But it couldn’t be, could it?
Roy’s chest sank slowly as he absorbed the information, peering at Miles who had closed in next to me. I hadn’t even noticed him, he’d been so quiet. Miles looked back, and for a quick moment, they exchanged knowing looks.
“Impossible,” Miles whispered.
Roy’s devastation morphed to rage. “They’re based in the city—”
“We’ll find them,” Leo interrupted. “I got eyes everywhere.”
Now Shane tensed, quietly muttering to him, “If you use those resources, your father will know, Leo.”
But Leo didn’t look like he cared. “I need another car.”
Roy nodded straight away. “We’ll go together.”
Then, just like that, Roy was twisting away and ordering his men to him. He spat out directions to them, ordering trucks and a run to the armoury. Meanwhile, Shane was whispering in Leo’s ear, looking uncertain. “We do not work with the bikers,” I caught him saying. “This is not a good move, Leo.”
“Contact the Bridgemen,” Leo returned, ignoring the warning. “I want to know where these brothers are right this fucking instant.”
I didn’t know what this Bridgemen was, but it didn’t make Shane happy. He reluctantly nodded and pulled out his phone, moving away to dial a number. Meanwhile, bikers were scattering in all directions, filled with purpose. Miles was pressed against Roy’s side, repeating under his breath, “It’s not fucking possible. It’s not, Roy. It means someone spoke from within—”
“If there’s a rat, we’ll know about it,” Roy cut in. “They’ll squeal to the Walker brothers, and we’ll find him.”
“Noneof us are rats,” Miles said vehemently to Roy.
Roy brushed away his fallen tears, retorting, “We are the only ones that know what Hunt did to Jonah Walker. Which means it came from within. That is the only reason these fucks planned a hit, Miles.”
All heat escaped my body in a whoosh.
I quickly backed away, not wanting them to notice me close-by, listening to them. I turned my back to them, running a shaky hand through my hair. I stood among a bunch of grizzly men, one side Leo and Shane, the other Roy, Miles, Jesse and a few other bikers that were now making phone calls and orchestrating a slaughter. I felt lost, spinning in circles as I tried to find a place among them all while also absorbing what I wasn’t prepared to face—
“Shane’s taking you to my place,” Leo told me, suddenly at my side.
I looked up at him, tempted to brush my fingers across his face to rid that cold expression I was starting to loathe.
“I’m staying here,” I replied firmly. “With Hunter.”
Leo frowned, shaking his head. “You won’t have Shane or me by your side to protect you—”
“I’m not leaving him,” I cut in stubbornly. “Neither should you.”
Leo’s eyes darkened. “I have to go.”
“You think shedding more blood will make you feel better?”
His lips spread into a cold smile that didn’t meet his eyes. “Yeah, Skye, I do. I’m going to take great satisfaction killing the fuckers that stole Kayla from this world—that tried to steal Hunter fromus.”
I took a moment to respond, feeling scared. “What if something happens to you?”
He looked away, shrugging as he kept his face empty. “Then I die, and if I die, what do I care anymore?”
“Icare,” I argued, frowning. “Huntercares.”
He looked back at me. “Skye, if I do nothing, they’ll come back to finish him off, and I’m not going to have them take you from this world like they took Kayla from it. I don’t know why you’re arguing about this when it’s the only way, so either you go home, and I have a few men guarding my apartment, or you stay here—”
“I’m staying here.”
He pressed his lips into a firm line, glaring at me for a long moment before he said, “Fine, I’ll have my men come here—”