Vivian

 

Lindsay and I are sitting on the bed, talking, when we hear the roar of a motorcycle outside. It fills my heart with hope. Has Landon come back? Is he going to rescue me? Is he coming for me like he promised he would?

 

“Oh my god, Linds, he’s back,” I whisper, running to the window and peering outside. Outside is as dark as pitch. The stars and moon are obscured by a thick blanket of fog that makes the sky look matte black. I shiver, even though it’s not exactly cold outside. It never really gets cold in Texas, but I feel like I’ve just walked into a deep freezer. My blood is pulsing and my heart is pounding. If Landon’s outside, that must mean everything is over.

 

“Shit!” Lindsay leaps up from the bed and runs over to the window. She peers outside. “I can’t see anything, Viv,” she says. “You sure he’s here?”

 

“I’m sure he is,” I say quickly, rubbing my arms with my hands in attempt to ward off the goose bumps that have broken out all over my skin. “I know he is. I just know it!”

 

“Viv, shh,” Lindsay says. “All we heard was a bike.” She glances over her shoulder. “It could be anyone!”

 

Just as Lindsay finishes speaking, we both hear a loud knock on the door. I’ve heard that knock before–it’s the Blacktop Chaos secret signal. Another shiver of anticipation runs through my body. At the thought of seeing Landon again, I feel wide awake. My hands and feet are tingling, and my nipples are stiff and swollen inside of my bra. I can even feel a damp wetness inside my panties, just from the thought of him pulling me into his arms and kissing me.

 

That’s when I hear my dad speaking to whoever is standing outside.

 

“I know it’s Landon,” I say in excitement. “My dad wouldn’t talk to another member of the MC like that unless he was really mad at them. Landon must have come to rescue me!”

 

Lindsay looks at me and bites her lip. “Viv, that doesn’t sound so good,” she says softly. “Your dad, he sounds really pissed.”

 

“I know,” I say. As quietly as I can, I walk to the door of the bedroom and press my ear against the wood. Dad has always been quiet and soft-spoken—the kind of guy who doesn’t make much noise. And even in his anger, I can tell that he’s not raising his voice. Somehow, that just fills me with even more dread. I wish that he’d break and start screaming at Landon, anything to tell me what was really going on.

 

That’s when I hear my name being yelled loudly.

 

“Vivian!” Landon yells. “Vivian, I love you!”

 

Lindsay turns to me and raises her eyebrows. “Wow, it’s like Romeo and Juliet,” she says, tossing her long hair over one shoulder. “At least, kind of.”

 

I blush madly. My cheeks hurt from smiling. “I knew he’d come,” I babble excitedly to Lindsay. “I knew he’d come back for me. This must mean everything’s over and taken care of!”

 

Lindsay nods. She pulls me into a hug and then we grab hands, dancing around the floor of the bedroom. It feels too good to be true, like I’m living in the middle of a romantic comedy.

 

“Oh my god,” Lindsay whispers. “You guys are totally in love!”

 

That’s when I hear my dad’s voice. He’s yelling now, and it sounds like he’s running all over the porch outside. I shudder.

 

“Dad, come on,” I say under my breath. “Let him in! You know he’s a good guy!”

 

Whatever strangeness I’d felt in my heart, whatever apprehension I’d felt about Landon after hearing my dad call him a murderer has vanished. I no longer care. I realize that in my heart, I know Landon’s a good man and that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

 

“Vivian!” Landon screams again. “You’re in danger!”

 

I turn to Lindsay with my mouth hanging open. “What did he say?” I ask quietly. “Did you hear that?”

 

Lindsay’s staring at me, her eyes wide. As we listen, rapid footsteps circle the house. Then I hear a motorcycle roar to life.

 

“No,” I cry loudly. “No!”

 

“Hold on,” Lindsay says. She reaches for my shoulder and squeezes me, smiling sadly. “He might not be leaving, Viv. Maybe he’s just moving his bike.”

 

“Landon!” I scream, putting my face close to the window of the bedroom. Looking outside, I can’t even make out any shapes in the yard of the hideout. Everything’s dark and shadowed, like it’s through a weird filter.

 

“Landon!” I scream again.

 

Seconds later, the bedroom door bursts open. Dad rushes in, holding a little ugly gun clutched in his hand. His eyes are wild with anger and his hair is standing up straight on his head.

 

“What the fuck is going on?” Dad demands. “What the hell, Vivian?”

 

Lindsay squeaks in anger, stepping backwards until she falls onto the bed. Dad comes closer, shaking his head in rage.

 

“Vivian, what the fuck did you scream for?” Dad asks. He waves the gun in the air before shoving it in his pocket. “Why are you trusting that asshole?”

 

“Dad, he was coming to warn me,” I spit loudly. “You heard him yourself. He said that I’m in danger!”

 

“Vivian, Vivian, god, don’t be so stupid!” Dad groans loudly. “Why are you trusting him? How the hell do you know that he hasn’t taken up with the bad guys, that he’s not out to grab you for himself?” Dad shakes his head sadly. “Vivian, please!”

