SAVING GRACE: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK SIX)

by Honey Palomino

  Time stopped. All eyes were on Grace and Snake and none of us seemed to be breathing. And then there I was, flinging myself across the room with the scream of a wild banshee, landing squarely on Snake’s back. He swung around as my arms wrapped around his neck, squeezing as hard as I could.

  It only lasted a moment, before Tiny easily pulled me off of him, sending me flailing across the room. My back hit the wall and I slid to the floor, my mind clouded with sharp, stabbing pain.

  Snake was on me in a flash.

  His fists rained down on me and I threw my arms up, trying to deflect the blinding blows to my face. A commotion behind us stopped him and he turned, giving me a second to open my eyes through dripping blood to try to see what was going on.

  Eli had turned over his chair, violently attempting to free himself. Tiny towered over him, laughing and kicking him in the ribs. I cringed, the sound of his bones snapping breaking my heart.

  Grace had quickly stood up and tried to flee out the door, but Roman pulled her back, towering over her with his own gun pointed at her head.

  “You fucking traitor,” she seethed at him, the words spitting from her mouth with fury.

  “Fuck you, Grace!” he laughed. “How long did you think you could get away with fucking with our money?”

  “I thought you had a heart. I thought you were my friend,” she said.

  He laughed, shaking his head.

  “You were always so naive, Grace. I can’t believe you didn’t learn your lesson the first time.”

  Snake pulled me up by my arm and deposited me back in my chair.

  “Stay fucking put or you get the first bullet,” he ordered. I looked up at him with pure hatred.

  “Fucking monster!” I spat in his face and he punched me again, hard, my nose cracking, the blood rushing from it like a river.

  He turned away and turned back to Grace.

  “Now, where were we?” he said, a sick, twisted grin spreading across his face as he grabbed a handful of hair and pulled her head back. “Oh, that’s right. It’s time for you to die, darlin’.”

  CHAPTER 42

  RYDER

  We gathered several blocks away. All together, with the guys Nate called in and Slade’s three friends, including Nate, Fury, Riot, Slade, Wreck, Bones and myself, there were twenty of us.

  Lacey and Frankie stayed behind in the hotel, ready at a moment’s notice to come scoop up the victims. I watched as Wreck and Riot hugged them goodbye, my heart breaking wide open with anguish.

  All I could think about was Grace.

  The adrenaline had now been pumping through my veins for hours and I pushed away the exhaustion that was creeping into my bones. Grace needed me, now, more than ever before.

  Nothing was going to stop me now.

  But I would hate myself forever if something happened to one of my men in the process. I’d nearly died with grief over losing Doc. I couldn’t lose another one of my brothers.

  I couldn’t bear to lose any of them.

  This had to go as planned and even then, the chances of some of us taking a fall was huge. But if blood was going to be shed, I wanted it to be mine.

  We went over the plan one last time before breaking into groups.

  Riot and Wreck stayed behind to direct the other guys that would cover the north corner, and Slade and Bones formed another group that would go around the south side of the compound to form a second distraction.

  Nate and Fury were going in first on the east, with about twenty pounds of fresh steak. Nate insisted he’d seen Snake disarm the dogs with raw flesh and I guess he had his ass to prove it. The dogs were a huge obstacle and we needed to try to disable them just as much as we needed to take down Snake’s men.

  In the meantime, we all laid back, watching from afar as best we could, listening in on walkie-talkies and waiting on their signal. I swallowed hard as they approached Snake’s compound from the far-right, back corner of the property, the spot where Nate said was partially blocked off by the dumpsters and out of view, the place he knew the dogs would come running to.

  They crept up to the fence, throwing the meat over the top, followed by an old blanket and a rope that Nate draped over the top spikes of the barbed wire. Fury tossed a beer bottle on the ground, the shattering sound of it breaking creating just the commotion we needed to get this started.

