Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Ramsey
I immediately froze. Every sense was on high alert. The only sound inside the cottage was the guys around me, and Chelsea, breathing, somebody swearing softly and the ticking of a clock.
"Stay still," I whispered. "Nobody move yet. Not until I tell you to."
I wasn't sure if they’d do what I said, especially Storm and Atlas, both who prided themselves on their alpha masculinity. Storm in particular, liked being in control of all of us.
If this was something more than a harmless power outage, then it was me who needed to be in charge. This sort of situation was my territory. More so than theirs. They were catching on quickly, but they didn't have the experience I did.
Okay, maybe there was some ego involved too. I wanted to keep Chelsea safe. Especially after we scared the shit out of her by kidnapping her unexpectedly. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but maybe we should have thought it through a bit more.
That couldn't be helped now.
"What do we do?" Frost whispered back.
"Stay put," I said. "Stay quiet."
Storm grumbled something under his breath, but didn't argue. Yet.
Silently, I stepped away from the kitchen island and moved to the front of the house. The curtains were closed, but a small gap allowed me to peer out.
The night was pitch dark, broken only by a distant light from the cottage Max Stanley was hiding out in.
Fuck.
Not a power outage then.
The clouds shifted overhead, letting the moon illuminate part of the forest a hundred or so metres from the house. And a couple of figures moving through the darkness.
Double fuck.
I turned back and bumped into someone. Barely managed to keep from making a noise of surprise.
"It's me," Frost whispered. So much for staying put. "I stashed a few weapons in the spare room, in case we needed them."
"We need them," I said. I put a hand on his bicep and let him guide me to the spare room and the cupboard set into the wall.
"Is this where you tell me I can't use my phone to show you?" he asked.
"No phones," I agreed. I peeled back enough curtain to let in the moonlight. It slanted across a box of guns and knives.
A few weapons? It looked like he was preparing for the Apocalypse.
"Nice work." I picked the box up, grunting under the weight, and carried it to the kitchen. Placing it down on the wooden kitchen table, I started to hand out weapons, checking each to make sure they were loaded.
"I've never used one," Max said as I handed him a handgun.
"If anyone points a gun at you, point that end at them and pull the trigger," I instructed. "Make sure you don't shoot one of us." That was as much advice as we had time for right now. If we got through this, I'd happily give him more.
"Do you know who it is?" Chelsea asked softly. She took a gun without flinching, even though I knew she didn't want to use one. She was the strongest, most beautiful women I ever met. Much stronger than she gave herself credit for.
I wished I could have kept her from this, but I couldn't. There was an inevitability about it that was out of my control.
Not just because the Brantley family wanted her back into the fold, but because she belonged to this life more than she was prepared to admit.
She wasn't going to go and hide in a cupboard and let us deal with whoever was coming.
She'd stand back to back with the rest of us until the end.
"No, but I have a few guesses," I said. "Everyone get down and start heading for the back door." I didn't want to get pinned down in here if we could help it.
The moonlight was fainter in here, but I made out Frost, crouched beside me. "I don't suppose you have a secret tunnel anywhere in this place?"
"Not that I know of," he said. "I'll be sure to have one added after this."
I nodded. That sucked, but it was what it was. The mansion had one. More than one. We could have escaped through one of them and been gone before anyone noticed.
Here, we'd have to be careful.
Keeping to the back of the pack, I followed the others to the back door.
"Are we making a run for it?" Storm whispered, loud enough to make me wince.
"If it's safe." I worked my way around them to crouch beside him. "Open the door as quietly as you can."
He grunted, but did what I told him to, working the lock open with a soft click. He placed his hand on the handle and turned it slowly, easing the door open inward.
"There's someone out there," he said, more softly this time.
"Yeah," I agreed. Several someones. They had us surrounded. "Stay here. When they move away, run. Head for the forest and lose yourself in the trees."
"What are you gonna do?" Atlas asked.
I didn't answer. I rose to my feet and walked back to the front of the house, making no attempt to quiet my footsteps. I took out my phone and turned on the light before I unlocked the front door and pulled it open.
My gun down low, I moved the phone around, as if trying to figure out the source of the power outage. I kept the device in front of me, so the light would mask my identity, for now.
A male voice shouted and a couple of them converged on my position.
"What is this?" I demanded. Now was not the time to show fear. I was an innocent man who rented out this lovely, peaceful cottage for a couple of nights.
Okay, chances were, they weren’t going to buy that. A guy could try.
"Ferris Ramsey, who are you trying to bullshit?"
I turned the light and shone it right into Carlos Jones' eyes.
