Rebel spoke up. “Just trust us, Karen. Trust Stoner. He knows what he’s doing.”
Karen narrowed her gaze on Rebel. “But I can help you guys. You know I can. You know I will.”
Stoner reached over and grabbed her hand. He pulled her toward him. She didn’t resist. She didn’t want to.
He pulled her into his lap and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I agree you’ve been in the dark too long.” His deep voice tickled her ear. “You have a right to know. Viper ordered me to kill your son-in-law and then you. It’s supposed to happen tonight while he conducts an illegal deal in another part of the compound. The fight is merely a distraction to keep anyone from knowing what he’s doing.”
She let out a soft gasp. “You can’t do it.”
“I know. Shit, you think I want to kill you? Rebel has a plan. If it works, tonight will be the last night you have to stay in this place. But you’ve got to trust me, okay? Please, just trust me.”
He leaned back and looked her in the eye.
Her eyes filled with tears. This had to be so difficult for him. Whatever he was planning, she trusted him, one hundred percent.
“I trust you.” She pressed her lips to his. Stoner cupped her face in his hands and kissed her back. There was passion in his kiss, desperation, perhaps even…sorrow, regret. Did he think he wouldn’t get out alive? Her chest tightened, emotion clogged her throat. He had to survive. He had to.
Stoner released her. “Now go, Karen. Stay with Tonya. I think you’ll be relatively safe with her. Keep your ears open. Let me know if you hear anything suspicious. Don’t let your guard down for a second. If I survive tonight, I promise I’ll come for you. I won’t leave you behind.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Viper paced his office while awaiting news from Scorpion about tonight’s guests. The deal was scheduled to go down while the fight was still in progress. He only hoped Stoner managed to drag out the FBI guy’s death until the last round so he would have time to conduct the deal and be back at the fight before anyone noticed his absence.
Tonya had intercepted him in the hallway earlier and begged him to call off the fight. Dumb woman was always trying to interfere in his business. He’d told her to get lost and stay hidden until after the fight. He had no idea what might happen tonight. If the buyers weren’t satisfied with the merchandise, an uproar might ensue. He had to be prepared for anything. So he’d unlocked the weapons room and armed all his men with guns. If the Inked Intimidators tried to start something, his men would take them down.
Stoner and Rebel had not received guns. They had not been included in the meeting he’d held right after lunch with the rest of the Cobras. He didn’t trust Stoner with a gun, and since Rebel hung around Stoner like a puppy, Viper didn’t trust the kid either. So if anything bad went down tonight, those two would be on their own.
This was the first time in nearly a year that Viper had conducted a “skin” deal. The FBI had cracked down on human trafficking last year and had taken out the largest seller in this part of the country. That had left all the buyers without merchandise and all the middlemen, like Viper, without any teenage girls to sell. So he’d turned to growing and selling marijuana in an attempt to keep this place up and running until he could find more girls. There was always money in drugs. But everybody was selling drugs. The girls—especially virgins—were unique.
The girls were harder to come by now, so the price had gone up. Viper had spent a fortune on ten teenage girls—three of which were confirmed virgins and would produce even more money than the others—and had hidden them at a different location until last night when his men had brought them into the compound while the fight between Stoner and Rebel had taken place. The girls were now being washed and prettied up by the whores, who were sworn to secrecy. Viper paid the whores well to live on the premises and keep his men happy. And to keep their mouths shut. Disobedience meant death and the whores knew it.
When the time was right, the merchandise would be paraded before the buyers and hopefully sold. Viper needed to recoup the money he’d spent on them—he planned to make three times what he’d paid out—so this deal had to go down without any complications.
There was also money in the fights. There was money in everything Viper did. He’d become a shrewd businessman at a young age and had managed to elude the law for over twenty years. The FBI had been trailing him for as long as he could remember, but he never left any evidence behind, any reason for them to arrest him. They couldn’t prove a thing. They never would. Because he was too careful.
