CHAPTER TWELVE
– MACSEN –
I silently roar with satisfaction. The right path. Hearing her voice those words, and with it stand up to her father, are perfect given our situation. There are a few things I need to tell Holland, but right now I have to keep my mouth shut and give Lu the chance to speak her mind.
My hand on her hip, along with the soft squeeze is to let her know I’m right there with her. The approaching rumble of bikes lets me know my time of discussing the reason why I’m here is almost up.
Holland narrows his eyes at me. “Bringing in reinforcements? Unnecessary. I’ve been around longer than any one of you and will be here for many decades to come. No one orders a hit on anyone connected to me and lives to brag about it.”
I point a finger in his direction. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear the murder rampage you’re going on.
This is exactly why I’m here and why her sister is stepping in as well.
” I sigh, knowing I’m out of time and now have to force the issue rather than suggesting this is the best option. “Lu is coming with us.”
“Not happening.” Holland has murder in his eyes while Brando steps up next to him to form a unanimous front.
“Her safety comes first,” I grit.
“Which we’ve always protected and can guarantee more than you,” Holland fires back.
“This location has been tainted. The attempts show others will try as well. She can come with us to the clubhouse.” I turn to Lu. “It’s the best decision, don’t you agree?”
“I said no,” Holland snarls. “I won’t let you rip my family apart. Your only goal is to bring us to justice or force us to cooperate the way I gave names and information the last time. We live separate lives, and we should definitely keep it that way.”
Brando steps forward. “I think it’s time for you to leave and take your buddies with you.”
My eyes find Lu’s once more and I say, “Your decision.”
Holland and Brando both talk and I easily tune them out. Only Lu’s opinion matters when it comes to what feels like a crucial turning point in both our lives.
“I’m coming with you,” she firmly states, cutting off Holland and Brando.
I pull her against me. “Lu made her choice, and I’ll make sure to keep her safe. In the meantime, don’t meddle in the shit the Wiltons are in. Wisely Dicey is building a case for the live fantasy auction snuff shit and already has enough to bring in the Gideon triplets. Well, the two who are left.”
“Triplets,” Holland grits.
“Triplets,” I affirm. “Heed the warning. We hope to end this soon and will get rid of the threat against Lu. Once it’s done, I will fill you in on everything.”
Holland is visibly fuming. I couldn’t care less and simply guide Lu to the door. Being the first to step out, I pull her behind me and walk the short distance to the black SUV with tinted windows. It’s a bulletproof vehicle.
Livi is in the backseat and once Lu is buckled in, she slaps cuffs on her half-sister’s wrists. Lu’s eyes go wide and she is helpless when there are a few more straps suddenly holding her body hostage.
“What the fuck?” I snap.
“Safety first,” Livi states. “Besides, we have visual proof how Luella here killed a man in cold blood. We’re taking her into custody.”
“No,” I roar.
Anger is creating a blinding red mist and I’m about to flip my shit when the door is slammed shut and the vehicle races away with an escort of bikes in the front and back of it. Within a few heartbeats I’m on my bike and give chase.
Every bit of information flows through my head as I try to keep my shit together.
The ride to the clubhouse is long and I can’t do anything while we’re moving.
I know I have to be loyal to my brothers, and yet the sight of them taking Lu into custody rips me apart from the inside out.
The look of betrayal she gave me felt as if she shoved hot coals into my chest.
By the time the vehicle comes to a stop behind the clubhouse I’m ready to rip everyone apart who’s involved and who will stop me from saving her. Fuck. Save her from my own damn brothers.
I hit the kickstand and jump off my bike as soon as the SUV comes to a stop behind the clubhouse.
Thorsten is in my face when I almost reach the door. “You’re with me. Church. Now.”
“No fucking way,” I roar.
Over his shoulder I see how they have blindfolded Lu and have her body strapped with belts to keep her immobile.
“Get out of my damn face,” I spit at my prez and then raise my voice to tell Lu, “I’m coming for you, Lu. Hold on. I’m fucking coming.”
My anger spikes to mass murder levels when they guide her to the small warehouse behind the clubhouse. We’ve renovated the building a while ago and it now has a few spare rooms for members, along with a few holding cells.
I’m pretty sure they’re putting Lu in one of the holding cells. Fuck, maybe even the same one we’ve once put Livi in. I mentally cringe and quickly shove that shit down. This is a completely different situation.
“Church. We have to discuss this shit first, brother,” Thorsten states.
