Sainte: Knights of Silence MC

by Amy Cecil

  “You leave Ice out of this. This is not his fault.” He releases my arm. “Be a man, Sainte, and own up and take responsibility for your part in all this?”

  “Really? And what about you? You played a big part in this, or is breaking the man’s heart a minor technicality?”

  “Just leave me alone, Sainte!” I yell back. I turn away from him and run off again. Surprisingly, he says nothing and doesn’t come after me. I can feel the distance between us get wider, and I couldn’t be more pleased.

  God, I need a hit.

  I decide to call Slash to see what I can get my hands on. There’s fifty bucks in my pocket that’s itching to be spent on something that will take all this fucking pain away. I just need something to take the pain away, if only for a short time. Just enough so I can breathe again.

  Sainte

  I raise my hands in frustration and shake my head. It’s not worth running after her. The more I go after her, the more she’ll run. I’ve seen her kind before, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna chase her. I turn and walk back to the clubhouse. She’ll be okay, I tell myself, but I’m not sure I’m convinced. I look back and watch her as she fades into the distance. I fucking hope she’ll be okay.

  When I get to the clubhouse, I step inside and Ice looks up. He doesn’t have to say a word. I know what he wants. I shake my head.

  “Fuck!” I hear him say quietly. I look at his office, and he nods, so I lead him that way. After coming in behind me, he closes the door behind him. “You didn’t catch up with her.”

  I sit. “Oh, I caught up with her, and she told me in not so many words to mind my own fuckin’ business.” I rake my hands through my hair as Ice goes around his desk and sits.

  “Dammit, Sainte, I’m worried about her. She’s a fucking loose cannon.” He leans back in his chair. “Do you think she’s using again?”

  “You want the truth or do you want me to tell you what I think you want to hear?”

  “Fuck! I thought so. She’s been so erratic since Hawk died. I knew she’d take it hard, but I swear I didn’t think she would go back to coke.”

  “I guarantee it is where she is heading now.” I pull out my smokes and light one. I quit over a year ago, but that damn woman brings out the worst in me, and smoking takes the edge off. “Do you want me to go after her?”

  Ice takes a sip of his drink and shakes his head. “No. As much as I want to help her, we can’t swoop in and save her every time she falls. She needs to hit rock bottom before she will ever consider trying to quit. Something will happen that will make her stop. We just have to be patient and wait for it. Then we go in and help her.”

  “Aw man, Ice, you really think that’s the right way to go?”

  He nods. “I do. She’s got to want help before any help we provide will actually sink in.” He rubs his temples, obviously trying to get rid of a headache. “I’ve known Honey a long time. She has so many things she is dealing with right now. Me, Hawk, you, and to top it off, she’s an addict. You do the math.”

  I shake my head. “I just don’t get it.”

  “It’s tough love, Sainte. She has to fall and hit rock bottom before she can work to pick herself back up. Then you, me and the club will be there to help her. Until then, we’ll just be enabling her, and I won’t be responsible for that.”

  “And if she ODs?” I ask.

  “That’s where you come in. If she’s following her last pattern, she’s not at risk of that for a while, but I’m counting on you to make sure it does not happen down the road. We love her. She’s an integral part of this club, and the last thing I want is to see her kill herself.”

  “If you say so, boss.”

  “And when she comes back here, and I know for a fact she will, she’s gonna be higher than a kite. You’re gonna be her babysitter.”

  “Babysitter?”

  He rolls his eyes. “You know what the fuck I mean. You keep tabs on her, and you don’t let her get away with any of her disruptive behavior. She needs to understand that if she wants to throw her life away, she can do it elsewhere. I have enough shit to deal with than a chick that can’t face her past and her mistakes and move on. And that’s exactly what this behavior all boils down to.”

  I nod. “I got this. I’ll get her straight.”

  “You’re the only one who can.”

  “Speaking of shit going on, we really need to talk to Emma. You up for that now?”

  “Not today. We can save that for when we get back from Mexico.”

  I nod.

