Page 133 of Theirs to Rule

"We can't trust the cops, Dante," I said, feeling the frustration bubble up inside me. "After everything with Davis,how can we? What if we call them and it just leads them straight to her? To Ty? To all of them?"

"Then we don't call them. Not yet. We need more to go on. Something concrete."

"But where?" The campus sprawled out like a labyrinth, each building, each room a potential hiding place for our friend. It felt like searching for a whisper in a hurricane.

“If the president is involved, I say we start at the admin building.”

It was a shot in the dark, but it was all we had. “Okay.”

His gaze shifted to the bikers who had gathered in the hospital. “I need a bike.”

Talon threw Dante a set of keys.

"Can I convince you to stay here?" Dante asked me.

I thought of Elise but shook my head. "I'm not leaving your side,” I said.

He didn’t argue with me and his faith in me, his willingness to let me make my own decision, even if it was one that would endanger me, made me more resolved that we were going to get through this. That we all were.

“Wait.” Talon handed each of us a gun. "Just in case," he urged, his voice low and serious.

I took the weapon, feeling its weight in my hand, a reminder of the gun I’d held when I killed my father. My eyes found Elise, her wide gaze fixed on the gun now in my grasp.

"What about Elise?" I asked. Bianca was in danger – I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

Talon glanced at Elise, then back to me, his expression softening. "She can stay with us. We won’t let anything happen to her."

The reassurance was a balm, but it couldn't soothe all my fears. I approached Elise, pulling her into a tight hug, the kindthat tried to convey every ounce of love and regret I felt. "Be careful, okay? Listen to Talon."

Elise nodded against my shoulder, her arms tightening around me, like she didn’t want to let go. "Come back to me.”

Pulling back, I gave her a brave smile, one I didn't feel. "I will. Always.”

Dante and I stepped outside, the night air cold against my skin, a stark contrast to the storm of emotions raging inside me. Dante led the way to the bike Talon had lent us. Mounting it, Dante gestured for me to get on behind him. As I did, wrapping my arms around his waist, he turned to me, the bike's engine a low rumble beneath us. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I replied, the reality of our situation settling in. We were about to head into unknown danger, with only each other and a couple of guns for protection.

Dante kicked the bike into gear, and we were off, speeding into the night with a singular focus—to find Simone. The city blurred past us, a mix of shadow and light, mirroring the turmoil in my thoughts.

I couldn't shake the cold dread that settled over me as Dante navigated the streets, the bike's engine a steady hum beneath us. Clinging to him, I found little comfort in the familiarity of the ride, my thoughts a whirlwind of fear and determination. It wasn't the first time I'd been on the back of Dante's bike, pressed close to him, feeling the thrum of the engine mixed with the beat of his heart. But tonight, the thrill was absent, replaced by a palpable terror for what lay ahead.

As we neared the campus, the bike slowed, Dante's body tensing as we approached with caution. The campus was eerily quiet, the usual nighttime bustle subdued, as if it too was holding its breath, waiting for the storm to break.

And then it hit me—the basement in the admin building. The one that was off limits to all CU students. If the universitypresident was involved in all this, it would be the perfect place to keep someone hidden, especially if you didn't want them found.

“The basement in the admin building," I said into the mic in my helmet.

Dante nodded. “Of course.”

Dante pulled the bike into a shadowy spot near the building, the engine's growl dying into silence. We dismounted and the building loomed before us, its façade a mask of shadows and moonlight. My heart raced, a frantic drumbeat in my chest. As expected, the back door to the admin building was locked. Dante produced a slim piece of metal from his jacket and set to work. The lock gave way with a soft click.

We slipped inside, the familiar corridors of the admin building stretching out before us. My heart hammered in my chest, each beat a loud echo in the quiet. We’d just passed by the main office when an idea came to me.

"Wait," I said, halting Dante with a hand on his arm. Darting into the office, I rummaged through the drawers until I found what I was looking for—sharpies. Returning to Dante, I said, "Your hip. It needs a tattoo.”

Realization dawned on his face. “You’re a genius, Peaches.”

I got to work quickly, drawing a reasonable facsimile of the tree symbol I’d seen on the university president’s gates. I doubted he’d be here himself getting his hands dirty, but if we were confronted by someone working for him…

---