Page 55 of Property of Scythe
“Then you hold onto him. He sounds perfect.”
“Perfect for me,” I agree.
“I’m happy for you, sis. I gotta run. Call me soon.”
“I will. Love you, Mel.”
She ends the call as I sit back against the cushions of the couch in the panic room, watching over Mila. She fell asleep an hour ago after we watched Frozen. I’m alone now, staring at the computer screen.
The décor inside the panic room is simple. There’s a couch, another couch with a pullout bed that Mila is sleeping on, a fridge, a small table with two chairs, a storage cabinet, and a desk with a PC. The monitor displays several cameras around the property. I can see inside and outdoors.
I can tell Scythe tried to make it feel comfortable inside when he designed it. There are a couple of lamps, a big rug, and some wall art. He’s got a stack of blankets, extra clothes, and pillows. Cases of water sit beside us. He also included a big TV anchored to the wall and a gaming system with controllers.
The panic room has one entry and exit that’s located behind abookcase. It’s clever. I never would have found it without Scythe telling me about it. Since he’s the president of a motorcycle club, it makes sense that he’s got a secret room to hide his daughter in case of trouble.
It’s growing late and I’m tired. Scythe has kept me up at night, and I’m not complaining about our bedroom activities, but I’m exhausted. I don’t realize I’ve fallen asleep until my head snaps up. It’s dark in the room, which is the first thing I notice.
No light from the monitor or the cameras. Not even the Elsa princess nightlight that Mila plugged in. The power must be out. That’s the only explanation.
I pick up my phone and notice I’ve missed half a dozen calls from Scythe. He must be panicking and trying to reach me to let me know about the outage.
When I dial him back, the call goes to voicemail.
Well, shit.
I’m tempted to turn on the flashlight for my phone, but I don’t want to wake Mila. It’s too bright. Instead, I click the button on the side. It illuminates the room a little, and I can see her sleeping. She’s safe.
A few minutes pass, and I’m starting to wonder if I should sneak out and find Hangman or Boomer. I know they stayed at The Barn because Scythe asked them. I get up and stretch, growing bored as I check the time.
How late is the festival open? I never thought to ask.
The door creeks open, and I nearly have a heart attack until I see Hangman. He sneaks in and shuts the door behind him. There’s a keypad entry. You can only enter if you have the code. I bet Scythe, Boomer, and Hangman are the only three that know it.
“Hi.”
“Hey, Lottie. I wanted to check on you and Mila.”
“She’s sleeping. Do you know how long the power is going to be out?”
“No, but there’s a switch in here for the generator. Let me see if I can get power restored to this room.”
Hangman uses his phone flashlight and finds the switch. The power flips back on, and I start the computer, hoping the cameras are still recording. Once it reboots, I can see them as they blink on, resuming their feeds.
“Yay, everything is working again.”
“Yeah. It’s probably the storm. We’re supposed to get a good one tonight.”
As if on cue, I hear the distant rumble of thunder. I can’t see if there’s lightning with it because there aren’t any windows in the safe room.
Hangman joins me on the couch and hands me a bottle of water. “Stay hydrated. Who knows how long we’ll be in here.”
Good idea. I probably need it. I twist the cap and drink half of it, setting it aside. “Scythe told me you used to be the president before you passed the position onto him.”
His laugh is infectious, and I smile. “Well, that’s a gentle way of saying I shoved the gavel into his hand and told him to man up, and he needed to lead his men.”
I can imagine how that went down. “Did he fight you on it?”
“Naw. He wanted the president seat. I just made it official for him because I was ready to step down. Too much goddamn stress.”
