Stephanie

 

I lay on my back and watched as Isaac circled around, gamely stepping around the rocks. I knew that I should probably be worried about venomous snakes and bugs but I couldn’t force myself to care. Everything that was going on between Jessica and Val and the whole damn club was making my head spin. Sometimes I just wanted a break.

 

“I need to tell you something,” I said to Isaac as I rolled back onto my belly and gazed up at him. From where I lay, Isaac looked huge, like he was completely made of muscle. “And I don’t think you’re gonna like it.”

 

Isaac laughed. “Probably not,” he said. He slid down next to me and for a moment, I was struck hard with desire. My mouth went dry as I watched Isaac’s muscular legs shift and settle down on the hard ground. His bulky chest and arms strained the cotton of his black t-shirt and I shivered as lust crawled down my spine. I wanted him, suddenly. I wanted him to press his lips against mine and kiss me fiercely and pull my head away from all of this crap. I wanted him to rip my clothes off and fuck me right here and now, in the middle of the desert, high above LA and the world I knew. I wanted to come harder than I’d ever come in my life, I wanted any excuse to not think about Val and her terrible plot.

 

“Jessica, that brunette girl in the MC, she was assaulted,” I said. My voice caught on the last word and I coughed, trying to cover up any emotion that slipped out of my mouth. “She was lying in bed and someone…someone came in and hurt her,” I said. “She can’t have kids as a result. And she wants revenge.”

 

Isaac stared at me. His jaw dropped slightly and he narrowed his eyes. “That’s so fucked up,” he said in a low, growly voice. “Do you know who did it?”

 

Val thinks it was one of your men, I thought grimly. And now I’m not sure whether or not to believe her. I kept waiting for Isaac to say something, or blush, or even make some kind of shady movement that would clue me into the truth. But instead, he kept his eyes focused intently on me until I was shivering and thoughts of us, naked and rolling around, filled my head once again.

 

“No,” I said finally. “We don’t have any idea. Someone snuck into the clubhouse the night that we had that party,” I added. “And the girls are hell-bent on getting revenge.”

 

Isaac nodded. He made a fist with one hand and punched his other open palm. “I don’t blame them,” he said sharply. “If someone hurt one of my guys, I’d take them out, first thing. That asshole needs to be found. And then he needs to be punished.”

 

Again, I wondered if Val had it wrong. I wondered if there was anything inside of her that hated the Thorns, that wanted to see them dead. After all, it would make sense. This was a hell of a thing to blame on someone. But I still didn’t see how going to the cops was supposed to just make it better.

 

“Yeah,” I muttered. I got to my feet. “What did you wanna talk about again?”

 

Isaac rolled his eyes. “Forget it,” he mumbled. I winced; all of the intimacy between us had disappeared and I was back to feeling like I was sitting next to a stranger.

 

“I’m leaving,” I announced as I wiped my hands on my jeans. “You coming?”

 

Isaac shook his head. “I got business to take care of,” he said, not meeting my eyes. “Thanks for the ride.”

 

As I left, I couldn't wipe the image of his face from my mind. Just being around Isaac made me hyper aware of the secret I was keeping from him and how angry he'd be when he finally discovered the truth. If he discovers the truth, I thought to myself. There was still a chance that I would be able to get away unscathed, but I didn’t see that happening any time soon.

 

The girls were restless when I got back to the club. Val, thank god, wasn’t there; she’d snuck out to meet with the Russians. I kept wondering whether or not we’d actually be able to pull off this kind of bust. If it went well, it would net us quite a lot in stolen guns. But if it didn’t go well, well…. shit. I couldn’t think about that. Not yet.

 

Jessica sat down next to me and handed me a frosty bottle. The cap was popped off and I took a long, grateful drink. Closing my eyes, I savored the sour tang of the beer. When I was younger, I used to hate beer. Now it was one of my only comforts.

 

“How are you feeling?” I looked at Jessica. She appeared to be much better than she had in the past couple of weeks. Her eyes were shiny and her brown hair had been freshly cut. “You look good.”

 

“Thanks,” Jessica replied. She ducked her head and I watched as a blush broke out over her cheeks. “I feel a little better, you know? I feel better knowing that we have a plan like this.”

 

Inside, my stomach twisted but I didn’t say anything. Instead, I nodded and took another long swig of beer.

 

Val burst into the clubhouse and all the girls cheered. I felt sick with jealousy—and betrayal—as she strode over to me like she owned the joint. Her lips were twisted into a big smile and her teeth were almost blindingly white.

 

“Girl,” Val said. She pulled me into a hug. I stiffened; I couldn’t help it. It just happened. If Val noticed, she didn’t say anything. I closed my eyes and breathed in her familiar scent: vanilla and engine grease. All I wanted was to go back in time to the days when Val and I were friends again, but I just couldn’t see it happening.