by Bella Jewel
I stare up at him, my eyes softening. I reach out, clutching his hand. “I know.”
He closes his eyes for a minute, and then in a raspy voice he mutters, “I’m scared. So fuckin’ scared. He’s all I’ve got...”
His voice breaks and my heart goes right along with it. Maddox is everything to Mack. He’s the only family he’s got. I know how much he means to him, and how close the brothers are. They’ve got the kind of bond that even some blood related brothers don’t have. Mack drops down to his knees, his head bowed.
“We’re going to get him back,” I say, taking his other hand. “We’re going to fight this.”
He seems to gather himself, because when he looks up, the emotion is gone from his face. Mack has always struggled with emotion, and he finds it hard to let people see the real man that’s inside.
“Come on, you need to eat and so does Pippa. Then we’re going to find out where the guys are. It’s time to end this.”
He helps me up and we head back out into the room. Pippa is sitting on the bed, having a shy conversation with Tyke. I smile and sit down beside her. My leg is aching, but I’m not going to be a cry baby and whine about it. I’ll survive. Mack lifts the phone that’s in the room, and puts it to his ear, turning to us.
“What do you girls want?”
I turn to Pippa and her cheeks grow pink.
“Is there something you want?” I ask her.
“There is...I’ve dreamed about it for so many years.”
I nod in encouragement.
“A cheeseburger,” she admits.
Tyke laughs and even Mack cracks a smile.
“Two cheeseburgers,” I say to Mack.
He turns and orders four, one for each of us. The food arrives only twenty minutes later. I’m hungry, but after four or five bites, I can’t stomach the heavy beef, cheese and bread. It would seem I’m the only one. Pippa devours hers like a starving child and of course, the men gobble it down in a few big bites.
Then Mack makes the call.
“You in?” I hear him ask.
He nods a few times.
“Morning, night attack is too dangerous. We shoot the wrong fuckers and we’ll pay for it.”
Oh God.
“No, don’t come here. We need them to keep thinkin’ we’re alone. I’m goin’ to leave the girls with Tyke then I’m goin’ to sneak out, there’s a back entrance. I’ll ring you and we’ll go in.”
My stomach coils - that cheeseburger threatening to come back up.
“Stay low, I’ll call first thing.”
Then he hangs up. Turning to me, his eyes are full of fear, tension, rage and...if I’m correct...pain.
“Is it all ready?” I ask.
He nods. “We’re set.”
“What if...what if they’re expecting you? What if you don’t make it out? What if-”
Stepping forward, his hands shoot out and curl around my shoulders. He shakes me, just slightly, making my mouth snap closed.
“What if’s are only going to cause problems. We don’t have time for what if’s. I’m goin’ to get those guys out of there, no matter what it costs me.”
“Mack-”
“They’re all I’ve got, Santana. Nothing will stop this.”
I nod, even though fear has curled itself around me, choking, suffocating...
“What now?” I ask, my voice low.
“Now we wait.”
~*~*~*~
Mack leaves the moment the sun is up and the call comes in. I’ve felt fear in my life, but watching him sneak out is up there with some of the scariest moments. We watch from our window as he creeps past the pool and gardens. He has to go down the back, over the fence and through the trees a long while before he makes it out onto the road. He needs to get far enough away that they won’t see him exit.
I hugged him eight times. A full eight. I smothered my tears, staying strong. He needs me to be strong. He needs us all to be strong. I’ve said more prayers in the past twenty-four hours then I’ve said in a lifetime. Over and over I’ve prayed for the guys, but mostly, I’ve prayed for Maddox. I’ve tried not to dwell, but there’s no switching my brain off.
He’s everything.
Tyke sits beside me, squeezing my hand. He’s got guns readily available in case these guys decide to bombard us. I really hope that doesn’t happen. We’re hoping that as long as we’re in here, they’ll think we’re plotting. I’ve got Tyke’s cell phone clutched in my hand, waiting for the text from Mack.
Thirty minutes later it comes.
M – I’m out.
I breathe a sigh of relief, but it lasts only a second.
