Primal Fury (Primal Howlers MC Book 5)

by Piper Davenport

  “Don’t talk to me like you know me,” she grumbled.

  “And Indy, honey, you take on way too much and then yell at Bell because she’s trying to get you to delegate. At some point, you have to trust that your family has your back.”

  “Whatever, Dad.” I hated it when he was right.

  “Whatever, indeed,” he retorted.

  I sighed. “I’m infirm. It’s rude to make sense when someone is infirm.”

  “Brianna’s sleeping,” Dad reminded us. “Let’s try to keep it down, hm?”

  “Once she’s asleep, she sleeps like the dead,” I countered, stroking her hair.

  “Seriously,” Bellamy agreed. “You could shoot a gun off and she’d sleep through it.”

  “Did Jekyll give you any indication of where he thinks Leo might be?” I asked Bellamy.

  “He didn’t say anything to me. Just ordered some of his biker friends to clean up. Bri was really upset so Jessa suggested she come see you and confirm you’re getting better.”

  I smiled gently. “I like that.”

  “We haven’t eaten anything for a while, so how about your dad and I go grab food and let you two rest.”

  I nodded, and Bellamy helped pull the covers over both of us. I held Brianna as close as I could and quickly fell asleep.

  * * *

  Jekyll

  I raised my fist, silently ordering my brothers behind me to stop. We were currently in an older residential development on the outskirts of Monument, in an area even we didn’t frequent. This was Kings’ territory, and we’d have eyes on us soon enough.

  If we didn’t already.

  Although, they were far from being the largest gang in Colorado, their brutality and creativity made up for their lack of numbers. Like many gangs across the country, the 719 Kings were born and bred inside the Colorado state prison system. New inmates without prior gang affiliation who found themselves in need of protection could turn to the Kings who were more than happy to offer their services. For a price.

  The Kings had a simple but effective “two-fer” system for protection payment. For every favor they did for you on the inside, you owed them two once you were back on the street. Many inmates would rack up quite a bill while locked up and you can bet the Kings were ready to cash in the first favor the second their asses hit the jailhouse steps. If anyone got busted doing the Kings’ dirty laundry, they’d go right back to jail, and the game would start all over again. The system provided a sustainable, street-level workforce without need for constantly recruiting new full-fledged members. This meant the Kings could use non-members who were “on the hook” to do their dirty work, while taking their time to recruit and groom future members.

  When I fucked up Chucky, I’d fucked with one of their investments. Chucky was a prospect, and by tapdancing on his face, I’d potentially taken him out of the game. I was prepared for blowback to come my way but didn’t see the Kings coming for Leo. I figured since he wasn’t jumped in, they wouldn’t give a shit about Leo.

  I was wrong.

  I had Scrappy following in one of the club’s delivery vans since I had no idea what kind of condition Leo would be in once I found him, or if he’d be able to ride. Right now, the van was parked around the block, out of sight, as were our bikes.

  “Sounds like a party,” Rocky whispered, motioning to the battered 1960’s ranch style home. The muffled sounds of music and voices poured out of the well-worn structure.

  “There can’t be many of ’em in there. I only see two cars parked out front,” Wrath replied.

  “You think your boy’s in there?” Scrappy asked.

  “This is the last place his phone pinged before it went dead.” I stared at the house, trying to see through the walls. “So, he’s either here, or he was here, and they took him someplace else. Either way, I’m going in to find out. You guys wait here, and I’ll scout the place out.”

  Rocky stepped forward, shaking his head. “Like hell you are. Me and Wrath will go with you, and Scrappy can stand guard out here.” He turned to face Scrappy. “You holler like hell if a bunch of Kings come rolling up on this place. This could be a trap. We’re walking straight into an ambush for all we know.”

  I nodded.

  The three of us slid around the building, taking note of the lack of any obvious security system or cameras. The house was located at the end of a street lined with drug dens and foreclosures, dotted with only the occasional maintained home. This was the kind of neighborhood where heavy shit could go down in broad daylight, but no one would ‘see’ anything.

