WRAITH (Iron Kings MC, #1)

by Franca Storm

  I took it from his offered hand and pulled out a thick folder. I smiled with amusement as I opened it and found it laid out in an incredibly neat, organized way. There was even an index. It was part his OCD, part his natural talent for being exceedingly organized.

  As I started taking in the details, he spoke, “They’ve dabbled in a bit of everything, committed a slew of reprehensible and despicable acts. Narcotics, human trafficking, murder, gangrape, high-level bribery and extortion. It’s nasty shit, Finn. People have been either too traumatized or terrified of repercussions from an entire fucked-up group of psychos to come forward and report them. It’s resulted in them escaping punishment, evading the law. They’ve also been very good at covering their tracks.” He walked over to me and flipped to halfway through the folder. “Until now.”

  “Shit,” I breathed, as I scanned the section he’d emphasized. “You really are the best of the best.” I flipped through more pages, reading quickly. I couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t just investigated them. He’d delved deep and amassed a ton of solid evidence for the brutal acts and crimes they’d committed, dating back years. “This is enough to bring them down hard.”

  “None of them will ever set foot outside a jail cell for another day in their lives.”

  “This is amazing. Thank you, Jesse.”

  He shrugged. “I just know how to dig a little deeper than others. Spartan actually got pretty damn close.”

  He was being falsely modest, the glint in his eye giving it away. He knew how good he was.

  “Now there’s everything you guys need to take them down.”

  “It’s a viable Plan B.”

  “B?” He stared at me for a moment, studying me intensely. “No. Finn, don’t let the provocation today make you—”

  A knock on the open door had me spinning around.

  I smiled when I saw Ashley walking into the room. She looked between us, her eyebrows knitting. “Am I interrupting something?”

  “No, sweetheart.”

  I heard Jesse grunt at my obvious attempt to use Ashley’s interruption to end our conversation.

  “What did the doctor say?” I asked, eyeing her bruised hand where that asshole, Kyle, had grabbed her. Just thinking about it had me seething, my fists clenching in a bid not to show it. She’d been through enough as it was without me losing it.

  “He said I’m fine, just a bit bruised, that’s all.”

  Relief flooded me. “And your dad?”

  “A couple of his ribs are bruised and he was really lucky neither of his wrists were broken from pushing his bike off himself instead of waiting for help. His right one is strained, and the doctor said he should rest it and avoid long rides for a couple of weeks.” She rolled her eyes. “I doubt he’ll follow that advice though.”

  Scott did some hardcore workouts and I knew he could bench press about three hundred and fifty pounds. But his ride was pushing five hundred easy. Adrenaline could accomplish a lot though. His fear for his daughter had overridden everything for him.

  Ashley’s gaze went to Jesse and she smiled. “Thanks for what you did, saving Finn.”

  Jesse returned her smile in that respectful way of his.

  It was how he was with every woman he came into contact with. It was sweet, although it’d caused him a headache or two before, because it didn’t always stop there. He could get carried away and find himself taken advantage of. It was his one blind spot.

  “Well, it’s what I do best,” he jested.

  Ashley chuckled in that cute way of hers.

  And just like that, all that down and dirty shit Jesse and I had been discussing, the coming battle, all faded away.

  Her eyes went to the folder in my hands, but she didn’t say anything, didn’t ask any questions. She just looked away and took me in, worry clouding her features. “You should’ve seen the club doctor with me and my dad.”

  “They’re just scratches.”

  She reached out and turned my hands, palms down, inspecting my knuckles. “They’re shredded, Finn.”

  “They’ll heal on their own.”

  She rolled her eyes at me and reached into her inside jacket pocket.

  “Not gonna Taser me, are you?”

  “Hilarious,” she said. She pulled out a prescription bottle and handed it to me, telling me, “I got these for you from the doctor. They’re antibiotics. Wolf’s blood was all over you while you had these open wounds. Who knows what the hell he’s riddled with. I’m not taking the risk that you’ll get infected, or something. So, you’re taking these even if I have to make you.”

