Chapter 6 - Dice
The road back to Pine Haven stretches dark and empty before us, the Dyna's headlight cutting through the night like a blade. Maddie's arms are wrapped tightly around my waist, her body pressed against my back. I can feel her heartbeat, still too fast. Mine isn't much better.
My shoulder throbs where one of those bastards got in a lucky hit, and my knuckles are raw from the fight. But I'm alive. We're both alive. That's what matters.
The adrenaline is fading now, replaced by a cold, calculating anger. Someone set Maddie up. Someone who knows about me, about James. Someone who was willing to kidnap her, or worse, to send a message.
This isn't some random job gone wrong. This is personal.
I take the long way back to town, sticking to back roads and watching constantly for headlights behind us. Paranoid, maybe, but after what just happened, paranoid feels like the smart play for once.
"You okay back there?" I call over my shoulder, feeling Maddie shift her position slightly.
"Fine," she shouts back, but her grip on me tightens.
I don't believe her for a second, but now isn't the time to push it. We need to get to the clubhouse, to safety. Then we can figure out what the hell is happening.
The clubhouse comes into view, its neon sign a beacon in the darkness. Even at this late hour, the parking lot is half-full. Club business never really stops.
I pull around to the back entrance, away from prying eyes. The last thing we need is some hang-around seeing us arrive looking like we just escaped a murder scene.
"Brace yourself," I warn as I kill the engine. "This isn't going to be pleasant."
"Being kidnapped wasn't pleasant either," she retorts, some of her usual fire returning. "I can handle your biker friends."
I'm not so sure about that. Reaper doesn't take kindly to outsiders bringing trouble to his door, and this is trouble with a capital T. But there's no other option. The club is the only protection worth having in Pine Haven.
We enter through the back door, which leads directly to the club's private area—off-limits to anyone but members and their invited guests. The main room is empty, but I can hear voices from behind the closed chapel doors. Church is in session. Perfect timing.
"Wait here," I tell Maddie, gesturing to a worn leather couch against the wall. "I need to interrupt a reunion."
Her eyes widen slightly. Even she knows that's a major violation of club protocol. "Is that a good idea?"
"No," I admit. "But it's necessary."
I leave her there and approach the chapel doors, pausing to take a deep breath before knocking three times—the emergency signal.
The voices inside immediately fall silent. A moment later, the door swings open to reveal Ghost, his expression changing from annoyed to concerned as he takes in my appearance.
"What the fuck happened to you?" he demands, stepping aside to let me enter.
The chapel—our meeting room—is occupied by the full members: Reaper at the head of the table, Ghost's empty VP chair beside him, then Wilder, Blade, Ace, and Viper around the table. Every eye turns to me, and I feel the weight of their collective stare.
"Sorry to interrupt." I say, addressing Reaper directly. "We've got a situation."
Reaper takes in my bruised knuckles and disheveled appearance. "What kind of situation requires interrupting a club meeting, prospect?"
I stand straighter, knowing I need to get this right. "James's friend, Maddie, was set up tonight. Men tried to abduct her. They knew about her, about James, about me and the club. They were professionals."
"And how exactly do you know all this?" Reaper's voice is dangerously calm.
Here comes the hard part. "Because I was there when it happened. I stopped it."
The room erupts in voices, everyone talking at once. Reaper silences them with a raised hand.
"Explain," he orders. "From the beginning."
I take a deep breath and lay it all out. Maddie's text asking for help, my decision to go alone, the theft she was planning, and the men who were waiting to grab her. I leave nothing out, not even my own role in agreeing to help her. Lying now would only make things worse.
When I finish, the silence is deafening.
"Where is she now?" Ghost finally asks.
"Outside. In the common room."
Reaper's face betrays nothing as he considers this information. "Bring her in."
I fetch Maddie, who's sitting exactly where I left her, tension radiating from every line of her body. When I tell her Reaper wants to see her, she nods once, squaring her shoulders like she's preparing for battle.
