GUNNER: Lords of Carnage MC

by Daphne Loveling

  “You have any idea whether Alix’s sister is still with him?”

  “I think she is.” He pauses, for long enough that I start to get pissed.

  “Well? Keep going.”

  “It’s pretty bad, brother,” Thorn admits. “Turns out, Gonzalo’s crew gets their kicks drugging women and usin’ them for their own pleasure. Not to mention selling them to their buddies, for cash or in exchange for favors.”

  “Fucking hell. Sex trafficking?”

  “Yeh.” Thorn blows out a deep breath. “Pretty small operation at the moment, but that’s not exactly going to be a consolation to your girl or her sister, is it? When we finally got Tony to start talking, he told us Gonzalo brought the sister to his strip club to get Tony to hire her. But the girl was so drugged up, Tony assumed she was a junkie, so he refused.”

  Jesus.

  “So, you got the location of where Gonzalo’s crew is?”

  “We got an address. Think we know where they are. I had Bullet drive by it last night to check things out. We didn’t want to make a move until we had enough men to blow the place open, in case they got nervous and ran.”

  “Good plan.” I run a hand roughly through my hair. We need to move on this, fast. “Okay, look. The four of you, stay in the area. I’m gonna talk to Rock about this first thing in the morning. I’ll want to bring some more men before we go in to get Eden. I’ll call you back as soon as I have a plan.”

  “Understood.”

  “Thanks, brother.”

  “No thanks necessary, Gun.” He pauses. “Unless you’re interested in giving me the secret to beating Beast at arm-wrestling.”

  In spite of the tension I’m feeling, I burst out laughing. “Not a chance.”

  “Ah, well. It was worth a try.” Thorn hangs up, the sound of his chuckle the last thing I hear before the click.

  I’m not about to fall back to sleep at this point. I’m way too keyed up, and I need to think through a strategy for going in and getting Eden from Gonzalo and his crew. So, I go back upstairs and pull on the rest of my clothes in the dark, then head back outside into the cool night.

  It’s time for a ride.

  The noise of my engine cuts through the silence as I ride through the mostly-sleeping town and out onto the highway. It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden at night like this. It’s one of my favorite things to do. The moon is full, or close to it, and the sky is cloudless. I could practically ride without headlights, the road is so illuminated by the moonlight.

  Riding through the night like this feels timeless, in a way that riding in the day never does. I don’t come across a single car for almost an hour. I keep going, barely paying attention to where I’m turning right or left. I avoid the towns, preferring to be alone with my thoughts. Thoughts of Alix. And her sister. And what it will mean when the club has found her and brought her back.

  I think about Alix going back to Lynchburg, to her old life.

  A life she’s told me is practically nonexistent. Everything she had there is mostly gone now. Even her job, she says.

  Right now, Alix is at the clubhouse, in my apartment. Sleeping in my bed. The sheets are warm from her body. Her pillow smells like her hair. In spite of myself, I get hard just thinking about her there, and the ache almost convinces me to turn back around, to wake her up in the night and take her. I know the sounds she’ll make. I know how fucking good it will feel when I come inside her.

  I don’t want to lose that.

  Fuck. I’m not going to lose that.

  Alix is going to stay here in Tanner Springs. With me. We’ll get her sister back here, and then we’ll take it from there.

  I don’t turn the bike around. I keep riding.

  And I plan.

  When I get back to the clubhouse, it’s after eight in the morning. Sarge has disappeared from the couch where he was sleeping. Some of the club girls are cleaning up the mess from last night. From the kitchen, I can smell the aroma of bacon.

  The chapel door is closed, and I can see from the shadow underneath that the light’s on. I take a chance that the prez is in there and knock.

  “Yeah?” Rock’s voice barks from the other side. Steeling myself, I turn the knob and push the door open.

  Inside, Rock and Angel are seated at the large table, mugs of coffee in front of them. They look up at the sound of my footsteps. Angel lifts his chin at me.

  “Morning, Gun,” he murmurs.

  “Morning,” I say, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. “You mind an interruption? I need to talk to you.”

