Page 52 of Ride Long
Chapter 17
Chaser
Leaningagainst the side of the car, I let my head fall back andsighed.
I wished I smoked because I could really go a cigarette right about now. The scent of gunpowder was stuck up my nose, and death was on mymind.
Marini had pulled the trigger, not me, so why had this one stuck? Maybe it was because Harley had tried to hurt Sloane. These feelings were starting to get…complicated.
Darkness clung to the surrounding alley, though the sky was tinted orange by the city. Always orange. I decided I hated the city. Being alone out in the middle of nowhere with Sloane had been a nightmare, but strangely, it had been the calmest I’d felt in a long time. Maybe it was her, or maybe it was the lack of Fortitude. Fucked if Iknew.
Movement drew my attention, and I straightened up, my palm settling on the gun shoved into the waistband of myjeans.
Sloane emerged out of the darkness, her hand firmly in the grasp of Sam’shand.
I didn’t want to know how they got out of the compound with no one noticing, but I assumed Gasket had something to do with it. That meant she knew the cat was out of the bag where her surrogate daddy was involved. An argument was coming about that, but not for a while yet. Fuck, I hoped it was when we were alone and locked away someplace. Arguing with her meant my dick in her pussy. It had been way toolong.
“Okay?” she asked, her voicelow.
I nodded. “Clear.”
Sam glanced at me warily, her gaze falling to the gun. I knew what she thought of me. I was a cold, hard killer, who cared nothing for nobody. Everyone said the same thing, so I wasn’t surprised at her hesitation. She was here because she had nowhere else to turn to. Sloane’s trust in me had likely sweetened thedeal.
Sam had brought nothing with her. Just the clothes on herback.
“Here.” Sloane took Sam’s hand and set something into herpalm.
“You got it?” Tears misted Sam’s eyes as she inspected whatever Sloane had givenher.
Sloane nodded. “I promised, didn’tI?”
The two women embraced, and I turned away, not entirely sure if I was irritated by their display of emotion or saddened by it. They would likely never see one anotheragain.
“You’ll like Yvette,” Sloane was saying. “She’s got a daughter. Bringing her up on her own. She’s going to meet you halfway. Give you a ride back west and a place to stay for awhile.”
I opened the car door and raised aneyebrow.
Sloane waved me off. “Give us a second, wouldyou?”
“We’re out of time,” Isaid.
Sam nodded. “He’s right. If you getcaught…”
They hugged again—this time, a littletighter.
“Thank you, Sloane. For everything.” Sam wiped a tear and got into the car. Fiddling with the necklace, she reached behind her neck and put iton.
“Take care of her,” Sloane said tome.
I smiled. “I got you here, didn’tI?”
Sloane’s lips curved, and she pressed her forehead againstmine.
“Gasket’s waiting for me,” she said after amoment.
“Go. I’ll send word when I getback.”
Closing the passenger side door, I rounded the hood and opened the driver’sside.
