by S. Nelson
“You know damn well who he is, but for the sake of argument, Pike is our prospect. Or should I use the word was?”
“We don’t know him. So we certainly don’t know where you can find him. Dead or alive.” Ryder’s only movement was the parting of his lips when he responded.
The Reaper moved a few steps back until he stood directly next to Erin, who slowly regained consciousness. He pressed the barrel to her temple, the pressure causing her lids to finally pop open. When she tried to move toward the other side of the bed, his buddy pushed her back. I watched as she scoured the room, finally locating Tag standing five feet from the edge of where she lay.
“Tag.” His name fell as a plea from her mouth. “What’s—”
“Do you really want your little girlfriend’s brains splattered all over these nice white walls?” the Reaper interrupted, staring right at our newest member. “It doesn’t make a difference to me either way.” His voice dipped when he spoke again. “You Knights are so fuckin’ predictable. Always wantin’ to save a bitch. We knew you’d come here. One of our guys saw you chat her up, then go back again and again. All we had to do was make our move, which would have you making yours.” He removed the gun from Erin’s head and used the barrel to scratch the side of his. “It’s perfect really. Four less of you to be around when we do it.”
“Do what?” I blurted, unable to stop myself.
The bastard winked at me. “You’ll see.” He looked to his buddies and they all laughed, the choreographed sound chilling me to the bone. “Or maybe you won’t.” Making a rattling noise with his throat, the corners of his mouth turned down and a deep crease formed in the center of his sweaty forehead. “Now, where’s Pike?” He repositioned the gun at Erin’s temple, her cries doing nothing to convince this guy to lower his weapon. Her fear only seemed to excite him. “I’m givin’ you three motherfuckin’ seconds to answer me. One.” A breath traveled up my throat and escaped through my mouth. “Two.” My heart jackhammered inside my chest.
“He’s dead.”
My eyes fluttered closed when Tag revealed those two words. I realized he thought he had a shot of saving Erin if he told them what they wanted to know about their prospect, but all he did was play a game of chicken with them. One I had a feeling he was about to lose.
“We figured as much,” the guy answered, raising his head. “Just wanted to hear it from you.” My eyes darted to Tag, then to the Reaper holding the gun, then to Erin, her fear and anguish at the news of her brother palpable in the stifled air choking all of us.
When my gaze flicked back to the Reaper, the skin around the corners of his eyes crinkled.
Then his finger twitched against the trigger.
I breathed a sigh of disbelief and horror a millisecond before the bullet sliced through Erin’s temple, her head twisting to the side from the force of the shot, her blood splattered on the sheets, the walls and the cold-hearted bastard who ended her life as well as his scrawny-lookin’ buddy who’d been standing close.
We all stood motionless, a roar tearing from Tag’s throat the instant he witnessed what the rest of us had.
I half expected threats to be thrown around, either from them or from us, but speaking for myself, I had a hard time forming a coherent sentence, let alone stringing words together in response to witnessing a woman gettin’ her brains blown out, fuckin’ literally. My stomach rolled at the sight, but I kept my shit together, albeit barely. My reality was unraveling, and I had no idea what our next move was, let alone trying to decipher the Reaper’s coded message when he’d said “Four less of you to be around when we do it.”
“What now?” Ryder asked, his tone composed. Either he was used to watching people getting murdered or he faked his calm.
“Now, Griller will be happy when I tell him there are less of you walkin’ around.” He tilted his head, and the same skin crinkled around his murderous eyes.
If we weren’t in such an enclosed space, we might have a chance of making it out of here alive, but with all of us practically on top of each other, those chances dwindled to an impossibility.
I didn’t have time to push Ryder out of the way before the gun fired, the sound bouncing off the four small walls, my eardrums still not recovered from the first shot, only to be compounded with a second.
My eyes were still not completely focused on my target in front of me, but I pulled the trigger anyway.
Shot after shot rang out and it was only when the smoke cleared that I was able to see the damage… from the floor, flat on my back.
