filled with such pain that I’m sure my ears are bleeding as well as my heart. Saint just stands there, his fists turning white where he’s squeezing them so hard. I wouldn’t be surprised if he breaks his fingers.
“They said there was an accident. They couldn’t get to her in time,” I tell them, my voice not sounding anything like mine.
This can’t be happening. Two hours ago, she was wrapped up in my arms, and now she’s gone? I can’t accept this. I won’t.
“What the fuck?” Roman grits out. Rumbles move through the crowd, followed by shouts of disbelief and despair as I turn to face Bates and Saint, who are looking at me like they expect me to fix it.
I shove my way through them and climb on my bike, signaling for the others to follow suit.
“I refuse to believe this shit until I see it with my own eyes,” I tell them, and pull out into traffic, hearing the roar of thunder that is the sound of dozens of bikes following behind me.
We drive to the spot the cop told me to head to, starkly refusing to believe any of this is true. It can’t be, because I never told her I loved her. Sure, I implied it, but the woman I love deserved to hear those fucking words from my mouth.
Especially if in her last moments she—
No, I shut that shit down. Until I see a body, she’s still alive. I won’t give up on her that easily, not now, not ever.
I pull over, my eyes widening at the sight of the mangled and bent barrier. I dump my bike on the ground next to a fire truck before climbing over the twisted metal, shrugging off hands that try to hold me back.
I can see flames licking the squad car, but they seem controlled as the fire department douses the wreckage with water.
I lose my balance and slip on my ass some of the way down the embankment before hands steady me. I look up as Bates grips my arm and grab the hand Saint holds out for me. He pulls me to my feet, helping me get my balance before we move as close to the wreckage as we can.
“You can’t be here,” a firefighter yells as he jogs over to us, but I ignore him trying to see inside the car.
“Our woman is in there. Just please tell me if she is okay. I swear we won’t get in your way but please, man, I’m begging you—”
He cuts me off by putting his hand on my arm, compassion in his eyes.
“The car is empty, sir. It was hard to tell to start with because we couldn’t get close, but it’s definitely empty. Whoever was inside, bailed.”
“So where the fuck are they?” Bates roars
“They?” the firefighter asks, holding out his radio to relay the information.
“Yes, our old lady, Reign Foster, was in the back, which means the cop driving had to have survived too to let her out.”
He nods and calls it in as I turn to look back at the guys. The relief coursing through me is staggering.
“She’s alive, Jesus fuck, but I’m going to spank the shit out of her for giving me a heart attack.”
“If she got out, though, where the hell is she?” shouts Bates, looking around.
There could be a million reasons why she’s not here, so why do I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this?
Chapter Forty-Three
Bates
As much as I’m relieved she’s not in that car, I can’t shake the sense of foreboding. I won’t relax until she’s home and safe in my arms.
I look around the area for clues, something that might point to which direction she might have taken, but I can’t find anything. I make my way back up to the road and fill the rest of the crew in on what’s going on, and that’s when I see it.
I don’t know why my eyes are drawn to that spot, but for some reason, I’m fixated on the curved area of asphalt where the road hits the gravel. It gives way to a winding footpath that takes you to fuck knows where but it’s a hell of a way off the beaten track.
I push past Erza, but my focus is on whatever it is that captured my attention. And there it is again—the light catches it just right and guides me over. I bend down to pick it up, recognizing the chain Reign’s brother gave her in