I stormed back toward the mill, when Judah called out, “You fear them, Cain. I can see it pouring from you. You fear the devil’s men.”
Stopping dead, but without turning round, I said, “And so should you, Judah. You’ve never met them. You’ve never walked among them. And you have no idea how easily they would take your life.” Taking a steadying breath, I said, “Like I said before, Judah. You’re naïve. You know nothing of this outside world. Fucking nothing at all.”
Walking again, picking up my pace, I approached Mae and her sisters. They all stared up at me in terrified confusion. The youngest one was shaking. Looking around the deserted old mill, she asked, “Are you to kill us?”
Fear radiated from her in waves, and I wondered how the hell she belonged to Flame? Running my hand down my face, I shook my head. “No.”
Submitting to look at her face one more time, I turned to Mae and suddenly felt drained of all energy. There was water in her eyes, and she asked in disbelief, “You are letting us go? Truly?”
My shoulders sagged at the relieved happiness in her voice. “It was never my plan to take you.” I threw the empty purse on the ground. “No doubt there was a GPS in your cell. I imagine your men will be here soon.”
Drinking in Mae’s features one last time, I turned toward the van when I heard. “Rider?”
My eyes closed at the sound of that name, because at this moment I’d have traded everything to be that guy again. I glanced behind. Mae was on her feet, the “Property of Styx” cut she was wearing stared me right in the face, sending a wave of fierce anger coursing through my body. Her long black hair was lifting in the breeze and I thought she’d never looked more beautiful than she did right now.
“There is hope for you yet,” she said with a trembling voice.
I huffed a humorless laugh and shook my head.
“It is true,” she pushed, “The road to your redemption lies just ahead.” She pointed to her sisters. “This, freeing us three, is a start.” Her hand rubbed over her stomach, and she added, “Be who you truly are, not this man you are struggling to be. Because the real you is better. He is a better man by far.”
The beat in my heart fell at her words, but without responding I turned away and left the mill.
Walking over to the paid men, I said, “More of our men are coming to collect the women, our van is full.”
I caught them frown, and one stepped forward to say, “You got the cash? Deal was you’d pay on delivery.”
Knowing we needed to get the hell out of this place right now, I prayed to God to forgive me for what I was about to do. “The men coming will be bringing it. You’ll get the cash when they take the girls.” A sudden image of Flame came into my head. If Mae’s sister was his bitch, these men were in for a horrific death.
The men nodded their heads, believing my every word. I jumped into the van. The driver’s seat was left empty for me.
I didn’t look back as I pulled out onto the dark road. I didn’t look back at the men I’d most certainly just sentenced to death. And I didn’t speak to Judah, Brother Luke or the child all the way back to commune.
It was the first time I’d hated Judah in twenty-four years.
Chapter Twenty-One
Flame
I knew there was something wrong.
I sat at the window Maddie always sat at and I knew something was wrong. Two hours had come and gone, then three, then four. And when night had fallen, making it impossible for me to stare at her sketch of us embracing, clutched in my hands, I knew something was seriously fucking wrong.
Unable to sit in this cabin for one more fucking minute, I threw on my cut, grabbed my knives and hightailed it out the door. Heading into my shed, I started up my bike, then ate dust until I arrived at the compound.
The place was quiet. There was no music blaring through the front doors and no sluts were hanging around outside. Jumping off my bike I smashed through the front doors, only to see my brothers all standing around real fucking quiet. My eyes slammed on AK, Viking, Hush and Cowboy and I frowned. They were meant to be out on a run. They shouldn’t have been back yet.
Then I saw the Prez and VP standing at the head of the room. Their expressions were different to normal. And Ky began to pace back and forth, cussing, smoking smoke after smoke. His long blond hair was sticking out all over the place.
The flames were beginning to surge. Lapping up my blood, making it impossible to stand. The room was too quiet. It was all too fucking quiet.
Ripping out my blade, I then looked up, only to see all of the brothers noticing me.