Emily swallowed fresh tears.
“Now, what else is on that mind of yours?” Griffin asked. “Did Blaine freak you out too much?”
“Actually, no. But Jace…”
Griffin waved a hand. “Don’t mind Jace. He and Gaige always had rough times crossing each other’s paths. He’s been through hell and back, maybe more than the rest of us. I don’t know. We all deal with pain in our own way around here. He’s feeling you out, wondering what the fuck you’re doing here because Gaige… well, he’s never acted this way around a woman before.”
Emily felt her cheeks flush. “That’s a lot to hear.”
“It’s the truth. Let him figure this out, okay? Go for the ride… if you get what I’m saying.”
Griffin set his attention to the paperwork. Emily offered to help and Griffin laughed. He opened the top drawer of his desk and took out a stack of invoices and tossed them to Emily. Matching orders and invoices was nothing but a big pain in the ass but it killed time.
As Emily settled, she heard a commotion outside the room. Voices were yelling. Then Emily’s cellphone started to ring. She reached for the phone and saw it was Max. She dropped the phone and covered her mouth. Griffin looked at her and then down to her phone.
“An old friend?” Griffin asked.
“I can’t… I…”
Miller appeared in the doorway, his eyes on fire. He pointed to Griffin and Emily.
“You two, out here. Now.”
“Got it,” Griffin said. He touched Emily’s arm. “Come on, love. We have to move now.”
Emily barely managed to stand. Just seeing Max’s name on her phone terrified her. She needed Gaige. He could rescue her.
They walked out of the room and followed Miller until he stopped in front of the large doors to the room where the guys all met. He punched the door and growled.
“We can’t fucking do this in there,” he bellowed.
“What’s wrong?” Griffin asked.
Emily saw Landon, Shay, Erik, and Jace walking down the hall. Behind them were two big men with what looked like machine guns. And, behind then was Mr. Strokner. Emily’s heart sank.
Mr. Strokner stepped forward as the small crowd opened up. He took out a cigar and smelled it. His face looked a mess. His eyes were big and bulging. The process of grieving really did some scary stuff to people.
“Look at this,” Mr. Strokner said. “Look who is here. My daughter’s best friend.”
“Leave her out of it, man,” Griffin said.
Mr. Strokner nodded and now a gun was on Griffin. Griffin put his hands up. “Calm down. We can talk about this, right?”
“I told him what I wanted,” Mr. Strokner said. “Yet it hasn’t been done.”
“What are you talking about?” Miller asked.
“The death of my daughter stinks in this place.”
“We had nothing to do with that,” Miller said. “That was a terrible accident. Okay? Coming in here with guns is a really stupid mistake.”
“Why?” Mr. Strokner asked. “Are you going to shoot me? Kill me? Prove just who you are?”
Miller shook his head. “No. We don’t shoot. We don’t kill.”
Emily swallowed hard. This was lies, and the mess was getting bigger as Gaige was out causing his own trouble.
“You don’t kill,” Mr. Strokner said and laughed. “Talk to Gaige then. I told him what I wanted. I want to look into the eyes of the man who killed my daughter.”
“The police are working on it,” Miller said. “They were here already. We’re clear in this.”
“Clear,” Mr. Strokner said. “Sure. Clear.”
Mr. Strokner put his cigar away and took Emily by the hand and smiled.
“It’ll be okay,” Emily said.
“You believe that? With these guys?”
“I do,” Emily said. “They didn’t hurt Rachel.”
Mr. Strokner smiled and touched Emily’s face. “You were always so damn pretty, Emily. I remember the first time Rachel brought you over. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I always hoped you’d grow up into the woman you are…”
“Hey,” Miller said. “Holing up here isn’t going to help anyone. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Mr. Strokner ignored Miller and kept his cold stare on Emily. It really bothered her the way he looked at her.
“Just so pretty,” Mr. Strokner said. “I would look at you all the time, Emily… and…”
Mr. Strokner slid his thumb along Emily’s bottom lip. He groaned and then tried to force her mouth open. Emily started to shake.
