Stone Cold (Sin's Bastards MC Series Book 6)

by K. J. Dahlen

  Bastian got up and went over to the stairs. Opening the heavy door, he went downstairs and didn’t stop until he got to the room Sawyer was in. He paused for a moment just inside the door and stared at her. She was still bound and blindfolded. He knew he had to leave her that way. Oh, how he wanted to gaze into her eyes as she came. To see the fire there that she felt for him. To have her hands roaming over his skin and do all the things she kept whispering about last night. His chest tightened. I have to live without that.

  He went over to the table in the corner and picked up a syringe. Moving over to the bed, he slid the needle into her leg and pushed the plunger down. When the syringe was empty, he lifted her off the bed. It would be easier for her and less stressful if she were out for her return trip.

  For the next thirty minutes, he gently bathed her body. His eyes were drawn to her bare skin. Smooth as silk. Committing every crease, every bit to his memory. It would have to last him a lifetime. He tried to just bathe her without any sexual thoughts. He wanted her aware, awake if he made love to her. If she only knew how he really felt for her. But no one but him would ever know.

  He gently dried her off and dressed her with care. He paused at the sight of her damp hair. She had different hues and tints, some blonde like streaks as well and he remembered the first time he ever saw her mane. He figured at the time it was dyes or hair products, now he could see she inherited it from her father. It was natural. So beautiful, so different, much like his own light hair, so blonde it was almost white. He let out a sigh and shook his head. The next time he saw this mane, she would be entirely separated from him again, never knowing he was there.

  Carrying her out to the car, he laid her carefully on the back seat. Before he left the barn, he tucked his gun with the silencer into his pocket. He never trusted anyone. This policy had kept him alive. Then he placed a call to Leon. There was a wayside near Amsterdam that backed into a wooded area. He would wait for Leon to come and collect his bounty there.

  On his way to the meeting place, Bastian wondered what Sawyer thought of last night. He couldn’t help it. Last night had been the fulfillment of a dream for him. When he’d seen her in the warehouse last year, he’d fallen hard for her. When he’d seen what Jack and Jon had done to her he almost killed them then and there. He’d never felt such feeling for anyone. No one better ever hurt her in the future either, or they would be sorry.

  When he reached the wayside, he pulled into the woods and hid his car. Scouting the area cautiously, he didn’t see anyone else there yet. Then he lifted her out and carried her to the picnic area. He laid her onto the table and carefully undid the bindings on her hands. Taking off the blindfold, he brushed the stray hair out of her eyes. His kissed her closed eyelids and caressed her soft cheek.

  Pressing his lips against hers, he kissed her one last time. “I think I could love you,” he whispered in her ear. Then he heard it. The sound he was dreading. A car engine slowing down to turn into the wayside. He also heard the sound of a cycle traveling with the car.

  Bastian reached up and took off the necklace he’d worn for the last ten years. Slipping it around her neck, he tucked the pendant into her shirt. Then he got up, walked to the trees and disappeared.

  When he knew no one could see him, he turned and watched as a car stopped beside the table Sawyer was laid out on. The bike following the limo stopped and Bastian watched as a big man got off and stepped over to her. Calico. At least he would be there in her life now, as well as her mother. Her father gathered her up in his arms and held her close. He had tears rolling down his cheeks.

  Bastian watched as Leon and Calderone Vincinti stepped out of the limo then went to the table. He saw Leon pick up the box next to Sawyer. In the box was the item Max had originally paid him to find.

  Bastian reached for his phone and called Leon. “I see you found the Hand and Sawyer.”

  “Yes, we did,” Leon confirmed, “I figured I’d have to pay for the item before you returned it.”

  Bastian chuckled. “Max paid for its return. I have my ethics, old man.”

  Leon chuckled at his sass. “May I ask how you found it?”

  “Sawyer was with her mother when Jolene took the piece. Malvin followed them home that day. When he didn’t find it in the house, he staked out the only other place they stopped at. The Northridge Church.”

