking to a child.

“He kept me safe. He said…yousaved his sister.”

Dad’s eyes narrow on Briar, then clear. “Melissa.”

Briar nods. “That’s right. She…got clean.”

Dad looks at Bear, memories in his eyes. “Let him go.”

One cop argues. “If he’s part of The Spiders gang…”

I straighten my back, voice trembling, “If hehadn’tsaved me, I’d have been raped. Probably by several of them!”

Dad demands, “You did that for her?”

Briar frowns on a nod. “But I won’t get the clean life Melissa got.”

Jett explains, “Leaving his club won’t equal freedom. They won’t stop hunting him for this betrayal.”

A female cop says with confidence, “Then let’s make sure they stay behind bars.”

Dad’s gaze sweeps across the silence of Jett and Luna, Tonk Sr., Scythe, my brothers, Soph, Celia and Sean. I know what they’re thinking. With the way the system is, The Spiders will be free faster than any of us want.

More police cars arrive and one by one, The Spiders are cuffed and hauled away. The Ciphers answer questions for the reports, and wait with the unspoken commitment to making sure The Spiders don’t escape.

I watch Briar riding away in the back of a patrol car, and he meets my eyes, giving me a stoic nod. I return it, mouthing, “Thank you.”

The Ciphers gather around Bear and I. And as I look around, I know that nothing can break the bond we share, but I hold my hand out to Bear, “I need your phone number,” because I’m not willing to give him up in order to keep that bond. I can have both. Some way.

My rugged cop smiles, takes me into his arms under The Ciphers’ watchful eyes. “I’ll give you anything you want.”

Under her breath, Sofia Sol mutters, “Good luck keeping them apart now, Honey Badger.”

Bear kisses me and they applaud, a surprise to both of us that makes us smile through the kiss. I pull away to say, “Ciphers, meet my future husband.”

Bear’s eyes go wide and he lets out a laugh that echoes off the entire world.

Dad mumbles, “This wasn’t part of the plan,” under his breath, walking away and pulling out his cell phone, “I’ve gotta call your mother.” After a second, “Meg! We found her! Yes, she’s safe and The Spiders have been taken into custody. But we have a problem. She says she’s marrying the cop. What do I think?” Dad glares at Bear. “I think she couldn’t have picked a better guy.”

TWENTY-ONE

Sage

Running down our home’s front steps, my mother weeps, “You’re safe!” pulling me into an embrace as soon as I shut off my Harley. The Ciphers ride past us to park in the garage, everyone solemn, tired, and beat up. I couldn’t let her wait, so I stopped here.

Hugging her back, I smile with relief and love in my heart, “Mom, let me get off the bike first!”

She hugs me tighter. “Where’s Bear?”

“He went to the station.”

“What happened? Tell me everything.”

I dismount my motorcycle and walk upstairs with her, arm-in-arm, describing some details of the night as dawn’s light brings a new day. The horrors are fresh for us both, but soothed by my rescue, and as soon as The Ciphers pile into the living room by way of the back porch’s door, I have to tell it all again. Melody, Carmen, Denita, Shay and Mylar were not at the warehouse. They stood vigil here beside Mom, and all who stayed home look as though they haven’t slept for a week.

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