I know I have no other choice but to follow him and it’s exactly what I do; anything to speed shit up so I can free Lu.
Lenz and Jocko are sitting in church when I step inside.
Thorsten closes the door behind him and points at Lenz. “Show him.”
Lenz hits some keys on his laptop and points at the wall behind me. I turn to see a camera angle of a long hallway. A dark figure is leaning against the wall. Instantly I recognize Lu’s build and the way she moves.
I’ve seen photographs of Gideon and know what I’m about to watch when the fucker strides down the hallway, his clothes stained with blood. In one smooth move Lu presses herself off the wall and surprises Gideon, impaling the man’s head on her knife effortlessly.
The screen freezes when the figure turns and runs directly to the camera. Green eyes I’ve stared into while we shared intimacy for hours on end are now displayed on the club’s wall.
“That, VP, is not self-defense, or left without a choice...how you described it when you told us in this very room about how Lu killed Gideon.” He points at the wall.
“Did she lie to you? Are you standing up for a woman who’s anything but trustworthy?
An assassin who is making us question your fucking loyalty? ”
I take a deep breath and slowly exhale to calm my shit. It makes sense for my brothers to question my loyalty.
I should have been upfront with them and yet I wanted to protect Lu at the same time.
“The night she broke into my room she admitted to me that she went rogue and ran into shit. Her exact words were that she killed a guy she shouldn’t have.
She mentioned how her father was going to be pissed if he found out, and that there would be huge consequences. ”
“So, you knew she killed the fucker point-blank?” Thorsen raises his eyebrow.
“Yeah, I knew,” I affirm. “I also saw her reaction to everything, along with the aftermath between her and Holland. She might have been able to run without killing Gideon, but they would have known it was her.”
Lenz snorts. “They knew anyway. She might have used a jamming system to bypass the security system, and it’s why the top and bottom is flickering. Though, these fuckers had a good built-in anti-jamming system, allowing them to still have quality video.”
“This is why they put a bounty on her head,” I state the obvious.
“One and one is usually two,” Jocko grunts.
I shoot the fucker a glare. “Shut up, idiot. Why are you even here?”
“Jocko is going to question Lu,” Thorsten states.
I’m already shaking my head. “Fuck no. Let Livi ask her questions.”
“Livi is with her now, but you know damn well we can’t ask her to put pressure on her own half-sister.”
“Put pressure on her,” I snarl in Thorsten’s face.
The fucker keeps his calm. “Why are you so damn worked up, Macsen? Are you willing to put your life in her hands? Your cut? All of our asses? Throw the contract with the government in the balance? Who is she to you, VP? ’Cause for the outside world she’s an assassin.”
My chest is heaving and my gut turns at the thought of anyone touching or questioning her.
I’ve gotten to know her over the past few days and saw a completely different side of her.
There was no faking the way she reacted to my touch and she talked freely.
Hell, she confessed shit knowing I could bring her down with just my word against hers.
The thought of anyone taking her from me feels like they might as well rip my damn heart out along with it.
“She’s my old lady,” I grit. “She’s my property, and therefore has my protection, along with the club’s.”
The corner of Thorsten’s mouth twitches. “An official claim, eh? Well, you know Broken Deeds has their own rules when it comes to claiming old ladies, right? In this situation I think it’s fair to copy those rules and test her the way we just squeezed your balls.”
I stare at the idiot and realize he indeed put my balls between a vise. He’s right to test her loyalty with her being an assassin, it’s a safety net between the club and the government. All I can do is hope she reacts the same way I just did when they put her tits into a vise.
“For the record,” I grit. “I’m fine with taking over the same rules as Broken Deeds when it comes to testing loyalty.
But I’m not getting inked within two weeks after a claim like those fuckers demand.
They pick a spot if she doesn’t want to get inked, so she gets inked either way. That shit is fucked-up.”
Thorsen barks out a laugh and smacks my shoulder. “Ain’t that the damn truth.” He glances at Jocko. “You’re up, brother. We’ll be watching.”
Jocko gets to his feet and is throwing a smirk my way while he rubs his hands in glee.
Right when he passes me I grunt, “Jocko?” I wait for his eyes to connect with mine. “Touch her and die before you can pull your hand away. Am I making myself clear?”
He flips me off and I’m about to rip his head off when Thorsten holds me back. Fuck. This is going to be hell to watch him test Lu. Taking a calming breath, I shrug Thorsten off and tell him I’m fine so we can head for the warehouse.
Time to see where I stand and if Lu stands strong beside me.