by KJ Dahlen
Tate shrugged. “Oh well, easy come, easy go I guess.”
Racer hung his head, unable to watch his fortune disappear. “You bastard.”
“What happened to the girl?” Tate asked again. “Last time, fucker.”
Racer looked up at the men on the other side of the bars. He knew they would give him no quarter but he had to try. “If I tell you, will you stop burning my money?”
“What the hell did you do with her?” Harry growled.
“I sold her to a man I do business with from time to time.”
“Who did you sell her to?” Tate asked stonily.
“You do realize if I tell you, he’ll kill me?”
“I don’t care,” Tate stated. Looking over to the next cell he said, “He was going to kill you anyway fool. You don’t really think for one minute these two were going to try and get you out of here, do you?” He snorted. “They were sent here to shut your mouth to protect your boss.”
He went to grab even more money out of the bag when Racer yelled out, “Stop! I’ll tell you his name but you’ll never find him. Hell, you might not find the girl either. He’s had her for three months now. If she isn’t dead she’s wishing she was.”
Harry charged the cell, throwing the door open, he struck Racer in stomach.
The blow was a hard one and Racer couldn’t catch his breath for a moment. He curled up as much as he could but that wasn’t very far. Instead, he was left gasping for breath. “I ought to kill you with my bare hands, you lousy bastard.”
Harry turned to leave but Racer got his breath back and he wrapped his legs around the other man’s neck and tightened his hold. Harry struggled to breathe but Racer’s legs were too tight around his neck.
Cobra rushed into the cell and held a gun to Racer’s head. “Let the boy go or I’m gonna put a bullet in your head right here and now! We got two other guys that can give us what we want to know, we don’t need you but you need us to keep breathing.” He snarled at Racer.
Racer held him a moment longer then released him.
Harry stumbled away and fought to catch his breath.
Cobra pushed the gun harder against the other man’s head. “Man you must be dumber than a bucket of rocks...” He cocked the gun and watched as Racer began to sweat. Cobra leaned in and whispered, “Give us his name, you little fucker.”
“Bonner, his name is Bonner,” Racer spat out. “But like I said, you’ll never find him.”
“What’s the name of the fuckin club boyo?” Tate wanted to know.
Racer shook his head. “You’ll never get into the club.”
“Tell us what the name of it is!” Harry screamed at him. “You got nothing to lose do you?”
Cobra dropped his weapon down to his side and replaced it with a knife. He held the blade at Racer’s throat and pressed it into his skin. “I believe you were asked the name of the club. Spill it or I’ll spill your blood. I ain’t the kind that is afraid to spill blood.”
“The name of the club is Scandal,” Racer told them without breathing too hard. He felt the bite of the blade in Cobra’s hand. When Cobra dropped the blade, he turned and glared at him. “Who the fuck are you guys?”
Cobra laughed as he nodded at Tate and the others. “You are stupid. You done kidnapped the wrong woman for damn sure. They are the Lost Sons MC.”
“The Lost Sons?” Racer shook his head. “Never heard of you before today.”
“I said they were the Lost Sons. I’m not one of them.” Cobra shook his head.
“Then who the fuck are you?” Racer frowned.
“Me?” Cobra grinned then looking him in the eyes he said, “I’m the president of the Soldiers of Hades MC.”
Racer stared at him, but blinking and hardly daring to take a breath. Everyone in Texas knew the Soldiers. They did business around San Antonio but everyone knew them. They were the original badasses of MC’s. To cross them meant only death. “How did you get involved with them? If you don’t mind my asking.”
