“Cat, Bridget, Rylee, Paisley, and Harlowe,” I rattled off the list. “Wendy is joining us, too. She called yesterday because she misses seeing me around at McClaren’s, so I invited her along.”
He heaved a deep sigh. “Fine, but you still need to take two prospects with you, plus I’m going to ask Rider to meet up with me there for lunch, and you have to sit between Harlowe and Wendy. They both have concealed carry licenses, so if any shit goes down, they’ll cover you.”
“Thank you!” I brushed my lips against his in what was meant to be a quick kiss, but he took control, deepening it until I was squirming on his lap. “I thought you had a meeting?”
“Hack and I need to talk to Mac about a few things, but it shouldn’t take too long.”
He was pulling me close for another kiss when Cat strode into the huge open room where the club members hung out together. “Enough of that, you two. It’s time to go, and I’m starving.”
Sebastian captured my mouth in a long, passionate kiss before he lifted me off his lap. “Make sure she stays safe.”
Cat patted the back of the vest Sebastian had given me when we’d finally come up for air, and I’d gone out with the girls the first time. “Only an idiot would try something when she’s wearing your property patch, Breaker.”
“And there are plenty of those out there.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Cat waved off his concern and dragged me out to the SUV waiting outside. One of the prospects was in the driver's seat, with another sitting next to him. The trip to the restaurant was quick, and a little thrill went through me when I walked through the doors and saw most of the tables were filled with diners. It was a silly reaction, but this was my most normal outing in weeks.
I grinned at everyone when we made it to the table, sighing in relief when I was able to sit between Harlowe and Wendy without having to make everyone move around. The waiter hurried over with the usual drinks Cat and I ordered before mumbling something about being back with a basket of bread.
“Do you think they’d let me order something from the kid’s menu?” I asked.
A wrinkle popped up in the middle of Rylee’s forehead. “How come?”
I took a quick sip of my sweet tea before answering. “It’s so strange because I normally don’t like them, but I could really go for a hot dog right now, and they don’t have them on the regular menu.”
“A hot dog?” Cat echoed with a knowing gleam in her eyes.
“Yeah, I think my body’s electrolytes are all messed up. I’ve been in the mood for all the salty foods lately,” I explained.
“It’s not your electrolytes. It’s your hormones,” Harlowe corrected with a laugh.
I looked up from the menu. “Huh?”
“You’re pregnant,” Rylee drawled, leaning back in her chair and gesturing in a big half-circle over her belly to visibly demonstrate her point.
“What? No.” I shook my head, my heart starting to race. “I don’t have any symptoms. No morning sickness. My boobs don’t hurt. I’m not any more tired than usual.”
“You know what else you don’t have?” Bridget asked, waiting for me to turn to look at her before answering her own question. “Your period.”
“How in the world would you know if she’s had her period or not?” Wendy asked, her brows drawn low in confusion.
“I don’t know for sure, but it seems like a pretty good bet.” Bridget pointed her straw at me. “Am I right?”
My hand dropped down to my belly. “Oh, my gosh. I could totally be pregnant.”
Paisley unzipped her purse and pulled out a pink box, sliding it across the table toward me. “Here, go take this.”
Wendy gave Rylee a weird look and shook her head. “I’d ask why you carry a pregnancy test around in your purse, but knocking you girls up is all part of the whole warp-speed thing for the Silver Saints when they find their old lady.”
“Which is why you should come around the clubhouse more often,” Cat replied, wagging her brows. “There are still plenty of single members, and I’d love some nieces or nephews to spoil.”
Wendy rolled her eyes. “My brother would blow a gasket if I dated one of his club brothers.”
Cat looked as though she was gearing up for an argument with her sister-in-law, but her attention shifted to me when I pushed my chair back and stood. With the pregnancy test clutched in my hand, I muttered, “Be right back.”
