Exacting Revenge
Page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Exacting Revenge
An Executioners MC novel
Book Two
By: Kimmie Easley
COPYRIGHT © 2017
Exacting Revenge
Kimmie Easley
Published by: Wine Worthy Romance
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This book contains material protected under the International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means either electronic or mechanical. Including but not limited to, photocopying, recording, or by an information and retrieval system without express written permission from the Author/Publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
If you received this book from any vendor other than Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, or Createspace, please go to one of the vendors listed and purchase the book legally.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I want to thank the Fish Bowl Sistas.
Without your hysterical laughter, side-splitting voice clips, Facebook banning, naughty memes, and soul lifting words of love and encouragement, it would have taken me much longer to reach this point. I treasure you dearly.
CREDITS:
Cover Model: Alfie Gordillo
Cover Photographer: Reggie Deanching of R+M Photography
Cover Designer: Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs
DEDICATION
To every fucking underdog who finds the courage to fight.
CHAPTER ONE
(Jolene)
I split the blinds with one hand, palming the oversized Glock with the other.
“Patsy, call 911,” I whisper without glancing over my shoulder. The air from her heavy breathing blows inches from my back, attempting to peer out the same window.
I move to the side to disguise my shadow. The person on the other side of the door twists the knob again before moving along the walkway outside the living room window.
I drop to my knees and crawl along the floor.
Patsy bolts, rocking in the corner with her hands over ears, squeezing her eyes closed. I swear, that girl is a damn wuss. I love her, but she has got to toughen up. We’re not making much progress on her self-esteem issues either, thanks to that misogynistic pig she was attached to for all those years. Now, Zombie is on the run and looking to tie up loose ends.
The figure moves back and forth. An amateur move.
“The cops are on the way!” I holler. “And I have a 9mm pointed right at your head.”
The sirens scream in the distance. I don’t know if the blaring scared him off or if my threat actually held some merit, but either way, he vanished.
“Patsy, he’s gone. You can get up now.”
“Shit, Jolene. I am so sorry.”
“Honey, it’s ok. You called the cops and that’s important. Good job.”
She peers at me. Confusion crosses her face. “But I didn’t call anyone.”
My heart stalls. “What the fuck do you mean you didn’t call anyone? You didn’t call the cops?” I glance out the window. “There’s a couple of badges headed up the steps.”
A loud bang vibrates across the front door. “Police Department. Open up!”
I crack the door and plaster on a smile. “Sir, I believe there’s been some kind of mistake. No one here called the police.”
“Doesn’t matter now, ma’am. We’re going to need to take a look around.”
“Sure,” she motions for the officers to come in. “Feel free to check the place out. And as an attorney, I am aware of my right to say no.”
Way to go, Jolene.
The two men eyeball each other before surveying the apartment. Once they start to question Patsy, I think we're almost done. She is a fucking mess, again.
She hasn’t made an ounce of headway with getting over Zombie. She never will until the son of a bitch is put down like the murdering rapist that he is.
“So, as you can see, we’re all good here.”
The cops ignore me and turn back to Patsy. “Like I said, ma’am, here’s my card. If you feel like you can’t talk freely, find a private time to give me a call. We can get you to a safe place.”
I stand with my mouth gaping open as they storm passed me, as if I’m not even standing here. My brain tells me to question the officers, but my gut screams shut the fuck up.
I wait for them to leave before locking the door and clicking the deadbolt into place. I rush to Patsy’s side.
“What the hell was that all about?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I answered all their questions just like Jesse would want me to. I told them nothing happened, and no one here called 911.”
“And that’s it?” I ask.
She nods. For some reason, I believe her.
“But, that doesn’t make any sense. What was the big hang up about you not feeling safe? And why’d they treat me like a fucking criminal in my own house?”
Patsy starts to get fidgety. “I don’t know, really. Can I just go lie down?”
“Yeah, hun. Go ahead.”
Patsy disappears, and my head is spinning. Pacing across the living room, I try to piece together the last couple of days. Nothing out of the ordinary. No deliveries. No strangers. I’ve been in touch with Ronin and Pop. Everything’s good on that end.
Did they even show identification?
Fuck.
I really fucked up. They were all over the house. They weren’t even fucking cops. No doubt there’s a damn bug planted somewhere. Shit, that explains why they were sniffing around Patsy.
Zombie knows where she is.
My heart thuds against my chest wall. I struggle to hide my apprehension. Patsy’s already a ball of nerves ready to explode.
“I did good, right?”
I look at her and tilt my head. “Sure, honey. Why don’t you get your night time tea and head to bed? I’ve got some calls to make. We’ll catch back up in the morning.”
“You think it’s safe?”
