by Cat Mason
She is gone again.
Except, this time, the woman I love wasn’t taken. She is willingly running into danger and has no fucking idea what she is getting herself into. They will be sitting ducks. My chest tightens, my heart feeling like it is in a goddamn vise.
“When do we leave?” Schrader grinds out, balling his fists.
“Now,” I reply without hesitation. “Colt, stay here with Henley. Jinks and Doc take D.A.’s truck. Everyone else in the van. Huck drives.” I swallow hard, unsettling fear mixes with the welcome rage as I head for the door. “I just hope to hell the girls are still alive when we get there.”
Fear is not a welcome emotion in my life. It sure as shit is not one that I am used to dealing with.
And right now, I’m terrified.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Roanne
Pulling off the road at the top of Gladeville Ridge, Shy shuts off Henley’s SUV. “According to what I got off my brother’s computer, the house is down that way. Through the woods,” she says, pointing through the windshield. “I don’t want to risk them seeing headlights.”
“Okay,” I breathe, swallowing around the lump in my throat.
Shifting in her seat, Shy faces me. Reaching out, she squeezes my hand. “Shake off those nerves, girl. It’s time to even things up around here.”
Nodding my head, I open the door. “Let’s do it.”
Shy tucks a pistol and knife into her boot. “Here.” Holding up two guns with silencers on the end, she extends one to me. “Safety’s on. If it isn’t me, shoot first, ask questions later.”
“Got it.”
“And, Ro?” Her eyes harden. “Ivy’s mine.”
“How about we focus on that once we get in there without getting shot?”
“Let’s go,” she replies, jerking her chin toward the woods. “Keep your head down. I’m firin’ at anything that moves.”
Quietly, we close up the car, leaving the keys in the ignition, in case shit goes bad and we need to make a quick getaway. The woods are dense, making it nearly impossible to see two feet in front of your face with only the moonlight to guide you. Choosing to avoid the beaten down paths, may not have been the easiest way in, but it is the best way to keep from being spotted.
The element of surprise is really all we have going for us at this point.
I haven’t allowed myself to think about Jensen. There is no doubt in my mind that he knows I am gone by now. It won’t be hard for the guys to piece together where we have gone and why. He has to be furious with me. Shy and I broke the rules. Even I know that. The guys always take care of things. Instead of allowing that to happen on their terms, we are going behind their backs and taking matters into our own hands. I can only imagine the shit storm that will be waiting for Shy and I when we get back to the clubhouse.
If we get back.
Coming to the edge of the tree line, I spot the cabin. “Look.” I point, noticing one of the black SUVs. “That has to be it.”
Shy comes up beside me, her eyes scanning the property. “Looks like there’s only one guy on the front porch. They’ll be one doing perimeter sweeps. Maybe two.”
“I’ll guarantee she’s got a man on her,” I add, knowing Ivy will keep her ass covered.
Shy snorts. “And probably two or three in her.”
“Save the insults for when you’re bashing in her face,” I reply, edging around the tree in front of me. “Which way should we try to go in?”
“I don’t know about you,” Shy says, shifting to the other side of the tree. “But I’m thinkin’ ringin’ the doorbell isn’t gonna cut it.”
“If we’re goin’ in the back, we’re going to need a diversion.”
“Now you’re talkin’,” she agrees, flashing me a smile. “Something to draw those fuckers all to the front. Then, we boot in the backdoor and take that bitch out.”
“How the hell are we gonna pull off something like that?” I ask skeptically.
“You don’t hang around the club all your life without pickin’ up a few things.” Giving me a wink, she reaches into her pocket and holds up a small rectangle package wrapped in black and red paper. “And it just so happens that Uncle Huck left somethin’ on the bar this afternoon.” Her eyes scan the yard again, stopping on what looks like an old storage shed, not far from the SUV parked out front. “Give me two minutes. As soon as you see your opening, bolt for that back door like your ass is on fire.”
Not waiting for my answer, Shy hunches down and hauls ass for the shed. Ducking down, I watch her weave around the trees before disappearing behind some bushes. My breath catches, worried she will be seen, scared as hell she will get caught. But, I don’t have time to dwell on that long.