Cobra shrugged. Then he pointed over at Creed. “He got my daughter out of a jam and then he claimed her. I’m here to see she’s treated right. So, I guess that makes them family.” He turned and glared down at Racer. “Then I found out that someone took a girl close to one of his brothers. Now normally, if a woman wants to sell her body for money that’s her choice, but when the girl isn’t given a choice in the matter, well that’s something different altogether isn’t it?” He lifted the knife again but this time he pressed it to Racer’s crotch. Steel pressed against his package even through the denim of his jeans. “When a man ignores it when a woman says no, well that just sets me off. Makes me want to teach that man a good lesson in manners. When I find out things like...oh, I don’t know, like a man stole the woman away from her family and sells her into the sex trade that brings out the homicidal beast in me.”
Racer swallowed hard. Cobra’s words were softly spoken but deadly and even he knew it. The knife in his hand was too close to his manhood not to have an effect on his psyche. Racer didn’t dare move a muscle or he knew he’d feel the bite of the steel.
“Cobra,” Tate called out the other man’s name softly.
Cobra snapped his head over to glare at Tate. Neither of them said a word but after a moment, Cobra lowered the blade in his hand. He looked back at Racer. “You’re lucky he wants you alive for a little while longer.” He leaned closer. “But your time will come maggot. And when that time comes, I’ll be more than happy to watch you bleed out.”
Creed grabbed the bucket of water and put the fire out then he and Harry grabbed the barrel and hauled it out of the basement.
Cobra left the cell and Tate made sure the door was locked. Then everyone left the basement.
Tate shut the lights off and left the three men alone in the dark.
Chapter Ten
When Harry topped the steps, he went over to Annie. He left Creed to drag the barrel and ignored the other man’s swearing. He grabbed her in a hug and just held her for a moment.
Annie hugged him and tears welled in her eyes.
She leaned away from him and searched his face. She could read him well enough to know the news wasn’t all good. “Where? Where is she?” she whispered.
Harry let out a troubled sigh as he hesitated then said, “He fucking sold her to a man in the sex trade.”
Annie caught her breath and couldn’t breathe for a minute. “I-is she still alive?”
“As far as I know.” He gazed into her eyes. “He gave up the boss’s name and the name of the club. If we can find him, we’ll find Becky.”
“Oh god...” She shuddered. “This is the closest we’ve come to finding her!”
“Honey, even if we do find her, she’s going to need our help to come back from whatever she’d been through. She may not be the girl you knew her as, you know that right?”
Annie looked upset but she nodded. “I can help her through this, I know I can.”
“You and me together. We will do all we can,” Harry assured her. “I won’t give you up woman, you belong to me now, and I’m not going to lose you.”
Annie looked nervous for a moment. “Harry, there’s something I need to tell you. I can’t wait any longer and it may not be something you want to hear but I have to say it anyway.”
Harry searched her eyes and saw the uncertainty in them. “What is it sweetheart?”
“You’re gonna be a daddy,” she whispered as she closed her eyes.
Harry broke out in a huge smile. “Are you sure?”
Annie nodded with her eyes still closed.
“Open your eyes sweetheart. I want to see you.”
Annie slowly opened her eyes. When she saw the joy on his face, she relaxed. “You aren’t mad?”
“Why would I be mad?” His eyes glowed with love for her.
“Well, we never talked about this or anything. I didn’t know if you’d want to keep me after you got the MC back. Or after we found out where Becky was.”
&n
bsp; He grasped her cheeks with his hands. “Do you love me?” His gaze pinned her.
“Oh god, I do. I do love you so much but we never talked about this. We’ve been together for a while now but I was afraid to ask for more. I didn’t know how you would take this news.”
“Do you want this baby? My baby?” Harry asked as he scanned her eyes.
“A mini you? Of course, I want this baby!” She declared. “I was just hoping you would want me too.”
Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around her again. “I’m gonna keep you girl. I love you too. I don’t know when it happened but I can’t live without you now and I get a baby too? You and junior aren’t leaving me.”
“Jr.? What if the baby is a girl?” She smiled as she titled her head at him.
“Then we’ll name her Henrietta.” He chuckled.
“The bloody hell we will.” Annie rolled her eyes at him.
