by KJ Dahlen
She went lax in his arms and he pushed her into the car.
When only two more bodies, instead of three piled in the vehicle, Luke ordered Milo to take off. Milo wanted to wait but Luke ordered him to go so he gunned the motor and took off in a hurry. Luke glanced back over his shoulder and checked their progress.
He knew he was leaving a man behind but he didn’t care. He got his prize and this was war.
He could no longer see any flames but he knew their time was short. It wouldn’t take them long to find Sage missing and they knew exactly who’d taken her.
~*~
Judge and his brother and the others dumped the last of the water over the hot coals and watched as the burning wood sizzled then went out. He looked over at Deke and asked loudly, “What the fuck was that all about?”
“I have no fucking clue do I?” Deke responded as he kicked a burnt piece of wood out of the pile of charred lumber.
“Does this have anything to do with your woman?” Sam asked coming over to the group.
“It could.” Judge frowned.
Deke looked around but didn’t see Sage standing there. “Where is your woman?”
“I left her at the house with Runt,” Judge replied.
“Ummm, Judge, Runt is coming here and Sage isn’t with him.” Chance pointed out as everyone turned and looked as Runt charged over to them.
Judge watched as his dog ran full bore right up to him. He stood on two legs and crashed into him. Judge took a couple steps back and grabbed at the dog but his hands slipped off Runt’s body. Judge frowned and looked down at his hands. They were covered in blood. “What the fuck?”
“What’s the matter?’ Black Jack asked.
“Runt is bleeding!” Judge all but shouted. He pushed the dog down off him but Runt wouldn’t cooperate. He kept barking and prancing just out of reach. Judge looked up at his father and his brothers. “Something’s wrong.” Then he glanced back at his house in the distance. “Sage!” he shouted her name as he took off running toward his house.
Runt was by his side all the way.
Judge threw open the door and ran to his bedroom snapping on the lights, he saw the room was empty. The window had been shattered and he could see signs of a struggle. Looking down at the floor, he saw droplets of blood but whose blood it was, he didn’t know.
Judge turned and saw his family standing there in the doorway with a look of shock in their eyes. “They got her. They fucking just came right in and snatched her out of my home!” he yelled. He turned to watch as Raine examined Runt.
They could all see the blood on his coat and he was fighting Raine’s touch, as he wanted to be up and moving. Judge had to give him a command to settle down before Raine could find out where the blood was coming from.
“Son, you don’t know that,” Black Jack tried to reason with his oldest son.
“The fuck I don’t Dad. No one else has any reason to come after her. Luke Nichols is a dead man.” He went over to his closet and opened it. Reaching up to the top shelf, he pulled down a huge duffel bag. Plopping it down on the bed, he didn’t notice more of his MC brothers coming into the room.
Opening the bag, Deke could see a collection of handguns and knives. They all watched as Judge began loading his body with weapons. He didn’t even bother putting on a shirt as he strapped a double holster to his chest and another around his waist.
“You can’t go after her, not yet,” Deke ordered.
Judge looked up at the other man with a glint of something hard in his eyes. “The hell you say.”
Deke frowned. “We aren’t ready yet. We still need to know how to take Nichols down for good.”
Judge took a step closer to Deke. “Are you, any of you going to tell me you wouldn’t do exactly what I’m fixing to do if someone snatched your woman out from under your nose? You would wait? Are you telling me you wouldn’t follow them right into the pits of hell to try and get her back? Is that what you’re telling me right now!”
Deke snapped his head back and glared at the man. “Of course, I would do exactly what you’re getting ready to do. If someone snatched Cassie, I would go nuts, but if you do this, we’ll lose the bigger picture here. Nelson Nichols will win.”
“I don’t give a fuck about Nelson Nichols.” Judge growled. “I’m after Luke. He’s the only bastard that would dare to do this. He’s the fucker that that has tormented her over the years and she told me one day he would kill her. Well, I think that day is today and I’ll be damned if that’s gonna happen on my watch. I made her a promise he would never hurt her again and I aim to keep that promise.”
