LOGINRyder“Four men are moving on the house. Two from the front path, two cutting through the trees on the east side. I’m watching them on the feed right now.”I paced once across the cabin floor, boots heavy on the boards, eyes locked on Bruce where he sat slumped and blinking at nothing. His hands kept twitching on his knees as if he was trying to push himself upright, but the strength kept slipping away. I held the phone tighter and switched to the video feed without another word. The black-and-white screen filled with dark shapes sliding between the trees, one of them lifting a hand so the others froze and waited.“Leave now,” I growled, jaw tight as I watched the screen. “Follow the exit path exactly the way I showed you. Right at the split, left at the big rock, cross the river at the shallow point. Do not use the bridge. Meet me on foot at the old logging marker with the red paint. I’ll be waiting.”“Got it.” His breath came short on the other end.“Move.”I lowered the phone and t
The cars behind us stayed close. They weren’t shooting anymore, but they kept pressing in as Jax tried to shake them. I kept both hands locked against Hazel’s side, blood still pushing up between my fingers no matter how hard I pressed. Her skin felt too cool and every shallow breath she took made my own chest tighten. “Please,” I managed, voice rough. “She’s dying, we have to get her help.” He kept his eyes on the road, hands locked so tight on the wheel that the tendons stood out along the backs of them. I tried again, louder. “Did you hear me? She’s losing too much blood. If we keep going like this, she’s not going to make it.” He turned his head slightly toward me, then faced forward again without a word. One of the cars surged closer, almost kissing our bumper. Jax glanced in the mirror and yanked the wheel hard to the right. The other car tried to follow, came too wide, and hit the soft edge of the track. The back end slid. For a moment it looked like the driver might
DallasThe grey car blocked the road in front of us, lying horizontal, leaving no clear way forward.Its tyres locked and screamed against the asphalt as Jax slammed on the brakes. Our car jerked to a hard stop so close I could make out the shape of the driver through the tinted glass. Jax threw the gear into reverse, but before the car could move more than a foot another vehicle came up fast from behind and slammed into our rear bumper. The impact threw all of us forward. The seatbelt bit deep into my shoulder and across my chest. The air inside the car felt thick. My lungs worked too hard for too little air. I could feel my chest tightening with every shallow breath. Jax’s hands clamped down on the steering wheel until the skin over his knuckles went white. He looked left, then right, measuring the narrow space between the two cars that had boxed us in. His jaw was set hard.For one long second nothing moved.Then the car in front of us rolled down its windows and started shooting
Ryder“Cover his eyes and mouth,” I ordered Nike.He moved right away. He pulled a thick piece of cloth over Bruce’s eyes and tied another one tight around his mouth. The sound of Bruce’s breathing turned rough and muffled. Bruce tried to jerk his head away, but the ropes held him still. I walked over to the air conditioner and turned it all the way up. Cold air poured into the room at once.“Leave him,” I muttered, already turning toward the door.We stepped out and shut it behind us.When I opened it the next morning the change was clear. Bruce sat slumped, in the chair. His whole body shook hard from the cold that had been on him all night. His lips were cracked and dry. His wrists looked raw where the ropes had rubbed against the same spots for weeks. The usual arrogance in his face had thinned out, but it had not left completely.I stood in front of him and watched the shivers run through him. Then I laughed. It came out low and without any real humour.“Look at that,” I remarked
Dallas I couldn’t sleep.Every time I closed my eyes, my mind went straight back to Ryder. Where he was. What they might be doing to him. Whether he was even still breathing. Jax tried once to talk about Hazel, voice low in the dark, but I shut it down before he got far. That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. My head was full of Ryder and the things I had learned about his father. I had always known the man was bad. I never thought he was capable of this.My mind wandered to things I don’t know about Ryder, but that wasn’t what I wanted to channel my mind. I rolled onto my side, then onto my back. The sheets twisted around my legs. Eventually I drifted off for a while. I woke before the sky started to lighten.I stayed on the bed staring at the ceiling. The more I tried not to think, the more the thoughts pushed in. My phone sat face down on the nightstand. I left it there.A soft knock pulled me up.I opened the door and found Hazel standing there with two paper cups and a nervous smile
We moved along the dark side of the street, staying close to the line of parked cars. Nike walked a few steps ahead of me, checking each one without speaking. His shoulders stayed low, his head turning just enough to scan windows and license plates. I followed a few paces behind, eyes moving slowly from car to car, looking for the black one Carlos had described. The night air carried the distant thump of bass from inside the club, a steady pulse that vibrated faintly through the soles of my shoes. Occasional laughter spilled out whenever the main doors opened. A couple argued near the corner, their voices rising and falling in sharp bursts before they walked off in opposite directions. Exhaust from an idling taxi curled white in the cold. Most of the cars sat quiet and empty, their metal skins reflecting the streetlights in dull patches. Then I saw it. A black car near the side entrance. The body of the vehicle was shifting slightly. I stopped and gave Nike a short nod. That was
RyderIt's been four years already. Four fucking years, and Dallas Romero is still in my every thought. Now she's back, even hotter, and I can't seem to keep still.I know I messed up—it's my MO. I'm a fucking cunt.I had gotten out of the car. People bustled in and out of the bar as I walked in, t
What was I expecting? That he wouldn't date anyone and wait for me? I didn't wait for anyone to say anything as I rushed inside, nudging Melissa to the side. Of course he isn't your prince charming, this isn't one of your Wattpad romance books, Dal.This is real fucking life.My blood boiled, not
Seattle. My greatest nightmare.Thankfully, my overbearing big brother had sent me urgent cash to come back home. In his words: “I'll feel better close to family.”After checking the boxes at security, I picked up my bag and walked out of the airport. I searched through the crowd until my eyes land
Dallas“I hate this job.”That’s what I would’ve said before they fired my ass from the job. Oh, and given all the talk about not finding the right job in New York-fucking-City.I needed this job. I was low on rent and had to pay my boyfriend back for last month. I know, I know… it’s that question