  “We’re goin’ over the details for the next run with the Death Devils,” Rock tells me, and motions for me to sit. “Oz needs a few of us to run the gun shipment to his buyers today.”

  “How many men you need for that?” I ask.

  “Shouldn’t need more than four or five,” Rock answers. “I’m goin’ on this one. Figured I’ll take Ghost and you, maybe Striker and Brick.”

  I hesitate. “About that. I got a favor to ask you. To ask the club.”

  Rock frowns. I know he expected me to agree automatically. Which I should have.

  “Yeah?” he scowls. “What’s your fuckin’ favor?”

  I glance over at Angel, hoping he’ll back me up. “I need some men to come with me on a run of my own. Today. It’s important. And it’s kind of urgent.”

  Rock’s look is sharp, angry. “Why the fuck didn’t you come to me about this sooner?”

  “I didn’t know about it myself until a few hours ago.”

  Leaning back in my chair, I tell Rock and Angel everything I know, starting from Alix’s unexpected appearance at the Smiling Skull, to Thorn’s phone call a few hours ago. As I talk, Rock’s expression doesn’t change. They both ask questions, and I wait for Rock’s anger that I’ve already used the club’s resources and men to go after Gonzalo.

  When I’ve finished, I say, “So now that we know where they are, and what’s probably happening to Eden, I don’t think we should wait any longer before we go in. We’re holding Tony so he can’t contact Gonzalo, but it’s still possible Gonzalo could find out some other way if we don’t act now.”

  “So, this is the sister of the bitch you brought into the clubhouse yesterday?” Rock rumbles.

  I know for him it’s just a word. But if it was anyone other than my club president calling Alix a bitch, I would leap over this fucking table and beat him so bad it would be the last word he ever said.

  “Don’t call her that,” I rasp the warning, half-rising in my chair. The fury in my tone is just beneath the surface, and I can tell they both hear it. I hope Rock heeds my fucking words. Because prez or not, if he does it again I’m not going to be responsible for what comes next.

  “Gun’s family,” Angel breaks in, his voice loud and firm. “We got your back, brother.” Turning to Rock, he continues. “We don’t need all the brothers to go on the Death Devils run, like you said. The Lords can spare a few men to go find Gunner’s old lady’s sister.”

  “Old lady?” Rock scowls, a little tension easing in his jaw. He looks to me for confirmation. “That true?”

  I take a deep breath. “Yeah.”

  It is true. Or as good as true, anyway. Even though Alix and I haven’t gotten anywhere near a conversation like that, I know it’s coming. She’s mine. I think I knew it somewhere down deep even that first night at the Smiling Skull.

  “Goddamnit,” Rock mutters. “Don’t pull shit like this again, Gun. You don’t decide what this club does. I do.”

  “I know.” I nod briefly. “It wasn’t something I planned.”

  “How many men you need for this?”

  “Thorn, Bullet, Hawk, and Beast are already out there,” I say, ignoring the flash of anger in his eyes. “I need three more.”

  “I’ll go,” Angel breaks in. “Maybe Tank and Lug Nut?”

  Rock frowns darkly at the table, then barks, “Okay.” He rises from his chair and walks toward the door. “You keep me in th
e loop on this,” he warns.

  “I will.”

  Then Rock is gone, the door slamming behind him. The echo of his boots retreats into the distance. I stand up myself, and blow out a breath.

  “I could use a cup of coffee,” I say to Angel nodding toward his mug.

  “I’ll come with you. I need a refresher.”

  The two of us head toward the kitchen. “Thanks for helping me out back there, Angel,” I mutter.

  “What can I say? I’m a fuckin’ boy scout.”

  “Rock doesn’t seem too happy about this.”

  “Yeah, well,” he snorts. “Rock and I have had plenty of disagreements. It won’t be the first time we’ve clashed on what the club should be doing.”

  In the kitchen, Melanie is washing up some breakfast dishes. “Just made some more coffee,” she says when she sees us. “Help yourself.”

  I grab a mug and wait for Angel to refresh his, then fill mine to the brim. We’re heading back down the hallway to the main room when I almost bump into Alix as she rounds the corner.