“Fuck this,” Jace called out.
He threw an elbow and hit one of the men in the face. The man dropped his gun and Jace lunged forward and grabbed Mr. Strokner by the collar. He threw him backward to his ass. The other man with a gun put it to Griffin’s chest and pushed him against the wall. Emily couldn’t stand the idea of someone else being hurt because of her so she acted with the first thing that came to mind. She made a fist and swung, hitting the man in the face. The man turned and then the gun was at Emily.
“Whore…”
“Stop it!” Mr. Strokner ordered.
The other man got his gun back and hit Jace across the face, causing Jace to spin and crash into the wall. When Jace turned, he walked right into the gun, blood running down his face.
“Do it,” he taunted. “Fucking blow my heart out. You fucking pussy.”
“I said stop!” Mr. Strokner yelled.
Miller offered a hand and helped Mr. Strokner back to his feet.
“Take the gun off Emily,” Mr. Strokner said.
The man listened and lowered his weapon.
“Let’s all stay within reason here,” Mr. Strokner said. “I just want it to be known that I’m digging. I’ll find it all.” He looked at Miller. “That land has all the secrets, doesn’t it?”
“There are no secrets,” Miller said. “You got the wrong group of guys.”
“You’re an asshole,” Mr. Strokner said. “And if Gaige doesn’t fulfill what I want… this club will be gone. Your land will be mine. And all of you can rot in prison for the rest of your lives.”
Mr. Strokner smiled at Emily and then turned. He and his two guys slowly walked away. Jace and Shay drew their weapons but Miller quickly grabbed them by the shoulders to stop anything from happening. Emily understood it. There was an image to keep up right now. They needed to play it all off and take their hits.
When Jace turned and looked at Emily, she wasn’t sure what to do. The blood on his face reminded Emily that he had helped her.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Jace walked away.
“You okay?” Shay asked Griffin.
Griffin wiped his forehead. “Fucking great.”
Emily felt like the center of it all. The problem.
Miller looked at her, his eyes confirming it. “This needs to end.”
“Gaige is doing it now,” Emily said.
“Shit,” Griffin whispered.
“What did you say?” Miller asked.
“Gaige. He and Nate and Blaine… they went to Eight Under…”
“Fuck,” Miller said. he looked at Griffin. “You know about this?”
“I’m just doing my paperwork,” Griffin said.
“Goddamn,” Miller said again. “Shay, ride with me. We need to end this bullshit.”
“I really hope Gaige knows what the fuck he’s doing,” Griffin said. “Because if he doesn’t, he’s going to end up getting himself killed… or someone close to him.”
Griffin walked away, punching the wall and mumbling fuck.
Alone, Emily never felt so out of place in her life. She reached into her pocket and felt Rachel’s necklace. She closed her eyes and tried to picture a way she could have forced Rachel not to go to that fight… but if Rachel hadn’t gone then Gaige would have never entered Emily’s life.
twenty-two.
Gaige pulled up at the gas station and stopped in front of a
pump. Nate and Blaine came next and they all shut their motorcycles off. A man came out of the store, lifted his sunglasses, saw the guys from Back Down Devil, and hurried back in. He locked the door and charged through the small store to the back.
“Not very subtle,” Nate said.
“They fucking know,” Gaige said. “This isn’t going to go away.”
“What’s the plan?”
“Call for a ride,” Gaige said. “We’re taking Vinny alive. Like I said.”
“Fuck, Gaige,” Nate said.
“Alive,” Gaige yelled.
He climbed off his motorcycle and heard Blaine make the call.
“Shay, it’s Blaine. Listen. We need a ride. Oh… okay, bro.” Blaine closed his cell and said, “Company is on the way. Miller knows we’re here.”
“How?” Gaige asked.
“Strokner was just at the clubhouse. You have a deal with him?”
“I have no deals,” Gaige said. “My promise is to settle this score. And we do it right now.”
Gaige walked and Nate and Blaine followed. Gaige eyed the building. There were cameras in each corner. They were watching the guys as they approached. It was a risky move, but Gaige had been around long enough to know what would happen next. Eight Under was try an ambush. Gaige went to the front door and pulled on it.
