Struggling to stand, Bennett rages, "Jake, they got Lisa. Those motherfuckers took my woman."
19
Jake
"What the fuck!" I curse rushing over to my lifelong friend. "Emerson, I need you over here now!" I shout, but it wasn't necessary because she is by my side and in front of Bennett in seconds. "What the fuck happened, brother?" I ask a bloodied and battered Bennett as I reach out to him. Unable to move any further, he lays on his back sprawled out on the clubhouse floor. It's then I hear the gurgled sounds of his voice as he tries to speak.
"Motherfucker got my old lady, Jake. They have my wife. Ambushed us about two miles down the road. Rammed into us from behind and we ended up in a ditch. Next thing I know is the window is being smashed in, and some motherfucker knocks my woman out and pulls her out the passenger window. I got one shot off, hitting the guy before a couple of shots were fired into my window. I'm pretty sure the guy I hit is still there. Fuckers left him behind." He spits out passed the blood in his mouth.
Jerking my head up, I look at Logan and Gabriel. "You two go see what's left behind. If that son of a bitch Bennett popped is still alive, bring his ass in. You know what to do."
Looking at the rest of the room, I see the children and family members have cleared out. Thank fuck, because I don't want anyone, especially children, to have to witness this shit. I turn my attention back to Emerson who has ripped open Bennett's button-down shirt exposing a bubbly bloody hole in his left rib cage.
"Goddammit! He's been shot," she shouts. "He has a collapsed lung. He's going to need to go to the hospital now. I can't fix this here."
"In my room," Bennett grinds out through his pain. "The duffel bag in my closet."
"Already on it!" Reid rushes in the room dropping a large bag by Emerson's side.
"He needs surgery to remove the bullet. I can't do this here, Jake," she says with fear and slight uncertainty in her voice.
"No time doc. You gotta do it, yeah? I need ya to save my brother." I watch as Emerson closes her eyes briefly and when she opens them a second later they are filled with fire and determination. Without missing a beat, she reaches over and unzips the bag Reid brought; she goes to work pulling out a package and ripping it open. "This is going to hurt like a bitch without any pain medicine," she warns and then proceeds to take a bottle of rubbing alcohol and splashes it across Bennett's ribs and chest. She then takes a pair of forceps and inserts them into the hole in his chest. A roar and a string of curses come from my brother's mouth the same time Emerson pulls the forceps from his body along with the bullet. Next, she takes a scalpel and cuts an incision between two of his ribs before she uses a pair of small scissors and slides them through the cut she just made. The clubhouse is eerily quiet aside from Bennett's labored breathing as Emerson rips open another package, this one containing a tube. She then takes the scissors out of Bennett's ribs and replaces it with the tube. Once it's in place a gush of blood passes through it and onto the clubhouse floor, and instantly Bennett's breathing gets better.
Now that the most urgent care is over with, Emerson moves on to the other visible injury. My brother's right ear has been nearly severed from the side of his head.
"Bullet," Emerson mutters to me as she uses some gauze and tape to hold it in place. "I can sew it back on just as soon as we get him off this floor and moved somewhere more comfortable. I also need to get him something for the pain before going any further."
"I don't want to get more comfortable. I want you to finish patchin' me up, so I can go find my wife." Bennett bites out as he begins to scramble on the floor like he is trying to get up.
"Lay your ass back down, brother. You're not going anywhere with a tube stickin' out of your damn chest. We're going to find Lisa. I promise you that."
Bennett tries to sit up in protest once again. And I can't blame him. Lisa is his world and right now he feels as though his world has come crashing down. But no way is he in any condition to fight. "Bennett, you know I love ya, and you're my brother, but right now I'm talkin' to ya as your President. You stay put and let Emerson fix you up." I don't miss the flash of anger on his face as he takes in my words. He's not happy with my call, but he'll respect and abide by it.
"Prospect!" I bark out.
"Prez?" Grey says walking up to me.
"I want you to help Blake and Emerson get Bennett moved to his room, so she can finish fixing him up."
"You got it, Prez."
