Page 62 of Rage
We go out to our bikes and wait for the others. I think of Rose’s smile, the way she laughs, the way she cares about me and worries about my mental health. I can’t let anything happen to her. I won’t.
“I’m coming for you, Rose,” I mutter under my breath, my voice low and full of conviction. “Just hold on.”
NINETEEN
CHAOS AND DANGER
Rage
I pullthe throttle back on my motorcycle and speed all the way to the park until I see the club truck. I park behind it, pull my helmet off, and rush to the vehicle. I suck in a breath and peer inside, but Rose isn’t there. A sick feeling twists my stomach. I hear the bikes pull in. The truck looks like it was abandoned in a hurry, as the keys are dangling from the ignition.
Boots crunch against gravel behind me. I look up to see the men staring at me... waiting... I frown and shake my head.
“Fuck!” My scream is strained, as if torn from deep within me. The sound echoes across the park, but it doesn’t do a damn thing to ease the pressure building inside of me.
She’s gone. My Rose. Taken. And I wasn’t there to stop it.
The cool breeze does nothing to calm the storm raging inside me. Thoughts of what Rose is going through flash through my head like a goddamn horror movie. I imagine her scared, hoping I’ll save her, and it’s like a knife slicing my heart with no anesthesia. I want to punch something, to tear the world apart until I find her.
Reaper’s voice cuts through the haze. “I’ve got their number,” he says, holding up his phone.
“Call them,” I growl, my voice low and dangerous, barely holding on to control.
He dials them, putting them on loudspeaker. We all step forward so we can hear.
The line rings twice before a voice answers, dripping with arrogance. “Took you long enough.”
I recognize Ivan’s voice.
He chuckles smugly. “We were starting to think you don’t care about your precious lady.”
My blood boils. Bomber shakes his head at me, telling me to be quiet, keeping me in check.For now...
“Where is she?” Reaper demands, his voice cold and steady. “What do you want?”
Ivan laughs, the sound grating on my nerves.
“A rematch with Rage. One more round. You set it up. We fight, we give her back. Simple.”
Reaper’s jaw tightens. “We can’t organize a fight for tonight with no notice. These things take time. People are aware well in advance when the fights are on.”
“You have until tomorrow. No fight, no girl. And don’t even think about getting the cops involved. You know how this works.”
The line goes dead and the silence that follows is deafening.
I stare at Reaper, my chest heaving, my hands trembling with the need to hit something. “We’re not waiting until tomorrow,” I snarl. “We find her... now.”
Reaper nods, his expression hard. “We’ll call around Crown Village, see if anyone’s seen her. If they’re not in town, they could be anywhere. In the meantime, we’ll organize the fight just in case we can’t find her. It all has to look real or they’ll know something is up. We need Rose back unharmed.” He puts a handon my shoulder. “We’re not stopping the search. We’ll have men out looking for her.”
The rage, the fear, the helplessness... it’s building inside of me. I want to rip those bastards apart with my bare hands. “I want them in the earth to pay for every second Rose has had to be with them.”
“Oh, can I join?” Demon’s voice breaks through my anger, light and mocking. His grin is wide and wicked. He flicks his knife open, the blade catching the light. “I haven’t had fun in a while, not since I’ve been a family man, you know? But now...” His eyes gleam with something sinister. “Now, I feel like having some fun.”
Reaper gives him a single nod.
Demon is the one who tortures and kills anyone who hurts our club members or their ol’ ladies. And right now, Ivan and his crew are in our sights.
A part of me—the darkest part—rejoices at the thought. I want them in the ground. I want them to pay for every threat, every touch, every moment of fear they put Rose through. No one lays a hand on one of our ol’ ladies and gets to keep breathing.
