Page 29 of Sly (Dragon Riders MC 5)
“It’s Sly. That has to be Sly,” Hannah whispered.
“Shh,” I hissed.
The girls giggled as I stared out the window like a child waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. The girls told me all night that Sly would show back up. That he’d come back for me. That he’d come back to apologize and try to make up for the time we lost. I didn't believe them, though. Sly didn’t strike me as the apologizing type.
But as I watched him pull into the parking lot, I realized he was definitely the boomerang type.
As in, he came back when he needed to.
“How do I look?” I asked.
Hope reached over and started messing with my hair. “There we go. Let her out of the booth. Come on, girls. She’s got a man to catch!”
Joanna slid over. “We’ll give you guys some space and slip out. But you need to promise to tell us all about it tomorrow over lunch. Okay?”
I smiled. “Looking forward to it. I’ll see you guys around noon.”
“See you then, lovergirl!”
The door of the bar burst open and I watched my man storm through the doors. He looked powerful in his leather jacket and that scowl on his face. His eyes, so determined. His walk, so pointed. A grin slid across my cheeks as his eyes connected with mine. He strode straight for the booth as the girls headed for the alley exit at the corner of the bar. No doubt, though, they’d be listening in on as much as they could.
But when Sly got closer to me, I saw his broken nose.
“What happened?” I asked.
I heard the girls shushing one another softly in the corner as I studied Sly’s face. The wrinkle of his brow and the flaring of his nostrils. The way he cocked himself, poised as if he were ready for a fight. My blood stilled in my veins. I ripped my phone out of my pocket to see if Ben had called or texted, but I didn’t have anything.
And my brother should have been blowing up my phone since I hadn’t been back to the apartment all day.
“It’s Ben, isn’t it?” I asked softly.
Sly’s eyes twitched. “That’s his real name?”
“Save it, you know who he is. Now, where is he?”
He gripped my upper arms. “I need you to know that I’m going to get him back.”
Joanna sounded behind me. “Get him back from who?”
Hannah, too. “What are you talking about?”
Hope cleared her throat. “Where are the guys?”
Simone stepped up to my side. “What happened, Sly? Start dishing.”
His eyes held mine. “Your brother’s been taken by Skeleton and his crew.”
The girls gasped as my heart seized in its chest. I wanted to ask him to repeat what he said. I wanted to ask for clarification. But I couldn't move. Ben had been abducted? By the crew doing all of this shit in the first place?
“Oh, no,” I whispered.
Sly cupped my cheek. “I’m going after him, Tara. I’m going to get him back.”
Simone linked her arm with mine. “You need to inform the guys. Do the guys know?”
Joanna cleared her throat. “Please, tell me Link knows.”
Sly shook his head. “I’m going to brief the guys once I get back out to my bike. My first priority was finding you and letting you know, though, Tara. I didn’t want you finding out from anyone else.”
My wits finally came back to me. “How do you know he was taken if the other guys don’t?”
Sly slid his thumb against my cheek. “I was there when it happened.”
I stepped back. “And you didn’t stop it?”
Hannah eased me back in his direction. “It’s not his fault he was taken.”
My eyes held Sly’s face. “Still, though. You were there. Did you want him to be taken?”
Sly furrowed his brow. “What? No!”
I pointed up at him. “Don’t you dare lie to me. I know he’s at risk. I know his job puts him there. And I know he was an intrusion to this group. Did you let him get taken? Tell me the truth.”
“I’d never hurt you like that.”
“I don’t believe you.”
He snickered. “I don’t care what the fuck you believe. I didn’t let him get taken. We were overpowered. They came up on us in an instant, almost like they expected us to be there. And before I knew it, they dragged him away and he shouted at me to run.”
“Run.”
“Yes.”
“My brother told you to run?”
He cupped my other cheek, still gazing into my eyes. “Yes, Tara. He did. Your brother saved me, and it’s probably the only thing that’s going to save his ass.”
I paused. “Why?”
Simone squeezed my hand. “Because Sly can now tell the guys what happened, and they can go get him. Right?”
However, Sly didn’t answer.
“Right?” I asked curtly.
He licked his lips. “I’m going after him, yes. But I don’t know if the other guys are going to, given the situation.”