I quickly made my way into the women’s restroom and heaved a sigh of relief when I saw that all three stalls were empty. I hurried to the one on the end and ripped into the box as soon as the door was shut behind me. After quickly reading through the instructions, I did exactly as they said, tossing the box in the garbage before I headed to the sink to wash my hands.
Three minutes had never felt so long in my life. When the alarm I’d set after I was done peeing finally went off, I glanced at the results screen on the test and promptly burst into happy tears. With as often as Sebastian talked about putting his baby in me, I knew he was going to be thrilled with the news.
Even though he was in a meeting with his prez, I figured this was the best reason ever to interrupt. Before I pushed open the bathroom door, I pulled him up in my recent calls and tapped on his name. I pressed the phone to my ear, waiting for him to pick up as I walked out into the hallway.
I only made it a few steps before a strong hand gripped my arm and jerked me back, a deep voice muttering in my ear, “Waited a long time for this day, but I finally got my hands on you, bitch.”
11
Breaker
When I heard that motherfucker’s voice, my hand tightened around my phone hard enough that I heard a crack. A quick glance showed that it still worked, though, so I put it on mute, then raised the phone back to my ear and listened carefully.
Mac, Rider, and Hack had obviously picked up on the vibe that something was seriously wrong because they’d gone silent as well. We were nearly to the restaurant, having decided to have our talk there instead of prez’s office.
I knew it wouldn’t be quick enough to keep Ireland from being taken, but I was grateful she’d called me right before he showed up. It would make finding her a fuck of a lot easier.
The voices became a little muffled, probably because my girl had slipped her phone into her pocket. But I didn’t miss the sound of a thump right before Ireland cried out in pain. It took a herculean effort not to crush my phone to smithereens, so I ground my teeth into dust instead.
“He’s got her?” Rider asked in a low voice. I nodded and continued to listen carefully. The only other sound was Hack’s fingers tapping on his phone. He’d yanked it from his pocket the second he clocked my expression and was doing some of the techy voodoo shit that would help me find my girl.
We were a minute out from the restaurant when Hack leaned forward in his seat beside me to talk to Mac, who was driving the SUV. “Keep going on the road for a mile, then get on the interstate.”
“Where are we going?” I heard Ireland ask. Good girl.
“Somewhere no one will ever find your body,” Scott said in a sinister voice that had a touch of laughter, making me realize that this bastard was a much bigger threat than we’d realized.
Fuck. I should have seen this coming!
“Like a cabin in the woods?” Ireland prodded. I could hear her voice tremble in fear, but she kept pushing because she knew every little bit of information would help me find her.
“You think I’m stupid enough to bury your body where dogs could sniff it out? Nah. I’ve been planning this for a long fucking time, and I’ve covered every detail.”
Except the one where her man was a B&E specialist who worked with one of the world’s best hackers. And he clearly hadn’t considered turning off Ireland’s GPS on her phone, never mind checking to see if she’d called someone. His cocksure attitude only made my job easier.
My biggest concern was making sure Ireland didn't get hurt before I got to her or while we took the asshole down. When the dead man walking
made a lewd joke, my phone cracked again, and Hack snatched it out of my hand.
“Gonna make my job harder if you crush your damn phone, Breaker.” He shoved an earpiece at me, and I put it in to continue listening.
“Don’t worry, you won’t care about what I did to your body once you're drinking cement.” He released a maniacal laugh, and I squeezed my fists so hard that even my blunt nails caused my palms to bleed.
“New construction,” I relayed to Hack. “Access to wet concrete, so they’ll still be working on the foundation.”
“Turn off in two exits,” he told Mac. “Pretty sure I know where he’s taking her. We’re gonna be waiting for him.”
“Breaker is going to kill you,” Ireland announced, her tone completely confident, despite the fear I knew she was feeling.
Fuck, she’s amazing. She was perfect for me, and I was kicking myself up one side of the street and down the other for not telling her sooner that I loved her. I vowed to say it first thing once I knew she was safe.