"Fuck." He put a hand up in front of his face. "You got a death wish?"
Slowly, and with no apology, I lowered the device. "Not tonight. Since when does the head of the Crimson Vipers come out to a place like this?" Especially in person.
"Since you have something I want," he said evenly.
"I'm flattered, but not interested," I said dryly.
We both knew he wasn't talking about me, but I needed to keep him distracted so the others could sneak away.
I'd keep him here for as long as possible.
Even if he killed me for it. For a long time, I knew I might die to keep Chelsea safe.
And the others. It was what I signed up for and what I'd take if that's how this went down.
In the scheme of things, I was no one important.
Just another lackey. Jones would kill me without a second thought or hint of regret.
He snorted. "You're not my type. If you were, I'd just insist. You do work for me, after all. Right?"
"Of course I do," I said. "If I have something you want, why not just ask?" We both knew it wasn't that simple. Even if I was loyal to him, I wasn't giving up my woman, not without a fight. I'd die first, but I preferred he be the one to do the dying.
"I was asking myself the same question," he said easily. "I said to myself, Carlos, why are you going to all this effort? Why not just take what you want, like you always do? And you know what the answer was?"
"What was it?" I asked. I might as well humour him if it kept him busy for a while longer. The distraction wouldn't last for long, I knew that. He was too smart to fall for it.
"The answer was, I don't believe you're working for me." His tone turned more dangerous. "I believe your loyalty is where it's always been: the Brantley family."
"The same place your loyalty is, right?" I asked. Two could play that game.
He barked a laugh. "My loyalty is with me. The Brantley family were useful, but I'm not really sure they are any more. I think it's time they were replaced."
"By you?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.
"Of course by me. Now is the time to have the right allegiance.
" He laced his fingers in front of himself.
"You can pledge your loyalty to me and keep on living, or you can die alongside the rest of the Brantleys.
" He might have been asking if I preferred vanilla ice cream to chocolate.
For the record, I don't. Chocolate is by far the superior flavour.
Although, it paled in comparison to the taste of Chelsea's pussy.
"I have no desire to die for them," I said. I didn’t want to work for him either, but I'd play along for now.
"You still haven't told me what it is you want.
" As much fun as this stupid game was, I was becoming bored with it.
I preferred the direct approach. Jones, unfortunately, always seemed to prefer the dramatic one.
As if sneaking up in the dark of night added an exotic flair to the evening's event.
If you've asked me, he was playing a stupid game and deserved a stupid prize for it.
Top of my list was a bullet in his brain.
"Let me tell you a story." He tapped the tips of his fingers against his thigh. "I used to frequent a little club in the city called Flirts. Have you heard of it?"
My blood iced over. "I have."
"Then you know they have the most beautiful women in the country working there. Dancing and fucking. There was one in particular. A brunette with legs for days and a pierced clit. She danced like a cat, so lithe and flexible. Her ass was so tight I could bite into it like a peach.” He raised his hand to his mouth, miming doing just that.
He seemed amused, knowing he was getting to me bit by bit.
I tried to keep my annoyance off my face, but apparently failed. And he was enjoying every moment of it.
He went on. “Her breasts were the kind a man dreams about fucking. Right before coming on her face." He grabbed his groin and grinned.
"I don't pay to fuck women, but I might have made an exception for her. But then she left the club. Such a terrible shame." He clicked his tongue. "I've waited long enough to have her. I won't wait any more. She belongs to me and I've come to claim her.”
I wanted to shoot him in the middle of his face for having seen Chelsea naked, dancing on that stage.
Even if he hadn't touched her, his eyes had feasted on her body.
Her ass, her breasts, her nipples. All of them belonged to me and her other boyfriends.
Not to a snake like this. I kept the gun down, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible.
Had I given the others enough time to get clear yet?
I wasn't sure. Another couple of minutes might be just enough.
I may never see Chelsea again, but I do whatever I could to make sure she was safe.
I shrugged one shoulder. "I’m sorry, but that sounds like several of the women from Flirts.
Divina only hires the best. You might have to be more specific.
" I sent a silent apology to Chelsea. None of the other girls came close to holding a candle to her.
She was in a league of her own. Honestly, it wasn't that surprising she caught his eye.
Wherever she went, people stared at her, lusted after her.
Jones took a few steps closer. He started to look irritated. He knew that I knew exactly who he was referring to and he was done playing with me. Like a cat with a mouse, he was ready to bite me in two and discard my remains.
"She used to dance under the name of Sparkle. You know her as Doctor Chelsea Miller. I know she's here with you. Hand her over to me and you might get to live."