Page 49 of Bride for the Bikers

I don’t like the sound of that at all.

28

HARPER

“Get a fucking move on,”Shadow snaps quietly.

“Almost… there. Got it.” The door clicks, and Outlaw gives it a nudge. It swings open, a black maw in the darkness. No lights on inside. Lightning pulls out his phone and uses it as a flashlight, revealing a storage area. Crates are stacked against the wall, and shelves are lined with boxes, marked with medical information.

Thunder nods. “Get in before someone sees us.”

It's just past four AM, and it seems like the whole place is asleep. It feels more like a high security luxury spa than Lillyglade, which was nice, but not on this level. All the rooms have big windows and balconies, probably with great views of the mountains.

From the outside, we could see dim lights in some of the rooms, probably night owls, or the break room for the people who work here. Carnell and one of his men went to reception to distract them, and see if they could talk their way or at least get information while we sneak in the back.

“The stairs should be through there.” Thunder points at an unmarked door. “If the plans are up to date, that should get us to your Mom’s floor. Unless we are shit out of luck and it’s just some other poor woman who fits her medical profile.”

It’s her. I feel it. It has to be. I tried to guess which window was hers from outside, but they all looked identical. I wish I knew how she was doing. It kills me to not know if she’s scared or hurting.

“Sledge, you stay here with Reaper and Beast, make sure our way out is clear. Phoenix and Havoc, you're with us,” Shadow commands.

How messed up is my life that this is starting to be a little fun? Not the life and death part, but I can see why a certain type of person is attracted to this kind of life. Putting these guys behind desks would be like killing them slowly. They aren’t made for the real world, but their brotherhood gives them a different kind of structure.

We reach the first floor landing. There’s a camera on the ceiling, but I try to pretend it doesn't exist. It makes me too nervous. In theory, one of Carnell’s men is taking care of the surveillance. Either way, we're not stopping here. Mom's upstairs. On the second floor, though, the stairwell ends.

“Fuck,” growls Shadow quietly. “This wasn't on the plan.”

“Do we go back down? Or into the hall?” asks Lightning.

Outlaw frowns. “Where are the next stairs?”

“Halfway down the hall on the inside wall, but that’s assuming the plan got that part right. Let’s keep going, there’s noguarantee that doubling back will be any better.” Shadow tries the door off the landing, and it opens silently.

The hallway looks like a hotel, with doors on both sides at regular intervals. Soft running lights line the floor, giving enough light to move around by, but not so much as to disturb the patients. I don't know how much goes on in the middle of the night, but this has to be risky. There are always nurses on call, and people who might need help.

Sure enough, low voices come our way. Shadow waves, pointing. I don't know where to go until Outlaw grabs me and pulls me after him into a little dark room. Storage closet, maybe?

When he shuts the door, it's completely black and super creepy. I put my hand on the wall, just to remind myself there's actually something here, then jump when his hand settles on my hip.

“Easy,” Outlaw whispers.

Outside the door, the voices grow louder. Hopefully they're not looking for mops or whatever’s in here with us. Then suddenly, there are a couple of dull thuds, a “What the—”, another thump, and then quiet.

There's a soft knock on our door. “All clear,” says Thunder.

Two men in white hospital uniforms are out cold on the floor, or at least I hope they’re just unconscious. Thunder and Lightning quickly pull them into the little room where Outlaw and I hid. Hopefully, by the time they wake up and make enough noise to be discovered, we'll be out of here.

We're about halfway down, when the lights suddenly flick on, so bright I have to shield my eyes. It's immediately followed by the ding of an elevator.

“Fuck,” growls Shadow. “Outlaw, take Harper. Scatter!”

Before I get a chance to see what's going on, Outlaw drags me down the hall, throwing me into another room before slamming the door shut behind us just as yelling starts out in the corridor.

“We can't just leave them,” I hiss.

“Shut the fuck up,” he snaps back in a rough whisper. “They can take care of themselves, but shooting a couple rocks doesn’t make you a fighter.”

There's a bang, a gunshot.

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