by Khloe Wren
He barked out a laugh and clapped me on the back before whistling to get everyone’s attention.
“Ride safe, brothers, and keep me posted. I want at least daily check-ins, Mac.”
We all nodded as we put our helmets on and saddled up, ready to ride. The roar of the three beasts filled the air as we rolled out ahead of the van and made our way out of town. My heart was heavy as we put Bridgewater in our mirrors. Missed my girls already. As we took off down the highway in the light of the rising sun, I sent up a prayer that Cleo was only cutting a new tooth and it would come through fast so she could be a happy girl for Zara while I was gone.
As we crossed the country, we only stopped when we absolutely had to. All of us wanted this run to be done with and in the past. We stopped to catch a few hours of sleep in Las Cruces in New Mexico before we kept going through to Moreno Valley. Blade hadn’t been kidding about the smoke from all the fires. The closer we got, the more eerie it was. By the time we’d finally arrived at the trailer Blade told me about, we’d put scarves over our faces to be able to breathe thought all the smoke. Blade’s place looked like it was a stiff wind away from falling down. The three of us backed up in a line across the front yard and Bank pulled the van up beside us on the road’s edge.
Bank came up to me. “Damn, this smoke is bad. You sure we’re safe here?”
I shrugged, feeling a little on edge myself at all the smoke. “Blade said the fire was heading away from here.”
I strode up to the door and before I could bang on the thing, it opened and revealed the man who’d once been the only man I’d trusted at my back.
“Blade, man, good to see you.”
“Same goes, Mac.”
We did that manly back-slap hug thing quickly before I pulled back to introduce everyone.
“Blade, these are a few of my Charon brothers—Eagle, Arrow, Bank and Jazz.”
Blade’s gaze took them all in. I knew from experience he was gauging the threat level of each man in mere moments. My club brothers gave him the same once-over, even Jazz. Kid had guts. Always made me nervous to bring an unknown on a mission, and that’s what a prospect was. Although, Jazz had been prospecting for well over a year now, so he really should be a patched in brother by this point. I’d never personally seen the kid in a fight, though, or handle a gun, so I was still cautious of having him at my six. But he was a Charon, so I did trust him to do his part. I knew Scout wouldn’t have sent him otherwise.
“Good to meet you all. Come on in and let’s get this party started. Can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this day.”
Blade hadn’t changed much over the years. Still had his short beard neatly trimmed, and the facial hair still did nothing to hide the sharp cut of his jaw. His steel-blue eyes were as ice-cold as always. The dark dress pants and buttoned up white shirt were the same too. Although, some of the ink his rolled up sleeves revealed hadn’t been there last time I’d seen him. But considering I’d filled in one of my arms down to the wrist since then myself, I wasn’t about to get on his case for not telling me about his new ink. He definitely still looked like the made man he’d been forced to become. Maybe once we got Sabella in the ground where the fucker belonged, Blade could break free and find a life for himself.
We all filed inside the trailer and instantly I could see an issue.
“I doubt we’re going to get this handled in one day—”
Blade held up his hand to stop me. “Let me stop you there. I don’t sleep here normally. There’s plenty of room for you all, assuming one of you doesn’t mind taking the couch.”
“That’ll work. Why don’t you sleep here?”
Arrow didn’t bother to hide the suspicion in his voice, which I could understand. I wasn’t sure what to make of the situation as it stood, either.
“This is my hidden place. No one in Sabella’s crew knows about it. The only way to keep it that way is to not spend nights here. As Mac knows, Sabella encourages us to rat each other out. If I was regularly sleeping out here, he’d know about it sooner or later and I need this place off his radar.”
Arrow raised his brow at me and I looked away. “Story for another day, brother.”
I’d never told the club about my history. They knew I had ties to some folks here in L.A., but not how those ties came to be. Scout knew a little more after what went down with Silk, then with Zara, but even then I kept it to the bare minimum.
