Chapter Fifteen
Hatter
The wind roared like an angry beast, clawing at my face as I gripped the handlebars tighter. My heart was pounding, adrenaline pumping through my veins. Every turn, every curve brought me closer to Eddie Lewis.
“Almost there,” Cheshire’s voice crackled in my ear through the comms. “Ready for this, Hatter?”
“Born ready,” I said, my mind set on what was ahead. Whether the people in this town would admit it or not, they needed us. Otherwise people like Eddie Lewis would take over and ruin their lives.
As we drew closer, the darkness of the night seemed to thicken, swallowing us whole. But our headlights cut through it, slicing the shadows apart as we approached the lair of the devil himself.
Eddie’s hideout loomed before us. My gut churned with anticipation, remembering the last time I saw him -- that sick grin, those cold eyes. He thought he was untouchable, but tonight, he’d learn just how wrong he was.
Time to end this . We pulled up to the gates, and I could feel the tension radiating from my brothers, each one carrying the scars of our past. Tonight, we’d make new ones -- but this time, the pain would belong to Eddie.
“All right, boys,” I said, my voice steady as I addressed my family. “Stick to the plan. We get in, take care of business, and get out.”
“Roger that, Hatter,” March responded, his voice filled with grim determination. We were a well-oiled machine, forged by the fires of war and hardened by life’s cruel blows.
Together, we descended upon Eddie’s place. The air was ripe with anticipation and fear. Only an idiot wouldn’t be scared right now. When we walked into situations like this, there was always a good chance we wouldn’t go home. Not on our own two legs at any rate.
I couldn’t help but let a grin split my face. It was time.
“Stay sharp, boys,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “No fuckups.”
“Got it, Hatter,” Tweedle muttered, his eyes hard as steel. We all knew what was at stake. Failure wasn’t an option.
“Shake, you and your crew take the front and rear. We don’t want any surprises,” I told him.
He nodded, his eyes full of fire. “Consider it done,” Shake replied, already climbing off his bike. His men followed suit, their movements swift and quiet as they fanned out. They would handle the guards -- we had bigger fish to fry.
“Rabbit, Cheshire, stick with me,” I said. They nodded, their faces twisted into grim determination. The game was on.
“Let’s go,” I said, getting off my bike and walking up to the hideout. There was no turning back now. We were knee-deep in hell, and we were going to burn this motherfucker down. And I possibly meant that literally. Depended on what Shake thought about the cleanup. Knife wounds would burn away in a fire, but bullets? Not so much.
As we reached the door, gunfire erupted in the night. Shake and his crew had started their assault, taking out the guards with brutal efficiency. The sound was deafening, a symphony of violence that made my heart race even faster. The dumb fuckers hadn’t even noticed we were the enemy until it was too late. Eddie certainly hadn’t bought the smartest of men if they were any indication.
“Move!” I shouted, the darkness closing in on us, but we didn’t need light -- we had something better: vengeance.
Come on, you bastards . A feral grin crossed my face as we crashed through the front door and spilled into the entrance of Eddie’s lair. Let’s see if you can handle the heat .
The stench of fear filled the air, mixing with the gun smoke and blood as we opened fire.
“Time to paint the walls red,” I called out to my brothers.
Eddie and his men didn’t stand a chance, not this time. I knew men like him. Even with the gunfire and the sound of our bikes, he’d be overly confident that he’d win. Hell, he might have thought the engines of our motorcycles were the club from North Carolina. We hadn’t seen them, even though they’d been close before. I didn’t know if they had returned home or were just keeping their distance to watch how things would unfold.
I’d brought hell right to his doorstep, and I wasn’t going to leave until I knew he was roasting in the fiery pits, keeping Satan company.
“Over there!” Rabbit yelled, pointing to a cluster of armed goons trying to take cover. I nodded, then charged straight into the fray. Fists flew, bullets whizzed past my ears.
“Think you can hurt my family?” I demanded, slamming one man’s head against the wall. He crumpled to the ground, senseless. Dodging a punch from another asshole, I drove my knee into his gut, watching as he doubled over, gasping for breath. Before he could recover, I used my handgun to put a bullet in his brain.
“Is that all you got?” I taunted Eddie’s men, throwing a right hook that connected with another thug’s jaw. He went down hard, and I put two bullets in him -- one in his chest and one in the head before I moved on to the next. There was no time for mercy or hesitation -- this was war, and we were fighting for our lives.
