Dressing for the day, I decide to make my way downstairs to the bar. I lift my hand to my throat and wrap my fingers around the front as soon as I step foot inside of the bar area. There are people everywhere.
Not an inch of room is to be had, and I hate the claustrophobic feeling that crawls up my throat. Closing my eyes, I inhale a deep breath and then let it out in one long exhale. This is why I hate lockdown, I feel so trapped, like I’m choking.
I want to run, just to feel the fresh air, but I don’t. I made a promise to Baby and I intend to keep it, even if it suffocates me.
“You doin’ okay?” a deep voice asks.
Turning my head, I look down at the table next to my legs and I smile. Coda is sitting there, looking no worse for the wear. He sits up slightly, with a small groan and motions to the chair across from him.
Sinking down into the seat, I watch him from across the small table. “How are you?” I ask, breaking the staring contest we have going on.
“Aside from feeling like a pussy and a failure? I’m good.” He chuckles.
Shaking my head, I start to reach across the table for his hand, but he pulls it in his lap, his head shaking from side to side.
“You’re officially his, Lea. You can’t touch me, and I can’t touch you, not if I want to live,” he snorts.
Pulling my hand back, I twist my fingers together in my lap and lift my gaze. “You’re not a pussy, Coda. What happened, we were both injured and you killed those men to protect me. Definitely not a pussy or a failure,” I murmur.
“Yeah? Then how in the fuck did they find you before I could get help to you?” he growls.
Inhaling a deep breath, I let out a sigh. “It doesn’t matter. We’re alive and that’s all that matters. Aside from a few bruised ribs, I’m fine. The doctor said I should have been hurt a lot worse.”
“Said the same shit to me,” he mutters.
“I think we’re lucky. I think we need to live this life to its fullest.” I shrug.
Coda tilts his head to the side, his eyes never leaving my face and he smirks. “How do we do that, babe?”
“Whatever you want, grab ahold of it and don’t let go. Even if it’s terrifying, even if you know you could end up a bloody pile of pulp on the ground, just go for it.”
He doesn’t speak right away, doesn’t respond to my words as his eyes just continue to take me in. He stays quiet and I wait for him to say something. I bite the corner of my lip, then roll the inside of my cheek with my molars and wait.
Finally, finally, he speaks. “That why you’re back with him? You want him, you’re grabbing ahold even if he hurts you?” he asks.
I nod, unable to say anything else, at least not right now. Coda looks down at the scratched up table before he begins to speak.
“You know? I had someone once, a hell’ve a long time ago. I was a piece of shit back then, hell, I still am. I didn’t deserve her, but God did I want her.”
Ignoring his no-touchy rule, I reach across the table and wrap my fingers around his forearm. His eyes lift from the table and focus on mine.
“Go to her, Coda,” I urge.
“Think I might be a worse man now than I was when I was a teenager,” he mutters.
My lips twitch before they turn up into a smile. “You’re a good guy who does bad things, Coda. You’re not a bad person, and I would guess that she doesn’t think you are either.”
Coda smirks, his eyes smiling as he watches me. I remove my hand from his arm, then he chuckles. “She’s married now, has a couple of kids and drives a goddamn minivan, but I get a second chance with someone else, I’m going for it.”
I wrinkle my nose at his words, which only causes him to laugh a little harder. “Maybe you just find a nice girl instead of a whore, though?” I ask, arching a brow.
He shakes his head. “But the whores are so much fun, babe. You know that.”
I grunt, rolling my eyes. The music is turned up and it drowns out not only the noise in the room from all of the people, but my thoughts as well. It’s a welcome distraction and I spend the rest of the evening sitting across from Coda, drinking and laughing with all of the Notorious Devils family.
My mom even appears and although she won’t leave me alone about how I’m feeling, and can’t help but nag me about drinking while on the painkillers the doctor prescribed, it’s one of the best nights I’ve ever had.
It reminds me that this is a family.
A family that I truly have been missing the past six years.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
BABY
Snake gives everyone their direct orders, including putting more men at the clubhouse than he ever would have had I not talked to Benoit earlier. The hours tick by, melding together as the night turns to day, then turns back to night. We’ve all been up for almost forty-eight hours, and we’re surviving on coffee and adrenaline only.
“You ready for this shit?” Free asks me.
I suck back the dregs of my coffee. I’ve lost count at how many I’ve had and honest to fuck if I could drown myself in a six-pack, sink inside of Lea’s pussy, then promptly pass out, I would be in goddamn heaven.
This shit needs to be done and over with, immediately.
Lifting my chin, I glance up at the stars, then bring my gaze back to him. “Yeah, I’m fuckin’ ready to see both Martels choke on their own blood.” I shrug, then I grin. “Maybe Martel Senior will choke on his cock? God knows the fucker thinks it’s made of gold the way he threatens to give it to my woman.”
“Just the tip, brother,” Free grumbles. Lifting my brows, I look over to him, confused as to what he means. “Just the motherfuckin’ tip of life’s dick, Baby. Doesn’t get any easier, but I’d be a liar if I said it also doesn’t get sweeter, because it does.”
