by Carina Adams
We parked a half-mile away, not wanting the sound of fifty Harley’s to tip this Dyer prick off. The warehouse was extremely quiet as we approached, and I didn’t see one guard. Either he believed we’d never find him or he was already gone. The door was down in seconds and we were in, guns blazing.
As my brother’s swarmed through the rooms like ants out of a nest, I stayed back, searching for any place they could be holding Jo. There were only four guards, and none of them expected an attack, so it wasn’t really a challenge. Rob and I broke down every door, but there was nothing. As each empty room passed, my heart sunk. She wasn’t here.
“Here! They’re back here!” I don’t know whose voice it was, but I sprinted down the hall trying to find them.
The room was already filled with Bastards. I wasn’t prepared for how the girls would look, and seeing them was worse than a swift kick in the balls. Taylor was beaten so badly I wasn’t sure she was even coherent. Jessie, fuck. Jessie was almost unrecognizable. They’d both appeared to have survived the worst kinds of torture. Rob shoved me out of the way to get to his girl, Tank not far behind.
“It’s bad. She needs to be taken to the hospital,” Doc was telling them. “I don’t even want to move her.”
“Prez! You need to see this!” someone shouted from the hall.
My heart stopped. Jo wasn’t here. I grabbed Taylor from Bears arms, shaking her hard. “Where is Jo?” She opened her eyes. They were filled with relief, but there was something else there too. “Where the fuck is Jo, Taylor?”
“She’s been through enough, Mateo! Leave her!” Bear snarled at me.
“Rocker!” Tiny’s voice boomed into the room just then. “There are bodies out here!”
I fell against the wall as two hands grabbed my shoulders, holding me up. “It’s not her, Mateo. It isn’t her!” Hawks voice was close to my ear. “We’ll keep looking!”
“They took her, Matty.” The voice was small and weak, coming from the bed in the corner. “They took her because she said Lily was your daughter and that you’d sent her to the safe house.”
Safe house? What safe house? I turned to Jessie, sure she must have heard wrong. The poor girl was hurt badly enough that I couldn’t bear to see it, and I had to look away.
“She said that it was an old family camp. That she’d have to show them the way.” Taylor spoke from behind me. “I tried to get her to shut up, but the stupid bitch wouldn’t stop.” Taylor started to cry, and I closed my eyes against the sound. She never cried. Bear was able to quiet her, and she clung to him as he carried her out.
I swallowed. I knew where she’d taken them. Her family’s summer place. But it was out in the middle of nowhere and there was no way we’d be able to sneak. They’d hear our bikes from miles away. Why would she do something so fucking stupid. I punched the wall, making Jessie jump.
Tears streamed down her face. “She did it to save us, Matt. But, he’ll kill her.”
I only had one option right now. Save her or die trying. And I couldn’t do it alone.
Chapter 36
Jo
The plan seemed like such a great idea at the time. But, that’s probably because I didn’t think it through. My mother always told me my tendency to act on impulse would get me in trouble one day. Of course, I’m relatively sure that when she said it, she hadn’t imagined I’d have a scary ass dirtbag with the word ‘PAIN’ tattooed across his knuckles pointing a gun at me. Well, maybe, that woman did have quite the active imagination.
The ride was a long one when you had music blaring or a friend to talk to. When all you had to keep you company and help pass the time was your conscience verbally kicking your ass, it took forever. Why couldn’t I have come up with another lie? I was still half-surprised it worked. What would keep these guys from killing me once I got them to camp? Or, when they realized that not only was it not a place to meet my daughter, but Matty was never coming? I chastised myself and worried myself sick until Thing two made me crawl closer to the front and give more directions.
When we finally turned onto the one-lane dirt road that was used so rarely it looked more like a deer path than anything else, reality hit me. I’d once told Matty that was the place I came to make sense of life, my peaceful spot. I never anticipated it would be the place I came to die. As the building came into view, fight or flight kicked in. I wondered how far I’d get before they shot me if I was to push open the door and run for it.
