Property of Drex (Book 1) (Death Chasers MC Series)

by C. M. Owens

This room could serve as an apartment.

  I scoop up my clothes and rush into the bathroom. After Sledge comes and goes, I’ll take a shower. In fact, I’ll just hide in the bathroom until he leaves.

  The less his people get to see me, the safer I’ll feel.

  Chapter 8

  DREX

  The twisted grin on my face might stay there for a while. I’m going to enjoy this more than I thought. Didn’t realize how much I liked the sweet ones until right now, and she’s sure as hell sweet. I guess time will tell how much like her father she is.

  That sobering thought sours my good mood. So much for my fucking smile sticking around.

  “Drex.” Sledge’s gruff voice reminds me I came this way for a reason.

  “Sledge, grab the girl’s bags and put them in my room. And don’t hang around to talk to her.”

  I don’t want anyone speaking to her when I’m not around. That way I can monitor every tidbit of information she has, and I can figure out if or when she tries to use it against us. I’ve already confiscated her phone, and she didn’t bring any other electronic devices—we searched her shit before we even loaded her up on the back of my bike.

  Sledge frowns as he glances up toward my apartment. This garage holds several different rooms, but since Pop left, I took the biggest. The downstairs is the biggest area—full of cars and bikes. We only stay here when we have a heavy workload. It keeps our merchandise safe. No one fucks with us, especially when we’re all together.

  “Herrin’s going to be pissed if you just did what I think you did. Damn, boy. Are you stupid?”

  I smirk as I glance down at my watch.

  “Pop agreed that she might be a risk. I’m keeping her until we figure out what’s going on.”

  He rolls his eyes as he grabs her bags. “When Herrin sees her, he’s going to kick your ass. Girl’s not ugly. He’ll feel duped.”

  I shrug carelessly. “I told him exactly what she looks like. It’s too much to risk. Benny’s not after me. If that’s his plan—to get close to Pop—then this will be perfect. I’ll play while they get no info and no shot at our President.”

  “So you’re staking claim?” he asks, amused as he glances back up at the door.

  I don’t like the way he words that question, so I refuse to answer him.

  “Call Cecil. Tell him I want an appointment for two tomorrow.”

  Sledge chuckles long and hard, and he throws the last bag over his shoulder.

  “Damn. Must have been good. I’ll call him.”

  It’s not about how good it was. It’s a matter of property.

  ***

  “You’ll let me know if she gives you anything,” Pop says, taking another bite of his steak as I drink my beer.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He chews slowly as he studies me. “But you think she might be telling the truth?”

  I shrug with one shoulder as my eyes rake over the new shipment list we have to get out undetected.

  “Too soon to tell, but the girl was scared to damn death in the bedroom. If she’s a spy, she’s a damn good actress. It’s doubtful she knows anything about Benny and his shitheads. I know Benny has something planned, but I don’t know what. He may be planning on using the girl in the future.”

  “I never knew Marks had a kid,” Pop says around a mouthful. “Or a wife. Or a fucking family. No one can hide shit from me, but he somehow did. Remember she’s his daughter, so she could be just as skilled at concealing the truth as he was.”

  My jaw tics at just the mention of her father’s name.

  “I wonder if he lied to his family and kept secrets from them just as well as he kept them from us?” I ask, more to myself than to him.

  “It’s a strong possibility. But she’s linked to Benny somehow.”

  I nod, remembering where I was going with my earlier statement.

  “She’s saying her mom was hurting for cash and about to lose her house. Benny knows her family, so—”

  “So you think he might be planning to take advantage and use them as leverage against her later on. Smart. Sounds a little like a conspiracy theory, but still worth looking into. You got someone on her family to keep an eye out? I want to know what this bastard does before he does it. This girl may afford us the element of surprise as long as we keep playing dumb. I don’t know how else Benny would have known about Marks and what he did. It can’t be just a coincidence he knows her family.”

