Ace (Syns of Desert Angels MC Book 1)

by L. M. Reign

  “We require security verification for someone at the gate. A Mr. Davenport is here. Demanding entry,” he says with disdain. I smile at the thought of Cole demanding anything from Nate. “Shall he be permitted?”

  “Why is Ace here?” Ness questions, tuned on the same frequency.

  “No idea,” I shrug, pressing the button. “Let him in. I’ll meet you at the door.”

  “Where are you going? You’ll miss the final briefing,” Milo calls as I pass him.

  “Ace is here,” Ness answers, hot on my heels.

  The heavy cadence of boots echo around the hall as we pass through a frenzy of bodies on our way to the door. Getting closer, we hear a loud commotion.

  “How many times do I have to tell your ass? You. Ain’t. Takin’. My. Gun,” Brass snarled.

  “Brass?” Ness drew his attention to her. Nate held an exasperated look on his face, counter-matching the equally furious expression on Brass’.

  “Baby, tell this cocksucke-” she holds up her hand to silence him, nodding at Nate.

  “You have to give him the gun, babe. Non-Syndicate members aren’t permitted to carry here.”

  Brass clamps down his lip, shoving his glock roughly at Nate’s chest. Undeterred, Nate smirks and frisks him one more time, confiscating his trio of knives before allowing him entry. Ness tucks herself against his side when he steps into the foyer.

  “Is Co-”

  “I’m here,” his voice filters through the doors, striding forward. He drops his weapons at Nate’s feet, not bothering to stop for a second frisk.

  Nate scowls after him, and I have to swallow my laugh. Cole towers over me, pulling me into a tight hug, shoving his hand into my back pocket to cop a feel like he used to.

  “Not that I’m not happy to see you,” I untangle myself from his arms. “But what are you doing here?”

  “I found the rat,” he whispers so low I could barely hear him.

  “You what?”

  “It’s Dice.”

  “How did you kn-”

  “Asher,” he says on a rush of breath, gauging my reaction.

  When I give him none, he continues. “She gave up everything. Text and recordin’s. We still don’t know why, but we can sort that out later. I just need somewhere to keep him for now. You have a place?”

  I cross my arms over my chest, pushing away the slow simmer of anger pooling in my stomach. I don’t want to know how he got that information from her.

  “We can keep him in The Cradle,” Ness pipes up.

  “The Cradle?” Brass and Cole ask in confusion.

  “You have him here?”

  Cole gives me a quick nod.

  “Grab him and follow me.”

  Ignoring the dirty looks we receive from my fellow comrades, I march forward as if Cole isn’t keeping pace next to me with an unconscious Dice slung over his shoulders.

  Calling the elevator, we wait in excruciating silence. There are a million questions lingering between us, and we can’t answer any of them right now.

  We step off on our floor and I press my thumb against the scanner, signing in. The doors open with a slight hiss, and I take the tablet from the dock; inputting Dice’s information as I lead them down the corridor past all the glass plated rooms hosting our detainees.

  “Welcome to The Cradle,” I tell them, registering Dice to the room before us. “Here,” I open the door.” You didn’t have to rough him up,” I remark on his bloody clothing and swollen face.

  “We didn’t,” Brass huffs. “Rook’s a scary motherfucker.”

  “Strip him of all electronics and jewelry,” I tell Cole once he’s laid him on the bed. “Toss them in this bag,” I hand him the piece of plastic.

  “Mila,” Milo’s voice crackles in my ear.

  “Yeah?” I press the button to respond, handing Ness the tablet to seal Dice’s room.

  “Dad’s looking for you. Leaving in ten.”

  “Got it,” I turn, coming face-to-face with dad. “Oh, shit.” I freeze, stiffening my spine.

  “What are they doing here?” I want to quiver under the harsh tone of my commander, but I know better.

  “We found the rat in our club,” Cole comes to stand beside me. “Needed a place to keep him until we know who else is helping him.”

  “You found the mole in your club?”

  “Yes,” Cole broadens his stance, eliciting a quirked eyebrow from dad. Cole returns the gesture, challenging him.

