“What about everyone else? What about your life here?” she asked. It would all be too much for a man like Griffin to give up and walk away from. The guys in the club were like brothers to him. She couldn’t expect him to just cut ties with them and disappear forever. It wouldn’t have been fair to him to even consider asking that.
But again, Griffin shrugged. He kept his gaze on her, never wavering for even a moment. When he spoke, Rachel knew he was speaking from the heart. “I’ll miss everything, but I’ll go with you. You’re more important than anything else. You and the baby are my priority right now. Everything else, I’ll figure out later.”
Heart pounding, all Rachel could do was stare into his eyes. How could he be that calm? How could he not mind just packing up and leaving everything behind with her? They barely knew each other. Both of them should have been putting the brakes on everything. They were both moving so quickly, skipping through what should have been at least a few months of relationship building.
But she didn’t want to slow down. When she looked into his eyes, everything just seemed right about being with him. It was hard to explain, but she didn’t feel like they were going too quickly. It felt perfect.
“I love you,” she said, unable to think of anything else.
He grinned at her, then leaned in and kissed her quickly on the lips. “I love you, too.”
27
Rachel
Weeks went by, and things become even worse. Rachel felt incapable of making any concrete plans for the future. More than once she’d sat down, determined to figure out where she’d go, what she’d do, and ended up walking away with no more of an idea than she’d had at the beginning. Even once Griffin brought her a passport, she still couldn’t find the motivation to make plans.
Deep down, she knew the reason. Griffin. He’d promised he would go with her wherever she went, but Rachel couldn’t bring herself to ask that of him. So far, he’d not given her a reason to doubt him, but she still couldn’t bring herself to believe he would really drop everything to follow her to the other side of the world. She wanted to believe him, but she also didn’t want to be heartbroken when he ended up breaking his promise.
Worse, if he did go with her, what if he resented her once he realized what he’d given up? It was easy for him to promise to stay with her no matter what, but once they were out there, cut off from their previous lives, would he still be okay with it? If he had any contact with the guys once they were gone, would it give Gabriel a trail to follow? No matter how careful he was, there would always be that chance Gabriel might find the once loose thread and tug at it. To really keep out of his grasp, they’d have to cut everyone and everything off. Could he really do that and still love her?
It seemed easier to just put it all off. There would always be tomorrow, right?
At the same time, with each passing day, she felt shittier and shittier. She had to leave. Gabriel probably knew where she was. And if he didn’t, it was only a matter of time before he figured it out. Then what? Would he send his pet biker gang after her? The guys seemed confident they could take on the Jokers, but what did that really mean? Even if they won, how many people would get hurt? How many would die?
And all that blood would be on her hands for sticking around.
Rachel and Griffin were sitting with a bunch of the guys in the lounge area when everything changed. The front door opened, and everyone glanced over to see who’d shown up. But it wasn’t one of the Steel Kings that walked in. It was Selena, striding through the place like she owned it. The guys were on their feet at once, guns drawn. Rachel wasn’t even sure where they’d all pulled the guns from.
Ava was on shift at the hospital, but Callie and Nikki were both there. They stood, too, moving to stand in front of her, acting like a last line of defense. Rachel’s heart hammered as she watched Selena stride past all the men, not even glancing at them. Having a half dozen guns pointed at her didn’t faze her in the least. She barely even looked at Callie and Nikki before walking around them.
Before Rachel could even open her mouth, Selena tossed a manila envelope onto the coffee table in front of her. When Rachel just stared at it, not making a move to take it, Selena let out a long sigh. She scooped the envelope back up, then dumped it out onto the coffee table, waving her hand at the contents. For a moment, she stared at the pile, processing everything. There was a driver’s license, a passport, and even a stack of cash, all lying out in front of her. At first, she thought Selena had somehow uncovered Rachel’s plot to flee, then she realized the ID was in a different name—not the Ella Sanders identity Griffin had created.
“What’s all this for?” Rachel asked, breaking the silence. Everyone else seemed just as stunned as she was. The guys all still had their guns out, but they didn’t make a move toward Selena.
The look Selena gave her made Rachael flinch. She looked at Rachel like she was the dumbest person on the planet for not being able to figure out two plus two equaled four. “Take it. Get out of town. Never look back.”
“Why?” Rachel asked next. Was this some kind of trap Gabriel was setting for her? Had he somehow flagged the ID and passport, planning to track her down once she was safely away from the Steel Kings?
“Because everything will be much easier once you’re out of the way.” Selena still looked at Rachel like it all should have been obvious. Then, there was a brief flash in her eyes, and Rachel knew there was something else. Something more. When she didn’t respond, Selena sighed. “I overheard him talking, okay? Once he’s got you back and the baby is born, he’s just going to kill you and dispose of the body. He’ll hand the kid off to some nanny and once a respectable amount of time has passed, I’ll be able to take your place. I don’t want to raise someone else’s kid. I want my own with him. And I don’t want someone digging up your body and it coming back to bite us in the ass.”