 

“Dad, he wouldn’t do that!” I say loudly. I’m crying again–I’ve been crying so often lately that I must be dehydrated–and the tears streaming down my cheeks are making it hard to see.

 

“Vivian, you don’t know anything,” Dad thunders loudly. He turns to Lindsay, shaking his head. “Lindsay, you’d better go,” he says. “Come on, out with you.”

 

To my shock, Lindsay stands there with her arms crossed over her chest. “No,” she says. “I’m not leaving. I’m staying with Vivian. She’s obviously upset, and she needs help.”

 

Dad glares at both of us. Finally, he stomps over to the bedroom door.

 

“You don’t even think about leaving this bedroom,” Dad growls. “You hear me?”

 

I stare at him, suddenly hating him. “Yeah,” I mumble. “I hear you.”

 

With a loud slam of the door, Dad’s gone. I glare angrily at the closed door for a moment. I’m so mad that I feel like spitting.

 

“He has no right to keep me here like this,” I say loudly, striding over to the bed and sitting down. “Absolutely no right at all. I’m an adult, for fuck’s sake!”

 

Lindsay nods. “You think maybe that he was right, though?” She tilts her head to the side. “About Landon?”

 

“What?” My jaw drops and my eyes narrow into a squint. “Are you kidding me, Linds?”

 

“Well, I mean,..” Lindsay trails off. “I don’t want to say it, but I don’t know, Viv. What if Landon is helping the bad guys now? What if he’s really angry about your dad and somehow wants to take revenge on the club?”

 

I tilt my chin into the air and cross my arms. “He loves me,” I say defiantly. “He loves me and I know he loves me and that’s it.”

 

Lindsay grins. “I was just fucking with you,” she says. “I wanted to make sure you believed him.”

 

I roll my eyes. “Well, fat lot of good that did,” I grumble. “Dad’s not even letting me out of the room.”

 

“Well,” Lindsay says slyly. Her eyes take on a feline glint. “Why not go find him yourself?”

 

I burst out laughing. “Are you crazy? My dad would kill me,” I say. “He’d murder me, Lindsay. He’d string me up for everyone to see.” It’s easy to forget in my anger that until now, my dad has always been my biggest champion. But I’m so angry with him for refusing to take Landon seriously that I can’t even see straight.

 

Lindsay shrugs. “Well, you could always leave,” she says, pointing to the window. “This is easy to open. And we’re only a few feet above the ground. If you know where to find Landon, just go find him.”

 

“You can’t be serious.”

 

Lindsay grins wickedly. “Try me,” she says. “Go on, Viv.” She hands me the backpack. “Just put some clothes and water in here and you’ll be fine. It’s not cold outside. And you know where to find Landon?”

 

I frown, thinking of where to look for him. Big Hill isn’t exactly huge, but I know there are a lot of hiding places for men like Landon. Still, I know in my heart that I have to try. This could be my last chance to see Landon and run away with him, especially if my dad stays angry.

 

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll do it.”

 

Ten minutes later, I say a fake goodbye to Lindsay. The plan is for her to drive out into the woods a couple of miles, and then I’ll meet her at her car. She’s going to drive me into town and help me start looking for Landon. But first, she has to get away from the house so my dad won’t suspect anything.

 

My dad falls for everything, hook, line, and sinker. He stands by the doorway, apologizing to Lindsay for being so angry. She looks appropriately deferential. When she leaves, she pulls me into a close hug.

 

“See you soon,” Lindsay whispers in on ear.

 

I nod. “See you later,” I say loudly.

 

But as soon as Lindsay leaves, my dad turns to me. “Viv, I’m sorry I was so angry,” he says. “But you need to understand how serious this is. Your life is at stake, princess. I can’t just let you speak to anyone who you think you know, honey. That’s not how this game works.”

 

I’m tempted to snap back and tell him that I know Landon Lockhart better than he ever will, but I take a deep breath and wait for my prideful anger to fade.

 

“Why not sit with me and watch some TV?” Dad offers. “I can make pasta. I know it’s all we’ve been eating, but you must be hungry.”

 

I am, but I don’t want to take the chance of missing Lindsay.

 

“I should really be studying,” I say, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. “I don’t want to fall behind, you know.”

 

Dad nods. “I get that, sweetheart,” he says. “But can’t you hang out with your old man for just a little bit?”

 

I smile. Whenever I hear “old man” or “old lady” now, I automatically think of Robin. It’s funny to realize how much I’ve changed in just the past few days. It’s like the Vivian Grayson of previous times has ceased to exist.

 

“Okay,” I say, trying not to sound suspicious. “Just a little bit.”

 

Dad puts on a football game and we sit together on one of the couches. He’s nursing a beer and I keep hoping that he’ll drink more, but he sets the bottle down on the table and after that, he doesn’t get up again. Occasionally, we comment on the plays happening and the mascot fucking around over on the sidelines, but for the most part, we sit in awkward silence. I wish I could tell Dad everything I was feeling for Landon, but I know he won’t understand.

 

Finally, after half an hour, I stand up and yawn. “It’s pretty late,” I say, rubbing my eyes. “I think I’m gonna turn in, Dad.”

