by Brook Wilder
I didn’t want to hear this. It just made me feel like I wanted to chuck. Knowing Liz had been with Ruiz in any capacity was bad enough without him gloating to me about it. I knew his game. He had called more than to boast about what he had done.
This was a game. He was telling me where to find Liz. It wouldn’t be that easy, but I was waiting for it.
“Where’s Liz?”
“I’ll text you the address.”
I heard my phone bleeping and glanced at it. A message had popped up. I put the phone back to my ear.
“What’s the catch, Ruiz?”
“Why do you think there’s a catch?” Ruiz chuckled. “You are so paranoid, Noah.”
“You wouldn’t give me Liz’s location so easily. There has to be a catch.”
“No catch. Just a little meeting with the woman of your life before I take her away again.”
That was the catch. This was a tease to make me suffer. There was nothing simple about this.
“I won’t let that happen,” I growled.
Ruiz sounded very smug.
“You won’t have a choice.”
Then all I could hear was the dial tone. I hung up and opened the text message. It was an address of a warehouse in the industrial part of town. From what I remembered, there was a collection of buildings that had been abandoned and practically falling down. When I went inside, there had been talks of knocking all of them down and building them back up again.
From the look of it, there were some buildings still there. Liz had to be in one of them.
“What was that?”
I started. I had almost forgotten Cassie was there. Cassie touched my arm.
“Noah? What’s going on?”
“Ruiz is telling me where Liz is.” I turned to Cassie, whose face was white. “I’m going to get her. Look after Hunter for me.”
“Of course I will, but…” Cassie frowned. “Don’t you think you should tell Mason about this? You shouldn’t go in there on your own.”
I knew that as well, but the time I wasted getting reinforcements would be time I could use to get Liz back. This was something I had to do on my own. Mason could have my ass later.
“No. And don’t tell him about this.”
Cassie looked torn. But she nodded, kissing my head.
“Take care, Noah.”
She looked like she was about to cry. I kissed her head and hugged her tightly.
“Look after Hunter.”
Chapter 46
Noah
As I rode through the streets towards the warehouses, I could feel the anger building. The bastards had dared to take so much from me. I had already lost two years of my life and lost the chance to see the start of my son’s life. I wasn’t about to lose Liz because of those fuckers.
If I didn’t keep myself calm, I was going to end up doing something that would kill Liz. That was a situation I didn’t want to get into. That was something I didn’t want to happen. If Liz died, I would be broken.
That was a lot for me to admit. I didn’t like to admit my feelings at the best of times, but Liz had a way of making me feel things I hadn’t realized were inside me. She was just what I needed in my life. She had never turned her back on me. I knew why she had kept her secrets and I didn’t blame her for that.
We had been through a lot. And I wasn’t going to lose her now because of some sick individuals. When Hunter woke up, his mother was going to be home. I was going to make sure of that.
The industrial park outside of Vegas was dark and deserted. No one, not even a security guard at the gate, was in sight. I went through the open gate and found the building that matched the address. It looked like a brick building with the windows missing or broken and no doorway. The place was close to falling down. I remembered this place. It had been empty since I was a kid. Mason and I used to play here when we were younger. It was the perfect playground. Mason had broken an arm falling through a floor. After that, we had been told not to go anywhere near the place.
We hadn’t listened.
I knew the place like the back of my hand. Ruiz had to know that. Maybe that was why he had picked the place.
I pulled up in the front yard and then I saw the Harley, just poking around the corner. George was here as well. Good. I was looking forward to going after the bastard. If Ruiz was here, even better.
I turned off the engine and propped it up as I climbed off. Then I opened the seat of the bike and drew out the length of chain I kept there. After my last experience with a gun, I didn’t trust myself not to shoot myself in the foot.
“George!” I bellowed, striding towards the building. “Where are you, you motherfucker? I didn’t have you pegged as a coward. Come on! Face me!”
There was a shuffling sound and I spun around. George came out from around the corner. A gun was in his hand, tapping against his thigh. His face was half-bathed in moonlight, his shadow stretching out behind him. I saw a smug grin on his mouth.
“I was beginning to think you would never turn up.”
“You had to know I would come.”
“For a whore like Liz Fisher?” George snorted. “I was a little surprised at that. But she is pretty hot, so there is that.”
“Liz is not a whore, George.”
“Really? The way she flaunts herself about, flirting with guys in front of you? I saw her at that bash Mason decided to throw for you.” George scowled. “She would have ridden all of them had you not been there.”
I adjusted my grip on the chain.
“You wanted to fuck her as well. You’re just sore because she wouldn’t look at you.”
