No Mercy

by Tory Richards

  Chapter 28

  Allie

  I’d just returned home from picking up Sam and two of his new friends, Nolan and Johnny, from school. I was sitting on the porch while they played nearby. I couldn’t see them, but I could hear them, their little voices and screeches of laughter bringing a smile to my face. He’d adjusted so well to the move and to his new school, as well as the relationship between me and Rock. It suddenly seemed as if everything was the way it was always meant to be, and I was totally happy for the first time in a long while.

  I wanted to believe that all the pieces of the puzzle had finally fallen into place. So much time had been lost on foolishness and pride, and much of it was my fault. Though Rock was not without blame, too, it was best to bury it in the past and just move on. In the end it didn’t really matter how we’d dealt with things seven years ago. We couldn’t undo it. What mattered was that now we were moving on and building a life together with our son.

  I didn’t miss Cedar Key as much as I’d thought I would, only the friends I’d made there, mainly Tom, and my waitress friend, Jenny. While I hadn’t heard from Tom lately, I could only hope that it meant he’d finally accepted that all I’d wanted was to be friends. Maybe he’d met someone else and that was why he hadn’t called. He was a good man and deserved to be happy.

  My phone rang and I picked it up from the side table next to me. A big smile spread across my face when I saw who it was. “Ohmygod! I was just thinking about you and Tom!” I squealed in a high-pitched tone.

  “Both of us at the same time? Ouch for Tom. I guess that means he’s been bumped from the boyfriend zone into the friendship zone,” she teased, laughing. “How have you been, girl?”

  “Fine. Things are really working out for us here.”

  “For you and Sam, or you and your sexy biker dude?”

  I laughed. “All three of us,” I clarified. “Sam’s happy and adjusted. He’s outside right now playing with his new friends. My biker dude is off doing whatever it is he does in the club. I’m just sitting here on the porch enjoying my afternoon, sipping tea.”

  “Well, aren’t you the pampered lady of the house?” Jenny quipped. “You sound happy.”

  “I am, Jenny. Moving away seven years ago was stupid, I was wrong for not giving Rock more time.”

  “So, do I hear wedding bells?”

  I shook my head before realizing she couldn’t see it. “Not sure.” I didn’t feel like going into an explanation about MC culture right then. “It’s too early to think about something so permanent. So, how are things there? How’s the family?”

  “Oh, they’re all good. Same old, same old. Work is boring without you. The girl who took your place is kind of ditsy and she dresses in that Goth stuff.” I laughed. “Freaky bitch if you ask me, but she’s a friend of the owners, so I have to put up with her.”

  “Give her time, Jen, before you know it you’ll be good friends and will have forgotten all about me.”

  “Never! Bite your tongue!” she laughed jokingly. “No one can replace you, Allie.”

  “All else good? Nothing exciting going on?”

  “Nope, nothing−oh wait! You remember that little house you were renting down on the beach?”

  “Yeah, did someone move in?”

  “No! It burned down!”

  “What?” I gasped with shock. At the same time I thought I heard a faint noise coming from inside the house, but brushed the thought away, too shocked by what I’d just learned.

  “Yeah, there was a small article about it in the paper yesterday, I’ll clip it and send you a copy. They say it was done on purpose.”

  Arson. “That’s odd.” I felt a moment of sadness as I thought about how happy Sam and I had been in that little house. I’d even considered approaching the owner about selling it to me if we’d decided to stay in Cedar Key.

  “I know. Hey, I’m on a break and gotta go. Talk to you again soon, okay?”

  “For sure.” I was still focused on the news about the house when we disconnected. I imagined this would be something the locals would talk about for some time. Cedar Key was normally a pretty quiet little town where nothing bad happened.

  Sam and his friends came running around the corner of the house. “Hey, mom, we’re hungry.”

  I’d been waiting for that. “There are apples in the fridge.” I smiled. His face fell with disappointment, and he exchanged looks with his friends, who scrunched up their faces in the global expression of a child showing distaste. I let out a laugh. “Or cookies in the cookie jar.”

