ICE: Knights of Silence MC

by Amy Cecil

  “What the hell, Emma? What happened?” he asked anxiously.

  “It’s nothing. Rebel and I were having a disagreement and he hit me.” Oh no, that came out wrong. Before I could correct myself, Caden started screaming into the phone.

  “What the fuck! Put Rebel on the phone! Now!” I handed the phone to Rebel and mouthed the words “sorry” as he took the phone. I could hear Caden yelling through the phone, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. Rebel was giving short answers: “Yes, sir,” and “You got it, Prez.”

  Then I heard, “No boss, it’s not what you think. I would never lay a hand on your girl, I swear.” More yelling from Caden and then, “She is in good hands. I would never let you down.” Caden seemed to calm down after that. I didn’t hear his yelling anymore, but he was still talking. Rebel was nodding and saying, “Mmhmm,” but gave no indication that I could make out as to what they were talking about. He said goodbye and handed the phone back to me.

  “Caden?” Nothing, the phone was dead. He hung up and didn’t even say goodbye to me. I looked up to Rebel and asked, “Did he hang up?”

  “Yep, he had to go.”

  Sadly I asked, “Didn’t he want to talk to me anymore?” I hadn’t spoken to him in several days now, and all I got was a hello this morning and he was gone. Something was going on, I just knew it.

  “I told you princess, he had to go. It’s all good. Don’t worry. He’s got a party to get ready for tonight.”

  “Party?” He was having a party tonight without me? With all this mess going on, why in the hell was he having a party?

  “Club business, sweetheart. Remember, it’s on a need-to-know basis,” he smugly reminded me. Suddenly, I didn’t like him anymore. Well, I did, but I hated the fact that he knew more than I did. Men! Sometimes I think they are worthless creatures that God put on this earth to merely torture us. But I loved that worthless creature who was having a party tonight without me, even though I was extremely jealous that I wouldn’t be there. But I didn’t say any more about it. I refused to give Rebel any inclination that this whole party thing bothered me. Especially since I was sure that he would tell Caden.

  I spent the remainder of the day reading. I didn’t feel like being social and Rebel watched TV all day. Before I knew it, it was after 9 pm and my eyes were heavy. My first thought was that the party would be starting soon. Why did I have such an uneasy feeling about this? Something had been nagging at me all day about this party, but I couldn’t pinpoint what was actually bothering me: just not being there, or something totally different and much, much worse.

  I had texted Caden throughout the day, but he never responded. That didn’t help matters. Why was he avoiding me? Had something changed between us? I needed to stop this. I was worrying about this stuff as if I were a seventeen-year-old girl with her first real boyfriend. Enough is enough. I got up out of the chair and said to Rebel, “Goodnight, I’m going to bed.”

  I heard him say “Goodnight” as I was heading up the stairs.

  I checked my phone one last time before I turned out the light. Nothing. For the first time since I left the clubhouse with Rebel, I felt scared.

  Chapter 29

  Caden

  Today was crazy. It all started with that phone call to Emma. What the hell was going on with her and Rebel? I trust Rebel, I really do, and I believe him when he said that there was nothing going on. But fuck, why was it still bothering me? I had meant to text Emma several times today. But every time I received a text from her, I wasn’t in a position that I could respond immediately. Then I would get immersed into something else and forget about it. Now the party was about to start and I had to keep my head. Tonight is too important.

  Honey and I checked out Emma’s room and luckily, she’d left a few things behind. We found a pair of skinny jeans and a simple black shirt and black boots. Perfect. And everything fit perfect. Honey looked uncomfortable; she wasn’t used to wearing clothes that covered her up so much. After she took the clothes, she went back to her room to finish getting ready. As she walked out the door, I reminded her, “Don’t forget, no curls tonight. Straight.”

  She turned back at me and gave me a look and said, “I know, Ice. Relax, I got this.”

  I nodded and she left.

  The party started early with the kids. We cooked out, the kids played, and everything was going perfectly. Except, where was Honey? She had yet to emerge from her room and I was getting worried. I was constantly checking my watch, expecting her at any minute. But to no avail; she did not come down.

  Around 8 pm, she finally decided to show herself. As she came down the stairs, which were on the other side of the room from where I was standing, I noticed that she really did look like Emma. The resemblance was uncanny. She walked directly over to me, kissed me on the cheek, and said, “Ready to get this party started?”

  I smiled and said, “Let’s do it.” We started to walk outside so we could be seen, since most of the attendees were already enjoying the pleasant spring evening. I leaned over to her and whispered, “You look great!”

  She beamed and said, “Thanks!”

  I had guys positioned in the hills around the clubhouse so that they could check and make sure that we were being watched. Around 10:45, I received a text from Ryder. The Satans were watching. Great. I leaned in to Honey and whispered in her ear, “Show time. You ready for this?” She nodded and I immediately pulled her close. I nuzzled her neck and gave her light kisses behind her ear. She giggled.

