Chapter 5
FIVE
WEST
As I laid there in bed, thoughts of Chloe rushed through my mind.
I closed my eyes and turned over onto my side, hoping to put my worry for her out of the way so I could get some rest. The exhaustion of staying in a place that wasn’t home had been taking its toll lately on most of the men, and while I kept my mouth shut about it most of the time, I missed my bed.
My bathroom. My living room. My fucking pristine, stainless-steel kitchen.
Chloe would appreciate my place.
I groaned as I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax.
I drew in deep breaths through my nose, relying on meditative skills Tiff had once taught me.
I felt my body being pulled down to the mattress.
My muscles sank against my bones and my eyes stayed closed instead of popping right open.
After rhythmically breathing my existence away, I found myself succumbing to the darkness.
Only for my mind to torture me further.
“Where is she?” I roared.
The gangbanger tied up on the floor smiled as blood dripped down his chin. I cocked my hand back and cracked it against his cheek, watching red-tainted spit fly across the damn room. I shivered with anger. The metallic scent of blood filled my nostrils, and I craved that man’s heart in my hand.
“I’m only going to ask you one more time,” I growled as I fisted his hair and ripped his head back, “where is the girl you took?”
“Shit,” I hissed.
I bolted upright in bed with a cold sweat slithering down the nape of my neck. I wiped it off and shook it out over the floor, grimacing at the feeling of my damp pillow when I laid back down. I exchanged it for another one, only to find that the pillow I had grabbed was much too flat.
I laid there staring at the ceiling until my stomach growled.
“Of. Fucking. Course,” I murmured.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep hungry, so I threw the covers off me.
I rummaged around for a pair of sweatpants that I pulled on, feeling them practically hanging off my damn hips.
I eased my creaking joints out the door and padded toward the haven of food.
I wanted a steak sandwich. And pickles. Oh, and chips.
My stomach growled louder as I found myself standing in front of the fridge.
“Shut up, I’m getting there,” I said flatly.
As I pulled out everything I’d need in order to throw down food at two in the fucking morning, a sound caught my ear. A doorknob off to my left jiggled, and as I turned my head in its general direction, I noticed that someone was fiddling with the front door.
The hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end as I watched a shadowy figure crack the door open.
“Oops. Not there,” the voice whispered.
I narrowed my eyes as I tucked myself into a corner. The first thought that raced through my mind was to head back to my room and get my gun. I cursed myself for not having it on me. I was pretty sure the guys slept with theirs underneath their damn pillow. But the panic didn’t last long.
Because once the figure turned into the kitchen, they slid their hoodie off their head.
And I realized it was Chloe.
“Can’t sleep?” I asked.
“Holy fuck!” she exclaimed.
She rushed to flip on the light, and I stood there grinning at her. The pale skin of her face quickly flushed beet red before her eyes darted to the ingredients I had sprawled out on the kitchen counter. She licked her lips, and I knew exactly why she had gotten up.
Guess great minds think alike.
“What the hell are you doing, scaring me like that?” she asked breathlessly.
I chuckled. “Can’t sleep?”
She shook her head softly and sighed. “No, not really. Then, I got hungry, but then I also couldn’t find the kitchen, and it’s just been a mess.”
I nodded toward the table. “Sit, I’ll make you a steak sandwich.”
The thankfulness that crossed her face was refreshing, considering the fact that most of the people I had been cooped up with were about as thankful as thumbtacks.
She flopped into her chair and pulled the hoodie back over her head, then pulled the drawstrings until just her nose peeked out.
I snickered as I maneuvered myself toward the stove.
It didn’t take long to throw the sandwiches together, and by the time I sat down with our drinks, we had a spread of all sorts of things to eat on the table.
Pickles and chips. Fruit and chocolate dipping sauce. A couple of scrambled eggs just because they sounded good. We even had some pepperoncinis and banana peppers to put on our sandwiches.
“To food,” I said as I held up my sandwich.
Chloe giggled. “To falling asleep on a full stomach.”
“Hear fucking hear,” I murmured.