“Blade? Where’s the info you got for us? We need to get a plan in place ASAP to get this shit dealt with.”
Zara
With a sigh, I ran my gaze over my fussy baby, who was currently crying and pulling her ear as she laid in her crib. In the two days since Mac left, she’s only gotten worse.
“Ah, baby girl, I don’t think it’s a new tooth at all.”
I leaned down and scooped her up in my arms and she instantly clung to me, rubbing her face against my shoulder.
“How about we take her into the doctor this morning? I’m thinking it might be an ear infection with the way she’s tugging on that ear of hers.”
With another sigh, I nodded to Donna. “Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. She’s been so healthy, it kills me when she’s sick.”
Donna came over and gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Means you’re a good mom if you feel it that deep. Don’t worry, every kid gets them and they’re easy to treat. Want me to call through to Dr. Stevenson while you get her changed?”
“Thanks, that’d be great.”
Since Donna worked at the hospital that also housed the doctors’ clinic, she knew who I needed to see without having to ask, which I was grateful for. I’d struggled to sleep deeply without Mac beside me. Add in worrying about Cleo being ill, and it’s been even harder for me to get enough rest.
Knowing I wouldn’t have long to wait, I set about getting my grumpy girl dressed and ready for the day while trying not to stress too much about what could be wrong with her. My mom-brain came up with all sorts of options, other than the obvious ear infection as I picked up and dressed my daughter. Donna helped me get a little food into her then we were off to the doctor.
“If I haven’t said this yet, thank you so much for you and Keys coming over while Mac’s away.”
“Oh, honey, you don’t need to thank us. We’re family, this is what we do. We look after each other. I’m just sorry I can’t stay with you today.”
I waved her off. “You have to work. Like you said, Cleo’s probably just got an ear infection. Doc will give me a prescription, and she’ll be back to full throttle in no time, I’m sure.”
Donna smirked with a nod. “Damn straight. Nothing will ever keep that little spitfire of yours down for long.”
I turned around to look at my poor little munchkin, who was looking utterly miserable in her car seat. It sure was strange to see her so quiet.
A few minutes later, we pulled into the clinic’s parking lot and I didn’t bother even getting her stroller out. I knew Cleo wasn’t going to let go of me while she was feeling so unwell. Once again, I was so damn grateful to have Donna with me, who dealt with locking the car and grabbing the diaper bag. At ten months old, Cleo was heavy to hold for any length of time, especially if she was sick and basically a dead weight in my arms like she was today.
After only waiting ten minutes in the waiting room, Dr. Stevenson called us through and after doing a fast examination of one very cranky Cleo, confirmed her ear was indeed infected. The internal part of me that was running every worst case scenario it could come up with finally started to relax.
“Cleo’s not allergic to anything, is she?”
“Haven’t found anything yet. Although, this will be her first time needing anything stronger than Baby Tylenol.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll prescribe some amoxicillin for her, and just keep an eye on her for a couple hours after the first dose for any reaction.”
And that quickly my mom radar was back up and running.
“What kind of reaction
?”
“If, and it’s a big if, she does have an adverse reaction, it’ll most likely be a rash, or she might start having trouble breathing.”
“Maybe we should try something else?”
“Zara, the chances are low that she’ll react to it, and anything else I prescribe has the same possible allergy risks. You’ll be fine. Just watch her closely for a few hours after the first dose, and if you notice a rash, bring her in, or if she’s having trouble breathing, call for an ambulance, okay?”
I took a few deep breaths trying to relax while the doc tapped away at her computer, sorting out the prescription. Donna leaned in and gave my arm a squeeze before she gently stroked Cleo’s hair.
“Try to relax, Zara. This is all totally normal and at some point, every kid gets an ear infection or two. We’ll get this handled in no time.”
A few minutes later, we were out of the clinic and Donna was wincing while looking at her watch.
