Chapter 14
Nolan
Ashley’s in the shower and I’m lying naked on the bed we just made love in three times already. I’m sated and at peace for once since being here. Thinking about joining her, but there’s a knock on the door putting a stop to that thought. Three loud raps fill the apartment. I climb off the bed and throw my jeans on. Forgoing a shirt, I stride to the door and use the peephole to see who’s on the other side. Ashton’s massive build takes up the view and I slide the chain and unlock the deadbolt, letting him and the rest of my guys in.
Marks and Ramirez come in last and their eyes widen in shock when they see my chest, but neither say a word. There is no straightforward way to tell someone what I’ve gone through, so I figure I’ll just show them. The tension is thick in here and by the expression on Ashton and Christian’s face, something major just happened.
“Problem?” I ask raising an eyebrow.
“Not at all,” Ramirez speaks first, swallowing hard.
“Nope, all good,” Marks responds, avoiding eye contact with me.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes when Ashley appears from the bedroom dressed in a pair of light blue jeans and a black hoodie. Her blonde hair is still wet and pulled up into a ponytail.
“What’s going on?” she asks, noticing the tension.
Christian paces back and forth in the small living room. He runs shaky hands through his brown hair. He passes from the small leather couch to the T.V. stand and back. His shoes squeak on the hardwood flooring.
“Both of you need to sit down for this,” Ashton responds. There’s an edge to his voice I’ve heard before and whatever he will tell us won’t be good.
I cross the living room and take a seat on the small leather couch. Christian stops pacing long enough to peek through the blinds into the city outside. I can’t hear the traffic being this high up, but the lights from the skyscrapers are filtering in, making Christian’s stress lines on his forehead deeper. Ashley sits down next to me and grabs my hand. She leans into my side and rests her head on my shoulder.
“I have something I need to show you and you have to promise not to go crazy and do something fucking stupid,” Ashton says. Marks hands him his phone and he clicks a button on it. “Do you promise not to go off the rails?”
“I’ll try not to, but I can’t promise I won’t,” I answer honestly.
“Ashley, what about you?” Ashton asks.
“Will you just spit it out,” she answers, agitated.
Ashton hands us Marks’ phone and I hit play on the video. The black screen fills with an image of Izzy tied to a chair. Her hair is snarly, her clothes are filthy, and her head is bowed down, her chin resting on her chest. The video pans away to Xavier handcuffed to a radiator. He has a cloth wrapped around his head, covering his mouth and his ice blue eyes are watching someone in the shadows. He’s pinning them with a murderous glare. I’ve seen that expression on him before and the last person who did this to them ended up dead. Xavier rattles his hands, trying to bust through the handcuffs when the mysterious figure appears from the shadows. Xavier’s breathing heavy as he watches the figure move closer to Izzy, helpless to stop him. He shouts through the cloth, fear passes in his eyes.
The screen pans out and all we can see is the figure’s back as he leans over Izzy’s unconscious form. He grips her chin and forces her head up. It rolls to the side before she comes to and fights to make him release her chin. He let's go with a maniac laugh and turns around. The video freezes on his face.
“No, no, no,” Ashley sobs against my chest. “This can’t be happening, not again.”
I have no words of comfort for her. The man staring into the camera is made of her worst nightmares and now he’ll be the star of Izzy’s too. My hand tightens around the phone as I stare at the image of the monster I thought I killed back in L.A. I should have snapped his neck when I had the chance. His brown shaggy hair hangs down into his face now, his nose is crooked and he’s missing two front teeth. The sneer on his lips lights up his eyes as he watches Izzy struggle against her ropes.
“Ash, you need to call Rush. Get him out here A.S.A.P.” I calmly inform her. I’m not calm though. I want to break something, crack heads, shed some blood. The evil is pounding against my soul, trying to break free. Closing my eyes, I channel all the strength I can to keep my head cool and figure out a way to get Izzy and Xavier.
“Will someone please tell me who that fucker is,” Christian demands. He’s still standing next to the window clenching his fists at his sides.
