by A. C. Bextor
“Where the fuck are you?” Low’s question comes through the phone line with urgency.
“On my way back to Creed. Why?” I return.
“Braydon and the boys are confirmed ready and are waiting on standby. I’ll tell you now, they’re itching to get this motherfuckin’ party started.”
Party.
Jesus Christ. “When?”
“Tonight.” He pauses, and I assume he’s doing the same as I am: checking the time. “As in about two hours.”
“Do I need to know anything before this happens?”
Low laughs in my ear, finding genuine humor in a question I didn’t think was fuckin’ funny. “You’ll know.”
“Fuck,” I clip. “Where’s Aimes?”
“He’s already en route.”
“To Creed?”
“Yeah,” he answers. “Who the fuck is Anna, and what’s she got to do with any of this?”
Judging by Low’s question, it’s even more obvious that Aimes is determined to get Anna out with the others. “She means something to the man holding Casey.”
“She Viktor’s girl?”
Hard to explain. “Yes and no.”
“Well fuck, Aimes,” he says to me, but I know he’s talking to his brother who can’t hear him complain. “Figures he’d have to complicate shit for a woman he hardly knows.”
“She’s worth it,” I assure him. “She’s been good to Casey and she’s been helpful to me.”
“Well, who the fuck is Cilas?”
“We gotta get into this now?” I reply, knowing I have limited time to get where I need to be.
“Guess not.” He sighs. “It sucks being the techie, I’m just sayin’. I miss all the good shit while you fuckers steal all the fun.”
“You’re good at what you do, Low,” I answer, and I mean it. “And this shit isn’t fun.”
He hesitates before speaking softly. “Max, I heard some of the shit that’s happening there. Get Casey, but don’t play hero, okay?”
“Aimes is goin’ to play hero. Did you bitch and moan at him?” I return, slightly annoyed.
“Let him do whatever the fuck he does. He’s a crazy-ass son of a bitch, but he also has a fuck-load more experience than you do with this shit.”
“If I can help Em’s sister, Dee Dee, I plan to. Just tellin’ you this ahead of time.”
“Casey, damn it,” he reiterates, excluding Dee Dee entirely.
I comply, but it’s not with the truth. “Got it.”
“You sure?” he questions.
“Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.” I debate not telling him about Hangar, but he’ll want to get word to Aimes. “One more thing.”
“Shoot.”
“The man who killed Marie is dead.”
I hear the wind being knocked out of Low. He says nothing for a few seconds. “What the fuck?”
“Long story, but I’ll tell you, the world is down one crazy son of a bitch.”
“Yeah, I’d say it is. You okay?”
No, not really, but I’ve got to focus. “Yeah, Low. I’m good.”
“You’re lying, but we’ll talk later,” he returns, seeing right through me. “You gonna be able to keep your shit together?”
“Tell me what I need to know and I’ll answer that after.”
Low continues filling me in on the parts of the plan Aimes has authorized him to. On paper, it doesn’t sound like it’ll be difficult, but everything about this is dangerous nonetheless. The only task I’m given is to ensure every girl is in her room at go-time.
Easy enough.
When I walk in the front door of the club, the first few members I see sitting at a table in the common area are Dog, Charlie, and Iron. When Charlie catches me entering, his usually calm and collected expression shifts to concerned.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Iron says quietly while looking around the room for who or whatever he’s afraid of. “Hoss isn’t fuckin’ happy.”
This is understandable considering what happened just hours before.
“He’s in his office,” Charlie chimes in. “He’s drinkin’, and he said you’re not to be here until he’s ready to look at you again. Viktor’s MIA. No one’s seen him, not even Anna. What the fuck happened last night?”
“Hangar’s dead,” Dog puts out with a sneer. “I had to deal with the fuckin’ mess. Wick’s in his room and said he’s thinkin’ of droppin’ his cut. Not cool when one of your own gets sliced on his own turf.”
“That fucker was crazy and we all know it.” Charlie voices in my defense.
Iron is still insistent. “I’ve been here a long fuckin’ time, and I’ve never seen Hoss so fucked. I know he and Hang were tight, but Hang fucked up. We all knew that shit was comin’. You don’t fuck with Viktor, his girls, or his business.” He shakes his head. “You just don’t unless you’ve got a death wish.”
“Maybe he did,” Charlie voices, pulling his beer to his lips and keeping eye contact with the bar behind me.
I feel my cell phone vibrate in my jacket. Pulling it out, I stand when I find it’s Em calling. “I gotta take this,” I tell the table, looking at Charlie.
Charlie nods and the others continue sitting quietly.
As I step toward the bar, I answer. “What’s up, Emma? I’m busy.”
“Hoss called again. You told me to tell you if he did and he has.”
Looking around the room for Hoss himself, I wait before asking, “What’d he say this time?”
“He says Casey’s leaving Creed today.” Her calm tone indicates she’s not processed the information or she doesn’t believe what he’s saying. “Is she leaving, Max?”
“No, she’s not,” I assure her.
“He told me to come say goodbye. He even said he’d meet me at the gate if I’d come now.”