  Just about every window in the house was either boarded up or covered completely from the inside. The only unobstructed view we could find was a transom window, about nine feet up on the west side of the building.

  “Gimmie a boost, will ya?” I asked, and Wrath hoisted me up.

  The window provided a partial view into what looked like the living room. I could see several of the Kings sitting on a sofa, playing video games in front of a giant flat screen TV. On the floor beside them, was Leo. He was bound at the wrists and ankles and was so beat to shit I didn’t recognize him at first. Next to him was Chucky. He was also bound and clearly wasn’t having any better of a time than the one he had with me.

  “You see anything?” Wrath whispered.

  “Leo and Chucky are in there,” I whispered back. “Looks like four, maybe more, Kings are guarding them.”

  “Are they armed?” Rocky asked.

  “I don’t see any guns. Looks like they’re just playing GTA and smoking blunts, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t packing.”

  “Alright get down,” Rocky said. “We saw what we need to see. We know Leo’s in there, so let’s go fucking get him.”

  We made our way to the back to find a large mud room at the rear of the house. With our guns drawn, we pushed open an exterior door, and my senses heightened as we entered the house.

  “Too easy,” Rocky whispered, extending his arm to keep us back. He pulled a small flashlight from his cut pocket and shined it in front of us to reveal a tripwire stretched across the floor. “Boobytrap.”

  “Stay behind me. I’ll take point,” Rocky said, and we did as he commanded.

  Rocky was a Marine, having done umpteen back-to-back tours in the late nineties through the mid-2000s. He was a platoon leader and highly decorated combat sniper, which left him with a box filled with medals, and a head full of demons. Demons he didn’t talk about… at least, not to me.

  I followed him deeper into the building, stepping over potential ‘IEDs’ Rocky pointed out. This place might be a shithole, but it was a well-enforced shithole, so it was obviously an important place to the Kings. Even if they weren’t holding Leon here, they were holding something. Something they were willing to maim and kill for.

  I was right on Rocky’s heels trying to be as quiet as I could be, the rush of adrenaline causing my heart to beat so loud I was afraid it would give up our position. Once through the mud room and the connecting hallway, we came to a padlocked door.

  “We shoot it off, we alert the cavalry,” Rocky said.

  “No problem.” I grinned. “I can pick that.”

  “I figured,” he chuckled.

  Rocky stepped back, shining the flashlight on the lock while I worked. I was a street kid, whose asshole parents really didn’t give a fuck where I was or what I was doing. And what I was doing was petty theft on the streets of Denver. It’s where I developed a deep passion for picking locks. I could pick pretty much any lock, provided it used a key and even a few with tumblers. Anything with computers, however, was above my pay grade.

  I made quick work of the padlock, sliding it into my cut pocket in case anyone decided to try and lock the door behind us.

  Pushing open the door, we found ourselves in yet another hallway. This one was much longer and was lit with red lightbulbs, giving the appearance the walls were washed in blood.

  The music and voices were getting louder, so we headed towa
rd the sound, quietly passing the doors which lined the hallway.

  “Okay, mister social worker. What’s the plan?” Rocky whispered. No sooner had he asked, however, a plan presented itself.

  From one of the doors, which I could now see was a bathroom, stepped one of the Kings. He was a big dude, and likely had a big enough voice to warn the others over the din of hip hop and tires screeching. Unfortunately, he’d find it difficult to yell for help with a gun in his mouth. I was on him the second he came out of the bathroom, and before he knew what was happening, I had him pinned against the wall with my Glock 19 between his teeth.

  “Make a single sound and this hallway won’t need colored lights to make it red,” I said. “Nod if you understand.”

  Big boy nodded silently and carefully as Rocky patted him down, removing a pistol from his waistband.

  “Good,” I said. “Now, using your fingers, show me how many of your guys are on the other side of that door.”

  He held up three fingers and I jammed the gun further in his mouth, before quickly changing his answer to five.

