Chapter Seventeen.
Shotgun
Allegra had been missing for twenty-four hours.
Jinx had rallied enough to describe the guys he’d seen, but it wasn’t a lot.
Nobody had any idea why Allegra and the kids had been targeted.
Did this relate to the club, Allegra’s past, or Rain’s threat?
Allegra’s family was frantic, rightfully so, and he and Rain weren’t much better.
Rain had already gone to bed a couple of hours ago, and Shotgun had napped in an armchair. People came and went, allies checked in, but nobody had anything to report. Allegra’s image was all over the media; the kidnapping of an heiress and famous photographer made the headlines.
Rain and Shotgun had taken the children to Allegra’s grandparents’ house, where the family was waiting and security was heavy. Shotgun refused to let them out of his sight.
Hellfire and the allies continued their search.
The Feds said the first twenty-four hours were the most important.
They’d been over the trucking rest stop with a fine-tooth comb but had found nothing other than Jinx’s blood.
Everyone assumed there’d been a second vehicle, but none of the group knew what.
Now they were left twiddling their thumbs.
Rain’s phone rang loudly, and they jumped. He pulled it from his pocket, hit the loudspeaker, and answered.
“Hello?”
“Rain! Whatever they want, don’t do it!” Allegra screamed. The room became electric, and the FBI agent, Larson, turned to Shotgun and Rain.
Larson whipped his cell out and spoke into it.
“Allegra!” Rain shouted.
An unfamiliar voice replied, “She’s alive—for now. Get us the samples and documentation.”
Shotgun’s heart raced as fury overtook him. Allegra and Rain were his to protect, and he’d failed. Worse, his kids had been caught up in it. And now they were being blackmailed for her life.
“Which one!” Rain cried.
“The transplant rejection drug. Don’t waste our time. Don’t inform the police. We’ve got eyes on you. Go fetch the culture, and when you have it, we’ll call again.”
The line was cut, and Rain shoved his phone in his pocket and began walking to the door.
“Where are you going?” Larson demanded.
“You heard. The sample for Allegra. I’m getting the damn test samples.”
“If you give in to them, she’s dead,” Larson snapped. “Allegra can identify them.”
“And if we don’t, they’ll kill her,” Thatch snapped.
“Rain, we need to wire you up and put a tracker on you,” Larson said.
“Forget it. You aren’t wiring me up to set a trap. That will get Allegra killed. They won’t bring Allegra to the meeting point, and they won’t be getting the culture until I see her,” Rain stated.
He held Shotgun’s eyes before Shotgun nodded. He was with Rain. “Bring Allegra home, Rain,” he ordered.
Rain walked over and kissed him before leaving. Shotgun blocked Larson as the agent argued. By the time Larson got past the Spaldings and Shotgun, Rain was gone. As was Shotgun’s Hog.
“You all just killed her!” Larson yelled.
Shotgun held Thatch’s eyes. “Allegra was dead anyway; Rain’s her only chance.”
Thatch looked away as Shotgun moved to stare out of the window.
Everything was in Rain’s hands now. It was his husband’s responsibility to bring their woman back.
A man he had once thought a coward for choosing his science over his sister was about to sacrifice himself for their woman, and Shotgun couldn’t be prouder.
Rain
I raced past security and straight to the laboratory.
It was empty, which was what I had hoped.
I’d no intention of giving the kidnappers the culture, but I was aware of being watched.
Tucked behind the valid cultures were some failed tests.
I’d kept the samples to investigate why, and I snatched several and put them in the lab’s cool box for transporting materials.
I’d no idea who was holding Allegra, but if they wanted the formula, they’d have to deal with me. As I left the building and headed to Shotgun’s Harley, my phone rang.
“We’ll text you the address. Drop the items there and leave.”
“No. I have the culture, but the process is locked in my mind. If you want it, you’ll release Allegra,” I argued.
“Get the documentation,” the man snarled.
“No.”
There was silence, before a slap echoed, and Allegra cried out.
“Now, that was me being nice. I won’t tell…”
“The answer is no. You need my formula, tell me where to meet, and if you harm Allegra one more time, I’ll end this and destroy the cultures. I can recreate it, the information’s in my brain, but you won’t have shit.”
The line went dead.
I waited impatiently, hoping these were greedy fucks. Seconds ticked past, and nothing happened. Finally, the phone pinged, and I looked down to see an address just outside Vale, thirty minutes away. Without a second thought, I started the bike and rode off.
Shotgun
“Where are you going?” Thatch demanded as Shotgun headed for the front doors.
“To get Allegra.”
“You’ve no idea where she is,” Thatch retorted.
“Not yet, but we will.”
“How?” Thatch asked suspiciously.
