Page 73 of Beautiful Ruins
SADIE
Ihad exactly two hours to get in and out, and if Rowan found out what I was doing, I knew I would be wishing for a painless death. But I was doing this for him. I was doing it for all of us.
I squinted into the rattling rearview mirror, keeping an eye on Scout as he trailed behind me on his Harley. He was sticking to me like a foul smell, and his eagerness was driving me a little mad. Not that he had a choice. When Daddy Knight barked orders, all any of us could do was bow our heads and say, “Yes, sir.”
Still, what I was about to do was going to test Scout’s loyalty to Rowan. He wore it like pride, the kind that ran deeper than blood. Anyone, even blind Betty, could see it. Rowan had already proven he’d take a bullet for his Rider brothers. Just as he’d sworn Scout would take a bullet for me. But I didn’t need Scout to do that. I just needed him to keep his damn mouth shut.
Not that it would make a difference. By the time Scout had even a single chance to fill Rowan in, it’d be toolate. I’d have already made my move. That kind of head start was all I needed, and I didn’t plan on wasting it.
Rowan was over an hour away in Sydney, and I was already turning into the street where Snake’s run-down shack sat empty, the kind of place love had abandoned a long time ago.
It wasn’t hard to find his address. Snake left his mail lying around the clubhouse for anyone to see. Either he was that arrogant, or he was that stupid. I hadn’t yet decided which one. My guess? Likely both. The bastard’s carelessness would be his downfall.
I parked a hundred metres from Snake’s house, under the cover of dusk, and killed the engine. My hands clamped around the steering wheel, my heart rate spiking. I’d told myself this would be easy. Like walking through an unlocked door. But nothing in this town ever was.
I couldn’t think about the repercussions of defying Rowan again—my chest had already cracked open, and I wouldn’t survive it when he finally ripped my heart out.
His voice from this morning ran through my head. “Don’t do anything stupid while I’m away. Can you manage that?” he had said while walking out the door.
I had nodded, hiding my master plan behind the innocence I pretended still existed inside me. I’d played on Rowan’s weakness when it came to me. Still didn’t think he’d bought it, though.
Squaring my shoulders, I shoved the door open, the metal creaking in the quiet, and climbed out. The humid early-evening air smacked me in the face like an open oven. The sense of foreboding was strong enough to taste, the bitterness lingering at the back of my throat.
This wasn’t a great idea, not by any stretch of the word. The street ran wide, red dirt, like paint, etched into every crack in the bitumen. This town was drowning in it, and mostpeople didn’t even try to save themselves. Barrenridge’s quicksand didn’t just swallow dreams—it digested them, spat them out, and left the bones bleaching in the sun.
But I wasn’t going to be another victim. My mother and Logan had died for a secret buried somewhere under the overgrown grass, and if Snake had his slimy hands near the shovel, I was going to dig up every rotten piece.
Scout pulled up behind me, the rumble of his engine ripping through the silence until he killed it. If anyone was going to give us away, it was going to be him.
Before I could say a word, he jumped off his bike, yanking off his helmet as he stormed towards me. The gravel crunched under his boots, the only sound in a neighbourhood abandoned by God and everyone else.
“What the hell are you doing, Sadie?” His voice was a low growl, sharp against my nerves. He snatched my upper arm, tugging me to the side of my car. His eyes darted like he expected an ambush. “Are you trying to get us killed?” He lowered his voice even further.
I couldn’t blame him for being pissed. He’d just realised he’d walked blindly into the lion’s den.
I shrugged out of his grip, and he raked a hand through his blond mop, groaning. “You can leave if you want,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “But I’m not going anywhere until I find something that ties Snake to the shooting.” I had to play on his attachment to Rowan.
“That’s not playing fair, Sadie. You know I can’t leave you,” he said. That was Scout’s version of deadly serious. “But this is a death sentence if we get caught.”
His fear was almost catching, but I pushed it down. The same way I pushed everything down—mostly my need to tell Rowan how I really felt.
I sighed. “How about this genius idea? I go inside, digaround for what I need, and you can stand guard to make sure no-one surprises us.” I leaned closer, lowering my voice like I was letting him in on a big secret. “Deal?”
Somewhere in the distance, a car door slammed. Scout tensed, his eyes flicking toward the noise. My heart climbed a little higher into my throat, but I kept my face neutral.
Scout shook his head, jaw tense. “Do I even have a choice?” His eyes were desperate, begging me to level with him.
For a second, I almost caved. Almost told him I was scared too. But there wasn’t time for honesty. I wasn’t going to let him back down, not now. Rowan took a goddamn bullet for him, so he could suck it up.
I lifted a shoulder, an attempt at indifference, even though I needed him onboard as much as he needed the reassurance of sticking with me. If this went sideways, I might not get the chance to tell Rowan anything.
“I’m doing this with or without you,” I said, arching a brow. “So, you better make a decision fast.” I forced the words out with a sharpness I hoped would shake him. “Either you’re staying or you’re leaving.”
Scout swore under his breath, the sound full of frustration and resignation. “Fine,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck like he could physically spin the tension out of himself. “But your eulogy at my funeral better be epic.” As much as he tried to infuse as much exasperation into his tone, he could barely hide the grin lifting the corners of his mouth.
He was such an open book. And I already knew how the last chapter ended. I just hadn’t told him yet.
“That’s a boy,” I said, wrapping an arm around his waist so he could feel the warmth of my appreciation even if I wouldn’t say it out loud. The truth and me still weren’t great friends, so this was the best I could do. “I promise I’ll be quick. In and out.”
