Vincent leaned back in his chair. “Simply put, it’s over.”
“What’s over? What are you talking about?”
“Everything to do with the names on that piece of paper, you and Nancy, and Kade’s family. It’s done. No more panthers will be after you, no armed men from secret government agencies are going to swoop in from nowhere in the middle of the night. It’s over.”
Axe shook his head and started pacing back and forth in front of the armchair he had been sitting in. “Are you shitting me right now? It can’t be that simple. First of all, how did all of this go down? Who arranged what, when, where and why? And how are you certain there’s no wild card waiting in the wings for us to put our guards down so Angel or Nancy or the kids can end up in a bad situation?”
“You said you trust me. Do you really? And while you’re thinking about that, consider a few things. How old am I?”
“Old as fuck, the last time I checked.”
Vincent smirked. “Do you think I may be old enough to have stopped the men who took Keith and your mother in the woods behind their high school?”
“It’s possible.”
“Okay. Let’s set that aside for a minute to look at who I may know, and who I may or may not have a level of influence over. Do you see where I’m going with that?”
Axe nodded, and then he shook his head. “No, you lost me there.”
“I’m talking about the Governor and the General.”
“So you stopped them? When? Back then, or now?”
“What I’ll say is that we go way back. I’ll tell you that back then, Director Riley gave a little too much interim power to the then Colonel Travis, who I view as a loose cannon, although he may call himself a patriot. After what happened with Natalie and Keith…and several others around the United States, I should add…a few of my associates and I were able to remind Riley that it was in his best interest to tighten the leash on Travis, so to speak. You’re still with me, right?”
“Yes. You saved my mom and got Riley to stop Travis from running experiments. Before we go on though, tell me something. What kind of experiments were they doing, to be able to introduce something in the bloodstreams of my mother and Kade’s father, and end up kick-starting the shifter gene in my niece and nephew?”
“The shortest answer is, do you want to be up all night? Because that is about how long it would take to tell you only about the hours Natalie and Keith were missing. We’d need a few weeks to cover before and after that time.”
“Fuck. Is there’s an abridged version?”
“One phrase. Super soldiers.”
“But why turn them early?”
“To train and indoctrinate them. Do I really have to spell this out?”
“So you’re telling me that not only do parts of the United States government know about us, they want to enhance us and have us join their ranks?” Axe shook his head. “The world isn’t ready to find out about shifters, Vincent, let alone shifter soldiers.”
“The front lines aren’t what you see during primetime news. Wars are being waged right this moment, and the world knows nothing about it. Battles are won and lost in the darkness, and maybe sometimes there are the odd soundbites that make it to headline news. Those are never reality. You should know that, but let’s get back to the point.”
“Your point is that you’ve either flashed money, the threat of exposing some juicy secrets, or your goddamned fangs to the right person or group of people. And now like magic, Angel, Nancy, the kids, and Kade’s family are all safe. That’s what you’re telling me, right?”
“You made it here in one piece and didn’t have to confront or fight a soul, correct?”
“True.” Axe raked frustrated fingers through his hair. Every cell in his body was still on alert, wanting and needing to fight. This anti-climactic resolution courtesy of Vincent and his several hundred-year-old connections may have eliminated the threat, but Axe’s bear was not satisfied. “What about Asher and Annalee? Are they going to be okay? What I mean is, other than being able to shift before they turn eighteen, did those bastard government wingnuts do anything else to my mom and Kade’s dad that can affect those kids, or the one Nancy’s carrying?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.”
Axe shook his head. What he wanted to do was turn back time, bust some government heads and make all of this go away. “If anything happens to them, it’ll destroy her.”
“I won’t let that happen. We won’t.”
“So you’re sure we’re fine? What about Giovanni? We already know what kind of out of control bastard he is. Has someone put a leash on him too? I swear, if that man comes anywhere near me or anyone I care about, I’ll personally put him down. I don’t care who his dead mafia ex-boss father was, or how much fucking cred he’s racked up. He’s done enough to Sabrina and Silas, then Tate, and the brotherhood. Fuck, he was even behind the panthers who kidnapped Addison and locked him down for months like some insignificant nobody. The kid is Governor Riley’s son, for fuck’s sake, and that still didn’t stop Giovanni. Look, all I’m saying is if he comes around again, he’s going down permanently. Fuck the consequences. Someone needs to pay for everything that’s happened. For Mom and Dad, for Kade’s father, for those kids, and what they may have to face for the rest of their lives. Even for Angel.”
“People have paid, Axe. Rest assured that they have, but don’t ask me for details.”
“What’s with you tonight, and all this talking in code?”
“Honestly? The less you know, the better.”
“So you’re protecting me, huh? And what about Angel? You know that danger and violence have been part of my life for a long time. I’ve lived and breathed this shit every day with Silas and the Brotherhood. It’s not the same for Angel. She may be taking things in stride, but this ain’t the kind of life she’s had up to now.”
Axe caught sight of Vincent narrowing his eyes as he studied him carefully.
“You care about her,” Vincent said. “Wait, it’s more than that.” Then he smiled. “Silas was right. You’re fixing to get wifed up! Axe, you’re making the old man proud over here, son. Are congratulations in order?”
