Page 77 of Taming the Demon

Cyrus reached down and touched Mara’s face. “Let it all go now. Let your guilt go. No need to talk about it. You’re with Darrow. You’re pregnant. You’re safe with us, Mara. There are no secrets.”

Cyrus winked. Then he set his sights on Darrow and gave a nod. She could read cues. They needed to talk and they needed to do it without Mara around and listening. Darrow kissed Mara. When the four outlaws made it to the door, Mara licked her lips.

“Hey,” she called out. “Did you… find him…?”

There was silence. Finally, Cyrus gave a nod.

“We found him, Mara,” Cyrus said. “Because of you.”

“Rest up, babe,” Darrow said. “I love you.”

Mara’s heart fluttered. So did her stomach.

“I love you too, Darrow,” she called out.

She couldn’t stop smiling. And her stomach continued to flutter. Falling in love with an outlaw was a dangerous road. Mara was living proof of that. In a hospital bed. Pregnant. Stitched up. Tired. Sore. Still terrified.

Yet she kept smiling, feeling that rush of love for Darrow. Over and over. She closed her eyes and fell back asleep. She needed to take advantage of the rest as much as possible.

One thing Mara knew… the outlaw life never slowed down ever.

“You can’t touch him, brother,” Slade said to Darrow.

“I won’t. Swear on my life.”

“Don’t make me have to search you.”

“You won’t,” Darrow said. “I’m good. I just need to see him. I just need to know for sure. This is it. He’s not going to escape again.”

“He’s not going anywhere this time,” Slade said.

They walked to the far corner of the junkyard to an old office building. Slade opened the door and turned on the lights.Darrow took a deep breath and balled up his hands into tight fists. There he was. Fitz. The rat.

Heavy, thick chains wrapped from his elbows up to his wrists. The chains thrown over a pipe above his head. Chains wrapped around his left leg, his right leg, attached to opposite walls. Fitz just dangled there. He lifted his head and opened his eyes.

“Hey, you’re waking up,” Slade called out. He clapped his hands together. “There you go, you fucking rat. Go on. Wake up.” Slade looked back at Darrow. “We’re keeping him doped up as need be. Keeping him alive.”

Darrow approached Fitz. Anger crushed Darrow’s soul.

“You tried to kill the woman I love,” Darrow said. “You tried to hurt my unborn child. You turned your back on this club. You fucking rat. And what you did to Macy…”

“Easy, brother,” Slade said. “I feel you slipping. We can’t touch him. Okay? We have to do this the right way.”

Darrow nodded. He turned away from Fitz. The door behind Slade opened and in walked Cyrus.

“He’s still breathing, that’s good,” Cyrus said. “I brought him a present. We’re going to leave the lights on. Let him come back to reality. So he can stare at his gift.”

Virus walked into the old office holding Bram’s head. Darrow looked away. It shocked him a little to see Virus carrying a human head so casually.

“Chain it up,” Cyrus said to Virus.

“You’re crazy,Prez,” Slade said.

“What are you going to do with it?” Darrow asked.

“Going to chain it up so it hangs a foot away from the rat’s face,” Cyrus said. “So he has to stare at a severed head all day and night. Non fucking stop.”

Darrow shook his head and started to leave.

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