Page 67 of The Chase

“Okay, probably got a few hours then until Skunk sobers up...” Colt thought out loud.

“Why can’t I be like you, Colt?”

“Huh?” He looked at Miles like he’d forgotten the other man was there.

“You’re so badass, I wish I could be as strong as you, do things my way… I bet no one messes with you.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” Colt said with a tinge of wry amusement. They’d made it to the other cabin. No lights were on. “Listen, Miles, you definitely didn’t say anything to those men, right? About this place? About who you’d met here?”

Miles nodded sloppily.

“Okay, here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to go into your cabin. You’re going to get a bottle of water and down it, okay?” Miles nodded again. “Then you’re going to get into bed, and sleep, and pretend we never had this conversation. You’re going to wake up, tell Clarissa you love her, stay away from the blow, and go on living happily ever after, got it?”

Colt didn’t wait for Miles to respond, he slapped him on the back in a friendly gesture, propelling him forward to his front door. “Bye Colt!” Miles whispered loudly.

Colt forced a smile and waved.

“Love you Colt!” Miles whispered again.

“Fucking... great work, Miles,” Colt replied sarcastically, with a thumbs up. Colt waited with baited breath as Miles opened his door and swayed through. Colt listened out for the possible bang of Miles hitting the floor. After a few seconds and no bang, Colt released his breath, turned, and stomped back to his cabin.

Well, fuck, that changed things.

He had to get out of there. He had to run again. April deserved better, so much better than this. Maybe he should let her find something better, maybe he should lead the MC away from her, so she could escape. Blue would look after her, put her in witness protection, she could go anywhere, do anything… It stabbed at his heart and his soul.

He reached into his back pocket, grabbed his phone and hit the dial button. The one number that he had saved into that burner phone. It picked up after one ring. “Mr. Black, how can I help?” Came the easy confidence of Ash down the line. Colt forced another breath in and out of his lungs.

“Ash, I need a favor. We’re checking out.”

“I... what? You’re paid up until the end of the week.”

“I know, but we got to go, now.”

“I can send a maid to help you pack-”

“No, fuck it.” Colt shook his head.

“It’s the middle of the night!” Ash’s smooth confidence wavered.

“I know, fuck, I know, look... the less you know, the better. But my wife and I... we gotta go. Right now.”

He heard Ash draw a breath in and out. Please Ash, Colt silently prayed. Please don’t make this a big thing, don’t ask a hundred questions.

“Alright. Alright. What can I do?” he asked.

Colt almost cried with relief. He took a breath and closed his eyes and made a decision. “I’ve gotta drive… me and my wife, we have to get out of here… I need your help.”

“Just ask.”

“Ash, can you lend me a car?”

“Umm... I don’t have one... I’ll borrow my uncle’s, I’ll say a friend was in trouble-”

“That’s great, it has airbags, right? Recently serviced?”

“Yeah.”

Colt swallowed the bile in his throat. “Good. I need you to drive our VW van out of state, while we take the car...” Colt winced. He knew it was a big ask.

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