“Can’t wait,” I say, and it’s not a lie, I can’t wait.
I want it all with Lea. I want to make her happy, because I know that she will always make me happy. As fucking cheesy as that shit sounds.
“Everyone have their orders?” Snake asks, interrupting my internal thoughts.
The men grumble their yeses, all busy loading up and preparing to head out to their assignments for the evening. This is it, this is what it all comes down to. This is when the Martels are brought to their knees and the women are saved.
I’m under no illusion, none of us are, that more women and children won’t be trafficked because they will. I’m not even sure that all of the women and children that we save tonight won’t somehow end up back in the same place that we take them from.
It’s a fucking depressing reality, and one that I don’t like to think about often, but for all the women and children that we saved from the Aryans years ago, there were countless ones that we didn’t save and here we are again, doing the same shit with a different man in charge.
When one goes down, another will take its place. Just like if the Devils go down, another club will take our place and our gun and drug trade would belong to someone else. Everything keeps going, the world keeps moving, no matter the players working and living inside of it.
“You didn’t give me anything,” I call out after the men have gone their separate ways.
Snake lifts his gaze to mine, his lips pressed together in a tight line. I wait for him to tell me something that I assuredly won’t fucking like. I know that I’ve fucked some shit up with the Martels, but I didn’t think it was enough to warrant not being in on this mission.
“You’re with me,” he announces.
“Where’s that? Here with the women and children?” I ask, sounding like a goddamn boy.
Snake shakes his head. “Not quite. We’re going to lie in wait for the truck to arrive. You know Caron and who his sister is.”
I shake my head, taking a step closer to him. “Martel. I want fucking Martel,” I sneer.
Snake chuckles. “Oh, you’ll get your turn with him. Both father and son will be brought back here. The order was to bring them here alive and we’ll dea
l with them,” he offers.
“As long as I get to watch him suffer, I really don’t give a fuck.”
Snake dips his chin in agreement before he turns on his heels and begins to walk away. I follow behind my president, my adrenaline beginning to spike. No longer am I fatigued. I feel like I could run ten miles and not even blink.
The time is here.
Time to keep my word to Benoit.
Time to end the threat against my woman and our families.
Time to show some twats just how the Devils work.
I smirk as I climb onto my bike, straddling the seat.
Fuck yes.
The time has come for the Martels to finish paying the price. I’ve already ended two out of the four, now I’m going to finish the goddamn job.
Glancing back at the clubhouse, I see the light on in my bedroom and grin up at Lea who is standing at the window. I can’t see much aside from her shadow.
Lifting my hand, I give her a two-fingered wave. She raises her hand as well, placing it against the glass.
Fuck. Yeah.
The Martels will be finished tonight and tomorrow we’ll all breathe a little easier.
Leaving Lea is hard, especially after the threat to her safety that Benoit alluded to. However, I know that there is one man in that clubhouse that will protect her with his life.
He’s already proven that when he killed two of Martels’ hired guns to protect her. Then drug his half-dead ass through the woods to help her.
Coda will protect her, he’ll keep her safe and I know without a doubt that he would lay down his life for her.
Besides, he may not realize it, but his patch depends on it. This is his final test, he’ll be voted in when this shit is done and if he protects Lea, if he keeps her from whoever the fuck tries to get her while I’m gone, he’s as good as in.
LEA
I watch him ride away. There is something in the air, something suffocatingly evil. When Baby is long gone, his bike but a speck in the distance, only then do I wrap my hand around my throat and attempt to swallow down whatever this is, whatever this feeling is.
A knock on the door causes me to jump, turning around I’m surprised to see Coda standing in the entryway.
“You didn’t go?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Still too weak, a liability on something like that, but I’m on Lea duty.”
“Lea duty?” I ask.
He grins. “And I quote, ‘do not let my fuckin’ woman out of your sight. You will have eyes on her from the moment I leave, until the moment I’m back. You even think about doin’ anything I wouldn’t approve of, I’ll cut your dick off,’ end quote.”
I can’t help myself. I throw back my head in laughter. He sounds just like Baby. I should hate the chauvinistic speech, but I don’t. I love him and his asshole ways.
“Okay, no touching. What do we do now?” I ask.
“Strip poker?” he asks, holding out a deck of cards.
Tilting my head to the side, I widen my eyes at him. “I don’t think that’s what Baby had in mind,” I warn.
“Strip poker doesn’t mean I touch you, just means I see you.” He grins.
Shaking my head, I reach for the cards. “Do you have another deck?” I ask.
Surprisingly enough, he produces another deck. Sinking down on the floor, I lean against the side of the bed. Coda sits on the floor across from me.
“Double solitaire, I haven’t played in years, but why not?” I ask.
“No betting?”
Shaking my head, my lips twitch. “No bets, just play.”
He grunts but begins to shuffle his deck. I do the same and that’s how we pass the hours. We play double solitaire, together, locked inside of Baby’s room. I don’t question why the door is locked, I don’t care, all I know is that in here I’m safe.
There’s a noise on the other side of the door a few hours later. Coda holds up his hand to quiet me and still my movements. He didn’t need to, the second I hear the noise, I freeze.
