Max towel dried his hair and pulled on some jeans and a fresh T-shirt. Brittany was busy packing up their things.
“Make sure you head over to the 7-11,” he reached into his pocket for several ten dollar bills. “Fill our bags with as much as you can.”
There was a gas station across the street where Brittany could visit to grab some essentials while he fulfilled his promise to her. There was a pay phone in the parking lot of the motel. Max was willing to use it but only briefly. He didn’t want to dwell on the line long enough for the call to be traced.
He watched Brittany hurry across the street before entering the pay phone booth. It stank of stale urine and Max instantly recoiled. But then he steeled himself, knowing that he had to do this to help truly set Brittany free, once and for all. He read the number from his cell phone and typed it into the pay phone, then dropped a quarter in the relevant slot. It landed within the depths of the pay phone with a dull thud.
Max wasn’t sure he was even expecting anyone to answer. Maybe they really were all dead. As sad as that was he’d be relieved. He wouldn’t need to worry about someone stalking their movements across America. He and Brittany could live their life without fear. But on the third ring someone picked up and Max’ heart sank. A male voice said hello, a voice Max recognised.
“Aaron?”
“Who’s this?” the voice on the other end of the line demanded. Then it softened as it realised who was calling. “Max, that you?”
Max swallowed uneasily.
“Yeah, man. It’s me.”
“Shit,” he exhaled. “I didn’t expect to be hearing from you again.”
“And I didn’t expect you to be answering the main phone at the bar. Where’s my uncle?”
“He…he,” something broke in Will’s voice. “He didn’t make it.”
Max leaned against the glass in the phone booth and sighed. He knew this would happen. Going to war with the Kings was never going to lead to a happy ending, only bloodshed.
“That’s too bad,” Max stated sadly.
“And neither did you.”
Max stiffened.
“Because you’re not coming back, are you?” Aaron added, lowering his voice. Max glanced across the street at the store and shook his head to himself.
“No,” he confirmed. “I’m never coming back.”
“So we’ll just say you died along with the others. You’re a good guy, Max. You always have been. We’ll do this for you.”
“We?”
“Me and Henry,” Aaron gave a dry laugh. “We’re running the Skeleton Kings now, can you believe it?”
“Seriously?” Max was momentarily stunned. The leadership of the pack had always been promised to him by his Uncle. But now Alex was gone and so was Max. The pack should be claimed by guys like Aaron and Henry, guys who would always be loyal to the Reapers.
“Hey, man, that’s awesome for you guys,” Max congratulated him.
“Thanks. We’ll see how it pans out.”
“So last night, things got ugly?”
“Yeah,” Will breathed softly, his voice sounding fragile as though it might break any second. “Things got real ugly. You’re better off out of it.”
Max coughed and cleared his throat. For so long he’d been part of this gang that it had formed a large part of his identity. The pack had been his family and now he was finally being released from it all. He’d no longer be running, he’d just be living.
“I appreciate you doing this for me,” he told Aaron sincerely.
“It might not be best for the pack,” Aaron admitted, “but it’s best for you, and I can see that. I want to be the kind of guy who will always be able to see that.”
“I’m sure you will be.”
“I hope so.”
“You need to stay level-headed to balance Henry out.”
This made Aaron laugh heartily. “He definitely does need reigning in, doesn’t he?”
Max noticed Brittany returning from the store, carrying two plastic bags of groceries.
“Look, before I go, there’s one thing I need to know. Did my girl’s brother make it? His name is Zack, he runs with the Red Riders”
“You mean he’s running the Red Riders,” Aaron stiffly corrected him.
“Seriously?”
“A lot of changes went down last night,” Aaron sighed. “I’m still getting my head around them all. But yeah, my intel tells me that Zack is now the head honcho over at the rival gang, with some guy with a scarred up face.”
Jameson.
“And like I said, the Skeleton Kings won’t be causing you any trouble in the future. But I can’t say the same for the Red Riders. He might come looking for his sister.”
“Let him come,” Max growled. “He’d have to catch us first.”
“Good luck out there.”
“Thanks, man. You too.” Max listened as the line went dead, and then slowly hung up. Brittany was peering anxiously at him through the glass, her eyes wide with desperation.
“So?” she prompted before Max had barely had a chance to come out.
“Your brother is fine,” Max told her as he began swiftly returning to their motel room. He wanted to put even more distance between them and Colridge, especially if Zack now had what was left of the Red Riders at his disposal. What was to stop him chasing them down and killing Max just so that he could have Brittany all to himself again?
“He is?” Brittany’s voice brightened with hope. “Really?”
“Yes, but we can’t stay here,” Max paused to turn around and place his hands upon her delicate shoulders. “We have to keep running, Brittany. We’re still not safe.”
Her beautiful features scrunched up in confusion.
“We need to outrun our past, Brittany,” Max squeezed her shoulders protectively. “We’re both connected to the packs. We need to drive until the highway becomes just a hazy blur around us. We need to drive, and never look back. Are you with me?”
“Always,” Brittany didn’t even pause to consider her response. “Max, I’m always with you.”
“I love you,” Max lowered his head to press his lips against hers. She kissed him back passionately, confirming that she loved him too.