“What?”
He crouches down. “See for yourself. Be careful and be quick ’cause they have a guy going around the room closing the curtains.”
We trade places, and I inch my head up until I can see into the room. The middle section of the floor is wide-open, revealing a hidden room underneath. It’s not a huge space, but it’s deep enough that steps are mounted on either side to access it. Men, wearing The Sainthood’s leather cut, traipse into the room from outside, carrying boxes of various sizes down into the compartment.
Galen fists my hoodie, yanking me down just as a man approaches the window. We stare at one another, barely breathing, only relaxing once everything goes dark and the light fades. “Fucking hell,” I whisper. “Guess now we know how your mom gets access to drugs.”
“It wasn’t just drugs,” he whispers back. “Judging from the size of some boxes, they’re hiding weapons there too.”
“I wonder how long it’s been going on?”
“He installed the cameras two years ago. Said it was for mom’s protection because I was often gone for days at a time, but that was bullshit. He fitted cameras to protect his investment.” His jaw stiffens, and anger burns in his eyes again.
I need to get him away before he loses control. I squeeze his hand. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Even though the curtains are now drawn, we take no chances, bending down low until we pass the ballroom, and then, we race back the way we came.
I round the corner first, slamming into a hard chest. I open my mouth to scream when Galen’s hand wraps around my mouth from behind, stalling me. “It’s Saint!” he whispers. “Chill.”
I look up into the foreboding face of Saint Lennox. He’s dressed all in black, and he has a hood over his head, cloaking his features. “What the actual fuck is going on? I’ve been blowing up your cells. Why did neither of you pick up?” he snaps. His blue eyes pin me in place, and anger bleeds into the air on all sides of me.
“We left our cells upstairs, and there wasn’t time to go back for them,” Galen explains. “What’s wrong?”
“We’ve got a problem to solve.”
“At four a.m.?” I ask.
“The Bulls have been set free, and they’ll be coming for us. We need to strike first.”
“You have a plan?” Galen asks.
“Of course, we do.” I hear the smirk in his tone. “Let’s get the fuck out of Dodge. You can update me on the way to meet the others.”
CHAPTER 29
Harlow
“I’M SO FUCKING sorry, man,” Saint says after Galen has given him the cliff notes version of my convo with Alisha. He didn’t miss much, confirming he wasn’t in such a deep sleep after all. We also explained what we saw going down in the ballroom. “Fuck that bastard!” Saint slams his hands down on the steering wheel as aggression rolls off him in waves. The car swerves on the road, and it’s a good thing it’s empty this time of night.
“Pull over, and let me drive.” I poke my head through the gap in the two front seats.
“I’m fucking driving.” Saint barks, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I wasn’t fucking asking,” I snap. “Pull the goddamn car over now.”
The brakes screech, and I’m jolted forward as Saint slams on the brakes in the middle of the road. I don’t know why I’m surprised. He thinks he owns the fucking streets.
“Jesus Christ. Was breaking my ribs not good enough?” Galen asks. “Now, you want to give me whiplash?”
“Blame the princess,” Saint growls, getting out of the driver’s side door.
I climb out from the back seat, walking up to him and prodding my finger in his chest. “Listen, asshole. You don’t have the monopoly on murderous rage. We’re all fucking pissed, but getting us killed on this road tonight won’t serve any good purpose.” I jab my finger in his chest again. “And in case you’ve forgotten, my dad died in a car crash, so shut your fucking face.”
Gripping my hips, he pulls me into his body and kisses the shit out of me.
I’m smirking as I pull back. “Is this our thing now?”
“I don’t know, baby.” He grabs handfuls of my ass. “Is it?”
I palm the bulge in his jeans. “Your body speaks for itself.”
His hands drift to my waist, as his expression turns serious. “You fix shit with my cousin?”
“I did. We did.”
“Thank fuck.” He presses a kiss to my forehead, and it’s a tender sweep of his lips, one that almost unravels me. I love Saint’s alpha possessiveness, but every so often he shows me a softer side, and I love it just as much. “He’s going to need you now more than ever,” he murmurs, his lips lingering on my skin.
