by London Casey
This was the do or die moment for all of us.
I climbed into the back of the van, along with Duke, Austin, Jasper, and Cash.
What the other guys couldn’t see were the black bags at the front of the van.
Outside, Trev stood with Kye and Xavier, keeping the scene moving forward.
“Here you go,” Trev said. “Pop the lids off and check your hardware. Three cases. I believe that was the original deal.”
I was in the van and watched as Conor and Bullet approached the crates. Bullet took out one of the shotguns, adding another variable to the situation.
Conor whistled for three of the guys to come up and open the boxes.
I looked to Duke. He was stoic and focused. The years of military experience and true war experience coming to life right then. Austin, Jasper, and Cash were on my left. We had to keep our hands down so we didn’t give ourselves away.
Up until then Night Soul MC thought they were getting their guns.
Like fucking hell we would deliver guns to them. They’d only turn and use those weapons against us. The town, the crews and clubs around us, they were going to have to learn a lesson. Sorry to Night Soul MC, but they were going to be the first.
As soon as the boxes were open, reality set in.
“What the fuck?” Conor asked.
That was my cue.
The boxes were empty, showing the guys in Night Soul they were getting nothing.
The guns we had purchased from the O’Nuall family? They were in the back of the fucking van still. Well, except the ones me, Duke, Austin, Jasper, and Cash were carrying.
I was first to pull the trigger. I had to take out Bullet.
Then all hell broke loose. As we emerged from the back of the van, we emptied clip after clip, taking out all the Night Soul MC members. Granted, it wasn’t the ones we wanted, but it would make a statement to Rocco and Gunner.
It took no more than a minute before it was all said and done.
“Load it all up and move,” Trev then ordered as he stepped over Conor’s body.
Kye and Xavier loaded up the boxes into the van and shut the doors.
Austin walked to the front of the van, got inside, and started it.
The guys all dispersed to their motorcycles except for me, Jasper, and Trev.
Trev stood there, hands at his sides, looking at the destruction. The guns were still echoing in my head, ringing in my ears. It was a bloodbath. When the PD would find the scene, it would be a big mess to clean up and investigate.
“It was the right decision,” Trev said. “There was no way they could get guns. Everything with Ripper is now behind us.”
“They’re going to rebuild and attack,” Jasper said. “I wish the table was here.”
“You know they weren’t going to come,” Trev said.
“I thought they would,” I said. “Rocco and Gunner…”
“No,” Trev said. “They’re like cockroaches. They slink around, you know?” He looked at me. “This was the right plan, Trent. You did good here.”
“Now we sit and talk to Garvan and Bryant about your old man,” Jasper said. “We’ll go to bat for you. I know you’d do it if it needed to be done, but they aren’t going to win this.”
“Just let me get Harlee to safety first,” I said.
Before I could finish the sentence, my phone started to ring.
Speak of the sexy devil…
It was Harlee calling.
“Hey, darling,” I said.
“Hey, shit face,” a voice said.
My eyes went wide as I scanned the destruction around me.
All these members of Night Soul taken out.
“You there, asshole?” Daxton asked.
He was calling from Harlee’s phone.
That only meant one thing.
I looked at Trev. “Daxton has Harlee.”
**
I sped too fast and was too close to the back of the van for my own good. If Austin hit the brakes for any reason, I’d end up crashing. But what was I supposed to do? I had to get to Harlee. Fuck, if anyone reported back to Rocco and Gunner about what we had done…
I cut to the right and ended up in the opposite lane.
All I could do was throttle the motorcycle harder, going faster.
Daxton had demands and I had to meet them.
He wanted to meet just outside Daurian, in a heavily brushed area. He assumed his MC had their guns and now he wanted cash. The money Night Soul had paid for the guns was to be refunded or else he was going to slowly kill Harlee.
Of course we didn’t have the money but we weren’t going to let Harlee die.
Jasper, Trev, and Cash were going back to the clubhouse. The plan was to clean out the safe of all cash and work a deal with Daxton to get Harlee out of there alive. The second Daxton knew the guns weren’t delivered and a lot of his brothers were knocked off, he would do anything he wanted to Harlee.
Shit, if he left the meeting spot…
I gritted my teeth and felt my head spinning. I wanted to know what happened. How the fuck he found Harlee. And what the fuck my father did to try and stop this from happening?
There were answers waiting and nothing I could do to speed up time.
I darted in front of the van and Austin beeped at me. I threw him the finger and sped up even more. Amazing at how wild the life was. We had just gotten done taking out a lot of guys that we didn’t know but were enemies because of the leather cuts they wore. And now I was on the opposite end of the deal. I was the one fighting for my life… and my life was Harlee. Shit, she had done more than just gotten to me. She had become a part of me. Losing her would be like losing my cut, my club, or my life. It could not happen. And if it did happen, I was better off eating a bullet myself then.
I got a good distance from the van and the rest of the guys.
The last five minutes of the ride felt like it took about five years. Every possible scenario ran through my mind, which was new to me. As the enforcer for the MC, my job was to observe and simply react. No trying to come up with multiple plans. Just like at our little meeting. That guy got too close to Trev so I knocked him out. That’s how I did things.
