“Jordan,” I said, still frightened of losing him. I took a deep breath and told him how I felt. I needed to. “I meant what I said. You might think it’s wrong but… I think I’ve really fallen in love with you.”
His eyes narrowed. “You hardly know me.”
“I know.” I laughed nervously. “Look, I just wanted you to know in case… this turns out really, really bad,” I said, nodding toward the window.
Sighing, he turned around and walked out the door.
Chapter Thirty-five
I knew the moment I heard her confession that I couldn’t afford to leave Reaper alive anymore. He needed to go and I needed to return her back to Iowa. I didn’t know if she really loved me or not, but if she did, I had to get out of her life.
I crept down the stairs and headed toward the other cabin, noticing that our visitors had entered inside. Although I expected the invasion, knowing that they were in my home pissed the hell out of me. If it wasn’t for the fact that I wanted to leave the place to Sammy someday, I would have burnt it to the ground with them in it.
When I reached the other property, I hid behind some trees and scanned the perimeter for other bikers. I found one trying to get into the shed and I grit my teeth when I saw him break the lock. I raised the M16 but then changed my mind. Even with the suppressor, it would still catch the others’ attention. Instead, I snuck around the house and caught the intruder by surprise. Sure enough, he was wearing a Devil’s Rangers patch.
“Find anything?” I asked, standing behind him.
Surprisingly, he didn’t even question my voice. “Found a Harley, he isn’t going to be needing this anymore,” replied the heavyset man, chuckling.
My eye twitched as he leaned forward toward my bike. Before he could touch it, I grabbed him by the neck and snapped it.
“Dover! You in there?” hollered a voice, moving toward the shed.
Trapped, I raised the gun and shot him in the chest when he saw me.
He fell backward before he knew what hit him.
Knowing that the others would have heard the gunshot, I raced away from the shed, to the back of the cabin.
“I heard a shot,” said a voice, stepping out of the doorway. “Dover? J.D.?”
Recognizing Todd’s voice, I crept around the side of the house. As I inched my way closer, the wood underneath me creaked.
Fuck.
Todd stepped around the corner.
“We meet again,” I whispered, aiming the M16 at his head. “How unfortunate for you.”
He raised his hands in the air but played it cool. “You’re not going to shoot me.”
“Really? I let you live once before. That was a one-time gift, Todd.”
He smiled. “Is that right?”
I noticed that he was looking over my shoulder. I quickly fired the gun at Todd and then leaped over the porch railing as a bullet grazed my shoulder.
“I hit him!” hollered a deep voice as I ran for cover behind a tree. “I think he’s down!”
From my hiding spot, I watched the cabin door open and two men stepped out. One stood about my height and the other towered over him.
“Who’d you hit? The Judge?” asked the big guy, throwing a cigarette butt out onto the grass.
Frowning, because he’d been smoking in my cabin, I raised the gun, hoping it was Reaper’s life that I was about to put an end to.
“Put your gun down,” growled a voice behind me.
I hesitated.
“Get your hands in the air and put your goddamn gun down!” he ordered.
Sighing, I dropped it and raised my arms.
“I got him!” he hollered toward the others.
“Bring him here,” called the big guy.
“You heard him. Let’s go.”
“Fine,” I said, looking over my shoulder. When I noticed what was behind us, I couldn’t believe me luck. “Better watch out for that bear.”
He laughed. “I’m not falling for that.”
“You know we’re in Alaska, right, moron?”
The grizzly made a snorting noise and the man holding the gun at my back, looked over his shoulder.
“Jesus, it’s a fucking bear!” he hollered, swinging his weapon around. Before he could shoot the bear, I kicked him in the lower back and he flew forward, landing on his knees in front of the Grizzly.
Startled, the bear raised himself onto his hind legs and moved toward him
I hurried away through the bushes as a gun went off. It was followed by blood-curling scream.
“Hold it right there,” said a familiar voice, stopping me in my tracks.
I turned around to find Brett holding a gun to my face.
Chapter Thirty-six
I paced the boathouse until I heard the gunshots. Terrified, I ran over to the window, to try and see what was happening, but it was too dark. Then I heard another blast and then a third.
Something is wrong.
I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. Jordan was outnumbered. He needed my help.
I saw the front door of the other cabin open and two figures walk out. One of the men was so large, that I knew it could only be Reaper. I rushed to the door and opened it up, to see if I could hear what exactly was happening.
“Jesus, it’s a fucking bear!” hollered a man’s voice in the distance.
I sucked in my breath as another shot was fired. Then there was a loud, horrific roar, followed by a man screaming.
Oh my God, was that Jordan?!
With my heart pounding in my chest, I grabbed my gun and snuck down the stairs, knowing that I was disobeying Jordan’s orders, but convinced that he needed my help.
Fortunately, the cabins were surrounded by plenty of trees, so I was able to sneak over to Jordan’s main cabin unnoticed. As I crept closer, I could hear the voices.
“So, this is the great and powerful Judge,” sneered Reaper, walking around Jordan, who was being held at gunpoint by Stryker.
Jordan didn’t reply.