“What are you doing?” Nate asked. “You saw him lock the fucking door.”
“I did,” Gaige said.
He turned and ran back to his motorcycle. He started the bike and cut around the gas pumps. Gaige set his sights on the large glass window. Nate and Blaine rushed out of the way as Gaige cut the motorcycle and let the ass end smack into the front window. Gaige dropped the motorcycle as the front window shattered into pieces.
“Oh, shit!” Blaine cried out.
Gaige stood and lifted his motorcycle. He let the motorcycle scream a few times and then he killed the engine.
“My mistake,” Gaige said.
He took out his gun and went into the small store. Nate and Blaine were with him and after two steps, gunfire rang out. The bullets were coming from the back, but nobody could actually see someone shooting.
Gaige, Nate, and Blaine dropped to their knees.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Nate asked.
“Finishing this,” Gaige said. “Now we sneak out of the front and get Vinny. He’s going to blast out on his crew because he’s fucked.”
Gaige stood and started to shoot. He got off four shots before the gunfire returned. Nate took his turn doing the same and Blaine too.
“I’m going out first,” Gaige said. “You two stay here and then come out. Unload your clip and reload. Got it?”
“Sure,” Nate said.
“This is fucking wild,” Blaine said with wide eyes. “I fucking love it.”
Gaige stood again and saw someone with a gun a few feet away. Two shots and the guy’s head exploded backward. Another Eight Under dead. Good.
Gaige slowly slithered his way to the broken front window. Nate stood and took his shots. When Gaige got outside, he hid next to his motorcycle. He waited and right on cue, one of the garage doors opened. Gaige jumped up and got on his motorcycle. By the time he started it, another motorcycle came rushing out and took off.
It was Vinny. It was the motherfucker that shot Emily’s friend. A second motorcycle came out. The guy saw Gaige and took a few shots. That was the wrong thing to do.
Gaige was right on their asses a few seconds later, chasing them down. It was a bad decision to go at this alone but logic slipped out of Gaige’s mind a long time ago. He didn’t want to blame Emily and her wicked body, her delicious pussy, and her perfect kisses, but the fact was, this was Emily’s fault because Gaige had definitely fallen in love with her.
Vinny had skill on his motorcycle, cutting in and out of traffic with ease. The second guy didn’t have the same skill set. He kept looking back at Gaige, probably freaking the fuck out. Gaige let them have a small lead. He wasn’t going to be able to handle business in the middle of traffic. The chase continued to a desolate road and that’s when Gaige was able to make his move.
He sped up and got along side the second shooter. The guy looked at him with a face full of fear. Gaige cut to the right and the guy almost dropped his motorcycle. That wouldn’t be good enough. No way in fucking hell.
Gaige took out his gun and pointed it at the guy. Before the asshole could react, Gaige pulled the trigger. A bullet through the head was the fair punishment. Watching the motorcycle twist, turn, fall, and seeing the guy’s head slide against the pavement in a bloody, brain filled mess was the revenge for Emily and her deceased best friend.
Now Gaige just had to deal with Vinny. He put his gun away because the same fate wouldn’t occur on the road for Vinny. There was something better waiting for him.
Gaige caught up to Vinny within a few seconds. He cut to the right and Vinny cut right back at Gaige. This guy wasn’t going to go down without a fight. That was fine by Gaige. He wanted to fight. Right now.
As they went around a turn, Gaige moved to the right and kicked at Vinny. He hit Vinny at his ribs and sent Vinny to the ground. The bike skidded with Vinny under it. Gaige hit his brakes and then turned his motorcycle around. He got off and slowly walked to Vinny as the man screamed in pain. Gaige knelt down next to Vinny and placed his gun to his head.
“Scream again and I’ll blow your fucking brains out.”
“Fuck you,” Vinny said. “Just fucking kill me if you want. But I have information. I didn’t make the call. I was put on the job.”
