Chapter 34
Seth
W e were almost back to Lucian’s house when Regan asked, “How did you find us so quickly?”
James glanced at me, and I tried to explain, hoping it wasn’t going to piss her off.
“I slipped a tracker into your purse before we left Atlanta.” She cut her eyes to me, so I added, “I didn’t want you uncovered, and I know you’re mad, but it saved you, so I’m not going to apologize.
I’ll do whatever I have to do to make sure you’re safe and protected. ”
It took a moment, but she replied, “Thank you. I wish you would’ve told me about it, but . . . I’m glad you did that.”
James gave a surprised look at me as we emerged from the woods. Devlin and Lucian were standing on the front porch, and when they saw us walking up, Lucian yelled over his shoulder, “They’re back.”
Rhys ran out of the house, followed by Hannah, Rylee, Grace, and the rest of the ladies. He jumped over the stairs and ran up to us, pulling his sister into a hug. “Are you okay? Why did you leave with him?”
She pulled back as Hannah, Rylee, and Grace approached, all with worried expressions on their faces and tears in their eyes.
Regan looked at the women and then to her brother as she explained, “He said he was going to take one of them if I didn’t go with him.
I couldn’t let someone get hurt because of me. ”
Hannah stepped forward, openly crying as she pulled Regan into a bruising hug. “Don’t do that again. You could’ve screamed, and we would’ve come running to help.”
“I know you would have, but I couldn’t let him get to any of you. Not again,” she returned.
Devlin and Lucian stood at the top of the stairs as the sound of an army of deep rumbling engines sounded behind us. Turning, I saw Gunner, Skid, Needles, Jackal, Hawk, Hatchet, Claw, who was the club’s mostly absent VP, and a few of the prospects pulling into the driveway.
Skid dismounted his bike and walked up to Regan before asking, “May I have a hug?”
She nodded, and he carefully pulled her into an embrace, whispering loud enough that James and I could hear it. “We wouldn’t survive without you.”
She patted him on the back, and he released her to stand next to an emotional Grace. The women on the steps were eager to get to Regan, and she looked at me and reasoned, “I guess we should go inside and fill everyone in.”
Regan took my hand, and James stayed at her back as we all turned and approached the house. I looked up at everyone who was waiting to embrace Regan and asked, “Can we go inside?”
“Come on, ladies, let’s let Regan get settled before you swarm her,” Lucian remarked, and the ladies turned to walk inside as Regan and I climbed the stairs.
Once inside, I released her hand, and she walked into the circle of women, who almost instantly surrounded Regan and wrapped their arms around each other and her, creating the biggest group hug I’d ever witnessed.
Sniffles and tears were abundant as they checked her over, making sure that fucker didn’t hurt her.
When we found them less than three quarters of a mile from Lucian’s house, sitting in the woods, having a calm conversation, I was shocked.
Then to hear my baby say she took the advice I’d given her, implemented the steps I advised for observation and protection, and she utilized those skills to keep him stationary, calm, and talking, well, proud isn’t a big enough word for it.
Stepping to the side as the ladies spoke softly to Regan, I whispered to Devlin and Lucian, “She got the fucker talking, and holy fuck the information she got out of him.”
“What did he say?” Devlin inquired, and I shook my head.
“Let Regan explain it. She’s . . . damn, man. She got him to spill his guts before we even found them.”
“That’s ‘cause she’s an amazing woman,” James remarked, and I nodded, agreeing with his sentiment. “And she’s tired of everyone’s shit, so tread carefully.”
He patted me on the back and walked to the dissipating group of women before finding Amaya.
They spoke softly, and she pulled him into a hug before he kissed her on the cheek, leaving a smudge of our grease paint on her face.
He turned to look at the large number of people standing inside Lucian’s house and remarked, “Why don’t we go outside so Regan can explain what happened. ”
She looked at him, then at me, and I stepped away from Devlin and Lucian to go to her. Taking her hand into mine, I kissed the back as we walked to the patio. Regan went to take a seat, and I tugged her arm to stop her. I took the seat and patted my lap, encouraging her to have a seat.
Smiling, she carefully sat on my leg, and I pulled her closer, needing to have her in my arms while she told us what she uncovered.
It seemed everyone was doing the same thing, and as I looked around the table, I saw women sitting on the laps of their men, all secure as Regan began to address the group.
“First, let me say I’m sorry for scaring everyone, but I’m not sorry for going with Ricardo. He wasn’t going to leave without someone, and I’d rather him take me than one of you.”
“That’s noble but reckless,” Stella remarked as she sat on Hawk’s lap. “He could’ve have killed you before anyone could have saved you.”
I rubbed my hand down Regan’s back as she wiped under her eyes. Everyone's emotions were running high, and I didn’t want this to turn into an attack on her decision, even if it was dangerous.
“Why don’t you tell us what Dick Pickens had to say,” I suggested, and she nodded.
Exhaling deeply, she looked at the group as she explained.
