Chapter Eleven
Beecher
The car with Pierre inside speeds around the corner and disappears out of sight. The guy isn’t stupid, he can obviously see the nine bikes heading his way. I would have rather had Val stay with my president, but she didn’t even want to stay at the club at the first place when we went in search for Maci.
I understand her train of thought, don’t get me wrong, but the turn of events of the last few days has put every single one of us on edge. My brothers have been keeping me up to date, and Broken Deeds MC has been working non-stop to get to the bottom of this chain of snuff film assholes.
We’re so close. So damn close that I can see the taillights of Pierre’s car getting within reach. Pierre yanks the wheel and I have to act quickly to avoid a collision. Dammit, this is why I wanted Val to stay behind. And at the same time, I could shoot myself in the head for being in the front of this chase; putting her in the middle of this high-speed manhunt.
Deeds is right next to me and shouts over the roaring of the bikes, “Fall back!”
Fall back my fucking ass. We’re this close right now, if we fall back, we’ll lose him. I’m not going to let the fucker slip through my fingers again. He was the one leaving the property when they held Morgan captive. He’s been the one involved all along while working close with Val. Taunting. A damn mindfuck to play with her in plain sight.
No.
This ends today.
“My brothers have him surrounded, he won’t get away, but we need to stay alive ourselves,” Deeds bellows beside me.
Fuck.
Reluctantly I somewhat fall back and Pierre takes the opportunity to hit the gas and swerves to the right to take an exit. My nerves spike but when I take a glance at Deeds, I can clearly see the fucker grinning like an idiot as if he was expecting this move from Pierre.
For me and Val it’s all about revenge. For these brothers it isn’t personal and yet they have a drive to finish what they started. They have a different motivation and yet there’s a same goal and preferred outcome; end it, one way or the other.
In this moment I’m handing over...no. I’m not handing over shit; I’m putting revenge on hold long enough to let other brothers take over and accept help. This time it’s not solely Val and I counting on each other, we have more than one MC at our backs.
Right when I’m wondering where the hell Pierre thinks he’s going, a white SUV comes out of nowhere and collides with Pierre’s car from the right, causing it to spin before it flips over. Another white SUV drives up from behind us and comes to a stop right next to Pierre’s car. Two guys jump out, guns drawn, as they swing the car door open and drag Pierre out.
I hit the brakes and am about to jump off but the two guys are already throwing Pierre in the back of the SUV as they jump in too and drive off right after. I’m about to lose my shit but Wyatt rides up next to me and smacks my arm.
“Keep up, we’re taking him to a special place since we figured you want some time with him.” He doesn’t say anything else but speeds away after the SUV.
I hit the throttle and follow behind them as do all the others behind us. The ride eats away a chunk of time but we ultimately arrive on an abandoned road, overgrown and it flows into a gravel driveway leading to a large barn.
I bring the bike to a stop and Val immediately jumps off. She’s right behind me when I approach the SUV. The two Broken Deeds MC guys are standing in front of it and are glancing over my shoulder.
“This is their show, guys,” Deeds says from behind me, addressing his brothers. He steps in between to fully face me. “I just said it’s your show but I would like my brothers to drag this fucker inside and restrain him so I can explain a few things to you guys first. We have managed to map out the crucial details and even if a few guys are still on the loose, we don’t need this fucker anymore. But I also think it’s important to give you two the bigger picture in all of this.”
“Lead the way,” Val states from beside me, taking my hand in hers.
It’s slightly shaking and I have to glance at her face to know if it’s from fear or anger. But it’s neither. There’s only a blank canvas and it scares the shit out of me. I’ve seen this look on her. It’s the same one she had when we barely managed to survive the last time. The same damn look she had when they brought us to the hospital and the same damn look when she walked out of my life.
But in this moment, there’s one huge fucking difference. She’s holding my hand. Warm. Connected. She might seem withdrawn and locked behind a huge invisible wall, but she’s pulled me in behind it along with her instead of shutting me out too.
I squeeze our joined hands in return and follow Deeds into the barn while two of his brothers take Pierre out of the SUV. To my surprise it’s not some deserted barn filled with debris or old cars or whatever dirty shit hidden within. Instead the moment we step inside it reveals a well setup office with clinical rooms.
The two men come up from behind us and drag Pierre into one of the rooms. Deeds guides us into a room right next to it. Wyatt steps in behind us and waits for Archer to step inside before he closes the door. Archer is holding a thick file he passes to Deeds, who in return places it on the metal table in front of him.
“I can give you a full rundown, but I need to give you a few essential details first to understand why we all had a hard time in tracking down who was connected.”
Val and I both nod at his words.
Deeds opens the file and places two pictures in front of us, one of Donald and one of Pierre. “The documents and intel indicated Donald was Logan’s brother. But as it turns out, it’s not Donald, but Pierre. He’s the real computer nerd. And without anyone knowing he managed to switch their identities when they were given new ones by the government.”
There’s a tremor flowing through Val’s body, but I would have missed it if I wasn’t standing close beside her and holding her hand in mine. Through a little squeeze of hands, we balance our strength and listen to the other information as Deeds proceeds to explain.
