As much as he wanted to go in guns blazing, he knew they needed to wait it out. The chick might not belong here, but nothing about this situation was sitting right with him. Brass knew they needed to spread out. He and Creed being in the same position didn’t play to their advantage. Each of them would have to take out three guys, then worry about the guy who went into the office with the girls. That man was the wildcard because if he and the guys weren’t fast enough, the woman and that kid would pay for their mistake. The dude would either take those girls as hostages and use them as barriers, or he would cut his losses and kill them outright. At least, that’s what Brass would do if placed in the same position. Neither of those options sat well with him.
Creed must have come up with the same scenario because he used hand signals to indicate he was moving. He hated when the other man raised his eyebrow in question like, You have this? That pissed him off, but he nodded back. Brass deserved that little slight for his behavior earlier, but he was in the game now. When Creed moved, he guarded his six. Once Creed got into position, Brass looked up to where Jinx was hanging out in the rafters and noticed the man was no longer there. He must have decided on another position as well. Brass knew he didn’t have to worry about either one of his brothers doing their jobs. Both of them were solid. The men in front of them were talking now, the banter done, and they were getting down to business. Brass used his hands to indicate ten minutes until go time. If he heard anything in the conversation that warranted them to move faster, he would let the guys know. Right now, with Creed in another position, he would be the only one close enough to hear what was going on.
“Give me my damn money and get that bitch back down here. I’ve got plans for her tight ass,” the gang leader said to Crabs. The dude didn’t have a clue if he thought Crabs was just going to hand over the woman to them. They might have some type of agreement, but with four gang members and eight Vultures, he doubted that agreement was going to happen. Just listening to the fucker talk about the woman pissed Brass off, thinking about Snap or Crabs being around her made him murderous. He would make damn sure none of the assholes touched another hair on the chick’s head.
“You got the kid, we’re done here,” Asshole number one said. Tensions were starting to grow, and Brass watched as a couple of the gang members went for the pieces they had hidden in their waistbands. They didn’t pull them, but they were getting ready to. That was another problem with working with gangs, they didn’t give a shit if they lived or died. Every one of them was willing to bleed out on the floor. That could work in Brass’ favor. Let them cull the field before he and his brothers had to take over. But it was still a no-go situation with the girls and fucking Snap up in that fucking office.
Brass wasn’t the only one who noticed what the gang members were doing, but Crabs wasn’t a very good diplomat. Nope, the fucker just had to provoke them more.
“You’re going to wait until my VP gets here. That’s the deal, and you fucking know it, asshole. Then you can spend all the time you want with that piece of pussy. I don’t give a shit, but I ain’t given you shit ‘til it’s verified the kid is who we are looking for.”
Fuck people thought he had brass balls, but this douchebag had a helping of dumbass to go along with the micro bearing he was sporting in his pants.
One of the newbie Vultures tapped Crabs arm and moved his head toward the two gang members who now had their pieces out and pointed at them. The fucker finally got a clue.
“Now come on Chico, you’ll get your money. Why don’t we just chill for a while longer? Bat here has some new product, we just got it, good shit. No harm in letting you have a little taste. If that doesn’t work, I can have Snap bring the chick down, and we can all have a little fun.”
“That pussy is mine, mother fucker. I’m not into sharing until I’ve had my fill. But I can get behind testing out your new product. What are you boys hoking these days? Don’t want any of that cheap crap you been cutting either. Otherwise, I’ll go up there and get the bitch by my damn self.”
“Nah, man, only quality to friends. Have to cut the shit for general consumption if you know what I mean,” Crabs said.
Shit, that was all they fucking needed, these fuckers higher than kites. Made them harder to put down, but it was better than the alternative, right now. Fuck, there were so many fucked up problems with this mission. After months of getting little to no good intel on Tuck, they finally caught a fucking break, and Brass and his brothers found themselves at a disadvantage, fucking figured. If they waited much longer, it was only going to get worse. The Vultures VP wouldn’t be riding alone, he would have a whole contingency of men behind him. He and the boys were good, but even they couldn’t take down over twenty men by themselves.
What they needed was a Hail Mary or a fucking miracle because this was going to be a bloodbath and Brass didn’t think they would be the ones coming out on top. He had to think of something, a distraction or diversion, something to separate the pack. Take out a few at a time, quietly, making sure the others didn’t notice until it was too late, and he needed to do it quick.
He looked around, and using hand signals, he indicated they had less than three minutes to go time and added two more, putting them back at the five-minute mark. He just hoped like hell he could come up with something in those fucking five minutes because right now, his mind was coming up blank and those boys were gathered around Bat’s little baggies like kids at an ice cream truck. There wouldn’t be any of them wandering off by themselves.
Brass made note of what he could see of the baggies—several tinfoil which meant heroin, a couple white powder which meant coke, a couple of others filled with pills, ranging in different colors, anything from X to Roach-10’s. Fuck, these guys had a lot more product than they had been aware of which meant bad things. Pulling out his cell phone, he made sure to keep the screen down, so the light would not light up—they all had apps on their phones thanks to Talon that would make the screen so dim, only the person looking at it could see the reflection. Figuring it was best to let his brothers at home know what was going on, Brass crouched down further and sent a message. At least then if the worst-case scenario did happen, the boys back at home would know what was going on.