  In an instant, the dogs came rushing towards the sound. They ran past the dumpster and immediately gathered around the enormous pile of meat, totally distracted as they began devouring it like a pack of starving wolves, oblivious to anything else.

  Nate lifted Fury into the air and he vaulted over the blanket draped on top of the barbed wire, landing on top of the dumpster above the dogs. Quickly, he jumped down, keeping both eyes on the dogs as he swiftly pushed the dumpster in front of the small opening to the courtyard, locking the hungry dogs inside the small space. Fury ran back to the fence. He was two steps away when he stepped in a huge pile of dogshit. He looked down, lifting his foot.

  “What the fuck?” he asked, his voice crackling over the speaker of the walkie-talkie. “It’s all crunchy.”

  Nate laughed.

  “It’s my fucking phone, man. I told you the fucking dog ate my phone!”

  “Jesus,” Fury said as he quickly grabbed onto the rope and pulled himself over the top of the fence. He jumped down, his feet landing on the other side, just as I saw Snake’s guards start to head that direction. First the ones in the back strolled that way, then the ones on the East side, followed by the ones in front.

  We knew the sounds would alert them and we had to move fast now.

  Fury and Nate ran away towards the opposite corner as I jumped into the SUV and headed straight for the compound.

  This was going to be tricky. I had to turn a corner quickly and hit the gate straight on, but if I could keep control, I wouldn’t spin out. All the other guys roared up behind me on their bikes, their bullet proof vests on under their jackets.

  Pressing on the gas pedal, the tires squealed as I rounded the corner. I steered toward the front gate at full speed, hitting the gate with the force of my entire vehicle.

  The screeching sound of metal on metal rang out, the gate giving way, the SUV breeching the compound in seconds. Just as the bikes roared in behind me, a loud bang exploded at the back of the compound.

  “Device deployed,” I heard Slade’s voice say, crackling excitedly over the line. Chaos erupted around me as my men jumped off their bikes, guns out. I jumped out of the vehicle.

  Snake’s men scattered in the distance, confused by the triple threat we’d unleashed upon them. Their dogs locked in the back, most of them ran towards the explosion in the back and a few ran towards us at the front.

  Fury and Nate joined us, running inside the compound and then rushing toward the back of the buildings, leaving us to deal with Snake’s few men that were heading back to the front gate.

  Concealed behind my vehicle, we opened fire as they came around the corner, before they knew what hit them.

  Two of them went down immediately, squirming on the pavement in pain, as another one retreated towards the back of the compound. We waited a second, waiting for others to appear before invading further. The sound of gunfire rang out from the back and I hoped like hell my boys were still okay.

  We inched forward as we realized the coast was clear. The sound of voices and doors opening broke out around the corner and we rushed back, waiting in the darkness as three men came running out and ran out of the gate. We let them go, since they hadn’t seen us, and we inched back around the corner.

  I needed to get into the clubhouse and that was where the men had come from. My heart pounded with fear, Grace’s eyes haunting me.

  I had to save her.

  I had to save us all.

  CHAPTER 43

  GRACE

  When I heard the explosion, I knew Ryder had come. My heart soared with joy but then immediately filled with fear. If something happened to Ryde
r, I’d never survive. If anyone was hurt because I’d come in here naively, I’d never forgive myself. Not ever.

  Chaos erupted around me as Snake pulled me up, the gun still pointed at my head.

  He gestured to Tiny to go to the door.

  “Go see what’s happening,” he barked.

  Tiny opened the door and I almost laughed as I saw the fear cross the faces of Roman, Toby and Rob. As soon as Tiny took one step outside, they fled the room like frightened kittens, leaving Snake alone with us.

  “Fucking pussies,” Snake growled. “Can’t trust fucking cops, man.”

  I glanced over at Eli and saw him fighting against the tape holding him down. His face was swollen and bloody, as well as Sophia’s. They’d both been beaten badly, but they were both alert and still fighting.

  If I had a chance of getting out of here, it may lay with them.

