Chapter 7
GHOST
Ace throws a series of maps and printed images onto Jack’s desk. He’s already taken a marker to them, arrows pointing around the Revenants’ compound.
When we saw those messages between the Numbnuts and the Revenants, my blood ran cold, but there was also a slight sense of relief. I had been worried that Camile might have been taken by the cartel who attacked her family, but this way, she’s still hopefully close by.
“I was able to get some overhead schematics together, too,” Ace tells us.
“Their compound is on a smaller scale than ours, but it’s a similar layout.
They have their clubhouse and main living areas, but here, on the outskirts, is a larger building, separate from everything else, which I assume they use for storage.
If I was going to hold someone there, I’d pick that place, away from everyone. ”
Jack presses his lips into a thin line and nods. “Makes sense. It’s getting onto the compound to reach it that’s going to be the issue.”
Ace hasn’t finished and points at the map, which has black pen markers following certain roads. “I put these routes together when we were going to take those Revenant fuckers down for stealing our shipment and beating up Bruce and Reynolds. Now we can make even better use of them.”
His green eyes are wild, and he’s full of so much pent-up energy he can’t stand still, never mind sit. He’s bouncing on his toes like he’s about to leap onto Jack’s desk and pound at his chest with his fists.
I almost feel sorry for whoever gets in his way when we reach the rival MC’s compound.
He speaks in a rush, like he can’t get the words out fast enough. “Problem we’ve got is that the way they’ve situated their compound means they’re slightly elevated to the surrounding roads.”
“So, they’re gonna see us coming,” Jack growls.
“Yeah. No matter which way we approach, if they are watching for us, which they most likely are, they’ll spot us.”
I step in. “But we’ll use the cover of darkness, and we’ll make sure we don’t have any lights on.”
Jack glances over. “Surely, they’ll have scouts positioned around the area. They’ll hear our engines and know we’re coming.”
“Yes, but they can’t watch everywhere,” I point out, “which is why I suggest we split up. One thing we have on the Revenants is numbers. We already outnumber them, by far, and after your old chapter arrives, we’ll probably have double the men they do.
” I gesture to the map. “So, we approach from every angle, make sure we divide their men up, too. In a one-on-one situation, we have the advantage.”
Jack shakes his head. “Which is what makes this whole thing so fucking strange. What are they thinking, unless this is some kind of setup? The Revenants know we’re a bigger club. First the shipment, and then coming onto our fucking compound to snatch Camile…”
I interrupt. “Speaking of which, have we decided how we’re going to deal with those fucking Numbnuts?”
“Anyone know where they are right now?” Jack asks.
I side-eye Ace. “They’ve gone into town. Ace gave them some money to go and get a hand job.”
Jack covers his face with his hands. “Seriously, Ace? You thought that was what was needed at this time?”
Ace wrinkles his nose, and shrugs. “I needed to distract them so I could get hold of one of their phones to get proof that they were involved. I expect Eddy’s realized it’s missing by now, so they’ll be looking for it when they get back.
They’ll be shitting themselves, too, if they think someone might have seen those messages between them and the Revenants. ”
“Stupid fucking pricks,” Jack growls. He knots his hand in his salt and pepper hair. “I can’t believe that was going on right under my fucking nose. I must be losing my touch.”
“Or you were distracted,” I point out, arching my brow.
I’m walking on fragile ground right now because everyone knows exactly what, or who, might have distracted him.
It’s not only because of Camile’s presence, either; it’s the difficult position it puts him in with his daughter.
Even so, calling the Prez out in front of everyone probably isn’t my finest moment.
He shoots me a glare. “Don’t, Ghost.”
What am I trying to achieve? I don’t even know myself.
There’s definitely a part of me that resents the fucking bomb her presence has thrown into our lives.
I also keep finding myself sneaking looks at Ace and wishing I’d been in his position last night.
How must it feel to have been inside her?
To have tasted her and felt her clenching around his fingers and cock.
How did it feel to be inside her, knowing another man’s dick had been there only moments before?
The way they’d taken turns with her, one of them thrusting inside her, only to switch positions, had been insanely hot, and I’m jealous I wasn’t involved.
Not that I’d admit it out loud.
Ace gives me a hard stare as if he can read my mind, but then he points at me. “You can talk, Ghost. I told you we couldn’t trust the Numbnuts. And you ordered me to back off. How you have the fucking nerve...?”
“Ace, I swear to God...”