But, there was nowhere for me to go. The closest neighbors were ‘summer’ people and wouldn’t be here for months. I knew these woods and might be able to hide once night fell, but I had no idea what time it was. It could be the middle of the day, and I’d never be able to get away if they could see to follow me.
I was no closer to figuring out my escape when Thing one parked the van in front of the camp and Thing two hauled me out, not caring that the sharp rocks of the driveway were cutting my bare feet. A SUV pulled in behind us, surprising me. I had been naïve enough to think it was just Scott, his two goons, and me. The four men that piled out of the other car definitely put a damper on any escape plans I thought I might have.
“Where’s the key?” Scott demanded after Thing one tried the door. I pointed to the flowerpot next to the door and Thing one immediately kicked it over and grabbed the key. “Go check it out,” Scott commanded to his crew. They filed into the house, guns drawn, leaving me with Scott and Thing two, the latter’s hand holding my arm tightly.
After assurance that the house was ‘all clear,’ Thing two pulled me inside. It wasn’t a huge cabin, but it had enough room for a family to stay here comfortably during an extended stay. Downstairs was an open concept kitchen/living room/family room with a bathroom and two bedrooms off it. Upstairs had three more bedrooms, a small closet, and a small bathroom. My hope was that they’d shove me into one of the bedrooms upstairs and leave me. My grandmother had rope ladders in each room, and I knew how to use it to sneak out because I’d done it more times than I could count when I was dating Will.
The thought of Will made me see his smiling face and that made me think of my kids. I couldn’t allow myself to think of them right now because then I’d think about how badly I wanted to hold them, just one more time, and I would act brash. No, I needed my mind clear so I could come up with a way out of this mess.
I zoned out while Scott walked aimlessly around the house, as if searching for something. He pulled a wooden chair away from the table and carried it to the middle of the living room before sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace and crossing his legs. He simply pointed at the chair and Thing two forced me that way.
“No one is here,” he said simply, as if I hadn’t noticed. I didn’t know if he wanted me to respond, so I stayed silent. “Where are they?”
I met his eyes. “Can I have some water?” The question was answered by ‘PAIN,’ Thing two’s fist. I saw it coming this time, though, and was able to move with the impact the way Nick taught me. The connection hurt like hell, but it could have been much worse.
“Why isn’t anyone here?”
“I don’t have my cellphone. But, the plan is that when the club goes into lockdown, her guard grabs her and keeps her safe. Once he thinks it’s not dangerous for them to travel, he brings her here. I come here and stay with them until Matty can come get us. Then, we head to Canada where there is another safe house. He has a route that we take where we don’t get stopped by border patrol.” I was rambling. I knew from experience that sometimes people in stressful situations give way more away than they should just because they’re nervous.
“So, now we wait.” He narrowed his eyes. “Get her a drink and take care of her.” Then he turned his attention to one of the other men.
Thing one brought me a glass of lukewarm water, but I didn’t care. I gulped, hoping my stomach wouldn’t revolt. As soon as it was gone, Thing two grabbed my arm again and pulled me to the smaller of the downstairs bedrooms. Closing and locking the door behind him, he
gave me a sinister smile.
I shook my head at him as I backed away from the door. “No. I brought you here. My daughter will be here soon!” I cried, grasping at anything I could to sway his mind from what he was so blatantly thinking.
He only laughed as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “Oh, don’t you worry. Boss man’ll take care of your daughter.”
His implication made my stomach heave, and I knew the water was coming back up. He closed the distance between us, and I pressed up against the wall. “I’ll scream,” I whispered, unable to talk any louder.
Maniacal laughter filled the room. “God, I fucking hope so. I like it better when they scream.”
*****
There was something going on. I listened for a few minutes, trying to hear bits of the excited conversation over the hurried movements of the men in the other room. A car? I pushed myself off the floor with a painful groan, positive one of them had said a car was coming. A car that could hold anyone from Matty to the Police.
