Chapter 39
Idaho
Lock turned his head and looked at me. I wasn't standing far away, but neither of them had noticed me because they'd been too wrapped up in each other. "You hear all that?"
"I did."
"And?"
My brow rose in question, but I remained silent.
"You've never been able to keep your mouth shut or your nose out of my business," he said, sounding tired. "Don't bother to start now."
"I think you're an idiot."
He scoffed at that. "Right."
Tilting my head, I studied my brother. Usually saying that would have led to a knock out fight between us. Because if he couldn't fight with Keely, I made a decent second. But he didn't even bother. Shit. He had it bad and he'd just let it slip through his fingers. And he knew it.
"So?" I asked.
It was his turn to study me as he thought about my offer.
I could see the misery there deep in his eyes.
It wouldn't help for me to ask him what his hang ups were about making the pretty lawyer his old lady.
I knew all the reasons, and they were bullshit.
He'd just chew my ass up one side and down the other.
But I had another way to help him. A way all of us men released rage.
A good old fashioned ass kicking. And this one was long overdue.
"What are we doing?"
"Remember those guys who Krier hired?"
"Yeah."
"James found them."
Lock's brows shot up. "No shit?"
"Want to go with me?"
"Yeah."
We grinned at one another and started toward our bikes. I paused, looking back at the clubhouse. "Do you think we should bring Butcher?"
Lock considered that, then nodded. "I haven't taken him for a walk in a while. Go get him."
I walked back to the clubhouse and poked my head through the door. "Butcher. Lock wants to see you."
Toxic yawned, then took a long pull from a beer.
I grinned at him as Butcher pushed his way past me. "Long night?" I asked.
"Met up with that prissy chick from last night," he said. He grinned over at me. "Didn't get much sleep. You weren't kidding about that uptown pussy."
Chuckling, I shook my head and let the door shut behind me as I caught up with Butcher. "Want to give us a hand with something?" I asked him.
He shrugged. "Sure."
"Good."
It took us almost an hour to get to the house. According to James these five assholes were roommates. What men in their late thirties still had roommates?
"You sure this is it?" Lock asked as we pulled up in front of a nice house on the outskirts of town. It looked like they'd done pretty well for themselves after Krier paid them off.
"This is it," I muttered. "Let's go."
We walked up to the front door and I lifted my hand to knock when Butcher shoved past me and kicked his boot into the door so hard the wood broke away from the lock and it swung open. I stared at him in surprise. "That's one way to do it I guess."
"Damn it, Butcher," Lock sighed. "This better be the right fucking house or you just terrified some guy and his wife and their two point five kids."
"Don't forget the dog," he said with a gleam in his eyes. "Those types always have dogs. Like a cockapoo or some shit."
"What the fuck is a cockapoo?" I asked.
"Well, it used to be what I called my dick after…"
"Can we please stop discussing weird ass dogs, and your dick, while standing here?" Lock snapped. "Either they're getting away. Getting guns. Or calling the cops. None of which we want."
We entered the house and searched it. Empty. "Damn," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "Where the fuck are they?"
"Losers who like to abduct women?" Butcher asked. "What day is it?"
"Saturday," I replied, wondering why he was asking.
"Ten a.m.," he said, thinking aloud. "Find the nearest bar open this early and I'm sure you'll find them."
Pulling my phone out, I shared a look with my brother, then put the search in. "Got it."
We went back to our bikes and drove ten miles to The Rust Bucket. The name was the perfect descriptor for the building. This place was a shit hole of the worst kind.
"Butcher, go in. See if they're in there.
We'll wait out back by the dumpsters," Lock told him.
Neither of us could go in because the guys would recognize me, and by default, my brother.
"Hey," Lock said, making Butcher pause. He gave the man a firm look.
"Don't fuck them up in there. We don't need witnesses. "
"Sure, Prez."
"That sounded reassuring," I joked as Butcher stalked inside.
Lockout sighed. "We should have brought Toxic."
"He doesn't seem to keep Butcher out of trouble," I commented, looking around as we looped around to the back of the building.
"You'd be surprised. What are you looking for?" he asked.
"Cameras."
Lockout laughed. It was a scornful sound, but I'd take it at this point.
He was already starting to loosen up. As much as he was able to anyway.
Lock always carried the weight of leadership and responsibility on his shoulders.
Even as a kid. I never knew why, but it was just the way he operated. "They won't have cameras here."
"Doesn't hurt to-" I broke off as two of the men from the attack burst through the back door. They hadn't come through it of their own free will.
Butcher tossed the next guy out the door after his friends. Lock and I stared down at the guys in a heap at our feet as Butcher dragged the last two out. He gave us a grim grin then let go of one to plow his fist into the one he still held.