“Well, it sounds like we’ll be having a double shotgun wedding before this is over,” Silas grumbled. “You boys were taught better than this. You don’t disrespect your women like this. You marry them first! Then you get the babies. What is this world coming to?”
The men in the room all chuckled.
Tate went over to his Nita and smiled. “Well woman, our family is growing by leaps and bounds. We’re gonna hear the pitty patter of tiny feet again.”
Nita smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Let’s hope we can keep up with them then husband.”
Cobra shook his head. He smiled at the good news and hated to break up the party but they had things to do and people to beat down before they could rest. “Hate to break this up but what are we gonna do about our guests?”
“I’ve already called Quint about Racer and Bandit and he’s on his way here,” Harry told them.
Tate growled.” You mean I don’t get to kill him?”
Nita looked up at him. “Tate...” She shook her head.
He sighed.
“I have a friend over in Jasper I can call to see if he can locate Becky. If anyone can find this underground club Gunner can,” Cobra told the group. “He’s got a good MC over there and he might help us out.”
“What are we gonna do about Bonner?” Tate asked the whole group.
“Seems to me like a man such as him doesn’t deserve to breathe clean air,” Cobra growled his threat. “I can send a couple of my men over there to hunt him down and watch him until we find the girl.”
Tate looked at him for a moment and both men said a lot without saying a word.
Nita looked back and forth at them.
Cobra nodded after a moment or so.
Tate turned to look at Doubletap. “When Quint gets here, you tell him everything you know about Bandit and Snake. I don’t want any chances that the man will pull out his identity card when it comes to the trial. I want him behind bars for the rest of his miserable life.”
“What are you going to do about the money?” Creed asked his father.
“I’m going to burn it. I don’t want to start over with tainted money and god only knows whose blood is on it. If we’re going to start this MC over, its going to be a clean start. It will take some time for us to come back but when we do we’ll be able to hold our heads high.” He glanced at Doubletap.
The man shrugged. “Some mistakes cost.”
Creed slapped him on the back. “You didn’t make a mistake man. You may have done the first right thing since you were sent up.”
Doubletap’s blue yes almost sparkled. “Well, damn...”
The men all laughed a bit.
Cobra looked over at his VP and then back to Tate. He gave Tate a nod and he saw Thor nod as well.
Cobra then walked over to Harry and Annie and congratulated them on the baby. “Hey you two, or should I say you three?” He smiled at them. “I need you to dig up anything you can on this Bonner character. I’m going to get in touch with a friend of mine that runs an MC over there and get him to help us root out Bonner and his club. If they find your sister, they will protect her until we can collect her and bring her home.”
“Why would you do that?” Harry wanted to know.
Cobra grinned. “Just cuz I’m a nice guy.”
Harry just stood there and stared at him for a minute.
Cobra leaned closer and harshly whispered, “Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to, kid. Just get me the information I asked for.” Then he turned and walked away to talk to Thor.
Harry looked over at his dad.
Tate shrugged. “A man has his ways. But when it does good? We shouldn’t stop him.”
Nita looked confused.
Suddenly, Tate grabbed her up. “You sit here with everyone and I mean you are not to leave you hear me?” He looked into her startled eyes.
Her eyes widened as she nodded.
“I mean it. If you even have to go to the...little girl’s room, Annie or Lola goes with you, got it?”
Nodding again, she opened her mouth to speak.
He pressed a finger to her lips. “I will be back in a little bit.” He looked over at Harry and Daniel. “Eyes on her, all the time.”
The boys nodded as they watched him leave. Then they turned and looked at Creed.
He shook his head and followed his dad out.
Tate went straight down to the cells. He snapped the light on.
The men in the cells looked up and shielded their eyes from the light with their hands.
Creed followed him down and stood watching, just like his brothers prompted him to do.
Tate turned to him. “I’m gonna be in the cell with fuckface.”
Creed’s brows rose. “But Dad...You promised Nita—”
“What?” Tate glared at the cage. “I promised not to kill anyone.”
