Chapter 20
“I’m sorry, Havoc, but she passed,” I hear Ian say over the phone.
We knew this was coming two days ago when the doctors broke the news when we thought Sutton was lying in that hospital bed. Two days since we learned that my woman wasn’t in the explosion and is out somewhere in the world being held against her will.
“Thanks for calling,” I say then end the call.
An ache in my chest starts to form. Not because I feel any certain way about my ex but for my little boy.
He doesn’t really know his mother, but one day he’s going to ask about her, and I dread those conversations.
No kid wants to hear that the person who gave birth to them was blown up out of revenge.
“Who was that?” Reaper asks from the chair beside me. We’re in Stone’s office with four Dead Road MC presidents from different chapters. We’ve called in over two hundred men to help us raid the cult’s farm and today is D-day.
“Ian. Debbie died,” I say with no emotion.
I’ve locked up everything in me to focus on the mission we’re about to embark on.
I’ve never been so anxious about any of the protection runs before, but this one hits different.
This one involves the love of my life and the mother of my unborn child.
There’s no room for mistakes today, and I can’t have any outside influences trying to distract me.
“Sorry to hear that, man,” Reaper says, trying to sound caring, but we all knew what a bitch my ex was. I turn in his direction lifting an eyebrow. “For Zane. You know we didn’t care for her, but it sucks for your boy. I know what it feels like to not have a present dad or mom.”
Reaper had a rough start in life that ended up with him in prison at the age of sixteen. He spent ten years behind bars for choices he made. While he was locked up, he came across an MC member who vouched for him once he was released back into civilian living.
“Zane hasn’t batted an eye about Debbie. He just wants to know when Sutton is coming back,” I say, watching as Stone goes over the farm property layout. “Was calling her mama the last few weeks before all this shit happened.”
“You sure this woman is worth all this trouble?” Reaper asks and draws my attention back to him.
My hands ball up into fists at his words, and I look him dead in the eyes.
“I’d burn down this entire fucking town to the ground to find her,” I tell him. My back molars press together so hard a jolt of pain shoots up to my temples.
Reaper puts his hands up in surrender. “Had to ask, brother.”
“Just wait ’til you find your queen, you’ll know what I’m talking about,” I tell him.
He looks down for a moment, his face shifts to something softer for a brief second, like he’s remembering something—or someone. Shaking his head as if to rid his brain of memories, he turns back to me.
“I’ll walk beside you, brother,” Reaper vows, putting his big paw on my shoulder. “Anything you need, I’ve got your back.”
I nod as Stone calls out to the room.
“Turner’s here,” he tells the room. “Suit up and be ready to move.”
The room disperses as Reaper and I stand from the wall we were holding up and make our way over to our president.
“What do you need from us, Prez?” Reaper asks.
“Got everything sorted out with the other chapters. They’ll be stationed at the north, east, and west sides of the property waiting for our call before entering,” Stone tells us. “Let’s go greet the chief.”
We walk out of his office, and the main room is crawling with men putting on bulletproof vests and checking all their weapons. Stone’s dad and Melissa are talking to a few men off to the side.
“I want to be there when you go in,” Melissa voices after making a beeline once she sees us coming out of the hall.
“Can’t have you exposed and put in harm’s way,” Stone declares as Crusher comes over and wraps an arm around his wife and our resident doctor.
“I won’t be in the way, I promise, but you’ll need a doctor there waiting to assess our girl once you pull her out of that hell,” Melissa reminds us. We all saw the marks they made on her back last time, and I’m scared of what’s happened and the condition she’s in.”
My biggest fear is that we’ll find Sutton too late and that the damage done to her since she’s been in their grasp is going to destroy her—and me along with it.
“I’ll wait down the road with Phillip,” Melissa adds.
Stone looks at her for a few moments before turning his eyes to his dad.
Crusher gives his son a slight nod, “We’ll be out of the way. Mel’s got the truck loaded with medical supplies in case any of the men get injured.”
Our prez lets out a groan, shaking his head.