Shy dives out from behind the building, hauling ass toward the back door as the firecrackers start exploding from inside the shed. The man on the porch leaps to his feet. Throwing down his cigarette, he jumps over the railing and draws his gun. Running as fast as I can, I charge for the back door once his back is turned, ready to back her up.
Not bothering to check the knob, Shy boots in the door, her gun pointed and ready as she scans the kitchen. “Lock the door,” she tells me, heading for the front room. “I’ve got the front.”
Spinning around, I am met by a set of furious dark eyes. “Who the fuck are you?” the man from the front porch asks, grabbing for his gun.
Before I even realize it, I fire off two round, hitting him in the chest. He tumbles backwards, falling down the stairs. “Hell yeah,” Shy says, slapping me on the back. “Let’s check the bedroom.”
I nod, my hands still shaking from firing the gun. Closing the door, I flip the deadbolt just in case there is anyone else out there. The door on the opposite side of the kitchen flies open. The man who was with Ivy at the house charges out at Shy, knocking her to the ground. Not allowing him to pin her back to the floor, she rolls him to his side and knees him in the stomach when he grabs for her gun.
“That’s enough!” I shout, firing a shot into the floor beside him. He winces, his entire body going rigid.
Kneeing him again, Shy pushes him away. “Pussy,” she bites out, getting to her feet. Aiming she shoots him in the head, his body slumping to the floor, completely lifeless. “Where ya hidin’, Bitch?” she shouts, aiming her gun at the fucker in the floor. “It’s time to face the music,” she taunts, stepping toward the partially opened door.
“Johnathon was a good man. What a shame,” Ivy says, stepping out of the bedroom. Her eyes fall to, who I assume is, Johnathon, lying on the tile, showing no emotion. She looks less put together in her worn jeans, black hoodie, and sneakers, but the cold look on her face is exactly the same. “Why are you here, Cheyenne? To avenge a man who didn’t even love you? How does it feel to know that every minute spent with you, he was wishing he was with me?” Shaking her head, she laughs. “At least he knew when his cock was inside me, I wasn’t thinking of another man.”
My eyes snap to in shock. Cheyenne wavers, the color draining from her face as she lets the gun drop slightly. “Fuck you, Ivy.”
“Yes,” she says, a smile spreading across her face. “He did. While you were slaving away in the kitchen for the entire club, your husband was fucking me in your bed. He loved every second.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I ground out, kicking one of the kitchen chairs her way. “Have a seat.”
“Would you look at that?” She laughs. “The little mouse really does have claws after all.” Gracefully sitting in the chair, she takes her time crossing her legs and settling her hands in her lap. “Don’t you find it ironic that you’re here to kill the very thing you’ve become?”
“I’m nothing like you,” I reply, aiming the barrel of my gun right between her eyes.
“No, you’re not,” a smile spreads across her face. “I’m smarter.”
The pantry door beside Shy flies open, a man diving out grabs her by the hair, slamming her face into the table just as something slams into the back of my hea
d, knocking me to the ground. My gun skates across the floor, stopping at Ivy’s feet. My vision spins. Standing, she picks up the gun and steps toward me. “We have perimeter sensors set up around the property,” she informs me. “We knew you were here before you even shut off the engine.”
“Stupid piece of shit,” Shy grunts, trying to reach her other weapons in her boot.
“Oops,” one of the men say, stomping down on her leg. Falling back to the tile, she screams. “Better hold still so you don’t get hurt again.” Bending down, he yanks the pistol from her boot, tucking it into his waistband.
“Don’t hurt our guests too badly,” Ivy says, placing the gun on the counter, her sadistic smile nearly splitting her face. “Marco, you and Terry get them tied up and go out and make sure that fireworks show didn’t start a goddamn fire.” Her eyes move to me. “We’re going on a field trip. I want to see the room that dear old Daddy told me about.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Stone
“Here we go!” Huck shouts, turning onto the access road that leads to the cabin we believe Ivy is hiding out in.
