Page 218 of Under an Endless Moon

Gideon.

Sienna pressed her mouth to my ear, whispering, “Your friend was totally right about me. I do like them dark, but I already have myself a man. And he’s been waiting on this day for a long, long time.”

FIFTY-NINE

OTTO

TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD

Ottoand his crew tore up the road through the seedy area in Hollywood. His hand was cocked back on the throttle, their engines roaring as they blazed beneath the cover of night.

His teeth were gritted in spite and fear.

His guts gnarled with dread.

He’d had a feeling that things had gone bad when he couldn’t get in touch with Haddie this evening and Raven’s room had been empty when he’d gotten himself together enough to go ask her if she’d heard from his sister.

He’d still been reeling from the disgusting lie he’d had to tell her last night.

How he felt like he was splitting in two as he severed the trust Raven had given him. As he cut the bond that had tied them with the snip of his words.

Words that were nothing but blasphemy.

But he’d had to do it. He had no other choice. He couldn’t betray River that way. But more than that? He couldn’t saddle Raven with a life like theirs.

Whenhe’d found Raven’s room empty, he’d called her, but her phone had gone directly to voicemail. Intuition had kicked, an angsty sense that promised things weren’t right, and he’d gone to River who had her location on his phone.

There was no other reason for them to be headed this way other than chasing down trouble, and he was sure Gideon and his friends had something to do with this.

Thankfully, the girls weren’t that far ahead of them.

Otto and his crew had all jumped on their bikes, and now they raced, bullets that rocketed through the city. They barely slowed when they made the right into the grungy neighborhood.

It wasn’t that far off from the depravity Haddie had grown up in, so it wasn’t like showing up here was going to cause her a whole lot of concern.

But Otto?

He wasconcerned.

Spirit bashing with a turbid awareness that wouldn’t let him go.

Especially after they hadn’t heard a word from Gideon and his crew. He’d expected immediate retaliation. Sure it was gonna come to a head.

But God, he would never survive it if it came tothis.

He nearly breathed out in relief when he saw his sister’s car sitting at the curb, all while a fresh shot of adrenaline spiked through his senses.

They all came to grinding halts behind it, parking at odd angles as they jumped off their bikes and ran for the door.

Otto was out front, and his hand darted for the knob. He rattled it. It was locked.

He didn’t bother with knocking.

He grabbed both sides of the doorframe and lifted his leg, and he rammed the sole of his boot against the door near the doorknob.

Wood splintered, though it didn’t give.

He did it again.

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