“He won’t even get close to me,” Scott crowed. “Even if he manages to figure out where you are, my boys will be waiting for him. He won’t know what hit him—literally. But I promise to bury your bodies together, so you can look forward to that.”
I waved to get Rider’s attention in the passenger seat since I didn’t want to stop Hack from whatever he was doing, and Mac was maneuvering the roads at high speeds. “The other idiots from that night at McClaren’s are waiting there. Text the Captain and have him send some boys on an emergency ride. We’ll need help with the cleanup.”
Rider nodded and pulled out his phone to type out a message to Patriot. “I already had Dash lock down the restaurant and send five prospects to escort the old ladies back to the compound.” I gave him a chin lift to let him know I appreciated his quick thinking. I doubted the other women were in danger, but not one of us would risk it.
“Take that dirt road, prez,” Hack directed. “It comes up through the undeveloped lots for this property. Turns out one of Scott’s cronies was moonlighting as a bouncer. His day job is construction, and he’s got a concrete license.”
“Why would they assume no one would trace this back to him?” Rider wondered.
“Because the company he worked for was fired from the job, then they dissolved, leaving no records. So tracking former employees would only be possible for someone like me. And I’m just connecting dots. I have no way to actually confirm it. Park over there by those trees. Gonna hoof it from here so they don’t know what’s comin’. Got the development information, and there are only two houses in the process of having their foundation poured. The construction company ran into an issue this morning, and the crew went home early.”
Mac did as Hack instructed, and we exited almost simultaneously, checking the clips for our Glocks. Hack took the lead, and we crept through the dirt, skirting the little orange flags that marked the corners of each lot.
The subdivision was multimillion-dollar homes, sitting on two to three acres each. Scott’s plan hadn’t been a bad one. I figured it was a pretty sure bet that he’d underestimated our skills because we were an MC. That had worked out in our favor many, many times.
Hack raised his hand for us to halt, then pointed at a lot that had the framing for a house. Two lots in front of it had partial foundations.
When we crept up to the framed house, I drew my gun. Each of us took a side, and we silently entered through the gaps between the studs. I heard a laugh and my head whipped to the right to see two men standing between the lots, talking and drinking. One of them drained a bottle and tossed it aside where it hit a pile of bags filled with cement. The bottle shattered, and I rolled my eyes. The assholes had clearly never had a lesson in DNA evidence.
I found a spot with a perch of sorts and a clear shot. Then I screwed a silencer onto the barrel of my gun and took aim. Neither of the jackasses ever knew what hit them. I put a bullet in the back of their heads in quick succession.
After Rider confirmed the structure we were in was empty, he’d gone back out to watch the road. Mac and I picked up the bodies and threw them into the house just as Rider shouted that someone was approaching.
We stood just out of sight and watched a silver sedan make its way over the gravel and dirt until the vehicle came to a stop a few yards from where we were hiding.
The engine shut off, and the driver’s side doors swung open. I could have put a bullet between his eyes right then, but Ireland was still in the car. I also wanted this asshole to recognize that no one fucked with the Silver Saints and never, ever went after their women.
I stepped out of the shadows, and Scott froze. His eyes darted around, no doubt looking for his backup. “Dead,” I told him. “Your hand makes one move toward your gun, and you’ll join them in the blink of an eye.”
“How did you…?” he looked around again, fear mounting in his eyes. I knew the second my brothers stood behind me because he blanched and put his hands over his head.
When Ireland saw Scott’s position, she struggled to open her door and got out before I could help her. She stumbled toward me, her hands tied in front of her with electrical tape, and tears pouring from her beautiful hazel eyes.
I let my boys be in charge of Scott and raced over to pull my woman into my arms.
“Unlike you,” Mac said to the kidnapper, “we’re not stupid enough to explain ourselves.” A menacing smile slithered onto my face. “Especially if I haven’t checked to make sure no one can hear me. Like on my captive’s cell phone.”