“Jesus, what the hell is wrong with you and Si?” he barked. “It ain’t like that.”
“Like hell it ain’t.” Vincent raised his eyebrows and his lips curled up in a grin. “What do you kids call falling in love these days? Let me see if I remember. Oh, right. Whipped AF, right? Who’s the best man? I should mention I haven’t been one since Reagan was President.”
Axe shot him a glare. “I’m serious. She’s not even remotely interested in signing up for all this…baggage. But anyway, getting back to the point, we need Giovanni off our ass for good.”
“He would have to be crazy to defy us again.”
“That fucker lives for crazy, but you’re telling me he’s under control. It’s all over?”
Vincent picked up the cell phone on his desk and threw it over at Axe. “Phone your sister. Talk to Kade. Call Silas. They’ll confirm.”
“All right, fine. Let’s pass on phoning them. You know I trust you. I just hope you’re right.” Axe stood up and started for the door.
“Where are you going?” Vincent asked. “I’m not done yet.”
Axe waved his hand above his head and turned around, but kept walking backward out of the room. “Tell me in the morning. I’m beat. By the way, I’m crashing in my old room, if that’s okay with you.”
“It’s exactly the way you left it,” Vincent answered, smiling. “But Axe?”
“Yeah?”
“Silas and Sabrina want me to give you a quick message.”
“What’s that?”
“Two words. Background check.”
Axe just laughed. “Night, old friend.”
“Goodnight, kid.”
Axe finished the last of his hand rolled, and put it in the retro cigarette waste collector outside Vincent’s front door. He shoved his hands into his pocket
s. The fucked up adrenaline rush of the past few days just would not subside, even with Vincent’s update last night. Something still prickled against the back of his neck. He had been bracing for impact, ready to fight, almost eager for his bear to get its paws dirty. Before Vincent’s news, he was prepared to destroy everything that threatened the people he cared about. Now, the weight was off his shoulders, but his gut had a hard time believing the worst was over for his family.
Almost overnight, his idea of family had somehow been resurrected. Before all this chaos, he had Vincent and the Beartooth Brotherhood. For a long time, he believed they were more than enough. He had been so wrong for almost allowing his kin to slip away. Reconciling with Nancy had lifted a mammoth-sized weight off his shoulders. He could actually picture spending much more time with his niece and nephew. Maybe in time, he and Kade might learn to tolerate each other too, if they both had enough alcohol in their systems to look past the whole panther versus bear deal.
One outcome he had not expected was that his image of family had begun to include that pretty little curvy vixen still sleeping upstairs. Sure, she was a mouthy, smart as fuck, blonde bombshell, and the whole dominatrix thing she was into was a little out of control. She had even told him flat out that she wasn’t interested in anything more than a bit of sexy fun now and then. But hell, Angel had calmed the turbulent, riotous storm in his head. He hadn’t had the nightmares or a single flashback since that night he had shared his childhood horror story with her. Just the thought of letting her out of his sight caused his chest to tighten and his bear to bristle.
“Hey.”
He spun around to face Angel, and smiled. She was now dressed up in a tailored black dress with designer pumps to match. His bet was Nancy must have picked out the preppy, nouveau-chic designer outfit. It practically put a glowing neon sign over Angel’s head that said, “Hey! Look at me! I’m not from around these here parts!” at a time when it would have been imperative to blend in.
“What?” Angel asked as he kept on staring without saying a word.
Axe pulled her into his arms. “You’re gorgeous. So, what’s up?”
“I’m going to work. Can you give me a ride?”
“Now? You know it’s Sunday, right? Public libraries are closed today.”
She nodded. “I know, but I’d like to check on how much work has piled up for me since we took off. You told me yourself that your friend, Vincent, took care of everything. I may as well get over there and find out if I still have a job. Oh, on the way, can we stop at my place for a few minutes? I need to see Jet, Spencer and Marley. If my neighbor hasn’t already put them in a kennel because of their quirkiness.”
“No problem at all, but are you sure you want to rush off to work so soon?” he asked. “You should rest a bit, you know? Settle the nerves down, and all that.”
He wondered whether Angel saw right through his feeble attempt to keep her around a bit longer. Business as usual for the two of them meant that he would be back at the clubhouse or taking care of security gigs for the Brotherhood. Angel would be home at her apartment, and back working at the library. Having things go back to normal meant they were about to go their separate ways.
“I’m fine. I think getting back to my routine will probably help me get past it more quickly. Plus, my car’s still parked at work. Oh, that reminds me. Do you have jumper cables?”
“I’m sure I can find some.”
“Thanks. It’s been acting up lately. I’ll need to get it off that lot before it racks up a fortune in parking fines.”
“If you want, I can get someone from the clubhouse to take a look at it for you.”
“Really? God, that would be such a help. Thanks. So can we go now?”
He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. “Sure thing.”
