CHAPTER SIX #3
Asher doesn’t move from his spot, but when he speaks, it’s with the most emotion I’ve ever heard from him.
“When I watched Logan get shot, it was like the world stopped moving. Watching him fall back to the ground, it was like all the air went out of me.” He takes a deep, fortifying breath before continuing.
“I watched him stop breathing, and the paramedics had to shock him back to life. They wouldn’t let me ride in the ambulance with him…
When I got to the hospital, the wait felt like forever.
Looking back all this time later, I realize one thing that I didn’t see at the time.
Throughout that whole time, while I was sitting in the hospital, I felt Logan’s love in my heart.
I’m not sure how else to describe it, but it’s like my soul knew that he was still alive.
” I nod because that’s what I’ve been feeling, like I would feel in my heart if he were really gone, but then I doubt myself and tell myself I'm dumb for thinking that way.
Asher leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together as he continues.
“Months after this happened, I was talking to my dad about it, mainly because I had pissed Logan off and Dad was helping me figure out how to take my foot out of my mouth. He asked me about this very thing, and that’s when I realized throughout it all, I never lost that feeling inside of here. ” He points to his heart.
I nod, while the tears keep flowing. “I feel that. I feel his love there, it hasn’t left…but…but what if I’m wrong? What if…” Asher moves so quickly I don’t realize it til he’s in front of me, pulling me into a hug.
“Pa was right, don’t speak that out, don’t give your worry air like that. We’re gonna find him. We’re gonna find him, and he’s going to be okay and be back here for you.”
There’s honking at the gate, and we both look over to see a car waiting to get in. I’m not sure who it could be. It’s not a car I know off the top of my head, but Asher seems to know it.
“What the hell is she doing here?” He moves quickly to the gate to open it, and I admit, I’m nosy and want to see who it is.
The car pulls in and parks. The door opens, and a woman comes out.
When she looks up, I realize I’ve met her a few times before because she works with Logan.
Asher asks her the same question that’s on my mind.
“Amanda, what are you doing here so early?” She huffs and looks over at me for a second, and back at Asher.
“I just got woken up on my day off by a phone call from my wayward brother. I need to see your president and the guy who used to be a cop. It’s important.
” The way she says that has both Asher and me moving quickly.
I meet the two of them at the door to the clubhouse, needing to hear whatever it is she knows.
I follow the two of them into the clubhouse, and I hear Asher tell Amanda that he’s gonna go get Jon and find Jason.
Amanda stands near the door, her phone in hand.
She looks at me and tilts her head like she’s studying me.
“There’s somethin’ serious goin’ on, ain’t there?
” I nod, but before I can answer her, Jeremiah walks into the room from the hallway where some of the bedrooms are.
“Amanda? Sweetheart, what are you doin’ here?” Amanda rolls her eyes at him. “I’m not your freaking sweetheart. I’m here to see your president. I-”
Jon walks into the room, typing on his phone, and interrupts Amanda.
“You told Asher you got a call from your brother? I’m guessing that wasn’t Trent who called you.
” Amanda, who’s still glaring daggers at Jeremiah, answers, “Hell no. You and I both know Trent doesn’t know anything, and still has another couple of months out at sea.
It was Braxton, whom I haven’t talked to in months.
He said he was sending me a text with information that you and the one who used to be a cop would know what to do with.
Said he had to contact me because if someone got his phone, it would just look like he was texting his sister.
” She huffs and continues, “Honestly, if I didn’t think this might matter to Logan, I would’ve told him to fuck off. ”
I speak before anyone else can. “Thank you for coming. Any bit of information could help, and I…I just…thank you.” Logan comes up and wraps an arm around me. “Amanda’s just talking. She would always help if she thought someone needed it.” She rolls her eyes at Logan but gives me a smile.
Jon interrupts the small talk, reminding everyone why Amanda’s here at the crack of dawn.
“Do you have the text he was talking about, or is he sending it?” She hands him her phone.
“He said he would send it in thirty minutes, which should be anytime now. Is that cop guy here? Braxton said it was really important that he read it. I don’t know why, but he was serious about it. ”
The door to the outside opens, and in walks Romona, her hands full of trays of food.
She looks at all of us standing in the clubroom.
“Jason’s parking and will be right in. He’ll be faster if someone can go out and help bring in the food.
” Jeremiah and Logan scurry off to go help.
A minute later, Jason comes through the door.
Jon gives him a chin lift. “Come with me to my office. We might have our first fucking clue.” I watch them walk out of the room, and it takes everything in me not to follow them. Please find Max…please let him be okay.
