Page 63 of Affliction
“Fuck this fucking fucker.” Karson says, and I watch as he passes me, catching up to the vehicle. His voice cuts out andDethroneby Bad Omens plays full blast inside my helmet, fueling the rage I feel. Speeding up again, I get back in line with Karson and pull my Smith & Wesson SD40 out of my left hip holster.
Aiming for the back glass, I take three shots. At the same time, Karson fires off a round at the Hellcat’s tires. Glass shatters and the vehicle swerves sharply to the right, goes through the right lane and slams to a halt into the guardrail. Smoke billows out from the hood as I fly past.
“Slater, get someone to this spotnow.Find out who the fuck that was and get back to me. I have to get to the bar.” I order and max out the throttle.
“Already on it, I’ve got two of our guys behind me. They’re at the car now.”
“Good, you’re with me and Karson. Let’s go.”
“Sorry guys. I tried to cut him off but he got around me. I’m right behind you.” Slater apologizes.
“Shit happens. I don’t care about that right now. Something’s wrong.” I say calmly, even though I feel anything but. We’re still thirty minutes away from the bar and I open the throttle.
Pulling into Doc’s, my heart leaps into my throat when I see about thirty people standing outside. Most of them have black eyes, split lips and one guy has a severe laceration to the left side of his face. Hopping off of my bike–Karson in tow–we burst through the front door. Another fifty or so people linger inside, and Cole pushes past me with some man's shirt twisted in his fists. I step to the side as they reach the door, and Cole yanks the man closer to him so they’re nose to nose.
“I said get the fuck out!” He screams in the man's face, and shoves him out onto the sidewalk. The guy falls on his back and groans, and Cole whips around.
“Everybody! Get. The. Fuck. Out. Now!” He booms over the crowd in front of us, then turns to Karson and I with a grin. He wipes his bottom lip, which I now see is split and bleeding, with his thumb and sucks the blood off. People start shuffling toward the door, and I glance behind the bar–theemptybar.
“Where are the girls?” Karson asks, a hint of panic laced in his voice, and my feet move toward the counter.
“They were behind the bar when the fight broke out. I saw them duck down, they should still be there. I got my ass handed to me tonight, man.” Cole tells him as I round the end of the bar. Stepping behind it, I look down and see strands of red hair draped over the tops of her knees. She sits up, and Ashlynn’s tear filled blue eyes meet mine. She lets out a sigh and slowly exits her hiding spot. Scanning the area around her, my heart stops.
“Where’s Parker?” I ask, and she points toward the back door.
“She tried to make a call in here, but it was too loud. So she snuck out the back door. Said she was going to try to call and get some help.” Her voice shakes.
“Ash, are you okay?” I hear Karson call from the door and he pushes through people, then stops at the end of the bar.
“I-I’m fine, Karson.” She says softly but doesn't make eye contact with him.
Spinning around, I rush down the hallway and out the door that leads to the back parking lot. It’s empty. My heart slams against my rib cage and I walk up and down the building calling for her, but receive no answer.
“Fuuuuck!” My hands fist in my hair at the nape of my neck. As I walk back to the door, something on the ground catches my attention and I stop.
No. No.
Bending down, I pick up Parker’s cell phone and flip it over in my hands. The screen is broken, and it lights up with a notification of my missed calls. An ominous feeling slams into me as I stare at the phone. The back door creaks open as I stare at the device in my hand.
“Oh fuck no.” Karson mumbles and I turn my head to look at him.
“It’s her phone.” I croak, and I just know in my gut something has happened to her.
“Mav, I got something you’re gonna want to see.” Cole calls from inside the bar. My eyes slide to the door, then back to Karson. He stares at me wide eyed then steps aside, allowing me past him.
Back inside, I see Cole standing with his back facing me at the tables that line the front window of the bar. Ashlynn sits in a stool at the end with her head in her hands. She hears me approaching and looks up, then jumps down off the stool.
“Was she out there?” She asks frantically, and I walk past her.
“No.” I hear Karson say behind me. He continues talking to her, but I drown it out as I get closer to Cole.
“What is it?” I ask as I approach. He turns to look at me, fury written all over his face.
“Look what I found.” A sinister smile pulls at his lips and he steps aside. Behind him, sitting in a chair with his hands tied behind his back, is none other than Alex.
When Parker and I stayed at the beach house, this was who Cole was looking for, but wasn’t able to track down. After the last time he was here, and I broke his hand, Cole drove him down to the California border, and dropped his sorry ass off in the middle of the desert. We thought for sure he’d succumb to the elements, or run and not come back.
Looks like we were wrong.