“Nice work, Hatter!” March called, shooting a man who was about to get the drop on me. I nodded, acknowledging the save, before turning my attention back to the enemy.
Where’s Eddie ? I ducked under a wild swing. The bastard had to be around here somewhere, hiding like the coward he was. But it didn’t matter -- we would find him, drag him out into the light, and make him pay.
I didn’t know how Eddie had gotten so many men together in such a short amount of time. Even if he’d had men from the mafia sent in, hired some local thugs, and even bought people from other organizations, I wouldn’t have thought it possible for him to mobilize such a large force, much less this fast.
Didn’t matter. We might have lost before, but today we’d win. We’d come prepared.
“Keep pushing, boys,” I shouted, my voice hoarse with exhaustion and fury. “We’re almost there! Just a little more blood, a little more pain, and this nightmare will be over.”
My brothers roared in agreement, the sound echoing through the building like the growl of a pack of hungry wolves. We were relentless, unstoppable. And when we left this place, not a single soul would remain. We’d make sure to snuff out all their lives.
Blood splattered across the floor as I heard Cheshire’s maniacal laughter ringing through the air. I glanced over, my eyes widening, as I saw my VP slicing open some fool’s gut like he was carving a turkey. The poor bastard screamed, clawing at his spilling innards before collapsing to the ground.
“You can’t fuck with us, you hear?” Cheshire spit, kicking the body away from him. His excited grin was infectious, and I felt a dark satisfaction swelling within me. We had taken back what was ours, showing these pieces of shit they didn’t run this town.
“Damn right!” I yelled, slamming the butt of my gun into another thug’s face. He crumpled, blood pouring from his smashed nose. Before he could stand, I shot him in both knees and hands. Bastard wouldn’t be walking, or crawling, out of here, and he wouldn’t be holding a gun.
I turned toward March, watching as he expertly took down one man after another, each one falling under his unyielding onslaught.
“Keep it up, brother,” I shouted, gritting my teeth. My heart hammered in my chest, adrenaline and fury coursing through my veins. The one pissant I wanted to exterminate had been nowhere to be found. I scanned the place again, determined to locate him.
Then I saw him. Eddie. Standing there in the midst of the carnage, wearing that sick fucking smile like he was enjoying every second of it. Our eyes locked, and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. The silent challenge hung heavy between us, an unspoken promise that only one of us would walk away.
“Come on, then!” I shouted, my grip tightening on my gun. “Let’s finish this!”
“About time,” Eddie sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. “I’ve been looking forward to this, Hatter.”
“Trust me,” I growled, my every instinct screaming for blood and vengeance. “The feeling’s fucking mutual.”
The bastard didn’t appear to be armed, and I wasn’t about to make this easy on him. I launched myself at Eddie, my fists flying. Rage and a sense of justice fueled me, making me an unstoppable force.
“Is that all you got?” Eddie taunted, dodging my punch and landing one of his own on my ribs. I grunted in pain, but it only served to stoke the fire within me.
“Fuck you,” I spat, ducking under another swing from him and returning a vicious uppercut to his jaw. I could feel the impact all the way up to my shoulder, and satisfaction coursed through me as he staggered back.
“Big mistake, Hatter,” Eddie growled, regaining his footing and coming at me again. We traded blows, neither giving an inch, our punches fueled by hatred and desperation.
I pictured Jo’s beautiful face and the fierce loyalty of my brothers. It gave me the strength I needed to keep going, even as my body screamed for relief.
I’d been distracted just long enough for Eddie to pull a knife from somewhere. He laughed as he attacked me, slashing with the blade. He sliced along my stomach and caught my upper arm. I danced back and watched for an opening.
“Enjoy your last breaths, fucker,” I snarled, unleashing a flurry of punches that caught Eddie off-guard. He tried to counter, but I was too fast, too determined. My fist connected with his temple, sending him crashing to the ground.
“Nighty-night, asshole,” I said, standing over him, victorious. His unconscious form lay sprawled out on the floor, defeated and broken. The sight filled me with a dark, primal satisfaction.
“Got the bastard,” I muttered, glancing around at the chaos we’d wrought. My heart still pounding, I knew we’d done what needed to be done. And I’d do it all again, in a heartbeat.
Blood dripped from my knuckles, and I took a moment to catch my breath, my eyes sweeping over the battlefield. My brothers stood victorious, bloodied but unbowed. The fight had been over almost as soon as it started. We had all expected a bigger battle, one more on par with what had happened before, but this time it had been a fucking cakewalk.