Fed
Braxton or Spade, as the fucker Taz refers to him, swears he’s getting a message to the Knights for me. His cover was blown months ago, which is why I was brought in for this. I was called in because I know just about everyone in the Knights, I know the law, and I fucking know Max.
After reviewing the case files, I was all for helping bring down Taz and Brander. Luckily for me, Taz is completely delusional and thinks he can get new guys to join his MC on just the promise of money. Money, which he has no fucking way of getting.
I watch as Taz paces as he’s thinking. Not sure what about, but with his delusions, it could be fucking anything.
He stops and looks at me. “I’m gonna go find Brander and get his ass in gear.
Can’t have him focusing on his hobbies when I need his ass.
You watch our captive guest. We’re gonna be goin’ to the bank later to collect the money, so don’t hit him in the fucking face, get me?
” I nod, still processing how he calls Brander killing multiple women for sport a fucking hobby.
I watch as he gets in his truck and takes off. Shame that, thanks to his injury from being shot, Brander can no longer ride. Taz can only do so for a short while since he’s got an Achilles injury from the same event. Dude can’t run any faster than my grandma used to.
I walk to the back room of the rundown house that Taz claims is where the Sangre Devils will rebuild. Max is sitting in the middle of the room, tied to a dining room chair. He glares at me. “You could at least untie one hand so I can finally scratch the itch on my fucking back.”
I shrug a shoulder, but I do go and untie his hands, because I know in the future he could do ten times worse to me. After he scratches his back and moans out in relief, he asks me the question that I know has been on the tip of his tongue since he got here.
“How the hell did you get involved in all this? The last I heard from Jason was that you were prospecting but had a few more months left of active duty. How the hell does that turn into going undercover to catch these two sick fucks? Make that make sense to me, Luke.”
I sit in the chair across from him. “I’ve been a reserve for the last year.
I was approached by Braxton after I met him in the hospital following the shit that went down up the mountain.
He knew I’d worked in Intelligence for some of my time.
He said I had some unique qualifications that they needed for a couple of cases, mainly this one.
I knew intelligence was familiar with local law thanks to my dad and Uncle Jeremy.
Because I grew up with your brothers and a bunch of the guys from the club, I understood the life.
Some of that can’t really be trained, or not well enough in the timeframe they were looking for.
” Max nods and waits for me to continue.
“We were getting good intel, especially once Taz thought he took me on as a prospect, but we didn’t have a way to let him think he got the paperwork and was going to be rid of both the Knights Wrath and the Norse Rebels at the same time.
You should know, the other prospect who’s been in here a few times?
He’s a nomad for the Norse Rebels. Club name is Prowl.
He was a Fed before he joined the club. He was reinstated for this because he fucking demanded it.
One of Brander’s identified victims was his sister. ”
Max leans back in his chair. “Well, shit. He’s definitely got a vested interest in taking them down then.
” I watch Max think. The asshole is way smarter than most people realize.
He looks back at me. “So what’s the fucking plan?
Braxton only let me know the timeline had been moved up, but not everything, like some fucking details. ”
I spend the next ten minutes or so telling Max everything and the plan for getting him out of here safely and back home, all while finally taking down the two fuckers.
When I finish telling him, he looks at me and gets a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Plan sounds solid, but you’re going to be the one to explain everything to Ma so she doesn’t kill us.
” Fucker. Ma's anger is scarier than just about anyone on this planet.
I let out a sigh. “Fine, but be sure to say nice things about me at my funeral.” Max laughs and nods, because he knows his mom and her friends can be scary as shit. Time to get these fuckers. I’m ready to go home.
I take my phone out and see a text from my dad letting me know that Braxton did get the message to him. I look at Max. “You ready to be tied back up again? Taz and Brander should be here anytime, and the cavalry should be ready to go in the next twenty minutes or so.”
Max shakes his head. “I think you’re having too much fun with tying me up, Stone. That’s something you might want to look into. Your enjoyment in tying someone up, as well as your love for me. I’m taken and don’t swing that way, but I’m sure we can find—” I put my hand up to stop the fucker.
“I can put a rag in your mouth if you don’t shut up, so don’t tempt me anymore.”
He’s still smiling when he reminds me, “Now, remember, Luke. He said I wasn’t to be harmed because he thinks I can wave a magic lawyer wand at the bank and magically get him this money that frankly is no longer in the bank and he has no legal right to.
” Dude has been making me roll my eyes at him for most of our lives. Fucker.
“Alright, I hear a truck coming down the drive. Time for you to forget you know me or anything that’s going on. You can even squeak out a few tears if you’re feeling fancy.” That earns me a glare, and I know he’s silently cussing me out. It’s fun to work with family.