This is just the beginning.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
2014 - Maddox
So fuckin’ thirsty. Everything in my body burns, like someone has taken a match to my organs and lit it. My throat has a scratchy, dry sensation that refuses to leave because there’s no longer saliva to ease it. I’m covered in dried blood, and my broken bones have gone far and beyond aching¸ instead they’re numb.
“Maddox?”
It’s Grimm. His voice as hoarse as mine. I want to lift my head, but there’s no fuckin’ hope of that happening any time soon. I answer anyway, even though my voice is barely a rasp. “What?”
“G-g-g-gunfire. Can you hear it?”
I close my eyes, trying to focus. All I can hear is the loud, continual ringing in my ears. With painful effort, I reach up with a groan and press my hands over my ears. Still nothing. It only makes the ringing louder.
“I can hear it,” Krypt rasps from the corner.
“Me, too,” Zaid grunts.
“I can, as well,” Austin whispers.
It takes me longer than them, but after a few minutes, I hear the faint cracks of guns being fired. I shove myself up, growling in pain as I shift into a sitting position. The gunfire comes closer, and I hear shouts, also getting louder as the minutes tick by. Krypt is on his feet, the other guys following quickly. Austin and Zaid reach down and lift me, all of them listening intently.
“Get the fuckin’ bikers, and blow their fuckin’ brains out. We’re not lettin’ these fuckers take them.”
Fuck.
Krypt turns. “We’re about to get visitors. Guys, put Maddox over in the corner that’s hardest to access. We’re going to have to jump them. I know you’re all fucked, but if we don’t, we’re dead.”
“Do you think it’s Mack?” Zaid asks.
“Yeah,” I grunt as they put me on the floor.
A door creaks, booted strides fill our tiny space, and I know they’re comin’ down. I hate, more than anything that I can’t get up and fight. Those are my boys, and here I am with more broken bones than I can count, wanting to stab some fucker in the face but unable to do it. The guys stand either side of the door, waiting for it to open.
When it does, they lunge. Gunfire rings out, grunts fill the room, and all I can see is a tangle of fuckin’ limbs as they drag three men down. Zaid gets hold of the gun, after receiving a brutal kick to the stomach. He rolls, groaning in pain as he lifts it with a shaky hand, pulling the trigger. He hits the first guard right in the back of the head.
Krypt has the other man in a death grip, his arm pressed under his chin, tilting his head back. “Shoot him!” he roars.
Zaid doesn’t hesitate. He takes the gun and aims it at the guard’s heart. He goes down as quickly as the other one. Austin takes that guard’s gun, and he shoots the last one without hesitation. Krypt spins around, makin’ me fuckin’ proud as he takes on my role with a force that makes my heart clench.
“Austin, Grimm, get Maddox up. Zaid, you’re comin’ forward with me. If it ain’t ours, kill the fucker. Let’s go.”
The two guys raise me up, and they drag me out of the cell and up the stairs. I’ve forgotten the pain in my body as I force my legs to work enough that they’re not taking all my weight. Gunfire is loud outside, but the shouting is louder.
“Front,” Krypt barks.
He�
��s exhausted, damaged and fucked, but it’s clear adrenaline has kicked in. He won’t have his normal fight, though. I can only fuckin’ hope Mack got a good load of men. They take me through the front door, and the sun burns my eyes as I squint to try and get a clear picture of what’s goin’ down.
Dead bodies fuckin’ everywhere.
So many of them.
Mack is amongst my other members, and there’s even more back up then I thought he could wrangle. His eyes lift to me, and his face turns murderous as he takes me in. With a violent side I’ve rarely experienced with Mack, he shoots the fuck out of anyone who comes close enough to feel his wrath.
“Where’s Atreau?” Krypt bellows, raising his guns and shooting like a mad man.
“No fuckin’ clue,” Mack roars.
He’s got blood pouring from a wound in his leg. He’s been shot. I count four men from my club on the ground, dead. My chest twists and rage rises in my body to the point I begin to tremble.
“Find that fucker,” I growl. “And bring him to me. I’m goin’ to fuckin’ make him scream. Injured or not.”