“I got pissed, to be honest. I wasn’t going to let him or anyone else hurt me, and when he decided to threaten me with his gun, I slapped it away from me.
He didn’t know how to react. I knew . . .
I knew he wasn’t a real threat to me. At least, from what I knew of him, he wasn’t.
” Shaking her head, she continued. “Anyway, he was crying about losing everything and how the money Sergey hid was rightfully his. When I questioned him, he said something that was out of left field, something I’d never have suspected. ”
“What did he admit?” Devlin asked, and she looked at me.
I gave her a nod, telling her I was with her as she explained.
“Ricardo told me that he’d met Kelly when he was fresh out of the academy, and he was instantly smitten.
But he was keeping her and the Bureau separate, until she gave him some news.
And honestly, and I’m sorry, Hannah,” she looked at her sister-in-law, and the woman gave her an understanding shrug, “but I think she was lying to get him to do her bidding. He always seemed like the kind of person who wasn’t very popular, and he probably was a virgin when they met. ”
“What was her news?” Grace asked.
“He said Waylon is his son and that she used him as bait to keep Ricardo funneling information from the Bureau to the Syndicate.”
“How is that possible?” Hannah asked incredulously. “I mean, I’ve tried to figure out how Kelly and Sergey met in the first place, but how would she have gotten connected to some random FBI agent?”
“If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that Sergey had some indication that he and the Syndicate were being investigated and he decided to plant moles in the Bureau to maintain the upper hand.
But I don’t think he was aware of my involvement until, I’m assuming, Ricardo told him, and that’s when everything changed between us,” Lucian remarked, and Rylee leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“So, what’s the next move?” Hailey asked as Jacob wrapped his arm around her back.
Just the mention of the Syndicate sent chills down some people’s backs, but this group had battled with them for years and we were all still standing while most of them were dead or in jail.
I glanced at Devlin, and our silent conversation spoke volumes.
He wanted to interrogate Ricardo himself, and if the clenching and unclenching of Lucian’s fist was any indication, he was looking to get his revenge on someone he used to respect.
I decided to take the lead on this, knowing I was going to take a few swings on that fucker before he died. One for every time he scared, hurt, belittled, or caused pain to Regan. Then he could die and I wouldn’t give a fuck.
“We’re going to have a meeting with Dick Pickens to find out where his bastard son is. Sorry, Hannah. Then we’re going to end him and put all this bullshit behind us so we can live the lives we’ve all fought to have.”
“I’m coming with you,” Regan said, and I shook my head. Her eyes grew cold as she crossed her arms over her chest and replied, “Try and stop me.”
“Regan, you’ve had such a rough day already, and I think what Seth is saying is he doesn’t want you under any more stress than you’ve already experienced,” James reasoned.
She stood, and I didn’t stop her as she addressed the group.
“I’m tired of being pushed to the side so the men can rush in and save the fucking day.
I managed to survive almost two years within the Syndicate, and when Wren and I were taken, I killed John and got us to safety.
Today, I was able to use the skills you all taught me to get myself out of danger until help arrived.
I will not be told to stand down when this affects my life.
So, if anyone has a problem with it, speak now or shut the fuck up and let me do what I need to do. ”
“I like the new Regan. She’s not going to take anyone’s shit, and I’m here for it,” Grace interjected with a chuckle, and Regan turned back to look at me.
“What’s it gonna be, Johnson?”
The men watched me as I carefully stood and brushed my hand across her cheek. “I’ll follow you into battle today, tomorrow, and forever.”
She smiled up at me, and I kissed her quickly before looking at the group. “Let’s settle this, once and for all.”
Devlin, Lucian, Skid, James, Rhys, Hatchet, and Hawk stood, encouraging their women to retake their empty seats.
Gunner, Needles, Jackal, Claw, and the prospects remained seated as Gunner announced, “The Death Hounds will stay behind and make sure the women are protected until you get back. Even though I know they’re capable of defending themselves,” he added, and Sadie smiled at him.
Those of us who were leaving began to walk off the patio and out the front door of the house, and Regan slipped her hand into mine as we walked out.
Piling into three vehicles, we drove out of Lucian’s driveway and toward the warehouse Devlin and James used for .
. . delicate situations. It was in Portstill, on the back edge of the Flats, and I’d seen the kind of fucked-up shit the madman did to people inside the innocuous-looking building.
James was driving the vehicle Regan and I were in, and Skid was in the passenger’s seat with his cut turned inside out since he was ‘in a cage’, whatever the fuck that meant.
Devlin, Hatchet, and Rhys were in the car in front of us, and Lucian and Hawk were behind us.
James kept glancing in the rear-view mirror, trying to convey some message or signal to me.
If it had anything to do with Regan not witnessing whatever was about to happen to Dick Pickens, then he could stop making strange faces at me and drive the car.
She wasn’t going to be deprived of a single second of the revenge she deserved. And if anyone tried to stop her, I was going to shoot them in the foot. It wouldn’t kill them, but it would make them stop their stupidity.
Regan’s revenge was happening, whether they liked it or not.