“Sure, I have no doubt that the cops are keeping an eye on the apartment.” If only she knew the weight of the simple statement.
“Thanks for everything, Jo.”
“Of course, hun. Goodnight.”
I wait for her to finish making her chamomile tea. After I hear the bedroom door close, I dig a burner phone out from underneath my mattress and press the speed dial icon for Ronin.
It rings with no answer, causing my pulse to race. He’s my life line. Hearing his voice is like preparing for battle and making love all at one time. Why isn’t he answering? Something’s going down and here I sit. Patsy and I are sitting ducks.
Just as I prepare to call Pop, I hear a light knock on the front door.
Not again.
Adrenaline rushes through my veins. I palm my small Smith & Wesson and tuck it into the back of my jeans, tiptoeing toward the door. I can’t make out a shape.
“Who is it?”
“Open the door, Darlin”
Blood drains from my face at the sound of Ronin’s deep, sexy voice. I fling open the door and throw myself into his massive arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and burying my face into his bearded neck.
He allows me to hang on as he steps inside, followed by Clint and Hercules. He plants me on the ground and dips in for a long, heated kiss as his full, thick lips consume mine.
“Ahem…” Clint clears his throat.
Herc just smiles.
“Sorry, couldn’t help myself.” He says as he backs away.
“What are you doing here? I just tried you on the burner.”
Clint smirks and directs his gaze toward Ronin. “Time to fess up, brother.”
A puzzled expression falls across my face. Herc drops his head. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve been here the whole time,” Ronin explains.
My eyes grow round and full. “What?”
“Well, we’ve been on detail since you and Patsy have been back. You didn’t really think I’d send you back without a detail with Zombie on the loose, did you?”
“You’ve been watching us the entire time?”
Clint lurches forward, waving both hands in front of his face. “Not like that.”
“Dammit, you know what I’m talking about. We’ve been staking out the place. We saw the guy sneaking around and decided to pull back. Then when we saw him enter the apartment, we knew we had no choice but to give up the mission.”
I furrow my brow. “Wait, the guy that was sneaking around the window, was one of the guys that came into the apartment?”
Ronin nods, running his hand through his heavy beard.
“I knew it, they weren’t cops. They got close to Patsy, talking low where I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Gave her a card and told her to call if she needed anything. Shit, they also did a sweep of the apartment.”
“Fuck!” Clint begins to stalk.
Herc lifts his colossal head, his face hard. His eyes focus on his VP as he grunts in confirmation. He begins tearing the place apart in search of a bug.
Ronin lunges forward and grabs me by the shoulders. “Get your shit together. Grab your run bag. Tell Patsy to grab hers too. We pull out in five. Herc, I want Billy a mile in front and Wizard a mile behind.”
“Billy and Wizard?” I ask.
“Things are running tight for the Executioners. New prospects.”
The next five minutes are a haze. My arms envelope Ronin’s rock-hard abdomen. Clint quickly throws Patsy on the back of his bike and we take off down the highway. If it’s not safe here, it’s not safe anywhere.
Heading back to Jericho.
***
With the lull of the bike, I nearly fall asleep with my head resting against Ronin’s back.
The small-town lights shimmer above Jericho. No matter how hard I fight, it is starting to feel more and more like home. We roar down the familiar streets and I pull myself in tighter until he reaches down with one hand and caresses mine. His touch sends chills across my flesh.
I realize I’ve been lost without him. I crave him, every part of him. My body aches at the thought of him.
My mind is mere mush as we back the bike in at Pop and Ruth’s house. Apparently, someone had already given them the details because they are rushing us inside as if we are part of some underground railroad.
It is the first time I’ve been able to get a good look at Patsy since leaving the apartment.
There’s that fucking mess I’ve come to know and love. She’s such a mess that even Clint is giving her a break. He has always looked at her as the enemy, ever since we heard that she played a role in Zombie’s plan to set Ronin up for murder. However, it became clear that she didn’t want to do it. Zombie treated her like shit, the kind of shit that gives you nightmares, with sweats and screaming.
Maybe Clint’s finally seeing just how broken she really is.
Pop gives me a quick kiss on top of my head, our signature father/daughter sign of endearment. “It’s good to see you, Jo.”
“Well, with a detail like this one, I’m sure you knew I’d be fine.”
“What can I say? You’re my baby girl.”
I smile, wondering why my sister isn’t attached at his hip. “Where’s Jessa? Thought she’d be here ready to rub this shit in my face.”
“Who knows. She’s off with some dude lately.” He looks at Ronin and jerks his head toward the back patio. The two march outside. I can’t make out what they’re saying, but I’m surprised to see that it appears to be heated. And Ronin isn’t taking it well.