“I’ve gotta go start my shift. Are you all right to drive to the pharmacy and back home? I can get Keys to—”
I waved her off. “I can drive, Donna. Thank you for all your help this morning. It’s been huge, but I’m sure I can handle things for a few hours on my own.”
When I was stressed, I got cranky. And Donna asking if I could drive me and my daughter home pushed me close to the edge. I was trying to not get angry with her, but dammit, I wasn’t a fucking child. Yeah, I had some medical conditions. Conditions I’d lived with for years on my own. Before Mac I was completely alone and I survived just fine. I appreciated my friends wanting to help, but there were moments where it got suffocating and had me wanting to lash out.
The look on Donna’s face said I’d hurt her with my words, but I knew if I said anything else I’d only make it worse. My emotions were all over the damn place this week. Especially when it came to the club. So before I said anything else I’d no doubt regret later, I turned and nearly ran to my car. As I strapped Cleo into her seat, I cursed silently that I didn’t ask if Donna had a way to get home after her shift. Hopefully Keys was free to come get her because once I got the medicine for Cleo, I wasn’t leaving the house again. And I kind of wished they weren’t staying with me now. I was also a little glad that Mac wasn’t here to see my losing my shit so badly over the fact everyone was being way too helpful and our girl was sick.
Chapter 5
Mac
We’d stayed up late the previous night, going over Blade’s information and tossing around ideas before we’d called it a night. Then, this morning, after we’d all gotten a few hours’ sleep, we got back to it until we had a plan formed. It was around noon when we finally got something solidly mapped out enough I felt comfortable reporting back to Scout.
The way he told me I’d be rewarded for all my work, combined with the way Arrow was watching me like a hawk, had me wondering what the fuck was going on. It also had me being a lot more careful of my every move and what I reported back to my president.
Using the secure app Keys created for us, I dialed Scout’s number as I sat back on Blade’s couch.
“Whatcha got for me?”
“Got a plan sorted out. Going to set it in motion as soon as you give the okay.”
“I like the speed you’re getting this shit done, brother. What’s the plan?”
“Basically, we’re gonna bait a trap and catch him that way. Blade knows of a secluded cabin that’s near the fires so it’ll be empty and no one will be around. The fires are predicted to cut in near it but not over it, so we’ll be safe enough but free to light the place up afterward to cover our tracks. We’re going to tell Sabella we have a couple girls for his stable that he won’t be able to resist. See if he bites. If he doesn’t initially bite, we’ll have to find some photos to use to prove we have what we’re trying to sell him. But Blade thinks if we play it right, saying we’re in a rush to move them because of the fires, he’ll jump without too much proof. He’ll no doubt bring extra security with him, but we can handle that.”
“And once you have the fucker?”
“We’ll get all the information we can about his human trafficking shit out of him, then take him out. We’ll stage it to look like he and his lackeys were trying to leave the cabin when the fire caught up with them.”
We just needed to make sure we didn’t kill with bullets or damage any bones when we used knives. We’d add accelerant to the scene to make sure they were nothing but charred bones by the time anyone finds them.
“Did Blade find someone who can take care of the women and kids?”
“Yeah, he’s found a cop off Sabella’s books and a shelter that’ll take them in.”
“Good work. Plan sounds solid, keep me posted as you go.”
We finished up the call and I stood to go find Blade, who was in the kitchen.
“We’re good to go. Put the message through to Sabella and let’s see if he bites.”
When Blade pulled out his phone, I grabbed his wrist. “Whoa. I figured you’d use a burner phone for this one.”
His cold gaze caught mine and stayed locked there. “He won’t know who it is if I use a burner. He’ll never go for it quickly. If it’s from me, he’ll trust the source and, hopefully, come running.”
“It also leaves a trail back to you.”
He shrugged. “Once Sabella is in the ground, I’m done here, anyhow. And who’s going to be left to figure it out? He’ll bring his most trusted with him and we’ll take them all out. The rest of his men have scattered with the fire evacuations, so it’s going to take a long time before anyone even thinks of looking at phone records. By then, I plan to be long gone.”
