Chapter Seventeen
Falcon
The clubhouse office had turned into a fucking war room.
The tables that were usually scattered around the room, offering space and privacy while everyone did whatever needed to be done to keep the MC moving forward, now sat in a straight line with my brothers gathered around it.
On top were empty coffee mugs and half a dozen torn apart burner phones.
Viv sat beside me as stiff as a corpse, her gaze flicked from one member of my MC to the next, bracing herself like she was waiting for one of them to kick her out, to tell her she didn’t belong.
Nobody did because of course they didn’t think that.
It would take her some time to believe it, but I was sure that she’d eventually see that nobody here blamed her for shit. I laid my hand on her thigh under the table, offering a supportive squeeze to get her to calm the fuck down. “You’re wound tight, Viv,” I whispered.
She side-eyed me. “No shit. This plan puts me right in the line of fire and I keep thinking,” she began but her words broke off. “That when I say goodbye to TJ today this might be the last time.”
“It won’t be,” I assured her, feeling as certain as I ever had about anything.
Viv shook her head. “You don’t know that, Falcon. I know leaving was my plan, but I didn’t want it to be like this. Don’t promise something you can’t deliver.”
She was right goddammit, but I had to. “I will fucking deliver. Believe that.”
Diesel breezed into the room looking fresh despite the early hour. “All right, you got a plan?” He looked at me and then Vivian, not skipping a beat as he made his way to the head of the table. “I’m listening.”
I nodded and reached for Viv’s hand. “We need to take the fight to James,” I began around the lump in my throat. “He thinks he’s got her on the hook by dangling the job in front of her. We need to use that.”
“Dangling how?” Slate asked.
Viv produced her phone and slid it to Slate. “James has started texting me again. Offering to give me a lifeline if I come back to him.”
Slate’s eyes widened at that. “You talk to him?”
She shook her head. “No. He texts, tries to get me to call but I don’t. I won’t.” Her gaze connected with mine. “Until now. Because I have to.”
Diesel nodded, contemplating what we’d said and more importantly what I hadn’t said. Viv still had no idea how deep her ex was in with the Russians and she won’t. Not yet. “So what’s the plan?”
“She’ll message him to meet up, and we’ll be there to talk to him, see if he can give us the information we need.”
Viv frowned in confusion, probably wondering why the fuck I was being so vague even if she didn’t say it. “He’s been texting at least once a day, so it won’t be a problem to convince him that he’s worn me down.”
My jaw clenched tight with anger. I wanted to fuck him up, to make him regret ever coming after Vivian, and I would. But not until we got what we needed from him. “This can work.”
Just then Viv’s phone buzzed in front of Slate, who held up his hands before sliding it towards Viv. “Put it on speaker. Wait until the fourth ring to answer.” He was already typing on his laptop. “And don’t get down to business right away. I need at least sixty seconds, okay?”
She nodded, letting out a heavy sigh before she tapped the screen. “Hello?”
“Viv, oh god, it’s so good to hear your voice. I’ve missed the sound.”
Viv’s eyes slid close and she took another breath. “You don’t give up,” she said, pushing the words through clenched teeth.
He laughed. “Not when I really want something and I still want you Viv.” James said. “We should talk. In person.”
My hands balled into fists just thinking what that smarmy motherfucker wanted from her. Instead of losing my shit, I squeezed her hand and nodded my support.
“We should probably talk,” she said in a tone that clearly indicated a lack of interest, but her ex only heard what he wanted to hear.
“I’m glad you agree. You’ve been stubborn lately and it’s about time you came to your senses. I’ll make dinner for us, clams in white wine. Your favorite.”
“That’s your favorite,” she reminded him with a hint of irritation in her voice.
He laughed. “You love it too,” he insisted almost desperately.
She shook her head. “I’m allergic to shellfish, James. For the millionth time.”
He fell silent and Diesel motioned her to keep going.
“I’m not coming to your house, not yet. We should meet somewhere more public than your place, for safety reasons.”
