Riggs (The Kings of Retribution MC, Louisiana Chapter Book 1)

by Crystal Daniels

  Wick cuts in. "Try to listen this time and stay your ass in the clubhouse."

  Tequila saunters across the room, her dark skin glistening from the heat and humidity in the room, then stops by the door Wick's holding open. I watch as her eyes roam over his body. His eyes dip to her breasts before settling on her face. "Since when do I follow the rules?" Tequila quips as she exits.

  Turning our attention to the man of the hour, I motion for Wick to take a position on one side of him as I take my place on the other. "You going to tell us where Rex and the rest of his men are?" I ask, even though my gut is telling me this man won't break easily, if at all.

  "It's a shame I won't live long enough to watch each one of you die," Phil smirks again, and Wick hits him with an uppercut, sending him and the chair flying backward. Blood spews from his broken nose, and the fucker starts laughing. Picking him and the chair off the floor, we sit him back up. "I know I'm not leaving this room alive, so I'm not tellin' you shit," he admits accepting his fate. Doesn't mean he won't suffer a bit more before the fact. I bury my fist in his bloodied face, and blood coats my knuckles. Blow after satisfying blow, Wick and I beat the man until his face is unrecognizable and his breaths are shallow. The pain inflicted on his body does nothing to feed the rage inside me. There's only one thing that will quench the thirst I have, and that's killing the one man responsible. Rex. For now, I'll take what I can get. Drawing my gun from the holster, I aim the barrel right between the fucker's eyes and pull the trigger.

  I stand there for a moment and watch dark red blood oozing from the bullet hole. The adrenaline pumping through my veins is a whole different monster compared to the feeling of killing the enemy in battle. Taking a life for revenge — for retribution — is not the same.

  "What should we do with the body?" Wick asks.

  "We'll dump him in the river. Let the mighty Mississippi have him. That's if the gators don't get him first."

  After disposing of the body and cleaning the evidence, Wick and I return to the clubhouse. We find Tequila sitting at the bar with a bottle of whiskey and a half-filled glass sitting beside her.

  "I take it the battle came to you this time around?" she lifts the glass to her painted red lips, and we take our seats at the bar beside her. Reaching behind the bar, she snags two more glasses, pours three fingers full in each, then slides them in our direction. "Mind if I hang around?"

  Taking a sip, I let the whiskey linger in my mouth, before feeling the burn as the liquid slides down my throat. "We're kind of in the middle of some shit."

  Tequila laughs. "No, shit. That's why I'm asking."

  Wick hangs his head and mumbles, "Fuck."

  "Alright, but one condition," I tell her.

  Tequila downs the rest of her drink. "You and I both know I don't do conditions, LeBlanc."

  I eye her. "My woman's life and the safety of this club means more than any one of us or our egos, Tequila. You stay — you follow the rules, just as if we were out there in combat."

  "Are you telling me you've done gone and fell in love?" she raises her brow, and her lips turn up in a genuine smile. She looks past me to Wick, who nods, confirming her inquiry. "Do I get to see more action?"

  "Probably," I tell her.

  "Okay."

  "Okay?" It's my turn to raise a brow.

  "I'll fall in line and do as I'm told." Tequila pauses before saying, "this time."

  Thirty minutes later, Kiwi and Fender are walking through the door.

  "Word is out. I'm pretty sure Lexi is on her way out of town by now." Kiwi joins us at the bar.

  Fender walks behind the bar, grabs two cold beers from the small fridge below the counter, pops the tops off and hands one to Kiwi. "I can almost guarantee she won't make it. She dug herself a deep hole this time. I don't see her getting out of it." He downs half his beer.

  It's getting late. I look around at my men and take in how tired they look. It's been a long ass day — for all of us. "Turn in. Get some rest. We sleep here tonight. I'll take the first watch." I turn to my brother. "Get a hold of Pop, and make sure everything is alright out there." Then I address Wick. "We're used to power naps, so you'll rotate with me in three hours. Then, Fender, you'll relieve Wick after his three."

  I stay seated as they disperse, all of them heading up the stairs besides Cain, who pulls his phone from his pocket and makes a call. He doesn't stay on the phone for too long. He says a few words to Pop and briefly talks to Piper, telling her goodnight, and he loves her. "Everything is quiet out there. Piper hasn't left Luna's side."