I step toward him, but Jack’s harsh tone stops me in my tracks.
“Enough. We have to stop blaming each other. We all fucked up in various ways and for various reasons, so let’s just focus on the here and now and get a plan in place.”
“What are we going to do with the Numbnuts when they get back?” Ace asks. “We can’t just let them carry on like nothing has happened.”
I agree, and I do feel bad that I didn’t listen before, but Ace’s idea of justice was cutting off their fingers for merely touching Camile, which was nuts. “Yeah, we don’t want them here when Jack’s old chapter arrives. They’ll warn the Revenants that we’ve got backup.”
Ace cracks his knuckles. “Happy to be waiting for them when they get back.”
“I don’t want them dead,” Jack instructs. “They could have information.”
“So we get them to spill it, and then we kill them.” Ace cracks his neck now, like he’s preparing himself to step into a boxing ring. “I do so enjoy a bit of light torture.”
“Just don’t go over the top.” Jack shoots him a narrow-eyed glance. “Not until we’ve got Camile back safely. If they feed us a pack of lies, but we don’t know it, and we kill them, we’ll have cut off an information source.”
I huff out a breath. “As much as I want to make them suffer for betraying us, you’re right. As soon as they get back on the compound, we lock them up somewhere until we get Camile back, and, once she’s safe, we make them pay.”
“Agreed,” says Ace.
I glance toward the closed door, expecting to hear or sense movement from outside, but there’s nothing.
I realize one of us is missing. I should be expecting it, considering I was the one who told him to get lost, but I’d been sure his determination to be involved in finding Camile was greater than a few sharp words from me.
I frown. “Has anyone seen Rook recently?”
The others glance around at each other, heads shaking and lower lips pouted.
Fuck. Was I too hard on him earlier?
No, he’s a grown man. He can handle it. Maybe I was a little shitty because I knew a goddamned prospect had gotten to fuck Camile while I’d been relegated to watching from behind a screen like a fucking pervert.
He’d been hanging around here like a bad smell, and now he’s vanished.
Has he just gone off in a sulk?
Jack checks the time. “Get some other men together, ones you can trust, and wait for the fucking Numbnuts to get back and then lock them up in the walk-in cooler. Warn the staff they can’t use anything from it for dinner for tonight.”
Ace jumps to his feet. “On it, Prez.”
I follow him outside and pause, checking the line of motorcycles parked outside the clubhouse.
Rook’s Harley-Davidson Sportster is gone.
Taking my cell from my pocket, I swipe the screen until it pulls up his name. I hit call and place it to my ear. It doesn’t even ring, but goes straight to voicemail. “Call me when you get this,” I say. “It’s urgent.”
If he’s blocking my calls, surely, he’ll respond to a message saying something is urgent, when he’s waiting on news about Camile.
Ace has stridden on ahead of me.
“Hey, can you try calling Rook? He’s not answering.”
Ace pauses and glances back over his shoulder at me. Concern dims his eyes. “You don’t think he’s gotten himself in trouble, do you?
“Nah, he’s most likely off sulking, but I was probably a bit hard on him. I know he cares for Camile.”
“Yeah,” Ace says, “we all do.”
Is he including me in that? I want to grab him and yell in his face that this isn’t going to work.
Not all four of us, and her. It doesn’t make any fucking sense.
Plus, I’ve never given Camile even a hint that I might like her.
If anything, I’ve been a fucking asshole to her, just like I’ve been to Rook.
I sigh and drag my hand down my face. Maybe I am just a fucking asshole.
How will she react when she learns I’ve been spying on her with cameras in the house? That I watched her with Ace and Rook last night? She’s not going to want me anywhere near her, and I can’t say I blame her.
Or maybe she won’t find out. Jack hasn’t mentioned them again.
He hasn’t told me to get rid of them. Okay, so he was seriously pissed, but I think the fact that those cameras showed us what happened when she was taken, there’s an argument to be made for keeping them.
When we get her back—because we will get her back—she can just move back into the house, and if I can persuade Jack it’s for her safety, I’ll simply keep watch on her. She doesn’t have to know.
Ace and I pull a few men together to wait for the Numbnuts. They don’t have many fans in the MC, and everyone we ask is willing to help.
Soon enough, we hear their bikes approach, and the main gates rattle open. We make sure we’re in the way so they can’t get past as they draw their bikes to a halt.
Eddy removes his helmet. “What’s going on, guys?”