I tilt my head back so I’m looking up at him. “We all need each other.” I place my hands on his rock-hard chest. “Just when I think things can’t get any more fucked up, they do.”
“We need to keep the others focused and on track.”
I reach up and kiss him softly. “We will. Now, get your sexy ass in the back seat, and tell us what’s going down.”
_______________
“That’s their clubhouse?” I ask, peeking around the corner to catch a glimpse.
“You don’t sound impressed.” Caz chuckles.
“I’m not. It’s like some giant bloated silver box. I was expecting something grander, more like The Sainthood’s training facility.”
The warehouse in front of us is rudimentary, at least from the outside. It’s a big corrugated iron warehouse with a flat roof and a few token windows on both sides. It’s nestled between a couple of local businesses. A place that sells hardware and other DIY supplies. A carpet store, and a kitchen and bathroom showroom. It’s in a quiet part of Fenton though, off the beaten track.
“Don’t let that exterior fool you,” Theo says, tapping away on his iPad while Saint and Galen scan the structure with binoculars. “It’s a lot more sophisticated inside. The outside is mostly a front.”
“How are we getting in?” I whisper though there’s no need.
Theo lifts his head briefly, smiling at me. “I’ve just disabled their security system and all the cameras in the area.”
I dart forward and kiss him quickly. “You’re fucking amazing. Sometime, when we’re not trying to save my ass, you’ve got to tell me how you developed such mad skills.” Theo was always super handy with technology, but the stuff he can do now is on a whole other level.
“He’s a genius,” Caz agrees. “There’s no way we could pull off half the shit we do without him.”
Theo returns his gaze to his screen, but I spot the telltale bloom on his cheeks and the slight tilt of his lips.
Caz and I share a look, and I wonder.
“Have you run the heat scan?” Saint asks, lowering his binoculars and crouching down, unzipping his black duffel bag.
“On it now, boss.”
“You mean boss man,” Caz says, winking at me. “As opposed to boss lady.”
“That has a nice ring to it.” I grin at Caz, and I fucking love how he can effortlessly reduce tension and lighten the mood. I blow him a kiss, and his grin expands as he slides his hand into his boxers, cupping his junk.
“Later, babe,” I mouth. While it’s good to defuse tension, I don’t want to distract the guys either. Blowing up the enemy’s clubhouse is serious business—especially if we are to get in and out without detection.
“How do we know they aren’t in there?” I ask. “And what happened to our original plan?”
“The original plan of attack was to target all the main players’ homes at once, but that takes coordinated effort. After we got word the authorities had let The Bulls go earlier tonight, and they weren’t pressing charges, we needed a plan we could implement quickly,” Saint explains.
“How the fuck did they pull that off?” Galen inquires, scanning the area back and forth with his binoculars.
“How does anyone?” Saint says, shrugging.
“They hav
e the cops in their pocket,” I surmise, holding out my hand as Saint drops a couple things into my palm.
“The cops or someone with authority,” Saint says. “Except it doesn’t add up because it’s well known the Fenton cops have been trying to pin something on The Bulls for years. They have a major drug problem in the area, and the police chief has put the blame squarely on Ruben and his crew. This should have been open and shut.”
“The coast is clear,” Theo says, handing Saint his tablet. “The decoy fire at the warehouse worked like a charm.”
I guess that answers my second question. I turn the mask Saint handed me over in the palm of my hands, smiling. “Angel masks? Really?” I giggle as I trace my finger over the wings on either side of the black mask. They meet at the top of the mask with a fine silver dagger dissecting them.
“We are saintly after all,” Galen says, grinning, and I’m glad this is distracting him from tonight’s bombshell revelations.
“Let’s get this show on the road.” Saint hands Caz a set of pliers before zipping the bag up and slinging it over his shoulder. We all put our masks and gloves on and pull our hoods up over our heads before sprinting across the road toward The Bulls’ clubhouse.
