CHANCE To Load

by K. J. Dahlen

  Jonah was stunned when Leon said his name. “Leon Vincinti?” He knew that name all too well. Everyone living on the East Coast knew the name Leon Vincinti.

  “Yes, that’s my name. I know your name too, Jonah Rossi.” Leon took a step toward him. “I know what you did to my granddaughter ten years ago as well and for that misdeed, you will die by my hand.”

  “Well, how the fuck was I supposed to know she was your granddaughter?” Jonah dared to ask. “She was just working in some shit diner at the time!” He felt this should defend him some.

  “She was someone granddaughter.” Leon gritted. “Somebody’s daughter.”

  Jonah glanced at Peaches in horror and let her go, shoving her away from him.

  She would have fallen to the floor in a heap except the big biker caught her before she could. He hauled her into his arms and held her close. Then he looked at Leon and Calderone.

  Leon motioned him to get her out of there and without a glance at Jonah, he led Peaches out of the room. He shut the door behind them and went to find Deke and Cassie.

  Calderone began circling Jonah one way while his father turned the other way. Both men were enraged at his treatment of Peaches and both men were willing to teach Jonah a lesson he needed very much about how to treat a woman.

  “So this is the man who likes to rape little girls?” Calderone sneered.

  “With that face I can see why he has to force himself on children. No woman would have him,” Leon taunted.

  “There was nothing wrong with my face before that bitch tried to kill me ten years ago.” Jonah growled.

  “That bitch as you called her, was protecting her sister and best friend,” Calderone informed him.

  “She damn near killed me!” Jonah screamed.

  “Yes I know, but she didn’t quite finish the job now did she?” Leon asked quietly.

  Jonah got nervous. The man facing him was almost too calm. “What are you going to do with me?” he asked.

  “We’re going to finish what she started a decade ago.” Leon smiled.

  The hatred in his eyes toward Jonah scorched his soul. “I’m sorry.” Jonah whimpered. “I didn’t know she belonged to you or I never would have touched her.”

  “I don’t care. With you terrorizing children, you were bound to take one that would make you pay for what you do.” Leon told him with death in his eyes. “You’re going to die today. You hurt my family in a way no one else has ever has and I don’t let an insult like that go.”

  “It sets a bad example for the others you know.” Calderone shrugged. He kept his eyes on Jonah the whole time. “What do you think dad?”

  “I think I’ll send him to hell without his manhood attached. An appropriate punishment, I think.” Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade. Flicking open the double edged blade he showed it to Jonah.

  Calderone came from behind Jonah and wrapped his arms around the other man, holding him tight.

  Jonah struggled but he couldn’t break Calderone’s hold.

  “Do you have him son?” Leon asked without taking his eyes off Jonah. He enjoyed the fact that the other man was sweating profusely, he could see the fear and acceptance in his eyes.

  “Yeah dad, I got the little bastard,” Calderone assured his father.

  “Please don’t hurt me!” Jonah cried out.

  “Is that what Peaches did? Did she beg you not to hurt her?” Leon seethed.

  Jonah nodded as he blubbered. “Yes.”

  “And did you stop then or did you continue to hurt her?”

  Jonah hung his head but didn’t say anything.

  Leon grabbed his hair and pulled his head back. “Did you stop or did you go on?” he demanded.

  “I continued hurting her,” the other man mumbled.

  “Then do you really think I’m going to stop?”

  Jonah shook his head.

  Leon made his first cut and Jonah could barely catch his breath to scream. Agony torn through his body as the blood ran down his legs.

  “How does it feel now you little prick?” Calderone snarled in Jonah’s ear.

  Leon pulled the knife away from his body and stared into Jonah’s eyes one last time. “The Rossi lines ends here and now with your death. When people remember you, it will be with disgust and horror. Your family has never had any honor and that is something no man should ever have to live without.” Then he slid his blade into his soft belly tissue and ripped it wide open.

