Page 94 of Property of the Hellfire Riders

He laughs, a harsh, grating sound that echoes in the early morning air.

Detective Mason grabs Reynolds by the arm, steering him toward the police car. “That’s enough,” he says firmly. “Get him in the car.”

Reynolds stumbles, “I’ll have all of you fired after this! You don’t know who you’re fucking with!” He’s pushed into the backseat of the squad car. The door slams shut.

Detective Mason turns back to us, his expression softening slightly. “We’ll make sure he’s processed and charged with everything we’ve got. You’ve done a good thing here.”

Hawk nods, his arm still wrapped around my shoulders. The police officers take our statements. I feel a sense of closure starting to form.

Reynolds’ reign of terror is over.

As the squad car pulls away, sirens wailing, I let out a shaky breath. Adrenaline still courses through my veins, mingling with a growing sense of relief. It’s over. The Puppeteer has been caught, and I’m still here.

The familiar humof the hospital fills my ears as I step through the automatic doors, the sterile smell of antiseptic and the faint beep of monitors.

As the doors slide open, I practically run down the hallway, my pulse pounding in my ears. Tank, Vance, and Hawk are somewhere behind me but I don’t care.

I need to see Laina.

After visiting the front desk, I find the right room and hesitate for just a moment before I push open the door.

Laina is sitting up in bed, looking tired but alert. The moment her eyes meet mine, a wave of emotion crashes over me, and I rush to her side. She looks pale and fragile, but she’s alive.

“Izzy!” she cries, her voice breaking as tears stream down her face.

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. “Don’t you ever pull that shit again. Do you understand me?”

Her weak laughter makes me smile, even as my eyes sting with tears. “I love you too, nerd.”

“I thought I’d lost you.” My voice catches. “I’ll never forgive myself if I ever put you in danger again.”

Laina gently pulls back, wiping away my tears. “Hey, hey. None of that. This wasn’t your fault. You did everything you could to save me, and—” Her voice stops as she sees my three shadows hovering in the doorway. They look both out of place in their leather vests contrasting sharply with the clinical white walls.

“And your new friends?” She leans close to my ear. “Izzy, what the hell happened?”

“It’s a long story,” I mutter.

“I’ll say.”

Hawk clears his throat, “Izzy’s been worried sick about you. Nearly got herself killed trying to find you.”

Laina leans back. “I am so sorry. I—I didn’t know—God. It’s all so much.”

“It’s okay. We got him because of you,” I reassure her, resting my hand on her. “He’s never going to hurt anyone again. That sick bastard.” She squeezes my palm.

“I just want to go home, Izzy. I just want to forget this ever happened and go back to our normal lives.”

“Laina, I don’t think we are ever going to live normal lives again.”

She looks down at her hands.

“No, probably not. Are you going to introduce me to your friends properly?”

“Hawk, Tank, Vance, this is my best friend, Laina. Laina, meet Hawk, Tank, and Vance.”

“I met you—” she says, pointing a finger toward Hawk. “I met you the night Reynolds got me.”

“What happened?” I ask, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, studying her face. She sighs, closing her eyes as the memories return to her.

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