‘We’re even, now.’ Mason scoffed, before heading into the bar, to his new-found role as Wyatt’s number two. Wyatt patted Sam on the back before saluting to Alan and Alex. Alex stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Awkwardly, Wyatt patted her on the back, telling her to get gone. Alex then moved to Sam, who held his hand up to satisfy her concern.

Alan clicked the fob on his keyring, and the Range Rover beeped, unlocking from the other side of the street.

‘Let’s get out of here,’ Alan stated powerfully, shooting one final look back at The Pit. He turned to Alex, his fingers interlocking with hers. ‘Get you back to your family.’

Alex squeezed his hand and as they headed to the car Sam watched them, a smile spreading across his face.

His war had taken him to the darkest corners of the earth, and face to face with some of its worst inhabitants.

Watching a bond grow between two people he liked was a small pleasantry in a world of pain.

Hopefully, reuniting Alex with her family would feel even better.

They all clambered into Alan’s car, and momentarily, they all felt a lull in energy. The exhaustion of the last week hung heavy in the car, and after a few moments, Alan turned the key, pulled away from the curb, and the three of them headed out of Dillon, leaving the town and the Riders behind them.

Chapter Thirty

On the drive back to New York, Alan had stopped for gas and a batch of coffees, and then asked Alex or Sam to drive. Alex, understanding the pain coursing through Sam’s body, stepped up, glad to be behind the wheel of a car once more. As she’d sipped her coffee, she glanced into the rear-view mirror at Sam, who dozed in the back seat.

It dawned on her, studying the cuts and bruises that adorned his face, just how much he’d given for her.

He’d travelled halfway across the globe to find her. He tracked her down to a backwater town in an entirely different state, and he’d fought for her.

Sam was like a magnet, incapable of moving away from something that doesn’t feel right.

Now, watching him sleep, Alex felt a warm smile spread across her face. She’d experienced a lot of disappointment in her life. From her non-existent father to her drug addled mother, Alex’s hand had been a dud since day one. But through her sheer perseverance, she’d forged a decent pathway for her brother and sister to travel. She’d done everything she possibly could, whether she strayed across the line of the law, to keep them on track to a better life.

And through it all, the only guarantee she had was herself.

Her street smarts.

Her sheer refusal to accept defeat.