Creed cocked his head at his dad.
“Watch the room. That’s all I need you to do.” Tate walked to the cell.
Racer sat on a concrete bench along the wall. “What the fuck now?” He stood. “You wanna burn my clothes this time?”
Tate chuckled. “Nah, it won’t help the blood that they’ll be soaked in anyways.”
Racer blinked then looked over at Creed. “You’re gonna let him kill me?”
Creed crossed his large arms over his massive chest. “No one said anything about killing.”
Racer looked from him to Tate.
“We get this on...is what.” Tate stepped into the cell and took out his switchblade.
Racer’s eyes widened. “Now wait a damn minute! I’m helpless here! This is cold blooded—”
Tate reached around him and cut the ziptie on his wrists.
Racer gaped at the big man.
Tate stepped back and tossed the switchblade just outside the cell door. He then turned to Racer. “You get past me and you can have the blade and your freedom.”
Creed gasped a little.
Tate shrugged, never taking his eyes from Racer. “You gotta get past me though.”
“M-my freedom?” Racer asked.
Nodding, Tate smiled and it wasn’t a happy grin. “We throw down. Just the two of us. Fist to fucking fist.”
Racer stared at him then laughed. “No way! This is some kind of trick right?” He looked over at Creed then over at the other two men in the cells. “You want to claim I tried to escape, so then you had to kill me.”
Tate laughed and it was a genuine humorous laugh. “Ahh, fuck no. That ain’t it!”
Racer turned to stare at him again.
“I just want to beat you fucking bloody. That’s it!” He tossed his arms up in the air. “Nothing more and nothing less.”
Racer slowly shook his head and just stared at him as if he’d gone insane.
“What? You been in prison. You gotta be tough right?” Tate looked around at the small audience. “I mean you are a man right?” His eyes gleamed.
Racer kept shaking his head. “So you mean this? If I beat you...I can walk? And what about my money? Do I get that too?”
Tate looked over at Creed. “Son, if I’m knocked out. You lead him straight the fuck outta here and give him those two bags.”
Creed blinked at him.
“I meant it. I give my word on this.”
Creed chuckled. “Sure, dad. I will.” He knew there was no way Racer would beat his dad...no way in hell. “I promise.” He looked at Jared and nodded.
Tate turned to glare at Racer. “Let’s do it.”
Racer raised his fists and got into a fighting stance.
Creed couldn’t seem to help it. He tossed his head back and laughed.
At his son’s laughter, Tate cracked a smile and moved in closer.
Chapter Eleven
When Cobra joined Thor, several of his men joined them both and listened as Cobra outlined his plan, “I want to set up a parley with Gunner. He knows every inch of his town and he might know exactly where this club is. If he doesn’t, I’m sure some of his men do. First, we need to verify the girl is even there before we move in to get her out of there.”
“Will Gunner and his crew work with us?” Jett asked.
“I think he will,” Cobra replied. “He’s liked minded with me, as long as a woman is ok with selling her body he don’t mind, but he hated the skin trade. The woman doesn’t usually have a choice there.” Cobra chuckled. “Hell, he might even give us a hand in rescuing her, for a price.”
“You thinking Tate might not have to burn that money after all?” Thor snickered.
“Might as well put it to good use.” He nodded.
“If we do find this club what do you want us to do about it?” Jett asked.
“After you free the girls, burn the club to the fucking ground to hide the bodies of his men, of course,” Cobra stated.
“And Bonner? What do we do with him?”
“I’ll let you know after I talk to Gunner.” Cobra turned and walked outside to have his conversation with the president of another MC.
When he returned half an hour later, he went straight over to Tate and Silas. “We need to have a word,” he informed them. Then he stared at Tate closer.
Blood spots were on his neck and his t- shirt was a bit ripped. Then he gazed down at the man’s hands. His knuckles were bloody and raw. He raised a brow and looked up at Tate’s face. It was not marred by any mark at all.