“Got it, Prez. I’m sending the location now. See you soon,” Kellan replied and ended the call.
When the location came through, Prez and I led the way. According to the GPS, it would take around a half an hour for us to get there. Hastings better hope Keegan was unharmed when we arrived. He was already in for a world of hurt for what he had done to my mother and drugging Keegan.
The ringing filling my helmet startled me. When I answered, I was greeted with Byte’s voice. “I’ve got some info on the location. It’s listed as a residential property with a main residence and a small stable. A Mrs. Lois Hensley purchased the property, but a year later, Harold Hensley and Lawrence Hastings were added to the deed. A few searches also show the property associated with a business named H & H Fillies.”
“That makes no sense. They each have their own horse business. Why wouldn’t they combine those two instead of starting a third one?” I wondered aloud.
“Don’t know, brother. It seemed worth mentioning. I’ll keep looking,” Byte said.
Phoenix signaled for us to pull over when we were five minutes out. “We need to leave the bikes here and take the cages the rest of the way. The bikes will make too much noise, and we don’t want them to know we’re coming for our girl,” Phoenix said.
Coal and Byte stayed with the bikes while the rest of us piled in the cages. We had been driving for more than five minutes when Phoenix’s phone rang again. He answered it, laughed, and then instructed Edge to turn around. “We passed Kellan. Little fucker must be well hidden,” Phoenix announced with a chuckle.
Kellan was waiting for us in the middle of the road. Edge and Dash pulled the cages to the side of the road and brothers started climbing out. Phoenix and Kellan were huddled close together talking. I couldn’t handle waiting. I walked right up to them and butted in, “What’s happening?”
Phoenix quirked a brow at my disrespect but didn’t comment. “Kellan said a black sedan entered the property and stopped in front of the stables approximately 10 minutes ago. Hastings is there, not sure about Hensley. Give us a few minutes to survey the scene, and we’ll get a plan together. They won’t get past us, brother. We’ll have your girl back soon,” Phoenix said, clapping a hand on my shoulder.
Carbon, Phoenix, and Duke started scanning the property with binoculars. Ranger was holding a rifle and peering through the scope. “Phoenix,” Ranger called, his voice eerily calm, “you need to see this.”
Ranger handed his rifle to Phoenix. Phoenix peered through the scope, looked at Ranger, then put his eye back to the scope. “What the fuck?” he whispered.
Chapter Nineteen
Keegan
I felt like shit. My head was pounding, my mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and my stomach was not a happy camper. What in the hell was going on? I groaned and tried to force my dry eyes open. I blinked a few times to get my eyes to focus and immediately wished I was still asleep.
I was sprawled on a nasty bed in a horse’s stall. I got to my feet and scanned the space. There was nothing other than me, the bed, and a bottle of water in the stall. No way in hell was I drinking that. I had to remain calm. Panicking wouldn’t do anything to help me. I needed to think. Where was I and how did I get there?
It all came back to me at once. Jacquelyn tied to a chair. Lawrence offering to release her in exchange for me. Leaving the farm without telling anyone. Leaving Jacquelyn’s house with Lawrence. Lawrence grabbing me followed by a sharp stinging sensation in my neck. That bastard had drugged me. Why would he do that?
It didn’t matter why he did it. I needed to find a way to get out of the stall and far away from him before he came back. I already knew it wouldn’t be there, but I had to check. Almost hesitantly, I reached for the back pocket of my jeans to feel for my phone, which wasn’t there. Shit. I scanned the room again looking for anything I could use to defend myself or help me escape.
The sound of voices had me freezing on the spot. My heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest. I needed more time to come up with a plan. I did the only thing I could think of to buy myself more time. I quietly crept to the bed and arranged myself in the position I was in when I had woken. Closing my eyes, I tried to breathe as evenly as possible and willed my heart to slow down.
The door to the stall slid open, and footsteps approached. “How much did you give her? Shouldn’t she be awake by now?” Mr. Hensley snidely asked.
