Page 180 of Straight to Me

I nod and take them from him.

I know what I have to do.

“What about me?” Lauren asks, her voice shaking.

“You stay here. Keep your head down and wait ‘til the club arrives. No police. No matter what happens, you don’t call them.”

“Okay,” she hushes.

It seems alien to not call the police for help; the people who are meant to help you. But these men work outside of the world I know. We have to do this their way. The way Mop’s instructing us to. Otherwise, it all goes to shit.

My phone vibrates in my hand.

“Mum?”

“There’s two men. I’ll wait here,” she whispers down the line.

Mop screws a silencer to the end of his gun. My breath escapes me at the sight of it and my eyes bulge as he pulls the top back making it click. It’s not the gun that scares me, it’s how the sight of it mentally throws me back to Jack’s truck.

I can’t do this.

My chest starts heaving wildly, my head getting lighter as I take in too much oxygen too fast. I slam my eyes shut and my hands start to shake. “Mads, I need you to keep it together, we don’t have much time.” Mop pulls his hood over his head then nods at me, signalling to move.

Exiting the car quietly, we tread lightly along the pavement. The adrenaline in my body makes me skittish and want to retch. We stop at the end of the brick wall that hides us from view of the garages and Mop peers around the corner.

There’s no sign of my mum from my angle.

My heart bangs violently as Mop turns to look at me. It’s a quick glance, but I know he’s ready to move. He’s seen what he needed.

He holds his gun steady, taking a breath. In one movement, he darts round the wall, aiming his weapon out in front of him.

The silent whirl of his gun going off whips through the air, followed by a thud.

A body hitting the ground?

I chance a look around the wall and see Mop dodge a punch before lunging towards a man in a leather cut. It’s them. The Sodom Saviours are definitely here. That means VP’s here.

I can feel it in every part of my body.

I wait for Mop’s signal to go, the anticipation building. He isn’t a big man like Travis or VP, but his strength is second to none as he throws the man into the brick wall. The Sodom Saviours' feet dangle a whole six inches off the ground as Mop drags him up the wall, ramming the gun against his chest with his other hand.

He fires. The Saviours' body falls to the ground then Mop whistles sharply.

That’s my cue.

I round the wall, running towards him. I hand him the bolt cutters then stand watch as he breaks the padlock.

The sound of raindrops starting to fall against the tiled roofs of the houses, distracts me from the blood flooding around my feet. My hands tremble as I try to ignore the motionless bodies lying on the ground. I dare not look at them for fear one might have his eyes open staring at me.

I jolt as the steel padlock hits the ground and Mop drags the garage door up. My eyes scan inside the dark space for any sign of life.

There he is.

Blinking his eyes open, VP squints as light fills the dingy garage. Ropes are draped around his body, tying him to a chair in the centre of the room.

“VP!” I hurry forwards, removing the gag from his mouth.

“Mads?” His grey face meekly searches for me. The cut on his head has swollen and there’s dried blood staining one side of his features.

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