Chapter Four
Jada sat with her head against the bathroom door. Maddie had calmed down now that she was clean, dry, and had a little something in her stomach. Jada could see her eyes drooping and hoped like hell they would have a little time, so Maddie could get some sleep, but from the sounds in the office, that wasn’t going to happen.
The guy who had brought them up there was on the phone with someone, and he wasn’t happy. She was only getting one side of the conversation, but from what she could figure out, the people who were coming were delayed. The other thing, which was actually the first piece of hope Jada had in days, was The RBMC was looking for the other bikers and were in the area. Jada couldn’t help but think if that silhouette of a man she saw was a member of the RBMC, she had to take a huge risk.
Looking back at Maddie, she wondered if she could do it or even if she had a choice. There wasn’t any way she could see around it, Jada was going to have to trust her gut. Scooting over to Maddie, she gently shook her shoulder to wake her up.
“Aunt Jay?” Maddie questioned.
“Baby girl, I need you to listen to me, okay?” Jada whispered. If she could hear the man outside in the office, she didn’t want to risk him being able to hear their conversation as well. Maddie nodded. “When that man takes us back downstairs…” Maddie started to shake even before Jada could finish, so Jada cupped her shoulders in her hands and rubbed Maddie’s arms.
“Listen, Maddie, I know it’s scary, and I wish none of this had happened. That both of us were back home and safe, but I need you to do something, okay?”
“But, Aunt Jay...”
“No, Maddie, no buts,” Jada said in her parent voice, hoping Maddie would catch on to it. Maddie was a smart girl, but when you're s
cared out of your mind, she couldn’t blame her for being worried because Jada knew Maddie wasn’t going to like what she was going to ask her to do. “When we get down there, I need you to listen for me. When I say run, I want to run as fast as you can for the big blue crate that’s in front of the van we came here in. It has the word “FRAGILE” stamped in red on it.”
“Fragile,” Maddie questioned with a perplexed look on her face.
Maddie could read, but fragile wasn’t one of the words they had practiced, shit, it wasn't even at her reading level. They had just started reading Cat In The Hat books before they had been taken. Jada had to question if she was asking too much of her little niece, but she had to try.
“Yep, I’m going to spell it for you. All you have to do is remember the first four letters, F-R-A-G-I-L-E.” Maddie started to cry and shake her head. “Yes, Maddie I need you to do this, okay? It’s important. When I say run, you run as fast as you can to that crate and get behind it. There’s going to be a man there, he’ll help you get out of here. Okay?”
“But what about you, Aunt Jay,” Maddie was starting to get hysterical and raising her voice which Jada didn’t want. Pulling Maddie onto her lap, Jada started rocking her like she had when she was younger, holding her tight.
“Maddie, I need you to not worry about me. Right now, I just need you to do what I say, okay? I know you're scared, and you don’t like it, but baby girl, you need to listen to me. When I say run, you run, got it?”
Maddie hiccupped a “Kay.”
Shit, this sucked on all levels. Jada didn’t even know if she was doing the right thing, she just had to hope she was because there weren’t any other alternatives. If she did nothing, then she and Maddie would be separated. Maddie would go with the people who wanted to use her to hurt her father, possibly getting hurt or worse. Jada didn’t want to think about that at all. Then there was the fact the gang members were going to take her off somewhere to rape and definitely kill her, just like they had to Mazie. Jada didn’t care about what happened to her as long as Maddie was safe. If Maddie was safe, she could figure something out, she would find a way to get back to her.
For the next few minutes, she kept Maddie in her lap, and they practiced spelling the word fragile, the damn word bringing up so many things—like how fragile life was, how it could be taken from you in a second, or how fragile the illusion of safety was. Jada had learned nowhere was safe, not even your own home. She had learned a long time ago how fragile trust was and love, hell, that shattered like the finest strand of glass. She had loved her sister and look where that had gotten both of them.
The door banged open and the man loomed in the doorway screaming, “Get the fuck out here!” Jada helped Maddie get up and started to gather the things she had pulled out of the backpack, but the man smacked her hands away, “You won’t be needed that shit anymore, leave it.” When she didn’t stand fast enough for him, which was apparently two seconds to slow, the asshole yanked her up by the arm, making her already battered arms ache, and she actually whimpered from his touch. Damn, every part of her body hurt. It felt like he had dislocated her shoulder and Jada brought her other hand up to rub away the pain.
“Oh, you think that hurt?” the fucker laughed at her. “Just wait, cunt. Chico and his boys have a whole night of fun planned for you. Heard they already gave you a preview of what to come with your sister. Heard it was a fun time had by all, wish I would have been there. Maybe I’ll get my chance the second time around. Chico and his boys should be feeling pretty generous right now with Bat’s candy store up for business. Might even get myself a little taste of the goods before they fuck you up too badly.”
