“She’s doing everything right, man,” Levi says.
That doesn’t help. I didn’t do everything right. I should have gone with her.
The man walks her around to the passenger side, opens the door and tries to put her in. Savvy starts to struggle again. He lifts his gun high in the air, then hits her in the side of her head with the butt of the gun. Blood runs down her cheek and her body goes limp in his arms. He knocked her out cold with one hit. The brown car comes into view again as the man drags Savvy to the back of her car. He tosses her in her tiny trunk like a piece of luggage, then closes the trunk over her. He walks over to the passenger side, takes Savvy’s purse out of the seat, then throws it in the trashcan on the sidewalk. The man walks over to the Chevy and rests his hands on the passenger door. He has a conversation with the driver, then he gets in Savvy’s car and takes off. The man in the Chevy pulls behind Savvy’s car and follows them.
“Wait, back that up about ten seconds,” Max says. Levi backs it up, Max says, “Stop, right there!”
“What is it? What do you see?” Adrian asks.
Max points to the license plate on the brown Chevy. “We’ve been looking at the wrong person. This doesn’t have anything to do with Reno. Those are the two men I hunted down in Texas and arrested for burning down Deuces bar,” he says. Max sits down at a computer and starts typing. “Fuck!” he shouts, banging on the table, sending keyboards rattling.
“What the fuck is going on? You better start talking,” I say.
“Len Jarvis and Ray Young were released from prison three months ago on a technicality. They should have been brought to Washington for their crimes here. Why wasn’t I told about this?” Max roars. “All of you go home and stay with your women and kids, no one is safe until I catch these two motherfuckers,” he continues. “These two are out for revenge and anyone connected to me is at risk. Chase, go to the hospital, get Chloe and bring her back here. Do not, I repeat, do not let her out of your fucking sight!”
“No way! These fuckups have one of our own; you’re not doing this by yourself. Willow and the kids are still at Wellington Corp. for a party. I’ll call my driver and have him take Willow and the kids to my mother’s,” Asher says.
“I’ll go home and get Shay and the kids and bring them back here,” Adrian says.
“Can you have your driver bring Amelia and Noah, too? Noah is in daycare in the building with your kids. I’ll call her and tell her what’s going on and that your driver can take them directly to Samantha’s. Tell him that they are not to talk to anyone or go anywhere in between,” Kyle says to Asher.
“Ava is at Wellington Corp., too. They’re all there. They all got together and threw her assistant, Reagan, a bridal shower after hours,” Jax says.
“Stop! Everyone. No one is safe, not even at Samantha’s house. Asher, call your driver, tell them to get everyone that’s at Wellington Corp. Then instruct him to go pick up Samantha at her house, Chloe from the hospital, and Shay and the kids from her house. Pick up Quinn and the girls from Jax’s house, too. Tell him to bring them all back here. Do not tell any of them what’s going on. The less they know the better. Does your driver carry a weapon?” Max asks.
“Always,” Asher replies.
“Make sure he knows exactly what’s at stake here. I want him to have eyeballs in every direction. I don’t care if he’s your driver or not, if he fucks up I’ll kill him myself. He’s got my wife and our family in his protection,” Max warns.
“Fuck man! When the women find out what’s going on, that it’s one of our own in trouble and we’re not telling them, they’re all going to go ballistic,” Asher says.
“I’ll take that risk,” Max says, getting up. Asher gets on the phone and instructs his driver. Max sits back down and says, “Pull up the rest of the footage and tap into the traffic cams. Follow the path of Savvy’s car. I want to know where they’re going. Damn it! We can’t even track her cell phone; they threw it in the trash. Someone get on the phone and tell Gary what’s going on,” Max says, throwing his own cell phone at the monitors. “No one leaves this building, that means you, too, Aiden. You will all follow my rules and we do this my way. Anyone tries something, I’ll shoot you in the knee caps and ask questions later,” he says.