32
“Was she your last?”
“Yeah.” Riley rang out her final client of the day, scheduling her next appointment for her the following month. Once it was just us, she plopped down in the chair behind the computer as I relaxed in my station seat. “I’m looking forward to an early evening relaxing at home. Maybe some takeout, a movie, then bed.” I wiggled my brows and she clarified. “Bed, as in sleep. I’m tired, woman.” I repeated the facial gesture. “Okay, maybe I can accommodate him but only if he gets home early enough.” We shared a chuckle. I was so happy for my bestie that she finally mended things with Kaden. She was the happiest I’d ever seen her, and I only prayed he didn’t do anything to hurt her again. Otherwise, he’d have me to answer to. He’d already been warned.
“How late are you staying?”
“I have two more. One for a root touchup and Zoe’s coming in for a blowout. I should be done by seven. Not too bad.”
“Just make sure you call Ace early enough to meet you here so you’re not waiting too long.”
“Speaking of, did you call Kaden and let him know you’re done?” I crossed my legs, folded my hands in my lap and crouched down in my chair. I was exhausted but needed to find the energy to handle two more clients.
“I did. He’s busy trying to finish up a job at the garage, so Lincoln’s swinging by.” She turned to look out the window. “There he is now. Thank God he brought his truck because I wasn’t in the mood for a bike ride right now.”
“Either way, at least you’re goin’ home. Lucky bitch.” I laughed, uncrossing my legs, and leaning forward to snatch my cell from the small counter in front of me. “I’m gonna text Ace now before I forget.”
I hadn’t heard from him in hours, but sometimes that was normal, depending on what he had going on with the club.
Lincoln walked into the salon a minute later, but he wasn’t alone, Zoe following several paces later.
“Hey, Zo. What are you doin’ here so early? Your appointment isn’t for another hour?”
Dressed to the hilt as usual, wearing a tapered, sleeveless, cream dress paired with nude red-bottomed heels, she pushed her hair off her shoulder. Zoe had the most gorgeous red hair, even though she complained about the color every now and again, saying there were certain colors she couldn’t wear because of clashing. I thought she was insane. She could pull off anything, the fashionista she was.
“I just came to check up on Braylen.”
“Oh yeah, you were with her when she got into the accident, right? Are you okay?”
“Stiff neck but that’s it. Nothing serious, thankfully.” She said hello to Riley before walking down the hallway toward the office where her stepmother had been for the past hour.
“You ready?” Lincoln swung his keys around his forefinger, gifting me one of his gorgeous smiles. “You talk to Ace recently?”
“Not since this morning. Why?”
“No reason. I’ve just been callin’ him, but it keeps going to voice mail.” Lincoln looked back to Riley, raising his brows in silent question.
“I’m ready,” she huffed, their nonverbal communication something I envied. I wished I had a sibling I could occasionally be annoyed by. The thought alone made me smile as I continued to watch their interaction. Lincoln swung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. “Make sure you don’t go anywhere without one of us, Chels.” His parting words echoed through the empty salon floor, the remin
der I wasn’t to go anywhere without a bodyguard of sorts calming me more than it unnerved me at this point.
I stood at the window and watched my best friend hop into her brother’s truck, the sun shining brightly in the sky. Gorgeous weather was what I loved about living in California, but all the sunshine was doing to me right now was making me wish Ace was here with me now.
I missed him, a sentiment which happened more often than it ever did in the past. Or maybe I just dismissed the feeling before because I refused to give into the notion. But since he’d been shot, I held this innate swirling feeling inside me to be with him as much as possible. I believed part of it was fear he’d disappear from my life altogether, but moreover, I realized my feelings for Ace ran deeper than I wanted to admit. It was unfortunate something so drastic had to happen in order for me to come around to the thought of finally committing to him.
To us.
A gentle squeeze on my shoulder startled me and I released a small yelp. Zoe came into my peripheral view, her hand over her heart.
“I thought you saw me. Sorry.”
