Page 66 of Ride Long
Chaser had set meup.
Lifting my leg, I was grateful for my flexibility. I smashed my heel down on Hopper’s wrist, and he yelped, dropping his gun. Breaking free, I dove for the firearm and snatched it up. Pointing it at his head, I curled mylip.
“No more games, Hopper,” I drawled, seriously pissed off. “You can’t make me stay in this room. I will shoot any son of a bitch who gets between me and Marini,so help meGod.”
“Then fucking go.” He grimaced and shook his wrist. “I ain’t gonna try to stop youagain.”
“Sloane!”
I turned at the sound of Shondra’svoice.
Her bottom lip quivered. “Be careful,okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said with a smile. “I’m a tough bitch,remember?”
* * *
Iwent backthe way I’d come. Passing my room, I weaved through the compound, taking the long way to Marini’srooms.
I hadn’t been here since the awful dinner he had me endure weeks ago. I’d hardly seen him at all, which was a glaring indicator as to his affection for his only offspring. The more I thought about it, the more I saw the signs. They were all there. The absence, the threats, the cold stares, the baiting… It was past the time for shouldhaves.
Sounds of movement echoed along the concrete halls. Boots thumped overhead, voices called out somewhere ahead, but I didn’t see a single soul. It was fucking creepy. Any second now, I was sure a zombie would fall out of the darkness and try to tear out my jugular with its bare, rottingteeth.
A shiver ran down my spine as I stood outside the door to my father’s room. If he was inthere…
I held up Hopper’s gun and opened the door, tracking the barrel in front of me. I was ready to pull the trigger and cut down any bastard who got in my way, but it was pointless. The moment I stepped inside, Iknew.
He wasn’t here. Marini wasgone.
I clicked the safety on Hopper’s gun and shoved it down the back of my jeans with a sigh. It would never be this simple. A girl could hope, but hope meant shit when it came down to thewire.
Of course, he wasn’there.
Marini’s revolver was sitting on the table. Picking it up, I checked the barrel. The mother-of-pearl shimmered on the butt as I tilted it to the side. It was fully loaded. Had Marini left in a hurry? I doubted he would leave this treasure behind. Itwasa treasure considering what he did with it. Watts told me all about it one night over a beer outside in the yard. It was the club’sexecutioner.
I snorted. Not quite. Marini was the executioner, the gun was just a tool he used to carry out hissentences.
Glancing at the floor, a brown stain was rusted deep into the carpet. It hadn’t been there before, and I knew it was old blood. I felt bile rising in the back of my throat, knowing the stain belonged toHarley.
The revolver was heavy in my hand, but still, I slid it into the waistband of myjeans.
I turned my back, pushing the thought out of my mind. Opening his bedroom door, I stared into the lair of the monster and scowled. It stunk of him. Of Marini. Gunpowder and sweat. I remembered this place differently. The sweet scent of Mom’s perfume, her clothes lying on the leather chair in the corner, the woven rug on the floor, the pale blue curtains framing the windows. All of that was gonenow.
I stepped inside and tried to remember her face, but all I came away with was her cold, dead eyes and the blue lips ofdeath.
I backed away but not before a glint caught my eye. A ring was sitting on the nightstand, and as I approached, I instantly recognizedit.
It was hers. Mom’s engagementring.
A memory surfaced of sitting in her lap and playing with it, twisting the gold band around and around on her finger, watching the diamond sparkle.Daddy gave that to me on the beach, she’dsaid.
I took one last glance around the room before I left, the ring heavy in my palm. I didn’t know if Dad had given a shit about my mom or what it meant that he kept her engagement ring on the nightstand, but it was mine now. The one and only thing I had left ofhers.
It was mine, and I took it fromhim.
Leaving the bedroom behind, I put the ring in my pocket for safekeeping and went out into the hall. I had to find Chaser and Gasket and get this thing done. Lingering here waspointless.
Movement at the end of the hall pulled me to the right, and my breathcaught.