  We walked over to some other brothers and their old ladies hanging around the portable bar we’d placed outside. We talked with them for a while and then Honey turned toward me and slid her arms up my torso and latched them behind my neck. I hesitated for a minute, and she just looked at me, reminding me what we were doing this for. I didn’t care. I knew it was for a good reason, but every part of me felt like I was cheating on Emma. Thank fuck she will never know about this. I leaned in and kissed Honey. It wasn’t Emma’s kiss, and I felt horrible afterward … but I did what I had to do to keep her safe. If she ever does find out, hopefully she will understand.

  We carried on like a couple who were very much in love. As time passed it became increasingly hard for me to put on this show. Finally around 11:45, Honey and I decided to make our departure and head for the bedroom as planned. About 15 minutes after we left, Ryder sent me a text and said that the Satans had left. We were clear and the charade was over.

  “Honey, we’re good. The Satans left. You can head back to your room now.”

  Disappointed, she replied, “Ok, if you don’t need anything else.”

  As she walked toward the door I called after her, “Hey.” She turned to me and I continued, “You did great tonight. I know this wasn’t easy for you. Thanks!”

  She smirked and said, “Unfortunately, Ice, it was a lot easier than I thought.” She stepped toward the door and then added, “But it’s over now. Goodnight, Ice. Sleep well.”

  Damnit. I’d known this was going to hurt her. Why had I agreed to this? For Emma, that’s why. I had to do it for Emma. I had to keep reminding myself of that. The good news is that the Satans and Grayson think Emma is here, so I won’t be followed anymore. I was now free to make a road trip to Rome to see my girl.

  The next morning, Honey and a couple of prospects were cleaning up the mess from last night’s party. Hell, we could be a bunch of slobs. I went to get some coffee and headed for my office. We had to plan the final takedown – it wasn’t gonna happen by itself. I texted Hawk, Ryder, Dbag, and Spike; I had an idea that I wanted to run by them before I presented it to the whole club.

  I could be such a dick. But shit needed to get done, and I had to make sure it happened.

  Thirty minutes later, the boys were in the chapel waiting for me. I walked into the room and started the meeting. “So it looks like the two plants worked and the Satans bought them. We now have to figure out our next move. We need to stay on top o
f this. I’m thinking that we want their clubhouse empty, or at least as empty as it can get. We get them to go somewhere, maybe feed them a gun deal that’s too sweet for them to resist, then we raid the clubhouse and get Brianne out. I don’t have all the details figured out yet, but what do you all think?”

  “We have to get Brianne out. There is no question about that, and I agree, it will be better to make that move when the clubhouse isn’t quite so full of Satans,” Hawk responded. “But, we’ll only have a short time to get in and get out. We need to send them far enough away that their travel time is enough to make our move. Once they realize that we set them up, they will come back at us with everything they have.”

  Ryder added, “Are we ready for that?”

  I shrugged. “We’re gonna have to be. If we are gonna get Brianne out and keep Emma safe, we gotta do this. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” said Ryder.

  “Agreed,” said Hawk.

  “I’m in,” Dbag added.

  “Count me in, too!” said Spike.

  “Ok, let’s spend the rest of today working out the details. This has to be perfect. No mistakes. We can present it to the club at Church tomorrow.” The boys agreed, and for the next several hours we worked up a plan to get the Satans away from their clubhouse and for us to go in and rescue Brianne. By the time we were done, we were all pleased with what we had come up. We all realized that we could not act right away and had to put the operation off for a week or so, but all of us were sure this would work.

  After Church tomorrow, I was taking a much-needed vacation.

  Church was scheduled for 10 am the next morning. Everyone was in attendance, except of course for Rebel. We even invited Jagger and Snake from the Lexington Chapter. They were sticking around in case we needed them, and we felt it was important to include them in on our plan.

  I called the meeting to order. After we discussed general business, our focus went to keeping Emma safe and rescuing Brianne. “Boys, as you all know, we have spent the last couple of days feeding information to the Satans. We wanted them to trust our mole, and it appears that it has worked. Now it is time for us to move forward and get Emma’s friend out. Some of the boys and I met yesterday, and we came up with a plan that we think will work. I’ll spend the next several minutes going over those details with you all. I would appreciate it if you hold your comments until I am done. Understood?”

  Everyone nodded in agreement and I then continued, “The gist of the plan is to raid the Satans’ clubhouse, rescue Brianne, and then blow it up. Keep in mind that I don’t want any civilian casualties, so we will have to be very careful to ensure that we get everyone out.” I paused for a moment and looked at my brothers, who all looked confused. I’d expected as much. “I know you all are wondering how we are gonna accomplish this. Well, this is what we intend to do …”

  By the time I was done going over all the details, the boys were pumped. They wanted to act right away, but I explained to them that we had to wait. If this was going to work, it had to be done at the right time. Timing was everything.

  I ended the meeting telling my boys to spend the next several days with their families. I explained to them that I was heading out of town for a few days and that we just needed to lay low for now. They all agreed.

  After the meeting adjourned, I texted Rebel and told him that I was tying up loose ends here and that I would be heading his way. I asked him not to tell Emma; I wanted to surprise her. Two hours later, I was on my Harley heading to Rome.

