Chapter Twelve
Cotton
I sat in Church with Fox, Rocket, Bear, and Surge. It had been about a week since we’d confronted Ryan, and now Fox had three brothers on rotation keeping an eye on him. My gaze lingered on Surge, the man behind the scenes who kept things running smoothly.
“I finally located Tyler,” Surge said. “It took some time, but I’ve got eyes on him and his two friends.”
I bared my teeth. “About fucking time. Where are they?”
Surge’s gaze flicked to me. “As you already know, when we went to the location of the cabin where Lavinia had been held, it was burned to the ground. I’ve spent the last week tracking financials and watching traffic cameras. I pulled some things together and discovered they’re holed up in an abandoned barn about ten miles outside of town.”
I didn’t know whether to be relieved or angry. I wanted the fucker to pay. Not just for taking Lavinia, but for ever thinking he could get away with it.
“How’d you find them?” Fox asked.
“I knew they’d need money to keep going. After Lavinia was taken, I started tracking their purchases. Those three weren’t exactly smart about things. They used the same card repeatedly. When the transactions stopped, I figured they were using cash. I checked traffic cams at key points out of town, as well as any footage from gas stations. I found a few places they’d been, and the direction they’d taken. I mapped it and followed them as far as I could using the traffic cam data. It led me to the barn. Or rather, it stopped just outside of town, and the only structure between there and the next camera I could locate was the barn. The few homes that had been out that way were destroyed by a tornado. There’s nothing left but the foundations, so they wouldn’t be at any of those. Checked for storm shelters on those properties too but came up empty.”
I nodded, impressed with the man’s work. I’d be the first to admit I didn’t understand a lot of what he’d done, but he’d gotten results. That was all that mattered. He’d found them, and I’d make sure they paid for everything they’d done to Lavinia. I wanted justice for her, and those men would never see another sunrise.
“The barn is old and barely standing. There are several posts nearby, like it used to have a fence,” Surge said. “There aren’t any homes or other structures within five miles of the place.”
“Sounds like a good place to put them down,” I said.
“Shooter and Knox checked it out. Just surveillance. They didn’t go inside or confront the men. They came back this morning and confirmed what I’d found about the place.” Surge held my gaze. “Tyler, Ian, and Greg are staying there. One of Tyler’s men died here at the compound when they blew off our gates. There’s at least one more in the wind, but I won’t stop searching for him.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Fucker named David Weber. Once I find him, I can destroy his life without even leaving the comfort of my home. So don’t worry about him,” Surge said.
“Then we make a plan,” Fox said.
Tyler, Ian, and Greg wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else. I’d make sure of it, and I knew the club would help. They’d not only hurt my Lavinia, but other women too. If we let them live, how many other lives would be destroyed?
“We’ll take the truck,” Hornet said. “I’ll drive. Ryan will be tied up in the back so he doesn’t get away.”
“I’ll ride with you,” Fox said. “Shooter can take Rocket and Cotton in his truck. We’ll want to make sure we can get close enough without being seen. Motorcycles would make too much noise.”
I nodded, ready to go now. I hated that Lavinia had to stay here, but I’d make sure these men wouldn’t be able to come after her again. My fingers twitched as I thought about all the ways I could make those men suffer. It wouldn’t reset time for Lavinia, or change what happened, but I would make sure they couldn’t hurt anyone else.
“You good with this plan?” Fox asked.
“Yeah. I’m ready to go.”
Fox nodded. Rocket clenched his fists, and Bear grunted. We were all in agreement. It was time to end this, once and for all. But first, I needed to get my weapons. One knife at my hip, one in my boot, and my gun. I was going to make those motherfuckers bleed.
Thirty minutes later, we were ready to roll out. Everyone but Fox had loaded up. I was already in the truck with Shooter and Rocket. Hornet had Ryan tied, gagged, and stuffed in the backseat of the club truck, and was just waiting on Fox.
Fox had asked Raven to take Lavinia to their house and keep her occupied. She understood his reasoning, and since she seemed to genuinely like Lavinia, it hadn’t been an issue. I appreciated the gesture. There was a good chance I’d come back covered in blood, and I’d definitely want to shower before Lavinia saw me. The others who had families would probably clean up at the clubhouse before heading home, although both Raven and Violeta had seen their men covered in gore before. They’d still do whatever they could to protect their kids from seeing that side of our lives.
The engine turned over and rumbled to life. The others got their engines started as well. I understood why Fox wanted to take the trucks, but I’d have preferred to ride in on my bike. It would have been cathartic. A shame it would have been too loud.
We pulled out of the compound and drove to the target location. I didn’t think we’d have to worry about anyone seeing us. Shooter was sticking to the back roads.
