Red Revenge

16. Your sister is badass. Isn't she?

Hazel's Pov:

As Hope and I delved further into the ominous tunnel, the distant sound of hushed voices reverberated from its end. A chill ran down my spine as I recognized the voices - they belonged to those I had been evading.

"Hope, we need to pull over," I urged, my voice barely above a whisper.

Without questioning, she obediently followed my command, and we both dismounted the bike in the engulfing darkness.

"Ryan! I'm well aware that you and your pack of goons are here!" I shouted into the echoing void, my voice bouncing off the damp walls of the tunnel.

"Ryan? He here's?" Hope turned to me, her face etched with confusion in the dim light.

"Yeah. For the past few days, he's been relentlessly targeting me. If I had even the slightest inkling he'd be bold enough to strike today, I would've never put you in danger by bringing you here," I explained, my voice heavy with regret.

Hope simply nodded, her eyes wide with realization. An unsettling silence fell over us before she began to mumble something under her breath, her fingers twitching as if trying to conjure a spell.

"My magic isn't working. I intended to cast an invisibility spell on us, but it's proving ineffective," she whispered, a note of panic creeping into her voice.

Taken aback, I attempted to tune in with my vampire hearing, but to my dismay, I couldn't pick up anything.

"Damn it. My powers aren't working either," I whispered back, my heart pounding against my ribcage.

Fear was etched in Hope's eyes. Seeing her that way, I couldn't help but pull her into a comforting hug, whispering reassurances that we would find a way out of this.

"Put your helmet back on. I have a plan," I said, my voice filled with confidence I wasn't entirely sure I felt. I put on my helmet, the cool material a stark contrast to the heated situation we were in.

After ensuring our helmets were securely fastened, I climbed back onto the motorcycle, with Hope tentatively following suit. She wrapped her arms around me tightly from behind, as if holding on for dear life. I cast a reassuring glance back at her, waiting for her nod of approval before I started the engine. Upon receiving her signal, I revved the engine and tore off down the tunnel.

Suddenly, without any warning, the tunnel began to tremble violently and pebbles started cascading from the ceiling. I swerved the bike around, narrowly avoiding the larger rocks, and reached back to make sure Hope was still safe. As we hurtled down the other side of the tunnel, the structure started to crumble behind us. This was quickly turning into a nightmare.

As we hurtled through the darkness, a faint glow began to appear from the far end of the tunnel. Soon, I could make out two figures standing in the middle of the tunnel's exit. One of them was unmistakably Ryan, his large frame silhouetted against the light, and his daughter, Harper, was the other person.

"Hope, I need you to hold onto me as tightly as you can, okay?" I said, my voice barely audible over the roar of the motorcycle's engine. I turned my head to glance back at her. In the dim light, I could see her nod.

Almost instantly, I felt her arms wrap around me tighter, the pressure of her grip reassuring against my waist. Her head nestled against my shoulder blade, her helmet cool against my back. I gunned the engine, my gaze fixed on the rapidly approaching exit. The speedometer climbed rapidly, soon hitting 200mph. I took a deep breath. It was now or never.

With a sudden burst of adrenaline, I steered the bike into a wheelie, the front wheel lifting off the ground for a moment before I was riding along the wall of the tunnel. I could hear Hope's muffled gasp behind me, but she held on tight. I revved the engine, the motorcycle responding with a roar of defiance against the looming danger. With a swift pull on the handlebars, I executed a 360-degree spin in the tunnel, the world blurring around us.

We landed smoothly on the hill outside the tunnel, the bike's tires kicking up a shower of gravel. I didn't stop, driving us down the road a bit further before finally pulling over and coming to a halt in the grass.

Once we stopped, Hope practically jumped off the bike and onto the grass, her fingers fumbling to flip her visor open.

"That was awesome!" she yelled, her voice echoing in the quiet evening.

I laughed, the sound strange in the sudden silence. That was not the reaction I had expected. I joined her on the ground, sitting down next to her. Hope took her helmet off, her hair tousled from the ride. She laid her head in my lap, a content smile playing on her lips.

"You know, you're pretty cool," she said, her gaze meeting mine.

"Yeah?" I replied, matching her smile.

Hope nodded, "You know what would be even cooler?"

I raised an eyebrow in question.

"If you asked my sister out."

I sputtered, taken aback by her blunt statement. "What?"

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes, "You and Allison can't hide the way you look at each other. I've seen those longing glances you exchange, and don't think I didn't notice you stealing glances at her just this morning. She was doing the same. Just get together already!" She exclaimed, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Your sister is badass. Isn't she?" I asked Hope.

"Sure," was her terse reply before she closed her eyes.

I playfully smacked her on the head. I texted Allison to meet me at her house. Hope's words made me realize my feelings for Allison. I decided to ask Allison out. She responded saying she, Nia, and Amber were already there.

Since it was already nighttime, it seemed like the perfect moment to head back. Hope sat up, put her helmet back on, and climbed onto the bike behind me.