Free Blood (Dark Riders Motorcycle Club) by Elsa Day Page B

name?"
    "Heather," she said. Her voice was barely loud enough for me to hear.
    "Well, Heather, I'm going to stay behind, but I need you to do one thing for me. Can you do that?"  
    Heather nodded her head.
    "I need you to run. I need you to run and keep running until you find the town where the Dark Riders are," I said. My voice cracked as I started to choke up. "A lady named Olivia Clarkfeld lives there. Can you find her and tell her that Lilly loves her?"
    I wiped away the tears that threatened to pour out of me. Heather nodded.
    "Good," I said.
    I pulled her to her feet. It wasn't hard, since she was light as a feather. When we left the cell, I pointed down the hall.
    "Everyone is busy in that direction, so run down this way and no one should spot you," I said. "Now hurry!"
    At first, Heather didn't move. She hung back, looking at me. Her large brown eyes teared up. She brought her fingers to her lips and nodded at me one last time before waving and running away.
    I waited until I couldn't hear the sound of her footsteps to relax. I was all alone. I looked into the empty cell and felt a wave of relief. At least she was free.
    But what about me?
    I felt selfish thinking it, but I couldn't help it. What would happen when Venom came back and found out the Heather was gone? I remembered the feeling of his hand crushing my throat. He didn't seem like the type of guy to give out empty threats.
    The touch of the cold wall against my skin burned. It was rough, and scratched me, but I didn't care. Who could worry about a little scrape at a time like this? Who would worry about that before they were going to die?
    That was the first time I really admitted it to myself. Somehow I thought I could make it out alive before. Something would happen. Asher would save me. But what else could happen now?  
    Venom had been planning to kill me this whole time. What was to stop him now?
    There was no way out, was there? I took a deep breath and steadied myself. I had to get ready. I didn't want to leave this earth playing according to his rules. Somehow, some way, I was going to take him down. Even if it killed me.

Chapter 3
    Footsteps echoed down the corridor. So it was time. I swung the door wide open so that there would be no confusion about what had happened. Then I stood in front of it, with my arms crossed.
    As Venom walked towards me, his pace slowed. I could see his eyes flick from me, to the open door, and back again. Finally, he stopped walking and stood right in front of me. I met his gaze and didn't flinch.
    "I should have known better than to leave you alone," Venom said. "I knew you were a tricky one, but I never expected this."
    Something was wrong. I had expected Venom to come back in a rage. I expected him to be burning up with anger. But instead he actually sounded, well, amused .
    The next thing I knew, Venom picked me up by the neck. He slammed me against the cold stone so hard that I could feel my warm blood drip into my hair. Venom pressed on my windpipe so hard that I thought he was going to crush it.
    "You're not stupid," Venom said. "You know what I said I'd do. In fact, I think you counted on it."
    Venom came close to my face, his nose almost pressed against mine.
    "You thought you were going to go out like a hero, didn't you? Selflessly save the girl and sacrifice yourself, huh?" Venom said. "Well, you were wrong. I'm not going to kill you."
    He threw me to the ground. I landed on my arm and yelled. The pain shot all the way up to my shoulder.
    "Not yet anyway. We don't have time to go look for that bitch, so it looks like we'll have to have a change of plans. "
    "Why the hell should I do anything you say?" I said. I spat in Venom's direction.
    "Why?" he repeated. " Why ?"
    Venom crouched down and lowered his voice to a rumble.
    "Because if you don't, I will dedicate every single member of this club to finding that girl and torturing her to death in ways that you have never thought possible. A death much more