“Oh! I’m doing great! And you?” I said trying not to sound annoyed he was calling me trying to find my dad. It wasn’t like it would have been difficult to greet me first .
Although, I didn’t like to hear that he couldn’t track down my dad. But it wasn’t that unusual for him to disappear for long stretches of time. This was probably one of those times. Maybe he was meeting with the local PD and updating them on our Stretch predicament .
“Josie this is important .”
“OK, sorry, but he’s not here. What’s this regarding?” I asked even though I was pretty sure he wasn’t going to tell me. This would have fell into club business, which meant since I wasn’t in the club I didn’t get to know. Even though I already knew .
“Club business,” he said, and I chuckled. “Call me if you hear form him .”
He’d hung up without a goodbye. I hoped this wouldn’t make him even more likely to go after Stretch .
“Yeah, well good fucking day to you too,” I said and instead of feeling angry I looked up at the wall he had pressed me against. The picture that had rattled against the wall was crooked. I couldn’t help but smile .
I stood up to adjust the picture but something stopped me. The crooked picture would be a reminder of what had happened between me and Stone against that wall, so I left it. I wanted to see it every time I came into the office. I left it alone and dialed the number for Dick, the president of The Wild Henchmen .
“Who’s this?” a gruff voice said .
“Doesn’t matter, let me talk to the president. Tell him I have the money,” I said keeping my voice steady .
“Hold,” the voice grunted and I could hear someone talking in the background, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying .
There was a scratching noise as if someone was covering the bottom of the phone. Then a long pause .
“You got the mil ?”
“Yes. But I want to hear him first. So we know he’s alive .”
“Oh, sugar lips, you are in no position — ”
“OK is this where I say goodbye then?” I said hoping he wouldn’t call my bluff .
“Alright, hold on to your frilly panties .”
It was about a five-minute wait before I heard the noises of people moving around in the background. The phone noises changed, there was a scratching noise again and then a click. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was on speaker phone .
“Talk,” the gruff voice said. I was about to open my mouth when Stretch spoke .
“It’s me. I’m here,” I could barely understand him but I did recognize his voice. Something was different though, he was having trouble talking. It sounded as though it was hard for him to form his words. I wondered if they had done something to his mouth or jaw. If I had to guess, I was pretty sure he’d been beaten, probably because he wouldn’t talk .
“What have they done to you?” I asked rubbing my palm against my jeans. I was starting to sweat. Maybe I had made a mistake thinking this would work. I was so far over my head .
“Think my nose is broken… maybe jaw too,” he said and I could tell by the last word he spoke that he didn’t want to talk any more. And it wasn’t because there were people around, it was because he was in pain. Major pain but he wasn’t letting it show .
I could imagine him standing there with the dried and fresh blood on his face. His fists were probably clenched even though they likely had him tied up .
“I’ve got the money. I’m coming. Just hold tight.” It was the only thing I could think of saying. He was probably wondering who I was and when I was coming. But he was smart enough not to ask questions in front of The Henchmen. “Put Dick back on .”
“I’m here,” he said verifying that I had been on speaker phone .
“How do you want to do this?” I said closing my eyes. This was going to be the hardest part. Actually making myself go right into the lion’s lair .
After what had happened with Troy I wasn’t sure I was brave enough to actually do this. With Troy I was always hiding and waiting for him to pounce, but with The Henchmen I was a lamb walking straight towards my prey .
“You, and only you, will meet me at the top of the Darling Street parking ramp at 9 pm. Not a minute sooner and not a minute later,” he said and snuffed up what sounded like a big wad of snot. “If I catch wind you ain’t alone, well, that’s going to be a big problem your boy Stretch here, and if I get my hands on you, needless to say you won’t like it much either. Understand ?”
I nodded but realized almost instantly he couldn’t see me. “You got it. Nine. Alone. Darling Street parking ramp .”
“With the money,” Dick added with a growl as if he thought I’d forget. Then he hung up the phone .
“Jesus Christ,” I whispered as I put my head down on the desk. I clawed at the collar of my shirt as if I was having trouble breathing .
They were going to take the money, kill me and then they’d kill Stretch. I had me a big fucking mistake. I should have thought this through. If I hadn’t been so worried about what Stone was going to do, I wouldn’t have come up with this plan. I wouldn’t have come up with any plan. Now I was stuck. I couldn’t back out because if someone didn’t show up with the money, they’d probably kill Stretch to teach the MC a lesson .
I grabbed the suitcase and opened the door. The hallway was empty, so I wheeled the heavy case out to my car and somehow managed to get the suitcase into the trunk .
It was going to be a long wait until tonight but I was going to sit on the porch waiting until it was time to go. I had to keep an eye on my car even though it was pretty unlikely someone would come and steal it from our driveway. It just made me feel better to keep an eye on the money until it was time to go .
I played out the scenario in my head over and over again. Each time I prayed they wouldn’t look too closely at the money and spot the fakes. If they did, we’d be dead. If it could work in my visions, it could work that way at 9 pm at the top of the Darling Street parking ramp too .
