Lynx agreed, “Fucking punches you in a soft spot ya didn’t even know ya had, right?”
Torque pointed at me. “Don’t you turn me into a pussy like you did Vice.” And he walked away.
Cringing, I asked Lynx, “Why do I keep hearing this?”
Laughing, he put his arm around my shoulders and walked with me. “Come on. You need to shoot a round and stab some shit before we get on the road.”
“You know that isn’t a normal thing to say, right?”
He laughed some more. “It is in my world, kid. Which is your world, too, now.”
After eating an early dinner, I was outside under a big tree with Texas Stallions and Ryders. They were having a smoke break when Lynx suddenly had second thoughts. “The kid shouldn’t go.” He wasn’t backing out; he was stating his worries out loud. Maybe he was hoping someone would agree and not load me into the SUV so that Lynx could fight my battles for me.
Because it was true, I said, “Tate wants you to not make him go… Saint wants you to set him free.”
The men and Justice, who weren’t used to the dynamics between me and Lynx, stayed quiet.
Lynx knew, possibly better than I did, if I was ever going to truly be a Stallion, or a proud wolf, I had to face my demons. I had to stare them down… and kill them. He just wished it wasn’t the case.
Dagger eyed his Prez. “Good?”
Prez gave a curt nod. “Yup.” But he didn’t sound nor look convincing.
Vice came to me while telling Dagger, “I got the remedy.” He attached a tiny camera to my vest, then told Lynx, “That’s for that app I downloaded on your cell this morning.”
Lynx pulled out his phone. “You smart fuck, you didn’t.”
Vice smirked. “And it’s a tracker. Better?”
Lynx took a deep breath. “Much.” Then grumbled, “One mark on him and Elle will kill me.”
Diesel couldn’t stop himself. “Just worried about Elle, huh?”
Lynx snarled, “Don’t make me punch you.”
He snarled even more as laughter broke out.
Approaching us, Oz asked Lynx, “Prez, you about ready to pull out?”
Lynx’s softer side melted away. “Yeah. Feeling fucking twitchy.”
Oz looked pleased. “That’s just how I like ya before a battle.” He let out a sharp whistle. “Hey, Stallions, listen up.” Men from all over the property gathered around, and all their talking stopped.” Oz said, “As you know, no women and children.” His voice went deep. “But you are free to take down any and all men. I haven’t heard or found a shred of evidence that any man within this organization has one reason to live. Reminders: Keep an eye out for any security cameras. I’d prefer we get close and unnoticed this time.” He eyed one of his men.
The guy shrugged. “I didn’t see the tripwire! How many times can I apologize?”
As men chuckled, Oz sneered, “Not enough times, apparently.” He addressed everyone again. “More reminders: The building is our goal. Rear entrance. If at all possible, after searching for enemies, instruct children to stay in their rooms and tell them help is coming. When we’re done raising hell, coordinates will be sent to authorities and these children will be cared for.” He took a step back. “Lynx, they’re all yours.”
Lynx took a step forward. “I may not have been as close to Cross as I am with some of you, but by how you men are honoring his death, I know he was a damn good man.” As men adjusted their feet and let out low rumbling sounds, Lynx nodded and got much louder. “He will not go down without a blaze of fire, reminding others why you do not fuck with Stallions!”
Men cheered.
Lynx yelled, “After we take down every guilty prick tonight, we will bury our brother, knowing he can rest in peace because the ones who took him from us are burning in Hell!”
Men roared!
Even though we were crossing state lines, the drive felt far too short. It may have been hours, but I wanted more. The sun was gone, and a chill in my heart was present as we drove down another desolate dirt road to get to the far side of a heavily wooded area. This was strategically planned so that our enemy wouldn’t hear the dragons coming.
