All the while keeping my peripheral vision on the butt of the gun jutted out from underneath the corner of the cushion.
“You know you’re beautiful, right?” Phillip asked.
I straddled his lap and placed my hands onto the arms of the chair.
“Sometimes,” I said softly.
“Well, you are, Natasha.”
I swiveled my hips. “I’m really glad you think so.”
“I want you to know that I never agreed with what Lars and Ivan were doing to you.”
I rolled against his legs. “That’s good to know.”
“I hope we’re still friends after all this.”
My eyes found his. “Just friends?”
My earpiece was completely silent. I knew the guys were sitting on pins and needles, listening to what was happening. I crept a little closer. I slid my hands up Phillip’s chest. His eyebrows rose and he slid a little further into his chair. Trying to get that measly dick of his closer to my pelvis. It wouldn’t work, though. The more he slid down, the closer he placed me to the gun. And as I leaned closer, feeling his disgusting breath against my lips, my hand crept toward the cool metal.
“Phillip?” I said softly.
“Yes, Natasha?”
“Do you want to know what I think?”
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Always, beautiful.”
I ripped the gun out from underneath the cushion. I pressed it into his gut. His eyes grew wide as he scrambled for his, but he came up empty-handed. I heard Bear chuckling in my earpiece. I heard footsteps rumbling outside the door. And as Phillip’s eyes burned with anger, I cocked the suppressed gun.
“I fucking hate that nickname,” I glowered.
25
Toxin
My eyes widened as I heard the suppressor spit out bullets. Even on the earpiece, I heard Natasha put those bullets into Phillip’s body. I reached my arm out. I pressed Ryker against the wall. I clenched his shirt, trying my best to keep my cool. I heard a door burst open. I heard Cage and Saint talking to Natasha. I heard her ragged breaths. The tears in her eyes. The muffled fear and sadness and anger of her voice.
“Let’s get this done so we can get you to her,” Ryker whispered.
I drew in shallow breaths as I pushed against his chest. I turned on my feet and continued down the hallway we’d found. After coming down the steps, we hit a long corridor. One with several locked rooms on either side. Evenly spaced, with minimal lighting. No cameras, either. Which made it very easy to stay concealed. This damn basement was a lot bigger than I expected. There was no way in hell all of this sat underneath the strip club. I kept my eyes peeled as we walked down the hallway. Long. Straight. Nowhere to run if shit went down.
Then, off to the left, there was an exit door.
I motioned for Ryker to follow me and we headed for the door. We pressed ourselves against the wall and I reached for the doorknob. It cracked open without a sound. Without a fucking peep. And when I slowly slid it open, darkness invaded my space. Creeping out with its tendrils and attempting to swallow us whole. Ryker rushed behind me. He made his way to the other side of the door. I looked down the hallway, trying to figure out where the hell this door might lead to.
But one look up told us where.
“Guys, I have an exit out of this damn place,” I whispered.
“Good. Where? What is it?” Grave asked.
Ryker sighed. “It’s a sewer exit.”
“What?” Rock asked.
“Lars has taken part of the massive abandoned sewer lines underneath the city and converted them into his own little… well, I don't know what the fuck this is. But there’s an exit door with a manhole covering just up a ladder. We have an exit. Get down here,” I said.
“Brewer, make the call. Cage, you stay with Natasha. Bear, you stay with Ivan’s body. And everyone else? Get to that fucking basement,” Grave commanded.
There was commotion over the earpiece, and I wanted to pull it out. The only reason I didn’t was because I didn’t want to miss anything regarding Natasha. She had fallen completely silent. And I was worried about her. I slipped into the small exit room with Ryker, concealing ourselves in the darkness. We closed the door to nothing but a crack and waited for the guys to get their asses down there.
“Cops have been called. They’re on the way,” Brewer said.
“Knox and I are almost at the basement. Update?” Grave asked.
“Coming down the stairs now,” Brewer said.
“Entering the club now. I’m coming. Just took me a second to locate extra ammunition,” Rock said.
“Any update on Natasha?” Grave asked.
Bless you.
“She’s shaken up, but okay,” Cage said.
“Hi. Yes. Sorry. I’m here,” she said.
I sighed with relief. “You hang in there, okay, gorgeous? We’re almost done.”
“She’s not going to want to be part of the rest of this. The cops might not buy that she was working with us,” Brewer said.
“Shit,” I hissed.
“You’re right. Okay, Bear? Saint? Get Natasha out of here. Cage, get down here with us. The police will find Ivan’s body eventually, and you deserve to see this through to the end,” Grave said.
“Copy,” Cage said.
“Wait, wait, wait, I want to help,” Natasha said.
“You’ve helped enough. And we’re forever in your debt for it,” Grave said.
Her relenting sigh gave me relief. For once, she didn’t argue. For once, she didn’t fight back. And I knew it would save her life in the process. I didn’t focus on it for long, though. Because the sound of laughter hit my ears. Disgusting, stomach-curling laughter.
“What was that?” Ryker asked.
