by L. Wilder
“We’ll be good with just Stitch. Nitro is bringing a couple of his guys along, too. We don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.” He ran his hand along the base of his neck. “You got plans for Josie while you’re in LA?”
The thought of leaving her behind hadn’t even crossed my mind, so I replied, “She’s going.”
He looked surprised by my response. “Not sure that’s a good idea, brother.”
“I do. We’re gonna need someone like her. Someone who has the skill set to monitor camera feeds and radio frequencies while we’re on the inside.”
“You think she can handle it?”
“I do.”
“Then she’ll be your responsibility. Make sure she has whatever she needs. And so we are clear, I don’t want any of this to come back and bite us in the ass.”
“Understood.”
I was about to turn to leave when he said, “If you’ve got a minute, see if you can help Two Bit out in the garage. His little project has been giving him some trouble.”
I nodded and headed out to the garage. When I walked in, I found Two Bit with his head still crammed under the hood of the cream colored 1947 Buick Super. It was hard to believe it was the same car he and Q’ had brought in a few months back. Back then, it was a rusted, ragged-out piece of shit, but they did a complete overhaul on it. Now, it was a real beauty. “You need a hand?”
He growled, “I’m about to lose it on this damn thing.”
Two Bit had his talents, like breakdowns, sanding, and anything that dealt with hard, physical labor, but engine work was not one of his strong suits. “Let me take a look.”
We spent the next three hours working on her, and once we were done, she purred like a kitten. Two Bit smiled like a kid on Christmas morning as he sat behind the wheel and revved the engine. “Sounds good, don’t ya think?”
“Perfect.”
He was still smiling when he killed the engine and got out of the car. “Thanks for the help, brother. I owe you one.”
“Anytime.”
I was just about to leave when he waltzed over to me with a cheesy grin. “So, what’s the deal with Tristen’s sister?”
He was interested in her. There was no mistaking it. I couldn’t blame him. She was beautiful without letting it get to her head, classy but not too classy, and smart without needing to prove it. And that sexy little lopsided grin of hers didn’t hurt things either. I understood his interest, but that didn’t mean I liked it. “Leave it, brother.”
“Whoa, man. I didn’t know.” He took a step back and raised his hands in surrender. “If you had a thing for her, all you had to do was say the word.”
I had no claim to her. Hell, I hadn’t even kissed her. I knew I had no right to tell him to fuck off, but the words just rolled off my lips. “Consider it said.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” He slapped me on the back and smiled. “Big Mike’s done gone and got himself a girlfriend.”
“Shut it, Two Bit,” I told him as I turned and headed for the door. “Not in the mood for your bullshit. Besides, it’s time for you to get started on the Ford.”
He chuckled under his breath. “On it.”
I was still cursing myself when I got back to my room. The last thing I needed was my brothers thinking I had a thing for Josie. She wasn’t mine, and it was a waste of time thinking she ever would be. The thought tore at me, making me wish things could be different. I had to pull my head out of my ass and remember that I was there to help get her sister home. Nothing more. Nothing less. Too bad that was easier said than done.
Chapter 10
Josie
When Big told me that Cassidy was going to run me by my apartment, he didn’t mention that her sister Henley and her nephew Thomas would be tagging along. I was a little nervous at first, scared that I might say or do the wrong thing, but quickly realized I had nothing to worry about. They talked nonstop all the way to my apartment. They told me everything I needed to know about the club, including the fact that Henley was married to Maverick, the club’s Sergeant at Arms, and all about how Cassidy ended up being the president’s old lady. They took their time explaining each of the officers – from Guardrail, the VP, and Allie, to Clutch, the road captain, and his girl Olivia. Knowing Tristen had a thing for him, I paid close attention when they talked about Smokey and MJ. Both Cassidy and Henley seemed to think a lot of him, making me think he wasn’t the bad guy I’d like to think he was. Actually, they all seemed like good guys. By the time they were finished, I knew about all the brothers and what role they played. They even told me a little more about Big. While it was a lot to take in, I was glad they shared it with me.
As soon as Cassidy pulled up to my apartment, I hopped out of the car and rushed up the stairs. I pulled the keys out of my pocket and unlocked the door. I motioned for them to come inside. “This is it.”
“It’s so freaking cute!” Henley squealed. Thomas was propped on her hip and looked absolutely adorable with his dark hair and beautiful green eyes. He babbled and cooed as his mother carried him through my kitchen and into the living room.
“Thanks.” It was small, but I’d done what I could to spruce it up the best I could. I’d learned a thing or two about decoupage, and I’d redone several pieces of junked-out furniture and made them look new. I’d also put a fresh coat of grey paint in the living room and my bedroom, and I’d hung several of my oversized black and white photographs on the walls. Some would call it eclectic with all the mismatched pieces of furniture and bright colors, but it was mine and I liked it.
Cassidy ran her hand across the top of my sofa table and smiled. “Did you make this?”
“Not exactly.” I grabbed my duffle bag out of the side closet and started towards my bedroom. “I bought it at a yard sale a few years back and refinished it.”
