by Ryan Michele
“Wait, you couldn’t do that?” I asked.
Rylynn laughed. “Really I do anything I want, but the mommas are kind of club business. But I also don’t take any of their shit. Once I talk to Crow it’ll be good.”
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that one,” Goldi threw in. Van had run off to the kitchen, thank goodness. I didn’t want her to have to hear all that.
“I’ll fuck him. He’ll be fine.”
I leaned in. “What’s up with her mom?” I bobbed my head to Van, who I could hear rustling around in the kitchen.
“Drugs. She’s workin’ on gettin’ clean, but it’s an uphill climb.”
My heart hurt for the little girl, and I was happy she had Rylynn in her life. That had to be hard for her to deal with.
“Damn.”
“She’s actually doin’ better. She needs to for Van.”
Just then Van ran out of the kitchen. “Whoever got the chocolate chip muffins is my new best friend.”
We all burst out laughing.
If only chocolate chip muffins could save the world.
47
Hayden
A key going into the lock had me awake and scrambling to the floor from Wrong Way’s bed. Even after all these years, that instinct was in me. I reached to the bedside table and grabbed my knife.
The door creaked open, and I moved to the end of the bed peeking my eyes over. The light flipped on, and it took a minute for my eyes to adjust.
“Hayden?”
A huge breath escaped me. “Yeah. Here.” I climbed up from the floor and tossed my knife to the bed.
“You gonna cut me, baby?”
I moved to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Yep. Slice and dice.”
He chuckled. I loved hearing that sound. The door shut with a thud, probably from his boot as he walked us into the room. His lips came down to mine in a punishing kiss.
He’d only been gone a few hours, but damn I hungered for his touch. Clutching his neck tightly and stepping up on my tiptoes, I let him take whatever he wanted from me.
When he pulled away abruptly and grabbed my wrists to still my moments, I was taken aback. Looking into his eyes, something wasn’t right.
“What’s wrong?” I asked quickly.
“Have a seat.”
“Oh hell, nothin’ ever starts well with have a seat.” But I sat, and he did too next to me.
“Gotta get in your business, as in your job, for a second. Did you work any cases that had to do with some sick as shit porn?”
At first I was startled at the question but recovered quickly. This was Wrong Way, I’d tell him anything he asked. “Yeah. Worked one a while back.”
“Tell me about it.”
I didn’t know where he was going with it, but I explained everything from the first moment I got the message to me taking the money from the bank and distributing it to the women and men in the videos.
There wasn’t a detail I left out, even telling him Rocco’s involvement.
“Fuck me,” Wrong Way said, rolling his head and looking up at the ceiling.
“What? What’s goin’ on?” I asked, reaching over and grabbing his hand, needing that connection with him.
“Did you save or keep anything from that?”
I nodded. “Yeah in an encrypted folder.”
“Can you access it now?”
I nodded again. “What’s going on?” This time it was more of a demand. He didn’t look right, and I was getting nervous.
“Go to my computer and get started. I’ll tell you everything.”
Without another word I got up and went to his banks of computers and got busy.
“We need to know if there’s a connection with this site and Archy Crawly and/or Senator McClusky.”
My eyes widened. “Holy shit,” I said on a gasp. Wrong Way’s head jerked to the computer, and I went back to it.
As Wrong Way told me what was going down, my gut dropped. Fuck, did I start this ball rolling from what I did? Tears burned my eyes as my fingers typed, putting in the encryption information.
It did. Shutting down this asshole started this rollercoaster.
But I didn’t know if it made me a bad person, but I would’ve done it again. Those women and men … it needed to stop. And it did. But fuck me the shit I came up with.
“Here’s the list of IP addresses and names. They didn’t use real names on here, and they used prepaid cards that couldn’t trace back to them. That was why I had no idea who was who. Just the guy runnin’ the show.”
Wrong Way rested his chin in his hand, thinking. “The Man. What can you find on that?”
“The Man? Seriously?”
“Yeah, babe.”
What a dick, but I already knew that.
Scrolling through, I found it. “There,” I said, pointing to the screen. “Let me find the IP connected, and I can do a search.”
Wrong Way’s hand came to my shoulder as he leaned over and kissed my temple. Such a sweet gesture from a man who was radiating so much anger. Thankfully not directed at me.
I followed the chain as it bounced me around from here to there. It led me to a physical address that I put in the search engine. A large federal building came into view. “There. It’s coming from there.”
“Fuck, he’s a goddamned moron. Fuckin’ doin’ that shit from a federal building.”
“He’ll be in prison for a while. That’s for sure.”
Wrong Way kissed my temple once again. “Jail isn’t where this fucker is gonna go.”
I kept my mouth shut, taking advice from Rylynn. I didn’t need to know, so I didn’t ask. But I did go down another path.
“So let me get this straight. I took down Mark. The Senator and his guy, or whatever, were part of this service. And I use that term loosely. When it shut down, they were pissed. Gary wanted your building so he could do his sick shit and restart the business. He had my father kidnap me and try to steal your shit to get leverage on you for the property. Am I right?”
“That’s what I’m comin’ up with.”