  “Five? Not including you?”

  He nodded.

  “Everyone have guns?” I added.

  “Hey, Dog, you’d better just be taking an extra-long shit and not hanging out in the back room,” a voice called out from the other side of the door.

  I placed my finger to my lips, instructing him to remain silent. Rocky gave us the signal to stand by, taking a step away from the door but keeping both his gun and flashlight on it.

  “I mean, if you’re that horny,” the voice continued. “You could come push Chucky’s shit in. The punk don’t even got any teeth right now. He’s perfect for you.”

  I turned my captive around with my gun to his back, using him as both a hostage and shield.

  “Yo, Gus. Seriously holmes. You better have remembered to lock the hall door behind you this time. And I mean it. You’d better not be fucking one of the….”

  The second the doorknob rattled, Rocky kicked it open, causing whoever was on the other side to go flying backwards on his ass.

  Rocky and Wrath rushed the room, and I followed directly behind, with Gus as my bargaining chip.

  “Anyone makes a move, and this guy eats a fucking bullet,” I yelled as Rocky took control of door guy and Wrath covered the two guys on the couch.

  “We know there are five of you here. Where’s the last man?” I asked to silence around the room.

  “Jekyll, get us the fuck out of here, man,” Leo begged.

  “Sit tight and keep cool. We’ll be outta here in no time,” I said calmly.

  We zip-tied each guy and laid them face down on the carpet.

  “Even if you make it out of here alive, you’re still a dead man,” door guy said from the floor, blood pouring from his face, his nose, clearly broken. “All of you.”

  I pressed my gun against my hostage’s knee. “Your name’s Gus, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Gus, I won’t ask again. Where’s the fifth guy?”

  “He’s on a beer run,” he grunted out.

  “You need to figure out what’s more important to you,” I said, pulling the hammer back. “Protecting your boy or walking again.”

  “Man, I told you. We sent him out for forties and shit and he ain’t back yet.”

  “What the fuck you guys want, anyway?” Couch guy number one asked. “You think we got money stashed here or some bullshit?”

  “We’re here for him,” I pointed to Leo.

  “You’re doing all this shit for these little shit stains?” He laughed.

  “Not them. Just Leo.”

  “They’re gonna fucking kill me,” Chucky whimpered through his mush mouth.

  “We can’t leave him here, Jekyll,” Leo said. “I know he’s done some fucked up shit, but we just…can’t.”

  I knew by the look on Leo’s face that he was right. Chucky would end up dead or worse if we left him with the Kings. I can’t say that I would have previously cared much about Chucky’s fate, but I’d taken my pound of his flesh for Indigo and could only see him through Leo’s eyes now.

  “Cut ’em loose,” I said to Wrath. “Both of ’em.”

  “You two need to stay between me and Rocky, and keep your mouths shut,” Wrath said as his freed the pair.

  Leo shook his head. “There’s girls, too, Jekyll.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They’re keeping girls here. Little ones. We have to get them out and take them with us.”

  “Goddammit,” I hissed. “What the fuck kinda shit did you get me into?”

  “The deep kind, motherfucker,” door guy said, laughing.

  “You can bust my balls later,” Leo retorted. “But I’m not leaving here without them.”

  “How many?” Rocky asked.

  “Like, four or five. Maybe more.”

  “Show us,” my VP demanded.

  “If you fuck with our merchandise, the Kings will burn your family members alive. That goes for every single person in your little club.”

  “Stand that piece of shit up,” I said.

  Rocky dragged door guy to his feet, with both arms pinned tightly behind his back.

  I stood eye to eye with him and could see he was much older than the rest of the crew. “What’s your name?”

  “Why? You wanna take me out on a date, Princess?”

  “I’m not one of your prison bitches and you’re too fucking old and ugly for me,” I replied, keeping my gun trained on him the entire time.

  “You need to learn some respect, little bitch.”

  “You gonna teach me?” I asked, pinching his broken nose as hard as I could. He screamed in agony as he squirmed. “If you’re keeping girls here, this is as good as it gets for you.”