Cruising off the road, I didn’t know what I’d find. There was too great of a chance that Harlee would already be killed.
The second I spotted Daxton’s ride, I damn near jumped off my own. The motorcycle came to a skidding halt and I just ran. There was a small clearing and there was Daxton, under a tree, standing with Harlee. The bend of his elbow locked to her throat, a gun pointed straight out at me. He used the tree to protect his back.
“Stop this,” was the first thing that I said.
Like it fucking mattered.
“Fuck you, asshole,” Daxton said. “You set all this up. All of it.”
“I didn’t do shit to you, Daxton.”
“You took my old lady. You fucked her. I can smell her on you. You ruined her pussy.”
“Fine,” I said. “Take it out on me.”
“No. I can’t do that.”
“You fucking almost killed Trev’s old lady and unborn kid. You know what shit you’re in right now?”
Daxton’s hand shook. “Drop all your weapons, Trent. Right now.”
I put my hands out and slowly moved. I disarmed both my guns and opened my arms and turned around. When I was facing Daxton again, I started to walk toward him.
“Come on,” I said. “Let Harlee go. Trev is getting the money right now. I even have some extra guns for you guys, just to bury this hatchet for good. Austin is bringing the van.”
“The guns,” Daxton said. “They were delivered?”
“Yeah. Didn’t you hear from Rocco yet?”
“No,” he said. “I haven’t talked to Rocco since I took off.”
Shit. He’s completely rogue.
“Okay,” I said. “Guns are delivered. We took on the O’Nuall family and got your weapons. We’re in the shit now, Daxton. Not you. You have to
make this right with Trev. Start by letting Harlee go. No more hurting women in all of this.”
Daxton pushed Harlee forward. I couldn’t believe he was actually going to let her go.
I was wrong.
He took a handful of her hair and pulled. Harlee screamed and was pulled right back, falling down to her ass. Daxton’s hand was twisted tight in her hair.
My instinct had me jumping forward to save her.
That’s when Daxton shot me.
**
I fell back and went down hard. Harlee screamed my name and it wasn’t in the same vain as she did in the bedroom. I hated this version of her scream.
I pushed myself back up and saw that he had gotten me in the shoulder. It burned like fire but I was still able to move. I climbed back to my feet and turned. The rage poured through me like lava. But I knew any explosion of my own would result in Harlee getting hurt or killed.
“What are you doing here, Daxton?” I asked.
“I’m showing Rocco I belong as VP. Simple. They get the guns and I get the cash. I show them I can handle business.” He pulled at Harlee’s hair. “And this little cunt is coming with me too.”
“That can’t happen. I’ve got guys coming with your money. They won’t allow it.”
“She’s going to die,” Daxton said. He finally took the gun off me but pointed it to Harlee’s head. “I’m offering the cash and Harlee as my way back in. You fuckers screwed everything up.”
“What’s everything, Daxton?”
“I was working with Ripper. He and I… the Irish… fuck, even the Russians… we were going to do something great together.”
I sucked in the anger and slowly approached. I heard the rumble of the other motorcycles. Soon there would be a little bit of a crowd. I just needed fucking Trev to collect all the cash he could and get up here.
“I have to call Rocco,” Daxton said. “Tell him what I did.”
“No,” I said. “How did you find her? What happened?”
“Your father,” Daxton said with a grin. “He was looking for a way out of his Irish debts. He was afraid someone was going to kill him.”
I had my chance to kill him. I didn’t. I fucking did this. I put Harlee in this position. All those promises…
“Shit,” I said. “My old man did this?”
“He owed me a little bit too,” Daxton said. “For some stuff. He called me and said you were bringing Harlee. So we cut a deal. He thinks I’m giving him some cash to pay off the Irish. In return, he gave up Harlee. See, Trent, I win. I fucking finally win at this game. You and your MC are dead. Rocco and me are going to come through town with those guns and wipe you out.”
The motorcycles pulled up and I pointed to everyone to hold steady. The van showed up a few seconds later and Austin climbed out. I kept everyone at a distance.
“Where’s the money?” Daxton asked.
“I told you,” I said. “Trev went to get it. We have it at the clubhouse.”
“I’ll call Rocco. We’ll do this right now.”
Daxton fumbled for his phone. If he made that call and shit hit the fan, Harlee would be killed. I had no choice but to turn off all my emotions and focus on the situation at hand. I had to be the enforcer. I had to be the monster.
And that meant when Daxton looked down at his phone, I had no choice but to jump at him.
My shoulder smashed against his face. His gun went off but I couldn’t worry if anyone was shot. I drove him back to the tree, slamming him hard enough that he dropped his phone. He quickly tried to point the gun at me so I had to stop his arm. I hit his arm against the tree and felt his other hand come across and crack me against the jaw. I lost my footing for a split second and Daxton pointed the gun at Harlee.
