Page 85 of Ride Hard
Sloane
Bringing the car to a stop,I rolled down the window and looked forChaser.
I didn’t see him at first, and my heart twisted in my chest, but he emerged out of the shadows like a ghost. He was exactly where I’d left him half an hour ago when I’d gone off to find us a more reliable means of transportation.Good.
He slid into the front passenger seat, dumping his bag at his feet. Once he’d shut the door and clipped his seat belt on, I turned back onto the road and headed for thehighway.
“You look pale,” I said, placing my palm on hisforehead.
“I’ll befine.”
“I think you need ahospital.”
“No. Nohospitals.”
I narrowed my eyes and focused on the road ahead. If he saidso.
I merged the little rental car into the traffic and accelerated up to the speed limit. The sun was shining overhead, a few wisps of white streaked through the blue, and the road was open before us. California was looming closer thanever.
It hadn’t quite caught up with me yet. All the death. Autopilot was engaged, and all I knew was one destination. The one we’d been aiming for all this time.Fortitude.
“Do you think the cops will come after us?” I asked, not liking the silence betweenus.
“I doubtit.”
“We’ve left DNA and fingerprints clear across the country,” I argued. “Haven’t you ever seen that TV showCSI?”
“They had enough clout to seal off several cars of that train, Sloane. Believe me when I say they’re connected enough to clean up the trail of destruction we’ve left across the country. The only people coming for us now arethem.”
“Ironically, that’s extremely helpful,” Idrawled.
“They want a clean death. Off therecord.”
“Who are they? I think I’ve earned the right to know the name of their little dick club bynow.”
“They have a lot ofnames.”
“Suchas?”
“The Marauders. The Vanguard. The HollowMen.”
I snorted. “Are youserious?”
Chaser grunted. “Their leader is called TheKing.”
“The King? Fucking hell. We’re in a James Bond movie.” I scowled and tightened my grip on the wheel. “They were going to give me to him. This Kingguy.”
“What?”
“Orders change,” I rattled off. “There was something about being a sex slave, fucking open wounds, and cum up myass.”
“Thefuck.”
“That’s what I said,” I drawled. “I didn’t want to RSVP to that party. Glad you showed up when youdid.”
“Me,too.”
I snorted and fixed my gaze on the road ahead. We had an eight-hour drive ahead of us, so there was no use debating the supposed fate of daddy’s little girl, or it would be a tense ride to Fortitude. We hadn’t even talked about the other thing. Us and…her.