From what he’s saying it’s clear they have managed to expose the network they have been building for years and revealed a list of names along with emails and personal information of those who have shown interest and support. Some even played a part in the actual snuff films instead of the production or distribution.
“You did it,” Val croaks. “You exposed all of them.”
“We’re ripping ’em out straight by the root as we speak, ma’am.” Deeds nods.
Val swallows hard and whispers, “Thank you.”
“Just doing our job,” Deeds replies with a gentle smile as he takes out a few more forms. “Would you like to hear the rest of the details before we head into the other room to handle Pierre? Or we could handle everything from here on out. You could leave right now and know this shit has come to an end without seeing the rest of the fucked-up details.”
“Would it be okay—” Val starts but swallows the rest of her words.
“You’re in control,” I tell her. “Whatever you want to do, we’ll do it your way.”
“I don’t want to be...I want Pierre gone. I want to know he’s dead and see it with my own eyes. To know he won’t be able to do what he has been doing. But I don’t want to be involved or for him to see me. And yet I want...need to see it with my own eyes. I know it’s insane, but...I don’t know.”
Deeds shifts on his feet, making my gaze collide with his. “We have a room with a two-way mirror. Would that work?”
Val nods and I give her hand a squeeze. She might not want to face Pierre herself but my body still holds so much repressed anger, I have to feel as if I’m in control; be the only one who ends the hell we’ve been through. End the one who ripped things open again and who dragged us back to hell.
“I need to be the one who will end it,” I growl.
“Yes,” Val whispers, understanding the personal drive behind my need to do this. The way her thumb brushes over the back of my hand feels
as if she’s stroking my heart. “Thank you,” she adds on another whisper.
“I don’t need to hear the rest of the details. From what you’ve told me and the thumb thick file lying on the table, I’m sure you guys can manage. I’m itching to end this and take my old lady home, finally leaving everything in the past.” I risk a glance at Val. “Are you sure you’re okay with that or do you need to know all the details?”
She gives me a heart-stroking smile and leans in to whisper, “I’m itching to leave everything in the past and can’t wait for you to take me home.”
“Let’s head into the other room so you can get started,” Deeds says and holds out his arm to move us toward the exit.
We stroll out and Deeds points at a door. “That’s all you, Beecher.”
Val leans in close and brushes a kiss against my mouth.
“Thank you,” she says again with so much emotion, it’s a boost straight into my veins, knowing she’s trusting me to handle this for us.
I brace myself and watch Val disappear into the other room. Placing my hand on the doorknob and open the door with a wide swing. I step inside with a huge damn grin on my face.
“Beecher, you have to help me,” Pierre gasps, faking fucking innocence.
Is this fucker for real?
My grin stays in place while I roll up my sleeves. “Oh, I’m going to help you all right. Same one-way ticket your brother received, by the hands of my old lady, when he decided he could fuck with us.”
His whole demeanor shifts, knowing there is no way out of this and his scheme is busted wide open.
“I’ve enjoyed playing with Valentina. Do you know how many times she played with me? Voluntary. Getting me all hot and needy, lashing out pain and torture. Fucking hell that woman is talented. My brother was an idiot when he took her to play a part in a few snuff films. He should have used her as one of the main players. Or better yet, a personal slave because even if she was the one inflicting pain on me, she submits beautifully to you, doesn’t she? Tell me, how does it feel to control her?” the fucker says and licks his damn lips as if he’s preparing for a meal to feast on.
I stalk toward him. He’s strapped to a chair, wrists taped to the armrests, ankles taped to the legs of the chair and there’s tape around the middle to keep him in place.
I lean forward and cover his hands with mine. “Good thing you know who’s in control,” I snarl and in one move I manage to break his thumb.
His eyes roll into the back of his head and he muffles a scream.
Pierre glares at me. “Feels good to break something, doesn’t it? My brother enjoyed breaking Valentina. My sister-in-law got under your skin pretty damn good, didn’t she? I enjoyed watching those tapes we have of you. I watched them over and over. I actually learned quite a bit from them.”
He tries to gloat but that shit doesn’t affect me at all. “Your brother didn’t break her. The trauma she endured might have changed her, but she came out stronger. It didn’t keep her from achieving her goals. My old lady, and future wife, is a gorgeous woman who runs her own company. She built a fucking empire of wealth all on her own. She lives in a magnificent home and is surrounded by people who love her. Does that sound broken?” I snicker and snap the bones in his middle finger. “Now that, that does sound broken.”
My arm pulls back and I rain down punch after punch on his jaw, eyes, nose, wherever I can punch him. My chest is heaving and I step back, give my hands a few shakes and crack my neck from left to right.
I assess the damage and actually feel better seeing this asshole bleed. Yet, I know no matter how long I delay this, his death is inevitable. The pain, the hurt, the old wounds and scar tissue it took to patch up the trauma Val and I endured in the past will always stay there.
It doesn’t matter how much time I take to inflict pain on this asshole that keeps me locked with the past. The here and now is what matters and this fucker is still taking up our time. Time I could be holding my woman in my arms.
Pierre’s head lolls to the side. He spits out blood and murmurs, “It doesn’t matter if you kill me. I left special instructions for my loyal followers. They will take over.”