I was thinking of Lacey and wishing someone could have done this years ago to save her. I wondered how many children were in the building. I wondered if my mom was still alive, possibly even in this building we were about to invade. I wondered if my dad was watching me…
Dagger was parking the SUV while Lynx tapped on his phone. As more vehicles and bikes pulled in around us, he held up his phone for me to see. It was a live feed of the back of Dagger’s head and seat since that is who I was sitting behind.
I guess my dad was watching me.
Outside the SUV, Vice opened the hatch, and out came Charlie. The dog wasn’t jolly. He sensed what mode he was to be in. It was amazing how smart he was.
Shaking my head in disbelief, I told Lynx, “He’s not just to be a companion, is he?”
Lynx finagled a backpack on me. “Eagle reads dogs and knew this one was meant for you.” He turned me to face him. As he tightened straps, he said, “Just because Charlie is deadly and wants to watch your back, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. Feel me?”
My throat tightened as I realized Lynx wasn’t just speaking of the dog. “I feel you.”
Lynx quickly kissed my hair. “Stay alive or I will kill you.” Then he shoved me away.
As the man—the rock for me to cling to—walked away, I whispered, “Yes, sir.”
I understood him having to join the other Prez of the group. Lynx had always been about leading first, being selfish last. Even though I knew he wanted me right by his side, possibly even with his grip on the back of my neck, he gave me the next best thing.
Diesel and his men came to me. “Are we the scariest el babysitter-os you’ve ever seen-o?”
Fuck me if I didn’t sigh at the big bastard. “Apparently, I’ve got connections.”
He grabbed my shoulders and shook, laughing. “Jesus, Pup. You brave little motherfucker. Still finding the balls to joke around before using your gun!” He yelled over his shoulder, “Hey, Brat! You need to take some notes.”
Brat? I knew that name! He was the Stallion Prospect that was with the bunny, Sapphire. Thinking another Prospect would be a welcoming sight, I quickly scanned the men moving about to find a young man glaring at me. It was clear we wouldn’t be fast friends.
Diesel shook his head. “He has connections, too, but also the sense of humor of a boiled egg.”
Baffled by the horrible example, I looked at Diesel with a perplexed expression.
Diesel nodded. “Exactly.”
What?
Right before Lynx and Oz did hand gestures, preparing their men, I took one more look at my Lacey, sleeping in her bed. I touched the screen of my phone. I love you. This was it. Judgment day was headed for my abusers’ doorstep.
I could feel them nearby.
I could also feel my true brothers. My new biker family. Their hunger… all ready to honor the Stallions who needed them.
In mere seconds, this organized group of men who ride together, live together, and love together, were now walking together… into the woods, to find retribution.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Wanting Retribution
There were no streetlamps or beaming stars to light the way. Not even the new moon offered light. This was to be a dark journey, in every way. Some Stallions had flashlights, but they were kept to the ground as we walked and walked, quietly making our way through trees. I ignored the fact that I knew I didn’t need a flashlight to see. It was as if my tortured soul knew the way with no guidance.
As time passed with no conversation due to the group needing to be as quiet as possible, I wondered if I would recognize the building in which I was once held captive. I prayed there would be no haunting screams echoing in the hallways…
Instead of letting those memories spook me, I focused on Charlie, right in front of me. I foc
used on the twigs and leaves that cracked and crunched under my leather biker boots. I focused on telling myself not to be afraid to kill someone who deserved it. Yet, no matter how many times I repeated it in my head, I couldn’t shake the belief that I had no right to take a life.
That is until I heard a sound I recognized so deep inside that my soul started to pulse. My spirit vibrated and my heart roared. My blood boiled and my mind focused on all that my ears were feeding it.
The sounds were faint. In fact, I think only Charlie and I could hear them. That’s why I whispered to Diesel, “You don’t hear them, do you?”
“Talk to me, kid.”
“The men.”
“The fuck?” But then he looked to Charlie, who was tilting his head as if trying to understand the unfamiliar sound.
But I knew.
I knew those sounds were men chanting, in the midst of a ritual.
We weren’t going to make it to the building.
