Page 56 of The Riders’ Reign

24

GHOST

I finish what I needed to do with time still to spare. No one has interrupted me, and though I’m aware of a commotion happening outside of the hangar, I’ve been left alone. I slide the blade back up my sleeve and peek out of the cockpit door. The coast is clear, so I race down the steps, back across the hangar, sticking to the wall and the shadows, and take up my position once more.

Once I’m settled back in place, I focus on getting my breathing under control and quickly wipe the sweat from my forehead. Then I carefully pull the rope from my pocket and wrap it loosely around my wrists, which I place behind me once more.

If anyone comes my way in the next few minutes and looks at me, they’ll think I’ve been here the whole time. Dropping my head to my chest, I let it roll a little to one side as if I am only half conscious and close my eyes.

These fuckers are going to get the surprise of their lives, which should teach them not to mess with me or my club. I let visions of what could happen to them play through my mind, enjoying the carnage I hope my actions will precipitate.

Voices drift toward me, and I risk a quick glance. Black, heavy boots round the corner of the hangar, and I see they are carrying the woman in their arms. Dammit. The poor girl didn’t manage to get away. Her head is lolling over the arm of the man holding her, and I think she’s out cold.

Fuck. What the hell did they do to her?

Anger rises in me, and it takes all I have to quash it and let this play out. The club will come for me, and her best chance of survival is them getting here and taking these fuckers down. It won’t be heroic of me to try to do that myself, just stupid.

God, how long are they going to be?

“Don’t put her back in the plane,” one of the men says. “Not if she’s figured out how to get free of there. Lock her in the bathroom instead.”

I’ve already been in the bathroom, and though there’s a window, it’s small and high in the wall. Is she small enough to climb through? Would she risk another escape attempt?

“Make sure you tie her up properly, too,” the man says, clearly anticipating her next possible move. “And no one is to untie her this time, no matter what, or Hector will lose his shit.”

“Has he gotten rid of those inspectors?” the one carrying the woman asks. “They could cause us even more problems than the girl.”

“Yeah, I think so. That was a close call though. If either of them had spotted her running, this whole thing could have blown the fuck up.”

The man shrugs. “Hector would have just killed them.”

“Yeah, and then someone would have reported them missing and sent others to track them down. It’s an interference we don’t need.”

I wonder if the inspectors suspected not everything was right. It’s possible they went away, but red flags had been waved. If so, they might get in touch with other authorities to check things over. I’m not sure if that would be a good or bad thing. I don’t want Hector and his men to have a reason to put a bullet in my head and get the hell out of here.

The woman lets out a groan. At least she’s not dead.

“Better hurry,” the one not holding her says. “Sounds like she’s waking up.”

Ignoring me, they pace across the hangar toward the bathroom and vanish inside. I pray they don’t hurt her or touch her any more than they already have.

Across the other side of the hangar, Hector appears with several of his men trailing behind him like eager puppies. He approaches me, an annoying smile plastered across his face.

He claps his hands to get my attention. “Time to wake up, my friend. Your fellow bikers are on their way, or at least they will be soon.”

I raise my chin and do my best to look as if I am totally out of it, though my fingers curl upward toward the blade. I picture him coming closer, and me lashing out at him, bringing the razor-sharp edge across the breadth of his throat.

I’d be signing my death warrant, as his men would shoot me in an instant, but fuck, just seeing the shock in his eyes would almost be worth dying for.

He would never be able to hurt Camile or her family again—she would be free of him—but I’m a selfish motherfucker, because it would mean I’d never get to be with her either, and I can’t bear that.

I’ve discovered she is the one and only reason I want to keep living.

“I’m not stupid enough to believe they will stick to my terms,” he continues conversationally. “They will bring more men, but I am ready for them, and I doubt they will bring the girl either. But that would be a big mistake. Muy grande.”

I tense at that. The girl? Christ, he must mean Camile. It’s the only thing that makes sense.

Surely, the guys wouldn’t bring Camile here? Jack would never allow it. But then I remember Jack is hurt, and Camile has a way of getting what she wants. I can practically hear the conversation happening in my head, how she’d blame herself for me being taken and think it was on her shoulders to make things right again.