  Jonah fell to his knees, grabbing his belly as his own blood flowed over his hands. He glanced down at his stomach and watched as his blood pooled around him. This time he knew he had no one to rescue him. This time, he knew he wouldn’t live to see another day. His hands couldn’t hold the edges of his belly together anymore. He was losing the feeling in his hands as it drained from his open wound. He fell to his side and waited for death to come for him.

  The last thing he felt was the thud of Calderone foot striking his head and then he knew no more.

  Calderone looked down at the body on the floor. “Good riddance to bad rubbish.”

  Leon grabbed a towel from the rack beside the bed. Looking around he scoffed. “If this is one of his playrooms he wasn’t a good manager. This warehouse is pathetic.”

  “This is a place that should never have been allowed to exist,” Calderone stated.

  “Maybe we should burn it to the ground,” Leon suggested.

  “Good idea,” Calderone agreed. “Let’s go find our girls and make sure they’re all right.”

  “That’s an even better idea.” Leon looked down at Jonah. “We’re done here anyway.”

  ~*~

  More screams and running footsteps could be heard somewhere in the building. Soon, the sound of cars starting up and tearing out of the parking lot could be heard. The warehouse grew quiet, almost an eerie quiet except for the screams from Jonah.

  Iceman looked over at Victor. Then he turned back to Deke, “Well, it looks like there’s nobody else around, what are you going to do with that one?” He nodded at Victor.

  “That’s a good question,” Deke stated as he glared at the bound man.

  He looked around but couldn’t seem to find Sam anywhere. Sam and Chance were missing now that he took a head count. He looked around the room again and shook his head. “Where did my dad and Chance go?”

  Iceman shrugged. “Damned if I know. Or care.”

  Deke sighed. “Normally, I wouldn’t care either but when Sam disappears you never know what’s going to happen.”

  “Sucks to be you then doesn’t it?’ Iceman grinned.

  Suddenly, Sam showed up in the doorway with a grim look on his face. “Junior, you’d better come and see this.”

  Deke just looked at his dad for a moment then turned to Iceman. “Keep the women here, I’ll be right back.”

  Deke followed Sam down the hall to another room. When they got there, they saw Chance standing just inside the door. Deke glanced around the room and felt ill at the sight of blood everywhere.

  “What the fuck?” he muttered. As he stepped in, he saw the bound man staring at the ceiling. He didn’t move and his eyes never left the top of the room. There was blood everywhere and he had several slash marks all over his body but the one that took him to hell was the slash mark he wore from one ear to the other. It was so deep it almost severed his head from his shoulders.

  “Who the hell is that?” he asked out loud.

  “That was Lester Pearlman,” Chance informed him.

  “Are you sure?” Deke asked.

  Chance nodded. “Oh, yeah. That’s the bastard who was willing to sell his kid to pay off his debt.”

  They heard footsteps coming toward the room and Deke turned to see Chance’s friend Wes stop just inside the door. He looked at Lester and for a moment didn’t say anything. Then he nodded and muttered “Good riddance.”

  “You know this guy?” Deke asked.

  “Yeah, I know the bastard,” Wes admitted. “That�
�s Lester. He used to live next door to my brother Wyatt. Guess he don’t live there anymore.”

  Deke shook his head. “Well, that takes care of one of our problems.”

  “Now you got a whole new problem to worry about,” Wes warned.

  Deke and Sam turned to him.

  “And what would that be?” Sam asked.

  “His wife, Mona,” Wes reminded them. “She’s gonna go bat shit crazy when she finds out he’s dead. And I have a feeling she’s gonna blame you for the fact that she couldn’t get to her daughter in time to save him.”

  “That’s crazy!” Deke argued.

  “Maybe to you and me but Mona is off her freakin’ rocker in a not so good way when it comes to her husband. She’d been willing to give up her child to get him out of trouble. That alone, should tell you what she’d do to keep him. She’ll go through fire for that man and he just didn’t care one way or the other about her. Or their baby girl.”