Viper had put his money on Stoner yesterday and won. Now he expected Stoner to do it again tonight. But the highlight of the night—at least for him—would be when Stoner killed Ms. Williams. That was an event Viper was looking forward to immensely. It would be a great relief to rid himself of that woman. She reminded him too much of Monica. Made him remember things he’d long forgotten. Made him feel again, which was a very bad thing. Emotions in general were dangerous. Emotions made a man weak. Viper was not—and would never be—weak.
Monica’s death had seeped all emotion—all feeling of any kind—out of him and left him cold and unyielding. He ruled with an iron fist and showed no mercy. His men respected him for it and gave him their loyalty. In turn, he kept them well fed and gave them a place to live. All they had to do in return was carry out his orders without question. Anyone who disobeyed knew the consequences would mean death.
All except Stoner.
Viper had been more lenient with Stoner because he’d believed the guy’s story of being the great marijuana producer, Neal Stone, and had wanted to go into business with him. When he’d discovered Stoner’s deception, he’d planned to torture and then kill him. Now that he knew Stoner was Blade, Monica’s brother, he was less inclined to kill the man. Stoner had come here seeking vengeance for his sister’s death. Viper understood that and didn’t fault the man. Viper had loved Monica beyond even his own comprehension. Losing her had stripped him of his very soul. He’d believed Stoner had come to kill Tonya, but that wasn’t why Stoner was here. Stoner had come to kill him.
Viper was inclined to let the man try to do that. He was itching for a good fight and Stoner would be a worthy opponent—once he healed. Right now the man was too beaten up to be much competition. But later, Viper would give Stoner what he wanted.
And may the best man win.
A knock came at his office door. Viper yanked it open and motioned Scorpion into the room.
“What did you find out?”
“The Inked Intimidators are on their way. They want to do the deal.”
“Excellent.” Viper rubbed his cold hands together. “Make sure the girls are ready. We don’t want to screw this up.”
* * *
“Did you find out what they drugged Nick Miller with?”
Rebel slid into the chair across from Stoner. “Weasel said he slipped some Wax into his dinner. If that’s true, Karen’s son-in-law could be doing some major tripping out.”
“Shit.”
Wax was a deadly form of marijuana that was seven times stronger than normal marijuana. Made from hash oil, the drug got its name because it resembled bee’s wax or yellow lip balm. It was often concealed in lip balm jars. Wax’s high THC content made it so potent it could cause a brain meltdown.
Stoner’s hand shook as he tipped back his Coke and took a swig. Had Miller ingested the Wax? If he had, he probably wouldn’t be able to fight at all. Miller would likely be suffering some major psychosis or “tripping out” as Rebel said. Karen’s son-in-law might not even be able to walk into the octagon.
Though Stoner longed for a stiff drink, he didn’t want any alcohol in his system tonight. He would need his wits about him to pull off what he and Rebel had planned.
Scorpion strode past, heading for Viper’s office. Stoner and Rebel exchanged glances.
“What do you think is going down?”
“The skin d
eal,” Rebel whispered. “It has to be.”
Stoner set the Coke back on the table. He agreed.
Tonight was the night he would either finish this...or die.
“I hope Miller was smart enough not to eat the food they brought him.”
I can’t let Miller die or I’ll never be able to face Karen again.
“See if you can go check on Miller, will you? Find out if he’s okay. I’ll wait right here for you so it doesn’t look suspicious.”
Rebel was a quick, wiry kid who could sneak around better than Stoner. Plus, no one ever suspected Rebel of anything suspicious because they all believed he was a wimp, which Stoner now knew was all an act. Rebel had fooled them all into thinking he was weak, but the kid was tougher than he’d let on. Stoner admired Rebel’s incredible acting ability. Rebel had even had Stoner fooled. In fact, Stoner still wasn’t sure who the real Rebel was.
Rebel rose. “By the way. Everyone’s packing tonight. Viper armed them all. Something big’s going down. It’s either the skin deal or something else I don’t know about.”
