Chapter 32
By the time we get to the club, it’s buzzing like a fucking beehive.
Brothers are lining up, waiting for their orders.
Priest’s together with the leadership, Hellfire, Ghost and Savage—Prez and two VPs—while Skyhigh is organizing teams. Next to Priest is a guy who must be Axel. He looks ready to commit murder.
Not sure if I trust him, but I’ll let Priest make that call.
Me and Colt walk up to them, the boys parting to let us through. “What’s the situation?”
Priest scowls like he’s blaming us for losing Quinn.
He’s not wrong, but we’ve all been around the block enough to know mistakes happen and they only get fixed by moving forward.
Bitching comes after everyone’s home again.
“We don’t have time for Axel’s story, but the short version is that he’s been working for the Reapers and thinks he knows where she’s been taken. ”
I look at Axel with new eyes. “The fuck? Those guys mostly handle drugs, don’t they?”
Axel nods. “You name it, they sell it. My life isn’t a pretty story, but if we make it out of this, I’ll owe it to you.”
“I don’t know much about those fuckers. Heard of them, of course, but they stay away from our part of town and we don’t have a lot of overlapping business,” Colt says. “What the fuck do they want with Quinn?”
“I wish I could tell you. It might be my fault, but I don’t know” Axel admits. “I’ve been trapped with them for ten years, and not by choice. They keep me because I’m good. I knew something was up when they sent me to the other side of the fucking country.”
I make a ‘get on with it’ motion. “You’re pretty chatty for not having time to talk. Give us the short version.”
“This is the short version. Look, they know Quinn is my sister. As long as I behave, she’s safe. And I have been, but when I saw the news about her getting attacked, I paid attention.”
“You thought it was the Reapers? Why?”
He meets my gaze without flinching. “Because Greg Cook isn’t a PR guy or whatever the fuck they said. He’s one of theirs. Not much of a fighter, but got a real mean streak and a talent for dirty business.”
“Is that all you’ve got?” Colt asks.
Axel shakes his head. “I was at the restaurant because Quinn’s caught up in it. That guy with Sheila? Her date? His name’s Romero, and he runs the whole fucking show. He’s the one holding her safety over my head. There’s no fucking way he just happened to be there.”
“And you’ve been a good little minion this whole time? He’d have no reason to doubt your loyalty?” I have all the fucking questions about this.
“Fuck you. You think I’d risk her life like that?
” Axel bristles, but reins himself back in.
“There’s no love lost between us, but I’ve kept my head down and done my job.
But when I saw Greg fucking around with Quinn, it felt like I was fucked either way.
Better to get Quinn and keep her safe myself.
And then you fuckers lost her! Even though I said to not let her out of your fucking sight! ”
I hate to admit it, but Axel carries himself like someone used to being listened to and getting shit done. Ten years makes a lot of fucking difference. I can see how he’d do well in the Reapers, and I’m the last person who should judge anyone. I’d do the same in his place if Mila was in trouble.
Hellfire steps in. “Shut it down or I’ll lock you in a cell and throw the key in fucking river.”
“She’s my fucking sister.” Axel glares at him.
“And all these guys? They’re mine. You aren’t, so tread lightly.” Hellfire shoves him towards the steps. “Now prove you’re useful and give us a rundown of where we’re going. Anything happens to the girl, it makes us look like we can’t protect the people who hire us.”
Axel takes the team leads through the layout of the Reapers’ base.
Since Quinn’s our responsibility and we know at least a few of the people involved, me, Colt and Priest are included.
We pay careful attention, knowing our lives might depend on it.
The base looks solid, and isolated outside of the city, but it’s no fortress.
We’ve taken out worse. Half the club is former military, or close to it.
This is a war the Reapers don’t want, whether they know it yet or not.
Colt nudges me. “I feel like we’re still missing too much. Why is Sheila working with them? What the fuck does Romero actually want?”
“If he wants to explain it to me before I blow his brains out, I might allow him a few moments. Otherwise, I just care about getting Quinn back. It’s getting harder and harder to think about living without her, know what I mean?”
Priest nods. “So we’re gonna make sure we won’t have to.”