might have been before, but after having had the best from that one, I know exactly who I am.” I nod toward Viking and Eric seethes. He raises the gun as I grin at him. Maybe this is the end of my life, but Viking has taught me some very important lessons in the short time we’ve been together. I’m stronger than Eric, I’m smarter, and I’m damn sure more important.
“Say just one more stupid thing Carnie. I swear to god.” “Fuck you Eric,” I say softly.
His hand shakes slightly as I close my eyes and wait. I may be stronger than him, but I sure as hell don’t want to see my own death. A roar rips through the room before I’m being knocked to the ground. Chaos erupts all around us. The smack of my head on the floor sends stars through my vision. Everything happens in a whirlwind of colors and sounds. My stomach trembles as bile races up my throat. I heave before I’m rolled onto my stomach. My head thuds as my arms are wrenched behind my back. Something rough digs into my skin as my eyes roll around in my head. I’m pretty sure I have a concussion and I’m about to pass out.
“What the hell?” I can hear myself mumble, but no one answers me. I’m not sure what’s going on or who is even in the room now. It’s all jumbled in my head.
“Stupid bitch,” I hear clearly before a kick to my ribs sends pain throughout my entire body.
“Get them and let’s go.”
In the swirl of pain I’m lifted from the floor and carried somewhere. I must be outside, but when I open my eyes everything seems to be black. I’m tossed onto something hard when I roll over and let myself slowly fade into the darkness.
Chapter 21
VIKING
No matter how much I want to go to her, grab her, and make sure she’s okay, I can’t. My shoulder is fucked, my body has been beaten to hell, and my arms are zip
tied behind me. The worst part? Those little fuckers shot me with a gun that we sold them.
I glance out of the back window of the van they shoved us into and just look at my childhood home. I can hear that little bastard chuckling in front of me. I can’t even imagine what the fuck is so funny. Not until I both see and hear it.
An explosion rocks the van and tilts it to its side. My eyes widen as hate and rage begins to boil under my skin. I watch out the back window as my childhood home and my dog burn in the flames. There’s an ache in my chest. I have an overwhelming sense of grief. That was the last part of my family that I had left and now that’s fucking gone too.
“Oh my god,” her voice startles me. It pisses me off. This is all about her, but at the same time I’m glad to know that she’s okay.
“Viking I’m so sorry,” she cries softly and adjusts her body so that she can scoot closer to me.
I don’t know if I want her that close to me right now. The faster we drive the less I can see of the one place that I held near and dear to my heart. It’s the one place that both made me and broke me at the same time. I’m not sure what emotions are eating me up the most. The anger or the sorrow.
Carnie lays her head on my shoulder. Everything sweeps over me at once. Messing with Carnie was a bad enough idea by itself and I knew it, but now that I have I’ve brought her mess back to my family. It’s not just with the club, but my actual family. Regardless as to if they are still alive or not that was their home and now it’s gone.
“You’re mad at me,” her words make my chest clench.
“I’m mad at myself.”
I don’t want to talk about this in the back of a goddamn van that we’re tied up in. I should have thought about this better. I wonder how the hell Eric knew where we were though? How the hell did he find us?
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
I turn my head and press a kiss to the top of hers. I nuzzle my face into her hair and breathe deeply.
“It was never your fault. It’ll be just fine.”
Will it? I ask myself that over and