Page 52 of StoryTeller's Tale

“And can you fuckin’ blame her? At that point, all she saw was my cut—”

“Or not your cut, as by then you’d lost it.”

My hands fist at the reminder, but I shrug the insult off. “She was scared, Prez. Acted out of instinct.” Having thought about it over the past few weeks, I wondered who could blame her. Rumours abound about how women are treated in motorcycle clubs, and Knuckles hadn’t done anything to reassure her.

“Fuck it, ST. You go running to Texas, she might not even give you the time of day. She could call the cops on you—”

“She refused the rape kit,”

Chaz rests his boot lightly on the car’s bumper and leans on his knee. “Women, fuck, men as well, can let things fester. ‘Specially when traumatic events occur. Time and distance may not have made her heart fonder. ST, we all know what you did to her, we fuckin’ heard it. She might hate your guts.”

“Don’t you think I feel fuckin’ guilty about that?” I snarl. “It’s not an excuse that it was me or them, I did that to her. I took that one thing she could never get back.”

Chaz raises his head, puts his foot back on the floor, takes a step forward and gets into my space. “And there we fuckin’ have it. You feel guilty and think you need to save her again.”

“Maybe that’s it. Maybe it’s more basic and I just want a chance to have another taste of her. Or maybe she’s the woman I want in my life.”

He grins at my outburst. “Honesty at last. After what happened with Custer, I didn’t expect you to want to get close to a woman again.”

“Neither did I,” I admit freely. “But she’s different, Prez. And if nothing else, I owe her my life.”

“And then there’s Knuckles.” Again, his eyes pierce me. “You can’t tell me you don’t want your chance with him.”

If I said I didn’t, that would be a lie. “I want him in the ground.” At the very least, he’s got the deaths of two women on his conscience. Or should have if he wasn’t a murdering-women-trafficking motherfucker. The expression on Chaz’s face worries me.If he tries to stop me from going…

“I’m going to go, Prez. Just prefer it to be with your blessing.”

He stills, his face hardening. “Might have been better if you hadn’t admitted that.”

I stand my ground stubbornly.

“You prepared to give up your patch? As that’s kind of where you’re going with that statement.”

Give up my patch?He might as well ask me to give up breathing. “Fuck no.”

The bastard laughs. “Then it’s a good thing that I’ve already contacted Strider. Legend’s got you on the afternoon flight to Austin, and Strider’s agreed to let you have one of his loaner bikes. He’ll have it waiting for you at the airport.”

“You motherfucker,” I tell him, as relief sweeps through me. All this grilling and he’d already had my back. I’m surprised at the lengths Chaz has already gone to, contacting the prez of the Austin chapter for a start.

Greeting my insult with just a grin, he continues, “Strider’s happy enough to have your back if you get the opportunity to take Knuckles down.”

Well that sounds like a fucking plan. I raise my fist and bump it to his.

CHAPTEREIGHTEEN

STORYTELLER

The timing of the flight means I have little time to prepare. I run to my room, throw a few belongings into a rucksack then get Shitface to give me a lift to the airport.

I go through the formalities, get on a plane, and am soon in the air. It’s only a two-hour flight for a journey that would take me over fourteen hours if I were to ride. Not that the miles would put me off doing it, but I feel a sense of urgency. I don’t like the feeling that the Dominators and Sheri are in the same town, however big a city it is.

If Legend can find her address, there’s no pretending that Knuckles can’t. I couldn’t afford to waste any time.

With only a rucksack, I don’t have to wait for my luggage to arrive, so am soon outside the terminal. First thing I do is to put on my cut, and quickly notice there’s a man I don’t recognise who’s wearing colours the same as mine.

It’s the signal I’m waiting for, and I head straight for him.

We might not have met each other before, but we’re part of the same tribe. Back slaps and man hugs are obligatory. I light a smoke as he finishes his and follow him to where a bike’s just been wheeled down off a trailer.

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