"Shit," Lock said, but jumped in to help before the second guy could clock Butcher in the back of the head. Of course, that would only make Butcher angrier.
"Guess this works," I muttered, facing the men who were climbing up from the ground. They looked pissed as hell. "You boys remember me?"
The one who'd been hauling Eva off like a sack of potatoes snarled, "I remember you.
" His eyes flicked over to where Lock and Butcher were taking turns beating on the other two men.
This man knew I could send him back to the hospital, but I could see him calculating.
His brain was practically burning up as he did the math.
We had one less guy than them. As if that mattered.
I grinned at him as he lunged for me. He swung wildly.
I dodged his fist easily, then slammed my own into his face.
He stumbled back, blood spurting from his nose as he howled in pain.
I kicked out, hitting him in the stomach so hard he fell back onto his ass.
I was on him in an instant, raining punches down on him until his face was a bloody mess.
He tried to fight me off, but he was untrained and outright clumsy.
A hand fisted in my cut, yanking me backward off him and I took a hit in the face as his friend joined the fight.
I relished the pain. The feel of blood dripping from my nose.
This was what I needed. What we all needed.
Yeah, I wanted to teach these fuckers a lesson, but mostly I just needed to whale away on someone.
"Fuck," Lock said, sounding almost gleeful as he laughed and landed another blow on one of the men. "You're right," he called out as I dodged a second punch, "this is making me feel better."
I laughed as I slammed my fist into the man's throat.
He choked and stumbled backward. Butcher grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him back to Lockout.
My twin grinned at me as he punched the guy in the stomach then tossed him aside like a ragdoll.
The other three men were piled up near the dumpster, groaning, leaving the last man lying in a heap at our feet.
"We didn't do nothing, man," he slurred.
"You touched my girl," I told him, bending to put my face in his. "You ever come around again-"
"We won't," he said, petulantly, glaring at me.
I looked over at the others. "You believe him?"
"Nope," Lock said.
I grunted as I was shouldered aside and Butcher started kicking the guy in the ribs and head. "Shit. We're not going to actually let Butcher kill him right?"
"We shouldn't," Lock said.
"He did look pretty upset that he didn't get to kill Krier," I commented as we watched Butcher beat the guy bloody. He was definitely going to the hospital again.
Lock laughed. "Butcher," he called out. "Let's get out of here."
Butcher looked over, fist cocked back, other hand holding the front of the guy's shirt, a confused look on his face. He was going to be pissed we weren't going to let him finish.
"Does it help to let him loose like this?" I asked. "I mean, does it ease off any of his aggression for a while?"
"Eh," Lock said with a shrug.
He left Butcher and I in the back lot staring after him as he walked back out front toward the bikes. I glanced over at the psycho standing there glaring at me for ruining his fun. Lock had just left me back here to wrangle a pissed off Butcher. Fuck me. My twin was a dick.
* * *
Another hour and a half passed by the time we got back to the clubhouse. Lock looked over and grinned at me. "Nice shiner."
"Thanks fucker," I muttered. I hadn't gotten that from the fight. No, I'd gotten that when I had to pull Butcher off the guy to make him leave. "Fucker's mean when he fights."
Butcher just gave Lock a nod of respect and left us alone out in the parking lot.
"But he's good to have on our side," Lock said with a laugh.
I glanced over at him. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah. But I still don't want to talk about it," he told me before he too stalked off. "Church tonight," he called over his shoulder.
Pulling out my phone, I hit Andrew's contact.
"Hey, Boss."
"Hey. I need you to do something for me."
"Sure. Does it have anything to do with this massive guy that showed up last night?"
"Thomas can help," I told him. Both men were staying at my place out in the Catalinas for now. I'd have to find a place for Thomas once his family got here from Luxembourg. "This might take some all nighters," I warned him.
"What can I do for you, Boss?"
I outlined my plan, aware of the shocked silence on the other end of the line. "Is it doable?"
"Yeah, but am I going to have access?"
"I'll make sure you do," I promised him. "I'll even get you additional helpers."
"Then I'll get it done."
"Thanks, Andrew," I told him, watching as Eva pushed open the door and spotted me. She was walking toward me with a smile on her gorgeous face. "Andrew," I said.
"Yeah."
"I want it to be fucking perfect."
"Done."
I hung up right as Eva reached me. A worried look bloomed over her face as she reached up to touch my black eye. "What happened?"
"I tried to stop a rabid bear from playing in a dumpster," I told her, wrapping her up in a hug. "Why don't we go back upstairs?"
She laughed and shook her head. "You're insatiable."
"Only for you," I teased. "But really, we have some stuff to talk about.
" I needed to fill her in fully on club life.
What was expected of her. I wanted to hear what she wanted to do now that she was going to stay here with me.
I needed us to be on the same page. And then I was going to fuck her again until she screamed.