“Fine, but if this spills out, you get out of the way of it,” Stone growls.
“I promise,” Melissa says, almost giddy then surges forward wrapping her arms around her stepson.
Once Stone pats her back, she steps back to her husband’s side.
“I’ll get you a radio so that y’all hear what’s going on after I handle the cop outside.
As we make it outside, Turner stands casually by his cruiser waiting for us.
“Got everything squared away?” Stone asks as he stands in front of the chief of police.
Turner starts nodding. “Contacted all the surrounding cities, letting ’em know we’re holding training out on the farm today. Any calls are to be put through to me and my team.”
“And your team is all on board?” Reaper questions with a raised eyebrow.
“Dispatch has been alerted, and I’ve got six men who are gonna be half a mile down each direction blocking the roads from any vehicles trying to get through,” Turner assures us. “But if this fucking thing goes south, my ass isn’t takin’ the fall, Stone.”
Turner has been on our payroll for years.
We’ve had an arrangement that works well for both of us while he sets himself up for a cozy retirement.
He comes to us when the law has his hands tied, and we take care of the problem while he turns the other way and lets us do pretty much whatever we want here.
“Just stick to the plan and it’ll be fucking fine,” I growl.
“Just do your part,” Stone barks. “Make sure to have an ambulance close. We don’t know the condition Sutton might be in,” Stone demands then walks off.
“Fucking hate that pussy,” Reaper mumbles as we follow Stone’s lead back up to the clubhouse.
Hawk comes out the door of the clubhouse.
“Whatcha got for me?” Stone asks our tech guy.
“Got the drone up and from some of the new videos, there’s a patch of land that could be used as a landing field on the far end of the property. Not sure completely, but that’s what it looks like,” he fills in with pictures.
“Fuck, this is a lot of area to cover.” I slide my fingers through my hair and pull at the roots. “What if they’ve already moved her?”
“If she’s there, we’ll find her,” Stone tries to assure me. “If she’s not, we’ll torture the shit out of each one of ’em until they tell us where she is.”
I nod, rolling my shoulders back. I’ve got a rush of energy, and I’m ready to fuck this place up and leave no stone unturned.
Raegan bursts through the clubhouse door with photos and a tablet in hand.
“It’s a small plane landing strip,” she comes over to us.
She’s wearing yoga pants and a tight tank top, showing off her baby bump.
A form of jealousy strikes me in the chest at not being able to see my woman going through all the stages of pregnancy like Stone and Raegan have.
“A plane just landed within the last five minutes. About a dozen or more men got off, all strapped to the teeth.”
She hands Stone the device, and we look over the photos.
“Seems to me that a lot of shady shit can be flown under the radar when you don’t have to report to air traffic control or customs,” Hawk mentions what we all are thinking.
“Question is, what the fuck are they bringing or picking up?” Reaper asks.
“We’re about to find the fuck out,” Stone snarls and takes off.
We hustle back into the clubhouse as Reaper lets out a loud whistle getting everyone’s attention. The room quiets as Stone gets up on a lifted platform where our club whores dance.
“Everyone’s been told what their part is so stay with it.
Our goal is to exterminate these bastards from our town.
” The sound of shouts agreeing with him echo against the walls.
“Keep an eye out for Havoc’s Ol’ Lady. She’s very pregnant and might be injured, we aren’t sure.
Your cut should be noticeable at all times so that she won’t confuse you with the enemy, and so we can tell ourselves apart from them.
” He pauses for a second. “This is just one of many throughout the country, and we plan to do this to each one. Be careful because there are women and children on the property that are innocent.” He pauses for a moment. “But do what you have to do.”
Stone spends the next few minutes making sure everyone knows where to be and to communicate through our radios.
“We’re with you, Brother,” Bullet, the president from our Tucson, Arizona Chapter, chimes in and the others follow suit.
The energy in the room is electric as the men bounce with anticipation of a fight.
“Let’s get this done then,” Stone calls out, and the men cheer. “NO ROAD BACK!”
“NO ROAD BACK!” the room echoes back our chapter’s motto.