“I administered the correct dosage, Harold. Some take longer to rouse. I assure you, this is better than her screaming and disturbing the others. We’ll check back in a bit. When is Rowe due to arrive?” Lawrence asked.
Rowe? Others?
“Within the hour. He won’t be happy if she is still knocked out from the drugs when he arrives,” Harold said.
“If she has not woken by the time he arrives, I will give her the medication to reverse the effects of the sedative. Relax, Hensley. In less than an hour, we will give him the money and the girl. Then, we can finally put this behind us,” Lawrence said casually.
It took every ounce of control I possessed to force myself not to react to his words. I knew I had to keep still or I would blow my only shot at getting away before this Rowe person arrived. Once the stall door closed and I heard a lock slide into place, I remained still for several beats before resuming my search of the stall. Eyeing the bed, I briefly wondered if I could use part of the frame as a weapon.
The stall door suddenly opened to reveal Lawrence sneering at me. “I knew you were faking, you stupid little cunt. Here’s what’s going to happen. My business associate will arrive soon. You are going to leave with him without causing any problems. If you do that, I will guarantee no harm will come to Jacquelyn, Gabriella, or your beloved husband. If you resist, I will kill them all.”
I gasped, and the tears fell freely from my eyes. “You would kill your own daughter?”
He shrugged, “It would not be my first choice, but I could make it work for me. Losing a wife and my only daughter in the span of five years would surely win me thousands of sympathy votes.”
He was a monster. A monster I was going to destroy as soon as I had the opportunity. Until then, I would have to go along with his plan and pray that I wasn’t too broken by the end of it. “I will do whatever I have to to make sure Gabriella is kept safe,” I said vehemently.
Lawrence smiled cruelly, “That’s what I thought.” He turned and left me alone in the stall to wait for my next hell to begin.
I couldn’t stop the tears or the overwhelming anger surging through me. My mother was a great mother. Until Lawrence came along, her life revolved around me, and she seemed content with that. I recall hearing her say numerous times, “Being a parent is the most important job one can have.” So how did my dedicated, loving mother subject not one, but two children to a man like Lawrence? I let my anger fuel me and give me strength. I would need it to survive whatever lay ahead.
I was pacing the stall and trying to keep myself amped up when the stall door slid open. A man I had never seen before stepped inside and closed the door. My feet were rooted to the spot while I studied him carefully. He was not at all what I expected. He was dressed in a tailored three-piece suit and carried himself with an air of authority. In another situation, I would have described him as handsome.
He took a step forward, and I immediately took a step back. He kept his eyes trained on me but did not try to move closer. He raised one finger to his lips in the universal sign to be quiet. Then, ever so slowly, he pulled his suit jacket to the side to reveal a gold badge attached to his belt. It couldn’t be. My eyes widened and shot to his. He nodded once and mouthed, “Play along.”
I glanced at the badge again. I had never seen an FBI badge before, but the one he had looked authentic. Still, I didn’t know if I should trust him or not. He didn’t give me time to think it over. He stepped close and whispered one sentence that had me sagging with relief, “I’m friends with Phoenix Black.”
A loud
sob escaped from me. I was safe or would be soon. And Lawrence was about to have his ass handed to him by the FBI. I straightened my spine and gave a curt nod to the agent. I would play along and help him take down Lawrence.
The agent leaned closer and whispered, “I need you to fight me or put up a struggle.”
“He told me he would hurt my sister if I didn’t go with you quietly,” I whispered back.
The agent’s jaw clenched. “I’m going to carry you out over my shoulder. Try to make it sound like you are quietly crying. Ready?”
I nodded. I was more than ready. Even though I was thrilled about the unexpected turn of events, I was still upset enough by the entire ordeal to produce plenty of genuine tears. The agent bent his knees, hoisted me over his shoulder, and carried me out of the stall. I shuddered and sobbed as he strode toward the exit.