My heart is thumping wildly, and my veins are buzzing with excitement. There’s nothing like a little retribution to get the juices flowing.
Caz snaps the padlock on the front door, and I step forward, snatching the lock pick from his hands. Sliding it carefully into the lock, I narrow my eyes and peer into the hole, giving it a little wiggle in the right place. The clicking, pinging sound is music to my ears, and I’m gloating behind my mask as I push the door in.
“I think you might be out of a job,” Theo says to Caz, and Caz chuckles.
“Stay focused,” Saint snaps as we step into The Bulls’ domain. “Keep alert.” He comes up behind me. “Princess, you’re with me.” He distributes guns and flashlights, handing a Glock to me. I unlock the safety and curl my hand around the trigger, lifting my head and scanning the dark hallway. Saint keeps the bag, leading us forward with the aid of a flashlight.
We emerge from the hallway into a wide-open space. Saint and Galen move their flashlights around, illuminating the room a bit at a time. There’s a fully stocked bar on the right-hand side and two pool tables on the left. A myriad of couches, tables, and chairs are dotted around the space. Club paraphernalia hangs on the walls.
Saint dumps the duffel bag on one of the pool tables while the guys head out into the back corridor. “What’s back there?” I ask, knowing Theo has already inspected the floorplans.
“Kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms,” Saint says, carefully removing two cans of gasoline.
“Old school?” I arch a brow as my lips tug up.
“There wasn’t time to make a bomb,” Saint says. “And we don’t want to damage the adjacent properties. A bomb would blow the whole street apart.”
“All clear,” Galen says, coming back into the room. He grabs one of the cans from Saint and starts throwing it over the furniture and floor.
“Let me,” I say, putting the safety on the gun and slipping it into the pocket of my hoodie. “I’m the one they’re trying to kill.”
“Have at it, princess.” Saint hands the second can to me, and I move to the other side of the room, tossing gasoline over everything I come across.
When we’re done, we throw the cans away, backing up to the front hallway. Theo and Caz walk backward, holding a long rope. They drape it along the ground all the way to the front door.
“Outside, princess,” Saint demands, holding the door open for me.
I pout, wanting to watch, but Galen stretches his arm back inside, pulling me out. “We need to get the car.” I run with him around the corner, hopping in the passenger seat as he slides behind the wheel. He powers up the engine, and the brakes squeal as we peel out of there.
Saint, Caz, and Theo are racing toward us when we round the bend, and a loud pop pierces the still nighttime air as they open the back doors and scramble inside. “Woo-hoo, motherfuckers!” Caz shouts, pumping his fists in the air. “Take that up the ass!”
“Fuck you, Ruben,” Saint says, flipping his fingers up at the burning building as we take off.
_______________
“Oh my God,” I say when we are back at the barn in Prestwick Forest. “That was such an adrenaline rush.” I finish bandaging Galen’s torn knuckles, smiling up at him. “You’re done.”
“Thanks.” He hesitates for a brief second before planting a soft kiss on my lips.
“Our princess has a hard-on for danger,” Caz says, winking. He’s sprawled across the large leather recliner, his bare feet hanging over the arm.
“Damn straight, but that’s nothing new.” I grin at him.
“It sends a clear message,” Saint says, still in business mode. He pulls my feet up on his lap as we sit at opposite ends of the couch.
We’ve all showered and changed. I’m in sleep shorts and a long-sleeved sleep top, and the guys are all bare-chested and in sweats. If I wasn’t so dead on my feet, I would be crawling all over their sexy asses, but I desperately need sleep. It’s after six now, and daylight is breaking.
“But they won’t stop coming for you.” Saint rubs his hands up and down my legs, and warmth penetrates bone deep.
“We need to find some dirt on them. Something that is irrefutable, that no damn connections can get them out of,” I suggest.