“Lost in thought, as is the case these days.” I returned her smile. “Everything okay?” I looked toward the hallway.
“Yeah. Everything is good.”
“So, tell me. Who is gonna be waiting for you after your appointment?” My perfectly manicured brows did a little dance, making her chuckle.
“Whoever do you mean?” She moved toward the small refrigerator in the corner of the room and pulled out a bottled water.
“You know exactly who I mean. Big, sexy biker. A guy who’ll piss off your dad if he knew something was going on.”
“Tripp’s married.”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny. I’m talking about the even bigger one.” Zoe held her hands almost a foot apart. “First off, I have no idea how well either of those men are endowed, and I don’t want to.” Zoe’s hearty laugh combined with the widening of her eyes made me giggle, something I rarely did.
Braylen walked in on us, grinning before even knowing what we were talking about. “You’ve gotta be talkin’ about either Ace or Brick. And from the flush on your cheeks,” she said, pointing to Zoe, “it’s Brick.” Her stepdaughter didn’t answer, only grinned wider. “I’m done warning you against what will happen if your father finds out. You two are grown. You’ll have to deal with the consequences as they come.” Zoe rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything in rebuttal. “Speaking of, I talked to your dad about an hour ago, and he said he’ll be here to take us back home when we’re finished.”
The door opened before Zoe could respond. “Hi again.” Lisa, the woman I’d taken care of earlier, stood near the counter, flashing Braylen and Zoe a strained smile when their glances met. She’d changed into a long-sleeve shirt, which was a strange choice because it was extremely warm out, even for as late in the day as it was.
Her demeanor seemed a little off, but perhaps she was socially awkward or maybe she was up to something, although I couldn’t for the life of me fathom what that could be. Not giving in to my paranoia because of my recently heightened anxiety, I stepped forward and placed my hand on her arm. She jerked slightly before plastering her grin back in place.
“Did you find a wallet? I think I might’ve left it here.”
“Not that I know of but let me check.” I searched behind the desk, then at each of the stylist stations as well as the shampooing and drying areas. I found nothing. Lisa remained near the door, looking out the window when I walked up next to her, startling her as Zoe had done to me moments before. “I didn’t find anything. Maybe you lost it after you left.”
“Can you check the back rooms? I really need it.” With each tick of the clock, her behavior became more suspicious. The inside of Transform was cool, but a bead of perspiration glistened on her brow. Her darting eyes put me on alert, but again, I didn’t have any justification for my impending rattling.
Braylen stepped forward. “No one turned in a wallet. Sorry.” Our eyes met, Braylen’s brow lifting in either annoyance or reservation. “But you can leave us your information and if by chance something turns up, we’ll give you a call.” She immediately looked to Zoe and said, “Your father just called. Marek, Stone, and Brick will be here any second. They’re right around the corner.” By the looks on our faces, Zoe and I shared the same confusion. Why would all of them be coming here? Just to escort us home? And why Marek and Stone? If anything, I would’ve thought they’d send Kaden, possibly have Lincoln come back as well.
Lisa’s eyes widened quickly before she glanced back out the window. “I gotta go,” she mumbled before darting out the front door.
“What was all that about?” Zoe touched Braylen’s arm to get her attention off the fleeing woman. “Why would all of them be coming here?”
Braylen finally peeled her eyes from the window and back on to her stepdaughter. “They’re not. I just had a bad feeling something was about to happen and figured if she thought four of our guys would be here any second, whatever they had planned wouldn’t happen.” She could’ve been speaking in a different language for all the sense she made. She didn’t bother to explain anything before flipping over the OPEN sign to CLOSED and locking the front door. “Call your other client and reschedule.”
“But she’s gonna be here in like five minutes,” I protested, still unsure of what was going on.
“I don’t care. Just do it.” It wasn’t like Braylen to be so stern and unyielding, but I didn’t argue, the alarm in my head shoving my stubbornness aside and telling me to listen. “I guess I’m not doing your hair either tonight.”