I limped my way to the dresser, praying that someone had left clothes in one of the drawers. I didn’t care what it was, but I needed to cover myself to hide the marks from the last few encounters with Thing two. My jeans and shirt had been destroyed during the session with both Thing one and Thing two. It wasn’t just that I didn’t want other people to see what had happened to me, but it was harder to ignore it and act like it hadn’t happened if I could see them.
I almost cried with joy when I found a men’s tee shirt and flannel pajama pants. They were too big for me, but if I pulled the drawstring tight, they’d stay up. The pain from the fabric rubbing over the wounds on my body made me grab onto the bureau for support. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I would be ok.
Then the door barged open. “Look who’s awake!” Thing one snarled. I was surprised he’d come to get me. Thing two had barely left the room since we’d gotten here. I apparently was his personal plaything. I swallowed and tried to back away from him. “Oh, no you don’t. Boss wants you out here!”
He pulled me into the open room just as headlights turned the corner and headed up the hill that led to the camp. I couldn’t see any of the other men. They must have been outside or hiding inside, waiting to attack whomever was in the single car. Thing one pushed me toward the window.
“Let them see you,” he demanded, releasing my arm but aiming a gun at me.
I did as commanded, not recognizing the large SUV that had pulled in. The door opened, but no dome light came on, so I still wasn’t sure who it was. I wanted to beat on the window and scream a warning, telling the driver to get back in and drive fast in the other direction.
Then, Will stepped into the outside light and I cried out. No! He was not supposed to be here! He needed to be somewhere far away because if I was going to die, my kids needed at least one parent. He smiled up at me and gave me a half-wave.
“Who is that?” A voice hissed.
“My ex-husband,” I breathed.
Will walked up the path and opened the door, stepping inside. “Jo?” he called as if he hadn’t seen me through the window.
I turned, not sure if I should call to him, but before I could respond, Thing two and one of the goons were invading the room, guns drawn, screaming at him to get on the ground. He shook his head, not understanding what was going on, before one of them struck him and forced him to kneel. Had Matty sent him up to check on me? He probably didn’t even know he was walking into a trap.
Where were the others, though? Glancing out the window, I had my answer as I realized the other three goons swarmed the car, guns drawn. Then Will was yelling at me, telling me to get away from the window, before he was silenced with another blow. I did as he said, moving so quickly Thing one couldn’t grab me. The sound of glass shattering made me shriek, but it was the thump as Thing one fell to the floor, and the expanding puddle of blood underneath him, that had me sprinting across the room, the long pajamas tripping me.
Moments turned into seconds, and seconds stretched into minutes as pure pandemonium broke loose. My ears rang as guns were fired too close to me, and there seemed to be men running everywhere. An arm wrapped around my waist, lifting my feet off the ground, and I shoved at it, digging my fingernails into the uncovered skin, kicking whoever had me. I needed to get outside and make a break for it. The pants I had on slipped down, tangling my legs and making it harder to struggle. Another shot went off, making me grab my ears in pain as the man holding me went lax. I glanced behind me, positive it was going to be Thing two.
Will’s form, slumped on the floor at my feet, was my breaking point. I sunk down next to him, lost in the chaos that surrounded me. Tears burned down my cheeks as I shook him, screaming at him to open his eyes until my voice was gone. I couldn’t even fight when Scott grabbed my hair, and I stood simply to ease the pain he was causing, my bottoms falling completely off. We were alone in the room, but I could hear the guns and shouts from outside and knew there were others around.
“You lying bitch!” he growled. “You’ll pay for this.” The look in his eyes told me that I was as good as dead unless I fought back. Without his goons, he was just one man. One man currently without a gun.
“Did you think I’d actually lead you to Matty?” I scoffed. His hand moved fast, as if to backhand me, but I ducked and brought the heel of my palm up under his nose.
Scott cackled as he wiped the gushing blood away. “Never thought you’d be one to fight back.” He charged again.