  Chapter 3

  Sainte

  Why do I keep getting myself mixed up in this shit? Because I’m the fucking best, and everyone knows it. I thought life with the MC would be simpler, quieter. I thought I was done with these types of missions. Fuck that shit. It ain’t any different, but I know the MC has more promise for me. Ice and I go back a long way, and there are things I need to deal with in regard to Emma too, which is why I came back in the first place.

  And oh, hell, I can’t forget the feisty Honey. That woman has enough piss and vinegar to make me hard every time I look at her. I know her heart is breaking now, but I guarantee I’m gonna have that woman begging for it. There is a story there, and I’m gonna make damn sure I get to the bottom of it. I’ll tear down her fucking walls. There’s no doubt about it.

  The plane landed just outside of Nuevo Laredo. I’m supposed to have my men with me, Zach and Jake, but instead, sitting across from me are four members from my new biker family. “Michael is going to have my ass when he finds out you boys are here,” I say to them.

  “You don’t fucking work for the Vitalis anymore. You’re on my payroll now,” Ice says.

  Well, he does have a point. I feel like I’m doing something behind Michael’s back though. I’m doing what he’s asked, just not with whom he wanted me to do it with. I guess I’ll deal with that shit storm later.

  “I have to tell you; we’re pros at this kind of shit. But even with pros, I sure as fuck hope you have a plan, Sainte,” Ice says.

  “I always have a plan, and you all better follow it to the letter, or so help me, I’ll fucking send you all back in body bags. No rogue cowboy shit to get your hands on Romeo, Ice. I mean it. Everything Michael does—every decision Michael makes—has a reason behind it. I learned that a long time ago, and as long as I follow Michael’s instructions to the letter, it all works out. I just fucking pray having you boys here doesn’t change that.”

  “I know, and I know what he said. I promised him I won’t touch Romeo, and he can count on it,” Ice replies.

  “Good. One less thing I need to worry about.” I pause and look at everyone. “So here’s the plan.” I go over everything I have mapped out to get the women and money. When I’m done, I ask, “So you boys straight on the plan?”

  “Yeah, we got it, but why don’t you run through it again, just to make sure, and you can stop fucking worrying.” Rebel laughs.

  These assholes. Did I really make the right decision going with the club? Now they are all laughing. Yeah, I did. I humor Rebel and go over the plan again. “We leave here and go straight to the compound. We spend the rest of today scoping out the place until dark. We cover every fucking base and keep in mind the intel we have already received. Ricco said Gallardi’s compound, or estate, has a guard station at the main gate, and he’s got two guards posted there. There is a long driveway to the main house, where it is my understanding he keeps six guards posted. That’s it. Apparently he thinks he doesn’t need anything more than that, but we’re gonna show him differently. Michael said the plane could only wait two days for us, so forty-eight hours from now, we’re either on that plane or shit out of luck.

  “Once we figure out where the ladies are and the safe is, we make our move. Ricco also said that from what he gathered, Romeo would not be there, but I’m telling you plans change, and every one of us goes in as if he’s there. Ice, you take out the two guards at the gate. Rebel, Ryder, and Spike, I’m counting on you
three to take care of the guards at the house and then, Spike, you will need to take care of the house alarm system and cameras. I’m told the main hub is housed in the guard’s station at the main gate.”

  “Ryder and I can handle the six at the house, Sainte. There’s no need to waste Spike’s time. He can go straight to the alarm once Ice takes out the guards at the gate,” Rebel says.

  “You sure about that? You’ll only be two against six,” I say to remind him.

  Rebel looks at Ryder and says, “We’ve handled worse. We just recently broke my parents out of Maghaberry Prison in Ireland. Trust me, we got this.”

  I turn toward Ice, and he nods to confirm. “Okay, that works. If you guys got this, who the fuck am I to question you?” I shrug. “So once we clear the guards, I’ll go in and get the wife and niece. Ice, you find the safe and clean the motherfucker out. And remember what I said about Romeo.”

  “Got it.” He nods and then says, “What if Romeo is there? What if I encounter him?”