“Shaun Reiser, my psycho ex. He tried to kill Rush and me.” Ashley whispers from my side. She still hasn’t called Rush. I don’t think she wants to leave my side. I think she wants to stay against me, too scared to leave. This woman is one of the strongest I know, but one look at this monster has her retreating.
“Ash, call Rush, please.” I plead with her.
She snaps her honey brown eyes to mine and nods her head. She removes Marks’ phone from my grip with shaky fingers and dials his number. I can hear ringing on the other end. Ashley tightens her grip around my waist with her other arm and won’t let go. I won’t make her either. She needs someone to hang onto until she finds her way back and defeats this asshole once and for all.
The phone picks up after three rings and I can hear Rush’s gruff voice on the other end.
“Hello?” he answers.
“Rush, It’s me, Ashley. I need you out here now. Something has changed, and you need to be here.” she responds with a shaky voice.
“Tell him I’ll have the jet out there in three hours,” Ashton says pulling out his phone and sending a text.
“Nolan’s jet will be there in three hours. Be on it and get here. Tell the rest of the crew they need to stay there and keep their ears to the ground.” Ashley relays to him.
“Krimson, what’s going on?”
“Shaun,” she responds.
“Fuck!” Rush growls through the phone. “I’ll be there.”
The line disconnects, and Ashley drops the phone onto her lap. “Now what? We can’t just sit here with our thumbs up our assess and let him destroy those two.” The fire I’ve been waiting for is in her voice.
“We have a plan but with these things changing, Redline can’t go in. Shaun will recognize him immediately.” Ashton says.
“Who’s will take his place?” I ask.
Christian pushes off the window, “I am.”
I shake my head, “No, I can’t let you do that. You don’t realize what these guys are capable of, Christian, you can’t.”
“What the hell are we supposed to do then? I can’t just sit here. I can handle it, Nolan. I want to do this.”
“No, absolutely not. I can’t let you get this involved. I need to fight. I need to get back in.” Everyone talks over each other. They’re arguing back and forth.
Ashley stands up and whistles loud, making everyone shut up and swing their eyes in her direction.
“I have an idea. Shut up and listen.” She shifts to my direction. “You train Redline in the gym, teach him what he needs to know.” She gestures towards Christian. “You be his coach in the ring. If Reiser asks, Redline was sick of us. He wanted out and is looking for revenge against Nolan and me. Reiser will believe it. The last thing he knew was that Redline was feeling like an outcast and we play off that. Rush, Ashton, Marks, Ramirez, and I will set up surveillance and keep an eye on Izzy and Xavier. Follow Switch and Wrath around the city. See where they’re set up at and if we find a way in before Redline has to fight, we’ll do it.”
“That might work,” Ashton says, deep in thought. “Let’s get started.”
My stomach growls loudly, breaking the tension in the room. “I need to eat first. We were going to grab something before you came.” I stand up from the couch and hear a loud gasp behind me. I turn around and Marks’ expression is horrific.
Ashley narrows her eyes and stalks over to him. She’s standing toe to toe with him an
d the look she gives him would make any grown man grovel. “He’s still your boss. Remember that. If I ever see or hear you talk about his scars, I will end you and you won’t know it happened.” Her chest is heaving up and down. She’s pissed, and it turns me on.
I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. “Come with me,” I whisper in her ear and pull her away from Marks. He’s still speechless, his mouth is hanging open and his eyes are so wide they might bug out of his head. Ramirez keeps his mouth shut and his face passive.
We walk into the bedroom and I close the door behind me. My lips are upon hers before she apologizes. I don’t want apologies or sympathies. I want her lips on mine and to swallow her moans. She parts her lips and I plunge my tongue into her hot, wet mouth. She moans against my assault and tightens her grip around my neck. I yank her soft curves against my body, picking her up. I need to be buried inside of her again. A want like no other consumes me as I swallow her moans and groans. Ashley wraps her legs around my waist, grinding her jean covered pussy against my throbbing shaft. I squeeze her ass and pull her down onto me with force. A whimper escapes from the back of her throat. Walking to the bed, I break the scorching hot kiss and gently toss her down. I unzip and peel her jeans down her slender legs.
