Page 33 of Misrule
Once again, Cash halted longer than Knox liked. He was sure wolves and bears andcreaturesroamed this forest. Not to mention animals of the human variety. Why had he ever agreed to go with Cash? What the fuck had he been thinking?
He’d been lost in his hurt and anger, but this would stop. Either Roxanne stood up to Mortician or Knox would. They were grown! Mortician couldn’t keep watch over them. He couldn’t keep them separated.
Unless this was Roxanne’s idea and she was hiding behind the excuse of Mortician’s stupidity. In turn, it led to Knox’s stupidity. He could be in the clubhouse room he’d been exiled to. But, no. He washere. Wherever that happened to be.
The gate slid open and Cash started off again. They rode along for five or ten minutes more—time was becoming harder to define—before Cash pulled alongside a stream. Once he parked and they were both on their feet, Cash nodded to the darkness ahead.
“Walk.”
“Fuck you. I demand you take me back to the club.”
“As much as I’d like to oblige you, I can’t. Meggie asked for my assistance.” Cash nodded again. “Walk, motherfucker, and don’t stop until I tell you to.”
“Megan?” Knox asked in outrage. “What the fuck does she want? Fuck her.”
Cash sighed. “In the interest of time, I won’t take issue with your language. However,in the interest of time, get the fuck to walking. Knocking you the fuck out and dragging you there would defeat the entire fucking purpose and I’d much prefer to be home with Stretch, Fee, and our kids.”
“Fine, McCall. As long as you know I intend to chew Megan a new asshole for her treatment of me.”
“I’ll be sure to count your graves, so I’ll have enough markers for each piece of you.”
Knox glared at Cash.
“Walk,” the man said, giving no indication he’d seen Knox’s look.
Of course he hadn’t. Knox couldn’t see his own hand in the pitch-black surroundings.
Arguing served no purpose with none of these assholes. Even if he had protested, Cash would make light of or ignore Knox’s words altogether. Aware of Cash close behind him, Knox started off. With each step he took, he damned Megan Caldwell to everlasting hell. The soggy ground ruined his shoes and trousers. Expensive clothing wasted on stupidity.
“If this is some rite of passage, fuck all of you. I’m in excellent shape. I’m not going to fail at your dumb fucking games.”
“Don’t expect you to,” Cash responded. “Don’t give a fuck if you did.”
Knox scowled into the darkness, but said nothing more. A chill set into him. The cold air chapped his face, hands, and neck. They wanted to exploit his weaknesses, so he kept his misery to himself.
Those animal sounds, though…Christ. Haunting and frightening, the noises echoed all around them.
After an eternity, reflections from outside lamps cast shadows upon the club grounds. As they drew closer to the entrance, the light grew brighter, allowing Knox to see the back façade of Johnnie and Kendall’s house in all its pale stucco splendor.
Knox halted.
“Asshole!” Cash complained, crashing into Knox at his unexpected pause.
“What are we doing here?” Knox demanded, suspicious.
“To bring you to your execution,” Cash retorted with unnecessary sarcasm.
“I’m shaking in my loafers,” Knox sneered.
Unless it was true…?
According to Johnnie, the cave had been used in the past to hide guns, drugs, and money. Megan had even given birth in it. It wouldn’t be a stretch that they’d use it to sacrifice a poor innocent soul.
“That’s not fucking funny.”
Smirking, Cash pulled out his cell phone, typed a message, then pressed send. He waited a minute before the ding came.
Realization dawned. “You’ve been texting someone?”