“You don’t even know where they are taking her,” Deke argued. “If you go off half cocked, you’ll not only lose her but probably your own life as well.”
“What do you suggest I do then?” Judge snarled. “Wait until they call me with a ransom demand? Wait till they find her body?”
“No you don’t wait for a fucking ransom demand,” Sam stated as he pushed his way into Judge’s bedroom. He had his hands on another person. He pushed the kid into the room.
When the kid fell to the floor and began looking round, Judge frowned. “What the fuck is this?”
“This is one of the little bastards who started the fire,” Sam announced. “His friend got away but I caught this little fucker trying to get over the fence. I figure you can ask him what Luke Nichols is doing with your woman.”
Judge’s hands curled into fists when he took note of the bruises the kid was wearing. Stepping closer to him, the kid tried to back away but was stopped as the MC brothers gathered around him. “What’s your name boy?” Judge growled.
The kid didn’t want to tell him but he knew he really didn’t have a choice, “Harry.”
“Harry, you must be the Kames kid then.” Judge nodded. “The one who murdered Sage’s mother with the drugs.”
Harry’s eyes got huge in his face. “She overdosed. I had nothing to do with that!”
“Your fingerprints were on the syringe that gave her the fatal dose of poison.” Judge took another step closer to him. “Did you know even what was in that syringe when you stuck it in her arm? Did you even care?”
Harry didn’t want to have this conversation, not now, not ever. “It was just meth. Luke told me it was meth.”
Judge shook his head. “I saw the coroners report. It wasn’t meth you fucking dummy. There was meth in there but the main ingredient was drain cleaner. Enough drain killer to kill her almost immediately. Which it did didn’t it? Right after you injected her, she was dead wasn’t she?”
Harry began to sweat. “How did you know that?”
“We’ve been looking into Nelson Nichols’ activities,” Deke answered. “We know how he works and how Luke works. We saw the original death certificate. Not even Nelson can hide that forever.”
“But I didn’t know there was drain cleaner in that syringe. I swear!” he cried out.
“Did you know Luke had given her a dose of meth about a half hour before you got there? She was already higher than a kite then.” Judge snarled. “Then you came along and he had to hold her down and you gave her the shot that killed her. He set you up for murder and you fell for it, hook, line and sinker. He had your prints right on that syringe.”
Judge kneeled down so he could look Harry in the eyes. “Where did Luke take Sage tonight? What are his plans for her? And you better tell me the truth or I’ll kill you where you lay.”
“Maybe before you kill him, you should find out who gave him the bruises?” Sam suggested. “They look pretty fresh.”
Judge glared at Harry and finally noticed the bruises Sam had asked about. “Who fucking messed you up kid?”
Harry swallowed hard before he answered, “Simon Grant. He came looking for Luke to find out if he had some stupid key. When Luke wouldn’t give it up, he and his friends beat us up.”
Deke stepped over to Harry and asked, “What’s this about a key?”
Harry shrugged. “I h
ave no clue. Simon just asked if Brandi had a key on her when she died? None of us knew anything about any key. Then Simon said we better get our hands on Sage and bring her to the south side gym before a deadline or he and the Lords were going to hunt us down like vermin and take us out.”
“How did you know she was here with us?” Black Jack asked.
Harry gazed up at the older man. “One of Kyle’s cousin’s lives on Sage’s block and he saw him.” He nodded at Judge. “And the others when they got there. He saw them carry her out and we thought she might be here.”
~*~
Deke looked around the room at the faces of the brothers and made up his mind. Judge wasn’t far off when he asked if they wouldn’t go after their own women same as he was willing to do for Sage. He knew deep down, he would move heaven or hell to get Cassie back if she had been the one taken. In fact, he tried to go get her once with a bullet in his chest. “Are the Lords going to be there, wherever this meeting is going to take place?”
