His amped up voice trails off as his eyes alight on a slight bulge at my hip. Bruno shoves me roughly to the ground, staring at me, horrified, as the color drains from his face. He snaps out of his paralysis long enough to rip the hem of my shirt out of my jeans, revealing the small, boxy device that’s been concealed beneath my clothing. I allow a wry smile to play across my lips as Bruno’s eyes follow the thin black wire that snakes along my torso.
“You’re...you’re miked...” he breathes, his voice a hollow monotone.
“That would seem to be the case, yes,” I reply, pushing myself up from the gravelly ground, “You must be pretty fucking far gone not to check me for a wire before confessing to your crime. Sorry, crimes.”
“How did you—?” he splutters, backing away from me with wide eyes, “Are you—? What is—?”
“You didn’t leave me much of a choice, Bruno,” I say, brushing the dirt off my hands. “I had to get a little creative. I’ve got your whole spiel is recorded right here. Think Mitchell will throw me a parade when I hand it over?”
“Now...wait just a minute, Quinn,” Bruno says, holding up his hands to me. “Let’s talk about this.”
“Oh, so now it’s Quinn?” I shoot back, crossing my arms. “No more ‘little girl’ now that you need something from me?”
“You said you wanted a cut of my action. Fine,” he says hurriedly, “I’ll give you ten percent of what I bring in.”
“And who’s this cash coming from, huh?” I demand, “How do I know your funds aren’t going to dry up?”
“They’re not. Trust me,” Bruno goes on, “the pockets I’m picking here are plenty deep.”
“I need to know whose pockets we’re talking about,” I insist, “Or else no deal.”
“Fine,” Bruno spits, losing patience, “it’s the Lorenzo Family.”
I feel my jaw fall open as I take in Bruno’s information. “The Lorenzo Family...is paying you off? But why?”
“Bad blood between them and the MC’s. What the fuck do I care?” Bruno laughs shortly, “As long as the bad guys get put away and I make some extra scratch off it—”
“You’re working for the bad guys,” I shout, losing my cool. “The Lorenzo’s are the most dangerous crime family in Nevada. They’re a gang, for Christ’s sake. They’re not just the bad guys, they’re the worst guys.”
“Bad is in the eye of the beholder,” Bruno sniffs. “So. You get ten percent of what the Lorenzo’s are paying me to take down these MC’s, we destroy that little tape of yours and keep on working together. As partners. What do you say?”
I fix my eyes on Jeff Bruno’s red face. He looks desperate. Spent. Scared out of his mind. And we’re only just getting started. As I part my lips to speak, a faint siren begins to wail across the deserted hilltop, underscored by that most comforting of sounds—a pack of motorcycles, roaring toward us.
“I say...no dice,” I whisper, watching as a cloud of dust rises up above the road in the distance, “Sorry, Bruno.”
The brutish agent freezes, his every muscle tensing as he picks up the sound of the approaching vehicles.
“Wait...you...” he stammers.
“Called in the cavalry,” I say. “Had to, Bruno. Who knows what you’re capable of?”
“But I thought...we were going to make a deal? Be partners?” he says, staring at me dumbly as the engines roar ever closer.
“That ship kinda sailed when you threatened my life the first time,” I tell him. “That tipped me off, to begin with. I knew you must have been real deep in some serious shit if you were ready to off another agent. Looks like I had it right. But you were correct about one thing—there was no way the FBI was going to take my word over yours, just like that. So, I had to give them your word. They’ve been listening in to our little heart-to-heart. And they’re not the only ones, either.”
Bruno whips around just in time to see a pack of Harley’s appear on the horizon. The agent spins away from them in horror, but stops short when he spots a fleet of cop cars and FBI vans closing in from the other direction.
“You’re surrounded, Bruno,” I tell him, “it’s over.”
“No,” he growls, through gritted teeth, “No...No...No—”
“What’s the matter?” I ask, cocking my head. “Afraid the Lorenzo family won’t stand by their man? I hope for your sake they don’t have any members in prison. I’ve heard that people get shanked in there all the time. And I’m pretty sure that’s where you’re headed my friend.”