Max, Levi, and Chase are still tracking Savvy’s car through traffic cameras. I nervously pace back and forth between the reception waiting area and the surveillance room. I feel like I just need to be out there doing something. Anything is better than pacing the carpet.
Twenty minutes later, Asher’s driver, Simon, walks in with all the women and kids.
“Samantha, why don’t you take the kids back in the safe room and put on a movie,” Willow says. Samantha takes all the kids except for little Sammy, who is sleeping in Shay’s arms. “Aiden, what the hell is going on? Why were we all brought here?” Willow asks, once the kids are out of the room.
I don’t want them to worry. I don’t want to alarm them, but the look on my face must give it away.
“Where’s Savvy?” Amelia asks, looking around the room.
Max walks into the room along with Asher, Kyle, Adrian, and Jax. All their wives rush into their men’s arms. What I wouldn’t give to have Savvy in my arms right now.
“Max, what’s going on? Where’s Savvy?” Chloe asks.
“I need you all to stay here. Stay in the safe room until you hear differently from me or one of my men. We’ve got it under control. Simon, I want you stationed outside the front door. No one except me or my men are allowed in or out. Do you understand?”
Simon nods his head and exits the building.
“You’re keeping me here? Over my fucking dead body. Whatever it is you’re planning, I’m coming with you,” I tell Max.
“No, you stay here. If I have to knock you out, or shoot off your knee caps, I will. No one except me or my men are leaving this office. The rest of you stay here and protect our women and kids,” Max says.
“Asher and I were with you, we helped you rescue Chloe and Amelia. I can help you. I’m coming with you,” I demand.
“This is different. You all have families to protect here,” Max yells, pointing in the direction of the safe room.
“My life, my family, is out there somewhere. She’s probably scared out of her fucking mind. I sure as fuck am going to be there when we find her. You have family here, too. This isn’t different,” I yell.
“This is different! It’s my fucking job and you’re going to stay here to protect my wife and the rest of your family. I’ll bring Savvy back to you, I promise,” Max says, lowering his voice.
“You’ve promised to keep Savvy safe twice now and you’ve failed both times,” I remind him.
Chapter 7
Chloe
The men are out in reception cussing and shouting at each other, having a pissing contest about who’s going to rescue Savvy. I look out the door at the tense situation and get a brilliant idea.
“Willow, cover for me. I’m going to go spy on the surveillance room and see what I can figure out,” I say, calling her over to the door.
“Go,” she whispers, looking out the door.
I sneak down the hallway and listen outside the surveillance room. Levi and Chase are watching several monitors of street camera footage. They’re tracking movement on Savvy’s VW Rabbit. The monitor on the left is on a continuous loop playing footage outside of Savvy’s condo. I watch in horror as she’s grabbed, knocked unconscious, shoved in her own trunk and carjacked.
The other monitors are still tracking her carjackers movements. Her car pulls into an old abandoned warehouse, then rolling doors are closed behind her car and a brown vehicle as well. I know exactly where this building is. It’s downtown in a rundown warehouse district.
I quietly go back to the safe room and call a powwow with the women, while Samantha keeps the children entertained.
“What’s going on? Where’s Savvy?” Willow whispers.
“Savvy needs our help. So
meone carjacked her outside her condo, I saw the whole thing. Max has it all on surveillance,” I tell them. They all gasp and huddle a bit closer.
“Max has my condo under surveillance?” Ava asks.
“Levi and Chase are getting the last of their intel right now. The men are still arguing about who’s going or not going. Max will probably be calling in reinforcements, but it will take them time to get here. I don’t think we should wait. I think we should go rescue her ourselves,” I tell them.
“I think we should let Max handle it,” Quinn says.
“I’m not going to sit around and wait for them to get men here and make their plan, while Savvy is being held by two men doing God knows what to her. The longer they have with her, the worse this is going to be,” I tell them.
“Oh my God, that’s a brilliant idea,” Shay says.
“Wait, how do we know where she is?” Ava asks.
“I know exactly where she is,” I tell them all.
“The men are not going to be happy with us at all,” Willow says with a devilish smile.