“And I wasn’t the only one. Nate’s very taken with her.” George shrugged. “I can’t really argue with him. Big brother always gets first dibs.”
“Is that why Ruiz didn’t need to give much persuasion for Nate to try and fuck Liz?” I snapped.
“If she was a dumb woman, that would have happened years ago. Ruiz wouldn’t have needed to take her from an auction. But Liz is stubborn as fuck.” George shook his head. “She decided that you were a better deal even though you were sitting behind bars. You know, that bitch never gave up on you.”
I knew that already. But hearing it out loud was sobering. My hand flexed around the chain.
“Who set me up?” I snarled. “Was it you? And was it you who killed Rob?”
“It was.” George shrugged. He didn’t seem to care, almost blasé about it. “Not too difficult to get hold of the drugs and, with the access nobody knew about to the files, I managed to make the perfect set-up.”
“You murdered Rob! I thought you were friends!”
“I was aiming at you and I got the wrong guy,” George scowled. “And Rob was no friend of mine. If I’d had a choice, I wouldn’t have let him anywhere near me.”
That had me confused. George was a biker, through-and-through, and yet he was repulsed by them? That didn’t make any sense.
“But… why? Why would you do that? Why become a biker if you hate us?”
“Because my dad was a biker up north. He was one of those who preferred the company of those bastards he rode out with than his own family.” George advanced on me slowly, tapping the gun against his leg. “And he beat us. Every day.”
“And you blame that on his biking crowd?”
“Who else? He wouldn’t have fallen in with a bunch of thugs. My father had better values than that until he met them.”
“George, just because your dad came from a bad club doesn’t mean all of us are like that.”
George’s jaw tightened. I saw his hand gripping the gun a little too much until his knuckles were white. This man was about to blow, I could sense it.
“I’d rather go with the cartel any day,” George said. “They, at least, accepted me. But I knew the lingo, knew the customs and I looked the part. Easy enough to infiltrate and filter things back to Ruiz.”
I couldn’t believe Ruiz had managed to do that to the club. That was too much for me to
handle. All I could think of was wiping George from the face of existence. He had betrayed us and took away part of my life I could never get back. He was going to pay for it.
“And what about Hunter?” I demanded. “You love Hunter. Why would you do this to him? He’s just a baby!”
George rolled his eyes.
“You really think I love that boy? I hate the little brat. And Ruiz said I could have a treat regarding him.” He smirked and took the safety catch off his gun, stepping more towards me. “Once you’re out of the way, I can have a go at the brat. I can do whatever I want to him.”
I snapped. George raised the gun at my face and I swung. The chain knocked the gun aside as George pulled the trigger, the bullet whizzing past my face, close enough that I could feel the air move. Then I flicked the chain back, catching George across the face. He cried out and stumbled, dropping the gun as he clutched at his face. I kicked the gun away and followed him, smacking him again with the chain.
George grabbed it and tugged me forward, punching me in the face. That made me stumble a little, but I grabbed him on the way down and slammed him into the ground. He was bigger than me and managed to wrestle his way on top, his hands at my throat. I sent a few punches into his ribs but that didn’t make him move. If anything, he pressed tighter, smirking. He looked maniacal.
“As if you could fight me and win,” he boasted. “Just die quickly, you stupid fuck.”
I could see black spots appearing in front of my eyes. My hand scrabbled in my waistband, trying to get past George’s knee. I gurgled and managed to prise his hand a little off my neck.
“You won’t get anywhere near my son, you piece of shit,” I wheezed. “I won’t let you.”
“You won’t let me?” George barked out a laugh. “You won’t be able to stop Liz from dying. What makes you think you’re going to stop Hunter going the same way as his mother?”
“Like this.”
I grabbed the handle of my flick knife and brought it out, pressing the button as I jammed it against the underside of George’s chin. There was a fleshy, squelching noise and George froze, his eyes bulging. Then he coughed, and blood began to pour from his mouth. He slumped over me and I shoved him away, his blood splattering across my shirt and face.
Using my bandanna to wipe the blood away, I withdrew the knife and picked up the gun and chain. That was when I realized my hands were shaking. I couldn’t remember the last time I had killed someone, and certainly not someone I had considered a friend. I felt like I wanted to chuck.
But there was Liz. She couldn’t wait for me. Pushing myself to my feet, I swayed a little before stumbled towards the empty doorway.
I’m coming, Liz.
Chapter 47
Liz
I could hear a faint rumbling of voices nearby. One of them sounded like Noah. I wanted to scream for him. But, from the way Nate’s finger was hovering near the arming button on his phone, I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to press it. I wasn’t going to die like this.
Noah was going to get me out of here.