After slamming my hand on the bar top, I stand rigid. “Don’t come here, Emilyn. Don’t.”
“What if she’s leaving and you don’t know about it?”
“Do you remember what I told you last night? What happened here yesterday?” I take a collective breath and use it to lower my voice. “If you come here and something happens to you, Em…”
“I know, you’re right. But I wanted you to know he called.”
“Thank you,” I exhale an already exhaustive breath. “Stay put. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Please be careful.”
I don’t say anything else; instead, I disconnect the call and toss the phone on the bar.
Fucking Hoss.
Cilas, who I hadn’t seen coming up from behind me, moves to stand at my side. His expression is one I know in my gut I haven’t seen before. He nods to the hallway, the route I usually take when I go to find Casey.
My body goes on instant alert.
After following him down the hall and around the building, I find Anna is sitting in a wheelchair next to the door of the kitchen. Her face is a mess of cuts and bruises. Her arm is in a sling, wrapped around her shoulder, while the hand on the other clutches the chair’s arm.
She looks completely different with her small body so broken.
Upon our arrival, she instantly addresses Cilas in a soft and affectionate tone. “Leave us, Ci, please.”
Cilas’ gaze comes to mine before he nods shortly and turns around. I know he won’t go far; he wouldn’t risk leaving Anna in her state. It doesn’t matter if Hangar is dead or not. It’s known that when the tyrant of any group is removed, there’s always another one not far behind to take his place.
“Thank you for coming,” she tells me quietly as her head cranes up to meet my concerned stare. “Do you have a minute?”
Checking the time, noting I don’t have much of it to prepare for what’s coming, I do as she asks and pull out a chair from the small table, positioning it in front of her.
“You look good,” I give her an honest compliment. “Better than anyone could expect.”
“Viktor’s unhappy I’m out of bed. My legs are fine, but he’s i
nsisting I shouldn’t walk.”
“You shouldn’t even be out of bed.”
She sighs and a small smile lights up her bruised face. “There’s only so long I could stand to lie there and try to forget what happened.”
“I’m sorry, Anna.”
Shaking her head, I visibly see she’s willing the tears in her eyes not to fall. “I don’t want to discuss that.” Clearing her throat, she says, “I asked Ci to find you because I wanted to thank you.”
“You don’t owe me that.”
“I do. I owe you more than you think I do.”
“How’s that?” I ask, leaning back and bracing myself for the unexpected. It’s what being here has conditioned me to do.
“I knew about your sister,” she says, shocking me with her confession. “I knew Viktor knew all about her, as well, and how he was playing you against Hoss. Viktor hates this place; I’ll never understand why we’re still here.”
“He loved his sister,” I remind her. Seeing as how Viktor’s sister was also Hoss’ dead wife, I could understand him being around the club, if only for the close proximity to family.
“He did, which is why I don’t understand how he’d keep something so important from you about yours.”
“People have reasons to do what they do,” I counter. “And even if you did know, it’s not your place to apologize.”
Shaking her head, she winces in pain while she adjusts in her chair. “I don’t know how to say this…” She pauses, but quickly continues, “Viktor isn’t leaving Casey here with her mother when we go.”
“I knew this.” And I did all along. Viktor’s reaction to Aimes’ interest in Casey, especially after what happened to Anna, sealed it.
“He’s taking her with us when we go. I wanted you to know.”
We’re interrupted when I hear a female voice call her name from the back of the room.
Anna’s focus moves toward the door and then she reaches over to me, still in pain, and places Casey’s room key in my hand. “Callie’s here to help me today. Viktor said she’s to be my driver.” She laughs, thumping the wheel of her chair with her good hand.
Smiling warmly at Anna, appreciating her ability to find humor in her sad predicament, I lean in and whisper quietly so Callie can’t hear what I’m about to tell her. To any outsider, I’m showing her affection. To her listening, though, I’m giving specific instruction. “Do as I’m about to tell you. Don’t ask questions. Stay in your room this evening. The one near Casey’s. It’s important you do this for me, Anna.”
As I pull away, the look of sheer terror crosses Anna’s features. Her mouth stays open and she doesn’t confirm my instruction. Callie moves in closer and positions herself behind Anna, grabbing the handles of her chair.
“You ready?” Callie questions, not looking at me directly, but down to the crown of Anna’s dark head.
“I want to go to my room,” Anna replies, which signals she got my point and is acting on it immediately.
Callie’s eyebrows furrow in confusion and then her eyes finally come to mine. For the briefest moment, I’m taken back. Callie’s look is soft, sincere, and thoughtful.
“Anna,” I call to her, looking down and reaching out for her uninjured hand. When she lifts it, I hold it in mine and squeeze gently, not caring if Callie’s here to witness the exchange. “Thank you.”
She doesn’t respond further as Callie pushes her chair past me.
Chapter Thirty-Three
I’ve learned it’s easier to expect the unexpected.
Cilas stands near the door inside Casey’s room, waiting for her to finish eating her dinner. She notices the added tension around his eyes, but he’s looking at her with a calm consideration she doesn’t recall him ever having before.
