“She’s upset with me,” I muttered, and I couldn’t blame her. I’d put her through the wringer—six months ago, last night, even this morning when I’d laid her on the table for breakfast. She had too many questions and no fucking answers.

I dialed her cell and got her voicemail straight away. Either her phone was dead, or she’d shut it off. Or someone had shut it off for her. With a hard swallow, I banished the thought from my mind. Shelton had stowed Zach in shackles somewhere, and he had incentive enough to make sure the fucker stayed there. No one had taken her. Not this time. I refused to believe it, so that meant she’d gone off on her own.

But why?

Rubbing his wrists, Jax leaned against the bench, and I sank onto the sofa across from him.

“Shelton wants me to fight Zach, with Alex as the prize. If she followed me to the barn…” I cursed under my breath. “She might’ve overheard something she shouldn’t have.”

“Or she’s scared out of her mind after pulling a fucking gun on me.” Jax’s face hardened. “She should be scared. You need to get that shit under control pronto.”

He might be right, but I couldn’t drive away the anxiety in my stomach. If she’d overheard us, then she’d seen Zach. Maybe she’d removed herself from the situation so she couldn’t be used as a bargaining chip. Seemed like something she’d do.

But had she taken off because she was worried about my part in this upcoming fight, or because she was afraid for her brother? Did she sense how badly I wanted to rip into him? Maybe she’d caught a whiff of the metaphorical blood on my hands, and the realization that she was in love with a monster had sent her packing—had sent her careening over the cliff, a thread away from another mental meltdown.

“Fuck. I’ve gotta find her.”

11. Rebellious - Alex

11. REBELLIOUS - ALEX

I’d never hitchhiked in my life. Luckily for me, the woman who picked me up wasn’t a psychopath. Maybe fate had decided I’d had enough run-ins with the dark and sinister type. Ironically, hitching a ride with a stranger was probably about as safe as merely breathing.

She pulled alongside the curb in downtown Portland and wished me luck.

“Thanks for letting me tag along,” I said, pushing the passenger door open.