Sinner's Creed (Sinner's Creed #1)(25)
I grab our bags and Saylor’s hand, pulling her behind me as I run to the back door of the old house. The door is made of wood and I easily pry it open with my pocketknife. I walk inside, breathing in the scent of mold and staleness. Locking the door behind us, I pull Saylor into my arms. Her heart beats heavy and hard against my chest.
“You okay?” That’s a stupid question. Of course she isn’t. She nods into my chest, and I know she’s lying. “Look at me.” She looks up, and I see the fear in her eyes. She isn’t afraid of me, only the situation.
“What did those men want, Dirk?” I look away, knowing the time has finally come for me to make a decision. I have to be honest with her. There is no half in or half out in this life. Either she knows everything or nothing at all. I would prefer nothing, but knowing Saylor, she wants everything. And I’m afraid it still won’t be enough to make her leave.
“They wanted me. Revenge.” I see the question in her eyes. Just as I expected, she wants more.
“Are we safe?”
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” My words are determined. I speak the truth and she believes it.
“What about you?”
“I can take care of myself.” My phone rings and I’ve never been more thankful for Shady’s interruption.
“Shady,” I say, never letting my eyes leave Saylor’s as I hold her in my arms.
“He’s alive!” he says, in a very dramatic voice. It’s loud enough for Saylor to hear and she smiles.
“What do you want?”
“To make sure you aren’t dead, of course. Got big plans tonight?” I can almost see the prick wiggling his eyebrows. “Don’t forget my bir—” I hang up, not giving a shit about his birthday and wondering how a thirty-year-old man could still expect presents and well wishes—especially from someone like me.
I follow Saylor into one of the back bedrooms that has a window seat. She sits, looking out across the yard, then up at the darkening sky. I’m content with just standing here and staring at her, but I’m sure she is fixing to start asking questions. I just hope they are ones I can answer.
“You said those men wanted revenge. What did you do?” I walk up behind her, standing close but not allowing our bodies to touch.
“I handled business.”
She lets out a small laugh and shakes her head. “Let me guess, it’s confidential.” I let my silence answer for me. She doesn’t push further and I start to relax, knowing she won’t always be this easy to pacify, but thankful that she is right now.
“You should sleep. I have some calls to make.” I don’t wait for an answer as I leave her and walk around the house, then through the yard to familiarize myself with the place. After I’m comfortable with my knowledge of the layout, I return to the shed, where my bike is hidden.
In my saddlebag, everything is a weapon. From a tool to a gun, I have it all. Today, one of my homemade creations will serve a better purpose than just a weapon. I pull out the lock that is tied inside of a bandana and replace the broken lock on the shed door. Now that my loose ends are tied up, there is only one thing left to do. I light a smoke, lean against the shed, and call Nationals.
“I see you’re still alive.” What the hell was it with the doubt?
“I see you and Shady think alike.”
“I need you here by Friday.”
“I’ll be there.”
The line disconnects and the conversation is over before half of my cigarette has been smoked. It took less than a minute for my club to do nothing more than give me another job. Some days I can’t help but feel like just a number. But as I look down at the 1% patch on my cut, I know that it doesn’t matter how I feel. It only matters who I am. And tonight, just like every other night of my life, I am only one thing. Sinner’s Creed.
—
The only piece of furniture in the house is an old couch that sits in the living room. I’d returned to find Saylor sitting there writing in her diary. She was so absorbed by what she was writing that it took her a while to notice me. Even then, it’s like she could sense me before she saw me.
She asked me to lay with her on the couch, so I did. Now I lay here in the darkness with nothing but the sound of her breathing filling the room. Until I hear the growing sound of pipes.
Blood runs cold through my veins as I strain to hear what direction they are coming from. I know they are coming back to find me. They likely had people at each end of the road, waiting to see what direction I went. Since I never left, they know I’m here somewhere, and if they’re smart, this will be the first place they look.
The sound grows louder as headlights dance across the wall in front of me. There is no time to call for backup. Even if there was, there isn’t anyone within a hundred-mile radius. All I can do now is hide and hope that they leave. I place my hand over Saylor’s mouth. I feel her tense beneath me then immediately relax at the sound of my voice.
“It’s me. I want you to crawl to the hallway. Don’t make a sound.” She nods and slips off the couch, crawling in the direction of the hallway. I grab our bags and follow her, then stand and grab her hand before leading her into the back room we were in earlier.
I pull open the closet door and usher her into the tiny space. I place her directly behind me, pull both my guns from my cut and wait. I can feel Saylor’s hands gripping the back of my cut, hanging on for dear life. I let her touch power my need to protect her and fuel my anger. I’ll kill any motherf*cker that I see, just to keep her safe.