A dark chuckle rips from my throat. “Nonsense, dickhead. You weren’t hunted by any cops, FBI, or whatever this time. None of the ‘get out of jail card’ bullshit because you’re the younger brother. The only brother left in this chain of underground snuff films bullshit. This time you were hunted down by an MC who swings the gavel for justice, using any means necessary, with the blessing of the government. No trial or any kind of escape or revenge for you or your followers. It’s the end of the line and your intake of breath is a clock that’s about to stop ticking.”
Pierre’s head slowly shakes no as if he can’t believe what he’s hearing.
“That’s right, you’re done. Not just done as in the end of the line for your petty life, but everything you’ve been up to your whole miserable life will be wiped away from this fucked-up world.” I stalk around him and wrap my arm around his neck, enjoying the choke hold I have on him to make sure he knows what’s coming.
He struggles against my hold but he’s pinned to the chair and it does him no good at all.
“Nothing but a blip in the past, a speck on my fucking windshield I’m about to wash off,” I growl right beside his ear before I snap his neck.
The sound of his neck snapping is as if a scissor cuts through an invisible cord, allowing us the chance to let go of the past since there’s nothing holding us back anymore. All those years ago we were on our own. Two young adults barely touching ground while laying a foundation of a relationship. Until we were ripped apart, left to pick up the pieces on our own, and ultimately, we found our way back to one another.
I straighten my spine and look down at the body slumped in the restraints in the chair. The only blood is on my knuckles and on his face. I could have tortured him for hours, payback from what was done to us. The whole “an eye for an eye, carve my way through him with a knife” thing, and yet knowing Val is watching behind the mirror made me act differently. She didn’t need the reminder. It’s why I ended it fairly quickly and yet everything about it is satisfying.
Time to put it all behind us indefinitely.
A sink is tucked in the corner allowing me to quickly wash my hands. I’m drying off when the door swings open and Val bursts inside, heading straight for me. I let the towel drop to the floor just in time to catch my woman. I easily lift her up and stalk out of the room, the past long forgotten.
Chapter Twelve
Valentina
“Did you finally do it?” Maci’s voice flows through the air.
My phone is on speaker as I move through the kitchen to check on the lasagna I just put into the oven.
“Did you?” I shoot back defensively.
Maci chuckles. I’m so happy she wasn’t badly hurt a few weeks ago when she was ambushed by Pierre and another man in the alley behind the store. She’s such a fierce woman, fighting her attacker and preventing them from taking her.
“I did, now tell me if you chickened out or not,” she presses.
“Or not,” I mutter underneath my breath. “And? Are you pregnant?”
The day she was hurt she thought she had her period but it was just very little blood and it wasn’t more than that. Since her other pregnancy was a weird one, where she discovered it late, and the baby was ready to come into the world…I told her to take a pregnancy test anyway to make sure this time.
Not to mention the fact that all of the old ladies needed to take one but we all ignored and came up with excuses not to do a test. We all damn well know it’s wrong, so we made a pact and each of us bought a test this morning. We agreed to pee and throw our result in our group app. Funny thing? The group chat has been quiet for over an hour.
Maci’s voice is a mere whisper. “I am. You?”
I close my eyes and push out the words, “I am.”
“Yes! Oh, this is going to be insane. Hang on,
I’m going to check with the others and rip the results from them.” Maci hangs up and I clean up the kitchen until my phone starts to ring.
I hit accept and put it on speaker as I stalk back to the sink to grab the cloth I was wiping the counter with. I hear the front door open and know Shaw can stroll into the kitchen any moment.
“You’re not going to believe this,” Maci screeches.
I turn to face the phone but notice Shaw standing near it. Our eyes connect at the same time Maci squeals, “We’re all gonna have babies!”
Shaw’s eyes widen and he puts a hand on the counter to brace himself.
I’m holding my breath while Maci just keeps going. “Say something, Val. Come on you can’t be that shocked. We all pretty much knew, right?”
“I had no fucking clue,” Shaw says with a little growl in his voice, but the smile on his face tells me it’s all show to scare Maci.
She gasps and mutters, “Oh, fuck.” She clears her throat. “Hi Beecher. Okay, well, I’m going to let you guys go and...hey, since I basically told your old man, any chance you could tell mine?”
“That’s all you, Maci,” Shaw chuckles. “Neither Val nor I are going to tell my president he’s going to be knee deep in changing diapers again for months on end.”
Maci is silent on the other end and I stalk over to smack Shaw on his shoulder. Thinking back to when I told Zerox how Maci went out to get the pregnancy test but that it wasn’t for herself since she just got her period. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be thrilled to know he’s going to be a daddy again.
“Tell your husband, Maci. He loves you and your little girl. You know very well he’s going to be ecstatic.”
She releases a deep sigh. “Yeah, he always says he wants a big family.”
“That’s why he’s the president,” Shaw chuckles. “And now all his brothers have pregnant old ladies.”
“I’m going to hang up now,” Maci says. “But you two better come over the clubhouse tonight.”
Beecher: Wicked Throttle MC #4 Page 10