“My security system is top notch,” he added in an annoyed tone.
“In case you’ve forgotten, the Russian mob is after me. Your security system won’t deter them.”
“Vivian,” he began in that condescending tone.
My woman held strong. “The only thing your system will do is ensure the police show up to identify our bodies. We meet somewhere public or not at all.”
I held my breath, certain he’d call the whole thing off, at least until I looked at Viv again. I regretted missing years with her so I could only imagine how a goddamn psycho like James would react to pushing her away.
“Fine. I assume you have a place in mind?”
She nodded. “I do. There’s a beer garden at the end of that street with all the nice boutiques and an overflow parking lot across the street. You know it?”
“Yes,” he sighed. “I know it.”
“Good. Meet you there in an hour.” She ended the call quickly as if she couldn’t wait to get off the phone with him and released a visible shudder. “Okay, it’s set. What now?”
“I have an idea.” Gio flashed a crooked grin and laid out his plan. “Slate, you’re tracking his phone, right?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, let’s assume that he’s a guy who likes control.”
“He is,” Viv confirmed.
“He’ll arrive early to surprise you, probably in the overflow parking lot, which means we need to arrive even earlier to set up. And we catch him off guard.” We all listened to Gio’s plan in great detail, hoping like hell it would work.
“What if the Russians show up too?” Viv voiced the question in a small, barely audible voice.
“We’ve got that covered,” Gio assured her.
Rocky stood and clapped his younger brother on the back. “Maverick, Rebel, Sniper, T-Bone, you come with me. Let’s grab our gear and scope out the place.” He turned to Vivian. “We got your back, Dr. Viv.”
She grinned. “Thank you. And please… be careful.” Her brows crinkled with worry.
“Always. Good luck.” Rocky nodded and left the room.
The office started to empty out but Viv remained seated with her back ramrod straight, her jaw clenched tight and her hands fisted together.
“You ready?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes, I’m ready. It’s time we end this.” She stood abruptly. “I have to change.”
I frowned. My mind instantly wondered why she wanted to look good for this asshole. “What?”
“If I’m dressed how he likes, he’ll relax, thinking he’s won.” She turned and left the office, and I got to my feet, following on her heels back to the room she was staying in.
“I don’t like it, but I get it,” I told her once we were alone in the room. “I’m going to be there, Viv. If you need me, just run your fingers through your hair. I’ll be close enough to see you. I promise.”
“I believe you,” she said as she tucked a pale pink blouse into a pair of tailored gray pants. She wore her hair pinned up in a twist. “He hated when I wore my hair loose, if I need your help, I’ll take out the clip and pretend I’m fixing it.” She turned to face me. “How do I look?”
“Corporate, but gorgeous as fuck,” I assured her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close.
“You’re so much stronger than you realize.
You gotta remember that, okay?” Before she could tell me that I was wrong, I cupped her face and kissed her like it was our last kiss on earth.
I kissed her like it was the beginning of forever because there was a part of me, a big fucking part, that hoped it was true. “You got this.”
She smiled. “We’re about to find out,” she sighed.
After a lingering goodbye with our son, Viv walked out of the clubhouse and slid behind the wheel of a waiting sedan.
It killed me to let her drive by herself but the only way the plan had a chance in hell of working was if James thought he was getting what he wanted.
Viv.
Over my dead fucking body.
***
My whole fucking body was on edge as I watched Viv inside the car at the overflow lot near the restaurant, white knuckling the steering wheel and taking deep breaths. She was nervous as fuck and all I wanted to do was go to her and tell her she could do this.
But I couldn’t so I stood by and watched as she took one final breath and stepped from the car, smoothing her professional clothes and straightening her spine. We told her to expect to find James already there and her feigned surprise when she saw him was expertly executed.
“James!”
“Vivian.” His smile lit up his whole face, asshole looked genuinely happy to see her.
He pushed off the hood of his shiny red sports car wearing a shit-eating grin, the perfect accessory to match his khaki pants and golf shirt.
“You look beautiful. A few pounds heavier but we’ll fix that quickly.