 

Dad frowns. “It’s only eight-thirty,” he says.

 

“Seeing Linds really tired me out,” I lie. “Besides, I’ve got a big paper to write tomorrow. I need to make sure I get enough rest before I sit down at that desk again.”

 

Dad smiles and I feel my heart twitch in pain.

 

“Okay, princess,” he says. “That’s my girl. Always keeping up with her schoolwork.”

 

Before I go into the bedroom and shut the door, Dad kisses the top of my head, just like he did every night when I was a little girl. It hurts to lie to him like this, but I know that what I’m doing is for the best.

 

Landon’s life is at stake if Dad stays angry, and I want to be the person who helps my dad reconcile with his former second-in-command. Besides, after this is over, Landon and Dad really will be family.

 

I blush at the thought of becoming Landon’s wife.

 

As quickly and quietly as I can, I throw what little clothing I have and some energy bars into the backpack. I remember Lindsay’s suggestion to pack water, but the bag is already heavy and I don’t want to add too much. I toss in two bottles, followed by a couple of books. After all, I’ve never seen where Landon lives. I don’t know what kind of things he does when he’s not around me. For all I know, he only has old copies of Auto Mechanic lying around.

 

When my watch strikes nine, I try to open the window. It sticks–the sash is swollen in the frame–and I have to grit my teeth and use all of my effort to heave the glass panes into the air. It makes a terrible squeaking sound and I cringe, listening for the telltale sound of my dad’s heavy footfall in the hallway. But after a few seconds pass and I don’t hear anything, I hold my breath and slowly swing my legs over the frame.

 

The drop to the ground is a little further than I’m expecting and I don’t land on my feet, but rather stumble and fall to my knees. One of my ankles starts throbbing immediately and I curse loudly, reaching down and wrapping my hands around it. I can feel that it’s already starting to swell, but I can’t risk standing outside the hideout. There are motion-activated floodlights, and I have to creep away as stealthily as possible so they won’t activate.

 

Yeah, I can do this, I think as I creep slowly away from the house and towards the woods. This isn’t too bad at all.

 

When I’m a little ways out, I turn around and glance back up at the house. It already looks small. My bedroom window is a tiny triangle of light. From a distance, it doesn’t look like much at all. It just looks like a rundown house in the Texas countryside, forgotten about by long-ago ranchers. Somehow, the thought is a sad one.

 

I grumble, setting off into the woods, favoring my good ankle with every step. It really does hurt, but I figure that as soon as I see Landon, he’ll help me out. Surely the MC has a doctor around.

 

That’s when I remember that Landon technically isn’t a member of Blacktop Chaos anymore. I shudder. A cold breeze ripples through the woods and I resume walking, placing one foot in front of the other. My ankle is throbbing after only a few minutes of walking.

 

I know I haven’t gone far–the house is still within my sight. But fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any activity behind me. The floodlights have stayed off and while I’ve been keeping one ear open for the whine of a motorcycle, the only thing I can hear is the sound of my feet crunching through the dead leaves.

 

Thinking about seeing Landon again makes my ankle hurt less. For a moment, I close my eyes, trying to remember the sensation of his hands gliding over my body. My breasts grow warm and the area between my legs pulses with desire. Soon, I think. Soon, we can be together and no one will think of tearing us apart ever again.

 

That’s when I hear an engine. Crying out in fear, I dart around a big tree and glance behind me. A car is barreling down the grass road, headlights bouncing. It’s Lindsay, I realize.

 

“Hey, Lindsay!” I yell, stepping out from behind the tree and waving my arms in the air. “I’m over here!”

 

The car turns towards me and seems to speed up, gliding roughly over the bumpy grass and dead leaves. The engine is louder than a bike, and I shiver. Even though I know Lindsay is behind the wheel, it’s a little frightening to feel so exposed in the glare of the headlights. They’re so bright that it hurts my head. Shielding my eyes with my hand, I squint at the car.

 

It looks familiar, I think when I see the black Honda Civic skid to a slow stop in front of me. Where have I seen that car before?

 

That’s when I realize I’ve made a horrible mistake. It’s not Lindsay. It’s the same car I saw the library parking lot that night, the same car I saw in the grocery store parking lot the day I snuck out to buy breakfast.

 

It’s not Lindsay.

 

It’s the men who want to kidnap me, and they’ve managed to find me in the middle of the woods.

 

“Help!” I scream loudly. My voice rings through the air, echoing off the trees. “Help!” I yell again, straining until my throat aches.

 

The doors of the car open and I hear two male voices laughing and joking. There’s a sound of leaves crunching underfoot as the men run towards me.

 

I turn around and start limping away as fast as I can. My ankle is killing me but I know I have to try to outrun the men who want to kidnap me.

 

“Help!” I scream as I run blindly through the woods. My foot hits a rock and suddenly I’m flying through the air, cartwheeling my arms as I fall. The ground seems to smack me in the face and the air whooshes out of my lungs. For a second, I’m dizzy.

 

“Hey, bitch,” one of the men says. He stands in front of me, swinging a bundle of glossy white rope. “Long time no see.”

 

As he advances on me, I scream and scream.