Page 73 of Ky
After a while, she composes herself, and I help her prepare some fru fru drinks and snacks, bringing it all back into the living room, where the rest of the women are.
For however long we have to wait for the men to return, I try to focus on the women around me, but it’s hard not to think about my kids. Yes, I didn’t know Finn very well, but he was a part of Ky, and thus a part of me as well. So why am I sitting here pretending everything is okay, when it clearly isn’t?
With a plan forming in my head, I excuse myself and go to the bathroom, breathing a sigh of relief when I see the window is open, and the opening is quite large for me to fit through. Putting the strap of my bag over my head, carrying it like a cross body, I hoist myself up onto the vanity and slide through the window, catching the window closure on my jeans and a rip sound throughout the room.
Whatever. They’re just pants. Continuing on, I squeeze through the window, thankful it’s not too far from the ground, my shoesdigging into the dirt as I jump from the ledge. I order an Uber, send a message to Ky to which he doesn’t reply, and as a last resort, bring up the app that will show where Ky’s phone is located. I frown when I realize that they're headed to Cullville.
That can’t be right?
Walking to the front gate, I smile brightly over at Styx manning the gate, silently asking him to open it.
“I was told not to let anyone out,” he says.
My stomach churns, sweat beading on my brow and down between my breasts and back.
“It’s okay, I spoke to Ky, and he gave the all clear. I was just headed to get some more snacks. The women have all drunk a little too much,” I reply, hoping he’ll believe my lie.
He looks at me a little longer than I would like, probably debating if he should believe me or not. Finally, he shrugs, turns a knob and the gate slides open.
I smile wide and tip my chin in thanks. Walking to the side of the road, I look around for the Uber, seeing a gray sedan parked off a little way from the gate. I start the short trek, opening the back door as I slide inside. I sit back and close my eyes, confirming the address in Cullville. When the driver doesn’t respond, I open my eyes and they come into contact with a pair of familiar blue eyes. Eyes I’d seen on the daily at Angelo’s compound. He’s the one who brought me food down in the basement. Ricky or Richard, something or other.
The bastard chuckles, and I can hear a click as the locks are activated.
“I was supposed to get you from the compound. Imagine my surprise when you just walked out on your own steam toward my car. The boss wants to see you,” he announces, as I curse my own stupidity. After this, there’s no way Ky will ever forgive me for what happened.
I was completely fucked.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Ky
Anger rules my thoughts as I throw my leg over my sled, waiting for everyone else to get their fucking act together so that we can finally head off. For some unknown reason, Kon brought Mariah with us to Cullville, why we needed her I wasn’t sure, but maybe she would be used for some kind of leverage against Angelo, who knows?
When I think of what kind of man has them, a feeling of dread overwhelms me. Someone who thought nothing of abusing his supposed stepsister for God only knows how long. I’m sure he’ll take great pleasure in tormenting children that belonged to her, and the man she ends up with.
The rational part of me knows Sera wasn’t to blame for what happened. The kids were safe in our backyard, innocently playing together. But the irrational part of me is a raging storm, churning with anger and resentment. Maybe a bit of distance from her will calm me down and afford me some perspective.
Finally, the others appear, and climb on their own sleds, while Kon gets behind the wheel of the sleek black Mercedes he’d arrived in. His men stay behind to look after our women, with the handful of prospects left behind as well. Kon had been on the phone since the kidnapping happened, talking to his contacts about where Angelo might have taken Finn and Willow. I was impatient to head out, but I knew these things took time.
“We’ll find them.” I jerk my head toward the sound of the voice and see Ink beside me on his own sled. “The club will leave no stone unturned until we find them. You know that, right?”
We’ve been on the outs for so long that my first instinct is to tell the guy to fuck off, but I pull back from the brink, forcing my brain to think rationally. He was still my brother; I’ve knownhim practically my entire life. I wasn’t going to continue some stupid feud that would get us nowhere. So, I take the high road. Shocking the shit out of him and me.
“Thanks, brother.” We bump shoulders and fists, and just like that, everything is right between us.
Most of the brothers had joined in the rescue mission. Including my little brother Lukas, or Spider, as he preferred now to go by. He’d recently been given a full member patch, and he’d done everything to make himself indispensable to the club. Since losing his best friend Snake to the club in Washington, and his ol’lady dumping him and following Snake out there, leaving him alone to look after their kid.
Nobody was going to miss the bitch, let alone me. She had set her sights first on me, and when I rebuffed her, she’d moved on to Spider. The farther away from Briar Creek she is, the better I say.
Since Kon had appointed himself the leader of this mission, we let him drive out in front, flanking the car on either side as we rode out of the compound, heading out of Briar Creek and into Cullville? What the fuck?
My curiosity piqued, we continue to follow the conspicuous Merc down the quiet streets, until we reach an abandoned lot of warehouses. My stomach dips. We park our sleds, waiting for Kon to get out of his car. When he does, I feel my phone vibrate in the breast pocket of my cut. Retrieving it, I read the message and feel my anger mix with regret at the way I treated Sera.
Sera: Please be careful. Bring our kids home safe.I know I should reply, but I just can’t bring myself to do it just yet, so instead, I put the phone back into my pocket and get my head in the game. My club and my kids are counting on me.
As one, we gather in the center of the dusty parking lot. Kon pushing a dirty and exhausted Mariah in front of him. She’s far from the put together beauty she was when she reappeared inmy life all those months ago. She’s in the mess she’s in because of her own making, and I’d be damned if I was going to feel sorry for her now.
“I’ve been told by a source that he’s brought the children here,” Kon explains.