“Looks like we showed them who’s boss,” March grunted, wiping blood off his face with the back of his hand. His grin was wide, vicious, and proud.
“Damn right,” I replied, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins. “Can you tie up Eddie? Fucker is still alive.”
March went to find some rope or a cord, and I scanned the room once more. Something was nagging at the back of my mind, worrying me. Amidst the chaos, I searched for Rabbit, hoping he had made it through the fight unscathed.
My gaze found him, standing at a safe distance from the bulk of the carnage, staring at the dead bodies at his feet. The anxious man’s hands trembled, and I wondered if Rabbit’s twitches and tics would be even worse in the days to come. But for now, I was grateful for my brother. The previous fight may have calmed him, but this one had the opposite effect. We never knew what would trigger one of his episodes.
“Rabbit!” I shouted, making my way toward him. He looked up, those nervous eyes meeting mine.
“Y-yeah, Hatter?” he stammered, trying to hide the fear that was still clinging to him. Ever since he’d been captured during our last mission before being discharged, he almost seemed to have a dual personality when it came to combat. He either jumped into the fray, utterly calm and collected, or he unraveled like he was now. If I hadn’t worried we’d be shorthanded, I’d have left him at the clubhouse.
“Good job, brother,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Thanks, Hatter,” he replied, his voice quivering. “I-I’m just glad everyone’s okay.”
“Me too, Rabbit. Me too.” My thoughts drifted to Jo, hoping she was safe and sound back at the clubhouse. I couldn’t wait to put all this shit behind us and get back to our lives.
I caught sight of Shake and his men. They were already doing a body count, and most likely making sure they were all actually dead. I was just thankful it didn’t look like we’d lost anyone on our side, even if some of us were wounded.
March snapped me back to attention when he approached. “What are we doing with Eddie?”
“Not sure, but I think if we let him live, he’ll only come for us and Jo again. Just one problem… the fucker is so connected, I’m not sure how to do this without backlash from multiple sources. Any ideas?” I asked.
March shrugged. “Not my forte, but I bet Absolem will have some ideas. Why don’t you find him while I get some water to splash on the sleeping princess? If you’re going to hurt him more, I want him awake to feel it.”
Yeah, I felt the same way. Absolem was on the other side of the room wrapping a makeshift bandage around Carpenter’s thigh. Looked like he’d been shot, but since neither of them seemed overly concerned, I figured it wasn’t fatal. I made my way over to them.
“You both okay?” I asked.
“It’s a through and through,” Absolem said. “He’ll be fine. Sore as hell, but it’s not like he’s going to lose his leg.”
“Good. Listen, Eddie is still alive. As badly as I want to torture the fucker and put him in a shallow grave, I don’t think we can take on the mob, the politicians in Warren, and however many thugs he’s associated with knocking at our door. How should we handle this to come out the other side with the least number of enemies?” I asked.
“I actually put something into place a few days ago. A failsafe, so to speak.” Absolem used the back of his forearm to wipe the blood off his face, and only ended up smearing it. “If anyone manages to dig through Eddie’s computer, phone, or bank records, it’s going to look like he was trying to hide something.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Embezzlement. Funds from both his father’s boss, as well as the mafia. It should keep both of them off our backs. I know we’ll have to deal with the corruption in Warren soon enough, but it gives us some time. And it will have them all chasing shadows trying to figure out what the hell happened.”
“And they won’t notice money isn’t actually missing?” My brow furrowed. Because that’s the first thing I’d do if I ran across something like that. I’d make sure my funds were all still exactly where they should be.
“Oh, don’t worry, boss. The money is missing. But after I bounced it around a few offshore accounts, I put it safely into four different accounts I have access to under various aliases. None of it is traceable to us, but we’re now a few million richer. Lost some here and there, paying off enough people to look the other way if someone went digging.” Absolem flashed me a smile. “So, you do whatever you need to. No one is going to cry over Eddie being dead.”
“Um. Didn’t you tell Jo we had to budget our money?” I asked, recalling a conversation I overheard between them about paint.
Absolem shrugged. “Well, I didn’t have the money in hand right then. Now I do.”
“That’s all I needed to hear.” I clapped him on the back and went back over to March. He’d tied Eddie to a chair in the corner of the room. The fucker was now awake and glaring at me.
“You won’t get away with this,” Eddie said. “Do you know who I am? Who my friends are?”