What puzzles her the most is that when he showed up just a few minutes ago, he didn’t immediately turn to leave. He never stays for long, yet for some reason tonight he has.
The emotional confidence and strength she’s gained since her talk with Max regarding her Aunt Emma, has encouraged Casey to be more vocal, even in Cilas’ company. She realizes that with the power of the man he is, Cilas probably has learned to practice his patience while having her around.
“Do you want some?” she asks him, half-smiling and with a new sense of sarcasm she’s learned from Anna when she’d spoken to Cilas all those times before.
Shaking his head, he remains unmoving. His hands stay clasped together in front of him as he stays in place.
“I draw,” she tells Cilas. “Did you know that?”
Cilas nods this time. She knew the answer before asking, being that he and Anna are the ones who bring in her supplies.
“You want to see what I drew today?” she inquires, reaching over to the other side of her desk and shifting through the many pages to find the one she made specifically for him.
He doesn’t walk toward her, but rather narrows his eyes at her question.
Casey sighs quietly to herself as she stands and lifts her hand holding the picture for him to take. Surprisingly to her, he does. His eyes narrow again as he glosses over the picture of his face she drew. The scar over his eyelid and cheek is faded and his eyes are drawn to be shining. He doesn’t study it long before handing it back over to her. When he does, Casey is forced to take a step back, but not from fear.
From shock.
Cilas is smiling.
It’s not a full-on, happy grin, but it’s something she’s never seen from him regardless.
Pleased with his reaction, Casey goes back, puts the picture down, and sits at her desk to resume her meal.
Not one second after her brief internal celebration, she’s jostled in her seat by the terrifying feel and sound of an explosion somewhere not far away.
Chapter Thirty-Four
BOOM!
The blast shakes the walls of the hallway leading me to Casey. Dust particles are thick and falling from the cement building’s structure. There’s no way to know exactly in which direction it came from or what’s happening outside the walls of the building until I can get to a door or window.
Clutching Casey’s room key in my hand, I round the corner to where I hope she still is. The blast has to be a clear indication of Aimes’ arrival. A second detonation, just as powerful and loud, hits next.
Fuck.
When I reach her semi-dark hallway, I see Cilas standing outside Casey’s door with her held tightly in his arms. Her face is buried in his neck, and her limbs are wrapped around him forcefully. His expression is etched in both confusion and anger as I approach.
Out of breath, but trying to keep calm, I ask as if I don’t know what’s taking place, “What the fuck was that?”
Hearing my voice, Casey’s head lifts from his shoulder and the fear in her eyes is paralyzing.
“Max,” she whimpers, stretching her arms toward me and asking me to take her.
Once I make a move to do so, Cilas pulls her from my reach and levels me with a look so controlled and certain I know enough to step back and give him space. I don’t have time to attempt to overtake him and with his sheer power and size, I’m unsure I could anyway.
“What’s happening?” Casey asks as the ground beneath us shakes with another blast coming from what I imagine is outside.
Looking to Cilas, I raise my eyebrows in question. I’m asking him, his way, if he knows anything at all. His deadpan expression tells me he doesn’t, and his tightened grasp on Casey’s body also tells me he’s not about to give her up.
With a nod in the direction of the rooms next to Casey’s, I follow his silent instruction and scan the area for anyone who shouldn’t be in here.
It’s then I realize his concern. It’s not for me taking her away—it’s for her safety as well as the safety of the others. On this, I’m going to have to trust him.
“The others?” I ask, as I begin to pass him and make my way down the hall and toward the rooms that follow.
Cilas nods, telling me my assumption
is correct.
“I’ll go back; you take Casey out of here.”
“What’s happening?” she says louder this time, but then coughs. Looking down toward the kitchen, I see smoke starting to head this way.
“Casey, stay with Ci,” I order and as she always does, she trusts what I tell her and moves her head back to his shoulder, shielding her eyes from the dust that continues to fall from the ceiling.
“Go!” I shout to Cilas before turning around and moving away.
Trusting Cilas will do no harm to Casey, I move quickly and open the next door using the master key Anna gave me. In order to find anyone else, I don’t have a choice but to check each room as I go.
Opening door after door, I find all rooms are empty. Viktor’s girls are gone. Not one of them is in sight.
Fuck!
The walls continue to move with each blast. The lights flicker on and off, making it difficult to find my way. Good thing I’ve been down this corridor enough to recall it by memory.
Although moving quickly, in and out of each room, I hear the gunshot from the direction of the same hall where I just saw Casey disappear from. Figures and shadows of men rush back and forth through the debris. I can’t make out the faces in the dimness that’s overtaken the area. Voices are raised, but I can’t see through the chaos within the crowd.
Chapter Thirty-Five
I’ve learned it’s never too late to pray.
The second gunshot rings out, blasting an echo through the hallway so loud it instinctively forces Casey’s hands to her ears and her eyes close tightly in response. The second shot sounded so much closer than the first.
After Max left her in Cilas’ care, Casey truly began to panic. Her heart hasn’t stopped pounding in her chest, and the ringing in her ears caused from the blasts outside continues to increase. Her face is covered in dust.