Stoner nodded. “He must have invited someone in, another gang, probably. He armed everyone because he doesn’t know how the deal will go down. It could be a good way for us to escape.”
If Stoner got a hold of one of those guns, he might have a better chance of getting Karen and Rebel out of here tonight. But he’d be in the ring with Miller and not likely to get a chance to steal a gun off of someone. He’d have to play it by ear.
“Go see to Miller.”
Rebel scurried off.
Stoner leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his Coke. The fight was less than an hour away, but he was in no hurry to rush to the ring. He’d get there right before it started and no sooner.
Viper and Scorpion they entered the room. Viper’s gaze centered on Stoner. Then he jerked his head in a nod. Stoner dipped his head in a return nod. Viper was definitely up to something big. But Stoner’s biggest concern was somehow getting Karen, her son-in-law and Rebel out of this place alive. He had to do it tonight, when Viper’s deal was going down.
Rebel’s plan had to work.
Because if the plan failed, they would all die here tonight.
Rebel returned about ten minutes later. He slid into the chair across from Stoner and popped the top of the beer he’d brought with him. How the kid drank so much, slept so little, and still managed to function was a mystery. But Stoner didn’t have time to dwell on the kid’s secrets just now.
“I saw Miller. He’s a little out of it, so he must have eaten some of the Wax.” Rebel took a swig of the beer. “But I think he understood what I was telling him. I’m not sure how he’ll be in another half hour when the fight starts.”
Stoner nodded. “When I get him in a choke hold, I’m going to whisper to him what’s going down. I hope to God he understands or it could screw everything up.”
Rebel fidgeted in his chair. “Shit, I’m nervous man. What if we can’t pull this off?”
“As long as you can snatch someone’s phone and call 911, then we just need to hide out until the cops get here. Assuming I don’t get killed before then.”
Rebel took several gulps of his beer. “I’ll get a phone. Don’t worry. All the Cobras have their phones on them. It’s the other part of the plan I’m a little freaked out about.”
Stoner leaned across the table, forcing the younger man to meet his gaze. “Don’t think of it like a vet. Just think of it as a life or death situation. It’s not like those animals can be rehabilitated anyway. You were smart to lock Scar in your room. He’s safer there for tonight. If we manage to escape, we can come back for him later.”
Rebel finished off the rest of his beer and slammed the bottle down on the table. “I’m too antsy to sit here any longer. I’m getting ready.” He bolted from his chair and strode out of the room.
Karen chose that moment to enter. She was alone. She spied Stoner and made a beeline toward him.
Stoner’s heart sped up. Just the sight of her filled him with happiness, excitement, anticipation. But what if tonight was the last time he ever saw her?
She came right up to his table and grabbed the chair Rebel had just vacated. Pulling the chair closer to Stoner’s, she dropped into it.
“Tonya tried to talk Viper out of holding the fight, but he refused. Stoner, please don’t hurt Nick.”
Stoner arched a brow. “You think I’m capable of hurting him in my condition? More than likely he’s going to kick my ass. Like I said, Rebel and I have a plan, so just relax and stay out of the way, okay? I promise no matter how bad it looks, I will not kill Nick.”
Her gaze probed his. “You won’t?”
“No.”
Her eyes filled with tears. She reached over and covered his hands with hers. “I’ll do whatever you want me to. I promise. Just…be careful. I–”
“Shh.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Everything’s going to be all right.”
She jumped up from her chair and slid into his lap. He grunted and pressed his chair back, giving her more room.
Tangling her fingers in his hair, she tipped his head back. “You’d better not die Stoner. You’d better not leave me. I can’t go on without you.”
His heart twisted. He swallowed hard. “Karen…”
She tightened her fingers in his hair. “Promise me,” she whispered, her gaze steady on his. A tear trickled down her cheek. “You’re special to me.” Her voice cracked but she didn’t look away. “I can’t…lose you.”
Ah hell. He’d never wanted to hurt her. But it was already too late for that. No matter what happened tonight, she would be hurt one way or another.
Cougar and Spike approached, pausing behind Stoner’s chair.
