grown-ups talk.”
“Excuse me?” Monique snaps, folding her arms over her chest.
Joel steps forward. “She’s fine where she is.”
“Jesus,” I bite out impatiently. “Let the girl go.”
Joel glares at me, his dark eyes thinning, before taking Monique’s hand and pulling her in close. Placing my hands on my hips, I shift my weight and look away while he kisses her on the lips and tells her he’ll be right in. I never used to be the jealous type, but right now, watching him kiss the girl he loves…it’s torture.
When they leave, Joker fills us in on what happened on his side of the compound. “Honestly, we weren’t expecting Skull to have so many men. We swept through the front as fast as we could, destroying everything as we went, and that’s when Grova, our lookout, told us there were cars zooming down the road. We couldn’t afford to be hit from the back and boxed into his compound, so we left.”
I nod slowly. Makes sense. “How many men did you lose?”
“Eleven. We’ll bury them at sunset today.”
“We need a place to stay,” Joel cuts in, stepping closer. “We have nowhere else to go.”
“Well, you’re going to have to figure something out because only Twisted Sons stay here.” Joker pins me with his stare. “House rules.”
“You’d turn us away? We can help—”
“You can’t help shit. You can’t even help yourselves,” he clears his throat, “and I was an idiot for thinking you could get me New York.”
He’s right. We’re running around chasing girls, trying to save them from Skull’s evil clutches, and we can’t even do that. How the fuck are we supposed to free New York from his reign of terror? We can’t do it alone, that’s for sure. Joker has the men, the means, and the firepower. We’re going to need his help, and I’ll get it, at any cost.
“Only Twisted Sons can stay here?” I ask, scratching the back of my head. My hair is dry, covered in powder, dirt, and blood. I need a damn shower.
Joker nods.
“How does one become a Twisted Son?”
His eyes glisten with excitement as the corner of his lips pull up. “Why? You interested?”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
“Jai, are you insane?” Joel grabs my shoulder and nudges me. “You’re not joining a fucking biker gang.”
I look at him and see the concern in his eyes. It’s the same kind of concern I’d see when we were younger, right before I’d do something he really didn’t want me to do. “I think you should go wait inside with your girlfriend.”
Joel clenches his jaw and straightens his spine. “You’re not serious?”
I turn towards him. Do I look like I’m playing around? If joining Joker’s gang keeps us going for another day, then I’m doing it. Can he not see that we don’t have any other options? Skull has us backed into a corner, and we need to get out of it.
“Whatever.” He shrugs. “It’s your life.”
Joel storms off without a glance over his shoulder, clenching his fists at his sides. Does it look like I want to join a gang? I’m just trying to keep him alive and get Emily back. I’ll do whatever it takes. Whatever. It. Takes.
Joker pulls me from my thoughts by spitting against the rocks. “I’m gonna try real hard not to be offended by that.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s only looking out for me.” I glance at Joker. “That’s what family does, right?” Above us, storm clouds move in, blocking the warm morning sun. “So, to join your crew, what do I have to do?”
He smirks. “Follow me.”
***
A fist connects with my cheek bone, tossing me to the side. How many more do I have to fight? I’ve already smashed my way through four of them. I can’t take anymore. I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. I’m on the verge of collapsing, and my insides feel like they’re rotting away.
There’s a ringing in my ear, and the cheers of the crowd are muffled. I drop to my knees, my chin touching my chest, and desperately drag air into my
“Excuse me?” Monique snaps, folding her arms over her chest.
Joel steps forward. “She’s fine where she is.”
“Jesus,” I bite out impatiently. “Let the girl go.”
Joel glares at me, his dark eyes thinning, before taking Monique’s hand and pulling her in close. Placing my hands on my hips, I shift my weight and look away while he kisses her on the lips and tells her he’ll be right in. I never used to be the jealous type, but right now, watching him kiss the girl he loves…it’s torture.
When they leave, Joker fills us in on what happened on his side of the compound. “Honestly, we weren’t expecting Skull to have so many men. We swept through the front as fast as we could, destroying everything as we went, and that’s when Grova, our lookout, told us there were cars zooming down the road. We couldn’t afford to be hit from the back and boxed into his compound, so we left.”
I nod slowly. Makes sense. “How many men did you lose?”
“Eleven. We’ll bury them at sunset today.”
“We need a place to stay,” Joel cuts in, stepping closer. “We have nowhere else to go.”
“Well, you’re going to have to figure something out because only Twisted Sons stay here.” Joker pins me with his stare. “House rules.”
“You’d turn us away? We can help—”
“You can’t help shit. You can’t even help yourselves,” he clears his throat, “and I was an idiot for thinking you could get me New York.”
He’s right. We’re running around chasing girls, trying to save them from Skull’s evil clutches, and we can’t even do that. How the fuck are we supposed to free New York from his reign of terror? We can’t do it alone, that’s for sure. Joker has the men, the means, and the firepower. We’re going to need his help, and I’ll get it, at any cost.
“Only Twisted Sons can stay here?” I ask, scratching the back of my head. My hair is dry, covered in powder, dirt, and blood. I need a damn shower.
Joker nods.
“How does one become a Twisted Son?”
His eyes glisten with excitement as the corner of his lips pull up. “Why? You interested?”
I shrug. “Maybe.”
“Jai, are you insane?” Joel grabs my shoulder and nudges me. “You’re not joining a fucking biker gang.”
I look at him and see the concern in his eyes. It’s the same kind of concern I’d see when we were younger, right before I’d do something he really didn’t want me to do. “I think you should go wait inside with your girlfriend.”
Joel clenches his jaw and straightens his spine. “You’re not serious?”
I turn towards him. Do I look like I’m playing around? If joining Joker’s gang keeps us going for another day, then I’m doing it. Can he not see that we don’t have any other options? Skull has us backed into a corner, and we need to get out of it.
“Whatever.” He shrugs. “It’s your life.”
Joel storms off without a glance over his shoulder, clenching his fists at his sides. Does it look like I want to join a gang? I’m just trying to keep him alive and get Emily back. I’ll do whatever it takes. Whatever. It. Takes.
Joker pulls me from my thoughts by spitting against the rocks. “I’m gonna try real hard not to be offended by that.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s only looking out for me.” I glance at Joker. “That’s what family does, right?” Above us, storm clouds move in, blocking the warm morning sun. “So, to join your crew, what do I have to do?”
He smirks. “Follow me.”
***
A fist connects with my cheek bone, tossing me to the side. How many more do I have to fight? I’ve already smashed my way through four of them. I can’t take anymore. I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. I’m on the verge of collapsing, and my insides feel like they’re rotting away.
There’s a ringing in my ear, and the cheers of the crowd are muffled. I drop to my knees, my chin touching my chest, and desperately drag air into my
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