  Placing my hand on his shoulder, I squeeze. "Thanks, brother. Now go get some sleep." He nods, and claps my back, before taking his leave.

  After doing a security sweep, I walk outside and sit on top of the picnic table near the river. Taking a cigarette and a match from the pack in my pocket, I strike the match tip across the bottom of my boot and light the tobacco. I take a long hard pull, then stare out toward the city lights. Grabbing my phone from the inside of my cut, I swipe the screen and tap on the message thread and type out a text to my woman.

  Me: How are you doing?

  Her reply is instant.

  Luna: I'm okay. Are you coming back?

  Me: Not tonight. It's not safe to travel. I'm not going to risk leading them to you.

  A whole minute passes before tiny dots appear on the screen, letting me know she is typing.

  Luna: I love you.

  Those three words settle deep in my chest. I stare at them for a beat, repeatedly reading them.

  Me: I love you too, baby.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Luna

  2:27 am. I have been staring at the clock sitting on the bedside table for hours now. Giving up on sleep, I climb out of bed, careful not to wake Piper. She has been stuck to me like glue since we arrived here at Abe's, but I don't mind. I find her presence comforting as much as she does mine. Slipping my shoes on, I make my way out of the room, shutting the door behind me. The house is dark as I stroll into the kitchen, where I decide to make some coffee. As I'm pouring sugar into my mug, I think back to the text I sent Riggs earlier. Telling someone you love them for the first time shouldn't be done over text, but I kept thinking about what Abe told me. Don't wait too long. And with what is going on with Savage Outlaw, I began to let the 'what ifs' run through my head. What if something terrible happens to Riggs while he and the club are hunting down Rex and I don't see him again? I would lose my chance telling him how I feel. I'll admit waiting for his reply had me doubting whether he felt the same. Once those magical words displayed across the phone screen, I realized how silly it was for me to have doubted for even a second. With every touch, every look, and every kiss Riggs gives me, he's showing me he loves me.

  Closing my eyes, I cover my mouth with my hand as I let out a yawn. Just as I go to take another sip of coffee, movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention. Though the house is dark aside from the stove light being on, I can make out a shadowy figure standing out on the front porch. With my heart in my throat, I slowly stand from the kitchen table and make my way toward the living room window. On closer inspection, I notice it's Abe standing on the porch, unmoving with his shotgun in hand. Cupping my hands around my face against the window, I try to see what has his attention, but I only see darkness accompanied by the moonlight dancing across the lake. Strolling to the front door, I pull it open and step out to where Abe is standing. "What are you looking at?"

  Abe turns his head toward me, and the look on his face has me on high alert. "A storm is brewing, and it's not mother nature," he says. "Someone is out there watching us."

  Bile rises in my throat as I try one more time to see what Abe is seeing. "Are you sure? If so. Why haven't they tried anything?" I ask.

  "Yes, I'm sure. They're out there. Not sure what they are waiting for, but I felt their presence five minutes before you came out here."

  My breathing picks up, and I feel panic starting to set in. It's Rex. He's fo
und me.

  "It's time to call my grandson," Abe warns. But we don't get a chance because the lights on the porch and in the house begin to flash, alerting us that someone has breached his property. Abe told me about the lights and security system earlier. Abe grabs my arm, gaining my attention. "Go to Piper and lock yourself in the bedroom. I have a crawl space underneath the house. Lift the throw rug on the floor. Underneath is a latch. Pull on it, and an escape hatch will open. You and Piper crawl to the back of the house. There will be an opening. When the coast is clear, run. Do you understand?" he signs quickly.

  Nodding, I turn to run back inside when a spray of bullets starts hitting the house. I don't waste time looking to see if Abe is okay. Riggs assured me his grandad could handle his own, so I am going to pray that he can. Right now, my only concern is for Piper and getting her out safely. Running through the living room and down the hall, I rush into the bedroom to see Piper crouched down in one corner of the room. I lock the door before making my way over to the side of the bed and snatch my purse off the bedside table. Opening it, I retrieve the gun Riggs gave me.