“Once the wire transfer has been verified, I will be on my way,” the agent said.
“I can assure you the money has been transferred to your account, Mr. Rowe,” Lawrence promised.
The agent scoffed, “Assure away, but I will verify it with my own eyes. You’ve given me no reason to trust you.”
“Very well,” Lawrence replied tightly. “Do you require any assistance with your filly?”
“None whatsoever. Unlike you and your partner, I’m quite capable of handling a female without issue,” the agent spat and slapped me on the ass. I clutched his shirt and whimpered as my cries turned into sobs.
I kept my eyes squeezed shut. I didn’t want to see Lawrence ever again, unless he was in handcuffs or behind bars. I felt the agent moving, and then I was turned right side up and placed in a car. The agent slid into the back beside me and pulled out a tablet. He tapped on the screen a few times and then told the driver we were ready to leave.
Turning to face me, he extended his hand, “Hi, Keegan. My name is Luke Johnson. I’m a special agent with the FBI. I’ve been working undercover to bring down Hastings and Hensley. I’m going to take you to a safe house right now. You’ll need to stay there until the investigation is complete.”
“What? How long will that take?” I shrieked.
“I don’t know exactly, but it shouldn’t be long. I’m sorry, but if Lawrence were to catch sight of you roaming around freely, it could blow the entire case,” he said softly.
“I need to call my husband and let him know I’m okay. He’s probably on his way to kill Lawrence as we speak.”
“I can’t let you do that. We can’t risk your location being discovered, and we need your husband’s reactions to be genuine,” he said.
“I’m telling you right now, Agent Johnson, if my husband gets his hands on Lawrence, you won’t have a case because He. Will. Kill. Him.”
Luke’s eyebrows shot up. “You really think a member of the Marks family would commit murder?” he asked skeptically.
“Do you really think a member of Blackwings MC wouldn’t?” I shot back.
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Aren’t you married to Jacob Marks?”
“Yes, I am. Jacob is also known as Shaker, Blackwings MC Road Captain, Original Chapter,” I said proudly.
Luke shook his head. “No, Shaker’s name is Jay Markus.”
“That’s a fake name he uses to keep people from finding out about his money,” I countered.
Before Luke could reply, the driver said, “Luke, we have a problem.”
“Fuck! What is it?” Luke barked.
“Armed men on motorcycles are blocking the road,” he said as he glanced in the rearview mirror, “in both directions.”
I folded my arms across my chest and smirked, “Told ya.”
“Fuck!” he cursed. “Stop the car. Keegan, get your head down and do not get out of the car. Thomas, call Peterman and let him know what’s going on. See if we can get this shit expedited.”
Luke stepped out of the car with his hands in the air. I assumed he would close the door and go talk to Phoenix, but that’s not what happened. He used the car door as a shield and spoke to the club from a distance. “She’s in the car, and she’s fine. Please lower your weapons,” Luke said calmly.
“What in the hell is going on, Luke?” Phoenix growled.
“An undercover investigation that you and your club are about to blow wide open. I’ll explain, but right now we need to get out of here,” Luke said. “You and Shaker can follow the car, but the rest need to scatter.”
“I’m not moving until I see for myself that Keegan is okay,” Shaker barked.
I heard Luke sigh heavily, “Fine. Keegan, come on out.”
I stepped out of the car and scanned the crowd of men for Shaker. When my eyes landed on him, I saw his body visibly relax. “I’m okay, Shaker. I promise.” Suddenly, I remembered Jacquelyn. “Is your mother okay?”
“Yeah, baby, she’s good,” he said.
“Save the chit-chat for later, kids. We need to move out, now,” Luke ordered and motioned for me to get back into the car.
As soon as the door closed, we were moving again. “What did Peterman say?” Luke asked anxiously.
“After a string of expletives, he said to bring the girl to the safe house as planned and the rest of the team will meet us there. Once she is secure, we will go pick up Hastings and Hensley. You need to get her statement now,” the driver, Thomas, said.