Shotgun looked around and leaned in closer. “My Hog has a tracking device. Rain won’t activate it until he’s at the address. As soon as he does, we’ll ride. Rain needs to keep them busy until we arrive.”
Thatch held Shotgun’s gaze, and he sighed. “Ain’t got time for this, Thatch.”
“Follow me,” Thatch ordered and slipped towards the side door, leading to the garage.
Shotgun followed.
“Here, take this. I’m taking the other,” Thatch stated, tossing Shotgun a set of keys. Shotgun didn’t know whether to be insulted. In front of him was a green and yellow Brough Superior Aston Martin AMB Pro 001 motorcycle. Thatch headed to the silver-and-blue one.
“That’s Barrett’s, try not to scratch it, he’ll cry,” Thatch said, swinging his leg over.
“Do you realise how fuckin’ stupid I’ll look on that?” Shotgun demanded.
“Yup. Call this payback for hurting Allegra. Now, are we riding or not?” Thatch retorted.
“Yeah. The club’s meeting us at ENS.”
Shotgun swung over the sports bike and glowered before starting the engine. Thatch pulled out in front of him, making Shotgun growl. But Shotgun rode out after him.
◆◆◆
Shotgun did his best to ignore the looks he was getting from his club. Even though it was an embarrassment, Shotgun had to admit, when he opened the throttle, the bike fuckin’ flew. It outpaced his Hog for speed.
“Dude, you can turn in your bro card,” Levi muttered, and Shotgun glared. Shee snorted as he kept looking at the damn thing.
“Anything?” Shotgun demanded of Chance as he watched his phone. Shotgun was watching his own, but the tracker hadn’t activated yet.
“No. Rain’s not hit it,” Chance replied.
Shotgun’s nerves were becoming frayed. “Rain left here half an hour ago. The longer it takes, the further we have to go. That cuts into—”
Shotgun’s cell beeped, followed by Chance’s. The club gathered around.
“Vale, that’s a half-hour ride,” Shotgun snapped out as he jogged back to the Aston Martin. “Meet you there.”
“Shotgun!” Big Al bellowed, but he rode off with Thatch behind him. Knowing the Harleys couldn’t keep up, and two people he loved were in danger, Shotgun opened up the Aston Martin and flew.
Rain
I parked Shotgun’s Hog and looked around. The house was isolated, and you could see for miles. Fuck, that wouldn’t make it easy for Shotgun to ride in.
I waited until two guys exited and glowered.
“Check him,” the first said, and the second stepped forward and ran a piece of equipment over me. Damn, they were checking me for trackers.
“Asshole’s clean,” he announced. He lowered the tracking device monitor. “Get off slowly.”
I did as ordered and hit the tracking beacon on Shotgun’s bike. I held my breath for a few seconds, waiting to see if the alarm sounded, but it didn’t.
“Move, asshole,” the first said, waving a gun.
Shit, how lazy were these assholes? I walked inside and was shoved into a room.
There were boards across the window, and the entire thing was a collapsing shithole.
Dried-up carcasses of dead animals were scattered in a corner, and there was paper and trash everywhere.
A strong stench of urine nearly made me gag. But Allegra wasn’t here.
“Where’s Allegra? You get nothing until I see her.”
“Think you’re calling the shots, faggot?” a voice sneered, and I stiffened—three years had passed, but I recognised it.
“Matthews? You’re behind this?”
My old boss shuffled into the room with a malevolent expression.
“Surprise, asshole,” Matthews snarled.
“Where’s my woman?” I demanded. “You don’t get shit until Allegra’s here.”
“Not going to ask why?” Matthews retorted.
“Already know. Because your racist, homophobic, nasty, bullying ass got canned. After I left, that caused consternation; they couldn’t afford to lose me.
But when my team followed up, and everyone filed complaints about you, the institute had to fire you.
This is revenge, pure and simple. You need a way to return to the industry, as rumours spread about why you were fired.
Nobody wanted a lawsuit on their hands, and you became tarnished goods.
Doesn’t matter how clever you were; you were a powder keg. ”
“Because of you!” Matthews screamed.
“No. Because of your own attitude. Fuck me, Matthews, you thought you were God’s gift to science, and you were so wrong.
Believed you were untouchable until I brought you down.
Honestly, you believe stealing my work will get you in the door?
You’ve got no chance. Matthews, your name is toxic,” I said calmly.
“Oh, they’ll want me. What you’re working on is worth billions. The institute will take me back,” Matthews hissed.
“For someone with such a brilliant mind, you’re poisonous.”
“Fetch that bitch!” Matthews ordered.
I was antsy as I waited. A few minutes passed before Allegra was shoved through the doorway. “Why did you come?” she cried.