  I run over to Piper, grab her hand, and pull her with me. She follows without protest. Doing as Abe said, I lift the rug beneath our feet to find the latch he was talking about. Pulling on the lever, it opens with ease. I retake Piper's hand and nod toward the opening that leads underneath the house. She has a look of panic mixed with tears on her face but does as instructed and lowers herself down in the hole; the whole time I keep my eyes trained on the bedroom door ready to shoot anyone who dares to enter. Once Piper is clear, I go down to my butt and slide through the opening.

  I quickly reach up and close the hatch. We don't have long before one of Rex's men break into the bedroom and discovers our escape route. With no room to stand Piper and me, are forced to lay on our bellies. I tuck the pistol in the band of my shorts. With Piper's eyes on me, waiting for what to do next, I point directly in front of us and use my fingers to make the signal to crawl. It doesn't take long before I spot the opening that will lead us out from under the house. When we are about ten feet from our escape, Piper freezes. When I peer over my shoulder to see what is freaking her out, I see a man with a flashlight crawling straight for us. Shoving Piper on her bottom, I urge for her to move. Instead of following behind, I pull the gun from my waistband, flick the safety, turn on my back, brace my heels into the dirt and take aim at the son of a bitch behind me. Everything happens so fast, but I don't miss the 'oh shit' look on the assholes face two seconds before I pull the trigger, hitting him right between the eyes.

  With no time to think about what I just did, I continue forward where I find Piper waiting for me at the opening. She's looking behind me at the dead man lying there. I reach over and tug her chin bringing her eyes to mine. I shake my head at her and sign for her not to look hoping she understands me. It kills me she had to see me do that, but I would do it a thousand times over to keep her safe. Not a part of me regrets killing that scum. With the gun still in my hand, I survey the yard for any threats. When I see none, I give Piper the signal to wait. I decide to crawl out first to make sure we are clear. I cautiously push to my feet keeping the gun trained in front of me, ready to shoot. I motion for Piper to move when I don't see anyone. Once she's out on her feet, I grab her hand in mine, and we make a run for it, straight to the back of the property that leads to the woods. Hiding amongst the trees is our best bet. We don't make it ten yards when Piper's hand is jerked from mine, and all the wind is knocked from my body as I'm tackled from behind. My body lands hard on the ground below me as the gun I was carrying goes flying across the yard. Just as I start to register what's happened, I'm flipped on my back, and I start to hit and kick at the person above me, earning a swift blow to my left cheek. Only the punch doesn't deter me, and I claw the hell out of the man's face, drawing blood.

  Kitty has claws motherfucker; literally.

  It's the three punches to the ribs that finally do me in. Unable to breathe, I roll to the side as I try to catch my breath. That's also when I see a man wearing a Savage Outlaw cut holding Piper.

  Oh, God, no.

  The man is standing behind her with one hand fisted in her hair and another holding a gun to her head. I ignore the searing pain in my ribs as I push myself to my knees while keeping my hands out in front of me, showing them, I surrender. I can't risk Piper by continuing to fight. The man holding Piper gives me a wicked smile knowing he has won. The guy, whose face I scratched all to hell, tugs me to my feet by my hair. Piper and I are then dragged back toward the house. As we round the corner of the porch, my blood runs cold when I see Rex standing there. A sinister smile takes over his face, and I read his lips. "Take them inside."

  Shoved through the front door, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Abe. But my blood starts to boil when I see Rex's men have roughed him up. Jerking my arm from the guy who is holding me, I turn and face Rex. With my jaw clenched, I point toward Abe then to Rex. I sign even though I know he won't understand. "You're a pussy. Only pussies beat a woman and an elderly man."

  I noticed out of the corner of my eye, Abe's shoulders shaking as he laughs, and it causes Rex to narrow his eyes at me. "What did the bitch say?" he directs his question at Abe, but I was able to read his lips. Abe grins and shrugs his shoulders. That pisses Rex off even more. Stalking in front of Abe, Rex rears back and punches him in his face. Blood trickles from his nose and I see red. I am not a fighter. Never have been, but for these people, my new family; I'm damn sure not going to stand by and allow shit like that to happen. Without a thought, I lunge for Rex and slap him across his face so hard my hand stings.