38
Chapter 14
I t was eight o’clock, and I was sitting in my car. The truck held the suitcase with the money I stole from my dad and the fake money I’d crafted. The fake money I prayed they wouldn’t notice until I was far away with Stretch. But then I’d have to come clean about what I had done .
If my dad wouldn’t kill me if he ever found out about Stone and I, he was definitely going to kill me for taking the ten grand from his safe. It was money I wasn’t going to be able to replace. Although, if I survived everything… The Henchmen and then my dad, I would try .
I was parked about three blocks away from the parking ramp watching the clock tick down. It was probably twenty to nine when I heard the motorcycles rumbling in the distance. I assumed it was The Wild Henchmen. I lowered myself down in my seat and watched as they went by and into the ramp .
They were early. Dick wasn’t going to be alone… not that he had said he would be. He was probably sending his men to check out the ramp first. To make sure I they weren’t walking into some kind of trap .
This had been a stupid idea. If I wasn’t sure they’d kill Stretch if I didn’t show up, I would have shifted the car into reverse and pulled out of my parking spot. I would have drove home and tried to forget the whole thing ever happened. But they’d make someone pay and that person would probably be Stretch .
I hadn’t really considered what The Henchmen would do once they got back to their clubhouse and started counting the money. The second they spotted the fakes they would be furious. They’d probably go on a rampage for the Brother’s Rebellion .
It wasn’t even possible to screw up any more than I did. I was going to have to change my name. Leave the state. I’d probably have to go into protective custody or the witness protection program or something .
My dad could handle The Wild Henchmen once he’d found out what I’d done, at least I thought he could. He’d do some damage control, maybe lose a few men in the process,
but I myself was forever screwed .
If my parents had a will, I would definitely be written out of it. Which I would have been once they found out about Stone anyway. I couldn’t believe I had allowed myself to get involved with the Brother’s. I had been so determined to keep them out of my life, yet here I was smack dab in the middle of it all .
8:50 pm .
I started the car and drove towards the parking ramp. When my phone rang, I let out a little squeak and clapped my hand over my mouth .
I took a few deep breaths and calmed myself so my voice wouldn’t give off any clues as to my stress and or nerves .
“What?” I said shaking my head. Fail. I sounded far more upset than I had intended and I probably should have just went with a simple hello .
“Josie? Where are you?” It was Stone .
“I’m out, what’s it to you ?”
“Chill sweetheart,” Stone said in a false relaxed voice. I knew him better than he thought. It seemed obvious to me that something was bothering him .
I cleared my throat, “I’m just kind of busy with something is all .”
Very busy. Stupidly busy. Busy doing something really stupid .
“Damn it, Josie… we’re still looking for the pres. No word from him on your end ?”
“No. I haven’t heard from my mom either though .”
“We called her — ”
“Right. I’ll call you back later. I need to go,” I said as I turned my way up the levels of the parking ramp .
8:57 pm .
It was taking me longer than I planned to drive through the ramp. I was going to be a minute or two late. Hopefully Stretch wouldn’t be laying there dead. I wasn’t even sure if I believed Dick would kill his only bargaining chip, but maybe he would. I didn’t know anything about the guy, except for that he wasn’t a big fan of the Brother’s .
Stone started to say something as I set the phone down on the passenger seat. I tapped to end the call before he even finished his sentence. There wasn’t time. I’d explain later. I was pretty sure he’d understand. He’d probably be pissed that I had taken matters into my own hands, but he’d probably be happy to see Stretch again. Maybe he’d even thank me .
I turned the car onto the top level of the ramp and stopped when I got to the end. The Wild Henchmen were all lined up waiting there for me. It looked as though it was the whole gang too. Instead of letting my shoulders slump forward like they wanted to, I stiffened my spine as I pulled forward and put the car in park .
I was a fair distance away… what I hoped would be a safe distance. But nothing about what I was doing was considered safe. I stepped out of the car and heard more motorcycles roaring behind me. I was completely surrounded. Great. Just great .
“Which one of you is Dick?” I shouted towards the group in front of me. I took half of a step away from the car and it almost felt as though I would lose my balance. It felt as though I was about to be forced to walk the plank .
“That’d be me, princess.” A short, scruffy, gray haired man said stepping forward. “I wasn’t expecting such a beautiful woman. I thought Terry would send someone more hideous… taller with hairy moles .”
His me all laughed at his words as if they thought he was the funniest man on the planet. I didn’t even crack a smile. It wasn’t funny… not even a little .
“You didn’t need to bring your whole club for little ol’ me,” I said as I scanned the group. They were all armed, and they were all scary. Their club was a lot bigger than I thought they’d be .
“I did… in case you were lying .”
“I don’t lie.” Except, when I do. But hopefully they wouldn’t find that out until they were far away, back at their clubhouse. “Where’s our guy ?”
“Your guy? Are you like his old lady ?”
“No. I meant The Brother’s guy .”
“Aw don’t worry sweet thing, he’s here.” He grinned and stroked his beard as he looked me up and down. But it wasn’t as though he was checking me out, I was pretty sure all he cared about was where I was keeping the cash. “Where’s the money ?”
