Chapter 35
ASH
The clubhouse door burst open so hard it slammed against the wall, the force of it rattling the windows.
Colt stumbled in, eyes wide and face flushed.
“They took her.” He doubled over with his hands on his knees and wheezed. “I was walking through town, near the coffee shop, when I saw them. They took Noelle.”
Rafe shot to his feet so fast his chair flew through the air and crashed against the fireplace. “When?”
“I ran here fast as I could.” Colt waved his phone. “Tried to call you. No answer.”
Rafe swore and tore both hands through his hair.
I rushed for the closet and starting yanking coats off hangers.
I threw Rafe’s at him, then Bishop’s.
Bishop caught his with his good arm, his face too pale but determined not to be left behind. “Where? You said you were at the coffee shop.”
“Miller’s Bend. They zip tied her hands and tossed her on a bike.” He swallowed hard. “Sorry I couldn’t follow them.”
“Not your fault,” I reassured him with a slap on the shoulder. “You did good.”
My veins had turned to ice, but that wouldn’t slow me down.
Nothing was going to keep me from getting to Noelle.
Bishop went straight for the weapons locker.
He seemed to forget about his injured shoulder as he wrenched it open and grabbed pistols from the depths.
“You think they’ll take her to the old processing plant? It’s isolated. Defendable.”
“Fuck.” Rafe tore his hands through his hair again before shrugging into his jacket. “Fuck. Fuck.”
I didn’t like the sound of that.
It implied he wasn’t sure what to do.
Well, I did.
I was going after Noelle.
I didn’t give a shit if Rafe refused to help her.
She was mine.
Ours.
I’d been a fucking pussy to let Rafe talk me into waiting until after Christmas to deal with the situation.
I’d tear apart every bastard between here and there to get her back.
She’d gotten under my skin in the best way possible, and the thought of any of them putting their hands on her brought a red haze over my vision.
Bishop pressed a Glock into my hand. “We’re going to get her back.”
I nodded once.
His promise settled me.
“Half the guys are already at the warehouse getting suited up for tonight.” Rafe checked the pistol Bishop handed him. He shoved an extra magazine in his pocket. “We’re on our own unless I pull them off mission.”
“They want us alone. And they want to ruin us. No matter what we do, they’ve anticipated it.” Bishop’s soldier mind whirled so fast, I could almost see the wheels turning.
He strapped on a shoulder holster, checked that he could retrieve the weapon with his good hand, and grunted. “They want to force our hand.”
“They’ll get a lot more than that.” I tucked my pistol into the specially designed slot in my jacket and took a second from the locker, along with three mags for each. “And this isn’t a choice.”
I made sure Rafe understood me. “We get her back. Now. The kids will get their Christmas no matter what, but we are not leaving her with those monsters.”
I racked a round into the chamber of the second pistol and added it to a holster at my waist. “Let’s handle these cock-sucking pieces of shit.”
Rafe met my gaze, and the fury I felt was reflected in his eyes.
Whatever complicated feelings he had about Noelle, he didn’t want her hurt.
“Colt, call the others. Tell them what’s happened. They might have company coming their way, and they should arm up.”
Colt nodded. “I’ll make sure they understand.”
“Bishop, you sure you’re okay to ride?” Rafe should’ve known better than to ask.
Bishop rounded on him with a sound not unlike a wounded animal. “Try and stop me.”
We were out the door and on our bikes within minutes.
The processing plant was fifteen minutes away by traffic laws.
We made it in eight.
Rafe stopped us from bursting in with guns blazing.
Despite my desperation to have Noelle safe, we took a minute to check the exterior.
Busted windows, rusted metal siding, and dead weeds poking through cracks in the pavement made it appear abandoned.
But the fresh tracks in the snow that led around to the side betrayed them.
And a single light shone in one of the windows.
We approached the last quarter mile on foot.
Voices carried on the wind, along with something that made my blood boil.
“You’re making a mistake.” Her voice landed a blow in my gut.
“Why’s that?” The grating voice was followed by a coarse laugh. “Are the Vipers coming for you?” Another laugh. “That’s what we’re counting on.”
My finger danced on the trigger, and I raised the gun into a shooting position.
Rafe shot me a look, but the tight way he held his pistol gave me permission to keep going.
Noelle screamed.
Bishop cursed and ran for the open window furthest away from the door.
Big as he was, the man moved like a fucking panther.
Silent.
Assassin deadly.
“I love that sound.” Tommy Vance, the leader of the Serpents, laughed again. “Do it again.”
Noelle’s whimper lit a fire under my feet.
I followed Bishop to the window. “I’m going through the loading dock. Meet in the middle.”
He grabbed the window ledge and hoisted himself up. “Stay safe.”
With that, Rafe and I looped around to the loading dock.
I picked the lock within seconds and we shot through the side door on silent boots.
Years of working together had turned us into a team.
Bishop would have us watching his back, and the Serpents wouldn’t expect us to sneak in.
