by L. Wilder
“Where are you taking us?”
“Shut your fucking mouth and move before I put a bullet in your friend here.”
I did as he ordered and started walking forward. I took a quick glance around, hoping there might be someone who could help us, but we were behind an old brick building without a soul in sight. Gary motioned me to the back door. Once he’d reached into his pocket for the key, he unlocked the deadbolt, then waved his gun forward, directing us inside. The lights weren’t on, so it was difficult to see as we made our way down a long dark hall. When I stumbled, I got a hard shove forward and another round of shouting. “Move your ass!”
“Please, Gary... Don’t do this,” Mazie mumbled. “Just let us go.”
“Not gonna happen.” When he turned on his phone’s flashlight, I could finally see that we were inside a strip club. It wasn’t as big as Stilettos, but it had two stages with a small bar in the back. Gary grabbed me by the arm and led me over to one of the chairs, then forced me to sit. He towered over me as he snarled, “I’ve seen you with him. I know you’re seeing one of those Sinner assholes. I know what they did!”
“What are you talking about?”
“They got my liquor license pulled, had my power cut off, maxed out all my credit cards, and froze all my goddamn accounts! They not only stole my girls, they fucking crippled me!”
After seeing what Jared had finagled with my stuff, I knew he was talented, but I never imagined he was capable of doing all the things that Gary just rattled off. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You know damn well they’re responsible for this!”
“There’s no way they could’ve done all that.”
“Stop with all the fucking lies. I’ve heard the stories. I know those damn assholes are behind it.” He reared back and slapped me cross the face, busting my lip. He looked down at the blood trickling from my mouth and smiled, clearly pleased with what he’d done. “I’ll admit, I never planned on taking you, but with those dickhead MC boys always following the girls around, I didn’t have a choice. Looking at you now, I’m thinking it was all for the best. You’re gonna put on one hell of a show.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, you’ll see.”
A sinister look crossed his face as he reached into his back pocket. When he pulled out a syringe, Mazie gasped. “What are you going to do with that?”
Without answering, he plunged the needle into my arm. I felt the sting of the drug burn through my tricep, and my heart started to race as I tried to imagine what he’d just given me. The adrenaline pumping through my body only made the drug work that much faster, and it wasn’t long before the room started spinning. I felt like I was going to get sick when my head fell back, and my body went limp in the chair. One more breath and my world went dark.
Menace
“Running solo today?”
“Yeah, brother.” I hadn’t had a chance to go by and see Jagger since Aubrey and I got back from Billy’s, so I decided to take the morning and visit with him for a bit. “Just me today.”
“Where’s the girlfriend?”
“She had plans with the ‘ol ladies today.” I was pleased that Jagger looked like he was doing pretty good. There were no bruises on his face or hands, and that ol’ spark in his eyes had returned—which was something I didn’t expect. “You seem to be doing well today.”
“Yeah, I’m making it okay.”
“You get set up with that new counselor chick?”
“I did.” Jagger ran his hand over his thick beard and shrugged. “I gotta say, she’s not at all what I was expecting.”
“Sounds like that’s a good thing.”
“Yes and no.” His eyes skirted around the room. “I think she means well, and she might even be helping me a little with some issues, but I don’t know, brother. She’s just not the kind of woman who needs to be in a place like this.”
“I figure that’s up to her to decide.”
“Nah, brother.” Clearly bothered, Jagger shook his head. “She wouldn’t have to come to this place if that dumbass lawyer of mine hadn’t sent her here.”
“She could’ve taken a pass, but the fact is, she did come. And if she’s helping you at all, then I’d say it’s a good thing. So, just let her do the job she’s been hired to do.”
“You’re right, but I hate this bullshit. I think the whole thing is so fucked up.” His face grew red with anger as he grumbled, “Her coming here just so I can get a fucking parole hearing. It ain’t right.”