27
Angel
One smooth inhale of library air at the front entrance was all it took for Angel to ground herself in her old reality. The combined scent of old paper, ink, and glue welcomed her nose, reminding her this was one of the few places she could call her home away from home. So why did she have to use all her willpower to blink back the sting of tears threatening to fall as the rumbling, throttling sound of Axe’s bike faded in the distance? Since when did leaving anyone’s side feel this awful?
Sucking in a breath, she let the library entrance doors close behind her. She was being foolish. It was time to wake up and get settled back into curating information, sorting books according to good old Dewey Decimal classifications, stacking shelves, and spending time in that swivel chair behind the circulation desk. In all honesty, she didn’t need to be here right away. Sure, she could check her emails and drum up a few things to keep her busy. She mostly preferred the comfort of the library rather than having Axe take her home, and then dealing with the uncomfortable ordeal of saying goodbye. The library was a lot less personal.
Taking a seat at the main desk, she logged into the shared computer. She was replying to the first message when a sound from the back of the library echoed down the hallway.
“Pattie-Jean?” she called out, hoping it was her friend from Archives. The woman also had a tendency to come in after hours to keep this place going.
No one answered. Angel went quiet and listened again. A scratchy sound came from the stacks near the back entrance. With a frown, she took a walk back there to make sure. The distinct rustling of clothing came from behind her and she swiveled around to look back at the main desk. No one was there either. Nothing about this was funny or entertaining, and now, her heart was stuck in her throat. She took a glance in either direction. Maybe it was just the air conditioning. There had to be a simple explanation for all of this—or maybe Axe was right that her nerves were on high alert because of the past few days. She had to acknowledge that it was right outside the library that those men hat tried to grab her.
Wishing she had just agreed to let Axe wait outside for her, Angel swallowed hard and headed back to the circulation desk. He probably wasn’t too far away yet. She picked up the desk phone and reached into her purse for his number.
“You do not want to dial that number, Blondie,” a smarmy voice breathed above her left shoulder.
Angel didn’t have time to move an inch. A pair of heavy hands rested on her shoulders and she lifted her hands skyward in compliance.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“You don’t have to worry about an answer to the question for much longer,” the male voice said.
The man reached his forearm around her neck and tightened his grip in a life-ending chokehold.
Angel flailed backward, caught off guard by the oxygen flooding out of her body. Small black spots danced in front of her vision as she scrambled and clawed at the arm around her throat. She couldn’t break his hold. There was barely enough room to get a wheeze through her throat, let alone a scream. Every second, her eyes grew heavier and her brain struggled to stay alert.
With what little cognitive function she had left in her brain, she bent forward slightly, then reared back into the chair as hard as she could, hoping the chair would topple over. That didn’t work, so she tried jamming her shoe heel into the top of her attacker’s foot and grinding it down with all her weight. The man grunted and swore, but he didn’t release her. In fact, he squeezed harder. She scrambled around, bashing into things. The man was caught off balance for a split second, but once he stabilized himself again, he slammed her shoulders into the top of the desk.
Angel barely registered any pain, now that a primal, adrenaline-packed panic gripped her limbs. Her attacker kicked the chair out from under her and pushed her against the counter, pressing his body up against her. His hands loosened just enough for her to get a small breath of air in through her bruised windpipe. She used every bit of strength to fight back, and had just clenched her fingers around the letter opener in the pen holder when a loud crashing sound came from the front entrance.
Both she and her attacker were quickly
lifted off the ground. Soon, the grip around her neck loosened, and she dropped to the floor while the man was pelted over the counter. He crashed against a glass magazine display case, taking the entire thing down with him in an ear-splitting, glass-breaking heap.
Angel’s fingers gripped protectively around her neck as she collapsed to her knees. She coughed and sputtered, gasping for air to refill her lungs. Axe dropped to her side, offering her a bottle of water. She grasped it quickly and gulped it down. Every drop burned, but she was grateful for the help to open her airway. Her head still spun, and the bright spots behind her eyes played tricks on her vision.
“Christ, I should never have left,” Axe muttered, rubbing her back soothingly.
“No. I could have listened to you and let you stay,” she croaked, barely able to speak through the pain pulsing in her throat right now.
“No. This is my fault,” he barked. “I should have followed my gut.”
She was about to reach her hand up to the counter to pull herself up, but Axe covered her hand. With no effort at all, he slid his arms around her back and behind her knees. Scooping her up into his arms, he got to his feet and headed to the door.
Angel pointed back to the desk. “My purse,” she rasped.
“Don’t worry about that…or the crumpled piece of exiled mafia trash in the corner.” Axe motioned to the door. A man with a blue Mohawk stood there, wearing a leather cut just like Axe’s. “That’s Tate. Silas and Cole are outside. My biker fam will have the place all better by morning.”
“Who did this to me?”
“Giovanni.”
“He was waiting in here before we even arrived. Why would he think I’d come here today?”
“Crazy has no logic. The bottom line is he won’t ever get another chance to hurt you or anyone again.”
“What are they going to do with him?”
He shook his head, and said nothing else on the matter. Angel shuddered. It probably was better for her not to know.
“Let’s get you to the hospital,” he said as he stepped outside.
Bruised MC Bear (Beartooth Brotherhood MC Book 3) Page 16