Page 18 of Rebel

“Sorry,” he said, holding up his hands.“Bad joke.You just looked… intense.”

I forced a tight smile.“Just thinking.”

“Dangerous pastime.”He glanced toward the door Rebel had disappeared through.“They’ve been in there a while.”

“Yeah.”I didn’t elaborate, unsure how much this man knew about my situation.

“For what it’s worth,” he said, lowering his voice, “Rebel’s a good man to have in your corner.Charming too.If they’re taking their time, it’s because they’re making sure all the angles are covered.”

Before I could respond, Rebel emerged from the hallway, his expression unreadable as he scanned the room.When his eyes landed on me, he jerked his head in a silent command to join him.

I rose from the couch, my legs surprisingly steady as I crossed the room.The bearded club member stepped aside, giving me a small nod that might have been encouragement.

Rebel led me to a quieter corner of the common area, his back to the room, shielding our conversation from curious ears.

“Well?”I prompted when he didn’t immediately speak.

“Charming’s making arrangements.”Rebel’s voice was low, his usual swagger muted.“We’ve got three days to figure this out.”

“Three days until what?”The question came out sharper than I intended.

Rebel’s eyes met mine, serious in a way I wasn’t used to seeing.“Until we have to make a big decision.”

Another flash of memory -- my attackers’ faces, contorted with a mixture of rage and satisfaction as they left me bleeding.

“And in the meantime?”I asked, pushing the images away.

“In the meantime, you don’t leave my sight.”Rebel’s tone left no room for argument.“We’ll set up surveillance, reach out to contacts, see if we can figure out where these bastards are holed up.”

“I should call my old superior, see if he has more information.”

Rebel nodded.“Do it.But speakerphone.I need to hear what he says.”

I bristled at the implication.“You think I’m going to lie to you?”

“I think you’re scared, angry, and looking for payback.”His voice was surprisingly gentle.“And that makes people do stupid things.”

He wasn’t wrong.The rage that had been simmering beneath my fear was dangerously close to boiling over.Part of me wanted to hunt them down myself, to make them feel a fraction of the terror they’d inflicted on me.

“I’m not stupid,” I said finally.“I know I can’t take them on alone.”

“Good.”Rebel’s customary smirk returned.“Because you’ve got a whole MC who will gladly turn those fuckers into roadkill.”

The promise of violence should have disturbed me.Instead, it sent a surge of something like relief through my chest.My attackers thought I was alone, vulnerable.They had no idea what was waiting for them.

I met Rebel’s gaze, my own hardening with resolve.“Three days.”

“Three days,” he confirmed, his expression mirroring mine.“And then… Well, we’ll discuss it more later.”

In that moment, standing in the heart of a motorcycle club’s compound, I felt something I hadn’t felt since the attack -- powerful.Not because I was stronger or faster or meaner than the men who had hurt me, but because I wasn’t facing them alone anymore.

My hands stopped trembling.My breathing steadied.The flashbacks receded, at least for now.

Three days.

I could survive anything for three more days.

Chapter Five

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