Long Way Home (Thunder Road #3)(92)

From under the table, Violet squeezes my knee and the irony isn’t lost on me. I went from being the boy who didn’t make the decisions to being the man leading the charge.

“At the end of all this,” Oz says, “Cyrus and Eli will say it wasn’t our decision to make. That we should have included them.”

“We will,” Violet says. “But after the wire. There’s the possibility that someone is a traitor at the clubhouse and I can’t risk anyone else knowing until that wire is done.”

Surprise prickles along the back of my neck. “You’re going to let the club in?”

She’s slow to nod, but she does. “Oz is right. There’s going to be backlash and we’re stronger together than we are separate. It’s time I start relying on my family.”

Stunned silence. All of us are. I take her hand and wonder how many rules I’d be breaking if I picked her up, propped her up against the wall and kissed her until we couldn’t breathe.

“Then let’s take a vote,” Oz says. “Let’s make this official.”

Violet gives a hesitant smile. “We aren’t a real board.”

“No, but we’re family and that’s what matters. Everyone for taking down the Riot?”

All hands in the air.

“Anyone opposed.”

Not a one of us.

“Then let’s take these bastards down.”





Violet

THE AIR I inhale feels very cold in my lungs, but my skin is hot and clammy. After a hundred abrupt U-turns to make sure we weren’t being followed, and the switching of cars and routes and a million other things, I’m in what would be the back bedroom of a white trailer in the middle of a trailer park in the south side of Louisville.

This room is a makeshift office for the police department. It contains two chairs and a desk pushed against the wall. Like the other rooms, it also contains fancy computers and electronics.

I widen a hole in my jeans with my finger and wonder if this was the best outfit to pick. The detective said to wear whatever I’d normally wear, so I pulled my favorite pair of jeans and a purple T-shirt out of the dryer, then put on my tennis shoes, my bracelets, Dad’s watch and his cross.

After I returned home from the party, I found another note from the Riot in my English notebook. It had a time for the meet and they selected a new meeting place. Guess they feel like their safe house is a loss now that the police are aware of its existence.

My skin crawls and I rub at my arms. I hate that these bastards were in my house, in my room...obviously in there while my mother and brother were sleeping. They were in my home.

My home.

Sorrow fills me and it’s so heavy that I gasp as if I’m drowning. I didn’t get to say goodbye to Mom and Brandon. They left the party with waves from across the crowd and they were still asleep when I left this morning. I had no idea when they left last night that I’d be meeting with the Riot so soon today.

I wish I could have seen them this morning. Hugged them both a little tighter and told them that I loved them. My knee begins to bounce. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t get to say goodbye. They’d know something was wrong.

“Tell me where you’re meeting the Riot,” Chevy says for the millionth time.

And for the millionth time I answer, “No. The detective and I agreed that telling you that information is futile. It’s only going to cause you to want to go and your being there jeopardizes me and this plan.”

“I just want to know,” he says. “I’ve already promised to stay here. When I give my word, it’s a done deal.”

“Do you take me for a fool? If I tell you, you’ll stay because you promised, but then you’ll tell Oz or Razor and then they’ll show.”

Chevy only scowls.

“We have to trust the police on this. Period. Now, how are the Riot getting into my house?” I ask to change the conversation.

In the chair next to me, he’s acting like he’s relaxed with his legs kicked out and arms sprawled along the chair, but there’s an underlying current of anger that’s just as powerful as a live electrical wire. “We only have someone watching your house from the front. Once the club finds out about the wiretapping, we’ll have them watch your mom, brother and house twenty-four hours from all sides.”

“The club has holes.” Black holes where the Riot is slipping through.

Chevy folds his hands over his stomach. “I know, and that’s not going to go over well. Regardless, the safety of you, Razor and anyone close to the two of you will be the priority.”

I nudge Chevy with my foot. “Listen to you being all decisive. Making decisions about stuff the club doesn’t even know about yet. It’s like you’re a whole new man.”

“I’m not playing when it comes to you and Razor. You’re both putting yourselves on the line. Least we can do is back you up.” Chevy takes in the small room and continues to speak before I can react and inform him that’s he avoiding what I said. “It’s smart.”

“What?”

“For the police to have a place like this. If someone is working for them and they’re being followed, then they can’t go into a police station. But someone visiting a run-down trailer in the middle of a hundred run-down trailers? It’s a good cover.”