Jada pulled her arm away, not wanting this person to touch her anymore, hell, she didn’t want any of them to touch her, ever. She only had her freedom for a second before he grabbed her again. Jada fought against his touch, but it only made him laugh harder and pull her closer.
“I like a chick with fight in her, so keep on fighting, bitch, it only turns me on more.”
Jada could feel his hard dick pressed up against her stomach. He was getting off on this like all the others. She wouldn’t put Maddie in danger, but she would fight till her last breath. This time, it meant backing down and not struggling against the man. She hoped he would soon lose interest and get them out of the office. After a minute of just standing there, not moving or saying a word, he released with a disgusted look on his face like she had just ruined his fun.
“No worries, bitch, I’ll make sure you’re fighting and squealing later, that’s a promise.”
He pointed towards the door, and Jada made sure that Maddie got out of the room before her. She didn’t want this guy anywhere near her niece. When Maddie stopped in the middle of the office, the asshole snarled, “Fuck, are you stupid or some shit? Go out the fucking door.” Jada blocked him from getting to Maddie, using her body.
“Go ahead, Maddie open the door. We just have to go down the stairs, just remember what I said, and hold on to the railing, okay?”
Maddie started walking towards the door, and Jada let out a breath when she saw the small nod of her head along with the letter F-R-A-G silently forming on her lips. Jada was still blocking the man with her body, but when she went to move, he pulled her back.
“Maybe we’ll keep the kid around after all. She seems to bring the fight out in you.” When he licked the side of her face Jada shuttered with revulsion.
“You leave her alone because, without her, I don’t have anything to lose. You want a fight, I’ll give it to you when she is gone. Not before, you sick fuck.”
“Oh, baby, you’re speaking my language now. You're about to find out real soon how much of a sick fuck I can be, and I can tell you’re going to love every minute of it. Hell, I don’t give a shit if you hate it. Now, fucking move or I’ll throw you down the stairs. Let see if you can protect the brat on your way down, might be funny to watch.”
Jada didn’t respond to the disgusting creature in front of her or his threats, she just turned around and started walking down the stairs, hurrying until she was just one step behind Maddie. She also braced her hand on the guardrail, just in case the asshole decided to push her again and do what he said. She might be hurting, but she would hold on to that rail for dear life, just to make sure Maddie got down the stairs okay.
Halfway down the stairs, Jada tried to get a look behind the crate she had told Maddie about, but it was so much in the shadows, she couldn’t see anything. Jada hoped like hell she hadn’t imagined the man, that he was really there because once she told Maddie to run, there was no telling what was going to happen. Looking down, she noticed the rest of the men were standing just to the left of the stairs. She needed them to move because they were blocking Maddie’s way to the crate. To the right was a brick wall, but straight in front of the stairs was the garage door.
Coming up with a plan quickly, Jada could feel the adrenaline filling her veins. If this was going to work, she needed that boost to get her going. Putting her hand out, she slightly nudged Mattie closer to the left side of the stairs.
“Stay closer to the side, baby girl, I don’t want you to fall.” She expected the laugh from the asshole behind her, but he wouldn’t be laughing soon. Jada started counting the steps to the floor, they only had four to go. She moved closer to the wall, so she wasn’t behind Maddie at all. Two more steps gone, and Jada could feel the perspiration forming on her upper lip and forehead; only two more to go. She paused slightly, letting Maddie get another step ahead of her. As soon as her little foot hit the floor, Jada yelled, “RUN!”
Maddie took off toward the left, and Jada threw her upper body backward, keeping a hold of the rail, so she wouldn’t go down with him. As soon as she felt his body give, going backward, she used her grip on the rail to propel herself forward, jumping down the last two stairs and running straight for the garage door, keeping watch on Maddie the whole time while dodging the men who were trying to stop her, and she kept running. She
would look back on this and try to figure out how she managed to keep away from the guys and keep an eye on Maddie, at the same time. Right now, she just did it.
A second before she felt a hand in her hair, she saw a big arm come out, lock on to Maddie and pull her behind the crate. A second after that, all hell broke loose. Jada was knocked to the floor with a heavy body over her, causing all the air in her lungs to escape. She also felt the impact of the concrete floor on her cheek and the sting of another cut. Gunshots fired in the air, and she almost panicked. She turned her head just enough, causing more damage to her cheek. She needed to make sure Maddie was still out of the way. Look at the crate, she couldn’t see Maddie or the man that arm belonged to. The men who had brought them here were cursing, firing their guns at seemingly nothing, yelling, “Find the kid!” It was pandemonium in the warehouse, people scattering like flies. But she wasn’t done, she needed to figure out a way to help Maddie.
It was then she realized the man holding her down hadn’t moved since they hit the floor. His gun was in his slack hand. Jada felt a wetness seeping through her t-shirt on her back, and the sickly sweet copper smell of blood surrounded her. Pushing herself up a little, she managed to move him a fraction of an inch. If she could just roll him off of her, she could get to the gun, then hopefully, Maddie. Struggling, she pushed one side of her body up. It took some effort, but she managed to roll the man off of her. Unfortunately, it was the wrong way, and his body was now blocking the gun she needed.
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