  “Assess the situation. If you can get the money and get out, then you don’t touch him. Shit, I know that’s wishful thinking, but I’m also betting that Romeo will be more interested in saving his own ass, especially once he realizes we have taken over his house. He will run. I can almost guarantee it.”

  Ice nods. “Gotcha.”

  “No detours, no changes to the plan. I mean it.”

  “We know!” Ryder states, and they laugh again. I need to have my head examined—joining these guys—but I have to say, there is something about them that makes me glad I did. I’m sure I’m gonna fit in just fine.

  If this place is anything like most Mexican cartel compounds, it’s not gonna be easy, but at least we know what to expect. Usually these places consist of the main house, a few guard stands, and perhaps a servants’ quarters. They try to keep the cartel business away from the residence, so hopefully that will be the case for us. Ricco couldn’t confirm anything other than what he gave us, so for the rest, we’re winging it.

  “Let’s do this!” I state as the plane taxis down the private—I guess you could call it a—runway. Michael said we’d be landing on some remote airstrip and he’d have a Jeep waiting for us. The driver is on the Vitali payroll, and if we are ready to go back within the forty-eight hours, he will be there to drive us back to the plane.

  “Always ready, Sainte. You know that,” Ice replies.

  Once the plane comes to a stop, I realize we are in a hangar. I didn’t even notice when the plane pulled inside. We get our things together and our guns, and we quickly deplane. Just as Michael said, there is a Jeep waiting. We make our way there, and I introduce myself to the driver.

  “Nick Saintero. I’ll be your contact. You can call me Sainte,” I say, holding out my hand for him to shake.

  “Manuel Garcia, a pleasure. I am at your disposal, Señor Sainte,” he replies as he gets in the Jeep. The rest of us throw our gear in the back and pile in. “Where to, sir?”

  I give Manuel the address, and we drive off. Two hours later, we pull up to a gated property like I was told. The guardhouse at the gate is small, and there are two guards posted. We can’t see the house from the gate as we drive by. I instruct Manuel to drive down the road about a quarter of a mile.

  “You wait here for us,” I tell him.

  Manuel nods, and we get out of the Jeep.

  “We’re going to scope out the situation, and we’ll be back. We’ll probably be a few hours,” I say.

  “Sí, señor,” Manuel replies. “I do whatever I can to help Señor Vitali.”

  We get out of the Jeep and head back toward Romeo’s estate on foot. We get to the property and walk the perimeter. It is completely gated, with the front gate being the only way in or out. That could present a problem.

  We find a spot on a hill next to the compound where we can see the main entrance to the house. We count five guards. Where is number six? After watching the activity for about two hours, we see a limo arrive at the gate. It pulls through without being checked and proceeds toward the house. Once the limo comes to a stop, the driver, who is fully armed, gets out. There’s number six. He opens the back door, and a woman emerges, followed by a young girl. Romeo’s wife and niece. Good.

  The guard/driver follows them into the house, and after a few minutes, he comes back outside to stand post.

  About thirty minutes later, another limo arrives at the gate and proceeds right through without being checked. Who the fuck is this? We watch as the limo makes its way to the main entrance. The driver gets out, unarmed from what I can tell, and opens the back door. And to my surprise, Romeo emerges from the limo. Fuck.

  “That’s Romeo,” Ice whispers. “Now what?”

  “We wait and watch,” I reply, and that’s exactly what we do.

  Just as the sun is setting, we see Romeo emerge with the same driver as before. The driver is carrying a duffle bag. The two of them get in the car and leave the estate. Perfect.

  “I say we make our move tonight,” I say to the men.

  “I’m all in,” Ice replies. The other guys nod.

  “Spike, go back to the Jeep. Let Manuel know of our plans while we continue to keep our eyes on things here. We’ll strike as soon as it’s completely dark, so make your way back as soon as possible.”

  “Got it, Sainte.” Spike leaves and we remain at our post, making sure Romeo doesn’t return and the women don’t leave.

  About thirty minutes later, Spike returns. The sun has now set, and darkness has taken over the evening sky. Lucky for us, there is no moon visible tonight. Just another thirty minutes, and we’ll be ready to go.