  Jesus Christ.

  Dad’s eyes flicker back and forth between us before landing on Cole. “How do you know he wasn’t working alone?”

  “He’s my brother. I know.”

  “Mila. Ness. I believe you two have places to be. You’re dismissed.”

  “Yes, sir,” we move past him, heading towards the door. I chance a glance over my shoulder. Cole’s eyes narrow in anger and I find myself praying he makes a good impression on dad this time.

  _____________________

  Cole

  “I see you’re bothering my daughter again,” Jorge glares at me with disdain. I glare back, willing myself to calm down.

  “Botherin’ her?” I scoff. “I love her.”

  “And where was this love a few years ago?”

  “Protectin’ her. That’s where it was.”

  “Some good it did,” he spits. “And to think we bargained for the likes of you.”

  “She wasn’t the only one who lost somethin’,” I remind him. “I lost her, my best friend, and my child.”

  “And what exactly has changed?” The question was a heavy one. I knew he deserved the honest answer.

  “Everything. She’s not gettin’ away a second time. She’s mine. Whether you like it or not.”

  “You think you’re good enough for her? A biker?” He flicks a finger at my Sergeant at Arms patch. I square my shoulders, delivering my answer.

  “I am.”

  “Prove it.”

  “I want in.”

  Jorge laughs. Laughs in my face at my request. I clench my fist and remind myself it’ll do no good to smack the old man around.

  “You want into my Syndicate?”

  “I believe you mean, my Syndicate,” Reynard’s voice echoes from the entryway as he makes his way to us.

  The man strides forward, confident. Commanding respect he didn’t even earn. “You would do well with some remembrance of your humble beginnings, Jorge. Why not extend to Mr. Davenport the same grace I extended to you? You proved you were worthy of my daughter and that I made the right choice. Does he not deserve the same? Does my granddaughter not deserve happiness?”

  Jorge clasps his hands in front of him, his jaw flexing from the intense clench of his teeth. If I listened carefully, I’m sure I could hear them grinding against each other. Reynard’s words were taking root and growing, the decision warring behind Jorge’s eyes before he was satisfied with the outcome.

  “I’ll think about it. After all this is over,” he tilts his head to Reynard, turning to leave without a backwards glance.

  Our eyes follow him until he’s no longer in the same space. Reynard turns to us, nodding his head towards me.

  “Good luck to you, Mr. Davenport. My son-in-law won’t be easy to convince. Not with your... history with my granddaughter.”

  “I’ll do what it takes,” I affirm.

  “I’m excited to see what you’ll do. And what about you, Mr. Thompson?” Reynard turns his attention to Brass. “You think you’re good enough for Ness?”

  “My name’s Brass. And, no. I’m not,” his answer has me scrunching up my face in confusion. “But I’m tryin’ to be.”

  Oh, you suave motherfucker.

  Reynard laughs, clapping him on the shoulder. “As all good men do. As you can see, we are very busy. Let me show you out.”

  I throw Brass a dirty look and he just smirks, shoving his hands in his pockets as we follow Reynard out. I realize once we’ve reached the foyer that him walking us out was an act of protectio
n against every foot soldier pacing the halls of the estate. The fury from their gaze is returned tenfold.

  I catch a glimpse of Mila’s dark ponytail filing out in the throng of bodies, her face a mask of focus and determination. The beast has taken hold of her, rendering nothing but a shell of the woman I love. I feel sorry for the poor bastard that comes against her tonight.

  _____________________

  “Where the fuck are you goin’?” Brass struggles to keep pace with me as I charge towards my bike. I was no longer thinking but reacting. My girl might not need me, but fuck if I don’t make sure she’s okay.

  “I’m goin’ to make sure Asher’s out of my house,” I lie. “Meet you back at the clubhouse.” I don’t even bother waiting for him as I peel out of the drive.

  I watch a single black SUV pulls out behind me. Then another. And another until a convoy of black SUVs hit the street; each splitting off in different directions.