  Jesse chuckled. “I like her. Finally found someone who won’t take your shit.”

  I couldn’t help grinning. I reached out and took the bottle from her. “All right, little warrior. You’ve got it.”

  “Little warrior? Hella cute, buddy,” Jesse teased.

  I’d just said it without thinking. Ashley giggled, then threw her arms around me. She held me a lot tighter than normal. She’d been putting on a tough front since the shitshow earlier, acting like it hadn’t been a big deal, like it was just par for the course. But nothing about what had happened earlier should be seen as a normal part of life, something just to be accepted. And she shouldn’t feel like she needed to swallow it down. She’d nearly been kidnapped, tasered that traitor, witnessed her dad shoot someone, and to top it all off I’d nearly killed someone right in front of her. I'd acted like a goddamn madman as soon as I’d realized she’d been under threat and she’d had to stop me.

  I wasn’t okay with that. I wasn’t okay with any of this. And she shouldn’t have to be either.

  “I've got you,” I told her. “You’re safe now. And you’re going to stay that way from here on out.”

  “I’m so sorry,” she murmured, surprising me.

  “For what?” I asked, pulling back to look at her. My gut twisted as I saw she was biting back tears. “Sweetheart?”

  She cast her gaze down at the floor, looking ashamed. “I was supposed to be up here at the clubhouse barbecue, but I… I messed up. I was a fool. Because of me everyone was put in jeopardy, my dad was injured, and you almost killed someone.” She moved away from me, turning from me and Jesse. “It's all my fault.”

  “This whole situation is so far from being your fault, Ashley.”

  “They were coming either way,” Jesse added. “I’d been tracking them and they were hell-bent on getting their hands on you as leverage.”

  She shuddered at his words and I shot him a look.

  I knew he was trying to help and I was grateful for that, but going into any sort of detail regarding what they’d had planned for her wasn’t the way to go. It was off the fucking table as far as I was concerned. I’d already warned the boys to watch what they said around her.

  I went to her and grasped her shoulders, easing her back to face me. “This is the culmination of a long, brutal war between the clubs. You’re an innocent, what we call collateral damage.” I winced at the term. “You didn’t do anything wrong. No one should have to live like this, under such extreme surveillance, their freedoms restricted in such a way. You were just trying to move forward with your life. Nobody blames you for today, or anything else. You’re doing really well. I just need you to hang on a little while longer and all of this will be over with, once and for all. No more darkness, no more fear, no more pain. Okay, sweetheart?”

  Slowly, she gave me a nod and a bittersweet smile. “Yeah, okay.”

  Pulling her in for another comforting hug, I caught Jesse’s eye and saw his utter astonishment. I wasn’t exactly known for my soft, gentle, comforting side.

  “Tether,” he mouthed to me.

  She was more than that, though. Much more.

  She was everything.

  My light.

  My love.

  My whole fucking life.

  There was nothing I wouldn’t do to safeguard that.

  The thump of motorcycle boots nearing the room had me craning my neck a
t the door.

  Scott came into view, keeping his eyes averted. “You two decent?”

  We pulled apart and Ashley groused, “You think we’d be screwing with the door wide open, dad?”

  “Shit, don’t be saying stuff like that, baby girl.”

  “Jesse’s here too, for goodness sake. I’m not into exhibitionism, so do the math.”

  “Fuck,” Scott muttered. “Lock it up, Ash.”

  “All right,” I said, holding up my hand at the two of them. I lifted my chin at Scott. “What’s up?”

  “Church.”

  I gave Ashley a kiss on the cheek and headed for the door.

  I eyed Jesse. “Stay with her until I get back?”

  “No problem,” he said, an understanding passing between us.

  I didn’t want Ashley alone right now.