  “Fuck!” Deke swore. “This nightmare isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Deke and the others found their way out of the warehouse. Leon and Calderone joined them after they were done with Jonah. Leon was wiping the blood from his hands when he came out of the room that Jonah had taken Peaches to.

  Calderone joined them as well and went to his daughter at once. He had to know she was all right. But she was with her husband and Cassie and they had helped her through the torment of what she’d been through. Even though they hadn’t been in Jonah’s company for that long a time, even breathing the same air as him had soiled her memories.

  Leon and Calderone knew her nightmares might return but they hoped Iceman could help her through them. For now, Peaches and Cassie were safe and right now that’s all that mattered to them. Before they left, Calderone had a quick word with Sam.

  Sam looked at him for a moment then walked away from him.

  They left Victor tied to his chair in the room they found him in. Some of the guys had ransacked Jonah’s office and got their hands on his books and a great deal of cash he had stashed there. They would take the books back to the clubhouse and go over them in detail.

  Sam was the last one out of the warehouse. He came out just as wisps of smoke rose behind him. He quickly shut the door behind and grinned with glee.

  “Sam,” Deke groaned. “What the hell did you do now?”

  “Well, now do you really want to know or would you rather have plausible deniability?” His father asked. “I suggest we get the hell out of here before people notice the smoke and call the fire department though.”

  “Shouldn’t the alarms be going off about now?” Mountain asked.

  Wes chuckled. “They should be but unfortunately, that breaker is busted.” He threw something up in the air and caught it again. “Could be from old age, or poor maintenance.”

  “Or could be from mischief.” Deke frowned.

  Wes shrugged. “Could be at that too. You guys better get take your women and get out of here. We’ll keep our eye out for Mona and try to let you know what’s going on with her. If you know where Miss Destiny is please watch over her. She’s just a baby and never deserved to be born to those two.”

  “We will. If we see her that is.” Deke nodded at the other man. He reached out and grasped the other man’s hand as they shook hands. “I want to thank you for your helping to rescue our women. This wouldn’t have been as easy if we didn’t have you to show us how to get in the warehouse.”

  “Hey.” Wes shrugged. “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. This just seemed to me to be the right things to do.”

  Cassie walked over to him and wrapped her arms around the older man. Then she kissed his cheek and whispered, “Thank you. Thank you for helping them find us. I will be forever grateful for what you did here today.”

  Deke pulled her away from the other man and his jaw was twitching as he wrapped his arm around his wife.

  Cassie leaned back and savored his tight hold. This was the one thing she’d never give up. “Settle down big boy. I was just saying thank you,” she whispered.

  “You don’t need to thank him with your lips on his face or any other part of him.” Deke growled under his breath,

  Cassie chuckled and turned swiftly in his arms. Looking into his steely eyes, she smiled. “Oh, I do love you so much, you big, bad biker.”

  Deke broke into a smile and leaned close to her. “I love you too woman but you’re my woman. Remember that.”

  Sam coughed loudly and asked, “Can we get the hell out of here before we run into the fire department or the police?”

  Deke closed his eyes and it broke the mood. “Yeah, let’s go home. We got what we came for.”

  A few minutes later Wes stood there and listened as the roar of bikes filled the air.

  Wyatt and a few other friends came over to Wes. “Are we staying to answer questions now too, or can we get the hell out of here?”

  Wes broke out into a smile. “Yeah, let’s get out of here before the cops get here.”

  A few minutes later sirens filled the air. Wes and his group faded into the trees to disappear completely.

  ~*~

  When Deke and the others pulled into the parking lot at the clubhouse everyone inside came rushing out to greet them.

  “Oh thank god, you got them back!” Reva cried out when she saw Cassie and Peaches on the back of the bikes. She was still holding Jemmia. Sam was running around her feet and he ran straight into his mother’s waiting arms.

  Cassie cradled him close to her, breathing in the baby boy smell that was so close to her heart.

  Then Deke took his son in his arms. Sam hugged his daddy close as well.