  “Yeah!” His face lit up at that, and the three boys came storming up the steps.

  “Two each,” I said firmly, holding up two fingers as Sam pulled open the screen door. If I didn’t set a limit they’d devour the whole jar. I reached for my tea.

  “Can we have some milk with them?” Sam asked as they moved past me into the house.

  “Sure, honey. Do you need any help?” I turned my head so I could hear his response.

  “No, I got it.”

  Independent little guy. Sam was always trying to be more grown up than he was, and I knew he’d definitely not like my treating him like a baby in front of his friends. As long as I knew he couldn’t get hurt I’d always allowed him to do things for himself. How else was he going to learn? I listened carefully to what was going on behind me and could tell that he had everything under control. The next thing I knew they were stepping back out onto the porch, each holding a glass in one hand and two cookies in the other.

  “We’re gonna take our cookies and milk out to eat under the tree,” Sam said with a big smile. “I shut the front door for you.”

  My smile instantly disappeared. “What?”

  “The front door was open, so I closed it.”

  The screen door slammed behind them and I watched as they headed toward the same tree I’d watched the deer eat from. I thought back to the noise that I’d heard while talking to Jenny, and rose to my feet with a frown. Maybe I’d better check it out. I glanced out at the boys, who were now sitting and munching happily on their cookies.

  “I’ll be inside for a minute, you boys stay right there until I get back.”

  “We will, mom!”

  I slipped inside the house, pausing to glance around and listen. Sam had said the front door had been open, but I knew that I’d closed it when we first arrived home, and the boys had gone outside through the sliding door leading to the screened in porch at the back. After listening for a few seconds and hearing nothing, I began to walk through the house. The open floor plan made it easy to see almost everywhere except for the bathroom and laundry room. Once I checked them out I found myself at the bottom of the stairs.

  I glanced up, biting down on my bottom lip. Did I want to go up there? Was I just being paranoid? I thought about calling someone, but I knew that Rock was out of town and that probably meant that his brothers were with him. After a minute of debating I started up, taking each step slowly. The closer I got to the top, the more I began to feel apprehension, thinking about all the horror movies I’d watched where the killer was upstairs lying in wait for his unsuspecting victim.

  I gave myself a mental shake and smiled when I realized that I’d reached the top of the stairs and was just standing there in fear. So far I hadn’t heard a thing to indicate that anyone was in the house other than me. Maybe I hadn’t closed the front door all the way and a breeze had pushed it open. I had been involved with three little boys at the time. I laughed softly at myself and went to Sam’s room first, since it was at the far end of the hall.

  The door was open, as well as the curtains, so the room was light and sunny, and since his closet door was open it was easy to see that no one was there. There was no one hiding in the bathroom or the room that had been mine when we’d first moved in. The other two bedrooms were completely empty. By the time I made it to the bedroom that Rock and I shared, I’d let down my guard. The room was located at the opposite end of the hall from Sam’s. The d
oor was open, but the room was dark because I hadn’t opened the curtains that morning.

  I figured that I may as well open the curtains while I was there, even though we were heading into evening. A little fresh November air would do the room some good. I made my way to the window and pulled back the drapes, glancing out to see that Sam and his friends were still sitting beneath the tree. Johnny and Nolan’s mothers would be there soon to pick them up. I pushed the window up, immediately feeling the rush of cool air enter the room.

  I swung back around to leave and came to a dead stop, my breath catching when I saw the bedroom door begin to slowly move forward until it revealed one of the club girls hiding behind it. I searched my memory, but couldn’t recall her name. I recognized her as the woman who’d been serving up liquor in the Phantom Riders’ clubhouse the night Rock had brought me there. I recalled how hungrily her eyes had followed Rock as we’d walked through the room. She’d made it obvious that they had a history.

  She had been one of the reasons I’d blown up after seeing Rock’s bed.