“It’s time, Stoner. Viper said get your ass to the octagon. They’re ready to start.”
Stoner slid back his chair and gently set Karen aside. He rose. He squeezed her hand, then followed the other men from the room.
It was time to do what he’d come here to do.
* * *
Karen stood up close to the octagon just like the night before. Viper stood next to her, smirking like he had the previous night. But Karen’s gut told her tonight would not end like last night had. Tonight was going to end badly.
Nick entered the ring with the help of two pretty women. The crowd booed, shouting “Feeb, feeb, kill the feeb!” Nick wobbled on his feet and his eyes were a little crazed as he glanced around. Karen jerked her gaze to Viper.
“You drugged him, you bastard!”
Viper quirked a brow. “Why, I would never do such a thing.”
She fought the urge to slap that smirk off his ugly face. “Someday you will get what you deserve! If I have to take you down myself, I’ll do it.”
Viper chuckled. “Since you’ll be dying right after your son-in-law tonight, that’s not gonna happen.”
The crowd cheered and shouted. Karen turned away from Viper as Stoner enter the ring. The same buxom blonde pranced him onto the mat, sticking out her fake boobs and smiling a red-lipsticked smile at the crowd. She wore a skimpy blue thong bikini that left nothing to the imagination. Stoner yanked off his shirt and tossed it the blonde. She caught it, then lifted it to her face and inhaled. She ran a hand provocatively along his bound chest and down his stomach before stepping aside. The crowd hooted and hollered.
Back off, bitch.
Karen fought the urge to jump into the ring and yank the slut away from him.
Viper grabbed the rope and vaulted up into the ring. After the crowd quieted, he announced, “We have a special event for you tonight. Last night’s champion, Stoner, will be fighting our guest, Special Agent Nick Miller of the FBI.”
The room filled with a deafening roar as screams and shouts echoed off every wall. Karen swung her gaze from Stoner to Nick. What had Stoner planned?
I promise no matter how bad it looks, I will not kill Nick.
His words from earlier came back to her. She had to t
rust him. She had to believe him.
Karen inhaled slowly, tried to relax. Stoner wouldn’t let anything happen to Nick.
Viper left the ring. The bell rang, announcing the first round.
Instead of coming to stand beside her like the night before, Viper disappeared into the crowd.
Karen kept her gaze on the fighters, her breath in her throat, and waited to see what Stoner had planned.
The men circled each other. Nick shuffled on his feet, wobbling to the left, then the right. But he kept his gaze focused on Stoner. Each made a few landing punches and strikes, but nothing serious.
They went on like this for the entire first round.
The bell rang and they went to their corners while the women wiped their faces and dribbled water into their mouths.
Ding, ding!
The second round began. This time Stoner wasn’t wasting time. He lunged at Nick. In his drug-induced state, Nick wasn’t able to bounce out of the way. They landed on the mat with a thud. Stoner crawled over Nick. He put him in a choke hold and squeezed.
“Rear-naked choke hold, yeeesss!” someone shouted off to Karen’s right.
Her heart skipped a beat. What the hell?
Stoner’s words came back to her again.
I promise no matter how bad it looks, I will not kill Nick.
Nick squirmed and bucked beneath him, but whatever drug Viper had given him made him weak. He tapped at the mat, submitting. But Stoner didn’t release his throat. He kept squeezing. And squeezing.
He was killing him!
The breath snagged in Karen’s throat. Her heart stopped.
He’d promised, damn him! He’d promised!
The pain of Stoner’s betrayal slammed through her, squeezing around her heart.
Karen reached for the rope to pull herself into the ring. “No! Stop! Stoner, stop!”
Strong arms came around her from behind, yanking her back from the ring.
“Stay put Ms. Williams,” Viper whispered in her ear. “Let him do what he’s supposed to do.”
“No!” She squirmed against Viper’s hold. “He’s killing him! Stop Stoner! Please, stop!”
Stoned (Unlikely Heroes Book 4) Page 26