The night air was quiet. Too damn quiet. The tension made my muscles bunch and my gut cramp. I wasn’t going to feel better until I could get my hands on Tyler.
Shooter stayed quiet while he drove, his face set in grim lines. None of us wanted to talk right now. We’d get our revenge on Ryan. Whatever Fox decided to do with him, I’d back him up and I knew the others would too.
We pulled onto the property near the barn but stopped near the tree line. I took in the sight of the dilapidated building. Surge hadn’t been kidding when he said it was barely standing. I wondered if the place had been damaged by the tornado that had come through a few years ago, much like the houses nearby that were no longer standing.
“Don’t move yet,” Fox said, holding up his hand. “I saw movement through the slats. Think one of them is standing guard.”
I got out of the truck and pulled my gun. Before Fox had a chance to stop me, I moved swiftly and silently. Entering the barn, I aimed at the first man I saw. Ian’s eyes went wide and he dropped to the ground. I’d literally caught him with his pants down, the jug of piss splattering across the floor of the barn. Clocking the other two, wrapped up in their cots, I let out a whistle so my brothers would know they could come inside.
Tyler shifted, like he might get up and come at me. “Don’t you fucking move, asshole. You’re going to die here today, and I’d rather make it slow and painful than end it quickly with a bullet.”
The others entered the barn and fanned out around the room. Rocket went to Greg and hauled him up by his hair, then shoved him against the wall. Shooter tied Ian’s hands behind his back, then jerked him to his feet.
“You think you’re going to get away with this?” Tyler sneered. “You’re a fucking pussy, Cotton. No way do you have the balls to kill us. And you’ll never get away with it. Someone will come looking for us.”
Fucking idiot . “You think my club would advertise the number of people we’ve taken out?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Bullshit.”
He could think what he wanted. “From what I understand, you don’t have any family left. Your buddies are every bit as fucked as you are. You didn’t realize it was too late for you, did you? The moment you went after Lavinia, you signed your death warrant.”
He lunged at me, and I backhanded him. Rocket came over to tie his hands, making sure the ropes were tight enough to cut off circulation. He’d be in a world of hurt by the time we finished.
“You really think you’ll be able to keep her?” Tyler asked. “She’s a whore, Cotton. She’ll spread her legs for anyone who looks her way. I’m surprised she didn’t fuck Ryan.”
Well, if we’d needed more proof of his betrayal, there it was. Probably intentional, knowing Tyler. He was either trying to shift the focus off him, or hoped the mention of Ryan would provoke me.
I saw red and lashed out, my fist going into Tyler’s gut. He grunted and doubled over, but I yanked him back up by his hair and dragged him outside. Rocket and Shooter followed, bringing Ian and Greg. Fox grabbed Ryan and pushed him toward the posts.
“Bind them,” Fox said.
Shooter and Rocket made quick work of tying the men to the posts. Tyler was the only one who’d put up a fight, but I’d beaten him down enough he wasn’t much trouble. I stalked over to them and stared into Tyler’s eyes.
“I’m going to make you suffer for every woman you’ve hurt and killed over the years.”
I pulled a knife from my boot and jammed it into his thigh. He howled and tried to fight, but I left the blade there and went to Ian. Using my other knife, I left shallow cuts on his face, chest, and arms. I took my time, making it last as long as possible.
“You fucking bastard,” Ian yelled.
“This is just the beginning,” I said. “Before I’m done, all of you will be praying for death.”
I went back to the truck and pulled an ax from the back. I’d noticed it in the bed when I got out after we arrived. I hefted the weight of it, then went back to Ian. He was trying to watch me, but I’d walked up behind him, so he couldn’t see what I had. I swung the ax and took off his right hand. Then I did the same to the left. The ax embedded in the post, and Ian dropped to the ground, his arms no longer bound.
He screamed as he stared at his bloody stumps. Shooter placed his foot on Ian’s back, holding him down so he wouldn’t run. Not that I thought he’d get far. The more he panicked, the faster his heart would pump, and the more blood he’d lose.
Greg was next. His eyes flickered with fear, but he tried to look confident. I wasn’t fooled.
“How many times did you force yourself on Lavinia?” I asked.
He sneered. “At least a dozen. She loved having my dick in her. Probably the best she’s ever had.”
I saw red and repeatedly stabbed him in the abdomen. I ignored his cries and left the knife embedded in his crotch. He’d bleed out before too long. I just hadn’t wanted to kill him outright. He deserved to suffer.
Tyler’s eyes were wide when I approached him again. I saw genuine fear in his gaze. Good. About time he realized this was the end of the line for him. Nothing and no one would be able to save him.