I expect someone to knock on the other side, but they don’t. Inhaling a ragged breath, I lift my chin toward the bathroom in a silent question. Coda nods. Slinking off into the small bathroom, I close the door and lock myself inside.
My hands shake, along with the rest of my body, trembling, I wait for something to happen. I’m not disappointed. There’s a loud noise, a crash and then I hear what sounds like something heavy hitting the floor. I try to imagine that it’s not exactly what it is, a body.
I wrench open a drawer and grab ahold of a straight razor blade that I don’t even know why Baby owns, but I’m thankful as fuck that he does.
There are muffled voices and then the heavy footfalls reach the other side of the bathroom door. I scramble backward when they don’t knock.
I don’t have to guess to know that it isn’t Coda. Pinching my eyes closed, I pray that Coda is at least alive.
The door splinters as it’s kicked open. My eyes widen and I stare at the man across from me. He’s dressed all in black, his build isn’t as big as Baby or Coda’s, but I have a feeling that he knows how to use what power he does hold.
My eyes flick behind him and I see Coda on the floor, his arm dangling in an awkward position.
Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Not again,” I whisper.
“Sorry, sugar,” the man rasps.
Shaking my head, I refuse.
The razor blade is still tucked between my fingers. Inhaling a deep breath, I stay where I am, knowing that the closer he gets to me, the easier it will be to inflict pain. I don’t care if he lives or dies, but I need him down so that I can get some help.
“What did you do to him?” I ask.
“Don’t matter, c’mon,” he demands.
My feet slowly carry me toward him and when I’m directly in front of him, I decide to make my move. As quickly as I can I reach up, slashing his neck with the blade. He doesn’t expect it, thank God.
Attempting to scoot past him, I almost make it out to the door when he’s behind me. I feel his blood sliding down my neck and back as he leans forward, his mouth right at my ear.
“I don’t go down that easily, sugar,” he rasps. “Unless you want to apologize with your body, you’ll get your fuckin’ shit together and walk out of the back of this clubhouse with me,” he warns.
I bite the corner of my lip and nod, the razor still in my hand. I would rather die than let this man touch me or take me anywhere out of this clubhouse. Fuck that. I am done being the Martels’ little bitch.
No more.
Spinning around, I look up at him and blink.
“Don’t even think about it,” he warns.
I do think about it, and I think about more than he does because before he can even guess at my next action, I have the razor embedded in his crotch.
Finally, he takes a staggering step back, his eyes wide. A blood-curdling scream escapes my lips. Whirling around, I run. I scream as I make my way down to the bar.
Everyone is on alert when they see me and when they notice the blood on my hands and body, all fucking hell breaks loose.
CHAPTER THIRTY
BABY
With Snake at my side, I watch as the truck heads toward us. There are men all around, ready to go at the signal once Snake issues it.
The rest of the men are in Alberta, breaking into the Martels’ fortress with Keys at their side to disable the security system. That’s where I wanted to be, bringing down the Martels, personally.
I know that I’ll be the one to issue the death sentence to at least Martel Senior, but as satisfying as that will be, seeing his face when he’s caught and shoved into a dirty van, that was going to be one of the best parts of tonight.
“Get ready to roll. We have less than a minute to take control of the situation. They have a van of soldiers coming up behind them.”
“Security detail?” I ask, arching a brow.
Snake snorts. “Last minute, Marte
l knew something was up, or at least thought there would be a problem.”
“I’m sure he did,” I grumble.
“Your man is with them, he was spotted getting in. He’s the driver, which is why they’re behind them and not right on their ass,” Snake explains.
Inhaling a deep breath, I try not to think about Lea. I try not to wonder if she’s okay. I don’t have time for that, I need to focus on this task and only this one. Lea will come later.
“Ready?” Snake asks as soon as we see the headlights of the truck approaching.
“Ready.”
I hear him whistle, then we move toward the area where the truck will pull off the side of the road. The van is waiting behind some bushes, the doors already open and ready.
Snake draws his gun, as do I. It should be our men driving, but since Martel has already added the group of soldiers following behind, we can’t be too careful. The truck grows closer, then the brakes make a high-pitched noise as it comes to a halt.
I see Free jump out of the driver’s seat, a grim frown on his face. “Hurry up,” he shouts.
Without asking questions, Crooner tugs the back of the door of the truck open and I hear his intake of breath from where I stand at least thirty feet away.
“C’mon, let’s go, we’ll get you to safety,” Crooner calls out.
I expect to see them running out of the van, but I wait for several seconds and nothing happens. Snake curses next to me, then we all rush toward the back of the van to see what’s happening.
My stomach twists at the sight before me. Yes, Caron said children would be in this transport, but I didn’t expect. I couldn’t imagine. What’s in front of me are about five young women, and about fifteen children ages two to ten, boys and girls.
“What the fuck,” I breathe. “This sick motherfucker,” I hiss.
“We don’t have time, start grabbing them and carrying them to the van,” Snake shouts.
“Camille?” I call out as the brothers climb in the van and start grabbing at children.
Mixed with Trouble: A CASH BAR NOVEL Page 19