Defining Darkness - K E Osborn Page 0,13

toward Andrés’ hideout.

I don’t wear a dome. They restrict me too much. I like to feel the wind whipping at my face, the danger of the open road. You’re not a 1%er if you’re not willing to die on your bike like a real man. It might be stupid, but who the fuck cares? I break the rules every single day. It’s why Jameson, the National Club President, and I butt heads all the time. He makes the rules. I damn-well break them. But in all honesty, I like the guy, he’s a shitload better than Rancid ever was. Have to admit, watching that fucker die was one of the best days in club history. Having my part in that, laying a fist into him, it was the best feeling in the world. Watching Gamble and Jameson get their revenge was so fucking satisfying.

My stomach rolls remembering all the crap Rancid did to our club. Raping young girls in New Orleans. Stealing Jameson’s seat and blaming him for a murder. Not to mention all the shit he did to Gamble. I grit my teeth. If Rancid had ever had the chance to lay his hands on Eva, it would have torn me apart. I pull back on the throttle, my back tire slides out a little with the speed as I push my engine to the max. I hardly know Eva, yet she ignites something inside of me—some sort of protective instinct I’ve never had before. It’s equally as unsettling as it is adrenaline pumping.

She could be dangerous to my club and me.

So, I need to keep my wits about me.

I need to stop dwelling on dead men and get my head in the game.

Right now, I have a task to accomplish. I need to fool Andrés into believing Eva and Ivy got away. That I didn’t have a hand in it.

This shit’s going to be tough.

A tall story with an ending I’m unsure how it will play out.

The vibration of the engine sends a soothing calm through me. The adrenaline coursing through my veins fuels me to make sure I get this right, not just for Eva but for my brothers.

Everything is on the line.

I have to be convincing.

For the sake of my club.

If I don’t and we go to war with Andrés, I’ll also have Jameson from NOLA to deal with.

Of that, I can be sure.

Pulling up to Andrés’ hideout, his guards notice Spark and I approaching. Their guns resting by their sides don’t aim at us or move in any kind of threatening way, so for now, I know we’re okay. I pull up to the gate, my engine rumbling now at a dulcet tone.

“Nycto, Andrés is expecting you. Head on through to the main room. He’ll be waiting,” the guard instructs.

Shit.

I tilt my head without saying anything, then hammer down. Pulling into the drive of the lavish mansion, my tires slide along the pebbled path. Then we park out the front of the two-story home. For a hideout, it’s in plain sight.

Sliding off my ride, the sun’s now rising in all its sinister horridness. The sky lit in pinks and oranges like some landscape work of art.

Some might call it beautiful—I call it the death of darkness.

The light only brings me chaos.

Spark steps to my side, his gaze focused on me. He knows, just like the rest of my club, how uneasy the light makes me. “You good, Prez?”

I roll my shoulders. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

The front doors fly open, Andrés barrels through them appearing fucked off to high hell. “Nycto, you wanna tell me what the hell happened? And why the fuck it’s taken you this long to come to me?”

I raise my hands placating him. “Before you start… we’ve been out searching.”

Andrés licks his lips, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Well, did you find them?”

Exhaling, I rub the back of my neck. “No! No idea where they are, Andrés. After they escaped, they fled into the water. Hell, they’re probably both dead by now. Drowned or frozen to fucking death.”

“You expect me to just sit on this, Nycto? They were paid for. How am I supposed to inform the buyers their packages aren’t being delivered?”

“Fuck, man, you have girls shipped in all the time. Find replacements.”

Andrés exhales. “They were both special, but one, one was a rare diamond. Hard to come by. In fact, nigh on impossible. She’s irreplaceable, Nycto.”

Ivy.

“Why?”

Andrés scoffs. “Is that your biggest concern here, Nycto? It should be how