These bikers were about to come across one of the goriest sights they would ever see in this life, or the next.
Staring at Diesel, I silently begged him to warn Lynx.
He studied me… then gave me a nod before aiming his flashlight’s beam down the row of men until it hit the side of Lynx’s face.
Lynx quickly put a fist in the air.
Within seconds, the entirety of weaponed men came to a stop.
Grey eyes raced down the line to see who was trying to get his attention. I stepped forward from the line. As soon as he saw me, I tapped my ear, then pointed to where we were headed. For more clarity, I put my hands at the top of my head, lingering, then had them make a shape of a hood down the sides of my face. I also tilted my head down to help him understand this impromptu charade; robed men were beyond the trees.
When I looked back up, Lynx’s veins pulsed against the skin of his neck and forehead. The idea that he and his men were about to catch sick men exploiting children had him borderline manic. Barely able to contain his instant rage, Lynx whispered to Oz, then to Dagger.
Whispers were shared from one man to the next.
When Justice was informed, although she was still beautiful, she transformed to positively frightening as I watched her unsheathe her blade.
As the dark message traveled to more men, backpacks were taken from shoulders in preparation for battle. Inside each of the bikers, a fury lit bright, but the flashlights went black. Weapons were retrieved. No bikes were present, but these men still reacted with the fluidity of a wicked school of piranha, reading each other’s movements and responding perfectly as we prowled silently forward.
Blending in with their connection, my skin burned as silent rage grew amongst these men of worth. Abusers off in the distance were unaware of the shadowy wall of preying muscle. Skilled killers were on the hunt, with no intention of taking prisoners.
Once close enough that everyone had begun to hear the chanting and moans of their vile acts, backpacks were set on the ground and up against trees, so they could be easily found when needed. The glow of the huge fire started sparkling through the trees as if leading us toward our place of domination.
Once to the rim of the last layer of trees, before the opening, Hell presented itself.
It took my Stallion brothers a few seconds to comprehend the horrific sight. But not me. I had been one of the children. Cages were empty. The chase was already complete. Each child had already been drugged…
Facing the huge firepit, with the burning stake and a bloodied skull impaled on top, I viewed more men than I remembered from when I had been a victim of their crimes. All were robed, on their knees, praising a Lord who they believed offered them rich gifts in the shapes of innocent bodies.
As if trapped in a bubble and unable to move, I watched as one warrior blazed forward.
She was magnificent.
Her black hair blew in the wind, whipping behind her as if she was actually on her dragon. Her spinning wheels were now black leather boots, racing for her first revenge kill of the night. Like a fearless Viking, she stood behind the man closest to the woods with her blade in the air. She slammed it down on the crown of his spine with such aversion, I knew she was not only punishing this man, but the men she could only reach by killing another violator.
Justice had been served…
Justice leaned her head back and howled her pain, her victory, her desire for more blood, and a call to the wildest of the wild.
As each despicable man pulled back his hood to see where the cry was coming from, our wall of vengeful men charged forward, roaring of the death about to be delivered.
It wasn’t shocking that guns weren’t being used. Every avenger present wanted to feel the warmth of spilled blood as their blades cut through the flesh of evil. They wanted every ounce of satisfaction they could muster. A Stallion had fallen, and children were being sacrificed. There wasn’t enough retribution to be found at this point.
Especially when I saw one familiar face. Then another. And another…
As the robed men screamed, fought, and begged for their lives, four sets of eyes that I would never forget stared at me. By their evident shock, they never thought they would see me again.
Because of these four young men, this place, and the men being brutalized at my back, I had screamed in the night while I slept. I screamed for Lacey to run…
I was not sleeping now, nor was I lost in a nightmare.
I was found. I was empowered.
Lynx was correct. Lacey and I were not their only victims.
I looked at the dazed expressions on the children’s little faces. In a calm that made no sense at the time, I quietly said to the children, “Close your eyes.”
