Page 93 of My Secret to Protect

He starts to make his way through the trees, stopping only when he has a better view of Horse. Then he calls him.

The sound of Horse’s cell ringing out echoes loudly in all directions, and I watch as he fumbles in his cut for his phone before answering.

‘Yeah?’ Horse answers. ‘Prez?”

Dad doesn’t say anything for a moment, and Horse pulls the phone from his ear to stare at it in confusion before speaking again.

‘I can’t hear you, prez. I’m out at my mom’s place, and the signal is shit.’ Horse cuts the call and tucks his phone back away. I feel another flare of anger at his betrayal.

My dad, deciding he’s heard enough, walks out of the trees, and I see the moment Horse shits his pants, realizing that he’s fucked up in more ways than one.

‘Your mom moved?’ Dad asks, and Horse backs up.

‘Prez, I can explain…’

Dad raises his gun as Horse raises his hands, but he isn’t aiming at his VP. He’s aiming at one of the other club members guarding the property.

‘You have one chance to explain to me why you kidnapped Bree Campbell.’

‘What? We didn’t…’

‘You did,’ Dad says, shooting the guy he was aiming at in the head, the silencer on his weapon reducing the noise to barely anything in the quiet middle of nowhere.

Even from where I’m standing, I can see Horse’s eyes go wide when he realizes that Dad doesn’t give a fuck who he kills for betraying him and the club.

‘Fuck, Prez, I swear. I swear I didn’t know. I shouldn’t have taken the job without your say so, but I just wanted the paycheck. I swear I didn’t know who she was.’

‘You say that, Horse, but we’ve been watching that family for a long time, youandme. I know what every one of ‘em looks like, and so do you.’

‘I didn’t see her, I swear. She was sedated and wearing a hood when we brought her in.’

Rage ripples through me at that, and I grit my teeth to hold it together. They put her out, covered her head, put their hands on her… I was going to fuckin’ kill every last one of them.

Horse looks around nervously. He knows Dad wouldn’t have come alone.

‘You double fucked up, old friend.’ Dad raises his gun again, aiming at his VP. ‘She’s not just a Campbell. She’s my daughter-in-law.’

His words hit me in the chest because I know what they mean. He knows me and Bree aren’t married, but by saying that, he’s claiming her as family.

‘What?’ Horse takes a step back.

‘Bree Campbell is Arlo’s old lady. The reason he left the club. The reason we’re here right now.’

‘Fuck.’ Horse holds up his hands, ‘Fuck, Viking…prez. I’m sorry. I’m fuckin’ sorry!’

Another of the men here with Horse approaches my dad from behind, his gun raised, aimed at my dad’s back, but my aim is fast and accurate, and I pull my trigger, sending him down.

As his body hits the ground, Horse turns to run, but my dad’s men advance fast and ruthlessly.

Shouts and gunfire begin ringing out now, and I know that now’s my chance. I need to get inside and find Bree. I itch to get involved in the fight, defend my father, the club, and take out my fury on these sons of bitches, but I force myself in the opposite direction.I’m no fucking good to her dead, I remind myself, so I run, ducking behind the black SUV parked outside to dodge bullets as I make my way to the door. It’s locked, but one swift kick, and I’m inside, in an open-plan living room.

There’s an old twin bed in the middle of the room with cut cable ties discarded on the mattress, and I feel my jaw grind in fury at the clear evidence that she’s here. Shewasher, but he moved her. They haven’t had time to go far, so they’re still in here, somewhere.

‘Come out now, and I’ll make it quick,’ I call out. ‘Come and face what’s coming for you.’

‘Ar…’ Bree’s yell is cut off, but I hear where it’s coming from, and I rush through the small cottage to get to her, finding myself in a corridor with four closed doors.

‘Fuck,’ I yell, frustrated.

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