  As Scott and I headed down the hall together, some giggling from the last door on the left caught my attention. The door flew open in the next second and Deviant stumbled out, all over a brunette sporting a designer suit. As Deviant took her in a hard kiss, she giggled and slapped him away, then patted at her hair trying to fix it from its blatantly obvious just-fucked state.

  “See ya, sugar,” he said.

  “Until next time, D.”

  She turned on her stiletto heels and stopped short when she noticed me and Scott standing there. It took her mere seconds to recover, confidence oozing from her as she said with a grin, “Boys.”

  Her heels clacked loudly, echoing in her wake as she took off.

  “What the fuck's Sky doing here right now?” Scott demanded.

  Sky? It was clear she wasn’t a club whore. They didn’t dress like that and the woman had a high society vibe about her, money too. But I’d been under the impression that Deviant didn’t have an Old Lady, that he wasn’t the settling down type.

  Scott’s bark shut the door on my curiosity and pulled me back to business.

  “Fuck, brother. We’re about to go to war and here you are—”

  “Do you want me level-headed and on my game, or not?” Deviant cut in.

  A knowing look passed between them. To my surprise, Scott didn’t push it any further.

  Instead, he ran his hand through his hair with a disgruntled sigh, then grumbled, “Just zip up your fucking fly and get your ass to this war meet with us.”

  Deviant looked down, cursed and hastily zipped up. He fell into step beside us, all business in the blink of an eye. “After what happened today, the vote’s gonna be unanimous, no question.”

  Scott nodded, his eyes hard. “Gonna wipe those fuckers from the face of the earth.”

  28

  ~Ashley~

  WHAT THE HELL?

  I couldn’t believe the words that’d come out of Finn’s mouth.

  “So?” he pressed at my continued stunned silence.

  I hadn’t said anything for several minutes. I’d been so shocked that I was actually being let in on the specifics of his mission. Beyond that initial shock, though, had been Finn’s actual explanation of what they had planned. To say it wasn’t for the faint of heart was a huge understatement. Not only was it massively illegal, it was brutal and downright merciless.

  Hell, it was a planned cold-blooded massacre.

  I pushed off the dresser I’d been leaning against while we’d been talking for the last half an hour since Finn had returned from Church and Jesse had taken off. I made my way into the bathroom, hearing Finn’s heavy footsteps at my back.

  I switched on the tap and splashed ice-cold water over my face. I felt overheated and nauseous.

  I turned as he came up behind me, drawing in steadying breaths to get a handle on everything he’d told me.

  “Ashley? Talk to me,” he urged, reaching for my hands.

  “So, this is all happening in a couple of days?”

  “Yeah. The Rogues have their semi-annual meet. Everyone who’s on a job elsewhere will be called in. Every single member will be there. It’s mandatory attendance.”

  “I see.”

  “Do you feel a little better about it now that I’ve gone over the details with you?”

  I jerked away, exploding, “Do I feel better about your plan to kill dozens of men? You’re still haunted by your past full of that and now you’re gearing up to add to it?”

  “These will be righteous kills.”

  I frowned. “Murdering someone is never right, Finn. I hope you don’t really believe that.”

  “I have to.”

  Our eyes locked and I saw the regret in his, the pain that was too great for him to conceal.

  “I’m here, Finn. They didn’t get me, didn’t take me from you.”

  “And they never will,” he seethed.

  “There’s another way, baby.” I knew it for a fact. Jesse and I hadn’t just sat around shooting the shit earlier. He’d told me everything, shown me everything. I knew exactly what was in that folder Finn had been clutching so tightly when I’d walked into our room earlier.

  “Nothing else is as surefire as this.”

  “So, not only are you determined to go through with the plan, but you’re taking point?”

  “Iron Kings is outnumbered and outgunned. The club’s been in a legitimate and peaceful state for a long time. Even with the preparations we’ve been doing since I got here, it’s still not enough. They need an expert.”

  “And that has to be you?”

  He shrugged. “I’m the best.”

