NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team

by Chelsea Handcock

  The place was pretty much like the Rusty Toad had been except this was their clubhouse, their inner domain. It resided in an old farmhouse that had been retrofitted to fit their needs. The room that Sky was currently in was the family room or common room. It held a bar, some tables and chairs, and hardwood floors. The walls were paneled, making the place dark and gloomy. There were also a couple of couches and more comfortable chairs littering the area. The room was pretty big, not something one would find in a typical farmhouse.

  From where she was sitting, Sky could see the staircase that went upstairs through the foyer, the door, to the meeting room, and a hallway off to the side of that. There was another door off to the side of the huge ass bar that lined one of the walls. Several people were milling around, but none of them seemed to be paying Sky any attention.

  She needed a distraction. Noticing one of the Club’s Prospects watching her, she motioned him over. When he approached, she asked, “Hey is there any way I could get some paper and a pen or pencil?” Sky knew better than to ask to go and get her things. Tuck had technically put her on lockdown, but she didn’t see a problem with requesting those simple things.

  “Sure, give me a minute. Is there anything else you want? My name is Jordan by the way. Tuck told me to keep an eye on you and get you anything you needed.”

  “Hi, Jordan. I’m Sky, but the guys around here call me Pixie. No, the paper and pen will be okay for now, thanks.”

  Sky didn’t have the strength to say or do anything more. The guy was sweet. He had one of those baby faces that made her think he wasn’t even old enough to be a part of the club. Prospects were men who wanted to be a part of the club, but had to prove their metal and loyalty first. Sky had heard some horror stories through the years on some things other Clubs put their prospects through, and she couldn’t see this sweet kid doing any of that. But then again that wasn’t her problem.

  When Jordan left to get the items she asked for, Sky started thinking, imagining different bikes in her mind, getting ready to put the ideas on to paper. She could get lost in a motorcycle design for hours. Her mind would blank, and that was all she could think about until the design was on paper. Right now, getting lost was essential to her sanity. Her uncle used to tease her that her imagination created things he couldn’t even think of, and it was one of the reasons he’d taken her under his wing and taught her.

  While other little girls were playing with Barbie dolls or other girly things, Sky had been drawing pictures of bikes. She spent her time tinkering with parts and imagining what she could create with them. She didn’t draw ponies or landscapes, she drew bikes. Some of her customers took her drawings and framed them. It should have been an honor, but Sky always cherished the real thing, the completed project. The drawing was only the beginning.

  Sky had been drawing for a while. She had no idea how long, only that it had been quite a while. Her neck and fingers were stiff when she felt it. A shiver ran up her spine, and she knew that Sebastian would be walking through the door soon. He was here. Her body was vibrating with the knowledge. Instinctively, she looked at the door and seconds later Sebastian stormed through it like he owned the place. He was a force unto himself—strong, vibrant, and apparently, pissed.

  She watched as he looked around the room. When those eyes landed on her, she went to stand up. She wanted to go to him and put her arms around him once more. The only thing holding her back was the look on his face. Sky wasn’t exactly scared, just cautious. So, she froze in the awkward position of half sitting, half standing up. When he didn’t make a move to come closer, she didn’t have any choice but to sit back down and wait.

  When he continued walking and went to the meeting room, shutting the door behind him, Sky couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. Didn’t he feel the same things she was feeling? Was this weird connection all in her mind?

  Chapter 13

  Bas walked into the RBMC clubhouse and instantly sought out Sky. He refused to call her Pixie anymore or even think of her by that name anymore. Sky, that was who she was and what he would call her. He liked it, wanted to say it out loud. He also wanted to go to her and hold her like he had before, but he had work to do. That could all come later.

  He hated the look of disappointment he saw on her face when she started walking toward the meeting room, but it couldn’t be helped. She’d gotten up from her seat as though she was going to come to him, and he wanted that, just not yet. He needed to get things in order. Now that he’d seen she was safe with his own eyes, that would have to hold him over. Forcing his body to move away from where she sat the table, Bas went toward the meeting room. A Prospect standing by the door must have had orders to let him in because before he even got to the door, the kid opened it.