“That’s fine. Another time.” Zoe left me and followed Braylen toward the back, leaving me to tamp down my rising nerves. The locked door helped some, but I wouldn’t be completely calm until I was home and with Ace.
Lost in the thought of being wrapped up in his arms, my cell vibrating against my butt startled me. Hoping it was the man I’d been thinking about, I reached around and pulled my phone from my pocket, swiping the screen after seeing his name pop up.
“Where are you?” No time for formalities. I needed to see him and hoped he was calling me to tell me he was on his way here. But static was the only sound that greeted me on the other end of the call. “Hello?” No answer. “Ace? Can you hear me?” Still no response. “Because I can’t hear you.” I waited several seconds, but still nothing. “Hello?” After determining we had a bad connection, I hung up and called him right back. It rang once before going to voice mail. With my finger hovering over his name to dial once more, I couldn’t stop the uneasiness from swirling in my belly. Between Braylen’s odd behavior and not being able to talk to Ace when he called, I didn’t know what to think, my anxiety cresting until I was consumed with thoughts I’d rather not entertain.
33
As I lay there, taking air into my lungs, then releasing each breath slowly, I looked up at the ceiling, pricking my ears to my surroundings. But the only sounds I heard were groans, only I didn’t know who made them. They could’ve been coming from our guys or from theirs. Hell, they could’ve been coming from me, but in my current state of fogginess and confusion, I couldn’t readily tell.
The back of my head hurt, but other than the slicing pain tearing through my skull, I didn’t believe I was injured, which was good considering I wasn’t all the way healed from the gunshot wound I’d endured from their fuckin’ club.
When I finally picked up my head, I scoured the small room and saw all three Reapers on the ground. Two weren’t moving and the other one had his hand resting against his stomach, his body twitching in pain.
Ryder was on his feet, barely, leaning against the wall, his head lolling from side to side as he attempted to remain upright. His hand disappeared beneath his dark shirt, reappearing with blood staining his fingertips.
Brick’s large body was slumped in the far corner, his head hanging down, appearing lifeless, blood seeping through his gray T-shirt as well as through his right pant leg, the sight m
aking my vision blur over again.
I clutched the back of my head and raised my body from the floor until I was in a seated position. When I pulled my fingers away from my damp hair and shoved my hand in front of my face, I saw blood. I had no idea if I’d been shot or if at some point, I’d stumbled backward and hit my head on the way down. Full comprehension continued to elude me, but one thing was for sure… the threat in this room had been eliminated. Now all that was to be done was to survey the damage, the casualties.
Movement from my right caught my attention, but when I turned to look, I cursed, the swift effort wreaking havoc on my injury. In the middle of gathering my strength once again, a hand squeezed my shoulder.
“You okay?” Tag’s voice sounded rough and distorted. As he stood to his full height, he shifted his weight to his right side. My eyes trailed over the length of him, noticing his jeans were torn at his left shin, blood puddling on the floor by his foot.
“I think so,” I finally answered, my wits coming back quicker than before. I struggled to get to my feet, but succeeded only when Tag helped me, being sure not to put any pressure on his left leg.
He looked down, then back up at me. “My fuckin’ shin is killin’ me, but I’m better than those shitheads.” He jerked his chin toward the fallen Reapers.
“One of ’em is still alive,” Ryder suddenly mumbled, pressing his hand over the apparent wound right below his left rib cage. “Tag.” Our prospect hobbled closer to Ryder. “You need to do it.” The Reaper who still breathed the same air as us was the same one who killed Erin. Not a flicker of reservation passed over Tag’s features before he carefully bent down and snatched up one of the fallen guns. He hobbled toward the groaning fucker, pointed the gun at the guy’s chest, and pulled the trigger. The resounding boom made my heart skip in surprise even though I knew he was gonna do it. I believed the Reaper to be dead, but that didn’t matter to Tag because he shot him once more, right between his evil fuckin’ eyes. Now, there was no doubt the man had perished, hopefully to hell where he belonged.