Page 39 of Runt's Haunted Ride
I took the walkie-talkie that I'd hidden on my bike and pressed the button.
"I'm free," I yelled into the mic, just like I was told to do. "Cops inbound." I wasn't going to be blamed for not letting them know.
I took my seat, and the engine roared to life. I kicked off the stand. Behind me, I could hear the sounds of the fight still raging in the big tent. Crashes and shouts. Tearing out of the parking lot, the wind whipped past my face, cold October air that tasted like freedom.
The ride back to the clubhouse took fifteen minutes. Normally it would take twenty-five but given the number of cops that flew past me toward the carnival, I figured I could push the speed.
When I finally pulled into the Silverback compound, the parking lot was a rare sight empty. I parked my bike and carefully extracted the hat from inside my bag. Kai chirped, her tiny head poking up over the edge of the hat, and I couldn't help but smile despite everything.
"Hey there, beautiful," I said softly, running one finger gently over her downy head. She leaned into the touch, her eyes half-closing. "You're free."
She chirped again.
I took her inside to the clubhouse party room, knowing full well that if I tried to take her to my room right away, there would be hell to pay. The guys fought to save her. Not for the reasonsI did, but they still did. They would want to see the spoils. The gold.
Chapter 12
Jack
A half hour later, I'd fed Kai a few raspberries and some water when the clubhouse door swung open and President Bruno "Bones" Silver strode in, Fang right behind him. Both of them were breathing hard, their clothes torn and bloody, but they were grinning. The rest of the Silverbacks followed.
"Fucking hell, that was some fight!" the President called out, his eyes immediately dropping to the hat in my hands. "Boy, tell me you got it."
I moved my hand so they could see Kai, who was now resting in a makeshift nest I'd made her. The nest was lined with the insides of a pillow and a winter scarf I'd found. The cinnamon sticks were tucked in as well.
"Hot DAMN, boy!" The President let out a whoop that startled Kai.
"Shut up." My protective mode kicked in, but I realized what I'd just said and to whom I'd said it. "Phoenix chicks are scared of loud noises." I lied. "It can even kill them." I lied even more. "You don't want to lose her, do you?"
I hated that I had to play this game, but I had to. For Kai's and my sake, being somewhere safe while I helped her get back to herself was my priority. But if I needed to, I'd break every club rule, jump on my bike, and take Kai and me far away.
When a side blow to my head didn't come, I glanced over my shoulder. President Bruno was eyeing me. He looked like he was having a serious inner discussion.
Finally, he spoke. "I didn't know that. No one be loud around this chick. You got it?" He pointed around the room, and the guys nodded. "Good, 'cause if something happens to it, you'll have me to deal with."
"Her," I corrected him.
"Her?"
"Yes, the lady that shifted into the phoenix..." I didn't finish my sentence, hoping he would catch on.
"Oh, yeah, right. Her. Boy, you're kind of sassy." President Bruno cracked his knuckles.
"Yeah, for someone who fled the fight," Diesel spoke up.
"Shut it, dickweed," I glared at him. "I didn't flee. I saved her, like I was supposed to." I slid my hat forward. "Course, if you didn't want me to get out of there, I guess I could have stayed and fought. But I probably would have lost this." I tilted the hat slightly so he could see inside. The gold ash glittered in the security lights, and I heard President Bruno and Fang suck in a breath.
"Fuck! I didn't know you had it in ya!" President Bruno shook his head, laughing. He ran a finger through my hat. "You climbed out of that fucking tent like some kind of—of—holy shit," he breathed. Leaning closer, he touched the gold. "That's... that's gotta be worth—"
"At least a hundred grand," Fang cut in, leaning over to look. His eyes were huge. "Probably more. That's pure gold, President.Pure fucking gold from a damn phoenix. Who would have guessed it?"
"Good." The President nodded, his grin widening. "Real good work, Runt. You just made the club richer than we've ever been."
The guys around started cheering but quickly shut up when the President, Fang, and I snapped at them. I glanced at Kai. Luckily for them, she was still asleep.
"We need to get a cage for that thing," Fang said, quickly adding, "her," when he saw the look I was giving him.
"She doesn't need one." I met his eyes steadily, even though my heart was racing. This was the moment. This was where everything either worked or fell apart. "Once we had a plan, I researched phoenixes all night and with what my grandfather told us, I know how to take care of her. What she needs to regenerate, how to keep her healthy, how to make sure she can burn again. You want more gold? Then you need to let me take care of her."