“Where’s the bitch?” asked Reaper.
Still, he held his tongue.
“You’d better answer if you know what’s good for you,” said Stryker.
Jordan’s lips curled into an angry scowl. “Fuck you, Brett. You’re nothing but a back-stabbing asshole.”
Brett?
Wasn’t that Jordan’s government friend?
“Don’t take this personally,” said Stryker. “Reaper and I have a much more significant past then you and I. Fact is, I owe him a lot more than I owe you.”
“I saved your life,” snapped Jordan.
“I know. I’ve given you enough information over the years to pay that back. Saved your ass a number of times, too.”
“I guess the real question is, who’s going to save yours tonight? Not this big gorilla,” sneered Jordan, smiling coldly.
Reaper raised his fists and smashed Jordan in the face. Not once, but three times.
Horrified, I covered my mouth to keep from screaming.
“You done being a smartass?” asked Stryker, when Reaper stepped back. “Because it’s not helping your situation.”
Jordan spit out a wad of blood. “So? It makes me feel better.”
“Dammit, enough with the bullshit. Tell us where that bitch is,” demanded Reaper..
Jordan looked at him. “I think you’re the bitch. You certainly hit like one.”
Reaper’s face turned red. He grabbed Jordan’s shirt and this time, head-butted him.
Jordan fell backward and then slowly got up.
“I’m not going to ask you again,” growled Reaper. “Where is Jessica Winters? If you don’t tell me, I’m going cut off each of your fingers and shove them down your throat.”
“Why don’t you start with this one,” said Jordan, raising his middle.
I stifled a giggle. There was blood running down his nose and he was weaving back and forth, but his sense of humor was still intact.
Reaper swung at him again, his knuckles con
nected with Jordan’s jaw and I gasped as this time, he dropped to the ground and remained motionless.
Reaper’s head whipped around and I saw him staring in my direction. “Did you hear that? Over there,” he said to Stryker.
“You over there, darlin’?” called Stryker, walking toward me, a sinister smile on his face. “Come out and play with us. Come on, now. Don’t be shy.”
Frozen in place, I glanced again at Jordan. He wasn’t moving and I didn’t know what to do; I was so terrified.
“Go and get her,” ordered Reaper, turning his back on Jordan.
As soon as he did, Jordan’s hand snaked out and it was then that I saw the knife. He slashed it across the back of Reaper’s tendon, through his jeans, and the man roared in pain.
Stryker turned back around to see what was happening. “What the fuck?”
“He cut me!” growled Reaper, who’d stumbled to the ground, several feet from Jordan. He pulled out a gun and aimed it at him. “You’re dead, motherfucker.”
“No!” I screamed, racing through the trees toward them with my own gun now pointed at Reaper. “Drop your fucking gun!”
Reaper looked at Stryker. “Get her.”
“You drop the gun, Jessica,” said Stryker his gun trained on me. “Now.”
“Goddamn it,” mumbled Jordan, staring at me through two swollen eyes. “Don’t you ever listen?”
There was a growl from the woods and we all turned to stare at the angry Grizzly now stumbling toward Reaper and Jordan.
“Jesus Christ,” yelled Reaper, struggling to get to his feet. “Stryker, shoot that fucking thing!”
“Jordan! Run!” I hollered. He also appeared to be transfixed on the bear.
Jordan came to life. He got to his feet and raced toward me as Stryker’s gun went off.
“I thought I told you to stay in the boathouse?” he snapped, as we began to run away from the others.
“I thought you needed my help.”
“Stop and give me your gun,” he said suddenly.
I gave it to him.
“Hurry and get back to the boathouse. Hide and call Slammer. Tell him what’s happening.”
“What are you going to do?” I asked in horror as he started walking back.
“I’m finishing this.”
“No, just come with me,” I begged, running toward him. I grabbed his hand. “Please.”
“Jessica, for once in your life do what I fucking ask,” he demanded sharply. “Before you get us both killed.”
His words stung.
Hurt, I turned and ran back toward the boathouse. As I made it up the staircase, I heard the shots. They were immediately followed by the sound of police sirens.
Chapter Thirty-seven
“Ma’am, do you know the man who owns the cabin next door, Samuel Larson ?” asked Sheriff Harris Parker, an older man with kind blue eyes.
“No,” I said, sitting in the other cabin. The one owned by Annabelle Hunter. I’d told the police that I’d been renting it and didn’t know anyone in the area. “I’ve never met Mr. Larson. In fact, I don’t think he’s even been home this week.”
“Obviously, you heard the screaming or the shots from next door?”
“To be honest, I was watching a movie in the bedroom. I didn’t hear anything,” I lied, still wondering where Jordan had disappeared to. The police had found the bodies of Reaper, Stryker, and the other club members, some shot and two mauled by the Grizzly. Apparently, someone had been on the lake had heard all of the commotion, so they’d radioed it in. “Do you know who they were?”
“The victims?” he asked. “They appear to be bikers, belonging to some club called the Devil’s Rangers.”
I pretended to be surprised. “A motorcycle club? I had no idea there were any in this area.”