“It’s awesome. I just love the color. I wish I could do stuff like this.”
“It’s not hard. Just find a piece you like and I’ll show you how to do it.”
“Really?” she asked, sounding surprised.
“Of course.” I went into my room and shoved several pairs of jeans and some t-shirts into my bag. Then I grabbed my makeup bag and a few other necessities. I was just about to call it a day when my favorite outfit caught my eye. I quickly reached for it and put it in my bag with the rest of my things. When I came out of my room, I found Cass and Henley talking softly in the corner. I stepped closer and realized they were looking at a picture I had of me and Tristen when we were kids. It was one of my favorite pictures of us. We’d been swimming in our neighbor’s pool, and we had our beach towels wrapped tightly around our waists and big smiles plastered on our faces. It was a time when we were truly happy, long before we lost our parents. I cleared my throat to let them know I was behind them and said, “All set.”
There was a sadness in Cassidy’s eyes. “I haven’t really had the chance to tell you how sorry we are about Tristen. It’s hard to believe any of this is happening.”
“Trust me, I know.” I sighed.
Henley walked over to me and placed her hand on my arm. “We’re all praying that she’ll be okay."
“Thanks, Henley.” I swallowed hard, trying my best to keep my tears at bay. “Every time we’d talk, Tristen would have some wild story to tell me about the club. She’d laugh and carry on, and it was obvious that she was happy there. I never understood it. I always thought she was just going through another phase or she was still trying to rebel… but after being there myself and getting the chance to know you all, I finally get it.”
Henley smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. We like having you around.”
Cassidy added, “And Tristen would be tickled to hear you say that. She was worried about disappointing you.”
“Disappointing me? She could never disappoint me.” I thought back to our last few conversations, remembering how she made sure to tell me about all the things she was doing with her
new job and the nice people she was working with. It never dawned on me that she was hoping to gain my approval. I was too busy worrying that I’d say the wrong thing, thinking one wrong slip and I might lose her, so she never knew how proud I was of her. I should’ve told her. I should’ve made it clear that there was nothing she could do that would make me love her any less. “She’s my sister. As long as she’s happy, then I’m happy.”
“That’s what I told her.” Cassidy smiled. “And when we get her back, you can tell her yourself.”
Thomas started to fuss, so Henley said, “Time to get this little guy some lunch. Are you guys ready to head back?”
“Yep. I’m good to go.”
After I locked everything up, I followed them down to the car and we headed back to the clubhouse. While they went to the kitchen to feed Thomas, I went back to Tristen’s room to drop off my bag. When I walked in, I was surprised to find a new laptop sitting on her desk. I stepped closer and spotted an envelope with my name on it sitting on top. I quickly opened it and found a short note from Big.
Josie,
Might want to avoid drinking soda when using this one.
Big
I laughed out loud when I read it. I could only imagine the mess I’d made when I poured my drink over my computer. By now, I’m sure it was a sugary, corroded mess, so I was thankful Big had gotten me a new one. I eagerly turned it on and was thrilled to see all my favorite programs were already installed, and he’d included the files that he was able to retrieve from my old laptop. I had just assumed that Big had tossed all my old files when he’d scrubbed my computer. I had no idea why he’d gone to all the trouble, but couldn’t have been more excited. Feeling the need to express my gratitude, I decided to go see Big.
As soon as I knocked, he shouted, “It’s open.”
When I opened the door, I found him sitting at his desk. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” He motioned me over to him. “Come on in.”
I couldn’t stop myself from staring as I walked over and sat down beside him. He was wearing a dark, long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. The man was fully clothed. It should’ve helped, but it didn’t—not even a little. I was still gawking at him like some sex-crazed teenager. Eventually, I forced my eyes up towards his face and away from the snug, fitted t-shirt and the rippling muscles of his chest. When I finally managed to make eye contact with him, I found him smirking at me. My ogling hadn’t gone unnoticed. Damn. “I… uhh… I wanted to thank you for the new laptop.”
His smile quickly faded. “Figured you’d need it when we get to LA.”
“LA?”
“We’ll be heading there tomorrow to get Tristen.”
“Why do I feel like I’m missing some key information?”
He sighed as he turned his body towards me. “Nitro has a plan to get your sister back. It’s risky, but I think it’ll work.”
“He knows where she is?”
“He does.”
“You going to tell me or do I have to keep imagining the worst?”
“What you’re imagining can’t be much worse.” He continued to explain everything that Nitro had told him, and by the time he’d finished telling me everything, I was a complete mess. He was right; I couldn’t have imagined anything so horrific. My precious sister was caught up in a sex-trafficking ring, and if they weren’t able to get her back, she’d be lost to me forever. Panic started to set in as I stood up and started pacing back and forth across the room. I was about to have a total breakdown when I felt Big’s arms wrap around me. He pulled me close, holding me tightly as he whispered, “You’re not in this alone. I’m right here with you, Josie.”