  Benny and Aaron a team? “I don’t believe in coincidences. Benny never got paid if they were working together, since we got all the money back. This could be part of his plan—see if she can get the access her father had. But he’d have to know he was showing his hand, because he realizes we’re not idiots.”

  He nods, his mind already working over something. “He surely wouldn’t think we’d be stupid enough to give her any access, given her father’s name. It’s a puzzle to solve.”

  I stand and walk over to the very noticeable coolers. Pop shouldn’t have this shit in his apartment. One raid and he’s in the pin. Instead of voicing the fact this shit is pissing me off, I continue talking about the matter at hand.

  “Juice and Evan are going to set up shop across the street from her mom. The house there was empty. It’s now Death Dealer property. If Benny makes a move, we’ll know it. If he goes for her family, then we’ll have all the ammo we need to start a war. I still think we should take him out now and be done with it.”

  Pop laughs long and hard, acting as though I’m his entertainment for the evening. “Boy, you’d kill every rival club if you could. That’s why I let you keep the girl. You’ve earned it, and hell, you could use the distraction. We can’t go starting wars. Everyone you kill has someone who wants revenge. We kill when there isn’t another option.”

  I cock an eyebrow.

  “I thought I was keeping the girl because we agreed it was safer.”

  I don’t like his condescending smirk. “No, that’s just what you’re telling yourself. You want her. That’s fine by me. I’ve got plenty to keep me busy. Besides, Esmeralda is getting jealous these days. She’s under the delusion she can make me settle down. A girl as innocent as you’ve described would have her eyes clawed out within minutes around here. Best she stay and keep your bed full.”

  I frown as I sit back down. “She’s on my couch until I find her a room. I sleep alone.”

  “My apologies,” he says with that same thick condescension. “She can keep your couch warm. Just so you know, it’s easier to fuck them in the bed. Couches are for teenagers.”

  Rolling my eyes, I stand and head to the window. Two unmarked cars are parked just below. Feds are watching us now, but this isn’t news.

  Turning around, I nudge a cooler with my foot while asking, “What’re you going to do with the drugs if they come in?”

  Pop waves me off like it’s no big deal.

  “It’s just a cooler full. I’ll flush the shit if it comes to that. No worries. If they had a search warrant, they’d have already charged in like the cavalier asses they are.” The knife scratches the surface of the plate as he readies a new bite of steak. “I want you to keep me posted on the girl. If she’s innocent, try not to torture her too much, just in case we have to use her later on. We’ll want her compliant and not overly resentful.”

  I smirk as I head toward the door. “No worries, Pop.”

  Torture isn’t what I have in mind.

  Chapter 9

  EVE

  Two girls with long, silky hair walk in, carrying bags of what appears to be clothing. One girl has auburn hair that can’t be natural. The other is a platinum blonde with perfectly manicured red nails.

  They don’t look the way I expected. I guess I expected fake bimbos with boobs spilling out of their tops and gum hanging out of their mouths. They look chic and understated sexy. I’d even say they look classy.

  The wall dips and has a hidden cove. This is the safest place in the room to stay hidden. They haven’t seen me,
but I can see them through the reflection of the mirror on the adjacent wall.

  “So Drex, like, bought the girl or something?” the redhead asks. “Didn’t realize the sex slave ring was back in style.”

  “He didn’t buy the girl,” a gruff voice says, matching the man who brought my stuff up earlier while I hid in the bathroom.

  He announced himself as Sledge when he came in, but I stayed hidden and silent until he left.

  “So…” The blonde’s words trail off as she awaits an answer.

  “It’s a long story. She should be up here, so let’s not discuss it. She’s probably hiding in the bathroom again.” He sounds… worried? Perhaps sympathetic? I’m not sure. He doesn’t sound cold though.

  Both girls are thin with tight jeans on. They look like normal, gorgeous women, but they have matching tattoos on their inner wrists—the initials DD. The font is bold and the letters are large, making it easy to see even through the mirror. As long as I don’t move, they won’t notice me in the mirror—unless they look at it, of course.