“It’s here. I have it.” I crossed my arms and stared at him stubbornly. He nodded to one of his lackeys. Two of his men stepped over to a van and pulled a blindfolded Stretch out of the back .
His face was black and blue covered in smears of fresh and dried blood. He was tough. Far tougher than I would have been. They must have been trying to beat information out of him. It didn’t seem as though they had been very successful, which would make my dad happy .
I didn’t say anything to Stretch. He was probably already wondering who had come for him. Maybe he didn’t even know what was going on. He probably hadn’t recognized my voice either when I called or now when I spoke to Dick. It wasn’t like he was going to question me in front of everyone. He was probably assuming it was my dad’s plan, and not something I just decided to do on my own .
“Here’s your guy,” Dick said with a flourish. “Now where’s our money ?”
“OK… OK, I’ll get it,” I said as if I was worried they might start beating Stretch if I didn’t move fast enough. Hell, they might just start beating them if they got bored .
I held my arm up into the air as I popped and opened the trunk. When I couldn’t life the suitcase with one hand, I had to put the other down so I could yank it out of the trunk. It felt like it was taking forever, but I finally managed to get it down on the ground .
The suitcase wobbled, and it felt like a wheel was going to break as I starting pulling it over to Dick. He raised his hand up, “Stop there .”
Two of his men walked towards me and grabbed the bag away from me. I wanted for them to send Stretch over but they didn’t .
“Hey!” I said throwing my hands up into the air. “Give me Stretch !”
“It’s not that simple, cookie,” the president of The Wild Henchmen said with a laugh. “We have to check it .”
This was where I would die. Eventually someone would find my body laying at the top of this parking ramp. They were going to take the money, take Stretch and leave me here, and they’d laugh as they drove away. That would get the Brother’s to retaliate… they’d flood their base and walk right into their trap. Maybe my dad had been right .
I tried not to let my fear show but I could feel the sweat dripping down my face and my back. They could probably see how scared I was from where they stood. And they were probably enjoying every minute of it .
One of the members tried to toss the bag into the back of a pickup truck but he crumpled over and grabbed his back. He’d barely even gotten it off of the ground .
A few of the men laughed and one of them called out, “Even the chick got it out of the truck by herself !”
More laughs rolled around until the guy holding his back shot a look at the other members. When they abruptly stopped laughing, I knew he had rank on them .
Another member came over and lifted the suitcase into the bed of the truck while the man holding his back climbed in after it. He unzipped the case and started going through the piles of money. I almost grinned when I saw him flipping through them quickly. He was spending far longer with the stacks than I had hoped but he looked up at his president and nodded .
I was in the clear. At least I thought I was. Dick too a step towards Stretch .
“Wait… what’s this?” the man going through the suitcase said. My first thought was to try to run. I tried to locate the stairs… the elevator would take too long, and they’d be able to catch me easily if I tried to run through the ramp. But the stairs… maybe I was faster than these old guys .
He held up a shiny silver bracelet, and I thought my heart quit. I couldn’t feel it beating any more. It had had enough over the last few days. It was just going to give up on me .
I almost grabbed for my wrist but I didn’t. If I moved to check for my bracelet, they would know that at the very least, I had been there helping pack of the money. What would that mean to them? Maybe
nothing… but I held still. I didn’t want them to know I had anything to do with it other than bringing it here. If they even in the least thought I was doing this on my own… well, that would change everything .
I shrugged and then so did he. He dropped my five-hundred-dollar birthday gift from last year that my dad had gave me into the suitcase. The he zipped it away forever .
“It all looks good, man,” he said shoving the suitcase deeper into the back of the truck. He leapt down and then closed the tailgate .
I flashed Dick a small smile. I had held up my end of the bargain and now it was his turn .
Instead of him sending Stretch over to me, he tilted his head. He was looking at me strangely. My stomach started to twist and turn… I didn’t know what, but something had gone wrong. Really wrong .
39
Chapter 15
“W ait. Hmm… you look awfully familiar now that I’m getting a closer look,” Dick said as he brushed his finger across his nostril and sniffed inward sharply. “Like really familiar. Do I know you ?”
I widened my eyes and stepped back, “I doubt it. I don’t know you .”
“No… no, I do know you, but where do I know you from? Where could I have seen you before?” The Henchmen president said as he walked side to side looking up at me while he tried to figure it out .
“I really don’t think so.” I shrugged and twisted my fingers together .
“Do you dance over at Dirrty Devil’s Darlings?” he asked, but he scrunched up his nose as if he knew that wasn’t where he knew me from .
I shook my head. I should have probably been insulted, but all I wanted was to get Stretch and get the fuck away from The Henchmen .
“No, that’s not it,” he said and then he stopped walking around. He grabbed Stretch and started pushing him towards me .
When he was about ten feet away from me he shoved Stretch with his blindfold still on. Stretch stumbled forward almost keeping his balance until he tripped over his own foot and fell face first towards the pavement .
Caught - A Brother's Best Friend Romance Page 18