Knowing we’re pressed for time, I skip the foreplay and unbutton and unzip my jeans, dropping them to the bedroom floor with my boxers. I climb up onto the bed and lift her hoodie up so her breasts are staring me in the face. Gently biting and licking one bra-covered nipple and massaging the other, Ashley grabs the back of my head and pulls me up to her lips. She spreads her legs apart and I nestle between them, the tip of my dick teasing her pussy.
“Don’t make me wait, Nolan,” she growls while nibbling the outer edge of my ear.
I grasp my shaft and run it up and down her wet heat, coating it with her juices while teasing her clit. Moans and groans fill the room and I plunge inside her tight pussy, her muscles contracting around my dick. My breath escapes me when she locks her ankles together, driving me deeper into her and starts moving her hips up and down, matching me thrust for thrust.
“Fuck,” I groan against Ashley’s lips.
Staring into Ashley’s eyes, I continue my punishing pace, driving in and out of her until she’s a whimpering mess underneath me. A moan rips from her throat and her nails dig into my back, bringing pain with pleasure, driving me further into her tight pussy. It contracts around my dick and she’s lost in her own orgasm. Fire burns down my spine and into my balls as I pound away into my release, draining every last drop into her hot pussy.
“Holy shit,” Ashley pants. “Talk about hot sex. I figured it would take me a while after the last three times.”
I arch an eyebrow at her, “Are you doubting my skills in the bedroom?” She giggles against my lips and gives me a slow lingering kiss. I break apart from her lips and pull out of her wet heat, missing it wrapped around me. “We have work to do.”
“Hmm… I don’t think I can right now, go ahead without me.” She stretches her arms above the bed and arches her body.
“No way, woman. Get your fine ass up and feed me.” I answer, pulling her up from the bed. She throws a smirk in my direction and saunters off to the bathroom.
I grab my boxers and jeans and put them back on along with a black t-shirt, hoodie and baseball hat. Sitting on the bed, I put on my socks and boots. Emotions clog my throat, everything is catching up to me. My best friend kidnapped and being tortured, the look of fear on Izzy’s face in the video, Switch threatening my family. Wrath taunting me in my sleep, which Ashley has no idea about, the little boy from the street. It’s all overwhelming me and tears burn the back of my eyes. I fight them back and clear my throat. Taking a deep breath, I keep everything tucked deep down and open the bedroom door. Redline is standing at the window, his tanned skin and lip ring glowing against the skyline peeking through the blinds. Ashton’s massive body is sitting on a bar stool at the island between the kitchen and living room. He’s texting someone on his phone. Marks and Christian are missing.
“Where’s Christian?” I ask Ashton.
He looks up from his phone with a scowl on his face. “He took Ramirez and Marks to go see Mia.” There’s an edge to his tone.
“What’s up?” I ask, taking a seat on the other bar stool.
Ashton grunts then replies, “Christian, he thinks he can do this, be this involved and not be affected by the outcome. He doesn’t know what he’s signing up for. I’d rather have him away from here and stay on the good side of things, not be involved at all.”
“Then let’s keep him in the dark about most of this and get Redline trained to fight. We can adjust our plans. Instead of Christian being in The Circle with him, you do it. Switch shouldn’t know what you look like. We’ll keep him on surveillance with Ashley. She’ll keep him in line from doing anything stupid.” Ashley comes out of the bedroom and walks over to me. She rests her palm on the massive scar under my t-shirt, caressing the marking gently with her fingertips.
“That’s a clever idea. With Christian being a cop, he can’t toe the line. If he does what we have to do, he’ll lose his job.” Ashton agrees. My stomach growls again and Ashley laughs.
“Come on big boy, let’s get you fed.” She walks over to Redline who’s still standing at the window, their voices are hushed and he nods his head. They walk towards the door and I narrow my eyes at him. Ashley might trust him, but I don’t know if I do yet. He really fucked up in L.A. She says they’re back on track of where they should be, but I find it hard to believe he doesn’t think he’s in love with her. Something or someone made him think that and it’s my job to figure out who and why.
