Ricky
It feels like I’ve only just closed my eyes when someone nudges my arm. It’s a struggle to open them but when I do, Pope is hovering close by and holding his finger to his mouth. He backs off and I lift my head to look at Ky. She’s sound asleep, curled up in a ball.
Pope backs out into the hall and I quickly dress and join him.
“What the fuck?” I grumble.
I’m so tired it feels like I have grit in my eyes.
“Noah and Cas are on Danny’s trail, Cas has ordered everyone to ride out.”
All of a sudden, I’m alert and wide awake. This is it. The moment we take our revenge. I follow Pope down the stairs and outside and remember my bike isn’t here. It’s still back at the club.
“Ride in the van with the prospect, you’ll have the best seat on the way back when you get to jab that cunt for the fun of it.”
I didn’t think about it like that, but I’ll take it.
Dex is already sat behind the wheel, waiting for the brothers to ride out first. I slam the door closed and notice it’s only the two of us. In less than a minute, everyone is riding out and Dex pulls out onto the road last.
“I heard the good news, man. Congratulations,” he smiles, as if it isn’t the middle of the night and no one is tired as fuck.
“Thanks, as soon as this is all over she’ll be Mrs Simmons.” And I can’t wait. “What about you? Do you have a girl?”
I watch as his mood shifts and how he now chooses to focus on the road instead of my life.
“You don’t have to say, it’s none of my business anyway,” I shrug.
Out of the four prospects we have, Dex is the most open about himself. I like him, he’s funny and up for a laugh.
“Nah, it’s ok. I’m seeing someone but it’s complicated.”
“Anyone we know?”
“No.”
His short, sharp answer shuts me down from asking any more questions and we drive the rest of the way in silence.
Cas and Noah are set back from the road and Dex parks up behind them. The cherry on Cas’s cigarette burns bright in the darkness with every drag he inhales and I make my way over to them.
It’s not long before everyone is standing around awaiting to hear our next move.
“He rode into that warehouse half an hour ago. We followed him all the way from the bar in the city.”
Everyone listens as Cas fills us in, and heads turn to look at said warehouse. There aren’t any lights on or any movement. All is pretty quiet.
“What’s our next move?” Slade asks.
“We’re gonna walk in and take him back to the club alive, anyone else that’s in there will be killed on sight.”
No one has to be told twice and with Cas and Sparky taking the lead, the brothers move towards the warehouse.
One door has been left open and Pope peeks inside. He leans back and gives the nod. Cas nods back and one by one, we file in and spread out as we begin our search. All you can hear is the soft tread of boots slowly creeping around and doors opening and closing. I’d put my life savings on no one being here. Cas reckons he rode in here but there isn’t a single sighting of him. After five minutes, Lost Souls are standing around in the main area wondering where the fuck he went.
Pope slinks out of the shadows and heads towards Cas and Sparky by a set of double doors at the back of the warehouse. They’re wide open and Cas stands staring out with his gun still in his hand.
A dull ache begins in the back of my head, I ignore it, putting it down to further frustration that Danny got away from us, yet again.
“He must’ve come straight through and gone out blind to throw you off,” Sparky speculates.
“He knew we were on his tail,” Cas hisses.
“We’ll get him,” Slade vows.
“Will we?”
He’s losing patience and when he looks around us brothers, he’s not the only one.
“We will, he can’t run forever,” Sparky snaps.
Everyone stays quiet as Cas turns his back to us and stares out into the night. I’m a Lost Soul and I will do anything for the club, and for my brothers, but I wouldn’t like to be in Cas’s boots. Having to make decisions, plans, strategies and then keeping it together fail after fail.
“Noah, Slade, you’ll come with me and Sparky. We’ll continue the search while he isn’t far. The rest of you can head back to the cabin and in the morning, be ready for anything.”
With our orders, we all move out and I head back to the van with Dex. Hopefully Kyla will still be asleep when we get back and I can have her against me as I fall asleep and try to get rid of this building headache.