"Follow my lead," I murmur as we approach the chapel. "And whatever you do, don't lie to them. They'll know."
The club members watch in silence as Maddie enters the room. She holds herself with remarkable composure for someone who nearly got kidnapped an hour ago and is now facing a table of outlaws who have every reason to be pissed at her.
"Ms. Brooks," Reaper acknowledges her with a slight nod. "Seems you've brought trouble to our door."
"Not intentionally," she replies, her voice steady. "But yes, it appears I have."
"Dice tells me you were hired to steal a prototype watch. The job went sideways when men were waiting to abduct you. Men who knew about your connection to his brother, and to him." Reaper leans forward. "What I want to know is why."
"I wish I knew," Maddie says. "I vetted the job like I always do. The client checked out. Either I missed something, or..."
"Or you were betrayed," Ghost finishes for her. "By someone who knew your movements and connections."
She nods. "It's the only explanation that fits."
"And the watch?" Reaper asks. "Where is it now?"
I pull the case from my pocket and place it on the table. "Right here."
Reaper opens it, examines the watch briefly, then closes it again. "Looks like a normal smartwatch to me."
"That's what I thought too," Maddie admits. "But apparently it's worth a lot to someone."
"Or it was bait," Wilder suggests, speaking for the first time. "To lure you out."
The room falls silent as we all consider this possibility. If the watch itself wasn't the target, if Maddie was, then we're dealing with something much more complex than a theft gone wrong.
"Who would want to grab you badly enough to set up an elaborate sting?" Blade asks her directly. "You piss off someone powerful?"
"I've accumulated enemies," she acknowledges. "But no one who would go to these lengths. This was... personal. The man knew my full name. And they specifically mentioned James."
"And Dice," Ghost adds, giving me a pointed look. "He said they mentioned him too."
"Which means they've been watching her," Reaper concludes. "Possibly watching you as well, prospect."
The thought sends a chill down my spine. How long have we been under surveillance? Since Maddie arrived in Pine Haven? Earlier?
"We need to secure James," I say, the realization hitting me suddenly. "If they know about him, know he's getting out soon—"
"Already on it," Reaper interrupts, nodding to Ghost, who pulls out his phone and steps away to make a call. "We'll have someone watching the prison, make sure no one makes a move when he's released."
Relief floods through me. This is why I brought us here. The club takes care of its own.
"What about the men who tried to grab her?" Ace asks. "Dice put them down, but they're still out there. They could identify both of them."
"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Viper says, looking at his phone. "Police scanner's blowing up. Three men found at the abandoned gas station on Miller Road. All dead."
My blood runs cold. "Dead? That's impossible. I hurt them, yeah, but not fatally."
"Someone cleaned up loose ends," Reaper says grimly. "Whoever is behind this is thorough."
Maddie has gone pale beside me. "You're saying someone executed them after we left?"
"Looks that way," Viper confirms. "Execution style, according to the chatter. Single shots to the head."
The implications are staggering. These weren't just hired thugs. They were disposable assets in a larger operation. One that has resources, planning capabilities, and a frightening willingness to kill its own people.
"So, what now?" I ask, looking to Reaper. "What's our play?"
"First, we figure out what's so special about this watch." He slides the case toward Ace. "Then we put our ears to the ground, see what we can learn about who's behind this."
"And in the meantime?" Maddie asks, her voice neutral.
"In the meantime, you stay here. Under club protection. Both of you." Reaper answers.
"Both of us?" I repeat, surprised. "I can go back to my apartment—"
"No, you can't," Ghost cuts in, returning from his call. "If they've been watching you, your place isn't safe. Neither is anywhere else in Pine Haven."
"The clubhouse has security, cameras, and brothers on rotation 24/7," Reaper explains. "It's the safest place for you until we sort this out."
I want to argue, but he's right. My apartment has practically no security. If these people are as professional as they seem, they could walk right in.