” He stepped forward with his arms open as if the delusional fucker really thought she was going to greet him with a hug.
Viv frowned and folded her arms as a visible barrier between them. “Still a charmer, I see.”
His smile dimmed for a second but then he puffed up again, even more confident than before. “I tried charm with you the first time around. It didn’t work.”
She laughed. “Was that charm? It felt a lot more like control.”
His anger flashed for a hot minute before he banked it and relaxed his limbs.
Something wasn’t right.
Everything I knew about him said he led with his ego but now he was being almost passive. “Something ain’t right,” I whispered to Hawk, who stood beside me, watching through his rifle scope. “He’s too fucking calm.”
James kept moving towards Vivian, smiling as she inched away from him.
Then suddenly, bright headlights flashed from a black SUV. Four doors opened simultaneously and then I heard it. Gunfire.
The Russians opened fire, forcing us to shoot back but I kept my eyes on Viv. Even in the chaos I watched her as she ducked and then hit the ground without regard for her fancy doctor’s clothes.
“I’ve got your back, Falcon. Go get your woman,” Hawk shouted as he lined up a shot and pulled the trigger. Again and again, he performed the same moves while I searched the smoke for Vivian.
I spotted a flash of pink and saw her arm being dragged by James.
“Son of a bitch!” I took off at a full run, which was difficult as fuck to do with my head low.
I rushed straight through the gunfight, noticing one brother clutching his arm and cursing up a storm.
“Stay down and slide back,” I shouted and kept moving.
Gunshots sounded all around me and I just hoped I could get to Viv before one struck.
“Let me go!” Viv shouted, her voice thick with anguish as she tried to break free of his hold.
“Stupid, stupid bitch. Did you really think you could set me up?” he let out a dark laugh. “I told you, Vivian, I hold your entire future in my hands.”
Her brows dipped low as if the other pieces of the puzzle started to slid into place, but this wasn’t the time or the place for those thoughts. I circled around the cars, knowing that grabbing James from behind was the safest way for Vivian.
I stood behind him, my eyes glued to Viv when I caught a flash of movement from the corner of my eye.
A tall-ass Russian held my woman in his sights, the barrel of his gun aimed at the back of her head.
Without thinking, I pulled out my piece and took aim, watching the bullet as it hit his chest and sent a sea of red spreading across his white dress shirt.
More bullets flew my way, distracting me from rescuing Viv from her ex. I had no choice but to return fire, taking down two more Russians before I turned back to her.
“Viv!” I yelled.
She looked at me and relief flashed in her eyes but it left as soon as James grabbed a handful of her hair. “No!” she cried out, grabbing his wrist with one hand as he started to drag her away.
My arms and legs pumped harder to get closer, but James was moving fast towards his car. “Viv!”
She paused, letting him drag her as she dug inside her pocket, wrapping her hand around whatever was in there. “James, let me go,” she cried out as she pulled out something silver and shiny, stabbing it into his forearm and dragging it down.
“You fucking bitch!” he cried out and released her, dropping to his knees.
“That’s my girl!” I told her when I was close enough to grab him by his fucking hair, dragging him to the street where two prospects had a van idling at the curb.
“Get him to the clubhouse,” I said in a low voice before slamming the door shut and turning back to Viv.
“You okay? Please tell me you’re fuckin’ okay, Viv. ”
She nodded and dropped the scalpel as if it was suddenly too hot to touch. “I’m… okay. I’m good,” she answered, her hands shaking and teeth chattering. “How?” she began and shook her head.
“Stay behind me,” I ordered. “Say it back.”
“Stay behind you,” she repeated back to me.
“Good girl.” I turned back to the where the Russians had Rocky and Maverick cornered. I emptied one clip and then another while Rebel did the same until our brothers were free. Safe.
The area was plunged into silence, thick and deafening.
The Russians weren’t all dead, but they were the walking wounded which was good enough for now. We got what we needed—James—and now it was time to get some fucking answers and get ahead of this shit show.