“Willow, I’m sorry, but I think you should sit this one out and stay here with the kids and help Samantha. Plus, we need you here to distract the men. They can’t find out that we’re gone,” I tell her cautiously.
“You’re out of your mind! I don’t want to miss all the fun?” Willow whines.
“Honey, you’re pregnant,” Amelia reminds her.
“So! Pregnant women can go on rescue missions and be a badass,” she pouts.
“You’ll do more by staying here. Trust me. Once they find out what we’ve done, the shit, also known as Max and our husbands will hit the fan. We need you here to slow them down,” I tell her. “Besides, Asher will kill me if you come,” I finish.
“Shit, you don’t think Max isn’t going to kill you when he finds out what you’re up to,” Willow says.
“I can handle Max, and I can handle myself, too. Max has been taking me to the shooting range. I know how to handle myself and a gun. We need to do this right now,” I tell them.
“One gun and a couple of women isn’t enough to head up a rescue mission,” Quinn says.
“Sure it is. But, Quinn, I need you to stay here with Willow and help her. Samantha can handle all the kids. You two stay back and handle the men. Ava, Shay, Amelia, and I will go to the warehouse and get Savvy back.
“Are you sure about this?” Ava asks.
“I’m positive. If anyone wants out, you need to say so now,” I tell them.
“I’m in,” Shay says.
“I’m in, too,” Amelia says.
“Fuck, I’m in, too,” Ava says.
“Good. I just need to go get my gun out of the safe in Max’s office, then we can go,” I tell them.
“Uh, just one problem. How are you all going to get out of here? Simon is guarding the front door,” Willow says.
“My husband owns this building. I know this place inside and out. It’s not a problem. I’ll be right back,” I tell them.
The men are still at it in the front. I sneak back into Max’s office and get my gun out of the safe. I strap on my small-of-the-back gun holster, put my scrub top over the top of it, grab extra bullets and head back to the safe room. Just as I get back inside the safe room, Max turns around and walks back inside the surveillance room, then starts talking to Levi and Chase. He orders his men to get on their phones and start calling in favors. He said to have everyone meet here in fifteen minutes. He has men coming in from all over the state and Canada. They’ll go over the plan, then head out to the warehouse.
“Alright girls, we need to go now. Quinn and Willow, it’s your job to stall them as long as you can without giving away what we’re up to,” I tell them.
Ava walks over to Quinn, Sky, and Hope, and gives them a hug. “Keep the girls safe,” she tells Quinn.
Shay walks over to Micah and Makayla and gives them a hug, then she walks over to Samantha who has little Sammy, and kisses him on the cheek.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she tells Samantha.
“You girls be smart, and be safe. We’ll take care of everything here. Bring back what belongs to us,” Samantha says.
Amelia walks over to Noah and gives him a hug and a kiss, then walks back over to everyone else. “Let’s do this. Let’s get Savvy back,” she says.
Max
“I don’t have time to stand around here with you and argue. No one moves. I’m going to see what Chase and Levi have figured out,” I tell them, and walk back into the surveillance room.
“What do you have?” I ask Chase.
“We were able to track her all the way to an abandoned warehouse downtown. The VW and the brown Chevy are still inside. It looks like it’s only the two men and Savvy. This should be an easy in and out extraction,” Chase says.
“While we’re waiting for men to get here, I want blueprints of the building and I want one of you to go out there and make sure none of the men leave. I will not put any of their lives in jeopardy. This is on me. This family has been through too much already. I will not have them put in harm’s way, too,” I shout at the two of them. I don’t care which one of them has to babysit, but one of them sure as fuck is.
Levi and Chase look at each other and do rock, paper, scissors. I’d roar like a fucking lion at them to stop playing games, but it’s over before I can open my mouth. Levi lost. He groans and gets up from his chair.
“Pack heat. I’m dead serious. If you have to shoot one of them in the leg, do it. Not one person from that family leaves this building. Check on the women in the safe room on your way,” I tell him. He grabs his gun from the safe in the room, nods his head, then walks down the hallway. I stand just outside the doorframe and listen. Just as Levi gets to the door, it opens. Willow steps out and runs into him.