  “So, it’s been at the church all this time?” Leon asked.

  “Yeah, it was still there yesterday when I went to get it. Oh, by the way, you don’t have to worry about Malvin anymore. He tried to surprise me with a flashlight upside the head but I took care of him.”

  “Thank you. He’d already killed one of my men the day before yesterday. The others found his secret rooms and a very interesting set of books. It seemed Malvin had his own gig going on in that town. Glad to know he’s out of the picture as well.”

  “I didn’t hurt the girl. I want you to know that,” Bastian finally told him. “I do not kill innocents, ever. Despite what the rumors say.”

  “I can see that, thank you.”

  “Yes, but just don’t let it get around, okay? Tell her father to take good care of her or the next time I take her, I will keep her.” Bastian ended the call before Leon could say anything more. He turned his back and waited until he heard the bike start up. He couldn’t watch as she was carried away from him. Only when the wayside was quiet again, did he turn. The place was empty and he couldn’t stand the silence anymore.

  Bastian got into his car and drove back to the barn. When he got there, he went into his living room and directly to the bar. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and sat down on the sofa. Ripping off the cap, he lifted the bottle to his mouth and took a long swig. The liquor burned his throat all the way to his belly.

  He found nothing in the liquid fire, so he put the cap back on the bottle. Drinking wouldn’t help the situation and he knew better. In his line of work, he always needed to be sober and aware. But now, he was too aware…it was going to be a long night.

  ~* * * *~

  Lake Placid...New York

  Sam sat down on the corner of the sofa and stared at the older man in front of him. “Well Sarge, time has been good to you.”

  Stone Masterson laughed out loud. “Yeah, fuck you too, Tory.”

  Sam chuckled and shook his head. “So…are you gonna tell me what the hell you’re doing in New York when your club is in Texas?”

  “The boys and I are setting up a network,” Stone replied.

  “What kind of network?”

  “The kind that will help a woman or kid in trouble. I want to set up a network nationwide that can provide a safe place, maybe a new start for these women.” He looked away for a moment then looked back at his old friend. “I’m also looking for my sister. I haven’t seen her in about fifteen years or so.”

  Sam frowned. “What happened?”

  “I was a snot nosed kid when I left home to join the core,” Stone explained. “I was mad at the whole fucking world but mostly at my stepfather. That man was truly a beast and he was a mean drunk. Anyway, when I left…I left behind a younger sister and my mother. I hated leaving them with him, but my mom knew the old man would likely kill me if I didn’t go. They came to see me after boot camp and they told me things were different, they were better. They were lying to me but it took five years before I knew it. By then, I was overseas and couldn’t get back to do anything about it anyway. My sister kept writing and I told her I would come back for her one day. The next time I was stateside, she met me. Surprised the hell out of me. She told me she’d gotten away from him and that she was okay. I talked to my mom and she told me not to worry about her, she was all right. I went back to work with the core and didn’t worry about it….” Stone paused as if the memories were too much.

  Sam waited silently for him to continue.

  “…Well, years passed before I knew the truth. Sadie kept in touch and so did my mom. Then twelve years ago, I get the news my stepfather was dead. I c
ame home to find a cluster fuck. My sister was gone and had been for a long time. My mother wasn’t the same woman I left when I joined the core and my stepfather died while almost killing my mom. I got my mom set up in a nice place but she begged me to find Sadie and bring her home. I looked everywhere for her every chance I got, but you know how the core is, they don’t give you much time on your own. Then came the day five years ago when everything I worked so hard for was suddenly gone. My last assignment nearly got my whole troop wiped out. We were set up and when shit hit the fan, my boys paid the price. I was all done after that. I came home a full bird Colonel. The men who were left of the troop came with me and we settled in a place called Sabine Pass, Texas. We started our own MC and over time, we began to grow. Most of us are vets, some of us are damaged vets but together, we make a hell of a team.”

