HEARTLESS

by Storm, Franca

  We all eye one another, confused as fuck.

  “What? Why?” Russo demands.

  “He get a tip-off ˈbout us coming?” Wells adds.

  “No. You came in like ghosts.”

  “We did the same thing to your surveillance system that you fuckers did to ours,” Ax says.

  “So, what went down then?” Grit asks.

  “He got a call from his girlfriend.”

  If we thought we were confused before, this is something else.

  “His girlfriend’s dead. He killed her! My sister!” Russo yells. “Did the asshole finally crack, that it? Is he seeing the dead fucking rise?” He scrubs his hand over his face. “This ain’t getting us nowhere!”

  “You lying to us, kid?” Wells demands, stepping up close, his piece aimed at his skull.

  “No!” he cries, holding up his hands. “Uh… the blonde from Brockford.”

  Ax’s gaze snaps to mine.

  No way.

  Nah, it ain’t who just crossed both our minds. How the hell would it be?

  “Name!” Ax thunders.

  The guy shakes his head wildly. “I… uh… don’t know.”

  Dammit, he’s in some sorta shock. Too freaked.

  He goes on and on then, saying he’s sorry, begging us not to kill him. Jesus fuck.

  Heavy footsteps come our way. I look to see Dealer making his way over.

  He steps in a pool of blood. Then, something messed up happens. His eyes widen as he looks down at one of Frankie’s unconscious thugs with a bloodied arm from a bullet wound in his shoulder. What the hell? Dealer’s hands are trembling. He starts rasping, slapping his hand to his chest, struggling to breathe.

  “Dealer?” Ax calls.

  Whatever just went down, Ax’s voice is enough to pull him from it. Giving his head a shake, he carries on over to us, like nothing just happened.

  What was that? Well, we don’t got time to get into it right now.

  “You guys done here yet?” Dealer asks, taking in the scene, and raising his eyebrows at the rambling guy on the desk. “Can I do my cleanup?”

  “Just waiting on a name from this guy,” Grit tells him.

  My earpiece starts buzzing. “Yeah, Runner?” I answer. “Kinda in the middle of something here.”

  “Our security system just flagged a protected property. High-alert.”

  “What? Where in Reirdon Falls?” Who’d mess with us in our own town right after the hit we took?

  “Brockford. One of the properties we protect off-book.”

  “Brockford?” I say, frowning in confusion. “Dealer’s place? Who’d be dumb enough to target his home. Even Frankie ain’t that brazen.”

  “Nah, brother.”

  I ain’t liking the tone in his voice. “Runner, if it ain’t his, then what? We only got—oh, fuck.”

  “Yeah. Temptress. A welcome party breached the perimeter. Frankie’s there with a bunch of his thugs, Smiter.”

  “Halle’s at our safehouse.”

  No response.

  My whole body tenses up, I feel my fists clenching. “Runner!”

  “There were a false alarm here, just after you guys headed out. Didn’t bother none of you ˈbout it, cuz it were sorted real quick. But, now I’m getting it was done on purpose. A distraction.”

  “Distraction? By who?”

  “Who else? Rox. I just confronted her. She did it to cover Halle. She’s gone, brother. She’s at Temptress right now.”

  My blood runs cold.

  “I figure the two girls were working together, thinking they could stop you and Ax from killing Frankie, save you from yourselves,” he goes on.

  Ain’t taking his words in well no more.

  “Smiter? Smiter, you still there?”

  Fucking hell.

  Why? Why would she do this?

  Yeah, she said she’d stop me, but I never put no weight into that. Why would I? I never figured she’d be so fucking insane to pull this!

  It’s happening again.

  He’s gonna take her away from me. The woman I love with everything I got. The woman I need.

  Nah, I can’t do this again. I can’t let this go down. I can’t lose Halle.

  I wrench my earpiece outta my ear and toss it across the room.

  I bolt for the exit.

  “Smiter!” Ax bellows after me. “Where you headed? What’s going on? Smiter! Smiter!”