  Bas hadn’t ever been in their meeting room. It was a place where the Club conducted business, and outsiders were not welcome. Him being invited in was a rarity. Well, invited wasn’t precisely the word. More like his presence was demanded, and he wasn’t going to deny the request. Seeing all the unhappy, pissed off faces pointed in his direction, Bas knew this meeting wasn’t going to go very well. It looked like the whole Club was there to witness what was to come. He couldn’t tell any of them what was really going on, but they did have the right to some answers.

  “Motherfucker,” Tuck was the first one to speak, “you might be linked to this Club by blood, and I might respect you and your boss, but nothing will stop me from taking you out if you bring problems to this Club. You get here and all hell breaks out.”

  “Shit, Tuck, listen, I was only supposed to come and check up on Shelby Thomas, nothing more. I don’t have any idea who the guy was that I transported or what’s happened since. What I can tell you is that I’ll take care of it. Jacks is already calling in the cavalry, and we should have this mess cleaned in no time, with minimal to no blowback on the RBMC.”

  “Yeah, you think so, asshole. This is a small town and already we’re getting looks. The commotion at the bar and then the apartment has raised some eyebrows, and I’m also pretty sure the helicopter drew some additional attention. People talk, and that brings unwanted eyes. You understand that?”

  “Yeah man, we should have this cleared up within the hour. But I need to speak to Sky. I have to find out what happened in that apartment and figure out what steps I need to take. Link said she was Club, and I don’t want to piss you off, but this can’t be helped. If she’s involved in what I was sent here to investigate, I might need to take her off your hands. Are you going to have a problem with that?”

  “Hell yeah, I’m going to have a problem with that, but fuck, I can’t stop her if she agrees. And dude, that’s a big if. She doesn’t know you. The Club can vouch for you and NAC, but tell me what makes you think I’m going to do that without some assurances and answers? It seems to me everything was all peaceful like until you stepped foot in our territory. Now, look where we’re at.”

  “Shit, man, I don’t have the answers you want. I’ve already told Link, and he said he informed you this was supposed to be a simple surveillance job. Sky wasn’t even the one I was sent here to watch. I have to talk to her and figure out if what happened is because of something the Shelby chick did or because of what I’m looking into for NAC. Right now, none of us have those answers, and until we get them, I won’t be able to do anything more than I’ve already set up.

  “NAC will take the snake and the man you have in custody off your hands. We will also make sure there isn’t any blowback on the Club with any authorities who might get interested in recent events.”

  “Fuck!” Tuck yelled. “I don’t like this, but I don’t see any other way. If Pixie agrees, you can talk with her, but I want in on anything the two of you decide. I owe it to her and her uncle to keep her safe. NAC is good, but so are we. If Pixie needs to hide out, we can make that happen just as easily as your people can.”

  “Okay, now tell me everything that’s happened and whatever else you think I might need to know,”
Bas questioned.

  “We did some checking,” Tuck said. “The first man you and Pix downed hasn’t been in town long. We couldn’t even find a vehicle he used to get here. There were two other unknowns who came to town about two days ago, one is the man currently spending time in our shed. They didn’t do much, stuck to themselves and stayed out at the motel on Highway 75. They didn’t interact with the locals and didn’t bring any attention to themselves. The motel clerk said they were just passing through on the way to Florida, but that was all the information he had.

  “I had our computer guy, Punk, check it out too. There weren’t any charges made to the rooms and no phone calls from the landline. From what little we know, the guys stuck to the fast food joints down on the highway out of town. I wish I had more, but that’s about it. I’m being told they came off as businessmen.