“Probably...” Harry looked around the room. “At least Simon and Aiden will be there. More than likely there will be some of the others. I think Aiden is going to make a new peace settlement with Luke’s dad. I’ve heard talk around town that Nelson is looking into getting rid of the Lords. He thinks he found replacements and doesn’t need the MC anymore.”
Deke’s lips tightened as he listened to Harry. So that’s what the Russians were doing here. Replacing the Lords. That wouldn’t be a better deal for anyone. Leon had called him a few hours ago and their conversation they had was enlightening. The Russians were Bratva but not strictly Russian. They were from Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan was a harsher place and not nearly as easy to work with. He also told them that these three men might have gone rogue and if that was the case here, they might not be willing to listen to reason.
Leon told them they were on their way but would they get here in time? Deke wasn’t so sure.
“Where did they take her?” Judge demanded.
Harry shook his head but Judge wasn’t having any of it. He grabbed the kid by the throat and got to him to his feet. Backing the kid against the wall he began tightening his hold. “Where. Did. He. Take. Her.”
“I told you, the south side gym.” Harry’s eyes were bugging in his face. “Aiden owns it, so they hold their meeting there.”
“I thought Grant Williams owed it,” Sam stated.
“Grant stands for Aiden and Williams in his woman’s last name,” Harry explained.
“We need eyes on the gym,” Sam suggested. “He looked over at Harry. “Somebody lock this fool up, so he can’t warn his friends.” He snorted and added, “You do know they left you behind don’t you? They didn’t even wait for you to catch up before they took off.”
Harry lowered his head with a sigh.
Iceman joined them while holding his phone in his hand. “My men just arrived. They want to know where we want them.
“How many came?” Deke asked.
“About two dozen.”
Deke looked over at Sam. “How many came from Maine?”
Sam shrugged. “About the same number why? What you got in mind boy?”
Deke grinned. “I have a feeling Aiden is showing his strength tonight. He’ll have his whole crew with him and if he doesn’t get exactly what he wants from Nelson, he’ll tear this town apart. Hell, maybe he’ll do it anyway. He needs his numbers to do that. As Nelson controls the police in this town, he will order them to stand down and he’ll let Aiden wreck half the town. I’m not going to let that happen.” He looked over at Iceman. “I want your men to spread out and look for any of the Lords. Don’t take them down yet but look for them and keep them under watch. When we get Sam’s men in place, we’ll take out his crew. When it comes down to them or us, we’ll be ready to take them down. I want to leave Aiden and Simon with no backup.” The men had arrived about half an hour ago and were waiting for word from him before they moved in. He explained the situation to them and got things set up.
Sam nodded and made a call.
Judge stared hard at Deke as he put more ammunition on his belt and clipped it. “I’m going after my woman.”
Deke nodded. “I know you are but you aren’t going alone. I need to make a call to the state police and we’ll have to go with what we’ve got. Amos and his guys are watching over the town right now. We can’t run off half cocked here. For now, your girl is all right, but we need to do this right or none of us are going to survive.”
“You need to listen to him son,” Black Jack stated.
“Hell, I know that Dad.” He turned around and clenched his fists. “Dammit! Fucking shit!” He punched a hole in the wall. “I fucking hate this!” he roared. “I hate it, but I know what’s at stake,” Judge agreed with steel in his voice as he looked over at Deke. “I’ll give you exactly thirty minutes then I’m going, even if I have to go alone, I’m fucking gone. You hear what I’m saying?”
“I hear you.” Deke nodded. He understood what the man was going through. It was hell wondering what was happening to your woman. A hell he’d walked through himself.
Chapter Thirteen
Forty five minutes later, Judge peeked in the window of the gym office. He could see three people moving around but the white paint that covered the window wouldn’t allow him to see who the three figures were.
He turned and held up three fingers. He looked back into the office but the figures were gone. Judge moved down to the next window and this one he could see better through. There was Sage. He could see her and his heart stilled at the sight of her. Now at least he knew she was okay and still alive at this point.
