together.”
“We’ll head for the hill, see what we can see,” Cross says and accelerates again.
We meander for a while, getting lost, and turned around on the hill before we finally find a spot Cross is happy with.
“Let’s go,” he says, turning off the engine, grabbing a two getting out. Ace gets a large black bag from the back of the truck and slings it over his shoulder.
The sun is still giving off some light, but it’s faint. We creep along the dusty, rocky soil, finding our way among the short shrubs that are pretty green despite the scorched terrain. I’m trying not to think of snakes as I follow Cross and Ace with Colt just behind me.
About five minutes later, Cross stops behind a pile of rocks and motions for us to get behind him. He’s found a great spot. Most of the town is visible from up here, and I bet we’re well hidden from view by the rocks and the fact that we’re so far away that the people moving around are tiny.
“See if you two recognize anyone,” Cross tells Ace, who pulls out two sets of binoculars from the black bag he’s carrying and hands me one.
Colt has to help me focus mine, because I’m not sure how to do it. I’ve used a pair of binoculars maybe twice in my life, if that many.
But once I can see, I spot Lisa and her flaming red hair right away. She’s sweeping up the sidewalk in front of one of the buildings along the main street, not looking very happy about it at all. That’s right, bitch. You forgot how to work while me and Stormi did everything around the clubhouse and bar.
The venom of the thought surprises me. But then again, Lisa did go out of her way to make my life miserable at the bar.
I recognize some of the guys approaching the place Lisa is sweeping in front of, which I assume is their new bar.
“That’s Snake going up to the big house,” Ace says. “Right?”
It takes me a couple of tries to find that area with my binoculars.
“Yes, that’s him. I’d recognize that ass-long, thin ponytail anywhere,” I say. “He seems to be running the show now, since he’s staying in the big house. That was supposed to be for Griff, his sons, and the execs.”
“All right, so it’s confirmed. They’re here,” Cross says, reaching for my binoculars. “Let’s get a count and then take some pictures.”
“I count about thirty,” Ace says after a while.
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Cross says. “But let’s plan for twice that many. Take the pictures. Make sure everything is visible.”
Ace puts away his binoculars and pulls out an expensive-looking camera and starts clicking away.
Colt is standing very close to me, and I’m dying to feel his arm around me, despite the heat rising from the ground all around us. I lean on him and wrap my arm around his waist and he pulls me close by placing his arm around my shoulders just like I wanted him to. I love how connected we are. How we can practically read each other’s minds. How safe I feel when he’s near me, holding me, how natural feeling this way feels.
“What’s gonna happen to the Sinners now?” I ask quietly, thinking only Colt will hear me, but Cross turns to me sharply and pierces me with his black eyes.
“Do you care?” he asks.
I shake my head. “I’d like to see them all rot in hell.”
Cross nods and starts surveying the town again. I lean against Colt and hold him tight with both my arms around his waist now, not talking. We don’t really need to talk, and I don’t want to say the wrong thing again.
It was full dark when we returned to the motel. They sent me ahead into the room, while they conversed in the truck. I tried, but I couldn’t help fretting over what’s gonna happen next.
The maid had been in while we were out, and the room smells only slightly of bleach, because the scent of lavender is overpowering it. I suddenly miss Stormi viciously.
Where is she? Is she even OK? Did it work out between her and Ace? Is her sister all right? So many questions I wish I could ask Ace, but a good moment to just didn’t come up.
I lay back on the bed, turning on the bedside light because I need something warm and soft to keep the chill of night and this impersonal