Chapter Nine
AXEL
The last thing I expected when going out to meet Saint was coming back with Garrett hog-tied in the back of our van. Chaos meets us outside, with Saige, Sin, and Rogue next to him. I get out of the truck, just as Malice dives out of the backseat, jogging over to his bike and revving it up.
“Where’s he heading?” Rogue asks. He’s standing shoulder to shoulder with Sin, roughly about the same size. I’m not a small guy, but these two gnarly fuckers look like beasts. I walk up to the group, pulling Rogue into a hug.
“Good to see you, brother. Welcome home.”
“Anyone gonna tell me where Mal is running off to?” he asks again. Chaos throws his hands in the air in frustration. He hates that he’s losing control of all of us. Lucky for him, I’m about to make his night a whole lot better.
“He’s stalking some poor, unsuspecting woman he met. They’ll be fine.”
“For fuck’s sake. Chaos, what kinda shit show are you runnin’ while I’m gone?” he asks our president.
“Fuck off. Maybe if you were here, I’d have more help.
Sin is preoccupied with Bristol, the shelter, and whatever the fuck else he’s doing.
Malice is off stalking or murdering, the prospects have all lost their fucking minds, we were infiltrated by another club, and I’ve got my own shit to worry about now. ”
“You mean Saige? That woman doesn’t need you to worry about anything. She can handle herself,” I tell him as I walk back over to the van.
“Glad I came home when I did.”
“Glad to see you callin’ it home, you dumb fucker. Aspen Ridge doesn’t need you. We do,” I tell him.
“That’s why I’m here, aren’t I? Kinsey is on summer break and doesn’t have to go back to get her classroom ready for about a month. We’ll be here for a bit.”
“Good,” Chaos snaps. These two are ridiculous.
“Now if you two are done bitching at each other like tweenage boys, I’ve got a gift. Well, Saint gave us a gift, so I technically can’t take credit. But I did do the driving.”
I take a step back after opening the van doors, pulling out a smoke and lighting it up, the cherry glowing bright, nicotine flooding my veins. Chaos and Rogue walk up to the van and look inside, finding Garrett still passed out, gagged, and tied up.
“Who is that?” Rogue asks.
“Garrett. He’s the one who shot Rolo. Is he dead?” Chaos asks.
“Nah. I don’t know what the fuck Saint gave him, but he is out cold. I want to see his face when he wakes up and realizes he’s back in Heathen territory.”
“What the fuck did he want in return, Wrath?” Chaos barks, turning and squinting his eyes at me.
“This was an olive branch to hear him out. He doesn’t expect anything in return, but it was a show of good faith. He wants the Hell’s Heathens to help get his club back. Rolo’s blood brother, Cain, took it over, and everything’s gone to shit. He wants it back.”
“For fuck’s sake. We can’t handle another war, Wrath.”
“We might not have a choice. Men like Cain are diseases, and diseases spread. It’s only a matter of time before it reaches us more than it already has.”
“Yeah, but if we cut off the head of one snake, two more grow in its place,” Rogue adds, running his hand through his shoulder-length hair.
I clock Chaos’ expression, like he’s contemplating something, an idea that just struck him.
There’s a reason he was chosen as our president when Queenie died.
He handles it better than any of us could.
“You’re right. So, what if we take out a few snakes and take over their nest? No nest. No snakes.”
“You aren’t fucking serious. Saint asked for help getting his club back. Not for you to take over his fucking club. We’ve never given a shit about territory.”
“No. But it’s smart. More territory, the bigger we are, the stronger we are. The less of a threat everyone else is. Do you think he’d consider retiring the Kingsnakes MC and becoming a Hell’s Heathen?”
“What the fuck are you even talking about right now, Chaos?” I snap. This isn’t him. “Get to your point. What are you asking?”
“If he’s half as decent of a man as this olive branch represents, then he’d be the new president of the next chapter of Hell’s Heathens, Autumn Cove.”
“Bay,” I correct.
“What the fuck ever.”
Rogue’s head bobs back; both of us are stunned silent. The idea has merit. There are multiple chapters of clubs throughout one state, and the territories would be spread out enough that we wouldn’t be under each other’s feet, but we’d be close enough to have each other’s backs.
“Sleep on it, Chaos. That’s a big ask. Maybe meet the guy before you ask him to take your club’s name.”
Chaos flips me off while Rogue snorts.
