Chapter 43 Army #2
“Human trafficking?” My gut swirls, knowing that once a person is trafficked and deep within the ring, the chances of recovering and saving them aren’t great.
“I think trafficking is part of it, but this group is rumored to run a death ring.”
My body snaps rigid. “What?”
A death ring.
This might not be the ring connected to Slade, but it could definitely be the ring that our allies were involved in a few months ago. Creed Santoro had saved Sophie, the woman he loved, from being delivered to a death ring.
Len’s team had been involved in saving Sophie as well.
I pull out my phone and quickly type out a text to Len.
Call me ASAP
As SOON as fucking possible
Jesus, fuck. Is this what Guerilla is connected to?
That could explain how he was able to remain off the grid if he is working with this group and they're as well-connected and resourced as Keifer said.
It might also explain why Guerilla wanted Leeva so badly; does he want or need access to her wealth?
To pay this group back for helping him? Or maybe buying into some sort of sick membership for the death ring?
The office door opens, cutting off my questions. Bane fills the doorway, then he enters the office with Ash behind him.
“Keifer and Ursula, you can go.” Ash steps to the side and motions for them to leave.
“What’s going on?” she demands, her tone commanding and icy.
“The examination is over. Take Leeva back to her place.”
“Leeva isn’t leaving.” I half-growl, half-shout.
Bane quickly ushers Ursula and Keifer out of the office and shuts the door, leaving me with him and Ash.
“Leeva needs to go while we vote, brother,” he says. His unspoken words are clear: It’s better if she’s not present, both not to cloud the votes cast or to watch if I’m to meet my end.
Panic erupts in me at the thought of Leeva being at risk if Guerilla is somehow connected to the death ring Keifer had mentioned, and at the thought of not being able to say goodbye to her if the vote comes back guilty.
I surge forward, desperate to get out of this room and to get to Leeva, but I’m met with the brick wall that’s Bane and Ash.
“Get the fuck out of my way,” I shout, fighting their iron grips on me. “You don't understand! Leeva—”
The wind is knocked out of me as Bane punches my gut.
“I'm sorry, brother. It has to be this way. You can't stop her from leaving; it's for the best that she's not here.”
“Leeva…” I wheeze, fighting their hold on me but they're just as determined to subdue me as I am fighting them. "Can't…leave…"
I can't breathe or speak, but I still have my fists. I punch Ash's jaw, snapping his head to the side.
His face is dark as he punches me right back, in the gut again, making me wheeze some more, his chunky rings digging into my flesh.
He, like Bane, isn't holding back, thinking they're doing right by me, and that I just want to get to Leeva because of the vote. They think they're saving me from myself and that I'm fighting for my life, but I'm fighting for hers. I feel it in my soul.
They're lethal and strong. So am I. There's two of them, but I'm a trained war machine.
Powerful arms band around me from behind, squeezing me so tight it feels like Bane is crushing me with his python arms, and black spots dot my vision.
Slamming my head back, I connect with his face—his jaw based on the pain that erupts in the back of my head and I break free of his punishing hold.
I whip my leg up in a powerful front kick and just miss Ash’s chin.
Too bad, because if that kick had connected, it would’ve TKO’d him, then I’d only have the mountain that’s Bane to deal with.
Whenever I'm able to suck in enough air to actually try and get coherent words out, they won't listen as they're determined to subdue me.
They keep their attack so aggressive, all I can do is fight them.
Panic and primal instinct to get to Leeva override my logic, which is trying to tell me to just calm the fuck down and try to explain this calmly to my closest friends, but those higher executive functions aren't in control right now.
By the time we’re finished, the office is damn near destroyed, and all three of us are bloody and bruised.
I stumble to the door, barely on my feet, but determined. When I yank open the door, Pix is there, looking concerned but just as ready to stop me from leaving.
“She’s gone,” Pix says, holding one of her knives. “Don’t make me use this on you, Army.”
“You don’t fucking understand!” I roar in frustration. “Leeva!”
“She’s gone,” Pix repeats, wisely keeping out of arm’s reach from me.
I can move quickly, like lightning, but I know she can as well.
And knowing her, she’d stab me—not fatally, but something well-placed to stop and subdue me.
And the last thing I need is to be wounded and compromised because I need every physical and mental capability present and firing on all cylinders.