  Snake gripped my arm like a vice, the gun digging into my temple.

  “That must be your precious Gods,” he said.

  I didn’t answer and he dug the gun in a little deeper, the edge of the barrel ripping into my skin.

  “You’re all so stupid,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re all going to die, you know that, right?”

  Again, I stayed silent, my heart racing as he pulled me into the hallway as he watched Tiny run outside with his gun at his side. He disappeared around the corner and we waited breathlessly.

  Within seconds, I heard an exchange of gunfire, then a huge thump that almost shook the ground.

  My heart dropped as Ryder round the corner, his gun drawn and pointed straight at Snake and me.

  He glanced over at me, but he didn’t flinch for a second. His gaze cornered in on Snake and he shook his head.

  “Don’t even think about it, motherfucker,” Ryder said, his voice as hard as steel.

  CHAPTER 44

  ELI

  As soon as Snake took Grace out of the room, Sophia started talking.

  “I’m so sorry, Eli,” she whispered. I looked over at her, her face bleeding but still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen in my life.

  “Are you okay?” I asked. She leaned towards me and flinched in pain.

  “I’ll be okay,” she said, kissing my lips and quickly sitting back in her chair. It stung, my wrecked flesh seeping blood and throbbing hotly, but the feel of her lips on mine was like a flash of heaven.

  We both glanced towards the door, where Snake and Grace were standing on just the other side of the threshold. If Snake turned his head, he’d have a clear view of us. We sat frozen in our seats.

  I heard Ryder’s voice and then Snake burst out laughing.

  “Oh, this must be your beloved Ryder!” Snake said. “Look at him, his face full of concern, that little muscle twitching on his temple and that vein on his forehead, oh, my, now that’s impressive!”

  “Let her go, asshole,” Ryder said. I couldn’t see him but his voice was hard as a rock.

  “Let her go? It’s not going to be that easy, Chief!” Snake taunted, pressing the gun into Grace’s head. “Besides, we’ve been expecting you. I suspect your men are all bleeding out from my men’s bullets at this point. Too bad about that,” he snarled.

  “You’re going to be the one bleeding out if you touch a hair on her head,” Ryder said, his voice booming with anger.

  Snake laughed, shaking his head, as he reached up and grabbed a handful of Grace’s hair and pulled, hard. She cried out in pain and Snake laughed.

  I glanced over at Sophia and then shot my eyes down to the tape holding me in the chair. She nodded and swiftly leaned down, pulling at the tape quickly. Snake was completely preoccupied with Ryder and after a few seconds I was free. I pulled my extra gun from my boot, grateful Tiny hadn’t taken it earlier.

  Slowly, I crept up behind Snake as he was still laughing.

  “What’s it going to be, Ryder?” Snake asked. “Me or Grace?”

  “Grace, do you trust me?” Ryder asked, his voice a low, confident growl.

  She peered back at him, her body trembling in fear.

  “Always,” she whispered.

  “How sweet,” Snake said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “Now, that’s true love. Too bad it’s over!”

  I was behind him now, my gun pointed straight at the back of his head.

  “You’re the one that’s over, motherfucker,” I whispered, pulling the trigger.

  EPILOGUE

  Fat snowflakes fluttered down around them as Sophia and Eli sat on the front porch swing of the God’s clubhouse.

  “This one’s Oliver,” Eli said to Sophia, as he put his arm around her and pulled her close. She was fascinated with feeding the owls and Oliver and Olivia were giving her a proper welcome to the God’s hideaway.

  They’d become the healers of Solid Ground, healing the injuries that Bones couldn’t reach. It would be a long road for Sophia, and all the other women they’d managed to free from Snake’s clutches, but with the support of this amazing group of people, at least they had a head start. It was more than most received.