They thought we were as stupid and hotheaded as they were.
Idiot fuckers.
Thank God.
Rafe and I crept along the wall until we caught sight of Bishop dropping into place.
Noelle sat in a wooden chair, her hands and legs bound.
A bruise discolored one cheek, and blood ran from a cut on her neck.
Vance crouched in front of her, turning a knife back and forth in his hand.
“After we’re done with your boys, we’ll have some real fun with you before we put you out of your misery.”
My patience snapped.
No more waiting.
Noelle spat in Vance’s face, and I smiled proudly.
He roared and backhanded her so hard the chair tipped onto its back legs.
She didn’t make a sound.
I burst past Rafe and took out one of the men at the back of the crowd with a thump to the temple.
He crumpled like a sack of grain.
“Drop your weapons.” Rafe’s voice roared across the entire warehouse.
He aimed at Vance. “You’re a dead man.”
“You first.” Vance lunged for Rafe while bringing his knife hand up and whipping a pistol from a hidden holster.
One of the cowards dove for Noelle, attempting to use her as a shield.
My bullet landed square in his shoulder.
He bellowed and slapped a hand to the wound.
Bishop snorted from beside me and put two rounds in the chest of the next threat.
They opened fire on us.
I guessed they hoped to overwhelm us with sheer firepower, but they were untrained, panicked.
They shot wide, and we rushed them in a series of return fire.
Rafe shot once and took out a man with a sawed off shotgun.
One blast from that and we might’ve been in trouble.
Noelle followed the fight with wide eyes.
Her mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear her words over the fighting.
Bishop punched a man in the jaw, sending his head cracking so hard to the side, it snapped his neck.
Vance had managed to slide away from Rafe, who stalked him with precise steps across the open warehouse. “Going somewhere?” Rafe taunted him without a care in the world. “I thought you were prepared for this.”
“Yeah, Vance.” I shot another of his men when he tried to fire toward Noelle. “One look at us and you’re running like the coward you are.”
“You’re not getting away this time.” Rafe fired at Vance.
The bullet slammed into his hand, knocking the pistol from his grip.
Two men circled behind Rafe.
Both aimed at his exposed back.
“I got them. Get Noelle.” Bishop took off so fast, I didn’t have time to answer.
Another man tried to reach for Noelle.
I tsked and shot him square in the forehead. “They never learn.” I dropped to a knee in front of her. “You’re ours, Noelle. No one else gets to touch you. Not ever.”
Footsteps warned me an instant before a man burst out from an overhead office.
I wheeled and stood, protecting Noelle and firing up at the intruder.
He flipped over the railing and landed with a wet thud.
“You can’t kill me. There are laws.” Vance’s voice had turned whiny.
I released Noelle from her zip ties and helped her to her feet.
Bishop held a gun to Vance’s head.
Rafe snorted and slapped the man across the face. “Laws? You think the law will protect you? You think anyone will miss a kidnapping piece of shit like you?”
He hit Vance again, splitting the man’s lip and sending him stumbling backward.
Rafe proved all the rumors to be true when he fired a single shot into Vance’s temple.
The remaining men stopped and stared.
Rafe scanned the room. “I will kill anyone who goes up against me. Touch what’s mine. Look at what’s mine. Step foot on my property. Do anything that violates my rules, and this is what happens.”
He pointed the weapon at Vance’s prone body. “You have one chance to leave town. Do that, and I’ll let you live. If you ever come back, you’re dead.”
I’d never seen grown men so ready to piss themselves.
Noelle swayed from side to side.
I looped an arm around her waist and held her upright. “It’s okay. I got you.”
Always.
Forever.
I’d never let her go.
The remaining members of Vance’s gang scattered in all directions.
Less than a minute after Rafe’s declaration, the four of us were the only ones left.
Rafe shoved his pistol into the holster and stalked toward Noelle.
She stiffened against my side, then pulled away.
I hesitated to let her go, but it only took a look at her bruised face to see the determination.
She wanted to meet Rafe on her own, under her own power.
And she did.
A heavy silence settled around us.
I holstered my weapon.
Bishop kept his in hand, his gaze sweeping around the room over and over again.
I kept an eye on him.
He’d done a marvelous job.
And it might cost him a few weeks of nightmares.
“I didn’t expect you to come.” Noelle stood straight, and I recognized the stance for what it was. She fully expected to lose us.
“Of course we came.” I tried to reassure her, but we all knew this whole thing came down to Rafe.
He stood in front of Noelle, body tense and eyes unreadable.
He raised one hand slowly and ran a fingertip along the side of her face. “I’m sorry.”
The weight of her betrayal and our rejection hung in the air.
We’d sent her away, and as we stood in a room of dead bodies, I didn’t know if his apology was enough to bring her back to us. “Can you forgive me?”
“We never intended for you to get hurt.” I added to Rafe’s apology.
We never should have sent her away at all, but I’d have to accept that it happened and do the best I could to make up for it.
If she let us.