  I don’t got time to explain.

  It ain’t going down like this.

  I’ll protect her. It’s what I do, for fuck’s sake. It’s who I am.

  Yeah, I’ll protect her.

  It’s fine. It’s gonna be fine. She’s gonna be fine.

  Chapter 29

  ~Halle~

  This might not be the best idea I’ve ever had. It’s definitely not the safest.

  Beggars can’t be choosers. Smiter didn’t leave me much of a choice. I know he didn’t want to go through with it. I saw it in his eyes in the barn. I’m going to make sure he doesn’t have to.

  I feel guilty having to enlist Rox’s help, especially with sneaking out of the safehouse, because I know it put her in a tough position. Ax won’t be happy at all. I did what I had to do, though. No one will understand that notion better than Smiter. I just hope he doesn’t find out about what I’m doing, until it’s done. I don’t want him worrying, or trying to stop me. It’ll screw up everything.

  I’m sitting up on the main stage inside Temptress when I hear footsteps outside. More than one set. How many people did he bring with him?

  The door flies open with vigor a moment later and I get my answer.

  Frank Newman strides on in, flanked by six muscle-bound men decked out in tactical gear. That swagger of his makes it clear he thinks he owns everything and everyone within his vicinity. What a piece of work.

  His eyes fall on me and I see him cock an eyebrow at the sight of me sitting up on the stage, my legs dangling over the edge, seemingly without a care in the world.

  “I loathe being summoned, love,” he says, approaching, while signalling his muscle to hang back.

  “Yet, you came anyway.”

  “Something you should be incredibly concerned about.”

  “I’ve known many dangerous men in my life, so you don’t scare me,” I tell him, getting to my feet.

  He smirks. “It’s a real shame about what I have to do here, love.”

  A shiver of trepidation travels down my spine, but I force myself not to show a reaction, as I respond, “And, what is that?”

  His eyes flash. “Take your life.”

  Before I can get a word out, he leaps up onto the stage, catching me off guard, so much so, that I jerk back with a gasp. He looks more than a little pleased with himself for getting a reaction out of me, getting fear from me. He truly is a psychopath.

  “I called you here to make a deal.”

  “Is that right?” he asks, not sounding the least bit surprised.

  “Leave Smiter and the MC alone.”

  “And what am I getting in return?”

  “My surrender.”

  Our eyes lock for one intense moment.

  He steps closer, leaving barely any space between us. He leans into me, his breath hot at my ear, making me shudder with revulsion. He tells me in a whisper, “Different time, different circumstances, and it wouldn’t even be a question. You are an exquisite rarity.” He pulls back, giving me just enough room to breathe. “But, as it is, circumstances are what they are. My plans are bigger than you realize. Smiter is merely a piece in the bigger picture.”

  “You want to destroy Black Thorns,” I realize. “You’ve already wounded the club, why not leave it at that? Enough is enough.”

  “Enough?” he roars. He’s on me in the next second, his large, callused hand fisting in my long hair. He tugs hard, using it as leverage to drag me down the steps of the stage and back to the main floor with him. He winds my hair around his hand, forcing me close. “The club ruined me! It will o
nly be enough when Black Thorns is decimated!” He releases my hair abruptly, making me grunt at the pain and stumble back, just managing to hold my balance.

  I shake out my hair, glaring at him.

  “You see, love, there’s only one sure-fire way to destroy hardened men like those of Thorns.” He grabs my shoulders and shoves me against the wall hard. Crowding me, he looms over me menacingly. “You strike at their hearts.” He slides a knife from some sort of hip holster, holding it before my face. “First, I’ll take your life. That’ll settle my old score with Smiter. But, to decimate the club itself? I’ll take the lives of Ax’s family. Things are already in motion. After my tame attack upon their turf, I have no doubt that he’s gunning for me. It’ll bring him right to me. He won’t be walking free. The club will be so focused on trying to retrieve their revered President that they’ll never see my guys coming until his family are dead and buried. And, that will bring the club crashing down.”

