Chapter Twenty-Five
W ith my back against the wall, I look around for an exit, my body ready to run at a moment’s notice. That is, if my shaky legs don’t take me out before then. I watch as the man who claims to be my father paces the room, frantically running his hands through his hair.
Shit. This isn’t good.
Just don’t move. Maybe if I stay quiet enough, he won’t remember that I’m here.
My throat tightens as my mind races. I hope Mom is okay and was able to call for help.
God, she was bleeding all over the floor.
I try to hold back a sob.
Hold it together, Sloane. Hold it together.
I know as soon as Gunner realizes I’m missing, he will come for me. It’s just a matter of when.
Please, for the love of all things holy, let him be looking for me already.
When the man turns toward me, I suck in a breath, knowing my time has run out.
“I want to go home,” I tell him.
Is it weird that I’m proud of myself for my voice not wavering? I know I made the choice to come here, but now that I’m here, I will do anything to get myself out of it.
The man laughs maniacally and points at me. “You aren’t going anywhere, little girl. You’re mine, and you’ll do what I tell you to do. Nothing less, nothing more.”
“Yeah, I hate to break it to you, but I’m not known for my listening skills,” I say as I squeeze my clammy palms.
His eyes narrow as an evil smile covers his face. “I knew you’d say that. See, girlie, I did my research on you. I know all about how you like to run your mouth and get yourself in hot water. You think you’re an adult, but you’re not. I knew I would have to bring you to heel, and there would only be one way to do that.”
No. No. No.
This can’t be happening.
There are only three people in this world I would keep my mouth shut for. Lee, my mom, and Gunner.
I knew he had Lee, but I was hoping the fact that he hadn’t put us in here together meant he valued him more than me. He is his heir after all. Guess I was wrong.
Daddy dearest whistles and a door on the other side of the building that I can’t see opens. The sound of multiple footsteps makes my heart race faster, making black dots dance before my eyes.
Shit, pull it together, Sloane.
When Lee sees me, he staggers, taking my breath away.
“Sloane,” he cries out, trying to pull out of the man’s hold, only to be jerked back.
“Stay still,” I beg him as I watch him struggle.
Lee almost looks translucent, he’s so pale. His collar is ripped on his shirt, and he has dirt on his jeans. His fear is only making mine worse.
I have to get us out of here or buy us time for our rescuers to come.
They have to come.
Goat claps his hands as he laughs, head tilted back. “I knew you would shut the hell up if I had him.” He turns to the man holding my brother. “I told you he was worth grabbing.”
“She shut the fuck up, I’ll give you that,” the stranger says. “Now what do you want me to do with the kid?”
Fuck you.
Goat waves his hand toward me. “Put them together.”
The stranger frowns. “Are you sure?”
“If they try anything, I’ll put a bullet in the kid’s head. They won’t test me,” Goat says confidently.
Sadly, he’s not wrong. I won’t do anything that will risk Lee’s life.
He knows it. I know it. We all fucking know it.
The stranger walks Lee forward before pushing him toward me, making Lee fall to his knees in front of him.
Leaning forward, I cup his face. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay. You?”
“I’m okay.”
Apparently, we are lying to each other now. Sick.
I pull my brother into my arms and hold him tight. I can’t let anything happen to him.
“Sloane,” Lee says quietly as I move, putting myself between him and the lunatic in front of us.
“I know what I’m doing. Trust me,” I lie.
When he places his head against my back, I shut my eyes. As long as I’m in front of him, I can protect him.
Taking a deep breath, I stare down the man in front of us. “Why are you doing this? We don’t even know you.”
He lunges forward as he points at me and yells. “That’s all your whore of a mother’s fault! She took both of you from me,” he scoffs. “She was nothing but a little biker slut who wanted to be fucked on the back of a bike. She was desperate to get a cut and tried to get it by getting pregnant with you.” He shakes his head. “I knew her game, though. I knew what she was after all along. I’ll give her credit. She stuck around longer than most. I was a weak man who kept going back.” He groans and grabs his crotch. “Fuck, I still dream about the way her pussy felt even after having both of you. She was virgin tight, and the way she cried as I took her…”
I hear Lee whimper behind me as I choke down my vomit. Neither of us should have to listen to this.