Then I jumped when I heard the sharp sound of a gunshot. Nate’s head jerked up and he groaned.
“What’s the fucking idiot doing now?” He put his phone away and drew out a gun, giving me a look before putting his fingers to his lips. “You wait right here and be quiet.”
“You think I’m going to go anywhere?”
Nate rolled his eyes and padded towards the door, moving to the side. Then there were footsteps. I knew that heavy footfall. It was Noah. And he was getting closer. I began to panic. He couldn’t come in here. Nate was going to kill him. I didn’t want to watch that.
Then the door swung open and Noah was there. He looked a sight, covered in dust and blood, his face pasty and sweaty. But he was the most welcoming sight I had seen in a while. I shook my head, trying to tell him to stay back, but it was too late. Noah hurried into the room, only to have Nate come up behind him and press his gun to the back of Noah’s head.
“Don’t try anything.”
Noah stopped. I saw the gun in his waistband and the flick knife and chain in his hands. And I could see the look in his eyes. He was waiting. He looked at me and his expression softened for just a moment.
“You okay, honey?”
“I’ll be fine once I’m out of here.”
Then Noah saw the jacket. His eyes widened and then narrowed as he growled.
“What the fuck did you do to her?”
“I made sure you couldn’t get to her without blowing everyone else up.”
Nate reached into his pocket and then I heard a beeping noise. Then it turned into a rhythmic beeping. I didn’t need to be a genius to know what he had done.
He’d armed the bomb.
Noah looked alarmed, his face whitening. Nate chuckled.
“You going to stand there and wait for her to die, Noah?” he goaded. “Or are you going to run? I know which one I’d do right now.”
He began to back away. Noah bared his teeth and growled.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
He kicked back, catching Nate in the stomach. Nate gasped and doubled over. Then Noah spun around and wrapped the chain around Nate’s neck, kicking the gun out of Nate’s hand. He yanked Nate upright, the other man scrabbling wildly at the chain digging into his neck, and then Noah spun. He swung Nate around and threw him into the wall. Nate clattered into it face-first and I heard a sickening crack. Nate’s head jerked back and then he slumped, Noah dropping the chain. Nate didn’t get back up again.
“Noah!”
Noah gave Nate a final kick in the head and then ran over to me. I wanted to throw my arms around him and kiss him, but that was impossible. Noah cupped my head and kissed me. I could feel his lips trembling. He was just as scared as I was.
But now was not the time to reunite in the way he wanted. I pulled my head back and indicated my back.
“Untie my hands. Quick! I’m losing circulation.”
“Hang on.”
Noah hurried around to the back and, moments later, I heard a sawing noise. Then the knife broke through the bonds and I could feel my hands fill with pins and needles. Then Noah was back, kneeling before me.
“You okay?”
“Ask a stupid question?”
“Sorry.” Noah indicated the jacket. “Can you take it off?”
I felt up at my neck. I had a collar on and it was wrapped around. There was a clasp, but the wires were across it. With it beeping away, I wasn’t comfortable in taking it off like that.
“I don’t think so.”
“How did he arm it?”
“With his phone.”
Noah scrambled over to Nate and began to search through his pockets.
“If he armed it on his phone, maybe we can disarm it the same way.”
I sincerely hope so. I didn’t want to be blown to pieces by a bomb. My instincts were to tear the thing off, but fear stopped me. I was getting the feeling back in my hands and I was beginning to wish they were tied behind my back again. I was getting fidgety.
“Shit!”
“What is it?”
Noah held up a phone with a badly cracked screen.
“It’s smashed. We can’t use it.”
“Fuck!” I felt like bursting into tears. “What are we going to do now?”
Noah came back over to me and cupped my face, resting his forehead against mine.
“Don’t panic. It’s going to be okay.”
“You’re not the one about to blow up.”
“Don’t talk like that. You’re not going to blow up.” Noah kissed me and drew back, digging into his jacket. “I’m going to call Diesel. He knows about bombs.”
“You should’ve brought him here with you.”
Noah gave me a hard look.
“No one was rescuing you except me,” he said darkly. “This I had to do alone.”
It was so medieval it was ridiculous. I rolled my eyes. “You idiot.”
“You
r idiot.” Noah found Diesel’s number and put the phone to his ear. “Diesel, it’s me. I’ve found Liz. She’s okay for now, but she won’t be in a second. She’s got a bomb strapped to her.” Noah growled. “Don’t ask stupid fucking questions, just talk me through how to defuse it.”
I winced as Noah slowly opened up the jacket. I couldn’t look down, but I could see there was some dynamite strapped to my chest and an assortment of wires. There was also a timer over my heart and it was counting down with rhythmic beeps.