  A look of shock crosses his face for a split second before he wraps his fist in my hair and hurls my body across the room causing my head to smack against the coffee table. My body crumples to the floor. I bring my hand to my head as I try to blink away the flashes of light dancing behind my eyelids. I don't have a chance to compose myself before I am once again pulled to my feet and tossed to the sofa next to a frightened Piper. Looking up, I watch Rex sit on the table in front of me. He rests his elbows on his knees, pulls a cigarette from his cut, lights it, and takes a drag. He cocks his head to the side, studying me for a minute before he speaks.

  "I have big plans for you just as soon as I take care of those fucking Kings." Rex slides his gaze over to Piper, and I stop breathing. Abe goes to stand only to have one of Rex's men shove him back in his seat.

  "So, young. So pretty," he says running his eyes up and down Piper's body. "She'll be coming with us too. I can make some bank off of her." He brings his eyes back to me and smiles. "That is, after me, and my boys break her in."

  Piper's body shakes violently next to me at Rex's words. I lunge for him once more only to be stopped when he brings his pistol up and presses the barrel against my temple. "You'd be smart not to test me, bitch."

  I hold my chin up and give Rex a look that says go right ahead.

  "I like the new Luna. You've gotten tough. It's going to make it much more fun to break you," Rex says with an evil gleam in his eyes.

  Standing, Rex tucks his gun back into his cut and strides across the living room where he puts his phone to his ear, making a call. With a plan forming in my head, I cut my eyes to the man standing over Abe and notice his attention is on Rex. Piper, Abe, and I look at each other. I hold my hand down low and spell out the word 'plan' in hopes Piper will understand. She nods, letting me know she does.

  Thank God.

  Closing my eyes, I suck in a deep breath. Please let this work.

  When I open my eyes, I give Abe and Piper a nod. They have no idea what my plan is, but hopefully, they will follow my lead. Lifting my arm, I wave my hands out in front of me to gain Rex's attention. The man standing next to Abe says something while pointing to me and Rex turns, giving me an annoyed look. "What?"

  I sign while Abe translates. "Piper and I need to use the bathroom."

  Rex barks something to his man, and he walks towar
d Piper and me. Pointing his gun at us, he says, "let's go."

  I'm walking past Rex when he reaches out and snags my arm, stopping me. "Don't fucking try anything, Luna." The vibes coming off him send chills running down my spine. I know the consequences of what I am about to do, but my only concern is for Piper. Piper holds onto my hand for dear life. I can feel how scared she is by the way her body is trembling. As we walk past Abe, neither Rex nor his guys notice when I sign distraction to Abe. He gives me a slight nod. My stomach twists at the thought of putting Abe in the position where he might get hurt, but I know he wants his granddaughter out of danger just as much as I do.

  When we get to the bathroom, I go to close the door. As suspected, the asshole who escorting us stops me. He shakes his head. When I am about to protest, Abe comes through for me, and the man in front of me startles, then darts down the hall in the direction of the living room. I slam the door closed and flip the lock. Next, I rush over to the window to pull it open; only it won't budge. Shit. Think Luna. Twisting around, I peer around the bathroom before my eyes settle on the shower.

  An idea comes to mind when I pull back the plastic curtain revealing the metal rod. Reaching up, I pull on it, and the suction cups release from the tiled wall of the shower. I take the rubber end of the metal rod off and motion for Piper to stand back. Using both hands, I lift the rod and bring it down on the glass with all the strength I can muster. The window doesn't shatter, but it does puncture a hole through the glass.

  Good enough.

  Using the hand towel hanging next to the sink, I wrap it around my fist and begin punching out the glass. As I finish clearing the last shard of glass from the sill, Piper pulls on my shoulder while pointing at the bathroom door. Someone must be trying to break in. Knowing I have only seconds before Rex comes through the door, I take Piper by her arm and guide her to the window. She puts one leg through and then the other while I hold her arms, so she doesn't cut herself as she lowers herself to the ground below. The moment her feet touch the ground, I let go of her hands. Looking up at me Piper waves her arm, motioning for me to follow. I glance behind me at the door to see it has started to splinter from its hinges. I know there is no time for me to escape. I have to fight off whoever is coming through that door, giving Piper enough time to get away. I sign, "go." But she shakes her head and continues to plead with me.