𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐲

Chapter 62

— Chapter 62 —
Sinners and Saints

=||=||=

E L L I O T

Two days.

Two days turned to three, then five, then a week.

Seven days passed and Noah was still a long way out of Boston. Nobody had heard word from him since he left. Nobody knew when he was coming back.

The nights he was gone were a prime example of why the Stray Dogs had always been so surrounded by rumors of danger and mystery. But even more so: why the name Edge was whispered so cautiously in the quiet back-alleys of Boston city.

Stray Dogs were prowling the streets like wolves.

The list of vested street racers that Chief made at the races—his bikers were hunting every last one down. Every offending biker club, every pub, every rider and motorcycle they could find. All of them were being checked against the list, and those who were caught had their motorcycles thrown together and lit ablaze. Anyone who fought in an attempt to protect what was theirs had their vests shredded apart.

There were bonfires of burning motorcycles scattered all over the city. News stations broadcasted the few they could find. The police had been mobilized to make arrests as they saw fit—but when all the evidence had been burned to cinders and the fires put out by the time they arrived, they weren't making much progress. Especially not when nobody wanted to talk.

The Stray Dogs seemed to be enjoying themselves, at least.

I wanted as little to do with it as possible.

"Thanks for coming in early today!" Jesse's cheery voice spoke to me at the end of my busy shift at her convenience store. "You're a lifesaver, dear."

I was walking out of the back room with my bag slung over my shoulder, fixing up the strands of hair that had fallen out of my tie. With a warm glance, I nodded, "Of course. Happy to help."

A news report was playing on the TV behind Jesse's head. I caught a bit of it while I was tossing some scrap paper in the trash.

"Authorities are still on the hunt for an unidentified individual responsible for the violent assault of an elementary teacher in New York City on Tuesday night," the newswoman read. "A recent spike in vicious attacks within the area has seen six other men hospitalized with extensive injuries over the course of the last week. So far, NYPD hasn't found sufficient evidence to determine whether the crimes are connected..."

Pulling me back to earth, Jesse sighed in amusement, "I would've called Han in—but he's been busy doing whatever it is that he does."

She was right. Her grandson hadn't shown his face at the store since that night. Maybe he'd decided to avoid me altogether. I wasn't complaining—after all, the less I saw of him, the better.

Jesse asked, "I'll see you... tomorrow, right?"

"Friday, actually," I smiled softly. Tomorrow was my only day off this week, and I was planning to stay home and sleep for as long as humanly possible.

"Ah, that's right!"

"See you, Jesse," I said. "Thanks for today."

She waved me off. "See you Friday, Elliot."

I pushed open the doors to the store, the sunset beaming rays of orange light to my surroundings. Pulling out my phone, I found Noah's name in my contact list for the umpteenth time this week and dialed his number.