  “Dagger, man. The name’s Dagger.”

  “Holy shit,” Rocky said, tightening his hold.

  “You understand the kind of shit you’re in now?”

  “Dagger is a 719 Kings OG,” Rocky explained.

  “Second generation, holmes.” He tried to wipe his face on his shoulder. “I ain’t that old.”

  “I don’t give a shit if you’re the president of the Melody fucking Morgan fan club,” I spat out. “If you’re trafficking girls, it’s all over for you.”

  “Come on, Jekyll,” Leo called, motioning to me.

  “You guys got this covered, Rocky?” I asked, motioning to our captive Kings.

  “Me and Wrath got this. We’ll call for Scrappy if we need help. Go find the girls.”

  I had to give it to Leo, whatever he’d gone through tonight, the kid kept his wits about him. Even with one eye swollen shut, he knew exactly where the girls were. I took a second to text Scrappy and let him know what we were doing, and to tell him to pull the van up to the front of the house, then followed Leo through yet another padlocked door. After picking that, we stepped through, and we inched down creaky, wooden basement stairs.

  I almost threw up at the sight. Seven filthy mattresses were up against the cinder block walls. Five girls, ranging in age from about eight to maybe thirteen huddled together, all crying, all suddenly terrified… and all naked. There was no toilet, only a filthy bucket, and there were two security cameras on either side of the room.

  Before we could move closer to them, another girl jumped out in front of us, a metal object in her hand, waving it like a weapon.

  “Get away!” she screamed. She was in panties and a bra, but both were threadbare and showed far too much.

  I caught her arm, prying the pipe from her hand and pulling her close. “You’re safe, sweetheart. No one’s gonna hurt you, but you gotta be quiet so we can figure out how to get you all out of here.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I can see that,” I said, gently.

  “I’m, Leo. I saw you earlier. Do you remember?” He shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her. “Slide your arms in that. It’s cold down here.”

  I s
tepped to the rest of the girls and hunkered down in front of them. “We’re gonna get you out, okay? We just need you to trust us. Do you have anything you can put on?”

  “We have sheets, but they’re dirty,” one of the girls said.

  “Wrap them around yourselves best you can. We’ll get you out and go from there.”

  They nodded, moving as quickly as they could to wrap themselves in their makeshift covering.

  “Mister?” a little voice whispered.

  “Yeah?”

  “Mina’s leg is hurt. She can’t walk. I think they broke her arm, too.”

  “Which one of you is Mina?” I asked.

  A little girl about five raised her hand and I tried my best to hide the rage I was feeling about what I was seeing.

  “How old are you, sweetheart?”

  “Six,” she whispered, holding up six tiny, filthy fingers. Well, five. She was having trouble get the sixth one up, which confirmed, at least for me, that her arm was more than likely broken.

  Jesus.

  I stood, holding my arms out to her. “Come here, baby girl. I’ll carry you out of here.”

  The other girls helped her stand, and I wrapped my leather jacket around her before lifting her. She weighed nothing and I made it my mission to get her somewhere safe and warm and shove food into her immediately.

  “Okay, everyone, follow me,” I ordered, and we crawled back up the stairs. As we crested the tiny landing, we heard voices, and the girls whimpered, huddling close to each other again.

  “It’s okay,” I said, trying my best to comfort them. “No one is going to hurt you anymore.”

  We managed to move the group to the top of the stairs and into the hall, but I stopped them before going any further. “I’ll be right back. You girls stay here with Leo,” I said and returned to the living room.

  “Is it bad?” Wrath asked as he gave me a chin lift.

  “We can’t let these guys go,” I replied. “Not even to the cops. Not yet at least.”

  “What’s the plan?” Rocky asked.

  “Take them out the side entrance and hold them in the mud room until I’ve got everyone loaded into the van. Scrappy should already be out front, waiting for us. I don’t want these girls to ever have to lay eyes on these fucking monsters again.”