Page 15 of Double the Dilemma

“Oh, and you’re not?” Esme tossed back. “Running out of here without an explanation other than you need to go. You need to figure something out. Without me. Without your family. Because you don’t trust me. You don’t want me in your life anymore, is that it? You think that you’re going to be happier away from me? You’re being selfish, Karissa. Utterly selfish, and I can’t believe that you think it’s okay. What kind of friend does that? Huh? I’ll tell you, a selfish one.”

“You’ve said selfish already, I think I got the point,” Karissa snapped, getting irritated. Damn it, why did she come here today? This was a mistake. “Look, you obviously aren’t in the mood to hear me today, so I’m going to go and we can talk about this later.”

“Oh, so you can drive out of here and never come back?” Esme snarled. “I don’t think so. I will tie you to the damn chair if I have to.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

Esme gave her a smug smile. “Possibly pregnant, remember? You wouldn’t dare try and manhandle or hurt me.”

“For all I know you’re just saying that and you’re not pregnant and know it already.”

“As my best friend, you would know if I was lying, and we lived together for so long that you know when I’m on my period anyway, so nice try. Spill it, Karissa.”

“It’s got nothing to do with you,” she yelled, getting more and more frustrated and angry by the minute.

“Then fucking tell me!” Esme yelled back. “Stop thinking and just fucking tell me. Trust me. Stop being a coward and—”

“My former foster sister has found me and she’s coming to kill me,” Karissa screamed at her, her temper and guilt getting the better of her. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she froze, and so did Esme. Esme’s eyes widened, and Karissa cursed.

“What?”Esme said slowly. “What foster sister? I didn’t know you had one.”

“Because I never told you,” Karissa said tiredly. “She tried to kill me when I was sixteen and we lived in the same foster home. She got put in a psych ward, but when she got out, she came to me and told me she was going to finish the job she started, but she was going to wait until I got complacent, and she’s been after me ever since. If I don’t leave, you and Gabe and the kids are all in danger, because she will kill them to get to me. To punish me. I won’t have that on my head. I have to leave, Esme. I don’t have a choice.”

“You’re right, you don’t have a choice,” Razor’s deep voice said behind them, making Karissa freeze. Esme’s eyes widened in shock, telling her she didn’t know he was there either. Slowly, Karissa turned and looked at him, careful to keep her face blank. Razor stood there, face thunderous, mouth pulled down into a scowl. His jeans were stained with grease and oil, and behind him were Rogue and Jax. Jax was wide-eyed, while Rogue’s face was hard and his blue eyes didn’t leave her.

Shit.She tried not to panic. She did not need them knowing about this. Especially Razor. She needed to get out of here. Fast, because from the look on Razor’s face, he wasn’t about to let her get far once he got his hands on her. And she couldn’t let that happen, for both of their sakes.

CHAPTEREIGHT

RAZOR

His eyes didn’t leave Karissa’s as he tried to process what he just heard. He also tried not to let his emotions cloud his mind, because not only was he pissed, he was hurt she didn’t trust him with that information. Then again, why would she? It wasn’t like she had let him do anything more than fuck her, he thought bitterly. Well, that was going to change. Right the hell now.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he told her firmly.

She had been frozen, staring at him until then, but his words seemed to snap her out of her stupor. Now, her eyes narrowed, and they sparked with temper. “You have no say over what I can and can’t do, Razor,” she told him icily.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he tossed back. “You really think after hearing you have someone after you, I’m just going to let you waltz out of here and make yourself a target? Don’t be an idiot.”

Her hands clenched at her sides and she hissed. “You’re not going toletme do anything. I am not your Old Lady. You and I are nothing so you can’t keep me prisoner here. If I want to leave, I dare you to try and stop me, because you won’t like the consequences.”

“How about we calm down and talk about this rationally?” Esme suggested.

Karissa turned her head and said, “Esme, I’m sorry, but I’ve already made up my mind and set things in motion. I’m leaving tomorrow, and I’m going to make sure that Sena doesn’t come after you. When I have everything handled, I’ll come back. I just don’t know how long that will take.”

“It won’t take you long at all because you’re not going anywhere,” Razor said fiercely.

“Listen here you pig-headed biker,” Karissa snarled. “You can take your orders and—”

He didn’t let her finish that sentence. Moving fast, he put his shoulder into her stomach and hauled her up and over. He quickly bracketed his arm around her legs to keep her from kicking him and headed for the door. Karissa snarled and struggled, but he ignored her. “Tell Savage we’re gonna need Church, but give me an hour.”

“You’re going to be dead in an hour, fucker,” Karissa raged. He ignored her and managed to make it out the front door of the shop and onto the pavement before she shocked him by twisting her body just so, putting her hand on a pressure point in his neck, and making him groan and drop his arm even as he started to fall to the ground, his limbs going weak.

“What the fuck?” he gasped out as she jumped away from him and turned to stalk toward her car.

“I told you not to mess with me, Razor, and I meant it,” she called furiously over her shoulder. “Esme, call me and we can talk before I leave if you want.” She climbed into her car and turned the key, but nothing happened.

If he wasn’t feeling like his limbs were still numb, he might have laughed. Especially when the realization fell over her face and her head whipped around to glare at him through the window. Carefully, he stood and hobbled his way towards the car. He ignored the snickers and laughter behind him. The only thing that mattered to him right now was getting through to Karissa, and if it ended with him hobbling and broken, then that was fine. Because he wasn’t going to let her go.

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