Chapter Thirty-Eight
AS SOON AS Lucas was settled with his treatment, Doc knew what had to be done and wasted no time putting the gears in motion.
Hours later, under the cover of night, he stared down at the man kneeling before him in the snow, blindfolded and gagged, his hands bound behind his back. Gone were the fancy jacket and tie, his shirt ripped at the collar. He was shaking, from the cold or from fear was anybody’s guess, but Doc hoped it was the latter. He wasn’t the type to carry hatred in his heart, but he despised this piece of shit with every fiber of his being.
“Take off the blindfold,” Doc gritted out. “I want this fucker to see my face.”
Cowboy pulled it off, and Marvin Adkin blinked several times, fear rising in his eyes as he took in Doc, Cowboy, Dare, Rebel, Hyde, and Taz.
Doc eyed Adkin. “Not quite the cushy evening you had planned, is it, Marv?”
Adkin bitched, the gag muffling his voice.
“What’s that? I can’t quite make it out.” Doc took out his switchblade and began cleaning his nails with it. “Let me fill in the gaps for you. I would’ve preferred to do this hours ago, when you egregiously invaded my future wife and our son’s personal space.” He crouched in front of him and pointed the knife at him. “But you see, Marv , some things take time. I had to call the PI, and he had to coordinate with the FBI, and they had to get a search warrant. All that shit takes time.”
Letting that sink in, Doc pushed to his feet and began walking slowly around him. “I bet you were excited to get that text from Ana and to meet her at the park.” Standing behind Adkin, he bent down, speaking into his ear. “ Surprise . She’s already in protective custody.” He stood and continued walking around him. “Your girlfriend made a deal with the Feds, Marv. She sold you out. We know all about your hidden safe, and the money laundering, and a shitload of your other illegal activities. And that text?” He stopped in front of him, staring him down. “That took time, too.”
He crouched again, enjoying the anger in the asshole’s eyes. “Our computer guy had to hack her phone to send that text asking you to meet her at the park.” He pointed the knife at him again. “I admit, I was a little worried you might not show up, and my guys would be waiting with that van forever. I mean, it can’t be easy to get out at night when you’re married. But then I remembered that your wife had her book club meeting tonight.”
Doc laughed. “Level with me. Did you know there’s no book club? Did you know your wife is probably on her hands and knees right now sucking your buddy’s cock? Your lawyer’s cock?” Anger rose in Adkin’s eyes anew. “I was surprised to find out that Wilson Chambers, the man you trusted with all your wrongdoings, has been fucking your wife for years.”
Adkin’s face reddened as he spewed muffled words against the gag.
Doc pushed to his feet, looking at the other guys. “Did you guys catch that? I don’t think he knew his wife was fucking another man. That’s a shame, Marv. You see, we have pictures. Actually, we have a collection of pictures of you, too. Some with Ana, but cheating isn’t against the law. Although, having a small dick should be. It’s no wonder your wife cheated.”
The guys chuckled.
“But my PI’s been a busy boy these past few months, Marv. He managed to get some pictures of you and some sketchy guys. He’s good, too. He has one of those big-ass cameras that can see a zit on a fly’s ass. Now, that wouldn’t be so bad, if you and those guys weren’t involved with things like extortion and bribery. I sure hope those don’t get leaked to the press.”
“That’d be uncomfortable,” Dare said.
“It sure would. I don’t like to be uncomfortable, and you know what makes me uncomfortable, Marv?” Doc nodded to Rebel and Hyde.
They grabbed Adkin’s arms, hauling him to his feet.
Doc stepped closer, speaking through clenched teeth. “I get uncomfortable when people talk shit about my family.” He pointed the knife at him. “You have said some awful shit about both of my families. Maybe you thought I’d forget what you said after all these years, but my memory is as sharp as a fucking tack.”