“So, you had no idea of what was going on next door?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Are you staying here alone?” he asked, looking around the cabin.
“Yes. I just broke up with my boyfriend and needed a place to think, you know?” I said, my eyes filling with tears.
His eyes softened. “Sorry to hear that. You’re from Iowa, huh?”
I’d showed him my driver’s license. I was pretty certain that if he checked up on me, he’d find out who my step-dad was. For now, however, I wasn’t about to give up that bit of information freely.
I nodded. “I’ll be going home soon. I don’t think I can stay here, after what happened next door.”
“I don’t blame you. There are a lot of bears in this area, too. In fact, two of the victims were attacked by a grizzly.”
I put a hand to my chest. “Oh my God, are you serious?”
He scratched his scraggily chin and shook his head. “It’s a scene out of a horror movie over there.”
“It sounds like it. I’m glad I didn’t see what happened, to tell you the truth.”
“You’d have nightmares, that’s for sure. Well, I know that you want to go back home, but I’m going to have to ask you to stick around for a few days. We might have some more questions for you.”
“Sure,” I replied. “I really didn’t see anything, though.”
He stood up. “Maybe not, but if you end up recalling anything unusual, about the last couple of days, be sure to give me a call.”
I had to stifle a laugh. Everything about the last few days had been unusual. “Yeah. Definitely.”
He tipped his hat and smiled. “Good night, Ms. Winters. Don’t forget to lock this after I leave. Obviously, it’s not safe around here for a young woman, all alone.”
Nowhere was safe these days, I thought.
***
After he was gone, I found Jordan’s other cell phone and called my mother. I’d tried calling Slammer, before the cops had arrived, but he hadn’t answered the phone.
“Thank God,” she said when I reached her. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of you.”
“I’m okay,” I said. “Jordan had to get rid of his other phone. I thought he would have told Slammer about it already.”
She began to cry.
I frowned. “Mom, what is it?”
“It’s… Slammer. He… He’s been murdered,” she sobbed.
Chapter Thirty-eight
Jordan never returned to the cabin, but I learned from Raptor, the next day, that he’d taken off when the cops had arrived.
“I get why he left when the cops should up, but why didn’t he come back for me afterward?” I’d asked, still frustrated.
“Because of someone named Brett Stryker. Stryker had information on him and Jordan was worried that the Feds would figure out who he was and arrest him.”
“Wasn’t Stryker killed?” I asked.
“Yes, but Jordan thinks that Stryker might have kept information on him. He didn’t want to take any chances.”
“So what in the hell am I supposed to do? My mother needs me. I have no money. The sheriff said I needed to stick around here for a few more days.”
“Fuck him. Leave a note and get back here. We’ll wire you some money for the plane ride back.”
I began to relax. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Have they found out who killed Slammer yet?” I asked. From what I’d heard, he’d driven to a movie-drop-off kiosk and someone had shot him in the back of the head.
“We’re not sure exactly. There was one witness that claimed a woman did it, though. The club thinks it could be a girlfriend or an Old Lady of the Devil’s Rangers.”
“A woman?”
“Yeah.”
“They get a description?”
“Guess she was wearing a hoodie and dark glasses. The only other description they had was she was light-skinned with medium height and build.”
So, not a lot to go on. “How is Tank doing?”
He sighed. “He’s wrecked. They were pretty close, you know?”
“Yeah. I know. You two were pretty close as well.”<
br />
Raptor was silent and I could tell he was trying to stay composed. The poor guy had lost two people, in the last few days. I had a suspicion that Slammer had meant even more than Mavis.
“I’m going to miss him,” he said, after a while. “He was like a second father to me.”
“I know he talked highly of you,” I said.
“He loved you too, Jessica. He really did.”
My eyes filled with tears. I’d been trying not to think too much about his death, but the truth was, he’d grown on me. I was definitely going to miss him. “I could tell. I still can’t believe he’s gone.”
“I know. Tank’s determined to find out who did it and settle the score. He doesn’t care if it’s a woman, either. He’s looking for blood.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. “It’s just never going to end, this feud. And Tank’s going to go to prison if he gets caught. Slammer wouldn’t want that.”
“No, but Slammer would want retribution,” said Raptor.
“Maybe,” I said. One thing for certain, I was going to move my mother out of Jensen, whether she liked it or not.
“We’ll set up the wire so you can buy a plane ticket home.”
“Okay. When’s the funeral?”
“Not sure yet. They’re doing an autopsy and it could take a little longer.”
“Oh.”
“We’re cremating him,” said Raptor. “Slammer always wanted his ashes spread out on the freeway.”
I’d heard him say that before. He wanted Tank to release his ashes after giving him one last ride on a Harley. “I remember.”
“Well, I gotta go. Hold tight and we’ll get you back here.”
“Sounds good. Oh, and Raptor?”
“What?”
“Do you have a phone number for Jordan? I’d really like to talk to him.”
He didn’t say anything.
“Raptor?”
“Sorry, but he specifically told me not to give you his number.”
I grit my teeth. “Really? Why not?”
“He said you were a distraction that he couldn’t afford.”
Fearing The Biker Page 18