  Christmas music poured from the windows, as Cherry’s voice rose above it all, singing off tune in the kitchen as she prepared Christmas dinner. The lights from the tree sparkled through the window and the living room was filled with people. All of Nate and Eli’s old club members were staying for dinner, as well as Slade’s friends and the rest of the Gods.

  The women they’d saved that didn’t have families to go home to were also there, but soon they’d be provided with their own places and get back to living a happy, healthy, supported life, whatever that looked like for each of them.

  Like one big family, they’d all accepted each other, faults and flaws and weird ticks.

  The battle with Snake and his men had not left them untouched. Wreck had a few new scars to add to his collection and Slade had been shot in the arm. Two of Slade’s friends had been beaten up pretty badly, and one had a broken arm. Even Riot caught a bullet to the thigh, not to mention the injuries that Grace, Eli and Sophia had sustained. The only ones who had come out unscathed were the Gentlemen, who Ryder was hoping he could bring into the fold eventually.

  The Gods could use a few new men.

  Luckily, none of the injuries were too serious.

  Snake’s men didn’t get out so lucky. Like Snake, they’d fought to the death, and death they’d found. The massacre had been bloody and fast, with the Gods and their helpers not backing down for a second.

  The Gods had put everything on the line in that fight.

  Grace was the very foundation of Solid Ground and the threat of losing her had brought them all together, their combined strength and determination and fearless grit carrying them to victory.

  Together, they could overcome the most evil villain. They’d proved it to themselves and it only brought them all closer together as a family and more determined to carry out their mission.

  As for the three cops that had betrayed Grace — they’d escaped, but the Gods weren’t done with them yet. The day after they’d fled, they’d been tracked down by Riot on the manifest of a non-stop American Airlines flight headed to Mexico. As soon as they landed in Cabo, they were intercepted by a friend of Ryder’s. Ryder didn’t need to know the details, but they wouldn’t be coming back to the States, or hurting any other women ever again.

  Sophia helped remove all the surveillance tapes from the compound and they left Snake and his men lying in their own blood just where they’d left them. Normally, the Gods would ask the cops for help with this part of the job, but there were no more cops left to trust.

  The Gods were all on their own now.

  Ryder and Grace walked out of the clubhouse, the screen door banging behind them as they joined Sophia and Eli outside. Olivia immediately hopped into Grace’s lap and snuggled against her chest.

  Grace petted her, smiling over at her new friends on the swing.

  “How are you two feeling?” she asked, her voice gentle as the falling snow.
r />   “We’re a little bruised up, but we’ll be fine,” Sophia said, her eyes shining over at Grace with gratitude-filled tears. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

  “No thanks necessary,” Grace replied, as Ryder put his arm around her and pulled her in close. He’d not left her side since Snake had crumbled to the ground in a pile of dead flesh at Grace’s feet and he had Eli to thank for that.

  “We should be thanking the two of you,” Ryder said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m a good shot, but I’m glad I didn’t have to chance it. If you hadn’t snuck up behind him like that, Eli, Grace might have been killed.”

  “Solid Ground has saved a lot of lives,” Eli said. “And I was impressed with you guys as soon as I heard about you. But I never thought it would also save my life.”

  He glanced over at Sophia and couldn’t help but smile. Love spilled from every pore of his body and he shook his head.

  “Nothing’s ever going to be the same again,” Sophia whispered.

  “And we can thank the Gods for that,” he replied, leaning over and brushing his lips against hers.

  THE END

  A note from the author…

  Thank you so much for reading the Gods of Chaos series. When I began writing Remember Me, the first book of the series, my father had recently died and I left my heart on the pages. I never expected the series would get this far and that the Gods of Chaos would become so dear to my heart, but that’s what has happened.

  I didn’t start the series off intending to focus on rape trafficking, but that’s also where the story went. Rape trafficking and abuse are heavy subjects and I strive to avoid exploiting that aspect of the stories, in any way. I firmly believe in women’s rights and equality and that everyone, regardless of gender, has the right to be strong and safe and free from abuse.