  Oh my God. He is so far beyond demented. “This is insane. You need to get help.”

  “They ruined me, I’ll ruin them. The only difference between me and them is that my methods are much more effective. They will never come back from it. I will break them!”

  A sinister look creeps over his features, one I know will haunt me for a very long time. “Now, love, admit to the real reason you called me here.”

  Uh oh. “What?”

  “You couldn’t have really believed I’d take your deal, in light of what Smiter must’ve told you about me, then my subsequent attack on the club.” He steps up close again, pressing the flat of the blade to my shoulder. “So, what was your play?” He slides the knife down across my clavicle, over my breasts, down to my stomach, then back up again. “I can make you, but I’d rather take care of business quickly, because I like you, love. If you force my hand, though, things will be very painful.”

  I swallow hard at his threat. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll follow through with it.

  My eyes inadvertently stray to the clock on the adjacent wall. Shit, not enough time has passed yet. It’s too early. As I try to figure out how to delay him, he suddenly grabs my jaw, squeezing painfully.

  “What are you waiting on?” he demands.

  “Nothing,” I struggle to eke out against his brutal grip.

  “You’re lying!”

  I’m saved from his aggressive interrogation when one of his guys calls out to him.

  “I’m in the middle of something!” he snaps.

  “You’re going to want to know about this. ASAP,” the guy insists.

  With a frustrated breath, Frankie pushes off me and holsters his knife. “Don’t you dare move,” he warns me, before heading over to his guys.

  They drop their voices, so I can’t make out what they’re saying. Things are heated and angry on Frankie’s end. He gestures angrily at the doors and then his guys file out in a rush. What’s going on?

  The next thing I know, he’s storming back over to me, his eyes wild. “You bitch!” he yells. “You really thought you could pull one over on me! You have no idea who you’re dealing with!”

  “What are you—?”

  “You used Roxana James’s connections in the local Brockford PD to try to fuck me over, to attempt to trap me!”

  Oh, no. How does he know?

  “That’s why you called me here, why you’ve been engaging me in pointless conversation. You’re buying them time to get down here and haul me to prison.” He shakes his head with disbelief. “I’m not going to make it quick for you now.” He draws his knife again and steps up close to me. “It’s going to be excruciating.” An awful grin spreads over his face then. “In case you still feel hopeful, like you can escape the punishment I’m going to deal out, you should know that the cops won’t be making it down here in time. My boys are on their way to intercept. The distraction they’re going to cause will buy me enough time here.”

  Fuck.

  “Any last words you’d like me to pass onto your boyfriend, before he suffers the same fate?”

  The thunder of a motorcycle outside has him stilling.

  As he steps back a bit to glance at the entrance, I take the only opportunity I’m going to get here.

  I drive my foot into his gut, inflicting as much damage as possible with my heel. Caught off guard, he stumbles back, cursing.

  And then I bolt.

  I barely make it a few steps, before he has me screaming in surprise, as he snags my wrist. He uses it as leverage and sends me careening into the wall. I manage to throw out my hands just in time to keep from smashing my face against it.

  He shoves me into the wall, driving my hand up my back, and making me cry out at the pain of his incapacitating hold.

  “Nice try,” he growls in my ear. “You got cocky hearing that motorcycle. As usual, though, Smiter’s too late. He won’t make it inside in time.”

  “I’m already here, motherfucker!”

  My breath hitches at the sound of Smiter’s roaring voice.

  Frankie is ripped away from me in the next second and I spin around to see Smiter’s massive inked arm wrapped across his throat. They’re struggling wildly, as Smiter pulls him further away from me.

  “How did you get in here?” Frankie mutters, grabbing at the arm confining him.

  “I got protection on this place. There’s a back door, you fuck.”

  What? He came in through the back exit? He must’ve had a key made without my knowledge. It’s the only way to get in. And… he has my club protected? All news to me. But, right now, it’s more than welcome.

  “Hal, get outta here!” Smiter orders, grunting at the effort of restraining Frankie. Like Smiter, he isn’t a small guy by any means. “Call Rox. Get her to send her dad down here. Gonna need a cleanup.”