Krypt barks the order to three of the guys, and they disappear into the house, looking for him.
“Give me a gun,” I order.
Austin hands one to me without hesitation, and the guys adjust me so I can use it. I start shootin’. I might not be able to fight, but I can shoot. There are few of Atreau’s men left, maybe six.
“Mack!” Krypt barks. “Behind you!”
Mack spins from his shooting and narrowly misses a shot to the head. This is gettin’ too close. It needs to end. Two more of my guys have gone down, and the more I see, the wilder I get. I begin shooting with every piece of rage inside my body, blowing Atreau’s men into bloody pieces.
“We got him, Prez.”
My boys come back with a panting Atreau. He bares his teeth at me in a snarl, and I return the favor.
“He was in his car about to leave. Made some calls. Don’t know to who.”
“Who did you fuckin’ call?” I bark.
“I’m not tellin’ you, piece of shit!”
I raise my gun. “I’d love to kill you slowly, makin’ you scream beneath my hands, but I don’t have fuckin’ time and my men are dyin’. I’m going to make this simple by blowin’ your fuckin’ brains out.”
I press my finger to the trigger and gunfire sounds out...but it isn’t mine. The bullet hits Greg, one of the members holding Atreau. Roaring in pain, he lets go. Everything happens in a blur. More gunshots, then Atreau is lunging at me, knocking my broken body back. I don’t lose my gun as I land on my back, roaring in pain as my bones stab into things they shouldn’t be stabbing into.
Then, before I’ve got the chance to fight, he’s got a knife in my chest. My mouth opens; an agonized bellow leaves my throat as blood fills my mouth. Pain unlike anything I’ve ever experienced tears through my body. He twists the blade and my world spins. “I’m not as good as you,” he growls. “I won’t make it quick.”
I don’t know where I find it, maybe it’s the pictures flashing in my head of Santana, but I lift my gun and I shoot him. He rolls off me, dislodging the knife. A gurgling, squelching sound fills the air. More gunshots ring out, and the shouting voices around me fade into dull hums. My eyes shut and the pain slowly leaves my body.
This must be what it feels like to die.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
2014 - Santana
Two hours into our guard, the guys that have been watching us, leave.
That must mean Mack has made it and a war has begun.
Another four hours later – my world crashes.
It crashes because they bring Maddox to me...broken, bloodied and barely alive.
~*~*~*~
He’s in the back of an SUV – his body covered in blood. So much so I can barely see any skin, and the skin I do see is battered. The voices around me drown out as I stare at the man I love, so broken and weak in the back of the car. My fingers won’t stop trembling and there’s so much emotion swirling inside me that I’ve gone beyond wanting to cry, and instead gone straight to feeling numb. I can’t...I can’t be weak.
He needs me.
Needs. Me.
My knees tremble and I use my hands to steady myself against the car as I stare down at Maddox. If he dies...no...no...I can’t. I can’t think like that. If I give up on him, where will that leave me? I’ll fight for him the way he’s fought for me. I won’t shed a tear, not a damned tear, until he’s looking into my eyes again.
“We’ve got to move out, now!” Krypt barks.
“We gotta get him to a hospital,” Mack argues.
“Riskin’ too fuckin’ much takin’ him to a hospital. One of those men could have gotten away, or worse, the cops could show up. We don’t want to be anywhere nearby if that shit goes down.”
“We left over fifteen dead fuckin’ bodies,” Mack growls. “It’s going to be found by the cops, they might even find evidence, but they’re goin’ to find enough out about Atreau to keep them busy. That fucker is dead – we need to get Maddox to a hospital.”
“No,” Krypt barks, his fists clenching. “He’s goin’ to be in for a solid week, if not two. We can’t risk bein’ around here long. Besides, a man comes in, in his condition, and news hits about Atreau...you think they won’t piece it together?”
“I won’t fuckin’ let you load my brothers half dead body onto a plane. He’ll fuckin’ die.”
“We gotta protect this club. This is what he’d want!” Krypt snarls.