  “How does all this work with finding your sister?” Sam asked.

  “The boys needed something to do, you know? To give them a purpose again, when we stumbled on the need for this sort of thing. We found a woman, beat almost to death and left on the side of the road. Her old man likely wanted her to die but we took her in, gave her a chance to heal and got her set up in another town. She’s okay and well on her way to having a good life. She got us started and before we knew it, our network had grown.”

  “Okay, that explains what you do but why are you here in New York?”

  “I’ve been looking for my sister all this time,” Stone explained. “One of our ladies lives out here and she mentioned a place in the area called Redemption House. I was hoping that if Sadie were in the area she might go to a place like that. The last time I heard from Sadie, she was in Albany. We were in the area dropping off another lady and I knew you were here, so I called.”

  Sam grinned when Stone mentioned Redemption House. “That little girl you saved tonight, the woman that runs Redemption House is her mother.”

  Stone was astonished. “Really? I thought your son was her father?”

  “He is. Cassie has quite a story to tell, but Redemption House is her dream. It has been doing really well. There is such a need for places like that.”

  Stone nodded. “I’ve been listening to horror stories from the people we rescue about how bad it is to live on the streets. I was hoping to find this Redemption House and learn how I can build one in my town.”

  “Cassie is the one you need to talk to then.”

  “Maybe I can ask her to help me find Sadie at the same time.” Stone let out a heavy sigh. “I just want to know she’s okay and give her the chance to find me. I would dearly love her to come home.”

  Sam glanced at Stone’s vest and smiled when he read the name of the MC. “Hell’s Fire Riders huh? Seems I’ve heard that name before.”

  “Yeah.” Stone chuckled. “I know you have. That’s what they used to call us when they sent us into battle.”

  “That’s because we were the group that got the job done,” Sam quipped. “We would rain hell’s fire down on the enemy and watch it burn. It helped that the flames of hell burned the hottest.” He paused then added, “I’ve been keeping track of you, old man. I’d catch a word every now and then, and I can truly say I’m proud to have served with you.”

  Stone shook his head. “I should have gotten out a long time ago.”

  “No, you stayed because there was a need for men like you,” Sam argued. “You taught them boys how to become good men. They may not admit it, but they needed you and you were there.” He got to his feet and looked around. “When you get done here, come on down to Troy and meet Cassie. She can get the word out about your sister and I know she’ll be happy to tell you about Redemption House.” Reaching out his hand he grasped Stone’s and shook it. “I got my own past to set right, so I got to go.”

  “We’ll be there later Gunny, you can bet your booties on it,” Stone replied. He went to the door and watched as Sam pulled away and disappeared. When he was joined by one of his men he didn’t have to turn to see which one it was. He knew already.

  “You should have told him everything. About our real mission,” Doc warned him in a low voice. “He needs to know about the shit storm that’s coming his way.”

  “I know. I will tell him,” Stone assured the other man. “We’re gonna make a stop in Troy on our way out. I can tell him then.” He looked over his shoulder at Doc. “Sam is a good man. He’ll join our network.”

  “I hope so.” Doc nodded. “We need all the help we can get to stop this from happening. When you first laid out your plan, I never thought it would work but you got me convinced now that it will. Every day, we come one step closer to making it a reality. I just hope we aren’t too late in setting it up.”

  “It will never be too late.” Stone guaranteed him. “We’ll keep fighting until we’re the last man standing.” He turned and went back inside the cabin, closing the door behind him.

  NEXT UP:

  Pappy’s Shadow

  Book One

  Hell’s Fire Riders Series

  READ THE WHOLE SERIES

  BOOK ONE

  Continuing From Satan's Spawn MC Series....

  When Sam Tory discovers what he thinks is a thief, he’s stunned to find it’s a woman with a secret. The kind of secret that could get someone killed. It’s already cost one man his life. She doesn’t want to share her secret but Sam won’t let her go. Instead, he brings her to Deke and the Sin’s Bastard brotherhood, hoping they can help her.