“Look who’s found her tongue all of a sudden.” Bruno says, slowly turning to face me. The unhinged look in his eye sends a shiver of fear through my body. “You think you’re tough shit now, don’t you, Collins? Took down big bad Bruno all by yourself?”
“Stay back,” I snap, as the hulking man takes a staggering step toward me. “Don’t do anything crazy, Bruno.”
“Oh, but I already have, haven’t I?” he replies, his eyes bugging out hysterically, “The way I see it, I’ve got nothing left to lose...”
“Don’t touch me,” I warn him, as I back up against the sun-warmed side of my Mustang. “Don’t you dare, or—”
“What?” Bruno laughs, spreading his arms to the encroaching bikes and cages, “What more could you possibly do to me, girl? Not much. But I can still do plenty of harm to that pretty little face of yours.”
“Stop—” I cry, as Bruno whips out his FBI-issued handgun.
“Why?” he asks, teeth bared in a terrifying smile, “You gonna tell on me? Too late. Besides, last time I checked, dead girls can’t talk—”
He raises the gun level with my head just as the swarm of Harley’s and cop cars screech to a halt, closing us in. I shield my eyes from the billowing cloud of dust that rises up in their wake. Before I can locate Bruno again through the haze, I feel two beefy arms seize me, and the cool, distinct feel of a gun pressed against my temple.
“Bruno, let go of me,” I scream, “Think about what you’re doing—”
“Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing,” he says, pulling me tightly against him. “If I go down, we both go down, sweetie.”
“Drop the weapon, Bruno!” I hear Agent Mitchell roar over one of the van’s PA systems, “Don’t do anything stupid.”
As the dust begins to clear, I blink out at the ring of bikes and cars surrounding Bruno and I. The FBI and local cops are lined up along one side, the Wraiths and the Nine along the other. And there, right at the head of the MC pack, is Brooks. His face is fixed in a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.
“Get your hands off of her,” Brooks growls, his voice low and deadly.
“Or what?” Bruno laughs, inhibition entirely fled, “I’m already getting locked up. Fuck it.”
“We’re only taking you in for battery and accepting bribes right now, Agent,” Mitchell says, appearing beside Brooks. “You don’t really want us to have you for murder too, do you?”
“Doesn’t make a difference,” Bruno says, “Either way, I’m dead the second I set foot in prison. The Lorenzos have all kinds of maniacs on the inside, just waiting to kill themselves a rat. Why not at least get thrown into prison for something good?”
“Agent Collins was only doing her job, Bruno,” Mitchell goes on.
“Why are you trying to reason with him?” Brooks growls. “He’s out of his fucking mind. Can’t you see that?”
“And what are you gonna do about it?” Bruno shouts at Brooks. “Last time I checked, I was the one with the gun.”
For the briefest, most fleeting of moments, Brooks lets his green eyes flick toward mine. Time slows to a crawl as we lock gazes. In that tiny slice of time, his anguish hits me like a wrecking ball. I can’t let myself get killed here. I can’t leave Brooks alone. Adrenaline courses thickly through my veins, steering me straight from terror to purpose.
Keep talking, I mouth to Brooks. Baffled but game, he gives me the smallest of nods.
“You’re right,” Brooks says to Bruno, forcing the ire from his
voice, “You’ve got the gun. You’re the boss.”
“Fucking right I am,” Bruno roars, pressing the piece more firmly against my skull.
“Do you have demands?” Brooks presses, holding up a firm hand to keep Agent Mitchell from protesting.
“Demands?” Bruno blinks, the wheels of his brain spinning. “Yeah...Sure. Demands. I’ve got some.”
“Well...What are they?” Mitchell asks, blindly following Brooks’ lead.
“Lay them out for us,” Brooks urges.
“I...I’m, uh...” Bruno stammers. The strain of thinking through his trigger-happy haze is getting to him.
“Come on, anything you want,” Brooks pushes. “Anything at all in the whole world. Anything that will keep you from hurting the woman I love.”
The “L” word does it. Bruno’s shock at hearing a badass biker sling “love” loosens his hold on me, just the tiniest bit. I gather every ounce of strength in my slight body, reverting back to my days of self-defense training at Quantico. I was the best in my class back then. We’ll see if that pays off now.