Rachel paused. She gulped around the rock in her throat. What the hell was going on? They’d known each other in passing, but they’d never gotten along. Rachel wasn’t even sure Selena knew that Rachel had figured her and Gabriel’s affair out. Still, she was risking her neck showing up like she had that day. “I take it he’s already promised to marry you once I’m gone? Did he buy you a pretty ring?”
Selena winced, and Rachael understood right away. Gabriel hadn’t promised her anything concrete. Why would he? Gabriel rarely did anything that wouldn’t directly benefit him, and he wouldn’t make any definite promises unless it was worth it. “Don’t worry about us,” Selena snapped. “You’re the only thing keeping us from getting married. If I’d met him before he’d married you, this wouldn’t even have been an issue.”
For the first time, Rachel felt sorry for Selena. She knew full well Gabriel would never marry her. Once Rachel was out of the picture, he’d find a new wife, but it would be someone else like Rachel. He’d only marry someone if he was getting something out of it, something besides a wife.
“He won’t do it, you know.” It wasn’t any of her business, but since Selena had gone through that much effort to give Rachel a way out, she had to at least try to warn her, didn’t she? “It’s not like I didn’t know he was sleeping with you. He never kept it a secret. But he always said he’d never marry you. You don’t have the right background.”
Selena flinched, her eyes going dark. She glared at Rachel as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. There was no point. She wouldn’t believe Rachel even if she’d had a recording of Gabriel admitting the whole thing. But Rachel had to at least try.
“Don’t even try it. Gabriel’s told me the only thing keeping us apart is you. Don’t make me regret keeping you alive. Take the documents, and get the hell out of town.”
With that, Selena turned to stalk away. Callie and Nikki moved out of her way. The guys, however, did not. They blocked the doorway, and Selena glared up at them. “Move,” she demanded through gritted teeth. When they didn’t move, she tried to push through them. They grabbed her, and she fought
against their grips, kicking and screaming.
Rachel opened her mouth to protest, then closed it. Should she stop them? Selena had been there that night, at Griffin’s apartment. It was because of her the Jokers had known how to find her. Did she really owe Selena anything? Unable to answer the question, she just stood there quietly, staring at the stack of documents Selena had dumped onto the table.
Despite Selena fighting like a wildcat to escape, she couldn’t overpower the group of men. They dragged her over to a chair, forced her into it, then zip tied her hands to it. She fought against the bonds, but they didn’t give, so she settled for letting out a string of curses directed at the group of them.
Vlad stood in front of her, arms crossed. “Sorry for being so rough, but I’m afraid we can’t just let you walk out of here.” Selena just glared up at him. She wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the bigger man, but he kept talking. “Now that you know where Rachel is, you’re stuck here, I’m afraid.”
This time, Selena burst out laughing. She smirked up at Vlad, a wicked sheen in her eyes. “Oh, please. The Jokers have known where she was for a while now. Where else would she go once they wrecked that one’s place?” She nodded toward Griffin who glared at her. “It’s only a matter of time before they come get their revenge.”
The men all exchanged looks. With a flick of Vlad’s head, they all filed out of the room, leaving Selena still strapped to the chair. They spoke just outside the room, but their voices were low enough Rachel couldn’t quite make out the words, only a handful of the voices. Vlad’s, Griffin’s, Padre’s . . .
Vlad and a couple of the others returned moments later, their faces grim. Vlad pulled a knife from his belt, opening the blade with a flick of his wrist. Rachel and Selena both stared wide-eyed at the blade, wondering just what he had planned.
But he didn’t slit her throat like they’d both expected. Instead, he slashed open the zip tie. He didn’t look happy about the decision, but he nodded toward the doorway. “Get out of here. And I suggest you get far away, too.”
Selena rubbed at her wrists, glaring at Vlad. She didn’t even bother responding to his suggestion. She headed toward the doorway, but Rachel stopped her, calling out. She glanced over her shoulder, only a couple feet away from the door.
“Thank you. I appreciate the gesture and the help, for what it’s worth.” Heat flooded into Rachel’s cheeks. It was strange, thanking Selena for something. But she had risked herself to help Rachel. She hadn’t needed to do that.
“Your appreciation isn’t worth anything,” Selena said, then she turned and walked out without another word.
Vlad waited a moment after the door was closed. Then, he started barking orders to everyone. “Let’s go, people. If they know for sure she’s here, then it won’t be long until they try to hit us. Let’s be gone before then.” His face was still grim, and everyone followed his commands without a moment’s hesitation. Rachel sat on the couch, mouth agape, as she watched the men rush from room to room, packing things up.
Callie put a hand on her thigh, squeezing gently. “Don’t worry. The guys know what they’re doing. You just sit and rest. I’m gonna go pack some food from the kitchen. You know how these lug heads are. They’ll have all the spare parts for their bikes but won’t think to even grab a bag of chips.”
Before Rachel could even offer to help, Callie had disappeared into the kitchen. She let out a sigh and slumped back against the couch. Once again, she was causing trouble for them. Each time someone walked by, Rachel perked up, offering to help, but everyone told her the same thing. Sit and rest.