  “Pixie hasn’t said much. She was in shock when we got to the apartment and dispatched the guy holding her. I have a Prospect keeping an eye on her right now. He knows if she gets that urge to run again to detain her until one of the members is available to deal with it, but it’s been quiet, so far. We don’t know if she saw what happened to her cousin or came in afterward. But, dude, that snake would be enough to freak anyone out by itself. The possibility of seeing a cousin brutally murdered before your own eyes would put anyone over the edge. It could be the topping on the turd cake she was just handed.”

  “Oh, come on, I thought you guys were badasses,” Bas joked. “That’s the second time I’ve heard about this snake. Fuck, I know you guys have all worked in jungles. No way could it have been that big. Maybe the shock made your mind think a little tiny garden snake was a big bad anaconda. Kind of like when Link talks about his dick. You know he talks a good game, gets the chicks all excited, and then bam, micropenis,” Bas said with a straight face, shaking his head like, what a shame, and Link took the bait.

  “Shut up, asshole. And why are you looking at my dick, anyway? That’s just weird.”

  “Dude, you’re the one with the weird exhibitionist problem, not me. If you don’t want people to notice the wee pee pee, then don’t put it out there.”

  The whole room laughed, pissing off Link a little more, but it was all in good fun. His brother did have exhibitionist tendencies, but thankfully, Bas had never seen them. Not an image he wanted in his head.

  “Whatever, asshole, take a look at this.”

  Link shoved his cell phone in front of Bas’ face. The picture chilled him, but not because of the obviously dead girl lying on the floor. No, they hadn’t been exaggerating at all. The snake was impossibly huge, and he would place bets it wasn’t only a snake, but a Shifter. Son of a bitch, Bas thought, things just got a hell of a lot more fucked-up.

  “Yeah, I guess that is a little bigger than a garden snake,” Bas declared. “Fuck man, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. The fucker must be an exotic, hybrid, or genetically engineered something. I’m going to have to call Jacks and tell him the exterminator is going to need more than a pillowcase for this baby. Listen, I need to make some calls to ensure the guys coming in to take care of this know what they’re in for. Do you mind if I send this pic to myself? That way I can forward it to Jacks.”

  “Yeah, go for it,” Link said.

  Bas sent the photo to Jacks with a text, “Our problems just got bigger.” It only took Jacks a second to respond, and his text was just as simple, “Got it Matthias in on his way along with a few Delta guys. ETA 30 minutes.”

  Bas looked up and told Tuck, “I need to talk with Sky now. Are you okay with me doing it in private?”

  “No man, but it doesn’t seem like I have a choice. So, that you know, after you talk to her, I’ll be having a conversation with her. I don’t want you pressuring her or causing her any more harm. This shit will wear on her like nothing else. She’s loyal and felt Shelby was her responsibility in this world. Now that she’s gone, Pix is going to be at loose ends. I don’t want her making any decisions that cause her any more problems. Get me?”

  “What do you think I’m going to do to her? NAC is in the business of protecting women, we don’t harm them, and I’m not about to start now. I just need to get some answers. Figure out what my next move is and go from there. I wouldn’t hurt a hair on her head, let alone cause her any more grief.

  “Man, I get it, and I know it, but you have to understand where I’m coming from. Pixie is Club. I don’t need to say any more than that, and you know it. If Senior wasn’t blowing up my phone right now and you weren’t family to some of my members, we wouldn’t even be talking.”

  Bas had no idea Senior was in contact with Link. It kind of ticked him off though because the bastard hadn’t bothered to return his call. But what the shit what was he going to do about it?

  “Take the office. I’ll have the Prospect bring her in,” Tuck said.

  When none of the guys made a move to get up from the table, Bas figured he’d been dismissed. He walked out the door and down the hallway on the left. This time he didn’t seek out Sky. He knew she would be with him soon enough, and he couldn’t wait.