“I hate to say this,” Theo says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head as he hands me a mug of hot chocolate. My heart swells at the gesture. All the small things he does tells me how much he remembers and how deeply he cares. “But we need Diesel’s help.” He sinks onto the smaller couch beside Galen.
“We don’t need granddad,” Saint growls. “We’re capable of dealing with this problem on our own.”
“I’m with Theo on this,” Caz says. “Lo’s life is at stake, and we don’t have the time or the right resources to really nail their asses.”
“We should explore all options,” Galen agrees. “And personal shit has to stay at the front door.” He drills a look at his cousin.
Saint scowls as he brings a bottle of beer to his lips. Putting my mug down, I crawl up the couch, nestling between his legs with my back to his chest. His arms automatically circle my waist, and I angle my head and look up, touching his face. “He isn’t a threat to what we have. He and I were a thing for five seconds, and it was over before we got together. You need to let it go. He can help, and we’d be stupid to turn that down.”
Everyone waits for Saint’s response, and I run my fingers back and forth across the underside of his prickly jaw while I wait for him to process his shit.
“I’ll try,” he admits after a minute. “But I hate that fucking guy.”
Caz snorts. “You hate any guy who’s been inside the princess.”
I send a glare in Caz’s direction. “Not exactly helpful and not entirely true considering everyone in this room has been inside me.”
“He has access to stuff I can only dream about,” Theo says, appealing to Saint’s strategic side as he refocuses the conversation. He hands me my hot chocolate again, and I smile over the rim of the mug. “We’ll get things done much faster with his help.” I drink the chocolate goodness while Saint thinks about it.
“All right,” Saint concedes, fastening his arms more tightly around my waist. “But I’m not promising I won’t hit him.”
I shake my head, yawning as my eyes fight to stay open.
I guess I nodded off sometime after that because the next thing I know I’m being shaken awake. “Babe.” Warm fingers brush hair off my face. “You need to get up.”
“Go away.” I swat at Saint’s hands, pulling the pillow down over my face. Soft snoring and heat from another body confirms I’m not the only one having trouble waking up.
“Theo has found something important. He needs us all downstairs.”
The covers are whipped off me, and
I groan, yanking the pillow off my head, sitting up and scowling. Saint is perched on the edge of the bed, smirking at the state of the bird’s nest on top of my head. I was too tired to dry it last night, so I just pulled it into a bun, and I’m sure it’s a hot mess. I look over my shoulder at Galen. He’s still passed out, and he actually looks peaceful in sleep. “Do we really have to wake him?”
Saint pulls me into his lap, nuzzling his nose in my shoulder. “I don’t want to, but we have to.”
I rest my head on his shoulder, yawning. “Did you sleep here too?”
“I did. You were practically comatose, so I carried you to bed. Galen followed, and I didn’t think you’d mind if he joined us.”
“I don’t mind although we do need to buy a bigger bed.”
“Truth.” Saint pecks my lips before leaning across and slapping Galen across the cheek.
I jerk my head up, glaring at Saint. “Was that fucking necessary?”
“Jesus, man.” Galen sits up, rubbing his reddened cheek. “You’re a raving asshole.”
“Tell us something we don’t know.” I slide off Saint’s lap, crawling to Galen. “I’ll kiss your boo-boo better,” I tease, leaning forward and pressing my lips to his cheek. He pulls me down against him, wrapping his arms around me. I rest my head carefully on his shoulder, not wanting to press on his sore ribs.
“Touching as this is, we need to get our butts downstairs before Theo loses his shit.” Saint stands, and I can’t ignore the monster erection in his pants. I lick my lips as heat swamps my lower regions. “You are such a naughty, naughty princess.” Saint smirks at me, adjusting himself in his sweatpants. “If you’re a good girl, I’ll let you suck my dick after breakfast.”
I flip him the bird. “I’d rather choke on my own vomit.”
“Wow. What a lovely visual,” Caz says, his head appearing at the top of the stairs. “You need to get down here stat.”
The Sainthood : A Dark High School Romance (The Complete Series) Page 52
