Page 57 of Ride Forever
“So it’s not an actual key?”
“No. It could be anything with a chip inside.”
Watts rolled his eyes. “That’s useful.”
“Wait…” I held up my hand a tilted my head to the side.
I closed my eyes and brought his image to mind. If he weren’t a psychopathic evil mastermind, then he would be considered handsome. I bet he used his looks and money to lure unsuspecting women into his den of nightmares all the time. Women looking for the fairy-tale ending that was never coming. The thought made my skin crawl.
If King kept the key close, it had to be on his person at all times. A ring? A cufflink?A glint of silver under his shirt. I looked up at Chaser and knew that if I was right, we were screwed. What else was new about this story?
“He had a chain around his neck…something silver under his shirt…” I said. “It could be it.”
“You saw the guy?” Ratchet asked, his mouth falling open in surprise.
I nodded. “I saw the guy all right. He threatened to have me convicted of murder if I didn’t hand over Chaser. I’m currently a fugitive from justice.”
“Uh…” Ratchet made a face.
“It was self-defense,” Chaser snapped.
I shrugged. “What he said.”
“That’s useless,” Gasket said.
“Not entirely,” Chaser countered. “Back then, it was, but now we want to kill the son of a bitch. If we can take the evidence and deliver it to the authorities, then we have the chance to take out the entire operation.”
“If King is gone, someone else will take his place,” Gasket said. “Then we’ll be stuck in an endless war.”
“So it’s not just a drive-by we’re planning?” Spike groaned and rubbed his temples.
“No, it’s a full-scale dismantle job,” Hopper said. “Strip the shell, disconnect the battery, remove the wires and filters, drain the coolant and oil, then take out the engine.”
I shot a look at Chaser, my lips curving into a grin.Good analogy.
“Once we start, we can’t stop,” Gasket said. “There’s only one way to finish this for good, and it’s a crap shot, but we have no other option but to dive into shark-infested waters and go for broke.”
The assembled bikers muttered among one another, but at least no one got up and left. Several men looked shaken up by the prospect but didn’t lose their cool.
“What’s the plan?” Watts asked. “Where do you want us?”
“Mayhem detail,” Chaser said, his eyes shining with mischief I’d never seen before.Man, it was hot.
“Hell, yeah,” Spike said, fist pumping the air.
“We need a crew to engage the Hollow Riders,” Gasket said. “And four teams to create chaos in the Halcyon.”
“The casino?” Hopper asked. “In Las Vegas? That place is going to be tighter than a virgin’s—”
“Yeah,” I said, jabbing a finger at him. “It’s going to be tight, you might get arrested, but we need a distraction to get inside.”
Gasket narrowed his eyes.
“Chaser and I are going after King and his server of death,” I declared. “You guys are going to strip the engine for us.”
“You’re going into that hole?” Stewie asked, looking shocked. He hadn’t said a word until now, which showed how much he cared. It was sweet, really, but unnecessary.
I nodded. “Like Spike said earlier, I’m not a girl, I’m a fuckingwoman. I want to see that son of a bitchchoke.”
