Page 95 of Property of Legend

Damn.

Legend drops him with one final blow that echoes through the ring like a damn gunshot.The man doesn’t move.

Swagger looks furious.“Alright.Alright.Fair’s fair.”

Only it’s not.

One of the Sinners grabs me.

Another lunges at Legend with a chain.

“It ain’t over!”Swagger shouts.“We’ll ransom her to her daddy.Make twice the money!”

I scream as rough hands yank me back, but Legend’s already moving.

And this time, there’s no ring.

Chapter 53

Legend

The crowd is ringing in my ears one minute and then next it’s not.

It’s too quiet.

We step outta the ring, blood still fresh on my knuckles, Sophie safe but barely, and I already know something’s off.Rye’s the first to see it, stormin’ toward the line of bikes like he smelled smoke.

“Fuck,” he growls, crouching down.“Tires slashed.Chains cut.They hit every goddamn one.”

I kick a can of Bud out of my path and stalk over, heart still thrashing from the fight.One look and I see it, our rides are wrecked.Deliberate.No way out fast.

What is worse, it was just a distraction.Sophie is long gone.

“They planned this,” I say.“They knew we’d win.”

Royal lights a cigarette like it might solve this shit.“What now, Prez?We hoof it?”

“No,” I say, eyes narrowed.“Or yeah.Maybe we do… We ride.”

Oaks snorts.“The fuck you mean?Everything here’s busted.”

“Not everything.”I point south.“Stables.Just over the ridge.Back of Paradise Falls.We take the horses.I know a shortcut through Crooked Creek Hollow.If we ride hard and cut through the riverbed, we can catch those bastards before they hit the highway.”

Royal speaks, “The fastest horse has nothin’ on a Harley.”

“That’s what the shortcut is for.Sinners don’t know Paradise County like we do.”

Oak’s eyes widen.“You serious?”

“You got a better plan?”

He shrugs.“Alright then, John goddamn Wayne.”

I ain’t ridden bareback in years.Not since I was just a rebel kid tryin’ to impress Sophie in a sundress at the state fair.But when I see that their filly that won the derby, my blood sings.

Ribbons, as Sophie calls her.

And she remembers me.Snorts, paws the ground like she knows we’re about to raise hell.

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