Page 13 of Chasing Kit

I stared at the bright road in front of us instead. “Wouldn’t the gunshots have alerted someone?” I whispered, unsure what to say. What did someone talk about in a situation like this? I wasn’t like War or Dad. This was all new to me. Fucking fuck. How did I not see it?

“Possibly.” His hands locked around the wheel, fingers pressing hard into the worn leather. “But by the time the cops get there, we’ll be long gone.”

“No.” I raised my chin. “I don’t want to leave. I’m not going back to Dad.”

He shot me a glare that was sexy as hell. My stomach did something embarrassing, though I wasn’t quite sure what to even call it. “You are returning to New Gothenburg. Hasn’t today taught you anything?” He bared his teeth like a wild beast, and my cock perked up. I shielded my lap with my hands. “You were nearly killed.”

“Because of Dad,” I argued fiercely. “If I’d known the truth⁠—”

“What?” he interrupted. “What would you have done, Kit? You’re studying criminal justice, and he let you. He could’ve stopped you at any time, but he didn’t because he wanted you to be happy. Sky’s off traveling the country, and he’s let him do that, too. He gives you freedom and supports you.”

“By murdering people,” I hissed, my hands curling into fists in my lap. “He’s able to give us money because he murders people.”

“No.” He breathed hard through his nose, not looking at me. “Your dad doesn’t force anyone to do anything. They enter his domain of their own accord. Did your new friend tell you he’s a criminal and what he does?”

I contemplated War’s words. The texter hadn’t told me much, just that Dad ran an underground casino and was a murderer. The pictures they’d sent flashed in my mind—Dad holding a gun to that man’s head. Was that it? Some kind of sick game?

War grumbled. “They didn’t tell you much, did they? But you jumped on a plane and flew across the country because a stranger told you to. Do you really trust a stranger over your dad? You don’t even know who sent you those messages.”

“There were photos. It was fucking enough for me.” I glared and crossed my arms. “They weren’t lying about Leland.”

“No, they weren’t, but Leland didn’t have to be your friend. He only had to keep an eye on you.” His voice softened. “I’ve seen the way he looks out for you. He likes being your friend.”

“And he spies on me.”

“He tells your dad any important details about your safety. That’s all.” He heaved a sigh and rubbed his forehead. “Your time with Leland is between the two of you. He only reports to Derek when he notices something off, like those damned text messages.”

My shoulders slumped. I turned to stare out the window at the world passing by. Pleasant Beach was a beautiful place with high-rises that glittered in the California sun, though we were driving out of the city and not toward it. The sky was blue and the clouds were fluffy and cheerful, and if I rolled down the windows, I could still smell the beach even as we drove farther away from it.

“Fuck.”

I shot a look at War after the rough curse and followed his gaze to the front of the car as he slowed the vehicle. In the middle of the road were five motorcycles parked across the asphalt. While four men in black riding jackets and jeans sat on their bikes, the man in the middle stood in front of his, arms crossed, his helmet resting on the motorcycle’s seat. The guy had gray hair and big sunglasses that hid his eyes, and he wore a serious expression that might’ve sent chills down my spine if I hadn’t already nearly died today.

“Who are they?” I whispered.

War finally brought the Lexus to a complete stop. A few houses spread out around us, but there was a lot more farmland. The road was lined by timber post-and-rail fences, and a cow was staring directly at us from our left, watching like a spectator about to see the show of her life.

“Stay he—” The window beside War shattered.

I screamed and ducked as my window exploded, glass showering my head, and arched back. Two thuds landed on the outside of the door. By the time I dared to peek, I saw more men in leather had appeared behind us, pummeling the car with baseball bats. One stood farther back, a handgun pointed at us.

Was I going to die today? After all this, was this how it ended? The thought was so absurd it was almost funny. I’d barely lived. A sudden, fierce wave of defiance washed over me. Fuck this. If I got out of this, I was done being scared. I was done waiting. I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath, bracing for the inevitable.

“Enough, Odin!” War roared, making me wince as fear seized my gut. Glass shards dug into my back and neck. I could feel more in my hair. I was afraid I’d cut myself if I moved.

I peered over the edge of the dashboard to see the man in the middle raise his hand. All attacks on the car stopped. I sucked in a breath of relief but remained still.

“War?” I whispered, my breath shuddering. My gaze darted to him.

He sat bolt upright, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His jaw tightened, lips pulling back to expose his teeth, his face a rigid mask of fury.

5

WAR

I shoved open my door and found a Norse Lord MC member standing nearby, close enough that I instinctively clocked the distance between us. Asian, nearly my height, with the kind of smirk that told me he’d already decided how this conversation was going to go. I filed that away.

The patch on the right side of his black jacket, beneath the Lords’ insignia, read “SGT at Arms.” This had to be Modi.