David sped past her then stopped, angling the cage in front of her. And what did my speed demon do? She veered off to the side, cutting across what she must’ve thought was solid ground.
“Fuck!” I pounded the ground harder when I saw her go down into the ditch. My legs were ready to give out. Running felt worse than normal, loaded down with biker boots and a heavy coat.
When I came upon them, David was holding onto a flailing Aspen.
“Let go of me!” she yelled through her sobs. “I don’t want anyone else to die. Let me go!”
“Not a chance.” David looked up at me. “This one’s a firecracker. Mercy. I don’t know why Campbell would want her so badly.”
I fucking well knew. There was nobody better than Aspen… my Snow.
I trudge down the side of the ditch, my legs sinking into the snow. “What the fuck, Aspen? Don’t ever run from me like that again. Do you hear me? I will fire up your sweet ass and make you regret it every damn day of our lives.”
David shot me a confused look. “I’m baffled, but no time to explain. Campbell’s men will be here soon.”
I put my hands under her arms and hoisted her up. Holding her to my body, I kissed her head. “Don’t run from me again.”
She wilted, burying her face in my chest. “Jill…” she sobbed.
I swallowed my emotion. “I know, baby. I know.”
“Take my Jeep. You gotta get her out of here. There’s a duffle in the passenger seat filled with cash and essentials. I told Storm I’d handle this myself. Fuck if I just didn’t have the shock of my life seeing Baldie holding a gun to her head.” He tugged at the neck of his jacket, shaking his head, appearing panicked. “Storm will be furious.”
“You didn’t know he’d turned against the club,” I reassured him.
“Tell Storm that. There are four burners in the bag. Are you taking your prospect with you?” He jerked his chin toward Hollywood, trying to catch his breath.
“Hell no,” I replied quickly. If I was going on the run with Aspen, it would only be us. It shoulda always been us.
“All right. You two get going. Call Storm. Stay safe.” David climbed out of the ditch.
I looked back at the cabin. I choked down a sob, feeling my throat constrict, hating to leave without my sister. The grief I felt was far worse than when my parents died. Jill was my little sister. I was supposed to keep her safe. Protect her from the evils of the world. I’d failed my parents, Wolf and Jill.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get her back to Bastion. Wolf and the prospect too.” David handed me my blade. “No time to clean it.”
“Appreciate it.” I put Ricky in my pocket and patted Aspen’s back. “Come on. Let’s get a move on.”
She didn’t argue, letting me put her in the Jeep and buckle her in.
I stared at Hollywood and David, then took Aspen’s hand, entwining our fingers as I drove off, desperately needing the connection to her.
My sister’s dead.
It didn’t seem real. I was in shock.
Wolf flashed in my head, him holding her, rocking on the floor in tears. My whole life changed in a matter of minutes. I went from being furious with my sister for interfering in my relationship with Aspen, ready to disown her for all the heartache she’d caused us, to silently begging God to put me in her place while I’d held her limp hand. To take me instead.
I shook those thoughts out of my head. Jill wouldn’t want me thinking like this. It wouldn’t surprise me if Aspen thought the same. Why else would she run away? She wanted Campbell to take her so no one else would die.
Damn stubborn woman. If that maniac got his hands on her, there was no telling what he might do. A psycho like him might kill her so no one else could have her.
Where in the hell should I take her to keep her safe?
23
Storm
The ruckus that had broken out in the kitchen after talking to my dad was Karma, the tattoo artist who worked at Human Canvas Tattoo Parlor. She was a panicked mess with a kid in tow. Her cell phone battery was dead, so she came to the compound to warn us about a couple of guys she overheard discussing sending an explosive message.