“Oh, sorry, didn’t see you,” she says.
“Is everything alright in there?” Levi asks, craning his head to look inside the room.
“Yep, we’re all watching a movie with the kids,” she says.
“Stay inside the room,” Levi warns gently.
“You got it,” she says, and goes back inside the room.
Levi nods at me, then goes to watch the men out in reception.
Within ten minutes, there are three burly men that you do not want to fuck with in my office. Several more men are on their way, but it will take longer for them to get to my office, so they’ll meet us at the warehouse. Chase and I go over the details and form a plan. Everyone is packing major heat. This should all be over in thirty minutes. I can bring Savvy back to this family and hopefully earn Aiden’s trust back.
We head out to the front and I’m stopped by Aiden. “Please, I’m on my knees begging you, please let me come with you. I’m no good here. I need to be there for her when you get her. She’ll be a mess and I need to be there to pick up the pieces,” Aiden tries one last time.
“I know you want to be there. Trust me. I get that. Stay here with your family. We’ll be back in less than an hour. I give you my word,” I promise him.
Aiden balls his hands into fists, yells at the top of his lungs, then punches his hand straight through the drywall. Levi grabs him and forcefully makes him stay as we get ready to leave.
“Jax, give me your keys, I’m going to take your H3,” I say, holding out my hand. He tosses me the keys, then Chase, Ben, Luke, Ton, and I leave the building.
I chirp the locks and the four of them get in. I reach for the door handle and freeze. Something is off, I can feel it. I scan the parking lot and count the vehicles. One of the Explorers is missing. “Fuck!” I shout.
“What is it?” Ton says, standing on the running board.
I feel it in my gut. She wouldn’t do something this stupid. She just wouldn’t. Please God, I’ll do anything. Just tell me she hasn’t done what I’m afraid she’s done. I turn around and run back inside the building. The second I walk back inside the door, Aiden is all over me.
“Oh, thank God, I
knew you’d see it my way. Let’s go,” Aiden says.
“Out of my way,” I shout, pushing through everyone.
“What’s going on?” Asher asks, following me.
“Get out of my fucking way!” I roar.
Everyone follows me to the safe room door. Willow opens the cracked door, moves into the hallway, and closes the door behind her.
“We’re all good in here,” she says with a shaky voice.
“Out of my way!” I shout at her.
“Hey! What the fuck man? Don’t shout at my wife!” Asher yells at me, grabbing my arm.
I rip my arm out of his hand, place my hands on Willow’s arms, physically pick her up off the ground and forcefully move her out of the way. I throw the door open and startle a bunch of the kids in the room.
“Where is she?” I shout and scan the room. My heart sinks, my gut is always right. I turn around and shout at Willow, “Where is she?”
Jax, Adrian, and Kyle walk in the room, scanning for their wives. Asher pulls Willow into his hold who is now crying.
“Where’s Amelia?” Kyle asks Willow gently.
“Why isn’t Ava in here with you and the girls?” Jax asks Quinn.
“Where’s my wife? Someone better tell me what the hell is going on?” Adrian yells.
“They all went to rescue Savvy. You guys were just arguing. Nobody was actually doing anything about it. Somebody had to do something,” Willow yells.
“Nobody was doing anything!” I shout. “That’s all I’ve been doing, planning and arranging her extraction. You can’t just go in there without a plan or people set in the right positions!” I shout. “Quinn and Willow stay here with Samantha and the kids. And when I say stay here, I mean stay the fuck here! Everyone else get in the surveillance room, now!” I yell. “Levi, pull up the surveillance footage for this parking lot,” I demand. It only takes a few seconds and I see Chloe, Ava, Shay, and Amelia getting into one of the Explorers. Sticking out of the back of Chloe’s scrubs is the butt of her gun. I could never mistake her custom purple glock.
Unexpected Chance Page 9