“Get that piece of shit in the garage and get Stitch to keep him alive. He’s going to stay put for a while. Let him sweat. Then he’ll find out what happens to a man for hurting a Heathen.”
Rogue and I work together to get the big asshole out of the van and into the garage.
Technically, below the garage. And carrying him down the stairs into the room we use for torturing assholes like him isn’t something I want to repeat any time soon.
He smells like a rotting corpse, and I’ve never wanted a hot shower after manhandling someone so bad in my life.
Once Rogue and I get Garrett hanging from the ceiling, we wait for our in-house doctor to arrive to set up an IV. He agrees to keep him sedated enough that he stays asleep and hydrated enough that he won’t die on us. We’ve got big plans for him that he needs to be very much alive for.
After a hot shower, I dry off and collapse naked on my bed, with only one thing on my mind. A pretty little beauty with icy blonde hair and a set of endless blue eyes a man could get lost in if he’s not careful.
The sun is just starting to peek over the mountains, and I know it’s way too early to text her, but I won’t be able to rest until I do.
Me: Tell me you’re alright, sweetheart
Her reply doesn’t come until hours later, and I toss and turn until it does. The same response I’ve gotten from her every other time I’ve asked that question.
Unknown: I’m fine
Me: You deserve to be more than fine
Unknown: That’s life. I’m not your problem
Me: Then here’s your reminder: you could never be a problem if you tried
She doesn’t text back, and I let it go. Even if I feel like begging her to talk to me.
Days go by, and I make it a point to check in with Sienna at the end of every single one. It’s the same conversation on an endless loop, but she’s texting me back, and that’s all I care about. Proof of life. I find myself looking forward to it.
Me: How was your day?
Unknown: Fine
Me: Someday it’ll be better than fine
Me: Did you have a good day, sweetheart?
Unknown: It was fine, I guess
Me: One of these days it’s going to be great
Me: Sorry for the late text tonight, how was your day?
Unknown: Fine
Me: You deserve for it to be incredible
Me: Hi, sweetheart, how are you?
Unknown: I’m fine Axel
Unknown: You don’t have to keep asking. I’m fine. Everything is fine
Me: It’s no hardship to ask when I genuinely want the answer
Unknown: Well I’m fine. I’m not your problem
Me: And you couldn’t be a problem if you tried. If you want me to stop asking, block me.
Me: Did you have a good day?
Unknown: It was the same as always
Me: Someday it’s gonna be different. Just wait and see
Me: Sitting here wondering how your day was
I balance my burner phone on my knee, wishing like hell she’d text me back when the ugly asshole in front of me starts to moan and jerk his body around, slowly starting to wake up.
I look over at Chaos, who’s sitting next to me in the torture room below the garage, and nods his head, picking up his phone to text everyone and walking outside to get some fresh air.
The scent of death, urine, and dried blood permeates the air down here, and it can make it hard to breathe.
Malice has been preoccupied, and we’ve kept this piece of shit alive long enough. Time to end it.
Chaos: It’s time to deal with Garrett
Chaos: Wasn’t expecting you to have company Mal but we gotta do this tonight
Me: I’ll be right up
Sin: Garage?
Chaos: Yep
Me: All set up. He’s wide awake looking at me like one angry fucker
Me: Doesn’t seem too happy to be back at the Heathen compound
Chaos: Tough shit for him
Me: Well I’m ready to party then
I pocket my phone and cross my arms over my chest, looking back at the piece of shit hanging in front of me, waiting for my brothers to peel themselves away from their women.
I could have kept him alive for longer, prolonged this, but I want it done with.
Malice called dibs, and I think it will do him some good to purge the energy flowing through him.
Losing Rolo is hard on all of us, but Malice especially.
I hear the heavy crank of the metal, the hidden door being opened, and I ready myself for the show. Like I said, Malice is a showboat, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him crave death and destruction quite like he has with Garrett.
Chaos, Sin, and Malice walk into the soundproof room, and together we stand in front of him like the four horsemen of the apocalypse, ready to send this asshole back to hell where he belongs.
Malice speaks first, his voice lighter, softer than I would expect, sounding less like the Malice I know, and more like Crew, who I’ve only seen interacting with Monroe.
I look at him from the corner of my eye.
Maybe he’s on to something with his whole “the queens are making them soft” thing.
Seems as though Malice’s sharp and pointed sides are getting a little dull.
“Garrett, glad you’re still with us. You fucked up, picked the wrong club to fuck with. ”
“I was following orders,” he rasps, followed by a coughing fit.