  I start to make a joke about how bad she needs coffee to be running like that, but one look at her tells me coffee isn’t what she’s after.

  Alix’s face is white as a sheet.

  “Gunner,” she says in a strangled voice. “It’s Eden!”

  25

  Alix

  My hands are shaking as I hand the phone to Gunner.

  His eyes lock onto mine as he listens wordlessly to the voicemail. I close my eyes, knowing what he’s about to hear:

  “Alix! It’s me!” my sister’s voice breathes urgently into the phone. She sounds scared but confused, her cadence slower than normal. It’s clear she’s trying to talk without anyone hearing her. “Please, please, help me! I can’t… I don’t know where I am, but Gonzalo… oh, my God!”

  And then the phone goes dead, the message ended.

  “It’s definitely her.” I say, trying as hard as I can to swallow the lump in my throat and not burst into tears. “She left it last night,” I whisper. “I didn’t see it until just now.”

  What I don’t say is what time she left it.

  It would have been right around the time that Gunner and I were making love.

  “I tried to call her back just now, as soon as I heard it. But the number just…” My voice cracks. “Just goes straight to voicemail again. Just like before.”

  “Okay. Okay.” Gunner’s brow creases intently as he listens to the message a second time. “This is good.”

  “Good?” I cry. “How can it be good?”

  “It’s good because she said Gonzalo’s name,” he retorts, grasping me by the arm. “We know where he is, Alix. Or at least where he probably is. And we’re pretty sure that’s where Eden is, too.” He holds up the phone. “This makes it more certain that she’s with him.”

  As scared as I am, I can see that he’s right. “You know where he is?” I whisper. “Are you sure?”

  “Pretty sure,” he nods. “I’m taking some men there this morning. If Eden’s there, we’ll have her by the end of the day.”

  “I’m going with you,” I say firmly, wiping the tears from my eyes.

  “No you’re fucking not,” Gunner barks, like I knew he would, but I’m not backing down.

  “I am!” I half-yell. “You can’t stop me from coming with you, Gunner. You can’t! I’ve been waiting for too long! I’ll stay out of the club’s way, but I’m not going to stay here and just wait again. I can’t stand it!”

  “Alix, for God’s sake, think!” Gunner roars at me. His grip on my arm grows tighter, almost painful. “Do you realize how much more dangerous this will be if we have to protect you as well as Eden? Do you want her safe? Then stay here. I’ll send for you as soon as we get her, I promise. But you are not coming with us. It’s absolutely out of the question, and that’s fucking final, do you understand me?”

  Gunner’s face is so angry, his expression so intense, that I realize there must be more going on than I thought. I can’t imagine why it would be so dangerous for a group of hardened men like the Lords to go in and get Eden from a couple of petty thugs like Gonzalo. Suddenly, I go from frightened to terrified.

  “Gunner, what are you hiding from me?” I plead. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. You don’t need to know,” he snarls. “You just need to back the fuck off and let us handle this.”

  “No! I won’t!” I shake my head furiously. “I refuse to back down until you tell me what’s going on. Eden’s in more danger than you thought, isn’t she?” Gunner’s eyes flick away from me, for just a moment, but it’s enough. “Gunner, please!” I beg. “Please tell me!”

  For a second, I think he’s going to refuse again, but I’m not backing down, and I think he knows it. After a few seconds, he sighs and loosens his hold on my arm slightly. “Fuck,” he spits out angrily. “Okay. Look.” He pulls me over to one of the couches. “I’ll tell you what I know. If you promise to do what I say afterwards.”

  I know this is the best deal I’m going to get.

  “Okay,” I promise. He lets go of my arm and I sit obediently on the edge of the couch, my heart beginning to race.

  “We found out from a… business associate of Gonzalo’s that his crew is involved in what looks like a sex trafficking ring of some sort,” Gunner begins. “It’s a still a pretty small-time operation, but from what we know now, it sounds like they’re building up a stable of women to pimp out or sell.” His eyes meet mine. “We think Eden might be being held captive by them. And drugged up enough to make her unable to resist much.”