Nick’s words came back. Keep moving. Use what you can. I kicked at Scott’s knee the same time I aimed a fist for his throat. I just needed to get him down long enough to get out the door. He yelled in pain or surprise, I wasn’t sure, but he managed to get a good punch in, and I flew backwards. He was over me in a second, kicking my already bruised side. I rolled onto my stomach, scrambling to my knees, and sent an elbow into his groin. He fell back, but not before kicking me in the back, making me fall forward onto the flagstone of the fireplace.
The rock sliced my cheek, but I was beyond feeling any pain. Turning over, I lifted my legs and kicked his knees again. He fell forward onto me, not backward like I had planned. His hands closed around my throat, but I wasn’t giving up and grabbed his head, shoving thumbs into his eyes. He let go of my throat to knock my hands away, and I took the chance to slam my head into his nose. His hands were back around my neck instantly, and he smashed my head down onto the fireplace.
Nausea hit. For a second I couldn’t see straight and there were three of him instead of one. I wasn’t about to give up, but I was so woozy that it took me a second to remember what was going on. Using my fingernails as claws, I dragged them down his cheeks hard enough to bring blood. He refused to ease up, and I realized too late that he was winning—I couldn’t breathe.
Then, he was being lifted off me and thrown across the room as if he didn’t weigh more than a sack of potatoes. Tank loomed before me, saying words I couldn’t make out. I struggled to sit up, pulling my shirt down to cover me. He kneeled down, running hands over my bare legs, avoiding the recent gashes. Then he was gently pulling my arms away from my sides, seeing the cigarette burns and more lacerations. Finally, he moved his fingers over my scalp, and I was surprised when one came back bloody. I didn’t understand, but my lips refused to form the words I struggled to say. He spoke again, but I could only stare because I couldn’t hear a thing he said. Slowly, as if not to spook me, he leaned closer and slipped a hand under my knees. Then I was in the air, supported by a giant teddy bear who kept dropping quick little kisses on my temple.
I leaned into him, feeling the beat of his heart against his chest. I was safe. He would die before he let Scott get to me again. I lifted my head, suddenly terrified, wondering where the evil creep had gone. Rob and Matty were on the other side of the room, Scott kneeling on the floor before them. There were Bastards everywhere, and I honestly didn’t know how or when they’d gotten there.
Matty turned towards us, speaki
ng inaudibly, but he didn’t come to me. His eyes traveled over me, but never connected with mine. He nodded to us then turned back to the man in front of him. Tank kept moving, and I closed my eyes, not wanting to see Will’s body. I felt like I was floating through the air, suspended on a cloud. Suddenly we stopped and I was lowered a little, but Tank’s arms never left me. A door slammed, making me jump, and I opened my eyes in panic. We were in the safety of the car, where it was blissfully quiet and dark, with only the dim glow from the outside light. Tank smiled down at me.
“I got you, L.K. You’re safe. I’m gonna get you help.”
The sobs that wracked my body hurt, but I couldn’t keep them in. I cried for Taylor and Jessie, and the pain they’d endured. I cried for the woman I’d seen murdered. I cried for Will. I had loved him for almost twenty years, and even though we’d had our problems, he was a part of me. I cried for my kids, because I didn’t know how to make everything ok ever again. And, I cried for me because Matty hadn’t come to me. I didn’t know what I looked like right now, but I’d seen the horror on his face. He would love me forever, but, after this, how could he ever want me again? I grabbed Tank’s shirt, fisting it, and let it all go.
Chapter 37
Jo
I stood pressed against the cold glass of the window as I slid the ring back and forth over my necklace. Hawk had found the ancient Claddagh somewhere in the camp and had bought me a new chain so I could have it with me. Playing with it had become my new quirk, my nervous tick as my mom called it, to help pass the time.
I loved this view, especially at night. The Portland skyline was gorgeous all the time, but after dark, the lights came on and gave it a whole new look. There was a game at Hadlock Field tonight, and I squinted to see if I could make out any of the players. Hey, there had to be some perks to spending a week in the hospital, right?