Page 83 of Coach
“Why do you evenhavethat?” I asked, looking at the ball gag on the floor.
Konstantin’s gaze slid to his brother, but neither said anything.
“We will drop you at home,” Konstantin said. “And the money will be at work tomorrow. Drive instead of walking.”
Not quite believing this was real life, I slowly got to my feet. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Konstantin agreed.
And they, I kid you not, all walked to the stairs together.
Mikhail hung back, turning off the lights, then following us back across the field toward the car.
Konstantin opened my door for me, waited for me to slide into the backseat, then closed it gently before he and his brother got in the front, turned over the car, and drove back to Shady Valley.
It was the most surreal moment of my life.
The car pulled up outside the duplex, and I had to actually tamp down the knee-jerk urge to thank them for driving me home.
“Nice fence,” Mikhail commented, seemingly just as uncomfortable with the change of events. Konstantin, on the other hand, was as stalwart and unreadable as ever.
“Thanks. Saul built it.”
It was partly true.
The brothers shared another look.
“Sounds like that dog of yours knows you’re home,” Konstantin said as Trix started to bark at the front window.
“Yep. Alright. Well… yeah,” I said, not sure what the hell else to say as I opened my door and climbed out.
Some part of me was paranoid they might just shoot me on my own front porch after all.
But before I even got to the steps, they peeled off.
My hands shook as I unlocked the door, the adrenaline spent, leaving just the shock and fear behind.
“Girl, you are not going to believe what just happened,” I told Trix as she bounded up to me, completely oblivious to everything that happened but happy to see me. “Without realizing it, you kind of saved my life tonight,” I told her. “You and Saul.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Coach
“Enjoy Texas, man,” Colter said, shaking Rafe’s hand.
All three of the clubs had debated taking on Rafe. His experience and connections—along with a carefully orchestrated escape and survival afterward—made him a desirable prospect.
In the end, though, the Texas chapter was the one that made the most sense. It was a small town, kind of removed from the rest of the world. No one would have ever heard about the prison escape, let alone think to look twice at Rafe.
Plus, Rafe liked the idea of all the room for Steve to run around on the ranch where the clubhouse was located.
“Been a bit like prison here,” Rafe said, but he was smiling. “But thanks for putting me up. And springing my dog from dog jail,” he added, shaking my hand.
“Ready?” Raff, used to the road life, asked, standing there with a giant coffee and a cooler full of sandwiches from Detroit.
“Yep,” Rafe said, slinging a bag over his shoulder and picking up two others that were full of Steve’s chews, toys, and food.
“Yeah,” Syn said, sounding a lot less enthused about another road trip. But he had to wrap up the loose ends of his previous life before he could fully settle in Shady Valley.