I spent the remainder of the drive recounting the events of the day, as well as the pertinent events over the past few months. Luke took down everything I said with little to no reaction. It was as if nothing I said shocked him. I found it unsettling. “...and the weirdest thing was when I showed up at his house unannounced and found him giving it to Hensley from behind.”
Luke choked and coughed, his eyes widened in surprise, “Excuse me?”
I laughed, “So, you are capable of being shocked? Just checking.”
He gave me a small smile, “Sorry. It’s easier to handle investigations such as these when you remain detached. Plus, most of what you told me I already knew or expected.”
“I see. So, can you tell me why the FBI is investigating Lawrence? Obviously, he kidnapped me and handed me over to someone against my will, but that didn’t happen until today. What had he been doing to garner the attention of the FBI?” I asked curiously.
“I can share some details, but you have to keep them to yourself until I say otherwise. I’m serious about that. If you don’t, you could find yourself being charged with obstruction of justice or interfering with a federal investigation,” he said.
“Understood,” I replied. The story would spread like wildfire once the media got a hold of it. That meant reporters would be all over me. Not. Fun.
“Lawrence Hastings and Harold Hensley are being investigated for their involvement in profiting from and running a prostitution ring, as well as money laundering, racketeering, and human trafficking.”
“Say what now?” I blurted.
“I can’t tell you much more than that right now. Until we have them both in custody with formal charges, the case is considered open, which means I can’t openly discuss it,” he said.
“My sister,” I gasped. “What will happen to her once Lawrence is in custody?”
“If he doesn’t have provisions in place, he will need to make some quickly, or the courts will decide what to do with her,” Luke explained.
“I will cooperate with you and help in any way I can, but I want full custody of Gabriella. Do you think you can help me make that happen?” I asked.
Luke smiled, “Yes, I think that’s doable.”
When we arrived at the safe house, Phoenix and Shaker were beside the rear passenger door before Thomas could shut off the engine. I opened the door and was immediately engulfed by Shaker. He slid one hand around my back while the other gently cupped the back of my head. Pressing me against his chest, he buried his face in my neck. “Keegan,” he breathed.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and relished in the feel of his body against mine, his comforting scent su
rrounding me. My fingers threaded through his hair, “Jacob, you came for me.”
He pulled back and met my eyes, “Of course, I did. You’re my wife.” Then, his mouth was covering mine in a scorching kiss. I moaned into his mouth and tried in vain to pull him closer. His hands were everywhere, as if he was checking to make sure I was really there.
“You might need to get the water hose to separate them,” Phoenix chuckled.
Shaker broke the kiss but didn’t release me. I buried my face in his cut, slightly embarrassed by our indecent display of affection in front of Phoenix and Luke.
Luke cleared his throat, “Let’s go inside.”
We followed Luke into a nondescript townhouse. Not exactly what I pictured when I thought of a safe house, but I supposed that was the point. Once we were settled in the living room, Luke introduced us to the agents who would be staying with me while another team of agents went after Lawrence and Mr. Hensley.
When my eyes landed on the female agent, I instantly recognized her and couldn’t contain my disbelief. “You’re an agent?”
Before she could answer, Shaker stepped in front me of. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. She was Lawrence’s date for the charity ball,” I said and stepped around his big body. “You’re good. I seriously thought you were a complete idiot.”
She stifled a laugh and nodded. “Just doing my job. It’s nice to officially meet you. I’m Agent Lindstrom,” she said kindly and extended her hand to me.
Another man stepped forward to shake my hand, “And I’m Agent Hall. We’ll be staying here with you until Agent Johnson gives the all clear.” He directed his attention to Phoenix and Shaker, “Are you two staying or going?”
“Staying,” the both answered at the same time. I had no doubt Shaker would all but refuse to leave my side, but I assumed Phoenix would want to get back to Annabelle.
Shaker (Blackwings MC Book 5) Page 14
