Page 121 of Riot

“You sure?” another voice sounds behind him. “Give him a kick to find out.”

Fuckin’ great.

The dick does exactly that, landing a kick to my stomach that doesn’t fuckin’ tickle. How I manage to keep it together, I’ll never know. But aside from my labored breathing, I don’t make a sound.

“He’s out. Lucky for me he’s even breathin’.”

“Fucker’s cost us too much time already. She won’t be happy.”

She?

“I know that, but we don’t get paid unless we deliver him alive, numb nuts. Could’ve got more if we’d nabbed the woman. She was fine.”

My anger boils and I want to leap up and smack his face in until he’s no longer recognizable. Realizing I can’t do that, I keep my breathing as normal as I can. They want me alive, that’s something. And they left Halo and Cookie alone. I should be grateful.

“Yeah, she had a fine set of tits on her. Could’ve gone back in there and fucked her like a real man,” the asshole — who I plan on killing later — says with a sick chuckle. “Fuckin’ damn dog.”

Cookie. Our baby. His bark must’ve scared them off and for that I’m glad. As long as my baby is safe, that’s all that matters.

“Got that right. At least we’ll finally get paid, if that bitch doesn’t say we took too long.”

“We’ve got him, don’t we?” asshole number two mutters. “Let’s get goin’ so we can get the hell outta dodge.”

“You know Lafayette ain’t that far.”

“Yeah, but we gotta stick to the speed limit. We fuck this up, we’re dead.”

Lafayette. Jesus fuckin’ Christ.

“I’m hungry, we need to stop for grub.” The dick who kicked me leaves the van, slamming the doors closed behind him.

I groan as soon as I hear them both outside. Fuck man, that kick hurt. Who the fuck wants me in Lafayette? I don’t know anybody there.

This is becoming weirder by the second. I don’t have any disgruntled exes that would want me dead. Then again, Nevada didn’t think so either, and he almost got shot by his crazy stalker.

I need to free my fuckin’ hands and feet, but they’re bound so tight. I can feel the rope burn and the sting as I try to move them to test if I have any leeway. Goddamn assholes are also good with knots. I blink again, trying to open my eyes fully as my head sways and I roll into a seated position. Granted, it takes me three goes before I get upright. My head pounds worse now that I’m sitting, and I know they fucked me up good because one eye won’t open fully.

I’m complacent. I should’ve had a prospect or two with us. Now I’ve left Halo and Cookie unprotected and alone, and if these assholes weren’t in such a hurry to get paid, they could’ve done God knows what to my girl. I can’t even form words. I would never be able to forgive myself if anything happened to her.

There would be no Hell on earth they could escape from where I wouldn’t find them, that I know for certain.

The pain rages on through my body. I think I have a cracked rib, and as my head sways with the movement of the van, I know I’m in some serious fuckin’ trouble. I can’t seem to keep my eyes open. The pain and the haziness seems to sweep through my body simultaneously, rendering me a fuckin’ mess. I fight hard,but the cloud surrounding me only strengthens. Everything I’ve ever wanted was right there, under my nose. So close that I lived it for this one blissful week. I met the woman I want to spend my life with. Start a family with and live a happy life together where she’s protected and safe. And I had it in the palm of my hand. Now that’s gone.

The danger I’ve put us both in constricts my heart. I can’t forgive myself. I won’t.

The darkness wins out once more as I slide sideways and my head hits the ground.

24

HALO

Nothing can ever prepareyou for something like this. I mean, I always knew the MC had its own element of danger. Legit or not, there’s always some kind of club drama going on at some time or other. I just wasn’t prepared for this; for Riot to get kidnapped without a trace.

What in the hell is going on?

I pace around my parents' living room as Dad makes some calls, not that he can do much because he isn’t law enforcement or an MC, but if it makes him think he’s helping, then I can’t stop him. Mom looks stricken but I try to ignore her. I don’t need her sympathy or her input right now. All that matters is making sure Riot is found alive.

“Would you like some more coffee?” Mom asks.

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