Despite the overwhelming dread churning in my stomach, I felt a sense of comfort when my body pressed against his. Since my parents died, I learned to do things on my own. I didn’t have a choice. I had relatives, people who cared about me, but they always assumed I had it all figured out. They just assumed my parents had taken care of everything for me, but they were wrong. They’d left me money, plenty of money, but that was about it. I enrolled myself into college and managed to find a decent apartment. I got a job, maintained my grades, and never missed a class. I became independent because I had to, but now, for the first time in a long time, I had someone to lean on: Big. I sunk into the warmth of his side, relishing in the calming sensation of his touch. Just being close to him gave me hope, making the future seem a little less bleak. “Thank you. I don’t think I could make it through all this without you.”
His arms squeezed a fraction tighter, and I started to breathe a little easier. “I know it isn’t easy. None of this is easy, but you’ve gotta find a way to keep it together.”
“I’m trying.” I held onto him, not wanting the moment to end. “When will we be leaving?”
He took a step back and reached for an envelope off his desk. He handed it to me. “We’ll head out tomorrow night. That will give us forty-eight hours to get everything set up.”
I looked down at the tickets, seeing that we had a direct flight into Los Angeles leaving at seven the following evening. My chest tightened when I noticed there were three tickets, not two. Before I could ask, he took a step towards me. “Stitch.”
“Seriously? Out of all the guys you’ve got around here, he’s the one that’s gotta come?”
“He’s the enforcer for a reason.”
Even if he was the freaking terminator, it was still just the four of us going up against the Mexican cartel alone. “How are we going to pull this off, Big?”
“Nitro’s already got his seat at the table. His guy told them he was looking for some new arm candy.”
“Nitro isn’t the kind of man who needs to pay for arm candy.”
Big chuckled under his breath. “No, he’s not, but they don’t know that. For all they know, he’s a busy man with no time on his hands. Easier for him to just buy some hot piece of ass. Doll her up and use her anyway he pleases.”
“That’s awful.”
“Those are the good guys, Josie. Some of these guys are real sickos. They’ll do unimaginable things to these women and think nothing of it.”
“What if one of those men try to buy…”
“That won’t happen. Nitro will out bid anyone who tries to buy her.”
Realizing that he hadn’t explained my part in all of this, I asked, “What exactly do you need me to do?”
“Once we get the location, we’re going to try to tap into their security feed. If we’re able to pull it off, you’ll be able to monitor everything that happens while we’re inside. I’ll have a two-way radio headset for us to communicate back and forth.”
“You think they will let you inside with that?”
He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a tiny clear earpiece. “They’ll never see it. With the camera footage, we will be able to see where their guards are posted, and you can give us a heads-up if there are any surprises.”
“And where exactly will I be when I’m doing all this monitoring?”
“At the hotel.”
He seemed to have all the answers, where I was left with an endless amount of questions. “So, you already know where we’ll be staying?”
“Not yet. Nitro is handling that.”
“What about…” I started, but stopped myself. I was driving myself batty, so I could only imagine how crazy I was making Big.
“Get some rest. You’re going to need it.”
Chapter 11
Big
When I’d told myself that I was going to keep my distance, that I was going to fight the pull I’d been feeling towards Josie, I didn’t realize just how hard it was going to be. I kept finding myself thinking and worrying about her. Even though she tried to keep up a brave front, I knew she was having a rough go of it. Hell, she’d already lost her parents, and now this shit with her sister. Just the thought of having someone that I cared about taken by the cartel was enough to make my blood run cold. She’d put all her trust in us, knowin
g we were her only hope, but there was always that haunting fear that we’d fail, leaving her sister in a horrific situation. For anyone else, the thought would be soul crushing, but Josie was still standing strong. She was determined and wouldn’t give up until we brought Tristen home. When she left my room, I’d hoped that she’d spend the day preparing herself for the trip ahead, and maybe even take some time to relax before all the hell began. Unfortunately, she wasn’t taking that much needed break. Instead, I found her in the bar staring at her laptop, and from the look on her face, it was clear that she was troubled by what was on that screen.
She didn’t even notice when I walked up. I looked over her shoulder, and when I noticed what she was reading, I asked, “Why are you doing this to yourself?”
Her eyes never left the screen as she answered, “I had to see for myself.”
I had no idea what all she’d read, but I knew it wasn’t good. The pictures alone were enough to make my stomach turn. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Did you know most of these women are actually sold by their own families? Some of them don’t know what’s really happening. They think they’re doing something to help their child escape poverty or to get them into the States, but there are others that know exactly what they’re doing.”
“It’s fucked up.”
“It is. I can’t imagine doing that to someone I cared about.”
Her voice cracked, letting me know it was time for her little study session to end. It might’ve been a mistake, but it was clear she needed a friend. “Let’s go.”
She looked up at me with confusion. “Go where?”
“Gonna take a ride.”
“I don’t…”
I cut her off. “It’s not up for discussion.”
“Umm… okay.” She closed her laptop and stood up from the table. “Let me grab a jacket.”