He brought the knife closer, holding it against Adkin’s jaw. The blood drained from the fucker’s face. “You feel that fear? That’s how your sixteen-year-old daughter felt when you lied to her and fucked her over. That’s how she felt when you made her marry the wrong man.” It took everything Doc had not to finish off the fucker right that second. “What do you have to say for yourself?” He pushed the knife beneath the gag and sliced it, sending it sailing to the ground, and handed the knife to Cowboy.
“You’re going to pay—”
Doc grabbed him by the shirt, hauling him off his feet. “Shut your fucking mouth before I rip off your arm and shove it down your throat.” He dropped him, sending him stumbling backward into Cowboy’s chest.
“You are one stupid motherfucker. Now you’ve gone and pissed Doc off,” Cowboy said, and with a push of his chest, Adkin stumbled forward.
“You’ve fucked with the wrong family,” Doc warned.
The asshole spit at him.
Doc’s fist connected with his jaw with an audible crack , knocking him off his feet. “Get him up.”
Rebel and Hyde dragged him to his feet.
“Real tough, hitting a guy who’s tied up,” Adkin said, spitting blood into the snow.
“Kind of like when you sicced two bodyguards on a nineteen-year-old kid,” Doc said. “But you’re right. I don’t need to sink to your level.” He nodded to Cowboy, and Cowboy cut the cable ties off his wrists.
Adkin rubbed his wrists. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. You’re all going to prison for this.”
“I don’t think so.” Doc lowered his voice chillingly. “You see, right now we’re out on a horse rescue. In fact, we met a police officer at the field where the horses were last seen. We’re on his bodycam, heading into the fields to search for them.”
“And we’ll be on it again after leaving the property half an hour from now,” Cowboy added.
“That’s right. We’re your worst nightmare. We’re ghosts ,” Doc said.
“You stupid idiots,” Adkin said. “There are traffic cameras all over.”
“If only they hadn’t been hacked and disabled,” Dare said. “But we’re just lowly bikers. What do we know?”
Fear fell over Adkin’s face like a curtain. “My…my phone is tracked. I’ve been gone too long. My wife will worry. The police will probably show up here any minute.”
“That could have worked in your favor,” Doc said, glancing at Hyde.
“If we hadn’t left your phone in your car at the park after we tossed you in the van,” Hyde said.
“Did I forget to mention that your wife will be getting a text from you soon telling her that you got a flat and that she needs to come get you at the park?” Doc asked. “She won’t find you, of course. But she’ll find pictures of you and Ana in some very precarious positions.”
“You son of a bitch,” Adkin fumed. “You won’t get away with this.”
“Here’s the thing, Marv. After tonight, nobody’s going to give a shit what you say. They’re going to be too riveted to their televisions and smartphones as your cushy little life falls apart piece by fucking piece. But in case you get the urge to try to bring our names into this, you should know that we’re well connected, too. If any of our names are mentioned, you won’t last a day in prison. I did mention you’re going to prison, didn’t I?”
“It was implied,” Cowboy said.
“Right.” Doc set a dark stare on Adkin. “You do remember the ranch that you threatened to close down helps previously incarcerated individuals, don’t you, Marv? The thing is, all of those guys we’ve helped over the years are still buddies with the lifers they knew in prison. You know about lifers, don’t you? They have nothing left to lose, and they’re very appreciative of the work we’ve done to help their buddies. They won’t take kindly to any of us being bad-mouthed.”
“You son of a bit—” Adkin threw a punch, clocking Doc in the jaw.
He never saw the uppercut coming as Doc’s fist connected with the underside of his jaw, sending him flying into the snow on his back. Doc was on him in seconds, seeing red, his fists flying, anger roaring out with every lightning-fast punch. “For Juliette and our son.” Crack. “For the years you stole from us.” Crack. “For Hazel…”
With every punch, he saw Juliette’s blue eyes, dripping with tears after learning the truth of what her father had done. He saw Lucas’s tortured face when he found out he’d been lied to, and he saw years of his own emotional torment spent trying to fill the big black hole Adkin’s deceit had caused in his own fucking heart.