“Then one day when I got back from a run, she wasn’t there. That cunt didn’t even leave a note. She took my kids and ran. When I saw you, I knew who you were, and I followed you. You led me straight to her, and you didn’t even know it. I reminded her what happens when you cross me, and I’ll teach you the same thing if you try.”
“You’re insane.”
He laughs psychotically. “If I’m insane, then so are you. My blood runs through your veins, girlie.”
I shake my head. “You’re right. Your blood might run through my veins, but I’m nothing like you. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve never met my father.”
He lunges across the floor and backhands me across the face so hard I fall to the floor as black spots dance before my eyes.
“Sloane,” Lee cries out as he grabs me by the shoulders.
“I’m okay. I’m okay,” I mumble as I rotate my jaw.
That’s going to leave a bruise.
“You’re going to learn to watch that mouth, girlie, and next time you open your mouth, it won’t be you I go after, but him,” he says, pointing at Lee.
Lee sucks in a breath as Goat turns away from us.
“What are we going to do?” he whispers.
“I don’t know yet,” I say quietly.
I close my eyes as my face aches.
God, Gunner is going to be so mad when he finds me that my mouth got me into trouble.
It’s as if he knows I was thinking about him, and the sound of gunfire fills the air.
Tears fall down my face as I smile.
The cavalry arrived.
Thank God.
Cold detachment settles over me as I check my gun again. Sloane and Lee are trapped in there with a deranged man who thinks they belong to him when he couldn’t be further from the truth if he tried.
No, those two are mine.
He made the mistake of fucking with what’s mine, and today he will pay the price with his life.
I don’t even entertain the idea that either of them are hurt. They can’t be. They won’t be.
Smoke comes up behind me and rests his hand on my shoulder. “You ready?”
I nod.
Together we walk over to where the guys are gathered, ready to go to war for my family.
“Thank you for coming,” I tell them.
“Nowhere else we would rather be,” Tank says.
“No one fucks with ours,” Bear adds.
The guys grunt in agreement.
“All right, let’s get this started. Bear?” Smoke says.
Bear nods. “I just sent a text to everyone’s phones of the blueprints of the place. There are three exterior doors. It’s a classic shop, so the main level is bare. Only other room on that floor is a bathroom. Now upstairs they have a series of offices that look down into the shop. If I have to guess, this dickhead is holding them on the ground floor. I took a peek in the windows with binoculars, and there’s a shit ton of pallets in the place with some kind of product, so be careful when you get inside.”
“Let’s try and not shoot each other,” Smoke says, making a few of the guys chuckle.
“I’ve got my medic bag with me in case we need it. Kelly and Tamara are making sure my room at the clubhouse is ready in case shit hits the fan,” Doc says.
Crow glares at him. “Which it won’t. This is going to be an easy in and out.”
Doc cringes. “Of course. Sorry, I just like to be overprepared for the worst-case scenario.”
“Which we appreciate,” Mac says.
“How many men?” Tank asks as he cracks his knuckles.
“We counted ten on the thermal camera. Two of those will be Sloane and Lee,” Bear says.
“There could be more coming, so watch your backs,” Taz reminds everyone.
“Everyone’s mics on?” Smoke asks, making everyone nod.
“Let’s do this,” I say as I pull the charging handle back on my AR, putting one in the chamber.
Breaking off into three teams, we head toward the building. My heart rate slows as we approach.
“Everyone ready?” Smoke asks through the comms.
“Ready,” Bear says.
“Let’s do this,” Mac replies.
“One…two…three…go…” Smoke counts down before taking down the door.
I push in right behind him and start clearing the room. The sound of gunfire pops off, echoing through the building. A guy rounds the crate in front of me, and I pull the trigger, dropping him before he can even raise his gun.
Fucking rookie.
Shaking my head, I push through with my boys surrounding me.
Soon, the gunfire stops, making my nerves show themselves for the first time since we entered the building.
“Stop or I’ll blow her head off!” someone yells out.
One of the guys behind me sucks in a breath.
I step forward, coming around the side of the crate, and take in the scene in front of me. What I see in front of me has my steps faltering. Sloane is lying on the ground with her eyes closed, and Lee has a gun pressed to his temple.
“Gunner…” Lee whispers as relief fills his eyes.
“I’m here, buddy, we’re all here,” I tell him.
His eyes dart around the room, and he smiles as he sees the brothers step forward, guns drawn. He’s not even worried about having so many barrels pointed right at him, having full faith that we won’t hurt him.