Footsteps started coming down the hallway and tapping resounded in my ears. I peeked out, watching as the guys came toward us. Even Rock, who rushed down the stairs in order to catch up. Ryker and I slipped out to greet them. But we were met with that laughter again. That sadistic, disgusting laughter.
Before Diesel groaned out.
We all whipped around and stared at the door in front of us. Holy shit, we found him. And from the sounds of it, he was still alive. We slowly walked up to the door and Grave elbowed his way to the front. Signaling for us to reach for our guns. We all pulled them out. Cocked them in unison before he reached for the door. I smiled widely as the doorknob turned without a hitch. And as Grave swung the door open, Lars’ voice filled the room.
“About damn time you showed up, Phillip. Do you have that briefcase for me?”
“Surprise,” Grave said.
Lars whipped his head around and I heard exactly three guns cock. Three to our six. My eyes searched for Diesel. I watched Lars fist his hair. He hoisted Diesel up, showing us his face. His mangled, bruised, beaten, bloodied face.
Diesel was alive. But holy shit he was in bad shape.
“I’ll kill him without a second thought if you don’t lower your damn guns,” Lars glowered.
Cage maneuvered his way to the front and took the reins on this.
“You might, but you’re completely outnumbered,” he said.
“I’ve got seven times as many men upstairs who are already making their way down here.”
The sound of sirens blared in the distance as Cage pointed toward the ceiling.
“Want to wager a guess as to where they’re headed?” he asked.
Lars’ nostrils flared. “You didn't.”
“Oh, we did,” Brewer said, chuckling.
“Men? Kill them,” Lars commanded.
Exactly five gunshots went off. I counted them, one by one. Keeping my gun trained on Lars as the men around him dropped like fucking flies. We all leveled our guns at him as he held up Diesel’s face. Panic washed over his body as the sirens grew closer. Cage stepped away from us, his gun aimed right at Lars’ head.
And the man grinned.
“You missed the first time, you know.”
&n
bsp; Cage snickered. “But I promise I never miss a second time.”
“You wouldn't dare.”
“Want to try me?”
The sirens rushed overhead. I heard tires coming to a screeching halt. Natasha started rattling off something in my ear and I heard Saint struggling with her. The hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end. Diesel fell to the floor. And in the span of a millisecond, Lars had a gun leveled at Cage’s stomach.
But he didn’t hesitate.
His gun echoed off the corners of the walls as he put a bullet in Lars’ head. The gun at his stomach fell to the floor, going off as the rest of us scattered. We cursed under our breath as Lars’ body dropped to the floor, and I saw Grave rush to Diesel’s aid. All of them, on the floor. Scooping our president up. But I stayed with Cage. I walked up to his side and placed my hand on his shoulder.
“Do it. You’ll regret it if you don’t,” I said.
Without a sound, Cage pointed his gun at Lars’ chest. Two bullets in his heart. Two in his gut. To really make sure that fucker was dead. I patted his shoulder before pulling him into me, giving him a massive hug. I’d never been a hugger. I hated it, in fact. But this was one of those moments where people just needed a fucking hug.
“Saint?” I asked.
“She’s in the back room with the rest of the girls. Bear and I rounded them up. The police are storming now,” he said.
“We’ve got Diesel. Lars is dead. We’re coming up now,” I said.
War-torn and weary, we made our way back up the steps. The police burst in and Brewer went to deal with them. Talk them through things and cash in whatever favors he had with them. Grave walked Diesel out of the strip club and I released Cage into the darkness. Because my sights were now set in finding Natasha.
Along with the rest of those girls.
“Toxin!”
She rushed me the second I walked into that backroom. Into the dressing room all the dancers used. Natasha threw herself at me and I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face into the crook of her neck. She smelled divine. And she was breathing. I groaned with satisfaction at having her in my arms again.
“Are you all right?” she whispered.
I nodded. “I’m fine. I promise.”
“What’s going to happen to me?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Nothing at all. You have my word.”
“I killed him, Toxin. I killed them both.”
“You did what you had to do in order to protect yourself from men who were exploiting you and using you. There’s a difference.”
“Doesn’t mean I didn’t kill them.”
I pulled away and cupped her cheeks.
“You’re amazing, and you gave those men what they deserved.”
She sniffled. “I guess that’s what people get for trying to hurt my boys.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Boys?”
She giggled. “Oh, yeah. You guys are stuck with me now. All of you. So, yes. My boys.”
Grave chuckled. “I’m fine with the sound of that.”
“She’ll be running this place before too long,” Ryker said.
“I’m getting Diesel back to the clubhouse. Rock, inform Piper and Margot that we’re going to need their services tonight,” Brewer said.
“I think it’s about time we all made it back to the clubhouse,” Saint said.
And with that, we scattered.
* * *
I listened as Diesel hissed. Margot was stitching up his stomach while Piper tended to the blood and bruises on his face. I held Natasha at my side. A freshly-showered Natasha now clad in a pair of my sweatpants and a t-shirt she borrowed from Brynn. The girls were insistent that he’d be all right. So long as he rested, took it easy, and promised not to get up to any nonsense until he was fully cleared by the two of them. And Brynn? Well, I’d never seen her happier. She curled underneath his arm, dealing with the blood and spit and everything else. Just to be closer to him. Just to feel his warmth again.