“So, who’s going to tell me what’s going on? Someone better spill,” I demand.
Ruth offers up a round of Buds before sitting next to Jesse. Ronin stands behind me rubbing my shoulders, or possibly keeping me from bolting.
Pop lowers his head for a brief second before looking up at me. “I have no idea how our detail got breached, but Zombie knows where you are. And he knows that you have Patsy. Through some secure intel, we’ve been able to find out that he wants her and he’s willing to take you out to make that happen. Actually, he’d count it as icing on the cake.”
“How do you know all this?” My insides squirm.
“The creepers last night were two Pistol Kings.” Pop’s casual tone pisses me off.
Patsy gasps and falls into a chair. Clint rushes to her side.
I brush Ronin’s hands away and step forward. “What kind of mother fucking detail allows the enemy into my apartment? My fucking home? They made it clear what they thought about me. I could be fucking fish food right now. What the fuck, Ronin?”
He reaches for me, but I move away. “Darlin, that would not have happened. I will never let that happen.”
“They were in there for at least 10 minutes running their paws through my shit. You showed up when they left. The damage that could have been done would have been on your hands.” I grab my bag and throw it over my shoulder.
“Where the hell are you going?” Pop asks.
“I’m staying in my old room at the clubhouse. And I don’t want any followers.”
“Listen here little girl, you can dictate up to a certain point, but Ronin is your detail. Stay at the clubhouse, but he’s going to be over there with you. Stay at the goddamn Holiday Inn if you want to, but he’s going to be right there with you. Got it?”
“Got it,” I grumble and head out the door, allowing it to slam on Ronin behind me. I can feel him staring at my ass the whole way.
Forget it, stud.
CHAPTER TWO
(Ronin)
Another goddamn clusterfuck.
On top of Jesse’s mounting B.S., I’ve got Jolene giving me shit.
Since when does Jolene act like a spoiled brat? And since when do I have to take it? This babysitting crap is getting old. It’s not like she doesn’t know how this shit works. It’s a fucking MC, not a daycare center. When there’s a risk, we take that shit seriously, and when it involves the Prez’s daughter and the Sargent at Arms old lady, mere words can start a fucking war.
Damn, I just want to protect her and fuck her all at the same time. I’ve missed her so goddamn much over these last few weeks.
“Jo, wait up. What the hell is going on with you?”
She comes to an abrupt stop and turns. “I could have died. And, where were you? Right outside. I am not ok being used as club bait, got it?”
I follow her, and Wizard follows me.
“Sugar, it’s not like that. You’re not bait. We didn’t send them there or set you up. We were literally right there. They didn’t have a chance. But we also didn’t want them to blow their cover. Right now, that’s all we’ve got to keep the upper hand. Baby, I swear, with everything I have in me, my last breath will come before yours
. If I’m alive, you’re alive.”
“I want us both alive.”
I can see the anger giving away to resolution in her gorgeous, tortured eyes. “That’s the plan, sugar. That is most definitely the plan.”
Jolene gazes up at me. Tears begin to pool. I pull her into my chest, holding her tight, allowing her the safe place she deserves. The secret place she uses to let her guard down. To be vulnerable. To cry and release.
She prides herself on being strong, hard… on being the President’s daughter.
“Aw, darlin, it’s all gonna be ok. You’re gonna be ok. We have a long life to live. It may be a fucked up life, but it’s ours for the taking.”
She can’t help but chuckle at my idea of a joke. She runs her finger across my lips before reaching up on her tiptoes to grace me a soft kiss.
“And what a life it’s going to be.”
Her words are like trickling honey, just waiting for me to lick up every, last drop.
“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” I press her body into my rock-hard pelvis.
“The feeling is mutual, big guy, but I don’t think now’s the time. Baby, I’m exhausted. I just want to fall asleep in your arms. More later, I promise. Besides, we both have a babysitter.” I lean my head toward the prospect.
“Works for me, darlin, but don’t worry about him. A prospect has selective senses.” I swoop her up into my arms, causing her to giggle, and lead the way to my bedroom. There’s shit strewn all around. I place her on the edge and use one free hand to throw the stuff off my bed before laying her down. I slip off her boots and jeans and climb in next to her.
I hear her moan as she pulls my arm tightly around her shoulders, making me even harder.
Within a matter of minutes, the lull of her chest brings a sense of peace. The club is under siege. I’m worried about Jolene and her safety. But dammit, I just want things to be like they were. I want to feel the warmth of her kisses. The heat coming from between her legs. It’s all I can think about as I hold her close.
I don’t sleep that night. I simply watch her. She appears so peaceful. So at home in my arms. Perfection. Like we’re melded together. One.