I grab hold of Bruno’s wrist and twist hard, hearing the joint crunch as his gun goes flying. An agonized yowl rips out of his throat as I cock my elbow and send it barreling into his sizable gut. I seize the bulky agent by the shoulders, draw back my knee, and slam it into his crotch. His voice cuts out in a ragged gargle as he topples onto the ground before me.
“That,” I gasp, staring down at the fallen giant, “is for Belle, you maniacal prick.”
At once, the swarm of law enforcement officers descend upon Jeff Bruno, cuffing and hauling him away to an armored van. He’s too stunned to form words, but the look he shoots me is one of pure hatred. But I can’t give too much of a shit, where Bruno’s hurt feelings are concerned. Steadying myself against my beloved Mustang, I turn back to Brooks.
In a heartbeat, he’s closed the space between us and scooped me up in his arms. The adrenaline that’s been pumping through me drains out at once. I feel myself begin to tremble uncontrollably, going loose and limp in Brooks arms. He hugs me tightly against his body, the musky smell of his leather cut filling my senses. I blink back tears of joyful relief as Brooks rains kisses down on every inch of me he can reach.
“I thought I was going to lose you,” he breathes, lifting my face to his.
“Lose me?” I say softly, finally finding my footing again, “Not a chance, Brooks.”
I bring my lips fiercely to his, throwing my arms around his shoulders. The taste of him—sweeter than ambrosia, smoother than the finest whiskey—revitalizes me. I feel more alive than ever before, just moments after being a hair’s breadth away from death.
Go figure.
“You really must love me, to say so in front of all these fine gentlemen,” I laugh, nodding toward the bikers and cops behind us.
“I guess I really must,” Brooks smiles down at me, his scruffy face breaking into a radiant smile.
I peer over his shoulder at the unlikely scene playing out behind us. Mitchell and Declan are standing toe-to-toe, with their respective armies behind them. As Brooks and I look on, they extend their hands toward each other and shake. Now I’ve officially seen everything.
“Agent Collins, are you OK?” Mitchell calls, beckoning me over.
“I’m fine,” I tell him, striding across the hillside with Brooks next to me. “All in a day’s work, right boss?”
“What you did was incredibly brave,” Mitchell says, shaking his head. “You should be proud of yourself, Collins. Very proud.”
“I know I am,” Brooks says, slipping his arm around my waist.
Mitchell opens his mouth to speak, but lets out a surprised yelp instead as two lithe bodies knock him aside on their way toward me. Brooks steps back as Kassie and Kelly wrap me up in their arms, appearing from out of nowhere.
“You guys!” I exclaim, looking wildly between them, “What are you doing here?!”
“We were hiding behind the guys,” Kassie gasps.
“What, you think we were gonna let them go without us?” Kelly scoffs. “Not on your life. Well...almost on your life, I guess.”
“You guys are insane,” I laugh, throwing my arms around them.
“Takes one to know one, sister,” Kelly winks.
“Take your time, Collins,” Mitchell tells me, “I think you’ve earned a few tearful hellos. I’m going to need you back at the field office ASAP, though. We need to get to the Lorenzo’s before they know what’s coming.”
“Think you can finally take them down now?” Declan asks, coming forward to stand beside Kassie.
“Maybe,” Mitchell nods, “as good a chance as any, at least.”
“And all we had to do was get infiltrated by a mole first,” Leo says, cocking an eyebrow at me.
I swallow hard, looking around at the assembled brothers. This whole time, I’ve been hoping that saving the clubs from Bruno would be enough to absolve me in their eyes. But what if they’re still angry with me?
“I’m sorry everyone,” I say, taking Brooks’ hand in mine, “I know you must be furious. But I assure you—”
“Furious? We never had anything to hide.” Declan says, stealing a glance at Leo. “Not to mention, you just delivered the Lorenzo family to the FBI on a silver platter. We should be throwing you a fucking party.”
“There’s a thought!” Kelly says excitedly.
“I’ll see you back at the office,” Mitchell says, shaking his head. “Your methods may be unconventional, but damn if you don’t get results, Agent Collins.”
