Page 40 of Vandal Unbound

Daisy makes a move to run to her, but I stop her. “I’ll get Elsie. Stay here where it’s safe.”

“Maren!” I hear Knox roar.

I look up to the balcony of the clubhouse and see my president searching around frantically for the woman he loves.

“Prez. I got her. I’ll get her out of here.”

As soon as Havoc and Elsie reach me, Elsie throws out her arms in my direction. I grab her as I run to the car. “Listen to me, sweetheart. I need you to be brave for me, okay?”

Her tiny face gets paler. “What’s happening?”

“Naughty men,” I tell her. “But do you want to know something?”

She nods.

“They’re men who are going to have to get through me to get to you. And there’s no person on this earth strong enough to do that, okay?”

The marsh air hits thick and humid. The sound of the engines is deafening now, and there’s an increasing volume of gunfire. I shove Elsie into the back seat first, and Maren climbs in after her. Daisy fumbles with the driver’s door, so I move her hand, reach for the handle, and open it.

“Passenger side, now,” I tell her, and thankfully she obeys.

“You got this, V?” Havoc asks.

“Just getting them down the road, then I’ll be back. Go. Knox needs you. This has to be Alvarez.” I jump into the driver’s seat, shoving the seat back to make room.

“I can drive,” Daisy says as she gets into the car. Her hands shake as she fastens her seat belt, her face ashen.

“I know you can, sweetheart. But what I want you to do for now is duck. All of you. Maren, help Elsie.”

I have no clue how close those boats are to making it to the dock. Knowing Knox, my bet is there’s a hail of gunfire pounding down on them right now to keep them in the water.

I love a good action movie, one with great chase scenes that make your heart pound as cars do unthinkable things. And right now, I channel that as I hit the gas and careen for the gates of the clubhouse.

This would all feel safer if we were in my truck, with its bull bars and horsepower that gives some weight to acceleration. Instead, we are in Daisy’s tin can that gives fuel consumption priority and shakes and rattles every time I try to accelerate too fast.

“Oh my God,” Maren cries when three bullets hit the side of Daisy’s car with loud metallic pings.

I ride so fast from the compound that it feels as if the car goes up onto two wheels when we take the corner. The echo of gunshots disappears the farther away we get.

When we’re about a mile away from the clubhouse, I pull over on the side of the road. Running back is going to hurt. I can’t remember the last time I went to the gym. I'm not sure of the last time I actually ate a decent meal.

I step out into the deserted road, shielding my eyes from the sun. There’s no sign of any cars or bikes or trucks following us. My hands shake, and I shove them into my pockets. It’s hard to know whether it’s from adrenaline or the need for alcohol to take the edge off.

Daisy climbs out and comes to stand next to me. Terror is etched in her eyes, but she squares her shoulders anyway. “This can’t happen again. This can’t be my life.”

I freeze, not just at her words, but the way her voice cracks as she says them.

“Are they going to keep coming for you, Vandal?”

I reach for her and pull her to me, kissing her forehead. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”

“How?” she shoots back. “How are you going to handle it?”

“I’ll keep you safe.”

“You couldn’t even keep yourself safe.”

Pain flashes across her face immediately after she says it, like she already regrets it.