I was tired of seeing my brother locked behind bars in that fucking orange jumpsuit, so I replied, “But it’s what you gotta do to get the hell out of this place, so do it. We’re all ready for you to get your ass home, brother.”
“I hear ya, but I still don’t like it.”
“Understood.”
Jagger glanced over his shoulder, checking to see if anyone was close before he leaned over to me and whispered, “So, the last time you were here you asked me about that Rossi motherfucker.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I did some asking around, and most of his dealings are out West. I figure you know that. Seems he and his mafia bunch are big into meth, and they’re branching out all over the state. The boss got locked up for murder, and with Rossi behind bars, it’s put a real strain on the business.”
“So, you think having them behind bars is gonna slow them down?”
“Nah, man. From what I’m hearing, these guys have the kind of money that can buy them out of just about anything.”
“If that’s the case, then why the hell are they locked up now?”
“I hate to break it to ya, brother, but these guys are exactly where they wanna be.”
“What the fuck?”
“I know. It’s fifty shades of fucked up. I’ll try to do some more digging, but I wouldn’t plan on either of these assholes staying locked up for long.”
That wasn’t the news I was hoping to hear, but I can’t say that I was all that surprised. We’d had dealings with men like Rossi and his crew in the past, so I knew firsthand that if anyone wanted to get the best of them, they’d have to expect the unexpected. I was trying to wrap my head around the thought when Kip, one of the guards and the club’s contact came over to me. “You need to go.”
“What?”
“Club’s trying to reach ya.”
“About?”
“No idea. Just know it’s urgent enough for me to tell ya to get your ass to a phone.”
“Got it.” I stood and Jagger’s brows furrowed with concern as I said, “I’ll be back when I can.”
With that, I rushed out of the prison and straight to my bike. Knowing I couldn’t carry it inside, I’d left my burner in my saddlebag. I quickly took it out and saw that I missed several calls from Lynch. I immediately dialed his number, and when he answered, I asked, “What the hell is going on?”
“We got a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
“It’s Aubrey.” My stomach twisted into a knot as I listened to him say, “She and Mazie are missing.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? She isn’t at the restaurant with Jess and the other girls?”
“She never made it.” I got on my bike as I listened to him say, “I saw her over at Mazie’s place. Talked to her a minute. She told me that she and the girls were going to grab some lunch. I needed to fill up my tank, so I told her I’d just meet them over there.”
“Wait, you left them alone?”
“It was only for a few minutes, brother. Just long enough for me to hit the gas station on the way to the fucking restaurant. I went straight there afterward, and Aubrey promised they’d do the same.”
“Goddamn it, Lynch! You know better than that shit!”
“I know, brother. I know.” I could hear the regret and distress dripping from his words as he said, “I’m sorry. I just wasn’t thinking.”
“No, you fucking weren’t!”
“I know you’re pissed, and you have every right to be, but Hawk and Shotgun are with me now. Country and Rafe are on their way. We’re thinking Gary had something to do with this but haven’t been able to track him down. But don’t worry, brother. We’ll find them.”
“You damn well better.” Before I started my engine, I told him, “I’m on my way back. Call me if you hear anything.”
I shoved my burner in my pocket and took off for home. My mind was racing a mile a minute, wanting to do something, anything, but I was fucking stuck. I had no idea where the hell she was, and there wasn’t a goddamn thing I could do about it. I didn’t have my laptop with me, so I couldn’t use it to track Aubrey’s phone. I tried not to think the worst as I sped out of the parking lot and out to the interstate. I knew my brothers would do everything they could to find her, but sadly, it did little to ease the blood boiling through my veins. My mind drifted to what Jagger had said about Rossi. Even though I felt certain that Gary was behind their disappearance, there was part of me that wondered if he’d seen through our scheme and had gotten to her. If it was Rossi who had managed to find her and had gotten his hands on her, it would be the last fucking thing he did. Same for fucking Gary. If either of them touched a hair on her head, they were as good as dead.
