Page 32 of Hell on Wheels

Rael stood in front of the basement door with his arms crossed over his chest, ticking his head toward the exit. “You ain’t in the right mindset right now, man. We’ll deal with Angel later.”

“Fuck off,” I snarled, determined to shove my way through even if it pissed off every member of the Royal Bastards.

“Maddog,” Grim’s gravelly voice rumbled. “Take this outside. Now.”

He wasn’t my pres. Not yet.

Something in my expression must have warned him I hovered on the edge of my sanity.

“I know what you’re feelin’. Swear to you that vindication will happen. You’ll have your vengeance.”

Fuck. My neck popped as I rolled my shoulders, following Grim outside. The night sky was still fading into hues of blue and creeping into violet, orange, and bright pink. A glowing ball of fire slowly peeked over the horizon, casting shimmering waves of sunlight upon the ground.

“You need to ride. Sort this shit out best you can,” he advised.

“Easier said than done,” I growled.

“So take the Devil’s Ride. Nothin’ for you to lose if you do.”

Nope. Already lost my fucking dog, my eyesight, and my pride.

“Fine,” I relented, stomping toward my bike. Someone unloaded it. Probably Patriot. Sneaky fucker.

I fired up the engine, following Grim and his Bastards out of the compound, merging onto Hwy 95 and allowing the crisp morning breeze to ruffle through my hair. The ride brought no peace or closure, only the memories of the past that played like a sorrow-filled tune in my head.

I failed to pay attention to the others until we turned off the road, driving into the desert as our hogs trampled over tumbleweeds and cacti. The wind picked up, blowing hot desert air into my face as the temperature steadily rose.

For a few seconds, it felt like I was back in Afghanistan, alert as I patrolled the long stretch of desert between cities. My mind must have been playing tricks on me because I saw a massive shape hovering above the ground. As I watched, the object closed in, hurtling toward me at an alarming pace.

“Fuck!” I cursed, swerving my bike as I narrowly avoided crashing into the creature that slammed into the hot desert sand and created a crater in the middle of the fucking Great Basin. Jerking to a stop, I stared at the being that slowly rose upward to a towering height.

Jet black hair matched enormous black wings that rose another few feet above his shoulders, slightly folded as the lower portion curled inward toward his feet. Dark blue eyes began to swirl, hues of blue sparkling with the light of a dozen stars. A wicked grin spread across his face as the lights changed and multiplied with the depth of numerous souls.

Hundreds. No. More likemillionsof souls.

How did I know that?

A sinister chuckle left his lips. “Knowledge is a gift.”

The being who stood before me was evil personified but also charismatic, charming, intelligent, and altogether frightening with his handsome features and unwavering attention.

Damn. The devil sure liked to sell himself.

“A gift from you?” How bizarre.

“Do you see any other deity?”

“Deity?” Was the devil a god or an angel?

He bowed. “I am many things. Some of them obvious. Do not be limited by what you think you perceive.”

An interesting choice of words.

I didn’t have time to dwell on it because his expression sobered as his grin disappeared.

“You lost a companion today.”

The reminder set off an ache in my chest so fierce my fist rose to press against my breastbone. “Yes.”

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