  Oh my God. No.

  The whole reason I put this plan in place was to stop him from killing for Ax, and now he’s going to be doing it for me? No. I can’t let this happen. I can’t.

  “Smiter! Don’t. Just subdue him. No more than that.”

  “You know that ain’t gonna be enough, Hal.”

  Frankie lets loose a creepy, unhinged laugh. “You get it now? You’re ruined either way. You fucking fool. Always too slow. Never put it together in time.”

  I see the pain on Smiter’s face at those awful words. We lock eyes and he shakes his head at me sadly. “Go. Don’t want you seeing this.”

  But I can’t. I can’t leave him.

  “Halle!” he yells.

  We’re distracted by one another just a moment too long and suddenly Frankie yanks his knife-wielding arm from Smiter’s grip. A scream rips from my throat as I watch him drive the blade into Smiter’s arm, tearing through the flesh brutally. Smiter hisses. It has him loosening his grip involuntarily and Frankie wrenches out of his hold. He smiles sadistically, then yanks the blade out, causing even more damage, making Smiter curse.

  I rush forward, as Frankie goes to stab him again. “No!”

  Smiter’s hand shoots out, clamping down around his wrist, stopping the blade just before it pierces his chest.

  Frankie’s eyes flash as I reach them and I’m too concerned with the state of Smiter to react fast enough before the psycho lashes out with his free hand and backhands me brutally across the face, knocking me back.

  “Brave woman,” I hear Frankie say, as I lose my balance and crash into one of the bar stools. “It’s a pity her love for you has signed her death sentence.”

  “The only one dying here today’s gonna be you,” Smiter snarls.

  He brings his knee up to smash it into Frankie, but Frankie reacts faster. He digs his fingers mercilessly into Smiter’s bloodied arm. Smiter roars in agony and loses his grip on Frankie’s knife-wielding wrist. A brutal kick from him sends him stumbling back. He follows through with brutal blow after brutal blow, until Smiter’s on his knees. He traps him in a headlock, wrenching his head back.

  “I was going to make you watch me kill her. But you’ve f
orced my hand. Instead, you can die knowing that she’s in for a world of pain for her defiance after you take your last worthless breath.”

  A fresh wave of adrenaline rips through me, as Frankie brings his knife to Smiter’s throat.

  He’s going to kill him! Right now. Right in front of me.

  Oh my God!

  I glance around erratically, searching for something beyond brute strength, because I clearly can’t match him there.

  That’s when I realize I’m sprawled out on top of the very thing I need. A makeshift weapon.

  Scrambling to my feet, I grab hold of the bar stool that cushioned my fall.

  Then I swing it at Frankie with every ounce of strength I have.

  It smacks into him hard enough to tear him from Smiter. I hear the knife clatter to the floor too, as I rush over to Smiter.

  Oh my God. There’s blood everywhere.

  “Baby,” I pant, searching his glazed eyes. “Are you okay? Talk to me.”

  ***

  ~Smiter~

  Okay?

  Ain’t exactly the way I’d describe it right now.

  But, still breathing, yeah. Thanks to her ballsy move with the stool. Jesus Christ.

  She tries to pull me up, but she ain’t got no hope. I’m way too big.

  Grunting, cuz my body don’t wanna move, I manage it. I reach for my gun, now I got a fucking second without worrying ˈbout holding off his goddamn blade, or holding him off Halle. I gotta put him down real fast, cuz I’m losing way too much blood, too quick. I’m lightheaded, got a weakness flooding my body. It ain’t gonna be long before it takes me over, no matter how hard I fight it.

  Fuck. I can’t get a grip on my piece. My arm’s too messed up, my fingers drenched in blood.

  It’s too late then.

  Frankie lunges for Halle.

  I got just enough time to push her away without hurting her, then he slams into me. I’m so messed up, the impact has me straining to hold my footing.

  He throws his fist and somehow I manage to dodge the blow.