“Are you coming or what?” Ashley asks raising an eyebrow. I saunter over to her and wrap my arm around her shoulder. She shudders from my touch as my nose skims the outer edge of her ear.
“I already did several times and so did you,” I wiggle my eyebrows.
“You’re incorrigible,” she responds and swats my stomach, making me lose my breath.
“OK, OK, you don’t need to get violent.” I tease. Ashton pushes past us with a grunt, opens the door and leaves the apartment first, scanning the hallways left and right before we appear.
Once we’re down onto the dark street, all playfulness escapes and seriousness settles in. I scan each sidewalk, car, and person passing by us. My grip around Ashley’s shoulder tightens and I pull her closer to me. All these people surrounding us are making me paranoid. I can sense the darkness trying to take over and I channel my strength to hold it off. Instead of heading towards the brownstone looming to the right of us, we walk across the street in the opposite direction. My stomach drops when thoughts of what Izzy and Xavier are going through overwhelms me again.
“They’re going to be OK Nolan, I just know it,” Ashley reassures me. “Where do you want to eat?”
“I know this great mom and pop pizza shop down towards Times Square. We need to jump on the trains to get there.” I answer, grateful for the distraction.
Ashley tightens her arm around my waist, “Tell me something about living here. The best part of the City.”
We push through the throngs of people staying close to each other. Ashton is in the front, clearing a path for us while Redline is behind us. We still haven’t heard from Christian, Marks or Ramirez yet, but if anything was wrong, they’d let us know. It’s better for Christian this way. Ashton’s right, he’s not cut out for this. He’s the straight-laced cop who toes the line when needed, but this won’t be towing the line, this will cross it into the black abyss. I don’t know if I’ll come out unmarked and I know damn well he won’t either.
“The best part about living here is the distinct cultures,” I answer Ashley. “Anywhere you go, you can find several types of people. It was my favorite thing to do when I needed to escape the reality of my world. I’d sit for hours in Times Square and just watch. I’d create different scenarios in my head on what they’re thinking and d
oing.”
We walk down the dark entrance to the subway station. I hold on to her even tighter when we come out of the dimly light tunnel onto the platform. Learning your way around these trains takes a lot of time, but I’ve done this so many times, I can manage it in my sleep.
We’re standing on the platform and a sharp breeze blows through the tunnels. There’s a train coming in and the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. There’s someone following us. I whip my head around, looking for the threat. I know it’s there. Scanning each person waiting alongside us, no one appears to be out of place. Most of them have their earbuds in and are scrolling through their phones. Others are clutching their bags tight to their bodies, hanging on for life. They know what happens at night, the dangers lurking around the corner.
“Nolan, what’s wrong?” Ashley asks. Her body is tense under my arm and she’s scanning the area too. Ashton has his hand resting on his side piece tucked under his shirt. He feels it too. The sense of something dangerous heading our way.
“I’m not sure,” I answer. I know someone is here, watching and waiting, but where the fuck are they? It’s really starting to piss me off. Redline is standing to the left of us on the dirty platform and Ashton is to the right. They’re both scanning the surrounding area, getting the same feeling I am.
A tingling sensation floats over the back of my neck, creating chills to wrack my body, Tiny icicles drift down my spine. I swat at the back of my neck and shake my head. Turning around slowly, something catches my eye in the dark shadows behind us.
A light giggle whispers in my ear and I whip my head around again. No one is around us, no one is here making those noises.
“What the actual fuck?” I whisper.
The train’s headlight is blinding me as it turns the bend and comes barreling into the station. Everything happens in slow motion but I’m powerless to stop it. Tiny hands shove me hard from behind. Ashley’s grip around my waist loosens and I’m plummeting head first towards the tracks with thousands of volts of electricity thrumming through it. I can’t stop myself from my head dive and I close my eyes, reflecting on everything in my past. Good, bad and ugly. The last image running through my head is Ashley’s beautiful face, honey eyes, and blonde hair. I wish I had more time, more everything with her.
Savage Chaos Page 9