  Chapter 30

  Emma

  I didn’t hear from Caden all night last night. I’m sure he was too busy at the party. I couldn’t figure out what was going on, but I knew something was up. But I was not going to contact him again. If he wanted to talk to me, he knew where to find me. I knew it was childish, but I was not the one going to a party without him.

  After cleaning up the breakfast dishes and putting things away, I noticed that we were running low on food. “Rebel, we need to make a grocery run today.”

  “Already?”

  I laughed. “You like to eat,” I reminded him.

  “Hey,” he said. “I’m a big boy. I need my nourishment.”

  I laughed harder. He had a point. Something had to fuel all that muscle. “So, can you take me to the market, or can I take the car?” I knew the answer, but it didn’t hurt to ask – maybe I’d get lucky and get some alone time.

  “I’ll take you. You know Ice’s rules.” That was the response I was expecting. However, it still didn’t stop my disappointment. It would have been nice to just do something on my own. It’s been two weeks, and except for when I am sleeping or showering, Rebel has been my constant shadow.

  About an hour later, we were getting ready to leave for the market. At least the change of scenery would be nice; I was looking forward to getting away from the house for an hour or so. We drove back the way we came and stopped at the same market we’d stopped at on the way here. It must be the only one around, and it wasn’t close or convenient.

  Rebel followed me into the store. I was carrying my list, preoccupied with what I needed to get and definitely not paying attention to what was going on around me. I headed over to the produce section when I accidentally bumped into someone. Looking up, I said, “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

  He nodded and said, “No problem, ma’am.” As he turned away, I noticed that he had a devil tattoo on the back of his neck. His shirt covered most of it, but I could definitely make out the horns and the ominous satanic face. I felt that I had seen that picture before, but couldn’t place it.

  After the man walked away, Rebel came up behind me and said, “Everything ok?”

  Still a little disoriented by my encounter, I replied, “Yeah, sure. I just bumped into that gentleman over there.” I pointed in the direction that the man had headed, but he was gone. It was if he’d just disappeared. “That’s weird.”

  “What?” Rebel asked.

  Confused, I replied, “There was a man … but he’s gone now.”

  “Emma, what man? What happened?” Rebel asked, concerned. I could see the worry in his eyes and hear it in his voice. The man with the tattoo was probably nothing … but now the hair on the back of my neck began to prickle and I could feel that we were being watched.

  “At first I thought it was nothing, but there was this man that I bumped into. I said I was sorry and when he turned to leave, I noticed a devil tattoo on the back of his neck. When I went to point him out to you, he just disappeared. Rebel, what’s going on? I’m scared.”

  Trying to reassure me, Rebel said, “It’ll be ok. Just don’t go wandering off and stick with me. We need to hurry up and get done with this shopping and get you back to the house.” He was worried. Bless his heart for trying to make me feel better. However, it didn’t work.

  We finished our shopping and loaded our groceries into the car. As we pulled out of the parking lot, we noticed a single Harley parked near the front of the store. Rebel kept his eyes on the road and said, “Keep your eyes on that bike over there. If you see someone come out and get on, tell me.” I did, but nobody got on the bike. We were safe – for now.

  We got back to the house and Rebel and I proceeded to carry our groceries in. At one point Rebel was in the house and I was heading out to the car to get another load when I got that same uneasy feeling I’d had in the grocery store. Someone was watching me. I could feel it.

  I leaned in to get another load and just as I was turning to head to the house with the bags, my body was slammed against the car, a cloth was put over my face, and everything went black.

  My head felt like it had been hit with a brick. I woke up groggy, not knowing where I was. My eyes were still closed and I was terrified to open them. I was afraid of what I might see. I was nauseous, and it felt like the room was on an axle spinning frantically. I couldn’t hear anything except my own breathing and I struggled to get my brain to function �
�� it was proving difficult with the nausea and pain in my head. Wherever I was, it was quiet, but the stench is probably what was making me sick. It smelled like a combination of rotten food and urine. I tried to move my hands and realized I couldn’t. I had to open my eyes. Once I focused in the darkness, I realized that I was lying on a bed, my hands taped together and cuffed to the headboard. Panic settled in and I tried to scream. But when my scream came out muffled, I quickly realized that I was gagged. Suddenly I remembered what had happened: somebody grabbed me. But who?

  Suddenly, I heard voices coming from the other side of the door. Then I heard the lock turning, and the door slowly opened. The light coming from the doorway silhouetted the figure coming in the room, and I was blinded by the brightness spilling into the room. The dark figure was walking toward me. I still couldn’t make out who it was, but there was something familiar about this person. I knew it was male … and then suddenly, I knew who it was. Once that realization hit me, panic and terror don’t even come close to describing what I felt.

  “It’s about time you woke up,” he said. “I was worried. I thought that dose of Rohypnol that Skid gave you was too much and we were gonna lose you. Lucky for him that didn’t happen. However, so very unlucky for you.”

  I recognized that voice. It was Mark. I was still dazed and a little uncertain. Why would he be doing this to me?

  The next thing I knew, something metal and cold was sliding up between my lips and the gag that was covering my mouth. The knife cut the gag with little effort and I was able to speak.

  Chapter 31