I opened my mouth to ask him what his plans were for afterward when he lifted his chin and pulled free from my grip on his wrist, letting me know he had no intention of continuing the conversation.
He typed into his phone for a few minutes before he slipped it back in his pocket. “It’s done. Let’s load up and get over there. I haven’t given him the address yet, so we’ve got time to get the place rigged up.”
It didn’t take long to round up everyone, then deciding to leave the bikes behind, we all piled into the van. We then headed over to the small cabin that was all but lost in among all the trees and shrubbery. Blade was right, it was perfect for what we were hopefully going to do here. The thick smoke in the air wasn’t ideal, but we had Jazz permanently on his electronic devices, monitoring the relevant websites for warnings and information on the fire’s progress.
When Blade got the message that Sabella was interested, it didn’t take long to pass on the location and to hear that he was on his way to view the packages. Excitement filled the air as we rushed to finish getting ready. Arrow set himself up a tree with a sniper rifle loaded with tranq darts. Eagle had the same weapon and hid himself up on the roof of the cabin. They both had scarves tied around their faces to help them breathe though this god-awful smoke. It really gave this whole situation a post-apocalyptic feel I didn’t like one bit.
I headed back inside the cabin with Bank and Blade. Jazz was sitting at the rear of the cabin with his phone and an Ipad on the table in front of him.
“Status on the fire?”
“If the wind stays as it is, we should be safe here. I’ll let you know the minute that changes. If it changes.”
“Good man.”
Then we waited. I’d checked my gun and knives several times by the time we heard an engine cut off outside the cabin.
“Game on, men.”
Jazz kept watching the screens, but pulled his gun free and held it on the table, pointed at the door, his finger against the barrel ready to slide down to the trigger if needed. I stood to the side of the door, ready to take out whoever came in and Bank followed Blade out, with his weapon out and ready. Unlike the rifles, we didn’t have tranqs for our handguns so if we shot, we needed to be damn careful where we hit them, but if it came down to their lives or ours, we’d deal with the bullets later.
“Who is your
friend, Blade?”
Sabella’s voice sounded exactly the same. Mac was certain his natural accent wasn’t as heavy as he made it sound.
“Just someone who found himself with a couple of packages he needed to move quickly.”
I heard Sabella’s growl from where I stood, a sure sign he was not happy about dealing with someone new. He was about to be a hell of a lot less happy once we got him inside.
“He goes by the name Bank, but he doesn’t talk much. You want to come and inspect the products, or what? That fire’s way too fucking close for my liking.”
Having the fire so near doubled in our favor at this moment. Not only would it help us get rid of evidence, it also gave us the perfect reason to be in a rush and for Blade to be more nervous than usual.
“This is not how we normally conduct such business, but yes, these fires are forcing all our hands on things of late. Take me to see them.”
“Follow Bank and we’ll get this shit sorted.”
Bank would hate having Sabella and his men at his back. I knew I would, but we had him covered. He strode through the door, followed by Sabella. Then over the next few seconds, our plan went like clockwork. I grabbed Sabella’s arm, spinning him face-first against the wall with his arm up behind his back and his face pressed against the rough timber of the cabin’s wall. Before he knew what was going on, I had the muzzle of my gun pressed to his side, below the ribs. Not an instant kill shot, but it’d fucking hurt and prevent him getting away if he tried anything.
While I was handling Sabella, Eagle and Arrow had darted his men as they’d attempted to follow him inside. I glanced over to see Blade slice the throats of the men before he moved to pull the darts free and pocket the evidence.
“What the fuck is going on?”
Yep, that accent wasn’t sounding very Italian at all now that the chips were down and he knew his life was at stake.
“You fucked with the wrong club, Sabella. The Charon MC always looks after its own, always rights the wrongs done against them and those they care about.”