Once they make their way out of the room, I turn to Reid. "See what you can find out on Lisa's cell. Maybe we'll get lucky, and she still has it on her. Not likely but it's worth a shot." Nodding his head, he turns on his heal on a mission. Standing in the middle of the empty clubhouse room, I look down at the floor to where my best friend's blood is, and then I tip my head back and suck in a deep breath. Lisa is the matriarch of this club. She is essential and irreplaceable. I love the woman like a sister, and I vow to bring her home safely. Right after I kill any man, who would dare think they can fuck with my family.
"Jake, my friend. Can my men or I be of some service?" Demetri asks coming up behind me. Turning to face him, I peer over his shoulder to see Victor and another one of his men standing at the entrance of the room.
"I need eyes on the town. Can you have your men drive around, see what they can find? You all have been in Polson long enough to know a local from a newcomer. Leave no stone unturned. If your men can handle that, I'd like for you to join me in church when Logan and Gabriel return."
"I can do that." He says inclining his head and making his way back across the room to his men to dish out instructions. At this point, we don't have shit to go on. Having eyes on the town looking for anything suspicious is better than not doing shit at all. I hope to God Reid comes back with a lead. And as much as I want the fucker that Bennett shot to be burnin' in hell right about now; I'm hoping he's still got some life in him, just enough for us to get some intel out of him. Once I get what I need from him, I'll gladly assist him on meetin' his maker. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Raine walking into the room with a bucket of water and a mop. She strolls right up to the bloody fuckin' mess on the floor and begins cleaning. Striding up to her, I gently palm her face and kiss the top of her head. Raine and Ember have been a godsend to the club. The old ladies have taken a shinin' to the girls too. Probably because they both are respectful. They stay away from the taken men, and they never have to be told what to do. Like now, for example. In the past the club girls we had made it hard to respect them. We don't treat any woman who walks through these doors like they don't matter. Whether you’re an old lady or a club girl, you are respected. The problem with Cassie and Liz was they fucked up too many times to count and lost that respect. "Thanks, sweetheart. Don't know what this club would do without ya."
"I could say the same thing about you all." She replies with a weak smile. "You guys have been amazing to Ember and me. And the women don't look down their noses at us. I can't speak for Ember, but I don't know where I'd be right now without the club." I give her shoulders a light squeeze. "Where is Ember?"
"She's helping the women with the kids. They were pretty shaken up by what went down a little bit ago, and she knew they would need some help keeping them distracted. Especially Grace. I think you should go check on her." She adds.
"Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Do me a favor. When Logan and Gabriel get back, will you tell them I said meet me in church?"
"Sure, Jake. I'll tell them."
Making my way to the back of the clubhouse, I walk into the entertainment room we had built last year for all the kids. The children look to me none the wiser as to what's going on, aside from Remi. I can tell by the terrified look on her face she knows this all has to do with her father. And the devastated look of guilt on my Little Bird's face says she knows too. Walking over to the couch where she and Remi are huddled together, I drop down to my knees in front of Grace, and she throws her body into mine and sobs into my neck.
"I'm so sorry, Jake
. This is all my fault. If it weren't for me none of this would be happening to you all. Bennett was nearly killed, and Lisa is gone."
Sensing we need a minute, Bella comes up behind me. "Hey Remi, we're headed to the kitchen to fix the kids some ice cream. Why don't you come with us?" When Remi cuts her weary eyes over to me, I give her some encouragement.
"It's okay, darlin'. I got your momma. Go on with Bella and the others."
Once the room has cleared, I tip Grace's chin back to where she is looking straight at me. "What have I said about hearin' you say shit like that? Now you hear me, and you hear me good, babe. Nobody--not one person here blames you for a damn thing. You and Remi mean everything to me and you mean somethin' to the club. You two are family. And we will fight your son of a bitch ex to the depths of hell to keep you safe."
"I'm safe right now, Jake. But what about Lisa. Ronan is a cruel man. I can't stand the thought of what he might be doing to her right now."