Looking around the room, he saw Luke sitting there across from Sage. The look in his eyes didn’t bode well for her and Judge knew he had her death in his eyes. He saw Kyle and Jason there as well. They seemed to be waiting for someone to show up. Judge knew they were waiting for Simon and Aiden to come.
The MC all heard a vehicle stop in front of the building. Two of the brothers were watching the front and when his phone vibrated, Judge looked down at the message. Nelson and three others had just arrived. Must be the Russians Nelson had been recruiting.
His phone vibrated again and reading the message, he raised his fist to let everyone waiting in the shadows know they were finally here.
Deke, Judge, and the others were waiting until Aiden Simon and the two men he brought with him were inside.
Deke left a few brothers waiting at the back door while the majority of them went to the front door. After a few minutes, Deke opened the door and the whole lot of them filed in.
Aiden, Simon, Nelson and Luke seemed surprised they were here.
Nelson swore and looked toward the Russians for protection.
Just then, one of the men got a ping on his phone and when he looked down, he paled and held out his phone for his two friends to see what had just come over. They took a step back and watched what was going to play out here tonight.
Nelson looked worried now.
Aiden didn’t, he scowled at the men who’d just barged into his office..
Deke’s men lined the walls but didn’t do or say anything.
Deke, Gator, Sam and Judge came forward to confront the rest of the bunch.
“No one here invited you, so why don’t you turn around and leave?” Aiden challenged them.
Deke crossed his arms over his chest and just glared at the other man. “It seems we have a problem here and as a concerned citizen, I think I have a say here.”
Nelson scoffed. “You got no fucking say in anything here, so why don’t you do all of us a favor and get the hell out of here.”
Deke turned his head and sneered at him. “You know something, you bother me, you bother me a lot.”
“Like I fucking care.” Nelson shook his head.
“Oh, I know you don’t care, not about me, not about your own kids and you never did care about this town, but this town is about to throw your dumb ass in prison.”
Nel
son just smiled. Tilting his head, he gazed at Deke. “You think so? This town is mine to control, so I think you’re talking out of your ass.”
Deke nodded. “Maybe, but the state police are waiting outside for you to come out and as soon as you do, they are going to arrest you for attempted murder, corruption and fraud.”
Nelson raised an eyebrow. “And just who died by my hands?”
“I believe she called herself Star?”
Nelson’s expression changed to shock.
“Yeah, that was her name. You see, about 24 years ago, you killed her in the back of a strip club. Simon found you and has been blackmailing you ever since. But don’t worry, your son, Luke can kept you company in the cell next to yours, he’s going down for two murders, Brandi Billingsly and Daniel Weston.”
“That’s a fucking lie!” Luke called out. “I never touched either one and you can’t prove a damn thing.”
“Oh, but I can and the police have enough evidence on both of you, they won’t even need a trial,” Deke assured him.
Simon grinned and looked at Nelson. “Sucks to be you man.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t get too cocky there, buckwheat,” Sam called out. “They’re waiting on you and your brother too. Seems to me, I heard that there’s no limitations on murder, no mater how much time has passed.”
Simon snorted. “I never killed anyone and there is no proof I did.”
“Really?” Sam smiled. He had to chuckle. “Now there’s where you would be wrong. You see, Brandi was a clever woman who would beg borrow or steal to get the kind of life she wanted for herself. She knew Nelson over here couldn’t keep it in his pants, so she set Star up. She knew he was a kinky bastard as well so she hid a camera in Star’s room and she got on film what really happened that night.” He looked over at Sage sitting close to Luke. Holding out his hand, he urged her to join them.
Sage started to get up but Luke grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. Sage struggled but Luke wouldn’t let her go. Instead, he wrapped his hand around her throat. “One fucking move and I will snap her neck!” he warned them. “Way I figure it, I got nothing left to lose and I can go down for three murders as well as two. The state can only kill me for one anyway.”