Gaige stood and lifted the motorcycle off Vinny. He rolled it to the side of the road and let it drop. Vinny was already trying to stand. With one good punch, he sent Vinny back to the ground, out cold.
Satisfied for now Gaige put his gun away and took out a smoke. He lit it and smoked while he waited for the rest of the guys to show up.
They did a few minutes later, Nate and Blaine first.
“Holy shit,” Blaine said as he stared down at Vinny. “Is he dead?”
“Not yet,” Gaige said. “I have to deal with this.”
“That’s a fucking mess back there,” Nate said. “You shot him while riding? That’s…”
“I don’t care,” Gaige said. “They break rules, so do I. I’ll have Miller call Chief Jerry to clean that up. Make it a drug deal gone wrong.”
“Fuck,” Nate said.
A car pulled up a minute later and Shay climbed from the front seat. He looked at Vinny on the ground and there was no need for words. Shay and Gaige lifted Vinny and put him in the trunk of the car.
Miller arrived next and climbed off his motorcycle with fire coming out of his eyes and ears. “What the fuck is this?”
“Revenge,” Gaige said.
Miller grabbed Gaige by his leather and pulled him close. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Solving problems,” Gaige said. “I need Vinny alive. I’ll take care of him at the clubhouse. I have to make Strokner happy.”
“Shit,” Miller said. He released Gaige. “Shit. I don’t like fucking businessmen messing with us.”
“Not for long,” Gaige said. “Trust me, Miller. I know what I’m doing.”
“Yeah. I hope so. I’m going to call Jerry about the mess up the road. I want everyone else back at the fucking clubhouse right now. Got it?”
Everyone nodded.
Gaige said, “We’re there.”
The ride back to clubhouse was a peaceful one. Gaige felt the relief come off his shoulders a little, knowing that at least half the problems were solved. Eight Under would receive the message loud and clear. They sent out two assholes to shoot at Back Down Devil and the revenge was complete now. It would take them time to fix their little shit hole of a gas station and get back to business.
Now Gaige needed to get to Max and make it all go away.
Back at the clubhouse, Gaige parked his motorcycle and waited for Shay. Shay backed the black car down the ramp
to the underground garage. He and Gaige then carried Vinny from the truck into a small room that was labeled to be a janitorial closet. A lot of blood was spilled in that room. A lot of screams buried in the heavy concrete.
They tied Vinny and left him there.
Gaige shut the door and locked it.
“You going to kill him?” Shay asked.
“Soon,” Gaige said. “I need to do something else first.”
“You need to see your woman,” Shay said. “She’s gotten to you, bro.”
“Yeah, maybe she has.” Gaige started to walk and Shay put a hand out. “Don’t fucking do it,” Gaige warned. “I’m not in the mood.”
“No, brother, I don’t care where you stick your cock. I want you to know that Jace stuck up for your woman in there.”
“Yeah?”
“That Strokner fellow had his hands all over her. Touching her. Saying things to her. Jace had a gun pointed at him and he still made a move. He took a nasty hit to the face too. Keep that in mind.”
“Thanks,” Gaige said.
They exited the underground garage. Shay got in the car and Gaige went to the clubhouse. Once inside, he looked around and started to feel comfortable. This was his home. These were his brothers. Even if they didn’t all get along.
Gaige spotted Jace at the corner of the bar with a shot and beer in front of him. He saw the cut on his face and knew he needed to say something. He walked to the bar next to Jace and ordered a beer. He drank from it as he stared at the back of the bar.
“What you did today…,” Gaige started.
“I don’t want to fucking talk about it,” Jace said.
“We’re not going to talk about it. I’m going to thank you for fucking helping me when I wasn’t here. This is a messy time right now and it’s good to know we all have each other’s back.”
“Of course we fucking do,” Jace said. “That’s what the patch means, bro.”
“Good. Glad we got that out in the open.”
“But mark it in your fucking mind,” Jace said, “I don’t expect something in return. And you better not expect me to do it again. We’re all putting a lot of trust in you, bro. You better not fuck us over.”
SAVAGE LOVE (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) Page 32
