Page 97 of Dizzy

A crow caws angrily, and there’s a violent flapping of wings from a towering maple.

My heart’s stuck in my throat, messin’ with my breathing. She’s so fuckin’ delicate. Sassy and mouthy and clever. She’s a survivor, no doubt. But she’s a hundred pounds and change, not legal to drink, and she’s got no money, no ride.

I got to find her.

If she gets away, she’s not comin’ back. She ain’t stupid. Even if she had no idea what Chaos was doing, she knows Steel Bones wants her. She’s gonna run as far and as fast as she can. And she ain’t likely to luck out again with a washed-up dude like Chaos who was more interested in a payday than pussy. Oh, fuck.

“Baby! Come on. Where are you?”

We’re further apart now, but I can hear Heavy call the club on his phone, asking for backup.

“No one touches her! Make it known!” I shout at him. I should have never left her. There’s no sign. No broken branches or trampled leaves. She didn’t come this way.

This is a fuckin’ mess. The woods go on for miles. All the way to the river. I don’t let the kids ride dirt bikes out here. Too many hunters out of season.

My chest tightens. What do I do?

I can’t lose her.

She’s—

She’s perfect. I feel awake for the first time in years. She woke me up.

I backtrack, scan for signs. I see where big men tore through, but if she came this way, they’ve destroyed the evidence. Jesus. What am I gonna tell the boys?

Parker’s still lukewarm on her, but Carter gets the same dumb look I do when she comes in the room.

My shoulders are heaving. I lean over to catch my breath, brace my hands on my knees. We gotta form a search party. She can’t be stuck out here at night. It’s freezing.

“Yup. Let me talk to him. I’ll call you back.” Heavy’s hanging up his phone as he approaches through some trees.

He claps a massive hand on my back.

“Brother.”

His grumbly voice echoes. The woods become still. Nickel and Jed have approached behind him.

“That was Grinder. He was coming to join us. He just passed Fay-Lee on the main road.”

My heart leaps.

“She was ridin’ bitch behind Brick Daugherty.”

Rab’s brother. VP of the Rebel Raiders.

“Grinder turned to pursue, but he got stuck behind a cop at a red light.”

“I’m sorry, man.” We all stare at our boots.

Everything crashes. Everything breaks.

Everything’s fucking shit.

11

FAY-LEE

The old dude was right. When we pull up in front of Petty’s Mill Pawn, it’s closed. My luck keeps on goin’. They open at ten in the morning.

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