“Thank you, Lisa,” I said. “You have no idea how much this means. Thank you for letting us use this warehouse.”
Lisa nodded.
I looked at the crowd of people again, and a sense of pride swelled within me. I had never seen so many people stand together. This wasn’t even for a common cause, but for a person. I had never seen unity and loyalty on this scale, and the lump rose in my throat.
Now that I saw everyone Logan had called in, I realized that no matter what happened, we were bound to win. For the first time since the nasty business with Maxwell had started, I saw a light at the end of a very dark tunnel.
Logan called everyone to attention and thanked them for being there. Before he started with anything, he called a moment of silence to pay respects to Emmerson who had given his life in an attempt to stop Maxwell from killing more artists. A great swell of sadness threatened to swallow me.
So much had gone wrong since Maxwell had started terrorizing the streets. I was heartbroken for the people who had already lost their lives. It was so important we stop Maxwell before they were any more casualties.
After the moment of silence, Logan explained what had happened to Amy again, even though he had done it over the phone.
“We are all here to stand together to get Amy back, and I have devised a plan,” Logan said.
Everyone listened to Logan with respect. It was amazing to see how much authority he commanded. Logan and I hadn’t been together for very long, and I had never seen him in action as the president of an MC gang, or the leader of the movement. I had to admit it was wildly attractive to see him like this. There was something about a man who had the capacity to take the lead that got me every time.
Logan explained the plan and the people who had come here to support us offered input.
The plan was to put on an art show. We were going to go through the motions – getting artists to bring their work and to announce it to the public as an exhibition that was not to be missed. Maxwell was crazy, eager to eliminate all other art in the city for the sake of his own to be noticed. We were sure that if we organized an art show, he wouldn’t be able to stay away.
To make the show more attractive to him than it already was, we decided we would announce who Emerald and Rabbit were. I hadn’t done any work under my pseudonym after the first artist was killed weeks ago; it felt like Emerald had died. Still, Logan was sure it would lure Maxwell out of the shadows.
We talked together for a long time, trying to think of every angle that Maxwell might take, trying to find every fault and every loophole he might try to exploit. We listened as our friends made suggestions, and we worked around the possible mistakes. The plan was airtight and foolproof.
I was terrified for Amy’s sake. I had no idea what Maxwell was doing to her. I could only hope she was still alright. Amy was only thirteen, and no teenager deserved to go through something as horrific as a kidnapping. Even before Maxwell had taken her, Amy had been through too much. She deserved an innocent, carefree life.
There was always the chance that Maxwell wouldn’t come to the show, that we were putting the whole thing on in vain. Logan was sure that Maxwell’s pride and ego wouldn’t hold out, that he wouldn’t be able to stay away. There were so many things that could go wrong, and I was terrified that we would walk away at the end of this only to have lost more people.
Still, I had to have hope that it would work. So many people had come to support us, to fight with us. It had to count for something, and Logan, as well as everyone else who had made it, deserved my hope and trust.
After the meeting, I stood in a corner and watched the group of people. It was clear to see that they didn’t necessarily get along in real life. As soon as Logan’s speech was over and the plan had been made, they broke off into their respective groups. The MC members, the businessmen, the civilians – no one mingled with each other. They had all come here to support Logan, and they were willing to accept each other for the cause but other than that, they ignore each other.
“How are you feeling?” Logan asked, coming to me.
“Nervous,” I admitted. “Hopeful.”
Logan nodded. “I know this is hard, but I trust that it will work out. Look at how many of them came to support us. Look at how many care.”
“I have to say I’m impressed. I was surprised to see how many people were willing to risk their lives for this. How many were willing to come out and support you.”
“I never wish for something terrible to happen, but when it does, it’s when I see how many people are willing to stand by my side. Sometimes it is necessary to understand who we are and where we belong in the bigger picture.”
I understood what Logan was saying, but I had never seen something like this. It made me proud to be a part of this life, made me feel like being with Logan was the right thing. No matter who he was and how he handled things, no matter that the law didn’t necessarily agree with him, Logan and his people followed a set of rules, code of honor that was more impressive and more stable than anything official I had ever seen.
Seeing how they stood together, understanding the strength of their loyalty, I was willing to believe we would get out of this, unharmed and happy on the other side.
There was no way so many people could lose.
Chapter Thirty-Four
After we left the warehouse, it was time to put the plan into motion. Lisa announced the show, going through her normal channels to get the word out. It would only take a few hours before everyone knew the show was going to take place. I had no doubt Maxwell would get wind of the show, too. I was nervous he wouldn’t respond, but Logan kept reassuring me that Maxwell didn’t have what it took to stay away.
“The thirsty man is prone to drowning,” Logan said to me.