"Lisa is a strong woman, Grace. She'll survive and get through this. I don't want you thinkin' any different. We're going to find her and bring her home. I promise ya that."
"All Ronan wants is me." She says hanging her head. "so I should…" I effectively cut her off.
"Not fuckin' happenin', babe. You will not be offerin' yourself up to that man. So, you best get that idea out of your gorgeous head right now and do not let me hear you talk like that again."
"Excuse me, Jake." Raine interrupts by knocking on the door. "Logan and Gabriel are back and so is Reid. They asked me if I'd find you and let you know. They said they'd be in church."
"Thanks, darlin'," I express, and she leaves.
I shift my attention back to Grace. "The boys and I got church. We're going to settle this shit once and for all and bring Lisa home." Cupping her face in my hands, I claim her lips with mine. "I love you, Little Bird."
"I love you too, Jake."
Slamming the gavel down on the table, I don't hesitate getting down to business. "What'd you and Gabriel find?" I turn my head to look at Logan.
"Got the motherfucker Bennett popped. He's still breathin' too. Gabriel carted his ass down to the basement. Grey is watching over him now."
"Is he talkin'?" I ask.
"Not yet." Gabriel gruffs, stretches his arms and cracks his knuckles. "But he will be."
Fuck yeah, he will. He'll be singing like a canary by the time I get done with him.
"Reid, what ya got for me?"
"Sorry, Prez. I didn't get any hits off Lisa's cell."
Logan speaks. "Her purse and cell were in the truck."
"Alright, men. Here is what's going down. Demetri has his men canvassing the town. Reid, I want you to keep doing what you do best. Tap into the fuckin' traffic cams if you have to. Look for anything out of the norm. These motherfuckers may be slick, but I'd bet they're not smart enough to drive around in inconspicuous vehicles. Their pussy asses are probably in SUV's. You know Polson locals don't have that high-class shit. No offense, brother." I say directing my statement at Demetri. He and his men are probably the only ones in Polson who stick out like a sore thumb. The smirk on my friend's face tells me he's not offended.
"Quinn, I want you and Austin to go to the warehouse and load up. I want you back here by the time I get done with the asshole in the basement. It's time for war brothers." I proclaim slamming the gavel.
With Logan and Gabriel on my heels, I walk into the basement of the clubhouse and am met with Grey who is sitting in a chair in front of our new industrial freezer. Something we had installed a year ago.
"Open it up," I order.
When Gabriel steps in front of me he opens the freezer door and in front of us is the man who damn near killed my best friend. He's strung up by his wrists in nothing but his boxers. A gunshot wound is evident on his shoulder, and his skin has already begun to turn a nice shade of blue. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my brass knuckles, because I'm old school like that. Slipping them on over my right hand, I stride toward my prey as I flex my fist a few times. Rearing back, I swing and land my first blow to his left cheek, and I get a sick feeling of satisfaction when I feel bones crunching, and his skin splits open causing his blood to spray all over my fist.
"Where is she?" I growl a mere inch from his face. My question only earns me a mouth full of blood spit at my feet, and that earns him a blow to his kidney, and he roars out in pain. The motherfucker is sure to be pissin' blood the next time he takes a leak. Too bad for him he won't be living long enough to find out. I land blow after blow, and my arm is feeling the burn. The guy's face is unrecognizable.
"You think you low life bikers are a match for the De Burcas'?" the man sneers a garbled response past his busted lips and broken teeth. "My loyalty lies and dies with them. I'll never talk." He declares.
Something tells me his words ring true. I've been workin' the motherfucker over for hours, and he's not said a goddamn word on where Ronan is. Fuck.
"Then so be it." I concede. Giving Gabriel the signal, we all watch as he reveals his blade. "Decirle al diablo que dije hola. Tell the devil I said hello," he says delivering his parting words as he slits the man's throat. I knew in my gut the man was not going to talk and I wasn't about to waste another minute on his worthless life. Time spent on him was taking away from time we need to find Lisa.
"Prospect, get this mess cleaned up. Logan, you and Gabriel take care of the body. I'm going to see if Demetri's men came up with any leads."