As soon as I got back into town, I went straight to the clubhouse to find Lynch and the others. When I pulled through the gate, I found him standing in the parking lot with Viper and Axel. “Any word?”
“Sorry, brother. There’s been no trace of them, but we’re still doing what we can to track them down. Country and I went over to Gary’s place, but there was no sign of him or the girls.”
“Damn it!”
Viper placed his hand on my shoulder. “I know you’re worried about your girl, but we’re gonna find them, Menace. You have my word on that. We just need to take a breath and think this thing through.”
“I’m trying, but it’s hard to think straight when I don’t know what the fuck is going on.” I knew Viper was right. Me freaking out wasn’t doing anybody any good, so I took a couple of deep breaths and tried to slow my racing mind. “Maybe I can track Aubrey’s location with her phone.”
“Hold up,” Lynch told me as they all followed me inside and down the hallway. “Her phone and Mazie’s were in Aubrey’s car.”
“Damn, where the fuck is her car?”
“Parked over at Mazie’s apartment.”
“Fuck!” I felt like I was running in circles and wasn’t sure which direction to take next. I thought back over what we knew: Aubrey and Mazie were at Mazie’s apartment, her car was still there, and her phone had been left behind. I couldn’t imagine how Rossi could’ve found her, but the thought was weighing on my mind as I sat down at my desk and turned on my computer. “You think this is Gary bullshit, or this has something to do with Rossi?”
“This isn’t Rossi. Not after everything Billy did, but this isn’t the time for a guessing game. You’re here now. Do what you can to track them down.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to do that without her fucking phone?”
“How about checking the security feed from Mazie’s apartment complex?” Lynch suggested. “At least then we could see who we’re dealing with.”
Without waiting for him to say anything more, I plugged in Mazie’s address and located the name of her apartment complex. Once I had the name, I was able to search the company running their security, and it wasn’t long before I’d hacked into their security feed. It took some time to find the camera closest to her apartment, but when I spotted Lynch in the parking lot, I knew I’d found it. I pointed to the screen. “Got it!”
“Okay, let’s see what the fuck happened.”
I sped through the day’s feed, watching as he talked to Aubrey, then headed back over to his bike. Aubrey went into the apartment, and it wasn’t long before she and Mazie came rushing out the door and to the parking lot. They went straight to Aubrey’s car and were putting something in the back seat when a man with a baseball cap and glasses came up behind them. I watched in horror as he took the butt of his gun and slammed it against the back of Aubrey’s head. He aimed his weapon at Mazie, then ordered her to help him get Aubrey into the back of his fucking, white Toyota. I pointed to the screen once again as I said, “It’s Gary. That’s his fucking car.”
“Okay, that’s good. Now we know who we’re dealing with.”
“Yeah, but where the fuck is he?”
“Hawk and Shotgun are headed over to the Pink Pony to see if they’re there.”
Thinking I could check the security footage there, I turned back to computer, but stopped when I remembered I’d killed the power. “Fuck, I can’t get eyes on the inside.”
“I’ll send word to Hawk to keep a look out for the white Toyota.” Viper took out his burner and said, “If it’s at the Pony, I’ll tell him to hold up until we can get there.”
“Yeah, that’s good.”
After Viper sent the message, we all headed out to Lynch’s SUV. Seconds later, we were pulling through the gate and on our way to the Pink Pony. I was feeling tied up in knots when Lynch looked up into his rearview mirror and said, “I’m sorry about all this, Menace. I should’ve never left them alone like I did.”
“What’s done is done, man. Let’s just get the girls home safe and put an end to Gary’s bullshit for good.”
He nodded, then turned his focus back to the road. I knew he felt bad about what happened, and to be honest, it was a mistake that any one of us could’ve made. Unfortunately, that didn’t change the fact that Aubrey’s life was in danger. She’s already been through so much, and it gutted me to think that we’d let someone like Gary fucking Patterson get his hands on her. And I could tell from the tension in the truck radiating off my brothers that they felt the same way.