I understood what he was trying to say. Maxwell was so fanatical about his cause that he was going to trip up at some point. I hoped that this was where he made a mistake and that he didn’t pull one over on us the way he had when we’d gone to confront him at his apartment. I wasn’t ready for someone else to die. I didn’t even want to think how it could be Amy.
I stood in front of the mirror, turning from side to side. I had dressed up for the show as if it was a real exhibition. We had to sell it off as real if we wanted to catch Maxwell. I wasn’t used to my new body, my growing belly. I didn’t feel elegant, as I usually did. I had put on a black dress with an empire waist that covered enough that I could hardly see my baby bump.
Still, I felt uncomfortable.
“You look fantastic,” Logan said from the door.
I looked at him and smiled nervously. “I have no idea what to expect, and I don’t feel like myself.”
Logan walked to me and put his hands on my belly. Since I had started to show, Logan often touched me, showing love for the baby. I would never have been able to guess that someone as tough and hard as Logan would be as loving and affectionate as he was toward me now that I was pregnant.
“Are you ready to go?”
I wasn’t ready at all. I was so nervous that I could barely breathe. But we had to do this, and I was going to be there, no matter what. Amy had come to mean a lot to me in a very short while, and I wasn’t going to abandon her by hiding. So, I nodded and took Logan’s outstretched hand.
We arrived at the gallery and walked in. The warehouse had been set up with paintings and sculptures from artists all over L.A. It was an “official” exhibition, and it was beautiful. People milled about, reviewing the arts for all intents and purposes. It looked completely real.
“What do we do now?” I asked Logan.
“We wait. Maxwell will show himself in due time.”
Lisa and Alice walked up to me.
“You did a fantastic job,” I said to Lisa. “If this doesn’t call him out and convince him that it’s real, I don’t know what will. The place looks amazing.”
“I would do absolutely anything for you and your new family,” Lisa said.
When
she said that, I realized that everyone here was doing this for me, too. They weren’t only loyal to Logan, but they were loyal to his family and that included me now. I was suddenly emotional, overwhelmed by the feeling of belonging. Until now, I had felt like Logan and I were making it work for the sake of the baby.
It was as if everything had suddenly fallen into place and I realized I was part of something bigger. This wasn’t just for the sake of doing something right but for the sake of belonging.
“Lisa let me exhibit some of my own pieces here,” Alice said with a smile. “I know it’s not an official exhibition, but there are people here to view things, and I feel like I am getting some exposure.”
“I’m glad,” I said. “I know this has been difficult for you and I can’t tell you how happy I am you are here for me.”
Alice reached out and squeezed my hand. “Always.”
I opened my mouth to say something else, but a crash from the back of the gallery brought me up short. I glanced at Logan who had been speaking to someone a few feet away.
We were frozen in time for only a second before everyone ran toward the sound.
Chapter Thirty-Five
A crowd had gathered around whatever had caused the sound, and Logan and I had to push through the throng to see what had happened. I froze when we got to the front and saw what was happening.
Maxwell stood at the foot of a giant statue with Amy. All around them, art and broken bits of ceramic lay scattered on the ground. I didn’t know what he had done, but a lot of the art had been ruined around him.
My eyes were glued to Maxwell. I didn’t care about the art he had ruined; I cared about Amy. Maxwell had her pressed to the front of his body, one hand on her shoulder, and a gun pressed to her head. Her eyes were wide, fear on her face. She had a bruise on her cheek but other than that she looked unharmed.
Logan bristled next to me, and I felt his anger. If it weren’t for the gun, I had no doubt he would already have been on top of Maxwell, beating the shit out of the man for hurting his daughter.
“Everybody stays back, or the girl dies,” Maxwell shouted, and Amy whimpered.
She still wore the same clothes she’d had on when she’d been taken, her hair was in a messy ponytail that she must have slept on, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her arms were limp at her sides, her hands trembling.
“Get down,” Maxwell said, pushing Amy onto her knees and she whimpered again, doing as he commanded.
It looked a hell of a lot like an execution position, and I looked at Logan, trying to figure out what the hell we were going to do before he took her out in front of us. Maxwell would want to make a statement. We hadn’t considered that he might shoot Amy in front of us. How had we missed it? We had covered everything else.
Logan moved a little closer toward me. “Don’t worry,” he said under his breath. “I have a plan.”
I hoped to God he did, and that it was a plan that would work. I was terrified something would go wrong, that we would end up losing Amy after everything we had done. So many people had come together to help us. We couldn’t lose Amy now. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to her. She had been on my watch when she had been taken. It was because of me mentoring her that she was in this position in the first place, and we needed to get her back. I was scared it was all my fault.
“Stay back!” Maxwell shouted again.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. My voice sounded whiny like I was going cry. It wasn’t far from the truth.
