“Don’t hassle me. Just get them in the car.”
“I’m doing that,” Brian Clive says, dragging me toward one of Uncle Clive’s many black SUVs.
I wait until I have leverage against the vehicle before I turn to punch and kick at Brian Clive. My cousin rolls his eyes and slams me hard against the side of the SUV. My breath comes gushing out from the impact. Rather than inspiring me to submit, the pain sets off my temper.
“Stop rolling your eyes,” I mutter as Brian Clive opens the door and tries to shove me inside. “Chicks hate that shit.”
“Chicks love me,” he says, reverting to the version of him that must argue with me over everything. “They think I’m the bomb.”
“No, they think your wallet is,” I say, wedging myself against the doorjamb so he can’t shove me inside the SUV.
“Stop fighting.”
“Stop fucking with me, Brian Clive.”
“Get in the car!” David Clive yells so loudly that he even startles his brother. “Or I’m shooting this cow!”
First, I see Needy on the ground, hurt but still ready to fight. Then, I notice David Clive’s mouth is bloody from Needy’s punches. Finally, my gaze focuses on the way his gun presses against a passive Amity’s head.
“I will fucking kill her if you don’t get in that fucking car!” he screams, and I wonder if his damaged balls short-wired his brain.
“She’s Zella’s age,” I tell Brian Clive, who keeps my back shoved against the SUV as he studies his brother.
“Yeah, but she ain’t Zella.”
“Think of how much life your sister lost. Are you going to let him kill that innocent girl? She didn’t even hurt you. Threaten me, not her,” I ask, fighting tears. “Please, Brian Clive.”
Despite being the older, gruffer brother, Brian Clive is also a huge mama’s boy. He loves when Immee pampers him. The fucker is like a big kid when it comes to his mom’s tender touch. I think that’s why he’s got a soft spot for crying girls. Now, he sees me almost in tears and Amity whimpering as his stupid brother shoves a gun against her pretty head.
“Look,” he tells me, “we gotta take you back. That’s what Pa decided. You can get in the car and deal with shit, or you can let that innocent girl deal with it. I don’t have many options here. Now, what’s it gonna be?”
I look at Needy for the answer. Leaving Elko with Clive’s boys could seal our fate. He might just want us back under his thumb, and Conor can fix things later. Or we might end up dead as soon as we reach Minton.
I look at Amity’s timid face and imagine whatever horrors she suffered years ago. They’re dripping off her now. She’s just a girl wanting to feel safe. That gun is against her head because she chose to be my friend. I can’t let her die.
“Zella died with her eyes open,” I whisper, and Brian Clive tightens his grip on my arm. “She died afraid.”
“Quit talking about my sister.”
“Tell David Clive to stop pointing that gun at her head before he accidentally pulls the trigger. We’ll go with you. No more fighting.”
Brian Clive gets close to my face, doing that thing his dad does where he sizes up if someone’s lying. Except Clive McNamee is a smart guy with a natural bullshit detector. His sons are just watered-down versions of the man they want to be.
“Fine, get in the car,” he mutters, and I climb into the SUV. Once he sees I’ve behaved, he says, “David Clive, ease up on the cow. Needy, get in the fucking car with your kid. I want to get out of this godforsaken state.”
Needy says something to Amity and strokes her cheek tenderly before hurrying over to me. Brian Clive binds our wrists with plastic ties before shutting the door. David Clive waits until we’re secured before he lets Amity go. She doesn’t even look back before hurrying toward the restaurant.
“It’s okay,” Needy promises me as my cousins take the front seats. “I told Amity to get a ride home from her husband, Conor.”
Nodding, I don’t smile at Needy’s signal to Amity. I play everything calmly. But there is no fucking way I’m behaving for a fifteen-hour drive to North Dakota. Somewhere between Elko and Minton, I’m kicking my cousins in the balls again.
However, my initial plan is to remain patient and wait for Conor to find us. The Executioners know Ohio. We’ll never get out of the state. My cousins were also stupid to grab us at the club’s restaurant. Soon, the Executioners will bear down on Clive’s boys. I just need to be patient while the local badasses do their thing.
Then, I catch sight of the highway overpass, which looms large in Elko. Despite my rational planning, I also sense my new life slipping away. Worse still, what will Conor feel when he learns I’m gone? Every morning, when he wakes up, he looks to make sure I’m nearby. Conor needs me, and my dillweed cousins are stealing away our future.
Rather than wait patiently to be saved, I lean over, rest my back on Needy’s lap, and aim at the window. Both feet make contact, shattering the glass and scaring the shit out of Brian Clive, who swerves the SUV.
“Fucking cow!”
My mother looks down at me, and we share a smile. Yeah, today will likely end badly, but letting our new life go without a fight isn’t an option.
Brian Clive pulls off the main road onto a smaller one and slams the brakes. I know he plans to tie us up better or hurt me enough to behave. I’m ready for him, kicking at his beefy face as soon as he yanks open my door. His dark eyes meet mine, and I feel the same rage as I see in his gaze.
Then, we both hear the roar of approaching motorcycles, and our moods shift to very different places.
CONOR
Last night, I enjoyed a nice meal out with Monroe, Needy, and Amity at Rooster’s. We’ve fallen into a comfortable routine. Needy reminds me a lot of her daughter, and Monroe’s my favorite person. Getting along with her is easy. Amity’s always been one of my favorite bunnies. I ought to feel weird having my former hookup spending all her time with my honey, but they get along so well, and neither seems weird about how they both know my dick.
I’m rarely at my mom’s house except to sleep at night. Barbie hasn’t warmed up to Monroe, who gives zero fucks about winning over my mother. They avoid each other. Most days, Mom is busy with her yard, working out, or visiting with Fairuza. Monroe prefers the Overlook. Our current situation will have to do until the new house is built.
“I saw your whore riding bicycles with Dunning all over the Woodlands,” Mom announced earlier when we ran into each other in Bronco’s kitchen. “She’s immature. Too young for marriage and a kid.”
“I’ll be sure to tell Monroe what you said. Then, we’ll laugh. Anything else?” I asked as she rolled her bright blue eyes.
“She’s trash, Conor, but she likes to fight,” Mom said and gestured toward the backyard where several club brothers stood with Bronco. “These are your people, but they might screw you over from time to time. And I can’t always be around to keep them in line. The trash whore can watch your back when I’m busy with shit.”
Cupping my mom’s face, I smiled at her. “I see what you’re saying. Monroe is your favorite person, and you’ve built a shrine to her in your bedroom. I’ll let her know that. Then, we’ll laugh again.”