“Something isn’t right,” I reply, unease settling in my gut
My fears are realized when we pull up and I see the body at the bottom of the steps. Not waiting for the van to stop, I fling open the door and hit the ground running. Drawing my gun, I head straight for the cabin. “Roanne!” I shout, not giving two fucks if anyone else is here. Storming through the opened back door, I take in the destroyed kitchen and the other dead guy at my feet. “Girls!” Frantic, I run through the cabin, searching every room.
“You got ‘em?” Torch shouts from behind me.
“No,” I breathe, meeting his eyes as he stops in the doorway. Shoving my gun into my holster, I ram my fist through the drywall. “Goddammit!” I scream, making another hole right beside it.
Anger courses through my veins, with no one to take it out on. I am angry at Roanne and Shy for putting themselves in this situation, even more at myself for not being able to stop those stubborn ass women from doing something so completely reckless. But, nothing compared to the fury I want to unleash on Ivy.
There is no doubt in my mind that she has them.
“What’s our next move, Prez?”
“We fucking find them.” Taking a deep breath, I push off the wall, knowing that I don’t have the luxury of standing still, even for a second. Moving outside, I spot Doc making his way down from the tree line.
“The girls okay?” he asks, looking around. “Jinks is bringin’ Henley’s car down. We found it parked at the top of the ridge.”
Jinks finding Henley’s car only solidifies my theory. “Ivy has them. And I think I know exactly where they’re headed.”
Driving to Alfred’s house takes too fucking long. There are too many cars on the road, too many stop lights, and nowhere near enough horsepower in this goddamn van. “Park on the street,” I tell Huck when I spot the black SUV parked in the driveway behind Ro’s car. Everyone piles out of the vehicles, weapons drawn and ready. “Surround the fuckin’ place. None of those fuckers leave here breathin’.”
My eyes follow a shadow as it disappears behind the garage. Doc claps me on the back. “He’s mine, Prez. We’ll seal the place off. You go get our girls.”
Nodding, I move for the front door with Schrader at my back. “You up for this, Brother?” I ask him, knowing that he is still recovering and that going without his crutches has to be painful as hell.
The door flies open, the guy storms out, slamming me into the stone pillar. His fist collides with my jaw, the taste of blood filling my mouth. “Come on, fucker,” I roar, busting him in the face with the butt of my gun, knocking him off balance. “This is a gun fight.”
Shoving him to the ground, Schrader fires off a round, shooting the bastard between the eyes. Looking at me, he smirks. “If you want me to hang back, you’ll have to shoot me,” he replies, unwavering. “Besides, you know I’ve always got your back, Brother. Nothin’ stops that.”
Nodding my head, I step through the opened front door, carefully checking every visible corner before moving out of the foyer. “They’re in the basement,” I say, heading down the hall.
“How the fuck do you know that?”
“Because,” I reply, yanking open the door. “It’s exactly what I wanted to do to the fucker who killed my parents.”
The lights are on in the basement, even the games in the arcade are lit up with the music playing. I keep moving, knowing that my girl is only feet away from me. My heart is racing, but my hands are steady. Roanne needs me. And, this time, I refuse to fucking fail her. It’s not an option.
“Do you honestly expect to get away with this,” Roanne’s voice echoes out of the opened storage room door. “You’ll never leave Legion Falls alive.”
“I already have.” Ivy’s voice is cool and callous. “Everyone who had anything to do with my father’s death is dead. I, singlehandedly, managed to manipulate powerful men into doing the work for me to get to this point. Richard, Hank, Troy, even an entire Brotherhood of goddamn thugs. Killing you two,” she laughs, “Is going to be icing on a very satisfying cake.”
Glancing at Schrader, standing outside the doorway, I hold up my hand. “Hang back and get the others.” He narrows his eyes, his jaw ticks. “It’s a waste of ammo to shoot you and I don’t want to set her off. I go in alone.” Schrader hesitates, but after a moment nods his head, his scowl turning into a smirk.
“You’re wrong about that, Ivy.” Stepping inside the room, I spot Ro and Shy kneeling on the floor, their wrists bound in front of them.
“Drop it, Stone,” Ivy barks, aiming her gun at Ro’s head. “Or I kill them both. Starting with your precious, Ro.”