  Before I had a chance to ask her why she was there, I noticed what she was holding in her hands. I gasped, my eyes rounding in fear. The knife she was clutching tightly was a large kitchen knife with a long serrated blade. Her grip so tight that her knuckles were turning white. Knives had always petrified me, for this very reason.

  She was between me and my only avenue of escape. It didn’t matter anyway, because I was frozen in place. There was a look on her face that warned me that she might not be in her right mind, that maybe she was high on something, because her eyes looked glossed over. She stepped out of the shadow and shoved the door closed.

  “Who are you?” I pulled my gaze away from the knife. “What do you want?”

  Her grin widened, but it was in a slow, scary way. “I want what’s mine.” The lack of emotion in her voice supported my suspicion that she wasn’t herself. “What you’ve taken from me.”

  I thought about the kids, praying that they remained outside as directed. “And what would that be?”

  Her shrill laughter rang through the room, leaving me covered in goose bumps. “My man, you dumb bitch!” She stepped forward, waving the knife in front of her. “Rock and I had a good thing going until you came back. You and your brat!” She spoke the words with such loathing that I flinched.

  Oh, God. It didn’t surprise me that Rock had slept with this woman, probably more times than I wanted to know about. Club girls were there for all the men, to be used for sex anytime they were needed. They knew the score and shouldn’t expect anything in return. She was delusional if she thought that her time with Rock had been special. I almost felt sorry for her, because it was obvious that she thought herself in love with him.

  “I’m sorry−”

  “Don’t speak!” she hissed out, taking another step closer. “You come back and everything changes. But I’ll tell you, bitch, Rock still wants me. He took me the other day in the back room.” Her eyes rolled back for a second, and she visibly shuddered as if reliving the moment. “When he fucks me…”

  I shook my head, because I didn’t believe her. I couldn’t. She must have recognized the pain of betrayal on my face because her expression became a sinister mask of twisted delight, and her words were meant to strike through my aching heart.

  She threw back her head and laughed madly. “You don’t like the thought of his hands on me? Too fucking bad! Rock knows how I like to be fucked, and I know what he needs. We’ve been together a long time and he always comes to me. Always wants me.” She jabbed her finger into her chest. “Me! No one else! I’m his favorite!” Her eyes narrowed. “And you’ve ruined everything!”

  I moved slowly to put the bed between us, shifting my gaze around the room for some kind of weapon, anything that would give me leverage. Then it occurred to me that the prospect that was supposed to be watching over us was nowhere to be found. He’d been right out front. Had he let this woman walk right on past him because she was a club girl? She must have told him some kind of story about why she was there. I thought about screaming, but knew that if I did it would draw the kids inside, and that’s the last thing I wanted.

  I tried to keep my eyes on hers and not the knife she was holding. I needed to remain calm, because I sensed that she was on the cusp of losing it completely. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath for courage. “Rock isn’t here now. Why don’t you wait until he comes home and then we can talk to him together? Figure this out.” I hoped that reasoning with her would calm her down and make her act rational.

  “Talk? Bitch, I don’t want to talk. Rock and I don’t talk. Our relationship is physical. We show each other how we feel when we fuck.” Her laughter had a sharp edge to it. I swallowed nervously at the desperation filling her eyes. “I know he’s not here, and he won’t be back until late. Gives me plenty of time to get rid of you and your brat. By the time Rock returns, I’ll be waiting for him in this bed.” She ran the tip of the blade against the spread. “I’ll make him forget all about you.”

  It was almost impossible to school my expression not to reveal when it occurred to me that whatever she had planned for me, she planned to do to Sam. And I couldn’t let that happen. I searched my mind for a solution. “Then I guess there’s nothing else for me to do but pack a bag and leave.” I held my breath, praying that she was crazy enough to consider my suggestion.

  “You’re a fool if you think I’m going to fall for that,” she hissed, taking another step forward. “No. I want you gone for good. And your brat.”