The two lunge at each other, fists begin to fly. I stare at them, my expression blank as I watch them pummel each other into the ground. I turn and stare at Maddox. His breathing is ragged. He could die at any second. I close my eyes, fighting back my emotion as I try to think with a clear head. What would Maddox want?
I already know.
He’d want us home – for safety.
But taking him home could mean stealing his life. He’s barely hanging on. My mind swims and my chest feels like someone has dived in and ripped my heart out. I’m selfish, I don’t want to lose him, but I also love him and know where his heart lies. His heart is with his club...that leaves only one choice.
“Enough,” I yell, so loudly they stop fighting. “Krypt is right, Mack. We can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous and we can’t afford to be arrested in another country. We’ve got one choice, and that’s to take him home.”
“He’ll fuckin’ die-”
I cut Mack off.
“No,” I growl. “No, Mack. Because we’re going to find a doctor, I don’t know how, but we are. Someone to fix him in private for a whole lot of money.”
Krypt’s face is bloodied all over again. He is also in bad condition, so he couldn’t afford to be beaten again.
“And if you two hit each other again, I’ll find a God damned knife and stab you so fuckin’ hard you’ll take Maddox’s place. Your brother and president is lying there, fucking dying. Pull your heads out of your ass and fucking figure something out,” I step forward, my hands shaking. “I won’t lose the man I love because of you two.”
Both men stare at me, but it’s Mack who speaks first. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Tyke,” he barks. “Make a call, find a fuckin’ doctor and do it fast. I’ve got a whole lot of cash, I’ll pay whatever it takes.”
Tyke nods and pulls out his phone.
I stare around at the broken men – battered, bloody and standing like they’re lost. I count them. I don’t know who they had here, so I don’t know how many are missing, but I do notice one. “Where’s Rhyder?”
Krypt’s face drops, if it could, his expression would break to pieces and fall to the ground. My heart clenches. I know what he’ll tell me even before he says it.
“He got shot. He’s dead.”
My mind swims, twists and turns until I’m forced to my knees, vomit rising up my throat and rocketing out all over the pavement. Pippa is by my side in a second, her hands rubbing my bac
k. “It’s okay,” she soothes. “It’s okay.”
I vomit until there’s nothing left. Tears leak out of my eyes because of the exertion, but I squash them back down. I have to do this for Maddox, for Rhyder. God, Rhyder. He was such a good guy. I liked him, a lot. I hadn’t spent a lot of one on one time with him, sure, but he was there for the last five years and he was part of the family.
“Come on.”
A rough hand is on my shoulder, but it’s offering the softest touch. It’s Krypt. He helps me up and his arms go around me. I give myself a moment to bury my face in his chest, breathing him in. Just taking a second to allow comfort into my heart. He holds me like that for a few minutes, before pulling back.
“We’re goin’ to fix this.”
“It’s all my fault,” I croak. “If it wasn’t for me-”
“Don’t fuckin’ do that,” he warns. “Don’t you dare put this shit on yourself. Maddox found you, Maddox made it his mission to find your sister, you can’t start doin’ that blame game. We need you strong.”
I swallow and nod, forcing my emotions back down. I return to the SUV, crawling in beside Maddox. I don’t care about the blood, or the smell, or the fact that he’s hurt. I tuck myself into his side, and I don’t move until Tyke brings the doctor.
~*~*~*~
“There’s too much injury. He needs hospital.”
There’s a tall, fat Mexican doctor examining Maddox in the back of the car. Mack paid good money for the man to come out here.
“Listen to me, buddy,” Krypt growls, getting in his face. “You do what you can to hold him out or you don’t get the fuckin’ cash.”
The doctor stares at him, his eyes narrowed, but does as he’s told and turns back to Maddox.
“I can stitch...and align bone...but there might be bleeding...”
He’s got a thick accent, and not so great English...but it’s enough.
“Do what you can.”
Krypt turns, not giving him another option. The doctor does what he can, cleaning Maddox and stitching wounds. He puts any broken bones he can in bandages after aligning them, and gives him a few injections. I don’t know what, but they seem to calm his breathing.
