18 | Addison
“What the fuck were you thinkin’,” Jackson roars, getting in Cade’s face. “We haven’t been able to locate Wesley and now you’ve given us three fuckin’ days to do so. Then, to fuckin’ add to it, you put my daughter in danger.”
“It was that or watch him fuckin’ destroy every life in this club,” Cade roars back. “And I will never let anything happen to Addison, I’ll find a way to have eyes on her the entire time.”
“He’s a fuckin’ dog, Cade,” Jackson bellows. “He could have her dead long before you took a step toward her.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“Stop,” I say, stepping between them. “Cade didn’t do anything I wouldn’t have done myself. This is the only option, Daddy, and we all know it. I can drop those items off, I’m not scared. If it means everyone goes safe after what I did, then I’m going to do it.”
“He is a fuckin’ cold hearted monster, baby,” Jackson murmurs, putting a hand on my shoulder. “He could kill you.”
“He won’t kill me,” I say, praying I’m right. “Because regardless of what you think, I don’t think he wants a war either. If he did, he would have come straight in for the attack, instead he chose to make a deal. This is our only option.”
He pauses, his jaw tight, but he knows I’m right.
“Before we can do anything,” Jackson grinds out, “we have to find Wesley.”
Nodding, I step back. “I already know how we can do that.”
“Care to share,” Spike murmurs from behind Jackson.
“Janine,” I say, carefully. “If anyone can drag him out, it’s her. She has money, money he wanted. We just need to get him to think she’s going to give it to him.”
“You think we haven’t tried to make contact through the number Janine used,” Jackson mutters. “We have. It was pointless. It’s disconnected. We have no way of contacting him.”
“I can find a way.”
Janine steps into the room, holding Max on her hip, Muff by her side. We’re back at the club now, and it has been nothing but chaos since we got here. Everyone is in an uproar and panic is at an all time high. Marshall isn’t someone they want a war with, which is why I’m going to help in any way I can to get Wesley.
It’s the only way.
“I know Wesley’s family, obviously I was married into it. He is tight with their sister; I mean so damn tight there is no way she doesn’t know where he is. I can find her.”
“You didn’t think to tell us this sooner?” Jackson asks.
Janine gives him a stern look. “Wesley has ruined my life enough, and quite frankly I don’t care where he is or what he’s doing. I wasn’t about to go out of my way to find a man that has been nothing but trouble. Now, however, it is different. Lives are on the line.”
God love Janine.
Jackson nods. “Give Muff whatever information you have, we’ll make contact.”
“She won’t speak to you,” Janine goes on. “She’ll barely speak to me, but I know where she used to live. I can’t make any promises she is still there, but it’s a start.”
“You’re goin’ to need a good reason to get her to talk,” Cade murmurs, crossing his arms.
“I have cash, and she was always driven by cash. If I tell her I want to give it back to Wesley because it’s causing me problems, she’ll contact him in hopes he’ll give her some.”
It’s not the strongest plan, but it’s the only option we have. We are left with little choice after the mistake I made.
Jackson isn’t happy with the fact that I have to go in, but I’m not backing down. I know how hard it was for Cade to agree to that deal, but he knows as well as I do, that you only get one chance with a man like Marshall and if we pass it up, we might not get another one.
I just hope that I don’t end up dead.
Swallowing down my nerves, I turn and leave the room, letting them finish their conversation. I need a minute in fresh air, and a moment to think about the fucking huge mistake I made. This is all on me, and I need to fix it, but that doesn’t mean I’m not terrified. I have a daughter, a family, and if I don’t come back from this ...
Stopping at the large tree in the compound, I press my hand against it, taking a deep breath.
“We won’t let anythin’ happen to you, precious.”
Spike’s voice comes from behind me, and I turn, seeing him standing, cigarette in hand, eyes on mine.
“What if there isn’t anything you can do?” I whisper. “What if he kills me?”
“If he wanted to kill you, he would have done it already. Marhsall is too smart to play that dirty. We’ll have eyes on you, and no matter what happens, we’ll make sure you come back alive. You have my word.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I stare at my feet. “I have a daughter. If something happens to me ... What the hell was I thinking acting like I’m a free woman who can do whatever she wants? It’s so fucking selfish.”
Taking my chin, Spike tips my head back. “You are an excellent mother, and your daughter will never see you as anything but. You made a mistake, like we all haven’t done that at least once in our lives. We’ll get you out of this, I swear it to you.”
A tear rolls down my cheek, and Spike swipes it away.
“You hearin’ me, precious?”
I nod, but deep in my chest, I’m terrified.