  I’ve made myself as small as possible, curling into a ball almost.

  “We don’t need to be dealing with human trafficking shit. Other than the fact it’s archaic and sick, the feds are watching us enough as it is. They’ve been at the salon all week. They keep coming in for haircuts they don’t need, and asking questions they think we’re stupid enough to answer truthfully. Someone is feeding them information, because they know too many of the right questions to ask. I’m not so sure some chick getting sold to the club is the greatest idea, considering the convenient circumstances,” the girl continues, baiting him.

  Sledge cracks his neck to the side and glances toward the bathroom door that is closed.

  “It’s not a damn human trafficking thing. It is… a unique situation, but I don’t want to explain it here. We’ll discuss this downstairs. Does Drex know about the feds snooping around?”

  “Called him the first day they came in,” the redhead says.

  They proceed with pulling all the clothes out of the bags, and they tuck them into the drawers, moving very slowly, proving they’re in no rush.

  “If they’re scoping out the salon, they’re probably watching this place, too. But they’re apparently being more discreet than they are over at Herrin’s spot. I should call Drex,” he tells them.

  Sledge turns to leave, and I hold back the waves of nausea. Why does the FBI want them? Because of the guy I had to watch be killed?

  Swallowing hard, I push down the bile-encrusted memory that tries to surface. In one traumatic day, I sold my body to monsters, I was bent over a bed by a man I didn’t know, my body responded to him in the most traitorous of ways, and I had to watch a man’s head get blown off.

  As much as I’d love to stay in this corner for the rest of my time here—however long that might be—the words Drex said keep running through my mind.

  I can’t pout. I can’t act like this is as horrible as it is. I’m expected to play a part, or he’ll send me to Benny. The hairs on my body rise at the mere thought of something that vile. There’s no telling what he would do to me if I got sent back.

  This all stinks to hell and back. I’m starting to feel like a pawn, especially since they all seem to be just as leery of this peculiar situation as I am. I thought it was a common occurrence amongst them. Apparently this is just as frigging crazy and unusual as I found it to be.

  But what could Benny possibly have to gain by doing this? And why would Drex and his crew play along if it’s so out of the ordinary?

  Their conversation grows louder when the redhead says, “Drex hasn’t ever had to pay for ass before. Why would he start now?”

  They’re still hanging up my clothes or neatly folding them into drawers.

  “He’s not paying for shit. The girl was a gift. Christ, why won’t you just come downstairs and talk about it? There’s no reason we have to discuss it up here.”

  Sledge sounds irritated now, and his eyes keep flicking to the bathroom where he thinks I am. The small mirror still gives me a decent view of all three of them, though I hope they don’t glance in its direction. They might tell Drex I was hiding in the corner, and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t like that.

  “Because we’re waiting to see her. I’m assuming Drex will want her working at the salon or at the massage parlor. I’d like to at least know what the girl looks like. The longer we stand out here and talk, the sooner she warms up and comes to answer some questions for herself,” the blonde says, eyeing Sledge very defiantly with a broad smile on her face.

  The guy is a beast. No way in hell would I talk to him like that. Is she crazy?

  “Drex doesn’t want anyone talking to her. So I doubt she’ll be working with you. And I’m sure he doesn’t want everyone up here getting to know her. If you’ll come downstairs, I’ll explain that better.”

  He doesn’t want anyone talking to me? Great. I’ve apparently sold myself and turned into a sex-slave prisoner. I’m starting to realize there’s no amount of therapy in the world that will be able to save me after this is over.

  If it’s ever over.

  “What the hell’s going on up here?”

  Drex’s voice forces a blanket of dread and nerves to cloak me and almost strangle me. Shit. He’s here. He’ll see me being the miserable girl in the corner.

  I need to put on my game face and act like I’m able to handle this. But that’s exactly what it’ll be—an act.