  Paige was holding Piper and had tears of relief running down her cheeks. Reva passed Jemmia to her mother and Cassie hugged her daughter close to her. “Oh baby girl, I’m home. You helped Daddy find me and bring me home again.

  “Momma don’t ever leave me again. I was so sad,” Jemmia told her mother as sternly as a three year old could.

  Cassie chuckled. “Well, I hope it won’t happen again sweet girl.”

  Adriana brought Jesse and Elliot to Peaches and Iceman about the time Leon and Calderone’s car pulled into the lot. Peaches had one of her sons while Iceman held the other. They both turned to watch her father and grandfather join the group.

  Jesse giggled and pointed at Leon. “Grandpapa’s shirt is all dirty momma.”

  Peaches shuddered. “Yes, baby it is. He’ll have to put on a clean one before supper won’t he?” she asked her son as her gaze looked stern.

  Leon smiled and nodded. “Of course, I’ll change before we eat. In fact, I’ll change right now.” He disappeared inside the clubhouse leaving Calderone standing beside his daughter.

  Iceman grabbed his sons and led them back inside leaving Peaches with her father.

  “Is it over dad?” she asked quietly. She didn’t want to know the answer but she had to ask.

  Calderone hugged his daughter to him. “Yes sweet girl, it’s over. Jonah Rossi now resides in hell, right beside his father and grandfather. The Rossi line is dead.”

  “Thank god,” she whispered as she planted her face in his chest and wept.

  Calderone felt his heart breaking as his little girl cried in his arms. He felt like he’d failed her somehow by not being there for her when she was growing up. It wasn’t his fault he wasn’t there but he still felt a failure for not protecting what was his all those long years. He cupped her chin and brought her eyes to his. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

  “Oh daddy, I don’t blame you for that. That wasn’t your fault. We didn’t do anything wrong. Fate may have given us a bad hand but it also gave me Cassie. She was my guardian angel growing up and while bad things happened to me, it could have been a lot worse than it was.”

  Calderone felt the tears forming in his own eyes. “I owe that girl more than I could ever hope to repay.”

  Peach
es shook her head. “How to you ever repay that kind of love? And even if you could, she would never take it. She taught me that. Love is nothing you ever have to pay back. Instead you pay it forward.”

  “Peaches,” Someone called her name.

  When she turned to look, her husband stood in the doorway looking at her. “Come on honey, you need to get cleaned up, supper’s ready.”

  She smiled and nodded. Turning back to her father she said, “Come on dad, let’s go eat with the boys.”

  “That sounds like heaven to me.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Quinn watched Chance and his brothers eat and laugh through supper. She felt so lucky right now. Casting a gaze toward another table, she found herself looking at the man she once hated but now loved. Her father Sam.

  All her growing years she’d hated the man for what he’d done to her mother and to herself. But she’d been wrong. She hadn’t known the whole story about her parent’s relationship. Her mother had tried to tell her but back then, Quinn hadn’t wanted to hear the truth.

  But when she got here after her last go around with the sickness her mother died of and she almost died of, Sam sat her down and they had a heart to heart talk. He’d been brutally honest with her and admitted his fault to her. But he did let her know that he watched her grow up from a distance. That much she knew as she’d seen him sitting across the way off and on over the years.

  Now she couldn’t imagine life without him in it. He and Deke and even Adriana had become close to her, each in their own way. She loved Cassie and the babies too.

  Then she looked over at Chance and caught his eye for a moment. When he smiled at her, she felt the love growing inside her. She smiled back and he turned to talk to his brother Byron.

  Quinn glanced down at the little girl in the chair next to her. Destiny. What was going to happen to her? Nobody knew. Chance had told her that Destiny’s father was dead. He didn’t tell her how and she didn’t really want to know.

  They had watched the news and had seen the fire that totally destroyed the warehouse Jonah Rossi owned. The fire department couldn’t get near the building, as the fire was burning so hot. The police declared anything inside the building would be burned to ash by the time the fire fighters could get to it.