  His need for Sky had only grown. Being so close, yet so far away, was literally tearing him apart. There was a hum running right underneath his skin, and he knew it was all Sky. Damn, could she be his mate? The guys said the attraction was intense, but they never said anything about electric. Could they have screwed up and Sky, not Shelby, was a Franklin Baby? If she wasn’t, how did any of this make sense? Why was she the one getting attacked? His feelings and actions were out of control. His bear was desperate for her touch and her presence. Or was all of this a part of him going rogue?

  Fuck, Bas didn’t know. His bear and brain were so messed up right now, he could be going rogue, or it could be something else entirely. But one thing he did know for certain, Skylar Thomas had the answers to a lot of his questions, and he was going to make her answer them all. He needed to keep his eye on the prize. If he was going rogue and the beast within him wanted to harm or hurt Sky, he would take himself out first. There wouldn’t be any need for Jacks or any of the others to act because Bas knew he would die rather than hurt Skylar ‘Pixie’ Thomas.

  Chapter 14

  Bas opened the door and Tuck stormed in, saying, “It's about time, fucker.” Tuck brushed passed him, knocking him on the shoulder as he moved past. The asshole went right to Sky. She had stood up when Bas went to open the door. Bas couldn't stop looking at the two of them together. Tuck had said that there wasn't anything going on between them, well, he hadn't actually said those words. Just that Sky was Club, but didn't that mean she was his. They seemed comfortable with each other, and that really bothered Bas. It was a familiarity that had grown through time, and he wanted that with Sky. When the fucker hugged, her Bas wanted to rip her right out of his arms and demand he didn’t touch her again. His feelings were becoming more and more irrational and intense the longer he was around her.

  Tuck pushed Sky back from the hug and looked her in the eyes.

  “You okay, Pix?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be okay, Tuck. You don’t need to worry about me.”

  Sky was anything but fine, but if she showed Tuck one ounce of indecision or vulnerability, he would take her away. That would put him and the rest of the RBMC in danger. Sky wasn’t going to allow that to happen, so she played him by standing strong and sure.

  “Shit, Pix, you’re family. We take care of our own. You know that, honey.”

  “I know, Tuck, but really, I’m fine. And before you ask, I’m going with Bas. This is my choice, not his. He has some answers that I need, and he’s going to take care of Shelby’s body. I need to take care of arrangements for her and get her back to Chicago, so she can be laid to rest with her parents. Please understand, I need to do this.”

  “Damn Pix, the club could take care of that stuff for you, but I won't stop you if this is what you want. Are you sure he didn’t influence your decision? I don’t like the idea of you being forced to do som
ething you don’t want to do. You don’t even know him.”

  “Tuck,” Sky said, putting her hand on Tuck's cheek, “I don’t understand any of this, but I need to go with him. It’s safer that way for everyone. Please, let me go. I promise to call you when this gets settled. After all, you owe me a pretty big payment,” Sky said smiling as she attempted to lighten the mood by gently jabbing him in his side with her finger. It must have worked because he half-heartedly smiled back.

  “Yeah, you’ll get that as soon as I make sure your work is up to snuff. Be safe, Pixie, and call if you need any of us.”

  “I will, Tuck.”

  “Okay, enough of this mushy stuff. I need to talk to Bas for a minute. You go hang out in here for a while. It shouldn’t take long.”

  “Yeah, Tuck, believe me, please, I'm fine. Do what you need to do.”

  Bas stepped out into the hall and waited for Tuck. Tuck followed after him. At least now, he wasn’t touching Sky and Bas could breathe a little easier. Once he got Sky sorted and safe, he was going to have to Shift. His beast was quiet while in her presence, but as soon as she was out of sight, the fucker started clawing. Bas rubbed his chest. It felt like he was being ripped apart from the inside out.

  “Your crew came and picked up the guy in the Shed. Senior called and okayed the transport. He also said others went to the apartment for cleanup. They took Shelby’s body, but the snake was gone. Fuck man, we’re gonna to have to call animal control or something because I can’t have that big fucker slithering around Defiance.”

  “What do you mean the snake was gone?” Bas demanded. “Shit, weren't your boys supposed to be watching the place?”