As he pulled the trigger, I jumped at him again, this time taking him to the ground. We hit with a hard thud and he let the gun go. I popped up and swung a right at him, getting him in the eye. Daxton reached for his gun and swung with his other hand. I blocked the punch but took my eye off his hand as he grabbed the gun again. Instead of shooting, he came across my face with it.
Goddamn, did that fucking hurt.
He swung again and again, opening up closed wounds thanks to that fight with Denis. He then put the gun to my jaw and was suddenly in complete control and power. I was on my ass and he forced me to climb back until I was against the tree.
“Harlee, get over here,” he ordered.
“Don’t do it!” I yelled. “Don’t listen to him, darling.”
“I’ll fucking shoot him,” Daxton said. “Anyone makes a move and Trent is gone. Harlee… walk to me.”
Daxton was on his knees, his left hand out, waiting for Harlee.
She slowly moved toward him.
“Don’t do it!” I yelled.
Daxton pulled the gun away and slammed it against my face. The back of my head cracked against the tree.
It was pain, blood, and more fury building inside me.
I still couldn’t believe my father did this to me. To the MC. To Harlee.
Harlee gave her hand to Daxton and he pulled her close. Then he climbed to his feet and was right back to where he was before. An arm around Harlee, a gun pointed at me.
“Someone get me my fucking money by the time I count to five,” Daxton said. “Or I just start shooting.”
“It’s on its way, man,” I said. I started to climb up the tree to get to my feet but Daxton wasn’t having it. I dropped back down to my ass. I stared at Harlee and hated how helpless the situation was.
The guys couldn’t do anything either. There was no clear shot on Daxton without the risk of me or Harlee getting killed.
“One,” Daxton said.
“I love you, darling,” I said to Harlee. “I’m sorry this happened.”
“I don’t blame you,” she said. “I swear, Trent. I love you, too.”
“Two,” Daxton said.
I put my left hand out and Harlee reached with her right hand.
“Three.”
Our fingertips touched for a second and then Daxton backed up, taking her away from me.
“Four.”
That was all I could take. I forced myself to stand and walked right up to the gun. The move halted Daxton’s counting. His eyes went wide and he knew it was time to shit or get off the pot.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked me.
“Fuck. You.”
“Fiv…”
Did I have a plan?
No.
The truth was that I was going to grab his arm and pry him away from Harlee. I’d take another bullet, even if it killed me. I told myself in that split second that the MC would step up and keep Harlee as family. She’d forever be my memory.
But before anything like that could happen and before Daxton could finish his breath and say five, there was a thmph sound, followed by a quick spray of blood from the side of Daxton’s head. He stood frozen, shaking, and then he collapsed, taking Harlee with him.
I feared something happened to Harlee but then she started to scream.
Filled with fear, yes, but she was alive.
Goddammit, she was alive!
And Daxton was dead.
I dropped to my knees and grabbed Harlee, pulling her close.
I would never let her go ever again.
thirty-six
(harlee)
My arms were tight around Trent as I screamed.
That was my body’s only reaction to everything. I was in terror and shock at the same time.
Trent got me to my feet and I glanced at Daxton’s body on the ground.
“Darling, it’s okay. He’s gone now.”
I looked up at Trent and tried to catch my breath.
He kissed me.
Just like in some dumb fairy tale, it was like his kiss brought me back to life. A surge went through my body even as my hands still clung to him.
We started to walk and were quickly bombarded by the guys in the club.
“What the
hell happened?”
Trev, Jasper, and Cash appeared, running toward us. Behind them were two men. One was a little short and very round. The other guy was tall, built, and had a rifle in his hand.
“Are you okay, brother?” Trev asked Trent.
“Fine.”
“Harlee?” Cash asked, looking at me. “You okay, sweetie?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m so…”
“She’s in shock,” Trent said.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Cash said. “Do you need a hug from me? I can make everything go away.”
“Fuck off, Cash,” Trent growled.
“Meet Alexei,” the round man said in a Russian accent. “Sniper.”
“Fucking shit, Peter,” Trent said.
“I called him right after we split up,” Trev said. “I knew he was still in the area. Figured he could help us. I knew if Night Soul found out about what we did…” Trev looked at me and shook his head.
“What did you do?” I asked Trent.
“Business,” he said. “Nothing more.”
“That was a good shot,” Jasper said.
“I never miss,” Alexei said in a monotone voice. “Now we go. Right now.”
“Do you have payment?” Peter asked with a big smile.
“Austin,” Trev said. “Keys.”
Austin took the keys to the van out of his pocket. Trev ordered them to be handed over to Peter.
“What is this?” Trent asked.
“He’s taking the guns,” Trev said. “Payment.”
“Seriously?” Trent asked.
Trev grabbed Trent’s shoulder, making him yell out in pain. “You’re fucking family, Trent. And your old lady is family. I don’t care what it fucking costs to keep this MC and family together.” Trev then looked at me. He gently touched my jaw with his pointer finger. “You understand that too. Okay?”
“Yes,” I said. “Thank you. I don’t…”
“We leave now,” Alexei said. “We go to Nevada. Bloodshed is over here.”
