CHAPTER 21
ELI
Ryder was getting antsy.
“She’s been gone too long,” he said.
“Relax, dude, she said she was going for a little walk to clear her head. She’s been through a lot, give her some time,” Slade said.
“I don’t know, man, something doesn’t feel right,” he said. He threw on a jacket and shoved his gun in his waistband and headed for the door. We sat there watching him. He turned and looked at us with exasperation.
“Well, are you coming or not?” We jumped up and followed him out of the door, seven huge dudes walking down the hallway like we were stepping right out of some action film on our way to a fight. By the time we got outside, I could tell Ryder was on edge.
“Wreck and Riot, go around the front,” he said. “The rest of you come with me.”
Wreck and Riot disappeared around the corner and Nate, Slade, Bones and I followed Ryder as he went around the back of the hotel through the parking lot. There was no sign of Grace anywhere. Ryder stopped and called her phone again. We listened in the darkness, our eyes darting around looking for her.
The faint ringing of a cell phone sounded from the far back of the parking lot and Ryder took off running. We ran after him, our boots pounding the wet pavement like a band of horses.
“Grace!” Ryder called. “Grace! Where are you?”
We reached the edge of a trail and entered it, darkness falling around us as the trees blocked out the light from the streetlights, our eyes slow to adjust. We peered into the trees trying to make out what we were looking at.
When I saw Ryder pull his gun, my heart skipped a beat. We all followed suit, our guns raised as we slowly walked forward. Wreck and Riot came running up behind us.
“What the hell!” Ryder shouted, pointing his gun in front of him. I stretched my neck to look around him and gasped when I saw Grace standing in front of Sophia. Sophia held a gun down at her side. When she saw us coming her way, she jumped in front of Grace and pointed the gun at Ryder.
“Get away from her!” Ryder shouted. “Drop your gun!”
“Fuck you, dude,” Sophia said, lifting her chin.
I stopped breathing and time seemed to slow down as I watched them stare each other down.
“Stop it!” Grace shouted. “Sophia, stop, this is Ryder. They’re all with me.”
“They’re safe?” Sophia asked Grace, briefly looking over her shoulder. Ryder took the opportunity to rush her, effortlessly taking her gun from her and twisting her arm around her back.
“Hey!” she shouted.
“Ryder, stop! Fuck, you guys! There’s no need for this,” Grace insisted.
“She had a gun!” Ryder said.
“I know, but it’s okay, really,” Grace said, stepping from the shadows and taking Sophia’s gun from Ryder. “Let her go!”
Ryder released his grip, holding his hands up.
“Alright, sorry,” he said. Grace handed Sophia’s gun back to her and for the first time, Sophia raked her gaze over my way. She caught my eye and I nodded.
“Ma’am,” I said.
“Eli,” she nodded.
“Let’s go inside,” Grace said. “We’ve got a lot of talking to do.”
I was confused as hell. Sophia? Here? She must have followed us, I thought. But why was Grace giving her gun back?
Begrudgingly, Ryder turned and we all followed him back into the hotel. When we got to the room, he sat down in a chair and shook his head as the rest of us trailed in. Grace closed the door behind her and locked it, before turning back to us.
“Sophia, meet the Gods of Chaos. Gods, meet Sophia.”
Hellos were mumbled with confused looks, names exchanged before everyone turned back to Grace for further explanation.
“Sophia, I know you’re Snake’s old lady, but if there’s any way you can help us, we’d appreciate your help.”
“I fucking hate Snake,” she sneered. “I’d do anything to bring that bastard down.”
“Well, then, I think you’ve come to the right place.”
My heart filled with happiness to hear Sophia’s words. I knew something wasn’t right. I knew she was better than that. I couldn’t help but smile at her and when she looked over at me and smiled back, my heart felt like it might burst.
Nate was sitting next to me on the bed and he nudged my foot when he saw the way I was looking at her. I glanced over at him, silently telling him to cut it the fuck out with my eyes. A fierce glare and he shrugged, shaking his head and looking away.
“Would you like to sit down, Sophia?” I asked, patting the spot on the bed next to me. She nodded and came over, sitting down next to me and taking us all in.
“Wow,” she said. “I never expected this.”
“Sophia, maybe you can tell us a bit about yourself so we can understand your position a little better?” Grace asked.
“Sure,” she said. “But I think I’m going to need a drink first.”
Slade pulled a flask from his boot and offered it to her.
“Whiskey?”
She took it gratefully and nodded.
“Perfect.”
I watched as she brought the flask to her full lips and took a sip. When I saw a tiny drop linger on the corner of her mouth, it was all I could do not to imagine licking it away, sobriety be damned.