  Picking up speed, I try to ignore the flurry of vibrations in my pocket. I pull out my phone and see Ma’s name flash across the screen.

  “What?” I answer harshly.

  “Bodi’s been callin’ you!” She screams, the fear in her voice rattles my nerves.

  “Ma, what’s goin’ on?”

  “The dagos... they requested a meeting. Bodi wanted you with him, but you wouldn’t answer your fuckin’ phone!”

  “Where?”

  “You should’ve answered your phone, Co-”

  “Fuckin’ hell, Ma! Where. The Fuck. Is the meet!?”

  “Some warehouse! He wrote it down on the pad here,” she says like I can see it.

  “Text it to me. I’m headin’ there.” I drop the call, speeding towards the Dark Horse.

  _____________________

  Checking my phone, I see Ma’s text before switching over to the tracking app that syncs up with the strip I slipped in Mila’s back pocket earlier. The fucking dagos have lured the club to the same location she’s pinging from.

  Goddamnit.

  Briar’s sour face greets me when I walk through the doors of the Dark Horse, and I’m not surprised that she ignores me when I round the corner to the backroom.

  Everyone knows she and Diesel had a thing. Rook mentioned that he was with Casey, so I guess that means that shit ain’t happening anymore.

  I ignore my name when it’s called, focusing on the reason I’m here - get the damn guns and get to the fucking warehouse.

  _____________________

  Mila

  “Testing. One, two, three. Testing,” Ness’ voice crackles to life in my ear. “We are in position. I’ve got four heat sensors on the building. Excluding yours, there are roughly thirty assailants and lots of movement.”

  Leaning against the wall of the building, I slowly creep forward with Dash and my brother’s hidden in the shadows. This is it. “The videos will begin looping in forty-five seconds and the stream will be live. Whenever you’re ready.”

  “Incoming,” Dash’s voice pricked my skin. Have we been made? I hold my gun loosely, preparing to reach for my knife.

  “Hey,” his husky growl caught me off guard.

  “What are you doing here?” I turn on my heel, hissing at Cole. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” He hisses back, molding his body to mine. “What man is okay with his girl runnin’ towards danger? I meant what I said Mila. I want you. And I want out of the club.” I freeze, struggling to understand what he’s saying.

  He wants out of the club?

  “Thirty-five seconds,” Ness’ voice brought me to the present.

  “We’ll discuss this later. That and how the hell you found me.”

  “Twenty-five seconds,” Ness’ voice came again.

  “Fuck,” I snarl, ripping my ear monitor out and shoving it in Cole’s ear. “Keep this in. Listen to what she’s saying,” I tell him.

  “Incoming? What does that mean?” Cole questions.

  “Hey.” Brass and Rook emerge from the shadows.

  “What the hell are you doin’ here?” Cole questions before pausing, throwing a worried look my way. “Fifteen seconds.”

  “We knew you’d be doin’ somethin’ stupid. Can’t let you do it alone, brother.”

  “Get ready,” I warn them, ignoring their banter to skirt around the back alley. The light footfalls of Milo and Dash are ahead of us at the entrance, taking out the guards.

  On cue, Milo swipes the card and throws two taze canisters inside, detonating them. Groans and yells fill the air, and we file in, stepping over bodies. We use the smoke as cover; rapidly taking down any moving target.

  “Clear!” Dash yells, after clearing each room on this floor.

  Quickly, I follow the length of the dim hallway, eyes peeled for any sudden movements when a loud clang catches my attention.

  The sound of a door slamming against the wall followed by heavy thuds tell me where they are going.

  The roof.

  Ness.

  “Tell Ness they are heading her way,” I tell Cole.

  “I’m goin’ up there,” Brass takes off down the hall.

  The air is filled with the satisfying thuds of falling bodies, and Cole has become my shadow.

  Get in, get them, and get out.

  Needing Ness’ eyes, I do something I never would’ve risked before; I make myself known.

  “Check!” I yell, hoping Milo and Dash are still on this floor.

  “Clear! Ness says roof is capped!” My brother yells back. “He’s still below.”