“You’re the reason she suffered. You didn’t care what happened to her. Just like you didn’t care about the others. You’ll wish I’d let you die quick and easy by the time I’m done with you.”
I pulled a lighter from my pocket and flicked it open. Ghosting the flame along his arm, I didn’t stop until the skin started to bubble and blister. He screamed and begged me to stop. I did, but only to switch to his other arm. I burned him from his wrist to his shoulder, then moved to his face. It took a long time, but I had all night. We were too far from anyone to worry about his screams causing alarm. There was no one to hear them but us.
It wasn’t enough. I wanted more. I wanted him to hurt.
I went back to the truck and grabbed a pair of pliers. Each club vehicle had a basic tool kit for emergencies. I yanked Tyler’s mouth open, then used the pliers to hold his tongue out. I sliced it off and stepped back. “That’s for every fucking lie you ever told me. You didn’t deserve to be my friend. I should have killed you years ago.”
The shock and blood loss would be enough to end Tyler soon enough.
Ian had passed out from the pain, so I went to him next. I closed my hand around his throat and squeezed, then lifted his chin and used my knife to slice deep. Blood spattered me, and I wiped it off my face. I turned to Fox.
“What do we do about Ryan?” I asked. “You never gave us a clear answer on how you planned to handle the situation. Since we brought him out here, I’m assuming he’s not walking away.”
Fox and Rocket walked over to the sniveling man. He was crying so hard snot and tears ran down his face. He could barely catch his breath.
“You betrayed the club,” Fox said. “You did it for money, and in the process, you got a woman hurt. You’ll not only give up your chance to join the Hades Abyss, but you’ve forfeited your right to life. You put your brothers in danger. But as a kindness, we’ll make it quick.”
Fox took my knife from Tyler’s thigh and sliced Ryan’s throat. He jerked and gurgled, but it didn’t take long before he was gone. I cleaned my knives and put them away. Hornet removed the ax from the post and returned it to the truck.
“Go clean up,” Fox said. “I’ll text Raven and have her take Lavinia home. Better you wash up at the clubhouse before she sees you.”
I nodded. The last thing I wanted was for Lavinia to know what I’d done tonight. I didn’t want her to see me as a monster. But I’d pay any price to keep these men from hurting another woman. If that made me a bad man, I’d live with it.
I trudged back toward the trucks, the weight of what I had just done heavy on my shoulders. The men deserved it -- every bit of the pain I inflicted on them, and then some. But there was a dirty taste in my mouth, one that no amount of whiskey could drown out. It had been a while since I’d done anything this violent. Even knowing it was for a good cause didn’t make me feel good about myself.
Once we were back at the clubhouse, I went straight to the first bedroom as Surge had directed. He’d already retrieved some clean clothes from my place and left them out for me. The hot water from the shower hit my body like a physical blow, washing away their blood and cleansing my mind as well.
Rocket knocked on the door just as I was pulling on a clean shirt. “Cotton, you okay?”
“Never better,” I lied.
“No one would blame you for what you did. They deserved it.”
“I know,” I replied curtly. I’d taken more lives. I’d done plenty of that in the Navy. Looked like it would be part of my life until the day I died.
As I stepped out of the room, Fox was there waiting for me. His stern gaze softened a bit as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
“We all have blood on our hands, Cotton,” he said. “But we do it to protect those who can’t protect themselves. All you did was take out the trash.”
I nodded silently, understanding his unspoken message -- we did what we had to do, because not everyone could protect themselves.
The rest of the night was a blur of cleaning and taking care of the mess we’d made. While we didn’t do the dirty work ourselves, we went back to oversee it, and make sure they did a thorough job. I wanted to make sure this entire thing was firmly behind us, even if it meant being there until the very end. By morning, there was no trace left of what had happened, save for four shallow graves hidden deep in the woods two miles off from the barn. We’d also set fire to the posts and structure itself, leaving nothing behind. Not so much as a drop of blood would be found if anyone went searching.
When I finally got home, Lavinia was still asleep. I watched her for a moment from the doorway -- her face peaceful in slumber, her chest rising and falling rhythmically with each breath she took. Her hand was across her belly -- our unborn child nestled safe inside her.
I crawled into bed next to her and pulled her close, burying my face in her hair. I breathed in the scent of her, letting it drive away the smell of blood and death.
“I love you,” I whispered into her ear, even though I knew she was still fast asleep.
In my arms, Lavinia stirred slightly, nuzzling into me like a cat seeking warmth. I would do anything to keep her safe -- to protect our child. That much I was sure of. And if that meant more nights like tonight… well, I’d live with it.