Page 51 of Triple the Secrets
Evil could never hide.
The man on the right looked normal, wearing denim jeans and a henley, but there was a dark air about him that had people giving him a wide berth. She tried to place him in her memory, but she was drawing a blank. When he started to turn his head, she quickly stepped back behind a tall rack and held her breath.
Her heart was pounding, and she wanted to run. Take the girls and get as far away from here as she could. These monsters were here searching for new victims, or they were looking for the ones that got away. She wasn’t going to allow him to take them without a fight. She peeked back around the rack and saw that he was no longer looking her way, but instead towards a group of young college girls that were giggling and laughing on their way to the food court.
She wanted to scream at them to run, but she forced herself to quietly and carefully make her way back to the dressing room. “It’s me,” she said quietly through the door. The door immediately opened and she stepped inside. “I saw him,” she said softly, but briskly. “We’re not getting the suits, girls, so put them down, and I’m going to change. Did Rogue answer?”
Wren nodded. “He’s on his way. Him and the club. Told us to stay in the store, but out of sight, and that if the guy came in, we were to run.”
Scarlett nodded. She quickly changed, leaving the clothes on the bench, and then carefully opened the door again to peek out. The man hadn’t moved from his spot, but he was now turned slightly toward the store. Meaning that if they weren’t careful, he would spot them.Shit. “Did either of you notice if there are any areas near the back of the store we could wait in?” she asked over her shoulder.
“There’s one spot near the bras and underwear. It has a small area that’s out of sight,” Win answered.
“Good. I want you, one at a time, to go there. Don’t look back, and walk calmly and carefully. We don’t want to alert him to who we are if he hasn’t spotted us. Got it?”
Both girls nodded. Over the next few minutes they made their way to the back of the store, but Scarlett could feel his eyes on her. She casually looked at the racks in front of her, never turning her face. He could only see the back of her. When she reached the bra and underwear area, she could see the girls were still trembling, but the look on their faces was one of determination. They would not go willingly, and she wouldn’t let it happen.
She really hoped that Rogue showed up soon. She needed to get the girls out of here. Fast.
They pretended to browse, and Scarlett kept a careful eye on the front of the store when she moved around the area. The man was closer to the store front, and while he was pretending to look around, as if waiting for someone, he didn’t hide the fact that he was constantly glancing inside.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at the girls and gave a very subtle motion of her head for them to step further into the alcove. They did, but they didn’t take their eyes off her.
Suddenly a commotion had her whipping around and nearly crying with relief. Rogue was striding towards the store, face hard and fierce, with five men at his back. All of them were foreboding, and people were quick to move out of their way. The man at the front of the store looked at them, grimacing, but then he turned and looked directly at her.
They stared at each other for a long, tense moment. The threat and promise in his eyes was chilling, but she refused to look away. She lifted her chin defiantly and let him see she was unafraid of him. His eyes flashed with anger, but then he turned and stalked away, blending with the other shoppers.
“Shit,” she muttered under her breath. “Girls, Rogue and his club are here. We need to go.”
Wren and Win hurried to her side and they rushed towards where Rogue and his brothers were entering the store. Rogue looked ready to tear the store apart, but when he spotted them, he relaxed slightly. “Where did he go?” he asked when they reached him. He pulled Scarlett into his arms, held her close and then reached out an arm to the girls. They all crowded in close.
“He went into the crowd,” Scarlett told him when she pulled away. “He’s probably here still watching. He saw us, Rogue, and he recognized me.”
Rogue nodded, lips pulling down into a hard frown. “He won’t touch you. Girls, you walk with my brothers; Scarlett you’re with me. We’re heading for the clubhouse.”
Scarlett didn’t argue. She wanted to get as far away as possible. They left the store. They weren’t slow, ignoring all the stares. She glanced around when she felt eyes on her again. She couldn’t see him in the crowd of people, but she knew he was following them. She was grateful that Rogue’s club brothers had surrounded the girls, shielding them completely with their large frames.
Scarlett had a small moment of fear when they reached the bikes, but told herself to forget about it. The only thing that mattered was making sure those bastards never got their hands on the girls. “Wren, you ride with Ice. Win, you’re with Fury. Scarlett with me. You hold on, lean when we do, and don’t let go.”
Both girls nodded and hopped on behind the men in question. Scarlett was a bit slower, but once they were on the road, she held onto Rogue tight.
Tears blurred her vision. Partially from the wind, but also from the knowledge that their world had just shattered again. If the girls hadn’t spotted him, would he have gotten the drop on them? Would he have called for someone to help him grab all three of them? Or maybe he would have taken the girls and straight up killed her?
She tried to keep from trembling, but she couldn’t seem to stop. Adrenaline was still rushing through her, and she couldn’t relax.
Rogue gave her hand a quick squeeze, even as he revved the engine higher and they headed towards the outskirts of town. She didn’t know who was at the front, but both girls were just ahead of her and Rogue, with another rider behind them. They were making good time with no signs of slowing down.
By the time they made it to the clubhouse gate, she was a quivering mess of nerves. Rogue pulled up to the clubhouse, and when he turned the bike off, she couldn’t get herself to let go of him. It was like her entire body had locked. “It’s okay, baby,” Rogue said quietly, looking over his shoulder at her. “You’re safe. You’re all safe.” She could only nod, but she couldn’t unlock her arms.
Carefully, he unlocked her fingers from around him and gently lowered her arms. He quickly climbed off and then scooped her up into his arms as they headed for the front porch where a few more bikers were stationed and waiting. All appeared menacing, but when they looked at her and the girls, they gave small smiles and nods.
Inside, Rogue took her over to a leather couch and set her down. Both girls immediately surrounded her, holding her hands tightly. They were trembling too, and she wanted to cry all over again.
“Who the fuck arethey?” a shrill voice demanded.
Scarlett’s head immediately lifted, and she stared in shock at the sight of a naked woman coming out of a room towards the back. The woman had obviously had some work done, if the fake boobs were anything to go by, and her body was skinny enough she could count her ribs. Her bleached blonde hair was tousled and her liner smudged. Who the hell was she?
“Out!” Rogue barked, anger clear on his face.
