Page 21 of Property of Raider
My brows furrow at his odd question.“Did I know what?Remedy, what the fuck has gotten into you?”
Terro and Anvil have nearly identical looks on their faces as well.I look around for something, fuck anything, to tell me what has them so shaken up.Tasia continues talking to the kid in front of her when the fire chief steps up to us.
“Excuse me, Anastasia, can we have a word?”he asks as he shakes all our hands.
She turns, stepping away from the kid.
He looks around at everyone standing there, a hard line set in his jaw.There is something familiar about him, yet I can’t fucking place where I would have seen him before.
Then his eyes land on mine, and all the oxygen is knocked clean out of my chest.I’m staring into a goddamn mirror.Looking back at me is a replica of myself as a teenager.I stumble back, my head is spinning, and Remedy reaches out, catching my arm to keep me from going down.
His eyes are so wide I can see all the white.Tasia steps in front of him, like a protective mother, but that can’t be true.I would have given this woman everything that a twenty-year-old could, but she turned her back on me and left without a word.Now she is back, wreaking havoc on my mind and soul when I do not have time to sacrifice them to her.The fire chief pulls her aside, speaking quietly while I just stand there, frozen, staring.Thankfully, Terro follows them to catch whatever the chief has to say.I start toward the teenager, but Terro calls my name.
When I turn, I see Tasia clinging to Terro, her body wracked with sobs.The sound of heartbreak is raw and undeniable.I know I should go to her, try to comfort her, but anger burns through everything else.Before I can even think it through, I storm across the space between us.I grab her arm and spin her to face me.I open my mouth, unable to find words as my anger continues to burn hot and bright.
I finally manage to speak, and the words that come out surprise us both.“You will go to the clubhouse and stay there.Both of you will stay until I say otherwise.”
I stare at her for a long moment before dropping her arm and marching to my bike.My head is spinning in more directions than I can process.I need to get away, to escape for just once.I just want the universe to decide to stop fucking with me.
As quickly as I can, I get on my bike, get it started and put a helmet on my head before speeding away from the house.I hit the road and nearly lose the bike when the tires find purchase on the asphalt.
Speeding up the road, I pass several cars that in my current headspace mean nothing, but in the weeks to come I will wish I had paid attention instead of having my head shoved up my ass.
Chapter Seven
Anastasia
What the fuck just happened?
I am so dumbfounded as Watson storms away that all I can do is gawk at him.I look over my shoulder in question at the big man who was comforting me not five minutes ago.The man shrugs, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing it before walking back over to the ambulance and another man in a leather vest.They all turn to look at me at once.Some with suspense, some with intrigue, and the last two with boredom and annoyance, I think.I really can’t tell with all the flashing lights.Rusher stands in the middle of all these men with a look of awe and a little fear on his face.He goes to take a step towards me only to be stopped by the men closing ranks around him.
The fire chief comes back to me.“Anastasia, sweetheart, do you have somewhere you can stay?”
I don’t know what to say to him.Watson just told me I was going to the clubhouse, whatever that means, but then he left.Should I ignore him and go to a hotel until I figure something out?Looking back at the house to see everything that Auntie Lynn and I loved is gone, I have to fight completely breaking down right here, right now.
Auntie Lynn … a sob tears through my chest at the thought of her.This can’t be true.I can’t have lost her.How do I continue without her here to guide, love, and support me?Another sob rocks my soul because now it’s truly just Rusher and me.A large hand lands on my shoulder, grounding me to the here and now.
“She is coming with us,” the new person says.
The fire chief looks between us before giving a sharp nod and turning to leave.My brain finally goes back online, and I turn to glare at the man.
“Who exactly do you think you are?”I demand with hands on my hips.
“Who I am doesn’t matter.What matters is Prez said you're going to the clubhouse,” he shrugs, smirking before turning to walk back over to the rest of the men.
I stand there in pure shock at the audacity of every one of them.They’re all standing around talking to Rusher.I push my way through them to Rusher, who is looking around with a mix of emotions on his face.
“Ma, what’s going on?Where is Auntie Lynn?Who are these guys?”He steps closer to me, dropping his voice.“Was that man my dad?”
I hug him again, needing to reassure myself that he is indeed alive and okay.
“I will answer all of your questions once we get settled somewhere,” I tell him, fighting the tears back.
“But where are we going to go?”he asks me, a scared five-year-old looking at me through the eyes of the teenager in front of me.
“They have special programs that will get us set up and get us some things we need for tonight,” I say.“Tomorrow we’ll figure things out from there.”
The surrounding men look back and forth between each other, a look of confusion passing between them.Not in the mood to deal with people anymore, I grab Rusher’s hand and start to walk away.The medic, who had been taking care of Rusher, steps in front of me with a knowing smirk on his face.
