Silver Bastard (Silver Valley #1)(89)
Author: Joanna Wylde

Another sound broke through my thoughts—a second vehicle was coming. I heard it turn toward the camper, growing louder as it pulled up. Bax must’ve heard it, too, because he scrambled to his feet, cocking his gun.

A door slammed. I clutched my own weapon, sliding toward the window to peek outside. Puck was just stepping out of his truck, semi-automatic pistol out and in front of him. His Reaper friend was climbing out the other side. I watched as they started around the camper in a wide circle, obviously scoping the place out.

No fucking way. How he’d found me I couldn’t imagine, but one thing was certain—if I didn’t so something, he’d walk right into an angry Longneck looking for revenge. A strange and terrible calm came over me and suddenly I understood why Puck had yelled at me earlier.

I had to protect him.

Nothing else mattered.

Pulling away from the window, I edged toward the door, easing it open in silence. Bax stood waiting, gun at his side. He stretched his neck and smiled. I focused on my target as reality narrowed down to just the two of us.

I’d seen that look on his face before. Smug. Sure of himself. Exactly the way he’d looked right before he raped me. Lifting my gun, I braced carefully as I took aim.

Then I pulled the trigger.

The gun bucked in my hands but I held it steady, watching as Bax jerked to the side and fell heavily to the floor. His weapon dropped and I stepped forward, ready to shoot again as the men outside started shouting.

Puck didn’t sound like a very happy camper, I thought, wondering why that seemed so funny. It wasn’t normal, wanting to laugh right after putting a bullet in a man . . . Maybe I’d finally lost it? Oh, well. As for Puck, I’d just have to worry about him later. Right now I needed to be sure Bax was down for real. Reaching his gun, I nudged it away with my foot, then stood over him, gun trained on his head.

“Puck, are you out there?” I shouted.

“Becs? Is that you?”

“Yeah,” I yelled back. “I’m inside. There’s two guys in here with me, but I think they’re both dead. The door should be open, come inside.”

I heard the door hinge squeak behind me, then the hiss of Puck’s breath.

“Your girl doesn’t fuck around,” said the Reaper.

“Becs, drop your gun and step back,” Puck told me. “I’ve got them covered, so get out of the line of fire.”

Didn’t have to ask me twice.

I moved back toward the bedroom, setting my gun carefully on the dirty countertop. Puck stepped into the camper, nudging the bodies with his foot. Neither moved. He gave me a quick glance, his eyes taking inventory of my body.

“I’m fine,” I reassured him. “I mean, I think I just killed a guy, but aside from that it’s all good.”

Puck raised a brow.

“Sure you’re all right?” he asked. I considered the question seriously—everything felt sort of detached. I could feel my heart pounding, but it didn’t seem like a real part of me.

“I might be in shock,” I admitted, swaying.

“Fuck,” he muttered, ducking into the camper to catch me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, savoring the smell of his body. This was real—Puck was actually standing here, holding me. Everything would be all right.

“How did you find me?”

“Your mom called me from your cell,” he murmured. “Gave me directions. She said you’d need my help cleaning up.”

“She killed Teeny,” I managed to say, my mind spinning. And she called Puck to save me. “He decided to shoot me after he learned you’re my old man—figured you’d hunt him down if I told you what he’d done.”

“So you were just going to disappear? He think I wasn’t gonna notice?”

I gave a dark laugh. “Thinking’s never really been his thing.”

“Let’s get her out of here,” the big Reaper said. “You can talk shit through later. We’ll have to torch the place—that should take care of any evidence leading in our direction.”

“Won’t someone see the fire?” I asked, frowning in confusion. He glanced at me and shrugged.

“Maybe,” he admitted. “That’s why we need to leave. With any luck, one more burned-out camper out here won’t even hit the radar. Just another drug deal gone bad. We’ll take care of it, then you two start driving for Idaho right away. I’ll head another direction.”

“Go get in the truck,” Puck told me, and for once I decided following his orders wasn’t such a bad idea. Apparently he had more experience with this kind of thing.

—

Two hours later we were heading north. The camper went up fast, then, as we drove away, it exploded. Guess that’s what happens when you torch a meth lab.

Back in Santa Valeria, I’d stayed hidden in the back of the truck while Puck grabbed our shit out of the motel room. I had no idea whether anyone had seen my abduction outside the Denny’s, and I didn’t want to find out.

“So let’s unravel this,” Puck said once we’d made left the city limits. “How the hell did you end up in that camper?”

I looked down at my wrists, running a finger over the bruises forming from the tape. Mom had actually been fairly gentle, but I’d savaged myself trying to get free.

“Mom ambushed me at Denny’s. Pulled a gun on me. I told her to fuck off, but she said Teeny was ready to shoot you if I didn’t follow her orders. We walked out to the car and they kidnapped me, dragged me into the desert. They seemed to think I’d brought money to pay Teeny off.”

Puck’s jaw tightened, and he started to open his mouth.

“No,” I told him, catching his arm. “I know you’re pissed. I’m pissed too, but this time let’s not take it out on each other. The situation sucked but at least we’re both alive. That’s more than Teeny can say. I just want to get the hell out of here and go home.”

Puck frowned.

“You should at least thank me for saving your ass,” he said finally, frustrated.

“Thank you for saving my ass,” I said, feeling proud of the fact that we hadn’t started fighting. “But I’d already saved myself, you know.”

“Aside from being stranded in the desert with two bodies? Yeah, I guess you’re right. You were practically home free by the time we got there.”

“Bax’s bike was there—I could’ve taken it.”

“You know how to ride a bike?” he asked, obviously startled.