We were only a few blocks away from the Pink Pony when Viper turned back to me and said, “Just got word from Hawk that Gary’s car is there, but no lights are on in the building, and it’s too dark to see if they’re inside. Don’t want them going in without backup, so I told them to hold tight until we got there.”
I nodded, then leaned back in my seat and tried to calm my racing heart. I couldn’t imagine what the fuck was going on inside that damn place, but I had a feeling it wasn’t good. I tried to keep my unease in check as we pulled into the Pink Pony’s parking lot. With the power out and no cars in the lot, the club looked completely abandoned. As soon as Lynch parked, we got out of the SUV and rushed over to join Hawk and Shotgun at the back of the building. When we approached, Hawk stepped over to us and said, “Back door is open. Not sure about the front. I didn’t want to take the chance on our friend picking up on the fact that we were here.”
“Have either of you been inside?”
“No,” Shotgun answered. “We were waiting on you.”
Viper motioned his head toward the door as he ordered, “Keep your eyes open. We have no idea what this guy’s got going on in there.”
“Understood.”
With Shotgun in the lead, we all slipped through the back door and started inside the bar. As soon as I saw how dark it was, I immediately regretted cutting the power off. It would’ve been nice to be able to see where the fuck we were going. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as Shotgun used his small flashlight to lead us down a long, narrow hallway. When we rounded the corner, we spotted a glimmer of light shining up on one of the stages. There was a faint sound of a song playing, like one would expect to hear from a cellphone or a small radio, but with it being so dark, I couldn’t see much until we got closer. That’s when I spotted Aubrey up on the stage.
She was twirling around the stripper pole completely exposed in nothing but her black lacy panties, and she looked like she was stoned out of her mind. From the moment Aubrey walked into my office, I’d set it in my head that no other man would ever see her like this, and rage pulsed through me when I spotted Gary sitting at one of the tables with a large f
lashlight in one hand and a gun aimed at Mazie’s head in the other. He was forcing Mazie to go down on him while he watched my Aubrey parade around on the stage.
“I’m gonna fucking kill the motherfucker.”
I took a charging step forward, but stopped when Viper extended his arm, blocking me from rushing over to Gary. “Easy there, brother. We don’t want him doing anything stupid.”
“I want him dead, Prez,” I growled with fury. “I want him to burn for this shit.”
“Oh, he will... Just let me and Shotgun handle this.”
Even though I hated it, I did as I was ordered and stood back as Viper and Shotgun made their way over to Gary and Mazie. Gary was so distracted by Mazie’s mouth that he didn’t even notice when Shotgun came up behind him and aimed his Glock at his head. “Drop the gun, asshole.”
“What!” Gary gasped as he sprang to his feet with his tiny pecker hanging out of his pants. He first aimed his gun at Shotgun, and then over to Viper. Scrambling for some kind of leverage, he reached down and grabbed Mazie by the hair, forcing her to her feet, and positioned her body in front him. He placed the barrel of his gun at her temple as he stammered, “B-back the fuck off or I’ll pull the fucking trigger.”
“You’ve made quite a mess here, Gary. A real, fucking mess,” Viper calmly told him, then glanced up at the stage, grimacing as he watched Aubrey try to hold on to the stripper pole. “Your club’s gone to shit. Got no money. No woman. No one who gives a shit if you live or die. Hell, you’re so far gone, so fucking disgusting, ya gotta force women to fuck you. How fucking pathetic is that?”
“None of this would’ve happened if you hadn’t taken my girls from me!”
“They weren’t your girls to take, asshole! They were never your property. Not yours to manhandle or force to suck your fucking cock.” Viper’s nostrils flared with rage as he pointed up at Aubrey and barked, “You’ve got one of our own up there on that fucking stage, and now you’re gonna pay for that shit!”
“You’re in no position to threaten me, asshole. I’m the one in control here! You make one wrong move and she’s as good as dead. You all are. I’ll kill every last one of ya!”