  “Glac an díon. Tógfaidh mé é.” Take the roof. I’ll take him.

  “Mo Chuisle, deirfiúr.”

  “Mo Chuisle, deartháir.”

  I spare a glance at my hand before grabbing my knife and separating a thumb from a fallen soldier.

  Keeping in the shadows, I follow the cover down the hallway, and use the thumb to summon the elevator. Staying hidden, I hold a taze bomb behind my back.

  When the doors begin to slide apart, I toss it, detonating it. A large body shields me from the initial blast.

  Cole.

  Guns misfire and we wait, confirming the silence before boarding. Cole puts a bullet in each head.

  “Safety,” he shrugs.

  Pressing “LL”, we wait impatiently for the doors to slide closed. They stop when a hand shoots forward, causing us to level our weapons, putting Rook on the end of the barrel.

  “Jesus Christ!” I snarl. “I could’ve killed you!”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time someone said that,” he says cockily. I keep my face stoic, unable to focus on the bikers crowding the elevator with their bulk. I steel myself for what awaits us on the other side.

  So close.

  “Ness says five bodies are on the heat sensor down there,” Cole informs me.

  I give him a quick nod, drawing a second gun and readying myself for war.

  “We’re supposed to get one of them?” I throw him a look and shake my head. Not the time, baby.

  “Later,” I tell him, leveling my weapons. The second the doors slide open, we are under siege.

  “Cease fire!” I yell at Rook who’s crouched, returning rapid fire.

  Idiot.

  Cole and I time our shots, shooting when they aren’t, and effectively eliminating three of them. My guns click, the chambers empty.

  “Son of a bitch!”

  I grab my knife and throw it at the man guarding his room. Cole covers me, firing careful shots at the last one standing.

  Knee, hand, heart, head.

  Damn.

  I stride forward, stepping over their lifeless bodies, and kick the door open. Finally bringing myself face-to-face with the bastard himself.

  “Hello, Uncle.”

  Chapter 22

  Cole

  I level my gun, returning fire the second the doors open. Mila yells something, presumably to Rook, that gets lost in the fray. I focus on my only desire - protect her at all costs.

 
She tosses a gun into the hallway, followed by a quick reaction; sending a knife flying towards the dago’s throat. I cover her, taking careful shots that are quick to bring them to their knees.

  Seeing how dangerous Mila is up close should make me nervous but I’m not. Our beasts are entwining themselves, binding us together in the desire for utter and absolute carnage - no matter the costs.

  She strides forward, gracefully stepping over bodies before kicking the door in with punishing force. It flies back, and a lone man is standing in the middle of the room, ready, like he was waiting for her arrival. Training my gun on him, I watch her face curl into a shriveling mask of anger, hatred, and pain.

  “Hello Uncle,” she snarls at him, slowly circling him while Rook and I stand at the doorway. “You look pretty good for a dead man.”

  Uncle? I never met Mila’s uncle, much less, ever heard her talk about him.

  She moved back to stand between us, schooling her face in a mask of indifference. Rolling her shoulders, she delivers a swift punch to his nose. My cock twitches in my pants at the woman before me.

  “Reunited at last, my darling niece,” he clutches his nose, voice thick – bleeding with an Irish baroque.

  “I’m not your niece,” she spits back. “But I am going to enjoy all the things we will do to you.”

  She was eerily ominous, smirking slightly at the thought of all the agony that could be inflicted. “You’ve been dangling over a cliff for all this time. Now, all that’s below is death. Looks like the money you paid for protection wasn’t worth it.”

  “Ah,” he sends her an ugly smile, accentuating the rough scar marring his face. “I’ll finally join your dear mot-” Mila doesn’t let him finish, snatching my gun she fires two shots; direct hits to his kneecaps.

  He crumples to the floor, groans echoing in the room. Clutching his ruined legs. Mila squats, leveling her face with his and whispers.

  “You will not rest like my mother. Not ever. Your punishment will be meted by the old Bíobla.” His face widened in shock, making a snarling smile spread across her face.