Page 47 of StoryTeller's Tale

For once I want to amount to something and leaving MaryAnne’s body in the basement plays on my mind. While there’s not much more I can do than offer support, I can hopefully ensure no other woman will get so distressed, that they’ll find a way to end it before hope arrives. StoryTeller’s proposing walking away without even telling them help will be summoned.

And I can’t forget, Knuckles and one of his men are still on the loose, and who’s to say they won’t come back?

A lump rises in my throat as I prepare to give up on my future. “I can’t leave them.”

“Sheri?” His jaw drops.

I take another step back. “I can’t leave them unprotected. Give me one of the guns you took from the Dominators, and I’ll stay.”

His eyes flare. “You’ll what?”

“Go.” I make a shooing motion at him, hoping he won’t argue.

My resolve isn’t that strong. Half of me wants him to pick me up, sweep me away and forcibly sit me on his bike. If he did that, I think I’d be swayed. I need him to leave before I change my mind, before I beg him to take me with him.

But wondering what happened to the women would be on my conscience all my life. I can’t live with that, even if he can.

“You’re giving up on us. On what we could be?” He sounds incredulous.

“ST?” his VP shouts again. And this time, his voice is accompanied by multiple engines starting.

I mouth the word but can’t bring myself to verbalise it.Yes.

“For fuck’s sake,” he growls, then spins on his heels. He marches over to a stunning black bike parked a little way back from the rest. After a moment and a gesture toward the rest of the bikers, he runs back to me.

He passes me two items.

One is the gun just as I requested.

The other?

A book. I don’t even need to look at the cover to know what it is.

Then, with a scowl, a final assessing look at my face, he leaves.

I stay rooted to the spot, watching them leave, not moving until the sound of the last engine fades.

A little voice inside is shouting at me.What have I done?

A tear comes to my eye, and I swallow back the sob, then I walk back to join the other women.

“They’ve gone,” Carole states, unable to mask the disbelief in her voice.

“They’ve gone,” I agree. I straighten my back. “They’re going to call the authorities. Someone will be coming for us soon.” I hunker down and join their group. “How are we all doing?”

Not well, by the look of it. Kelly is shivering even though the heat from the burning building can still be felt, and I’m worried she’s going into shock. Angie has her head in her hands and is rocking, much like she did in the basement. I’m not even sure she knows that she’s free.

A loud crash sounds as more of the house behind us falls down, and Leah jumps.

There’s not much I can do for them mentally. I notice Carole cradling her arm. “You okay?”

“Are they really going to call someone?” she asks, instead of answering. “Are we really safe?”

It’s then I notice how exposed we are, illuminated by the dying flames. “I think we’ll be safer if we get to the woods. We only need to show ourselves when we know who’s arrived.”

Her eyes fall on the gun I’m holding in my right hand. She gulps, catches my eyes, and reads the unspoken message. We both encourage Angie, Kelly and Leah to come with us and get out of sight.

As we hide, I try to stop the shaking, knowing I’m still running on the aftermath of the adrenaline coupled with the thought we won’t be safe until the authorities turn up. There’s a large part of me that’s crying out for StoryTeller. While he’d only been in my life a few hours, he’d made an enormous impression on it, and one I know I’ll never forget.

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