  “Okay, boys, let’s move. We’ve got the element of surprise on our side. Let’s keep it that way.”

  “Ah, I think once I take out the guards at the gate, we’ll lose that,” Ice states.

  “That’s why we have silencers,” I reply smugly.

  “Fucker,” Ice says under his breath, and I can’t help but chuckle. It’s killing him not being in control, but he promised. He knew if I agreed to allow him to be a part of this, he had to do things my way.

  We get down the hill and position ourselves right outside the guard stand. “Ice, you got this?”

  “Oh, fuck yeah. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.” He creeps toward the two guards, and we follow behind. Next thing I see, both guards fall to the ground in the darkness. Spike stops inside the guard stand, and the rest of us continue toward the house.

  “Give me five minutes,” Spike says, “and you should be cleared to enter.”

  Hell, it’s gonna take us more than five minutes to get to the fucking house. I swear all these cartel leaders are alike. They have these huge fucking mansions with all these ostentatious gold statues and fountains everywhere. Having the gaudiest house must be a fucking prerequisite when you make it big in the drug business.

  “When you’re done, meet up with Rebel and Ryder,” I tell Spike.

  “Got it.”

  When we finally get to the house, Rebel and Ryder split and move toward each side of the house. Rebel takes out the guard at the front as he goes by. Damn, these guys are good.

  I see another guard drop while Ice and I rush toward the door, which is now clear. I pray Spike has disarmed the alarms by now, but I don’t have time to wait any longer. We burst down the front door and walk inside. The gaudy décor extends inside as we’re greeted with a huge plantation-type staircase and a fucking fountain in the main entryway.

  Just as we’re about to climb the stairs, a woman dressed in a maid’s uniform comes running into the entryway, yelling in Spanish. I can’t understand a word she is saying, but I can tell she is scared.

  Ice approaches her and grabs her by the arm. “Cállate, maldita mujer. Si quieres mantenerte vivo, vuelve a la cocina o desde donde vengas. Dile al resto del personal también. Permanece oculto, y no serás lastimado.”

  By the look in her eyes, she’s scared, but she stops yelling and nods. He releases her a
rm, and she quickly turns away and rushes out of the entryway.

  “What the fuck did you say to her?” I ask.

  “I told her to shut the fuck up. Go back where she came from and to let the rest of the staff know that as long as they stay hidden, they won’t be harmed.”

  “Fuck, Ice, thanks. I didn’t know you speak Spanish.”

  “See, it’s a good thing I came along,” he says as we proceed up the stairs.

  I shake my head. I wonder whose ego is bigger, his or mine. When we get to the top of the stairs, I say, “Let’s find Marina first. She’ll know where the safe is, and she may even know the combination. Could save us a lot of time.”

  Just then, Ice’s phone beeps. He takes it out of his pocket and looks at it. “Just got a text from Rebel; the outer perimeter has been neutralized. No casualties on our end.”

  “Thank fuck,” I say.

  We approach a set of double doors, which I am assuming is the master bedroom and hopefully the place where we will find Marina. We open the doors and find a woman lying on the bed in a fetal position, crying. What the fuck?

  She glances up at us as I approach, and I am appalled by what I see. Her face has been badly beaten. She has two black eyes and blood running down the side of her head. Holy shit, that SOB beat her!

  “Marina, we mean you no harm.” I quickly try to reassure her as she inches her way up the bed in an effort to get away from us. She winces as she moves, which makes me realize there is more damage to her than what I see on her face. “It’s okay, sweetheart, we’ve come to save you from this hellhole.”

  She looks at me curiously and then toward Ice. She’s scared, but when she speaks, I’m surprised to find out that when she speaks, it’s in English.

  “Who are you?” From the looks of it, she desperately wants to believe us, but there is hesitation, and I think it is fair to assume she isn’t used to trusting many people. I can’t say I really blame her. We’re a couple of big scary dudes, not to mention the guns we are carrying.

  “My name is Sainte, and this here is Ice. We’re Americans. We’ve come to take down Romeo, but our first mission is to get you and the young girl safely out of here.”