  For a second, his words echo in my brain, but it’s like I can’t assemble them to make any sense of anything. Eden’s being held a prisoner? And she might be being drugged, and used for sex? Prostituted — or worse?

  I stare at Gunner, and my head begins to shake, no, no, as the full weight of his words come crashing down on me.

  “That’s not possible,” I whisper, but it’s not because I don’t believe him — it’s because I can’t believe him. I can’t, because it’s like if I don’t let myself believe it then it can’t be true.

  “I know this is a lot to hear,” Gunner murmurs gravely. “Babe, I’m sorry. I was hoping we were wrong, but now that I’ve heard your sister’s voicemail, I’m pretty sure we need to be ready for the worst when we go in to get her.”

  “Eden,” I choke, my voice breaking. “Oh, my God…”

  “We don’t know how many men or what kind of weaponry we’ll be facing when we get there,” Gunner continues, more gently now. “I can’t afford to have you come with us, Alix. It’s too dangerous. For you, and for Eden. If you want us to get her out of there, you need to let me handle this my way.”

  Any protest I was about to utter dies in my throat. “Okay,” I manage, my voice cracking. I remember the panic in the voicemail she left me last night, and my heart begins to pound. “Oh, my God, Gunner!” I wail, my voice rising. “What’s happened to her? What if —?”

  “Don’t,” he cuts me off sharply. “Don’t think about that. There’s no use torturing yourself with shit we don’t know yet, Alix. We’ll deal with it once we get Eden out.” He takes me by the shoulders and brings his face forward. His eyes meet mine, intense and searching. “We’ll deal with it. Okay? Promise me.”

  “I promise,” I say again, but I don’t even know what I’m promising at this point.

  I let Gunner settle me back onto the couch, my mind reeling. “I’m gonna make a call,” he says. “I don’t want you waiting here at the clubhouse. You won’t be able to relax here. I’m gonna get hold of someone who’ll wait with you until we’re back.”

  “Who?” I ask numbly. “Sydney? Jenna?”

  “My ma,” he responds. “She’s a nurse. And from what it sounds like, we may need her help detoxing Eden when we get her back.”

  26

  Alix

  I’m still mostly in a daze as Gunner makes a phone call, comes back to the couch, an
d leads me outside.

  “Let’s go, babe,” he says as he walks me to my bike. “Ma’s home and she says to come on over. You’ll be in good hands with her until I get back.”

  I don’t remember much about the ride over to Gunner’s mom’s house. I couldn’t even tell you what side of town it’s on. But when he pulls up at a tidy, pale green house with black shutters, a woman in a distressed T-shirt and faded jeans comes out to greet us.

  “Hey, baby,” the woman says to Gunner, presenting a cheek for her to kiss. “This must be your friend?”

  The woman looks like she might be in her mid- to late forties. She’s hardly maternal-looking, with an abundance of brown hair shot through with some artfully-placed silver streaks. Despite her casual dress, she’s well put-together, and in very good shape.

  “This is Alix,” Gunner says, nodding toward me. “Alix, this is my ma, Lucy Storgaard.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” I murmur awkwardly. I’m not sure how much Gunner has said to her about why I’m here.

  “Oh, let’s cut the formal shit,” she smirks at me with a knowing look. “Come on honey, let’s get you inside. From what Gunner’s told me, you’ve got a lot on your mind, and need a little distraction.”

  Gunner’s mom turns and heads up the sidewalk. When she gets to the front door, she looks back and motions me inside. I glance up at Gunner uncertainly.

  “Don’t worry, she doesn’t bite,” he grins. “At least, as far as I know. Smiley might tell you different.”

  I frown in confusion at his last remark, but before I can ask him what he means Gunner reaches up and cups my chin lightly in his hand. “I’ll be back soon, babe. We’ll get Eden. You know that, right?”

  “Yes,” I breathe, trusting him.

  “Good.” He leans down and brushes my lips with his. “Now get inside. And get ready. Ma’s a tornado, but she’ll definitely keep your mind off things until we get back.”