“If he so much as lays a hand on you, this club will hunt him down and rip him limb from limb. Of that, I swear.”
“Want to give me a hit of that cigarette?” I say.
Chuckling, Spike hands it over and I bring it to my lips, inhaling. I never smoke, but right now, my nerves are shot and I’m feeling the kind of fear I haven’t in a very long time. It’s the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen next. I have no choice though, and I need to find my strength if I’m going to get through this.
“Since when did you smoke?”
Cade’s voice has me facing him, blowing out the smoke. “Since right this second.”
Taking the cigarette from my hand, he brings it to his own lips and inhales.
“I’m sorry I got us in this mess,” I say to him.
“Guess I’ll get my own cigarette,” Spike mutters to himself as Cade steps closer to me.
“I ain’t goin’ to let anything happen to you, do you hear me?”
“We’ll destroy this entire fuckin’ world before anyone lays a hand on you, precious,” Spike agrees. “And if they do, they’ll come to wish they didn’t.”
Of that, I have no doubt.
That doesn’t mean I’m not terrified.
~*~*~*~*~
“IT WORKED,” CIARA RUSHES into the bar where I’m working with Serenity, her eyes wide. “Wesley’s sister got in contact with him and told him Janine wanted to return the money, that bad people were after her and she wanted nothing to do with it. The absolute moron took the bait. I guess he’s not as smart as we thought.”
I could almost cry with relief, but at the same time, that means the plan is going ahead.
Staring at the glass in my hand, I peer over to where Skye is in a playpen with Ava, the two of them playing with toys. If something happens to me, she is going to have no one. She is going to start her life with trauma, and that is the last thing I ever wanted for her. Ciara walks around the bar, taking the glass from my hand. “Listen to me, if anyone so much as tries to take you away from us, I will hunt them down and tie them up and do so many awful things to them they’ll be begging me to end it.”
A croaky laugh escapes my throat. “I have no doubt.”
“Seriously, though. We will make sure you’re okay,” she promises me. “You know those guys will have a plan for everything. You’re going to come home alive.”
I nod, taking a deep breath.
“It’s just ...” I look to Skye. “If something happens to me ...”
“That isn’t going to happen,” Serenity promises, taking my hand. “But let me promise you that no matter what happens in this lifetime, that little girl will never be without love, a home and family.”
I pull her and Ciara in for a hug, wrapping my arms around them both.
“Now come on.” Ciara takes my shoulders when I step back. “Get that backbone out and show that slimy motherfucker who he’s dealing with. It isn’t the club he should be scared of, it’s you.”
She’s right about that.
Straightening, I exhale the fear.
I have to be strong, for myself, for Skye, and for the club.
Marshall might think he’s fucking with us, but he hasn’t met me yet.
My mind is a dark and twisty place when I need it to be.
“You know what, you’re right,” I say, crossing my arms. “I’m going to make that bitch regret meeting me.”
Ciara laughs. “That’s my girl.”
Serenity pulls her hair into a ponytail. “Those bikers will have you covered, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have an extra plan in place.”
My brows go up. “I’m listening.”
“They’ll be covering the things like having eyes on you, weapons, protection, but they won’t think of the little things. Like putting a tracker on your shoe, getting you a bulletproof vest and having a cop friend as a backup, just in case.”
My brows go up. “Who are you?”
Serenity grins. “My mind is a terrifying place. I grew up with monsters, I know exactly what it is they try and do on the sly. If Marshall has a plan to go against the deal he has made, we need to make sure that we’re one step ahead.”
“I’m not sure Charlie will be willing to work with the club,” I point out.
“Maybe not, but he might have a way we can keep track of you, just incase something goes wrong. Better yet, the shipment. If we can track that shipment and find where it ends up, we could very much bring Marshall’s entire operation down.”
Ciara’s eyes widen. “Jesus. This plan went from protection to world domination.”
I giggle. “And I’m here for it. I’ll call Charlie. He might be willing to help, but even if he’s not, he might have some tips.”
“I know where to get trackers, ones that won’t be detected. You can put one in the sole of your shoe and when you walk into that shipping container, you can put one in it, also.”
“What do you think is going to be in there?” Ciara asks.
A question I have asked myself multiple times.
“I’m afraid of that,” I admit. “I’m praying it’s only weapons and jewels.”
Because if there are women in there, I don’t know if I can just walk in, place something down and leave.
My nature will scream at me to stop it.
I know I can’t, though.
Which is why Serenity’s plan is a good one.
If there is a chance we can bring Marshall and his entire operation down, we should take it.
That is worth the risk.
It just has to be.