Page 62 of Thug

He leaped into the hole and lifted me from my feet. Holding me in one arm, he brushed my hair away from my face and looked me over. “Are you alright?”

Since my abduction, I’d known nothing for certain. In Price’s arms, however, one thing was crystal clear.

I was safe.

I was unable to speak. Overcome with emotion, I was breathless from blubbering. He needed to know I was strong. That I’d been shaken, but that I hadn’t cracked.

“I’m okay,” I said, lying through my teeth. I managed to offer him a crumpled smile. I needed to know where I stood. “Did I…I…did I pass?” I muttered. “I didn’t say a word. Not…” I wiped my eyes with the heel of my palm. “Not one, Price.” I blubbered a lifetime of emotion and tears of relief. Eventually, I caught my breath. “Snitches get stitches, right?”

He leaned away and looked me in the eyes. He seemed confused. “What?”

“I didn’t say…” I shook my head. “I didn’t…I didn’t tell them a word. They tried and tried to get me to talk, but I didn’t. Remember? You remember what I said? I’d rather eat crumbs with bums than have steaks with snakes.” I bit down on my trembling lip. “Did I pass?”

Seemingly overcome with emotion as well, he pulled me close to his chest. “Yeah.” He pursed his quivering lips. “You sure did.”

18

Price

Gray was convinced the kidnapping and mental torture was a test of her worth, organized by the club. In lieu of telling her the truth—which would have opened an entirely new can of worms—I opted to continue to let her believe it.

It was an easy way out of what could potentially be a very awkward situation.

I sat on the floor and admired her as she soaked in the tub. Everything beneath her shoulders was concealed by a layer of bubbles on the water’s surface. She reached for the edge of the tub and braced herself while sinking to her chin.

“You’re a little sunburnt.” I poked her forearm. The skin turned white where I’d touched it and then promptly returned to the same rosy tone. “Not bad, but you could use some aloe.”

She laughed. “That’s how you test it?”

“My aunt used to do that to me. She said if it took longer than three seconds to return to its color, you’re burned.”

“Am I burned?”

“A little,” I said. “Not bad, considering where you were.”

“You fuckers ought to come up with another way to initiate women.” She sat up a little. “Making them dig a grave in the desert is going to be a deal-breaker for most of them. Especially in the summer.”

I hated the thought of lying to her, but I felt I had no other options. To explain that Brisco was convinced she was a snitch who was working for the police—and that he intended to kill her to protect the club—would cause her to run the other direction. Losing her again wasn’t a chance I was willing to take.

“Yeah,” I said. “That was a bit harsh.”

She scowled. “Ya think?”

It may not have been my—or the club’s—intention to get her to do so, but Gray had proven herself beyond a shadow of doubt. Having been exposed to bikers for her entire lifetime, she applied a biker’s traditions, beliefs, and morals to her everyday way of living life. She was a strong woman, and she had proven that strength under tremendous pressure.

“When you’re done do you want to get some sleep?” I asked. “You’ve got to be exhausted.”

The corners of her mouth curled up just a little. “Can I sleep here?”

“If you want to.”

A full-fledged smile appeared. “How easy is it going to be to fix the brake lever on your bike?”

I bailed off my motorcycle as soon as I saw her. My motorcycle slid on the right side for thirty feet before crashing into a cactus. The rear brake lever and foot peg were bent all to hell.

“Pretty simple,” I replied. “I can bend it back with a Crescent wrench. It’ll just take a second. Why?”

“Can we go to town and get some tacos, and then get some sleep?” she asked. “Back here?”