I knew how she felt, too. With Natasha crooked underneath my arm.
“What’s going to happen to all those girls tonight?” she asked.
I peered down at her. “The police will get them safe. Take them in. Take statements. Then, shelters in the area will come in and clothe them. Help them get clean. Put them up for the night and feed them before talking them through their options.”
She nodded slowly. “So, they’ll be taken care of?”
Grave nodded. “With a nice anonymous donation to the cause, they’ll be just fine.”
“A donation? What do you mean?” she asked.
All I did was grin to myself, though. No one had to know. I mean, Grave knew. But mostly because I told him he didn’t have to pay me for the job. I wanted that money to go to the girls. They’d need it to recover. To get better. To get themselves back on their feet. Plus, those shelters and services always needed money to operate.
My money from this massive, bullshit job was better suited for those efforts. Not my own.
Piper and Margot finished cleaning up Diesel. And after the propped him up on the couch, he raised his hand. With both of his eyes swollen shut, multiple stitches along his torso, and bruises covering most of his body, it was a wonder he could fucking move. Much less raise his hand. But we all fell silent as Natasha nuzzled against me. Placing her cheek on my shoulder.
“I’ll make this short and sweet,” Diesel said gruffly. “I owe my lives to you all. Every single one of you. Brewer, have you gotten the call yet?”
He nodded. “I have. About ten minutes ago.”
“What call?” Cage asked.
Brewer grinned. “Lars is dead, and the police are working on dismantling his system here in Redding now.”
I sighed with relief as Sutton started crying. Both in sadness and in elation. Cage held her close, and I could’ve sworn I saw tears in his eyes, too. I wouldn't have blamed him, either.
The two of them had been through hell.
“So, with that said, all of you are dismissed,” Diesel said.
“Wait, as in, we can go home?” Ryker asked.
“Yep. You can all go home,” Diesel said.
“To our houses,” Saint said.
“Uh huh.”
“Right now?” Bear asked.
“Right now, if you want.”
The guys started rushing around and gathering up their things. But, me? I simply turned to face Natasha. As they swirled around us with Diesel chuckling in the background, I cupped her cheeks. I gazed into her eyes. I licked my lips as I drew in a deep breath, asking the most important question I’d ever ask this gorgeous woman.
“Natasha?”
“Yeah, Toxin?”
My thumbs smoothed over her cheeks. “You wanna get your shit and stay with me for a while?”
She snickered. “My shit, huh?”
“Yep.”
“You want me to get my shit and come stay with you.”
“Until you get on your feet, yeah.”
She blinked. “Just until I get on my feet?”
I shrugged. “Or until you make the decision to stay.”
She smiled brightly. She nodded furiously. And when her arms wrapped around my neck, her lips crashed against mine. The guys started clapping behind us. Whooping and hollering as snickers fell from my lips. Natasha giggled against me, pressing deeper into my body with those long, languid lines of hers. I cloaked her back with my arms. I bent her backwards and kissed her until I couldn't breathe. My heart leapt to life, and for the first time ever I saw a future in the eyes of a beautiful woman.
A home. Children. Two dogs and a hamster. I saw late night date nights and watching storms from a screened-in porch. I saw it all in her beautiful brown eyes.
“I think I could love you, Toxin,” she whispered.
Her nose nuzzled against mine as I grinned softly.
“I think I could love you, too, Natasha. Now, go get your shit and let’s get the hell out of here.”
W
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The Lost Boys MC Box Set will release on 1/8/20! You can pre-order it now for 99¢!
About the Author
Savannah Rylan is a romance writer that spends most of her time writing and reading with her cat, Gris. When not penning the next great American novel, (HA), you can find her on the beach with a drink in her hand or at the gym testing out some strange new position. Yoga, obviously. She lives in Southern California with her husband and Gris, the true love of her life.
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More Books by Savannah Rylan
Series
Cage (Dead Souls MC: Prospects #1)
Bear (Dead Souls MC: Prospects #2)
Saint (Dead Souls MC: Prospects #3)
Ryker (Dead Souls MC: Prospects #4)
Toxin (Dead Souls MC: Prospects #5)
Texas (The Lost Boys MC #1)
Stone (The Lost Boys MC #2)
Bronx (The Lost Boys MC #3)
Notch (The Lost Boys MC #4)
Jace (The Black Hornets MC #1)
Maverick (The Black Hornets MC #2)
Duke (The Black Hornets MC #3)
Colt (The Black Hornets MC #4)
Thor (The Black Hornets MC #5)
Jagger (The Black Hornets MC #6)
Knox (Dead Souls MC #1)
Grave (Dead Souls MC #2)
Brewer (Dead Souls MC #3)
Rock (Dead Souls MC #4)
Diesel (Deal Souls MC #5)
Girth (Marked Skulls MC #1)
Rodeo (Marked Skulls MC #2)
Abe (Marked Skulls MC #3)
Oz (Marked Skulls MC #4)
Dash (Marked Skulls MC #5)
Toxin: Dead Souls MC: Prospects #5 Page 16