I grinned. “Well, a little birdie just told me those friends of yours are about to think you’ve been a very bad boy. I don’t think they’ll be running to your rescue. In fact, they may wish you were dead.”
Eddie tensed. “What the fuck did you do?”
“Someone really damn good with computers made sure you were on everyone’s most wanted list for embezzlement of millions of dollars. So, we have all the time in the world, Eddie. Let’s have a little chat.” I picked up the knife he’d used on me earlier. Getting closer to him, I used the blade to cut away the legs of his pants and his shirt. If the man was scared, he wasn’t letting it show. Looked like it would take quite a bit to break him. It seemed he wasn’t quite the pansy ass I thought he was.
“You draw this out too long, and your woman is going to freak the fuck out,” March said.
Eddie spat on the floor. “You mean my little whore? How is she? Still remember all the tricks I’ve taught her?”
My blood boiled at his words, but if he wanted me to end things the quick and painless way, he was mistaken. It only made me want to torture the fucker. I dug the knife into his calf, the meaty part that would hurt like a bitch but not do much damage otherwise. He screamed and cursed at me, nearly topping the chair.
March stepped behind Eddie, placing his hands on his shoulders to keep him still. “Now that’s not nice. I think if our club president wants you to bleed, then you should accommodate him and not try to escape. It’s the least you can do after hurting the woman he loves.”
My gaze jerked up to meet March’s. The asshole winked at me. Had they all realized the depth of my feelings for her?
“But, Hatter, I did mean it when I said you shouldn’t draw this out for hours. Not to mention, we aren’t exactly equipped for a thorough torture session. Make this dumbass bleed, make him hurt, then end it. Time to put Eddie in not only our past, but Jo’s too.”
I nodded, knowing he was right. My hand tightened on the handle of the knife. I carved flesh from Eddie’s legs and torso. Stripping off layers that were thin enough he wouldn’t bleed out anytime soon but would hurt like a bitch. By the time he looked like he’d starred in a slasher movie, he was begging for his life.
“Please. I’ll give you every penny in my bank account. Want a top-of-the-line motorcycle? It’s yours. I’ll even make sure no one tries to chase you out of Warren,” Eddie said. “Just stop this.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. As to the other stuff, I have someone who can help make all that happen if it’s what I wanted. Now the last one… no worries there. We aren’t leaving Warren, but your father and anyone else not playing by the rules will be leaving town soon enough. Either voluntarily, in handcuffs, or by way of the morgue.” I cut away the rest of Eddie’s pants, and then wished I’d known he didn’t wear anything under them. It was a sight I could have done without.
March glanced down and snorted. “Damn. You put that tiny, crooked thing in Jo?”
The mere mention of what this asshole had done to her was enough to ignite my anger all over again. But March had been right. I needed to end this. Using the knife once more, I sliced the femoral artery, and took a step back, watching as the life slowly drained from Eddie. March came to stand beside me, and we both waited until the man had drawn his last breath.
“And now it’s finished,” March said.
“Let’s clean up this mess,” I said, turning to find the others. “We’ve got a clubhouse to return to and I have a woman waiting for me.”
Cheshire snorted. “Yeah, one who’s going to lose her shit when she sees all the blood on you. Especially since some of it’s yours.”
The night was still as dark as sin, and now the air was heavy with death. I watched my brothers gather around their bikes, ready to get the fuck out of here. The rumble of engines filled the silence, the ground vibrating beneath me as we all started our engines.
“Shake,” I called over the noise, “handle the cleanup, then you and your crew get the hell out of Dodge.”
“Got it, Hatter.” Shake nodded, a grim smile on his blood- soaked face. “I’ll send you a bill.”
“Good man,” I said, giving him a salute. My mind churned, thinking about what just went down. It had all been too easy, but there wasn’t any time for dwelling on that now.
I glanced at Rabbit, who still looked shaken. “You good to ride, brother?” I asked, concern seeping into my voice.
“Y-yeah, Hatter,” he stuttered, trying to sound brave. “I’m ready.”
He’d need some downtime after this. And possibly a therapist. Except I didn’t know any who could listen to this story and not freak the fuck out or have all of us locked up.
“All right, let’s move out,” I said. One last look at the godforsaken building, a reminder of the blood spilled that night, and then, we were gone.
As we rode back to the clubhouse, the wind whipped around us, stealing away the pain. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling, though, something gnawing at my gut. But for now, I focused on getting home to Jo, to my family.
“Almost there,” I told myself, engine roaring louder. “Just a little farther.”