I bit my bottom lip. “But how did he know it was me who shut it down? I was damn careful, and I’d never been caught before.”
“That I don’t know yet. But I’ll find out.”
He lifted me from the chair and kissed me hard. “Gotta go.”
“Be safe.”
“Always.”
Guilt weighed heavy on me after he left, but I couldn’t seem to change my actions. Sometimes even the ones that did good deeds had bad follow through in their wake.
48
Wrong Way
“I’m gonna kill ‘em,” Crow said after I relayed everything I’d just found out with Hayden. The picture was becoming clearer by the second, and the puzzle pieces were finding their places.
“Don’t know how he found out about Hayden, though. Nor his connection to her father.” That was the missing part, one I intended on finding the answer to.
Just then headlights shone through the night’s sky as we stood on our property where the large building was held. It was a huge Morton Building that we hadn’t made a decision on what to do with. One thing we knew it wouldn’t be was some sick and twisted porn site. That shit didn’t come to Rebellion. Fuck that and fuck the prestigious Senator.
“Looks like we won’t have to wait to get those answers,” Crow said crossing his arms over his chest.
Brewer stepped up to us. “You know this means Rook gets no pardon.”
“And he’d be pissed as shit if we didn’t protect the club and let this weaselly, little fucker get away with it. He’d rather stay the time than allow this shit to happen to our club and Rebellion.”
“True,” I added in as the black SUV stopped, and I clocked two men in the front. When the door opened there was the Senator and another man with him. He was bulky but didn’t appear fit. The bulky man got out of the SUV and moved next to the Senator.
Protection?
Good luck
with that.
The duo moved close, the lights on the SUV killing, plunging us into slight darkness. The light over the building was on, but it cast a shadow and was nowhere near bright.
“Came to your senses, huh?” The old man smiled like he’d just won the jackpot and was riding high on life. Sick fuck.
“Who’s this?” Crow asked not taking his gaze off the two men. My mind went through trying to place the extra guy but was unable to.
“A friend.”
Crow put out a long whistle, then ordered, “Everyone out.”
“Wait! What?” the Senator said, stepping forward and reaching out to Crow.
That was when we moved, fast and efficient. I grabbed the Senator’s wrist and got him down with ease.
Tex was on the friend and took him down with ease. The asshole was going to be pissed he came to this meeting. Chump.
The doors to the SUV opened, and I heard their yells. Looking over, Hornet and Rooster had the two on the ground their hands out in front of them, while each bent down to pull out their guns.
“I so get a turn at this guy, or I’m fuckin’ leavin’,” Warden said with his arms across his chest. The man was itching to get away from Rebellion. Why, we had no idea. That was his story, and he wasn’t ready to tell it.
“Phones!” I called out as Phoenix started gathering them from the four men. “Check to see if they have navigation, and cut the damn engine.”
Technology. Sometimes it was great. Others, not so much.
Crow went up to Tex, his gun out and pointing at the friend’s feet. “Don’t fuckin’ move. Tex, fire.”
Tex nodded and went off to start one as Warden turned off the SUV engine and grabbed all the phones and one tablet from the SUV.
Warden held them up in question.
“Come here and watch him,” I said.
“Fine by me,” he replied, handing out the electronics. I took them and moved to the fire. One by one I opened them and pulled the sims cards out and chucked them in the fire. Then went the actual devices.
“Seems like a good night for a hog roast,” Phoenix chuckled.
“What are you doing?” the friend said. “Don’t you know who I am?”
“Nope. Don’t give a fuck.”
Walking up to him, I said, “And it doesn’t matter because in a second you’ll be dead.”
“Everyone will be lookin’ for me!” he boasted as the Senator started babbling.
“Good because no one will find you. Ever.”
Crow nodded to Warden, who put a bullet in the guy’s head. Then two more shots went off as Hornet and Rooster took out their men.
The three guys had it coming. They knew what was going on out here. They worked for him and probably partook in their dirty deeds. Well, fuck them. All of them.
The only one needed alive for the moment was Gary.
“Fuck. Couldn’t we’ve waited until we walked them to the fire?” Phoenix complained as he pulled the three-hundred-pound man through the dirt and grass, over to the fire, carrying the man under his armpits.
“Stop your bitchin’,” Tex said, throwing oil on the fire. It made everything go up quick, but my attention was on Gary. He held the questions I needed to have answered.
“Up,” Crow commanded as Brewer and I pulled him to his feet. His eyes were jittery and going all over the place, looking for an out. Sorry. No outs. Your status gets you nowhere here.
“You can’t do this. I’ll have your asses in slings!” Gary yelled out with false bravado. We’d heard all this shit before with other people. It didn’t faze us anymore. We had our ways of making things vanish, which was what was going to happen to all four of them.
“No, that’s your fetish. Isn’t it, Senator.” My tone was snide, my nostrils flaring. “Saw the pictures. You gettin’ it on with young girls. Usin’ whips and chains on them while they cried. All of them.” So I didn’t really know if it was everything, but he didn’t need to know that. And just bringing up the images had me wanting to throw up again.