"What about James?" I ask. "We need to warn him."
"It’s solved," Ghost says. "Warden owes me a favor. He'll get word to your brother."
Maddie speaks up, her composure finally cracking slightly. "I should leave town. This is my problem, not yours."
"It became our problem the moment they targeted one of our prospects," Reaper says firmly. "And running won't help. They found you here, they can find you anywhere."
"He's right," I tell her, seeing the protest forming on her lips. "These aren't amateurs. Our best chance is to stay put, let the club help us figure this out."
She doesn't look convinced, but she nods reluctantly. "Fine. But I want to help. This is my mess."
"You can help by telling us everything," Reaper says. "Every detail about the job, the client, how you were contacted. Ghost and Ace will debrief you." He turns to me. "Dice, you need to get those cuts looked at. Blade will take you to the clubhouse apartment, get you settled."
It's a dismissal, and I recognize it as such. Reaper wants to question Maddie without me present. Smart move, given my obvious bias where she's concerned.
"Go," Maddie says, seeing my hesitation. "I'll be fine."
I don't like leaving her, but direct disobedience isn't an option right now. I've already broken enough club protocols tonight. So, I nod and follow Blade out of the chapel.
The clubhouse apartment is a small two-bedroom unit above the main bar, used occasionally by members who need a place to crash or family members. It's basic but secure, with reinforced doors and windows that only open to the interior courtyard.
Blade checks the space, then tosses me a first aid kit. "Clean yourself up. You look like shit."
"Thanks," I mutter, heading to the bathroom to assess the damage.
My reflection is worse than I expected: split lip, bruised jaw, and a cut above my eyebrow I hadn't even noticed in the adrenaline rush. My knuckles are raw and swollen, but nothing appears broken. I've had worse after bar fights.
I clean the cuts, wincing at the sting of antiseptic. Blade leans against the doorframe, watching me with calculating eyes.
"You know you fucked up, right?" he says finally.
"Which part?" I ask wryly. "Helping her with the theft or bringing her back to the clubhouse after?"
"Both." Blade crosses his arms. "But mostly the part where you let your dick override your brain."
"It wasn't like that," I protest, though we both know there's some truth to his accusation.
"Bullshit. You barely know this woman, and you're already risking your neck, and your standing with the club, for her."
I turn to face him directly. "She's James's family. That makes her mine."
"So you keep saying." Blade's expression softens slightly. "Look, I get it. She's hot, she's dangerous, she pushes all your buttons. But you need to be smart here, brother. There's more going on than we understand yet."
"You think I don't know that?" I throw the bloodied cotton balls in the trash with more force than necessary. "Those men knew about me, Blade. About my connection to the club. This isn't just about Maddie."
"Exactly. Which is why you need to keep a clear head." He taps his temple for emphasis. "Think with this, not what's in your pants."
I want to argue, but what's the point? He's not entirely wrong. From the moment I met Maddie, I've been off-balance, making decisions based on impulse rather than reason. It's my default setting, but now it's endangering more than just myself.
"Message received," I say finally. "I'll keep it professional."
Blade snorts. "Sure you will." He turns to leave, then pauses. "For what it's worth, you did right bringing her here. Reaper's fair. If she's straight with him, he'll help her."
"And if she's not?"
His expression hardens. "Then God help her, because the club won't."
After he leaves, I finish patching myself up and change into the spare clothes kept in the apartment's dresser. They're generic club wear. Black t-shirt with a reaper logo, jeans a size too big, but they're clean, which is more than I can say for my blood-spattered clothes.
I'm too wired to sleep, so I pace the small living area, replaying the night's events in my head. The fight at the gas station keeps looping back, frame by frame.
I'm not a stranger to violence. Growing up in the system, you learn to defend yourself or you become a target. And the club has its share of altercations. But tonight was different. Tonight was life or death, and I was alone with Maddie.