  Chapter 10

  DREX

  I gave one simple order—don’t speak to the damn girl. I heard them talking from all the way downstairs. Un-fucking-believable. Just because she’s hiding in the bathroom, that doesn’t mean she’s not listening in.

  I glare at Sledge, and he mumbles something about stubborn women. He needs to grow a set. He’s too big to be such a fucking pushover.

  “I said, what the hell is going on up here?” I snap, glaring at Colleen, Sarah, and Sledge like they’re idiots. Because they are.

  The girls both look down immediately, and Sledge groans. “The girls were curious about your new toy. They thought she might be working at the salon or the spa.”

  The salon and spa are two of the legitimate businesses we use to clean the money we make on our car rebuilds and transports. Considering we can’t exactly let the feds walk in and see the cars and bikes we gut and rebuild to hide drugs or guns for transports, we need clean businesses that we can cook the books on.

  Too much shit goes on in both places for the possible spy to head in to work. Besides, she’d have access to Benny too easily if I let her out of my sight.

  “She’s not working. Get your asses out of my space, and get downstairs. I’ll discuss this with you later.”

  Colleen practically sprint out, Sarah skips away, and Sledge flips off their backs as he follows.

  I glance over some of the clothes they’ve put in the closet. It’s a hell of a lot better than the preppy shit she has. The second the feds get a glimpse of her with her sweet-and-innocent grandma clothes, they’ll ask questions. They’re already going to be curious about a new girl.

  “Eve,” I call, glancing at some of the sexy panties and bras the girls bought.

  Much better than the old lady underwear she had on earlier. Even if she still looked plenty sexy.

  I’m going to have more fun with her in lace.

  “Yeah,” she says, suddenly right behind me.

  I turn quickly, measuring her carefully. She’s wearing my shirt, and that forces me to arch a brow.

  “Why were you hiding? And why are you wearing my shirt?”

  She doesn’t look overly stressed out, which is disconcerting. After the hellacious day, she’d be freaking out if she was as sweet and innocent as I originally thought.

  “I wasn’t hiding. I was trying to be respectful. I wasn’t given permission to speak to anyone else, and you mentioned that you hated my clothes. Since I had nothing else at the time, I borrowed a shirt in case you ca
me back.”

  What the…

  Is she for real?

  Emotionless. She’s so stoic that it’s actually a little creepy.

  Her eyes glisten with unshed tears suddenly, and I tilt my head. “You look like you’re about to cry,” I murmur absently, still studying the soft green eyes.

  It sort of pisses me off that she’s about to cry, because she seemed fine two seconds ago.

  “I’m fine,” she lies, turning her head as she moves over to the dresser. “What would you prefer I wore?”

  This whole master/servant thing isn’t doing it for me. “Whatever they bought. You just can’t wear your shit. Too many questions will rise. Now, tell me why you’re about to cry.”

  I glare at her back, waiting for an answer. She was fine until I showed up, and I know for a fact I haven’t done shit to her. She sure as hell enjoyed herself earlier, and I asked repeatedly if it was all consensual.

  “It’s just been an overwhelming day. I’m sorry. I swear I’m not going to cry,” she says with her back turned, her body close to shaking. “I’ve never seen anyone die, I left my family, and… I swear I’m okay. Don’t send me back to Benny.”

  Her voice stays steady throughout that little explanation. Until she reaches the last sentence. That’s when it breaks.

  Is she scared of Benny? Does he have something on her that I don’t know about? And how the fuck does she know him?

  “So you’re doing this for your family,” I say, dropping to the bed as she selects a pair of cut-off shorts and a white shirt.

  She swallows audibly while turning to face me. “Yes. You’re welcome to check my family’s financial history.”

  Already have someone looking into that, baby.

  “And what would happen if I just turned you loose and sent you back home to your family?” I ask, smirking when her head pops up in surprise.

  For a fleeting second, she looks so hopeful. I’m learning a lot just from her expressions. But then her face falls.