Page 57 of Joyride
“He told me bits and pieces, but not everything,” Rico replies.
Zack turns to me. “Go back to our room. Take your food with you if you’d like.”
I nod my head, grabbing my chips, salsa, and a bottle of water and take it to our room. I leave the door open on the off chance I might be able to hear anything they talk about. After a few minutes of silence, I give up trying. I turn the TV on with the volume down low. I sit on the floor with my back against the end of the bed. I’m not sure what’s come over me, but my stomach has not stopped turning. I decide to climb in bed and take a nap.
I don’t wake up until the next morning. I have the same clothes on that I fell asleep in, but I’m under the covers. The TV is on, and there are no signs of Zack ever sleeping in here. I sit up, rubbing my face.
“Look who’s finally awake.” My eyes snap to Rico’s. “We were beginning to think you might never wake up.”
“I didn’t realize I was so tired. I think I’m coming down with something,” I mutter. It was meant to only be a thought.
“Why don’t you come have some breakfast,” Rico suggests.
The thought of food makes me gag. “Eh, maybe later.”
“Suit yourself.” Rico shrugs and walks away.
I slowly climb out of bed and move to the duffle bag with my clothes in it. I grab a fresh pair of clothes before heading to the bathroom to freshen up. I take my time getting dressed and brushing my teeth before slowly making my way out to the living room. Rico is on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV while Zack is sitting at the kitchen island, staring at something on his phone. I sit on the couch by the window, looking outside.
“What the fuck,” Zack shouts. I turn to him as he’s hurrying toward the front door. As he takes a couple of steps out the door, there’s an explosion and his car goes up in flames. Men come out of nowhere, rushing to the front yard. There’s shouting going on around me but I don’t know who it is or what they’re saying. I’m one hundred percent focused on the car in flames in front of my eyes. My breathing shallows as my heart feels as if it’s going to beat right out of my chest. As if it couldn’t get any crazier, three blacked-out SUVs fly up the driveway, parking parallel to the house. Men pile out of the SUVs and I try to focus on them to see who they are.
“No fucking way,” I mutter. They’re at a distance, but I recognize them. It’s the Savage Menaces. Which means . . . “Sketch!”
They’re shooting at the guys in the yard, including Zack and Santo.
“Wren, come with me! We have to leave now,” Rico shouts at me.
“No! I’m not going anywhere with you!” At that moment, I watch as Sketch gets hit by a bullet, taking him down. “No!” I cry out. Arms wrap around my waist and I’m lifted into the air. Tears are pouring out of my eyes, blocking me from seeing anything else going on. The tears don’t stop me from kicking and screaming. The next thing I know, I’m being put in the backseat of an SUV.
“Go, go, go,” Rico shouts. I close my eyes, but the tears keep coming. Sketch was shot and I don’t even know if he’s still alive.
36
Wren
I must have criedmyself to sleep. I’m not sure how long we were driving for, all I know is I wake up to Rico carrying me toward a house. I scream at the top of my lungs and flail my feet. He tenses, struggling to hold me.
“Wren! It’s okay, you’re safe,” Minx calls out. I stop my tantrum and Rico sets me down. I run into her arms, tears pouring out of my eyes.
“Minx, h-he got sh-shot. I d-don’t even know if h-he’s alive,” I say in between sobs.
“He’s in good hands. Rascal and Diesel took him to the hospital,” Raze says from behind Minx.
“What? We have to go! I need to be with him,” I insist.
“We aren’t goin’ anywhere until I have the okay from Ranger,” he states.
“Come on, let’s get you inside.” Minx guides me into the house. “Rascal will make sure the nurses and doctors take good care of him until we get there.”
“Until then, we need you to tell us if you heard Zack or Santo say anything,” Rico says.
I glare at him. “You’re hisbrother. How do I know you won’t turn on us?”
“Because, brother or not, I hate him as much as you do,” he admits. “I’ve been suspicious of his intentions for a couple of years now.”
“Andrei Orlov reached out to Zack’s father, Big Vin, about Zack threatening Cali, Buster, and Caden. Big Vin had no idea Zack threatened thePakhan’sfamily,” Raze explains.
“MyPapahas kept the Italian mafia off the Bratva’s radar for nearly twenty years. If he wanted to start a war with them or the Savage Menaces MC, he wouldn’t have sent a measly threat,” Rico adds.