  “Well, what about your injuries? I saw what happened with your hand during the battle in your garage.”

  “I've got it handled.”

  Urgh. He had an answer for everything.

  “Finn, I don’t want to lose you. I can’t.”

  He stepped up close, sliding his arms around my waist. “You won’t.”

  I buried my face in his chest, murmuring, “How can you know that, for sure?”

  “You need to trust that I know what I’m doing. This job is nothing compared to what I’m used to. It’ll be a walk in the park for me.”

  “I don’t believe you,” I said, shaking my head against his chest. “The last time you were on a dangerous mission, you nearly died. I saw the aftermath, remember? I know how bad it was, how painful, and how close to death you were.”

  “I made that sacrifice intentionally, Ashley. To protect people from the monster in me. Back then, I was right on the verge of losing control completely with no chance of pulling it back.”

  I lifted my head to look at him. “And what if you do that again?”

  He tried to blow it off, but I saw a brief flicker of hesitation in his eyes, as he said, “Like I said, you won’t lose me.”

  He rubbed his eyes, his exhaustion clear. Regret emanated from him. Pain flickered in his tired eyes. As I took all of that in, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t continue our argument. It was just making things that much worse for him.

  Besides, he was stubborn and incredibly forthright. He’d already made up his mind. No amount of pleading from me was going to change it.

  He needed my support now, my love and care more than anything else.

  “Come on,” he said, his voice cutting through my thoughts, making me jolt. “It’s getting late. We should join the boys for dinner downstairs, then crash.”

  Fine.

  I’d entertain what he wanted for now, go along with what he was determined to do.

  But if he thought I was going to allow him, my dad, and everyone I loved to put themselves in such danger for a suicide mission borne from rage, fear, exhaustion and retribution, they were all very wrong.

  They’d all done so much to protect me. Now it was my turn.

  29

  ~Wraith~

  “COME THE FUCK ON.”

  Just like old times.

  I’d fallen back into the old habit of whispering to myself like a demented madman.

  Back then, I hadn’t been that far off from the disturbing label. Holding the title as the best of the best in such
a demented line of work pretty much required you to be one step from full-on psychopath.

  But I’d come a long way since then.

  Undertaking this mission was disturbing to me on many levels.

  The killing, for one. Ashley had been right when she’d called it a massacre. It was going to be a bloodbath of epic proportions. And it was my job to ensure it happened. I honestly wasn’t sure what it’d do to me. I’d only just started sleeping through the night for the first time in years, thanks to Ashley. Somehow, just her mere presence, her body wrapped in mine, soothed me. She’d helped me to find an effective way to keep the monster in check. I knew she thought this mission was a massive step back from all the progress I’d made. But I couldn’t walk away from it, I couldn’t fucking risk it.

  I’d told Scott and the club about all the evidence Jesse had compiled, but the vote to go this route had still been unanimous. Because the truth was the Rogues had managed to succeed in getting under our skin. They’d attacked club businesses, gone after the club princess three times. The third time they’d gotten so close to taking her. They’d just been getting closer and closer. That was why I’d been hell-bent on this plan. The idea of Ashley being hurt like that, of losing her like that… I couldn’t stand it.

  I’d never loved anyone the way I loved her.

  I’d never needed anyone the way I needed her.

  I had a very specific skillset, the power to make damn sure that I didn’t lose her. All this time I’d been holding back that part of me and the Rogues had just grown bolder and gotten closer.

  I wouldn’t risk losing Ashley or my new life with the club just because fully embracing my old life was uncomfortable and a risk for provoking the monster.

  All these intense thoughts running through my head really wasn’t a good indicator that I had this mission in the bag.

  I was rusty. It’d been too long.

  My head should be clear.

  My sole focus should be the mission at hand, my plan of action, lining up my shots.

  And, shit, I couldn’t get that look of Ashley’s out of my head. The last I’d seen of her before taking off to this godforsaken place at sunset.