"You got it, Prez." They say in unison as I make my way up the stairs and out of the basement. Looking at my time, I notice it's after 10:00 pm and the clubhouse is quiet. Peeking in on Remi I see her fast asleep in her bed. Closing the door, I go to mine and Grace's room across the hall. Seeing her curled up into a protective ball asleep, I walk past the bed and into the bathroom to take a quick shower. I don't want her to freak out seeing me covered in blood. Once I'm finished and have changed into some clean clothes, I decide not to wake Grace. Instead, I go to check on Bennett. Opening the door to his room, I'm not surprised to see Emerson sleeping in a chair beside his bed. The sound of the door opening has my brother's head snapping in my direction. The look he is giving me is a silent question, one I don't want to answer. And I don't have to. The look on my face says it all. Bennett and I have known each other our whole lives. When he's hurtin', I'm hurtin'. Without taking his eyes off mine Bennett says, "Bring my wife home, Jake."
"You have my word, brother."
20
Grace
Constantly checking my rearview mirror, I push my car as fast as it will go. I know as soon as someone realizes I'm missing Jake will lose his shit, but I couldn't stand by and witness another person I've come to care about be hurt by that monster. Make no mistake, Ronan will kill Lisa. He won't let her go no matter what conditions he wants to be met. My guess is Ronan is going to try and use Lisa to get to me. He'll say he'll want to swap sooner or later, so I am taking matters into my own hands. I won't put Jake in the position to make that decision. Bennett shouldn’t have to be without the love of his life because of me. I hope Jake knows how deep my love for him is and no matter what the outcome he takes care of my daughter.
My only hope is to get as far away from the compound as I can before Jake or any of the other men catch up with me. When Bennett stumbled in the door with the assistance of Blake all beaten and bloody with the horrified look on his face as the words that someone took Lisa left his lips, it knocked every ounce of air from my lungs.
Not having a clue as to where they may have taken Lisa I keep driving. I left everything behind, except for my cell phone. Still having two numbers memorized, I wait another hour before turning off onto a dirt road and drive until I see a farmhouse in the distance before slowing to a stop. Pulling my phone from the back pocket of my jeans, I tap out the first number. After the first attempt goes straight to voicemail, I try the last number I can think of. Ronan's right-hand man, Connor was the one who was always asked to keep a tight rein on my
leash when Ronan wasn’t around.
On the third ring, the dead tone of his thick Irish accent fills my ear causing my breath to catch in my throat. "Yeah."
"Connor, put Ronan on the phone," I attempt to tell him, but he cuts me short before I can tell him who I am.
"Who the fuck is this?" Connor barks in a harsh, threatening manner.
Not in the mood to be pushed, I demand through gritted teeth, "Put my husband on the damn phone."
The other end of the line goes silent. I don’t even hear his heavy breathing. For what feels like forever but in reality is about two minutes I hang on the phone in silence.
"Hello, wife." The emotionless baritone of Ronan's voice sends a sharps tingle down my spine. Only in my dreams have I heard that voice for the past two years.
"Cat got your tongue?" Ronan speaks again. This time I can hear the condescending and smirk in his tone.
"You took someone. I want you to let her go, Ronan," I demand.
A sharp bark of laughter pierces through the speaker causing me to pull the phone from my ear. "What makes you think you are in any position to demand a thing from me, Anna."
Straightening my back, I keep my voice even and strong. "Because I'm willing to trade myself for her. You get me in return if you let her go. You win. You get what you've always wanted, and that's me." Ronan's breath skating across the phone becomes the only noise I hear as I wait for him to reply.
"Where are you? I'll send Connor to get you. Anna, if you are setting me up…she dies, and so do you," he warns.
Before I respond Connor has been given the phone and starts talking. "Location." He orders.
"Umm," I look around me. "I'm about forty-five minutes east of Polson in a town named Oakdale. Currently I'm parked on a dirt road just off of Highway 54 called Cooper Lane. I doubt that you will find me, so tell me where to go and I'll…"
UNBREAKABLE: The Kings of Retribution MC Page 15