Finally, the pragmatic, calm soldier and MC leader takes control from Hayes Cartwright, the man who is desperate for Leeva Malone. His little dove, his siren.
“Where’s Guerilla?”
“He’s gone, too,” Bane rumbles, his left eye, starting to swell, and his mouth bleeding.
“He left shortly after Leeva’s examination started,” Ash adds, wiping his bloody nose with the back of his hand.
I'm ready to murder, truly murder my closest friends now.
“The vote is about to start.” Ash’s dark blue eyes are hard, but I see his concern.
“I don’t care about the fucking vote. We need to get to Leeva.”
Pix immediately understands that something is wrong. “Why? What did you find out?”
They all look sick before I even finish telling them, because they stood in my way and prevented me from revealing what could be a worse-than-death threat against Leeva.
I have no idea what Guerilla's plans for Leeva and this ring are, if any. The help he had in staying off the radar could have come from some other criminal group. He might just want her money and access to more of the Wentzell fortune.
But I need to ensure she’s safe. I feel that something is about to happen, and she'll be taken from me.
“I’m so fucking sorry, brother.” Ash grips my head. “I just thought—”
“I know.” I know they felt they were doing me a solid. Family and loyalty to the end. But we don’t have time for this right now.
Bane pulls out his phone while we rush through the clubhouse to go outside and to our underground bunker for weapons and ammunition.
I’m assuming he’s calling Digits, but it’s Tats’ voice I hear when Bane puts the call on speakerphone.
“You, Mauler, and Toxic lead the club’s vote about Army,” he orders.
Tats catches on quickly. “Taking Army off-site will look bad, Bane. It will look like the Council is trying to intervene and save him if the vote comes back guilty.”
“That’s not what this is,” I grit. “Leeva could be in danger, and we need to find Guerilla.”
“Shit.” He exhales roughly. “Okay, but Mauler isn’t here because Razor left shortly after Guerilla.”
My gut drops.
“If Mauler has eyes on Razor, that’s good,” Pix tries to reassure me.
“Guerilla knew we were keeping an eye on Razor,” I growl.
“You guys go and do what you need to do,” Tats interjects. “But I think we need to delay the vote for now.”
“Agreed,” Ash says.
“Toxic and I can rally the troops to help you guys.”
“It’s better not to involve the club in this,” I warn.
Ash, Bane, and Pix look distressed, but they know I’m right.
“Keep me posted if you change your mind,” he says, then Bane disconnects the call.
Tats might not formally be on the Council, but he’s one of our highest-ranking and most trusted men. I know he’ll have things well under control here. It’s Leeva that I’m worried about.
Ash makes a call as we hurry outside, heading toward the shed that houses the hidden entrance to the underground bunker and our weapons cache.
“You’re calling Massimo?” I ask him.
He nods. “They’ll want to know this past threat to Sophie might have resurfaced.”
And be our allies in fighting this if it actually has.
As the Don, Massimo has more than enough on his plate, especially with shit that’s gone down with the Chamber and a threat against his brother, Vito. But they’re like us; no stranger to dealing with threats on multiple fronts.
Ash remains outside to speak with Massimo while Bane, Pix, and I enter the shed and descend to the subterranean levels. Down here isn’t just the weapons bunker; there are other bunkers housing our contraband, and another large one for our shooting range.
We shove guns and extra ammo into duffel bags while I kick my ass that I didn’t insert a tracker in Leeva.
We live in a criminal world; why the hell wouldn’t my woman have a tracker?
That’s going to be the first thing I rectify as soon as this is all over. That, and officially making her my old lady and my wife.
But first, she needs to be protected, and I need to survive the vote.
Grabbing the heavy duffel bag, I hurry back up the stairs with Bane and Pix right on my heels.
When I reach the top and exit the shed into the bright sunlight, I stop dead.
Because someone who should not be here stands with another man, his face mostly hidden by his jacket’s hood. The woman’s presence sets off every warning alarm in my head.
The wind whips her blonde ponytail as her cool, unreadable eyes lock on mine. But I can read the ex-CIA agent and my friend like an open book.
Len.
Len is here, risking being directly connected to a criminal entity. Which means that whatever intel she has, she didn’t want to risk sharing it via a text or phone call.
And I know I’m not going to like what she has to say.