Ro’s green eyes widen. She shakes her head. “No. Jensen, don’t,” she pleads. “Shoot her.”
“You’re here to save her,” Ivy says, shaking her head in disbelief. “You should be thanking me. I’m making everything right. The man who killed your parents is dead now, because of me.”
“I was here that night,” I tell her. “I watched the man who killed my parents die. Hell, I could’ve been the one to pull the trigger. Alfred was the man who made it happen, but I wanted it just as much as he did. You’ve been after the wrong man the whole time.” My eyes move to Ro again quickly, catching the tear that slips down her cheek. Holding up my hands in surrender, I step forward and place the gun on the edge of the sink. “Let the women go. It’s me you want.”
She raises a brow. “Did you think I didn’t know that, you bastard?” she grounds out, raising the gun in her hand. “Just like I knew you’d come here to try and save the little mouse you love so much.” Rolling her eyes, Ivy looks down at Roanne and huffs out a breath. “I’ve spent years at that goddamn clubhouse, playing the perfect little club whore. I sucked dick for secrets. Took everything any of the brothers had to give me, waiting to find that one weakness that would break you. Killing you was never going to be satisfying enough. Death doesn’t scare you, Stone.” Pointing the gun at Ro again, she smiles smugly. “But living without her does.”
I catch movement from Shy and Ro out of the corner of my eye. Glancing at Shy, I shoot her a glare as she wiggles, silently warning her not to fucking move. “Roanne is not my weakness.” Taking a step toward Ivy, I keep my voice low, not wanting to do anything to set her off, since I am too far away to stop her. “She’s my strength, the piece of Heaven I don’t deserve.” My gaze hardens. “And the love I have for her is the only reason I didn’t storm in here and empty my gun into your skull.”
“And that makes you weak,” Ivy fires back. Dropping her eyes to Ro, Ivy presses the gun to her temple. My heart leaps in my chest. Immediately, I begin going through the scenarios in my head, trying to figure out the best way to get Ivy away from my girl without her being able to squeeze that trigger. “How does it feel to know that your love for him is what killed you?”
Letting her eyes drift closed, Ro breathes deeply,
her face giving nothing away. “He has killed for me. I’ll gladly die for him.” Squaring her shoulders, she opens her eyes, locking her gaze with mine. “But, not today.”
Ro’s body shifts, her elbow ramming into Ivy’s side, causing her to wobble unsteadily on her feet. The gun goes off, the bullet barely missing Shy, ricocheting off the sink and hitting the tile. Pushing up on her knees, the ropes fall from Shy’s wrists as she rams a small steel blade into her hip. “Ah! You fucking bitch!” Ivy’s gun falls to the floor as I scramble to grab my own.
Storming into the room, Schrader shoots, hitting Ivy in the upper thigh. Crying out, she falls to the floor. “Hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it?” he asks, smug as fuck. “Though we all know how much you love takin’ one in the ass.”
“Big talk for a worthless fuck,” she spits, glaring at him.
Walking over, Schrader presses his boot to her throat, grinning when she begins to choke. “Now, there’s a noise I don’t mind comin’ from your mouth.” Bending at the waist, he braces his other hand on the shelving unit and stares her down. “You even move,” he warns, bending at the waist and pressing the gun to her cheek. “I’ll blow your teeth down your goddamn throat.”
Heading for Roanne, I drop to my knees and loosen the knots on the rope, freeing her wrists. “I’m pissed as hell right now. I hope you fuckin’ know that,” I ground out, pulling her tightly to my chest. She sighs, her body melting into mine. Tipping her chin up, I search her eyes. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
“Pop!” Jinks shouts from behind me. “In here!” Quickly, he is at his sister’s side, helping her to her feet and checking her over as the rest of the guys start filing into the room.
The moment Schrader removes his foot from her throat, Ivy gets mouthy. “You think you’ve won?” she asks, breathlessly. Sitting up, she rubs her neck with her blood-stained hands. “That this is over? This is just the start of the hell that’s about to rain down on you. You killed an innocent man, Stone. Justice demands you pay for that. I demand you pay for that.”