What he didn’t see until Rebel and Dare tore him from his rage-induced fury was the blood pouring from the prick’s mouth and nose, his head lolling from side to side, crimson seeping through the snow.
“It’s over, Doc,” Dare gritted out. “He’s done.”
Doc fought to get free. “Not done enough .”
Cowboy stepped in front of him. “You’ve got a family waiting on you. Pull your shit together, and let the Feds have him.”
Doc ground his back teeth, knowing he was right, but fuck if that made it any easier to diffuse his rage and walk away from the fucker who hurt Juliette.
“Let him squirm in prison, mate,” Taz said. “Somebody’ll make him his bitch.”
“He’ll be paying for his sins forever,” Rebel said.
Cowboy’s eyes narrowed, holding Doc’s stare. “How about we avoid you paying for yours?”
“Mine’s not a sin. It’s fucking retribution.” He yanked his arms free.
“One phone call, and you’ll have that.” Cowboy stepped closer. “You want more blood on your hands, you’re gonna have to go through me.”
“Think of your family, mate,” Taz said.
“You want your boy visiting you in prison?” Dare asked.
Doc stared them all down, wanting nothing more than to take Adkin’s last breath, but he wasn’t a stupid man. He wanted the motherfucker to suffer. “I’m not doing shit. That fucker’s not worth it. Tie him up.”
As Cowboy and Dare cable-tied Adkin’s wrists and ankles, Doc pulled out his phone and called Reggie. “It’s done. Give us ten minutes. Then he’s all yours.”
DOC TOOK THE long way home, needing to cool down and get his head on straight before going back to the ranch.
When he finally got to the entrance, Tiny was leaning against his truck beneath the Redemption Ranch sign. Fuck . They’d told Tiny they’d gotten a rescue call, too. He hoped to hell Cowboy and Dare hadn’t crumbled under the pressure and told Tiny the truth when they returned with an empty horse trailer.
Doc pulled up behind Tiny’s truck and went to talk to him.
“Heard the rescue went to shit,” Tiny said.
Thank you, Cowboy and Dare. “Yeah. Must’ve been a fake call.”
Tiny rubbed his jaw, shaking his head. “Y’all still can’t lie for shit.”
Fuck . Doc clenched his teeth.
“And you boys wonder why I had so much gray hair. Looks like he got a shot in. Is he still breathing?”
Doc nodded. “Feds have him.”
“You put your brothers and other good men at risk. Do I have to worry about you all going to prison?”
“No. We covered our asses, and I didn’t make them come with me.”
“I have no doubt about that.” Tiny’s eyes narrowed. “Do you feel better?”
Doc rubbed the back of his neck, weighing his answer. “If I say yes, are you going to think less of me?”
“Nothing could ever make me think less of you.”
“In that case, yes . With all the evidence the Feds will have against her father, he’ll be put away until he’s too old to piss by himself. But I won’t feel whole again until I see my boy sleeping safe and sound in his bed and I have Juliette in my arms.”
“Understood. This was a long time coming. If I hadn’t made a promise to your mother not to touch that fucker, I’d’ve done it myself after he had those two bastards beat the shit out of you years ago.”
“You knew about that?” What the hell?
“I guess you missed the memo about the unfortunate accident those two bastards got into. Nobody puts their hands on my kids without paying a price.”
Holy shit. He’d had no idea. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Ignoring Doc’s question, Tiny said, “What are you going to tell your gal about tonight?”
“That it must have been a fake call.”
“Why not tell her the truth?”
“Because I love her, and there are certain things she doesn’t need to know.”
“Sounds about right. Listen, son, if this comes back to haunt your thoughts, you talk to someone. Don’t let that shit stew, ya hear me?”
“Loud and clear.”
Tiny nodded and pulled him into an embrace. “Love you, son.”
“Love you, too.”