But I didn’t even get to take a bite before someone actually crashed through the front door.
“Help! Somebody help me!”
Asher’s roaring voice bombarded my ears and I leapt out of my seat.
Chloe got the first glimpse of what happened, and the sheer panic that crossed her face was enough for me.
I picked up my water and took a gulp before rounding into the hallway, and as Asher held the door open, I watched as a couple of his men stumbled through the opening.
And one of them had been shot in the gut.
“Nooooooootch!” I roared.
“Bring him over here,” Chloe said as she stacked plates on the countertop.
I helped her move everything before Asher heaved his man onto the table, who spilled blood at a rate that frightened even me. Chloe yelled for Notch, probably because I had, and after I got the man comfortable, I went in search of both him and Ruby.
Because we needed all hands on deck.
“What the hell happened?” Chloe asked.
Asher shook his head. “They just came out of fucking nowhere. Just a regular nightly patrol, and—”
“What the hell?” Stone exclaimed.
“I found Notch and Ruby!” I roared as I tugged them both down the hallway.
“Lexi!” Ruby shouted.
And like lightning, Lexi darted around the corner. “I’m here. What’s going—oh, shit. We need a suture kit.”
“Shit,” Notch hissed. “Ruby, get the—”
“Already on it, you guys,” she said breathlessly.
Lexi pointed at her. “And get the—”
“Jesus, I’ve got it!” Ruby yelped.
Stone’s eyes widened as he watched blood drip onto the kitchen floor. “Asher. What the hell happened?”
Asher’s face paled as he swallowed hard. “We were just on our nightly patrol and the fucking SUV came out of nowhere.”
“How many men?” Stone demanded.
Asher’s eyes met his. “We were tailed. My men kept telling me that something didn’t feel right, and we tried to double back on them. But they still got the jump on us.”
I walked over to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. “Asher, look at me.”
His watery gaze slowly turned in my direction. “Yeah?”
I nodded softly. “Where were you headed? It’s pretty late for an evening patrol.”
And that was when Asher sighed. “In the middle of our patrol, I got a message from Clancy. He wanted us to meet him at the compound where he and his boys are staying. We were en route when we were ambushed.”
Stone growled. “Fucking cartel. I’ll slaughter every single one of them.”
Asher shook his head. “The cartel is the only thing that makes sense. We don’t have enemies here. Hell, you guys are the only connections we have in this area right now.”
I squeezed his shoulder. “Well, I’m sure you and your men are welcome at the warehouse anytime you need to be here. Right?”
Stone nodded without hesitation. “Always. If you need protection or a place to lay low, we still have an entire back row of rooms that aren’t occupied.”
Asher paused. “You guys are already stuffed in here like sardines. Are you sure—”
I chuckled. “This damn place is over fifteen-thousand square feet. We’ve got plenty of space.”
“Ash-er,” the man on the table said breathlessly.
He darted from my side and crouched down beside his man. “Joker, hey buddy. I’m right here. What do you need?”
Joker’s eyes filled with fear. “Tell her—tell her that I—”
Asher shook his head. “You aren’t dying, so there’s nothing to tell. Keep your focus on me and let them work, all right? Now, squeeze my hand. There we go. Don’t stop squeezing, okay?”
I looked over at Chloe, who stood off in the corner, her entire body shivering in the shadows from the scene unfolding in front of her.
I walked over and stood in front of her, blocking her view as I crossed my arms over my chest. I watched Notch and Ruby work at lightning speed, numbing the man up and pulling the bullet from his gut.
There were some pretty rough things they had to do in order to get the man stable, but once they had him sewn up, everything seemed to calm down a bit.
And as Asher and Stone helped the man down the hallway toward the back of the warehouse, Chloe’s trembling touch appeared on my lower back.
“I need to go lay down,” she whispered.
I turned and gazed down at the top of her head. “Come with me, then. We can eat our food in bed if you’re still hungry.”
She grimaced. “No food. Just—just sleep.”
And without another word spoken, I led her back to her room.
Because I knew I’d never get back to sleep without knowing she was safe and sound in her bedroom before I went back to my own.