Chapter Thirty-One
“I’ve got Hillbilly and Roadkill here. They’ve been working to come up with a plan. You’re coming up on an intersection. Take a right there.” Cypher’s voice came over the line.
Hex wanted to growl and tell him no. He didn’t want to let the car that they were almost certain contained Elle, out of his sight.
But he knew he was too close to this. Hillbilly and Roadkill were good, the only thing that might have been better would be to have Cyclone in on the planning, but the Sergeant At Arms was in the group of bikes playing tag with Anderson.
“It will get me where they’re going?” he asked, fighting the need to clench his teeth and stay on Anderson’s ass.
“It will get you where they’re going and the plan is to get you there and in place before he gets there. The guys on the bikes will play with him a little, slow him down, if they need to.”
He thought about it for the space of several heartbeats then decided they were right. It might be a risk, but it was a calculated one. And it was worth the risk to be there and waiting when the shit-stain arrived.
Hex took the turn Cyclone had instructed him to, then every turn he told him to after that.
“Find an open driveway and pull in far enough to not be seen. There are no cars parked on the street,” Cypher said after giving him the address. “You’ve got maybe five minutes before they’re in danger of seeing you.”
Luck was on his side. The property next door to the Anderson place didn’t have a gate across the driveway, only a narrow break in the trees.
Hex pulled in and just past the trees, then off the road so he wasn’t blocking anyone in or out then he got out, shrugging out of his cut, he left it in truck, but took his phone with him, grabbing the earbuds he kept charged and in the truck just in case.
He put one in his ear, closed up the truck, and pulled the Smith and Wesson M&P 45 from the holster in the small of his back.
“I’m on foot now. Directions?”
“Northwest about a quarter mile to the house. That’s our best guess where he’ll take her.
There are no buildings between the house and the road, but there are trees, so semi privacy.
I’ve got all the cameras that might pick up anything, sight or sound, blocked.
All anyone will see if they go looking, is snow and interference. ”
“Good.” Hex headed through the trees toward Anderson’s house. “Is there anyone at the house?”
“From what I could tell in a quick scan of the cameras before I jammed them, no. But don’t be foolish. Be prepared in case I’m wrong.”
“Always.” Hex’s response was barely more than a whisper. He didn’t want to make too much noise, just in case there was someone to hear him. He slowed as he spotted the house. There was no movement, at least none that he could see. “How close?”
“Less than a minute from the driveway.”
Hex scanned the area looking for somewhere to be out of sight as Anderson pulled in.
“I’ve got some of the brothers parking and coming in on foot, but Wrath and Cyclone are going to come in behind him and block the driveway,” Cypher’s voice said in his ear.
Hex froze as he heard the screech of metal moving against metal without enough lubrication.
Anderson was at the gate. He hurried to get in place, then remained still and focused on controlling his breathing as he waited.
Keeping his breathing slow and even would help control his heart rate, it would help him think clearer, he knew from experience.
After an age and a half had passed, though his watch said it had been three minutes, the pop and crunch of tires on gravel approached.
He heard the rumble of several motorcycles, but one by one the engines cut out before the car easing down the driveway pulled into the circle.
Now he hoped they made it before the fucker got out of the car.
The luxury car pulled in at a snail’s pace, Hex assumed so the gravel wouldn’t fly up and ding the paint, but it gave his brothers time to get into position so he couldn’t complain too much about the fucker’s prissy ways.
Though he wanted to shake his head as he wondered how on earth Mama thought Elle would ever be happy with someone like that.
Finally, the car came to a stop, he shut off the engine then got out.
“Freeze!” Wrath’s voice called. Hex stepped around the pillar he’d been hiding behind and found Wrath approaching in that bent kneed walk Hex knew kept his aim steady as he closed the distance between himself and Anderson, pistol drawn and aimed at the fucker.
Wrath glanced at Hex for a spilt second before turning his attention back to Anderson.
“I got this asshole, check on your woman.”
Hex holstered his Smith and Wesson as he approached the car. He wanted to be sure he had both hands free in case she was hurt. He was almost to the car when a head appeared in the back seat. It only took him a moment to realize it was her. His heart leapt in his chest as he opened the door.
“Are you all right?” he asked through clenched teeth as he fought his need to pull her into his arms and get her the fuck out of here.
Elle looked up at him with wide eyes. She blinked several times before she could seem to focus on him.
He sat on his heels and cupped her cheek with one hand as he looked more closely at her eyes.
He wished he had a flashlight. He might not know much first aid, but he knew enough to know he needed to check her pupils after a blow to the head.
“My head hurts but other than that, I’m okay.” She reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Hex scooped her up out of the seat and stood. He headed back toward the stretch of woods that hid the house from its neighbor, and his truck on the other side.
“She okay?” Cyclone called after him.
“Seems to be, but I’m gonna have Bones check her out.”
“What do you want us to do with him?”
“Get a hold of Harry and let him know we’ve got something for him.
Wrath can negotiate what we get out of the deal,” Hex called over his shoulder without bothering to turn around or slow as he carried Elle toward the truck.
He had a flashlight in there, then he’d know if he needed to hit the nearest emergency room or if he could take her to Bones.
“Who’s Harry?” Elle asked, her voice soft as she laid her head against his chest.
“Harry’s his bookie, sugar.” Hex kept his voice low too. When they reached the truck, he took her to the passenger seat, set her down and retrieved a flashlight from the glove box. “Keep your eyes open for me, this will just take a minute.”
Elle stayed silent as he shined the light in first one eye, then the other. Only when both pupils shrank and expanded with the light change did he let out a relieved sigh.
“Are you sure you just have a headache?” he asked.
“My stomach’s a little upset. I’m not sure if it’s because my head hurts, if it’s car sickness from lying in a moving car or something else.”
“How bad is it?” He stepped back to open the rear door. From a multi compartment on the back of the sat cover he pulled an emesis bag he’d snagged from Bones’ stash and handed it to her.
“Here, just in case you need it.” Hex closed the back door then went back to Elle.
He made sure she was buckled in and then hurried around to his door.
He wanted to get her back to the compound as quickly as possible.
Though since she said only her head hurt, he wasn’t as panicked as he’d been since Cypher had told her the fucker had knocked her out.