As Tiny walked back to his truck, Doc couldn’t get over what his father had done for him. “Hey, old man.”
Tiny turned around.
“Did Mom know what you did to the bodyguards?”
“Not until the night Lucas took off. Juliette let it slip out that the assholes beat you up, and your mother asked if I knew about it. I couldn’t lie to her, so I fessed up and said they got their due.”
“ Wait . Juliette knows you did something to them? She never said anything about it.”
Tiny cocked a grin. “Guess she didn’t think you needed to know. G’night, son.”
Doc stewed on that as he drove home.
As he came through the front door, the dogs appeared at the top of the stairs. He quietly closed the door, and they retreated into Lucas’s room. He took off his boots and set them aside before making his way upstairs. Lucas was fast asleep with a dog on either side of him and one at his feet. Doc wasn’t proud of having beaten that man, but he was proud knowing his boy and Juliette would never have to worry about him coming into their lives again.
They’d have to deal with the media, but he’d already consulted with Reggie’s sister, Shea Steele, the owner of a highly regarded public relations firm. She was as well connected as the governor himself, and she’d already been putting the wheels in motion to control how things unfolded. He knew when shit hit the fan, they’d be in good hands.
He made his way downstairs, and when he walked into the bedroom, Juliette closed the book she was reading, her smile like sunshine to his stormy thoughts. “Hi, darlin’.”
“How’d the rescue go?” She crawled to the foot of the bed.
He hated lying to her, but it was for the best. “It must’ve been a false call,” he said as she rose onto her knees and put her arms around him. “We couldn’t find any sign of horses.”
“I’ll never understand people who do things like that.” Her brows knitted. “What happened to your mouth?”
“Two of the guys got into a scuffle, and I got caught in it.”
“What is it with guys? You never see women having scuffles. Does it hurt?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Good.” She pressed a tender kiss to the cut.
“Thanks, babe. How was our boy tonight?”
“He was good. We had a quiet night. Layla came over after, and I offered to watch Gus so Ezra and Sasha could have some private time. We all watched The Sandlot . The kids were happy, and I got to cuddle Gus. It’s been a long time since I got to cuddle a little one.”
“I’m glad you had a good night. And Brave Heart?”
She smiled. “She’s a fighter. I think she’ll pull through. Lucy, the girl from the service, will check on her every four hours tonight.”
“Good. I’m going to take a quick shower before I come to bed.” He kissed her and took off his cut, tossing it on the dresser as he headed into the bathroom, hoping to wash away the remnants of the shitty night.
He turned on the shower and stripped down while the water heated up. He stepped beneath the warm spray and tipped his face up to it, letting the hot water ease his muscles.
The shower door opened, and Juliette stepped in with him. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his chest. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He embraced her, wondering how she’d known he needed her. She hadn’t just become his everything. She was the blood in his heart, the love in his soul, the very air he breathed. She’d become his fucking life force. He kissed the top of her head. “But I’m even better now. It was a long night. Tell me something good, darlin’.”
“I’ve been thinking about your offer to work together.”
“And?”
She gazed up at him. “Well, there’s the whole sleeping with my boss thing to consider.”
“That’s a definite perk,” he said arrogantly.
She laughed and kissed his chest. “Does that mean I’ll be paid in sexual favors?”
“Those’ll be your bonuses.”
“This deal is sounding sweeter by the minute. What if you get tired of seeing my face?”
“Darlin’, I’ve seen your face in my mind every day since the first day I met you, and not once have I been sick of it.”
Her smile lifted his heart. “In that case, I’ll talk to Jade tomorrow.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes, Dr. Whiskey. If you still want me, I’ll happily accept your offer.”
He touched his forehead to hers, tangling his fingers in her hair. “There’ll never come a day when I won’t want you, darlin’.” With a gentle tug, he tipped her face up and lowered his lips to hers. As happened so often, their love took over, and the rest of the world fell away.