  Oh, God! She was so close. I thought about scrambling across the bed, but the presence of the long, lethal-looking knife made me hesitate. One good lunge and she could bury that blade into me, and it would all be over. At the very least it would hinder my ability to stop her from whatever she had planned. Then she’d go after Sam. No, I needed to get the knife away her, which meant facing her and getting physical. I’d do anything to protect Sam.

  “You’re crazy if you think I’m going to just let you hurt my son. Rock’s son.” Maybe putting it into perspective would give her cause to think. “You think Rock will want anything to do with you if you hurt Sam?” The sudden look of contemplation on her face gave me hope. “Rock loves Sam. He’ll kill you himself.”

  A minute ticked by, then another, as she continued to gaze off into space without blinking. Finally her tight expression gradually relaxed, and a look came into her eyes that told me she’d reached a decision. “I’ve never wanted children, but I could make an exception for Rock’s son. He’ll need a mother for the boy.”

  She lunged and I threw myself across the bed, screaming out unintentionally. I thought I’d gotten away until I felt her hand in the back of my shirt, and then a searing pain when she cut me with the knife. Screaming, I quickly twisted onto my back, and suddenly she was on top of me, straddling my waist. She raised her arm to bring the knife down, and I reached up to grip her wrist in an effort to stop her. Her madness and determination made her freakishly strong. It took both my hands to keep her from plunging the knife into my chest.

  “You bitch!” she ground out, her expression twisting with her effort to overpower me. And she was winning. As the blade came closer I knew that I had to do something quick to get the upper hand. “Rock is mine!” she screeched.

  Something wet dripped onto my face, and I realized that it was my own blood. My arms were shaking, my strength giving out, when I made the decision to release one of my hands and punch her as hard as I could in her face. The momentum of my punch caused her head to snap back and she lost her balance, slipping to the side of me. Her scream of outrage rang through the house. I wiggled out from under her and hit the floor with a grunt. I quickly rolled and started to get to my feet but I wasn’t fast enough, and she was running on pure adrenaline fueled with malicious intent.

  Her objective was to kill me.

  She wasn’t the only one high on adrenaline, and my one and only thought was to get away from her and t
o my son. I managed to crawl to my knees, but the next thing I knew she was jumping onto my back and forcing me back down onto the floor. With a grunt I twisted beneath her and reached for the hand with the knife, screaming and screaming. I knew I was fighting for my life. I used my fists and tried to buck her off of me, but it all ended with a single, smooth thrust of the knife. I sucked in my breath, my gaze locked on to the half-smiling, satisfied eyes of hers.

  I’ve heard it said that your life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die. So many things became clear to me in that moment as I lay there crippled with the knowledge that this was the end for me. The children’s laughter that was carried up to the window and inside the room by the fall wind, the downstairs door crashing against the wall as someone pushed it open with uncontrolled force, and then someone stomping up the stairs. And finally the evil, satisfied laugh of a woman who’d obviously lost her mind.

  The last thing I was aware of before pain sucked me into the deep well of painless nothingness was intense agony as the knife sliced into me again and again.

  Chapter 29

  Rock

  It had just turned dark when what we’d been waiting for happened. As soon as the truck was hit, BK dropped us a quick text. We picked up speed to catch up with them, hearing the sound of gunfire well before we arrived. We could also see that the truck and some of the bikes’ lights were still on. Thank fuck we’d been traveling back roads and the Blue Knights had chosen a particularly desolate section of road for their ambush. That meant that they knew the area well.

  Predictable fucks.

  Hawk, Big John, and I rode in hard, assessing the situation when we reached the scene. Since we were in a shootout we ditched our bikes to use as cover. Blue Knights were swarming around like ants, shooting wildly as they ran in different directions, dodging our return fire. BK was outside the truck using the open door as a shield. Ned and Jumper’s bikes were in the ditch, and they were crouched low, using them for protection. Clay, Painter, and three soldiers were squatting behind the empty barrels we’d put on the truck so they’d have some kind of cover if bullets went flying.