Scott’s eyes went wide as rage flared in his beady eyes. When I guided Ireland away from the car, he lunged for us, but only made it one step before he went down, screaming like a little girl.
Rider pointed his smoking barrel at Scott’s other knee and snarled, “Want to try that again? Picking off your body parts one by one would be the best game of operation ever. Except, I aim to set off the buzzer every time.”
I tuned everything and everyone out except for Ireland but didn’t stop moving until we were shielded by Mac, Rider, and Hack. A rumbling beneath my feet brought another layer of relief because more of my brothers were here to protect my old lady.
Hack must have given them the heads-up that they didn’t need to be stealthy because four Silver Saints rode straight up behind us. Dash brought his hog right next to me and hopped off. He handed me a multi-tool so I could cut the tape binding Ireland’s wrists, then put his helmet on her head and stepped out of the way. I nodded my thanks, and without another word, I mounted his motorcycle, then grabbed Ireland and settled her in front of me. There was no fucking way I could have her out of my arms right then, but I also needed to get her the fuck outta there. She wrapped herself around me like a spider monkey and held on to me as if she was afraid I would disappear. I popped the extra helmet Dash brought for me onto my own head and took off like a bat outta hell.
* * *
Carefully, I slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake Ireland, and pulled on my jeans before padding across the carpet to my door. Mac stood in the hall when I opened it, and I stepped out, shutting it quietly behind me.
It was almost one in the morning, but after putting Ireland in the shower and checking her over for injuries, I’d put her in our bed and kissed her until she fell into a fitful sleep. I hadn’t been able to close my eyes since. So when Mac had sent me a text telling me they were back and to call him later, I’d replied asking him to stop by my room on his way home.
“What happened?” I inquired.
“Patriot and Sparrow got rid of the bodies, Dash and Knight cleaned the scene.”
“Scott?”
“Hack took him to the hospital and had the cops there waiting. They put babysitters on him, and once he’s recovered from his injuries, he’ll be taken to county lockup. And now that his two closest friends have mysteriously disappeared, there will be another investigation into him which will result in even more charges. Hack will make sure of it.”
&nbs
p; I’d gone back and forth about whether to let Scott live. And until I took off with Ireland, I hadn’t really been sure what the outcome of the situation would be. Killing his buddies had been the most efficient way to ensure they couldn’t alert Scott to our presence when he arrived, but once we had her safe, I had more options for how to deal with him. Ultimately, I decided we should make an example of him.
He’d still get what was coming to him eventually—after suffering for a long damn time. Only then would the asshole die. And he’d do it painfully.
Mac and I grabbed hands and pounded each other on the back once. “Thanks, prez.”
“No need for thanks, Breaker. That’s what the patch is for. One of us has a problem; we all got a problem.”
I nodded, and he strode off without another word. Slipping back into my room, I stopped to let my eyes adjust to the darkness before making my way back to the bed.
I stripped and slipped back under the covers. As soon as I lay down, Ireland scooted close and wrapped herself around me. I kissed the crown of her head, then tucked her face under my chin. “You doing all right, baby?”
“I was scared, but I never doubted for a second that you would rescue me.”
“Always, Ireland. I will always protect you, no matter what.” I gently set her away from me and quickly reached into my nightstand for the little velvet bag I’d tucked in there a week ago. I’d been trying to plan the perfect moment, but I couldn’t wait another second.
I shook the bag, and a diamond ring tumbled into my palm. Without saying a word first, I slipped it onto Ireland’s third left finger, then placed a kiss over it.
“I love you, Ireland. You’re already my old lady, and hopefully soon, the mother of our children, but I also want you to be my wife. I’m going to marry you, baby. Gonna make sure everyone who looks at you knows you belong to me.”
Ireland gasped and jackknifed up in bed. I nearly knocked the lamp over in my haste to turn on the light so I could see what was wrong. She was kneeling on the bed, her right hand covering her mouth and the other held out in front of her, showing off her ring.
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