Maxwell laughed condescendingly as if I had asked a stupid question. “Art is an expression. It’s about defining yourself, showing who you really are. I didn’t get that chance when all of you…” He waved his gun at the crowd, and they bounced back. “… didn’t give me a chance to express myself.”
He was referring to his art that no one wanted to sell. He was being dramatic, but he had the gun and a hostage. He could be as dramatic as he wanted and there was nothing we could say about it.
“Well, imagine what expression I would make if I killed her right here, right now. It would be the show of the year, the one exhibition we just can’t miss.”
Maxwell laughed, a high-pitched keening laugh that made my blood curdle.
Everyone shuffled around, uncomfortable, terrified.
Amy’s face had paled, and she had closed her eyes.
“Wait,” I said, my voice sounding far too loud.
Maxwell frowned and looked at me. “What do you want?” he asked, sounding as if I always interrupted and he was getting sick of me interfering.
“You don’t have to kill to be noticed. I’m sure your pieces will sell if they’re advertised and exhibited the right way.”
“Don’t you pay attention? I’ve tried that.”
“Not with the right people. Let me introduce you to my agent, Lisa.”
I pointed at Lisa who shrunk back. She gave me a look of horror as I walked to her.
“Why are you dragging me into this?” Lisa asked under her breath when I reached her.
“Just play along,” I said.
I slid my eyes to the side and back. Lisa glanced to the side as well and saw what I was seeing. Logan had managed to slip away from the crowd while I was keeping Maxwell busy. He moved to the outside, and I knew his plan was to head around the back and surprise Maxwell from behind. I just had to keep the madman engaged, to keep him talking.
“Lisa is one of the best agents this town has ever seen.”
Lisa nodded. “I can sell your art pieces easily. I bet they’re very good.”
“They are,” I agreed. “I’ve seen them. I’m sure you’ll realize what a talent Maxwell is.”
Maxwell hesitated. We were stroking his ego, and it was putting his plans of a public execution on hold.
“So, she’s the agent I need for my pieces to sell?” Maxwell asked.
I nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I started doing art a while ago, and I’m really not as good as I seem. I’m definitely not as good as you. Lisa is the one who took my art and my popularity to a new level. I’m sure she can do that for you, too.”
Lisa nodded vigorously. She was scared, and it showed. But she was going with me on this, and I was grateful. She could very well have blown my cover. I watched in my peripherals as Logan crept around the crowd. He needed more time; I needed to say more.
“When I was young, I didn’t fit in. Everyone thought I was a freak and the only way I could express myself in a way that someone would understand was through my art.”
I was baring my own history to Maxwell, but there was a flicker on his face, and he seemed to relate. If telling someone about my ridiculous history would keep Amy alive, I would keep talking. The poor child looked like she had given up on life. Her eyes were open again and trained on me, but they were drained of hope.
It was horrible that the thirteen-year-old had resigned herself to die. I wished I could show her that her father was doing something to save her. But if I did anything to draw her attention to Logan, I would draw Maxwell’s attention to him, too. The only way this was going to work was if Maxwell had no idea what was going on.
So, I kept talking about myself like an idiot. For Amy, I would do anything.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Logan
I had a plan to save Amy. It wasn’t the world’s best plan, but it was all I had. When Hazel and I had put the plan together to lure Maxwell out and save Amy, we had gone through every single thing that could have gone wrong. Every single thing except Maxwell trying to publicly kill Amy.
Somehow, I hadn’t thought that he would go to those lengths. I should have known different – this was the man who had stabbed Emmerson, violently beaten many artists and committed a series of other heinous crimes. I felt like a complete idiot for not seeing through him, for not knowing what was coming.
I had come up with the new plan to save Amy, and Hazel had caught on without me needing to explain it to her.
I was grateful she was as sharp as she was and that we were a team now. It was in difficult times like this that I realized how lucky I was to have a woman like her.
Right now, Hazel was keeping Maxwell busy. I didn’t know where she was finding all the topics to talk about, but she seemed to be able to keep Maxwell interested. It was all I needed. While Maxwell’s attention was on Hazel, I crept along the side of the building. I made sure the crowd stayed between Maxwell and me so I wouldn’t be seen, but I could still see him. If he made any kind of move to harm Amy, I would abandon my plan and charge to the rescue.
So far, everything was working well. Hazel was talking, Maxwell was listening, and I was able to get to the back. I was in full protection mode. No matter what happened now, I had to get Amy back alive and unharmed. When I had seen the bruise on her cheek, an indication that Maxwell had hurt my daughter, I had nearly lost my shit right there. I couldn’t stand violence towards women, much less violence toward my own daughter. This had to end here and now – I knew I was taking a risk, but my men had my back, and if anything happened to Amy, all this would mean nothing.
Reaper’s Property_Valley Reapers MC Page 15