  Melora has been running for the last two years but Deke and Sam convince her now is the time to stand and fight. Then her past comes knocking and she finally meets her father for the first time in her life. When she realizes he’s been looking for her for some time, she’s not sure what to think. He’s been missing all her life but now he wants into her business. Melora just wants to disappear but the men in her life won’t let her. Can she survive a face down with the man who wants her dead?

  BOOK TWO

  Sam's past and future comes back to bite him in the ass when he gets word that his oldest daughter is sick and his old lady informs him she's pregnant. Sam has a habit of running away from being a father, will this time be different?

  When a shared connection between Cassie and Melora comes to light, it leads to danger- can the MC stop it in time or will it cost Melora her life?

  BOOK THREE

  We all have regrets in our lives, it’s the mistakes we learn by—Raine’s regret is not stopping his brother from almost killing Reva seventeen years ago, now his brother is getting out of prison and he’ll be coming after her again. This time Raine vows to stand beside her…

  Reva’s regret is the fact that she held a secret for the past seventeen years—a secret that could and would bring danger to the MC. Can she make it right after all this time or is it too late?

  BOOK FOUR

  Everything in Deke and Cassie’s life is wonderful. The MC is thriving. Their twin toddlers are a joy and now, they have a baby daughter on the way. Little do they know, someone from Deke’s past is hell bent on destroying his life.

  Then in one day, it all unravels when someone breaks into Redemption House and takes away his world.

  BOOK FIVE

  The Sin’s Bastards MC will come up against a man no one wants to face…Bane Jessin. He is ruthless and a cold blooded killer. Somehow, it is Cricket that holds the key to saving them all. Can she deliver what this killer searches for? Or will the blood of others stain her hands…again? Izzy will now face the ultimate price for being Dominic’s daughter. Will Mountain lose her and the baby?

  K.J. Dahlen

  I live in a small town (population495) in Wisconsin. From my deck, I can see the Mississippi River on one side and the bluffs, where eagles live and nest on the other side. I live with my husband Dave and dog Buddy. My two children are grown and I have two grandchildren. I love to watch people and that has helped me with my writing. I often use people I watch as characters in my books and I always try to give my characters some of my own values an
d habits.

  I love to create characters and put them in a troubling situation then sit back and let them do all the work. My characters surprise even me at times. At some point in the book, they take on a life of their own and the twists and turns they create becomes the story. Of all the stories, I could write I found I like mystery/thrillers the best. I like to keep my readers guessing until the very end of the book.

  MY PREVIOUS BOOKS ARE:

  SATAN’S SPAWN MC SERIES:

  Spawn &Spitfire, Revenge And Retribution, Babies And Bastards.

  The SIN’S BASTARDS SERIES: Silk & Bones, Karma’s Bitch, No Regrets, Hell’s Fury, Lies And Liars, Stone Cold…..

  Bones, The Darkness Within, Meghan’s Legacy, Shadow Chaser, Witness, Secrets and Lies, Legacy of Murder, The Unknown Son, The Prophet, No One to Hear You

  Scream, Bradbury Inn, Murderous Intent,

  Wrong Number, Fall from Grace, The

  House on Berkley Street, Cards Of Sin, Blood Memories, From Beyond Death and Words To Die For.

  My next book coming out is:

  HELL’S FIRE RIDERS MC SERIES

  Pappy’s Shadow

  Phoenix Rising, A Murder in her Past, Words To Die For and From Beyond Death.

  AUTHOR INFORMATION

  AMAZON

  Email: kjdahlen1@yahoo.com

  Website: http://smarturl.it/KJDahlen

  I am on Facebook and twitter as kjdahlen

  My blog is on Facebook at K.J.’s blog My publishers are:

  www.roguephoenixpress.com www.indigoseapress