“He hit her, and she passed out,” Lee tells us.
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” the man spits as he shakes Lee.
Lee squeezes his eyes shut as he shakes.
“Steady…” Smoke warns everyone.
“You weren’t supposed to find us yet. That wasn’t part of the plan,” the man hisses.
“Put the gun down,” Crow calls out.
“No, you need to leave,” the man hisses.
“You need to put the gun down. He’s just a kid,” Smoke tells him.
“Don’t tell me what to do with my kid!” the man yells.
One of the brothers scoffs.
This needs to end. I need to know both Sloane and Lee are okay and get them out of here. A dozen scenarios run through my head, but I push them all aside. I have to trust my brothers.
Taking a deep breath, I lower my gun and step forward.
“What are you doing? Stay back!” the man rages.
Lee’s eyes widen in fear as he looks at me.
I raise my palms and take another step forward. “How about you let the kid go and take me?”
“Why would I take you?” he asks as he jams the barrel into Lee’s temple, making him wince.
I clench my jaw and push forward. “Because he’s just a kid and can’t give you anything. Me though? I have contacts that you can use. You want to run drugs? Want to try your hand at gun running? I’m your man.”
Sloane’s birth father tilts his head to the side like he’s considering it. “How do I know you aren’t lying?”
“You’ll just have to trust me,” I tell him. “Besides, isn’t that why you’ve been on our jock about running that coke for you?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement. My breath catches when I realize that Sloane is back online and with us. Ready to raise hell.
Please, baby, be a good girl and stay down.
“Gunner…” Smoke warns, bringing me back into the present.
“I’ll give you the keys to the castle and show you how we grew as fast as we did in such little time.” The promise tastes bitter on my tongue.
There’s no way I’ll do it. He has to be an idiot to believe me, but for once, I hope to God he isn’t smart.
He pulls the gun away from Lee and points it at me. He shoves Lee toward me, the kid stumbling forward. Lunging forward, I catch him before he can fall.
“It’s all right. Go to Crow,” I whisper in his ear before pushing him behind me.
“Get over here,” the lunatic demands.
Stepping forward, I also move to the side, placing myself between the gunman and Sloane.
His eyes leave mine, and he looks around the room. While he’s distracted, I look down at my girl and see her hands are right behind my ankle. I look at her and then at my boots, praying she gets my silent message.
Understanding fills her eyes, and she nods.
Thank fuck.
I look up right in time for the man to put me in his sights once again.
“Everyone stand down. I got this,” I tell my brothers. “Now tell me, what do you want? What was your mission here tonight?”
I feel her hands move, crawling up the back of my calf before the cool metal touches my skin.
“I want my town back! This is my territory, and you thought you could just come in and take it from me,” he rages. “You pushed me all the way into Alabama. Fucking disgusting state. When I offered a partnership, you stuck your nose up at me.”
“We looked when we came. Our side of town wasn’t claimed by anybody,” I tell him.
“We were working on it, but you didn’t even bother to ask anyone. We are so close to the border that you never even considered talking to us. You overstepped,” Goat insists.
“We didn’t know you existed. Not until you approached us and asked to make a deal. You waited four fucking years for this shit? Don’t bullshit us,” Smoke hisses.
“I had to get my shit in order. I thought we could benefit one another, but you turned me down. Then I found out you had my kids too. It’s not acceptable. I want you to leave. This is my territory.”
He points his gun toward the ceiling and pulls the trigger.
I drop right as bullets fly.
Fuck.
I dive back and cover Sloane’s body, only to touch a searing hot barrel. “Motherfucker!” I hiss as I pull it out of her hand and away from my chest.
The bullets stop, and the building falls silent.
“Gunner…” Smoke says.
Pulling my head up, I look down at my girl.
“I shot him,” she whispers.
“You were such a good girl and did exactly what you were supposed to do,” I tell her before turning toward my brother. “We’re good.”
Relief fills the room.
“Thank fuck. Now let’s get out of here,” Mac mumbles, getting an “amen” from a bunch of the guys.
I look down at my girl and brush her loose hair away from her face. “I love you.”
“I love you too. I knew you would come for me.”
“I’ll always come for you, Trouble. Day or night, no matter the distance, I’ll be there. Now let’s get you home.”
“Home.” She sighs. “I like the sound of that.”