“That’s bullshit. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Not holding back, I punched his jaw as he screamed, blood spewing from his lips, his head cocking to the side. “Don’t fuckin’ lie to us, bastard! You want our building so you can bring forced porn to the sick fucks of the world!”
“No, I never said that.”
As we stood in a half moon facing him, Warden held Gary’s hands behind his back. Gary tried to get away, but it didn’t happen. The fire behind them was burning bright. Tex and his fires.
“Archy told us all about it. Gave us his computer,” Crow added in, his arms crossed over his chest.
The Senator’s eyes went on alert at the mention of Archy, but he said nothing.
“Yeah, fucker was itchin’ to tell somebody,” Brewer tossed into the conversation. “Said you’re gonna start your own website.”
That, of course, was a bunch of bullshit, but he didn’t need to know that either.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Let me go,” he demanded, and a chuckle escaped a few of us. Yeah, he underestimated the Ravage MC.
No one should ever underestimate the Ravage MC.
“Should we get a log, wrap him on it, and put him over the fire until he talks?” Phoenix asked all of us, but no one in particular.
“You can’t do this!” Gary demanded, and I was getting sick of his shit.
“Can we get this shit show on the road?” I asked Crow who smirked. He was feeling it too. The need to get answers and get the fuck out of here.
Raising my boot, I kicked the man in his kneecap. He cried out in pain, and Tex lost his grip letting him fall to the ground.
“Warn a brother, would ya,” Tex said, brushing his hands on his jeans.
I ignored him.
“Two questions. You answer them, we go easy. You don’t, we go hard and you will feel every bit of pain from the end of your hair follicles to the tips of your toes.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It came out broken as he cried in pain. He hadn’t felt anything yet.
Turning around, I went to the bag I brought, opened it and pulled out my computer, pulling up the sick as fuck pictures. “This…” I kept scrolling, bending down so he could see well. Gary didn’t say anything. Instead, he moaned and turned his head into the dirt, trying to get away from the images.
“Funny how once you stroked your cock to these, and now you act like they are the most horrible things on the planet. Say, how would your wife feel about seeing this?”
His head turned to me. “You can’t.”
“Fucker, I can and I will. Oh, and those kids of yours. Not to mention the men and women of the Senate, hell the whole government. It will put a hell of a crush on everything around you,” I taunted, setting the computer down while the pictures played.
“Fuck me. I don’t want to see this shit,” Tex spat, turning away from the screen. Couldn’t blame him there.
“What do you want?” Gary said, shaking his head back and forth on the dirt.
“Why Hayden?”
He was the one in charge of getting her father to take her. I needed the why to solve this puzzle.
“Who?”
I lifted my boot, but Tex held out his hand, and I paused. “Let me.”
Tex reached for the man’s arm, wrenching it hard behind his back. Gary screamed in pain as Tex bent his wrist back so far it could break.
“Talk!” Tex ordered, letting him go but not moving far.
“She’s the bitch who put Mark in prison. I had men on Mark because he was getting sloppy.” It came out a bit broken, but I was still able to make out the words. “Tracked the bitch down and saw you”—he spat at me—“comin’ out of her house. She was workin’ with you, and us needin’ a new place I came to you with an offer.”
“You stupid fuck,” Crow said, stepping forward, grabbing Gary’s leg, and cracking it over his knee. The sound of bones breaking echoed
through the dark night.
Gary’s screams became louder. It was good we owned the acres of land around us. No one would hear a thing.
“Hayden didn’t work for us you, moron,” Crow said down to him. “Why her father?”
Gary groaned, now twisting from side to side on his back holding his leg. Bone was protruding, so it had to hurt like a bitch.
“Just easy. When I looked into her and read about her father, I knew if anyone could get her to do what I needed to have done, it would be him. He also needed money. It worked.”
I looked up to the sky above. Please save us from the stupid people of the world. The sky had no response.
“Anyone else know about this shit?”
“Archy and the guy you killed, but that’s it.”
I loomed over him. “You’d better fuckin’ hope so. If not, this shit gets spread far and wide for your family. Remember that.” His head shook back and forth. I hocked up a lougie and spat it down on his face. “You’re a worthless piece of shit.”
Pulling out my gun, I shot him between the eyes.
“Clean up on aisle seven!” Phoenix yelled, and we all burst out laughing.
49
Hayden
We were laying in Wrong Way’s bed at the clubhouse. The light was coming in the window, but we were still under the covers. I’d tried to wait for him to come back, but I'd fallen asleep at some point.
Whatever he had to do, I didn’t like it, but I accepted it.
Really the only reason I didn’t like it was because I didn’t want him to get hurt. Guilt laid heavy on my chest. Even though I wouldn’t change it, I still held that weight on my shoulders.
What I did affected people in a way I didn’t know. After Wrong Way woke me up and we talked, the guilt got a bit heavier.
He told me not to let it, that the situation was handled, but it still lingered inside of me.
“You’re thinkin’ pretty hard there.” His gravelly voice rumbled in my ear since my head was on his chest. It was one of my favorite things about him.
“Are you pissed at me?”