I wrap my arm around Brooks’ waist as the law enforcement officers disperse, leaving me alone the Wraiths and Nine once more. We wait until the last cop car has disappeared over the hill before erupting into celebratory cheers. We’ve shaken off Bruno and the Lorenzo Family, at long last. Well, at least for now. But as exciting as this moment is, I can’t help but be a little nervous as the club presidents and VPs look me over.
“At some point,” Mac says, crossing his arms, “we’re going to have to talk about this whole undercover FBI agent business.”
“Is that some point...right now?” I ask, tightening my grip on Brooks.
“Are you kidding?” laughs John Baxter. “Right now, we need to book it back to the Forty Five Club and buy you a celebratory drink.”
“It’s not like we’re unused to secrets, around here,” Kelly says, looking pointedly at Leo.
“That’s for fucking sure,” he laughs.
“Come on,” Declan says, tugging Kassie playfully toward his bike, “let’s go.”
One by one, the members of the Devil’s Wraiths and Dante’s Nine hop back on their Harley’s and take off. Only Brooks and I linger behind, taking our sweet time.
“Let’s make a deal that this whole getting-a-gun-pointed-at-you thing doesn’t become a habit, all right Red?” Brooks says, handing my helmet.
“I’m afraid I can’t make any promises,” I laugh, securing the half-shell over my hair.
“When he had you there...Babe, I haven’t been scared like that since I was a kid,” Brooks admits, “I can’t let anything like that happen to you again. I don’t think I could take it.”
“And what about you?” I ask, circling my arms around his waist. “You gonna promise to stay out of trouble, too?”
“Come on,” Brooks laughs, “you see what my world is like. You know I can’t make a promise like that.”
“Then we seem to be at a bit of an impasse,” I smile. “We live dangerously, Brooks. There’s no way either of us can promise to stay safe. We’re wired to take risks. The best we can promise is to try our hardest to keep one step ahead of the game. To make it through.”
“For each other,” Brooks grins, pulling me tightly against him. “I think I can live with a promise like that. Just as long as I’m still allowed to beat down any motherfucker that tries to mess with you.”
“You do you, babe,” I laugh reaching up to run my fingers through his tumbling curls
, “But right now, could you just do me a favor and kiss me?”
“You’ll never have to beg a kiss from me, Red,” Brooks says, lowering his lips swiftly to mine. It’s a simple, searing kiss—sealing our promise to live for each other. “Oh, damn...” he mutters, breaking away for a moment, “Should I start calling you Quinn now? Agent Collins?”
“You know...I think Red’s grown on me,” I smile, “Let’s stick with it, shall we?”
Epilogue
San Bernardino FBI Resident Agency
Two weeks later
“Well. Look what the cat dragged in,” grumbles Chuck Jones, as he opens the door of his office to me.
“Nice to see you again too, Chuck,” I laugh, wrapping my mentor up in a big old hug.
“I see you managed to not get shot. That’s good,” he chuckles, giving into my display of affection. “Seriously, Collins. I’m glad you made it through alright.”
“More than alright,” says Mitchell from across the office. He crosses the room to shake my hand. “I take it you’ve had some time to recuperate, Collins?”
I review the past two weeks in my mind. Partying with the MC’s, screwing Brooks every which way, girl time with Kassie and Kelly...
“Yep. Very restorative time,” I grin. “Just what the doctor ordered.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t need a real doctor,” Chuck says, shaking his head. “After that stunt with Bruno...”
“I did what I had to do,” I shrug. “Once I started suspecting Bruno of foul play, I had to find a way to get a confession. He outranks me here. There was no way I was going to take him down on my word alone.”
“I can’t believe how blind I was,” Mitchell mutters, “All through Operation Inferno Bruno was colluding with the Lorenzo’s. And who knows who else over the course of his career. You think you know a guy...”
“You can’t blame yourself, Agent Mitchell,” I tell him, “I just had a...different perspective on the matter.”
“I’ll say,” Chuck laughs. “Our resident biker chick.”
Impulsively (Dante's Nine MC) Page 18