They did, curling into themselves, on their sides. Compassion ran through me. I, too, had once wanted to be small so that I would be forgotten and saved from more harm.
No longer did I want to be small. Now, I wanted to be a giant.
In a way, I was. I was Saint. My heart was huge. And my heart was… pissed.
I told the four terrors of my youth… “Ruuun.”
When none of them moved, not comprehending the insane state I was in, I, without delay or regret, rammed my blade into Jarod’s neck, right under his ear.
Why him first? He was within stabbing reach of me. And he wasn’t Damien. That brother was going to suffer the most.
Slowly, I pulled my knife from Jarod, relishing the feel of his flesh oozing and vertebrae crunching. “That is for Lacey.” I leaned down and whispered, “She hopes Hell is as cruel to you as you were to her. May her beautiful smile haunt you as you burn.” Even with his hands grabbing at his throat, blood squirted from the fatal wound.
It seemed my aggression was permission for Charlie to exhibit some himself. As Jarod struggled to breathe, now that his jugular had been compromised, my dog latched on to the back of his neck and shook with all his might.
With one hand, Jarod reached out for the other three, but none of them were like me. None of them would do anything for their friends or family. They just stared as if they had never seen this day coming.
I gave a light whistle, to call off Charlie, then grabbed the pathetic arm asking for help and held it still. With the tip of my knife, I sliced the front of his robe. Then, I carved a Y into the now-exposed skin of his chest. “That’s for my dad. He wants to see you off to Hell, too.”
Now that my point had been made—that I had no issue with causing injury or death—I faced the other three and calmly repeated, “Ruuun.”
I could feel an evil grin cross my face as three sets of robes took off running into the woods, to the left of the fire. I exhaled satisfaction as I took my first steps. I inhaled as I started to jog in chase. Even though catching these three was going to be a challenge, I welcomed the hunt. I knew I would find a way to have credit for all four deaths.
Like deciding to pull out my gun and sending a few bullets toward Damien’s leg. He fell to the ground, holding his hip, screaming in pain.
&n
bsp; I pointed in the direction I saw Jake run. “Go get him, Charlie.”
My dog took off.
In no time, I was standing over Damien, studying his wound. “Oh, good, you won’t bleed out before I get back. I’m saving you for last.”
Writhing in pain, he screamed, “You said run!”
Putting my gun back in its holster, I shrugged. “Your point?”
“You fucking shot me!”
“Yep. It appears so.”
“You fucking asshole—”
The bottom of my boot mashed his bleeding hole. “Nope. No name calling.” I bent over and wiped his forehead. Holding up my wet fingers, I winked. “You should never let them see you sweat.” I wiped the wetness on his robe. “I’ll be back. I must kill Crow first.”
Damien roared my name as I took off running to hunt down his brother. Flying around trees, I kept smiling. Your fear is my fuel.
I slowed when I heard Charlie growling and not chewing. Coming around a cluster of trees, I saw Jake with a big stick, swinging it at my dog. Charlie managed to charge around a strike and lunged at Jake’s chest, taking him to the ground. The hard landing had the stick flying in the air. Jake resorted to swinging his fists with one landing on my dog’s ribs and me diving through the air, my knife ready.
As I hit the ground, flat-bodied, I was close enough to sink my blade into Jake’s thigh.
“Ahhhh!” he screamed in pain.
I crawled up his body and sat on his stomach. Charlie sat next to us, panting and satisfied. Jake’s squirming was annoying, so I stabbed my knife through his shoulder, pinning him to the ground. “Hold still, please.”
Perched on Jake’s midsection, I pet my dog. “We make quite the team, Pup.”
He barked.
“Want some more?”
Bark!
“Good boy. Go find the other asshole.”
Charlie took off, making me so proud.
Exhaling glee, I peered down. “Ready to die?”
Jake tried to punch me with his free fist, but I was faster. The knife that was in his shoulder now pierced his swinging hand.
Hostile Saint (Steel Stallions MC Book 1) Page 30