Finally, she gave up and walked over to the front room, taking a seat on the windowsill and staring outside. If they weren’t going to let her help them pack, then she could at least keep some semblance of a watch. Hannah joined her, laying her head on Rachel’s leg, and Rachel scratched behind the dog’s ears. At least someone seemed to understand how she felt.
No one showed up, though, and Rachel was left with just her thoughts to keep her company. The longer she stared out the window, the more she wished she hadn’t been such a coward. She should’ve left long ago.
28
Rachel
Rachel groaned as she stood, her back aching. Being pregnant was really starting to take a toll on her body. She couldn’t wait to be done with that part. The guys had loaded up most of the stuff from the clubhouse, carting it all to a warehouse on the other side of town. They’d taken each load of stuff individually, driving all around the town making sure no one was following them, before finally heading to the warehouse.
It felt like it’d taken days to get it all done rather than hours. Eventually, though, they’d gotten somewhat settled into the place. It wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the clubhouse had been, since it was a barebones warehouse with only a couple of “rooms.” Plus, the entire club seemed to be there, helping get everything set up, which made the place feel chaotic and just a tad claustrophobic, despite the abundance of actual space.
They’d set up a makeshift living room first, this way everyone had a place to sit and relax once in a while. It was where they’d had Rachel camped out the entire time. Sure, she probably wouldn’t have been the most useful person around. She couldn’t lift a few hundred pounds with ease like the guys seemed to be able to. But sitting there doing nothing just made her feel even more useless.
And sitting for so long seemed to be making her aches even worse. A few times, she had to take deep breaths, afraid she was going into labor. But she was only at twenty-five weeks, so she dismissed that thought. It was just her mind being overactive again. Which seemed to be happening more and more lately. Every time something so much as squeaked, it seemed to send her into panic mode.
Walking helped. It wasn’t easy to dodge the guys constantly moving around, carrying boxes or equipment. Once, they’d come in carrying a large metal box. The thing must’ve weighed a ton since it took four of them to carry it, and she’d nearly gotten barreled over. After profusely apologizing, she’d hid on the other side of the room, far out of the way.
They’d set a TV up in the living room, somehow managing to get a signal for it. Vlad had Griffin fiddle around with some of his tech, and the next thing she knew, they had live TV. That man seemed to be a wizard when it came to technology. He probably knew as much about tech as she knew about high-society etiquette. Everyone seemed to appreciate the background noise of the TV even if only a couple of them were actually watching it.
She knelt on the other side of the room, petting Hannah when a sharp whistle tore through the warehouse. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned toward the source. Padre stood in front of the TV, remote in hand, motioning for everyone to crowd over as he turned the volume up.
Rachel rushed over, heart pounding. Once again, her mind went to the darkest places first. She expected to see the clubhouse burning to the ground. Another attack on someone tangentially related to her disappearing. What she hadn’t expected was to see Gabriel’s mansion front and center. An army of police had the place surrounded, men in suits and body armor going in and out of it.
“Our source with the FBI told us the Treasury Department received an anonymous tip detailing Gabriel Aaronson’s illicit dealings. They haven’t released many details regarding those dealings yet, but he’s believed to be connected to multiple smuggling operations in the area.” The news reporter went on, talking about Gabriel’s legitimate business ventures and his upcoming bid for state senate.
The entire time, the camera stayed trained on Gabriel’s house as men brought out boxes and boxes of stuff. Rachel could only imagine what they’d found in there. Had Gabriel kept records of his illicit dealings on hand? She’d never seen anything like that, but she also hadn’t gone looking for it. Chances were, she wouldn’t have recognized what any of it was if she had come across it, either.
“Unfortunately, it seems Mr. Aaronson received a tip about the incoming raid and fled the area before police could take him
into custody. His wife, Rachel Aaronson, hasn’t been seen publicly since early in her pregnancy but is suspected to have fled alongside him. An arrest warrant has been issued for Mr. Aaronson, and his wife is sought as a person of interest. If anyone has information on their whereabouts, police are asking you call their anonymous tip line.”
Rachel gritted her teeth. Her hands balled into fists. They thought she was on the run with Gabriel. They probably thought she was an accomplice, too. She hadn’t even known about Gabriel’s dealings with the Jokers until Griffin had found it all. His businesses were all successful and made him plenty of money. Why would he need to resort to smuggling for more?
She tuned out the rest of the broadcast. Her entire body was shaking. Before she knew it, Griffin was there, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Leaning against him, she let herself cry. All the stress of the last couple weeks came out at once. Griffin just held her, offering her soft comfort. Damn pregnancy! If her hormones hadn’t been all out of whack, she wouldn’t have had a complete breakdown like that. But once the tears started to flow, she couldn’t stop them until they were finished.
“Better now?” Griffin asked, once her sobbing subsided. She nodded, and he patted her back. “Just remember, you’re only wanted as a person of interest. They’ll probably just want to ask you questions about what you know about his businesses. If they thought you were connected to any of it, they’d have issued a warrant for you, too.”
Again, Rachel nodded. He’d read her mind. How was it he always knew what she was thinking? He knew her thoughts better than she did sometimes. And he always knew what to say to put those thoughts at ease.
Hunted (Steel Kings MC Book 4) Page 10