by Brook Wilder
Tex let out a sharp breath and Lori knew that he wanted to protest again. She knew it was dangerous. But so was doing nothing.
“We have to, Tex. There’s no other way.”
Tex grew silent, drawing in on himself before finally letting out another curse.
“Fuck.”
He growled the word, turning away. But, a moment later, Lori saw his shoulders droop in defeat.
“Fine. I’ll call Porky. At least we’ll know what we’re walking into.”
Chapter 22
Lori walked inside the mansion, still wrapped in the towel, leaving Solomon, Marco, and Tex still outside. She could hear the muffled voices of the men as they talked through what needed to happen next, while Tex called Porky.
She walked to the room she shared with Tex, her thoughts frantic and fluttering and a sense of dread settling heavy like a stone inside her stomach. All she could think about was being forced to confront Gears again. Lori shuddered at the thought.
The last thing in the world she wanted was to have to see him again. The man who had terrorized her and tortured her when she thought she could trust him the most.
She tried to shake off the feeling of foreboding as she walked into the bedroom suite. Her eyes slid to the bed and heat filled her cheeks as she remembered the previous night and the explosive chemistry that always shot off fireworks between her and Tex.
Still blushing, Lori hurriedly hopped in the shower to rinse off, which did nothing for the heat invading her body. Finally, she grabbed a fresh towel and dried herself before dressing in a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
Wrapping her wet hair in another, smaller towel, Lori caught her own reflection in the full-length mirror and froze. She just stared for a long moment. She hardly recognized the woman staring back at her.
Her skin was glowing and bronzed from her time in the sun, and her belly was starting to show and become rounded with the pregnancy. But it was more than that. More than just the physical changes. There was a new strength there as well.
No. It wasn’t new. It was something that had been inside her all along, she had just never known it. Not until Tex had come along and showed her just how strong she could really be. Strong enough to tackle anything that came her way. To deal with any threat that came against her family.
Lori wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively and, despite her best intentions, her thoughts went back to Gears.
She remembered her last confrontation with the unstable man. He’d been completely insane, attacking her and wrestling her to the ground. She hated to think of what might have happened if Tex hadn’t been there, if he hadn’t stepped in and rescued her.
Her thoughts stuck on Tex, and she was more than happy to push her memories of Gears away. She thought of Tex and how far they had both come over the last months. Hell, over the last weeks.
They had found each other, despite it all, despite all the shit that had happened. Somehow, they had found not only each other, but love as well.
Lori forced her shoulders back and her chin up, staring defiantly at her reflection as she dried her hair and twisted it up into a bun. She had just found Tex. She sure as hell wasn’t going to lose him. She was going to do whatever she had to, to save her family and her friends. Because she was strong enough. She knew that now.
And she wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from her. Not Gears. Not the gangs. Not Tex. Not even herself.
She wished it was that easy, to banish all the doubts and fears that still plagued her, as she left the room and walked back down the long hallway to where she had left Tex and Solomon. Her thoughts were still churning, but she did walk taller. No amount of fear or worry was going to stop her from doing what she needed to. This was family. She would do anything to save them.
Lori slowed as she neared the French doors to the patio where the men were waiting. The doors were cracked just enough for her to hear their muffled conversation and she leaned in close, so she could make out the words.
“There has to be some way. Maybe you can figure out a way to leave her out of it. To fake them out somehow.”
There was no doubt in Lori’s mind who the ‘her’ was that they were talking about. Anger started to simmer at a low burn inside her.
“Maybe a decoy or something. Someone else in a blond wig.”
“Absolutely not!” Lori shouted as she burst through the doors.
She turned towards Tex with her hands planted on her hips, and he stared at her with an abashed look on his face.
“But, Lori…” Tex started, pleading with her.
She just shook her head.
“No buts,” Lori said fiercely, interrupting him. “I’m not about to put anyone else in danger. There have already been enough people hurt because of me. No way.”
“Come on, Lori. Just think it through. You are going to be walking into a trap. There’s no way around it.”
“No, Tex. It’s not going to happen.”
Lori was surprised to find an unexpected ally in Solomon as he turned towards Tex.
“No, she’s right. A decoy wouldn’t work anyway. Gears would know it wasn’t her at first glance and he would probably lose it even more than he already has. He’s too unstable, and the situation is too precarious. If one thing makes a spark, the whole plan, and any chance of resolving this peacefully, will go up in flames.”
“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Tex said sullenly, still hoping to sway them.
But it was no use. Lori had already made up her mind. That still didn’t stop Tex from arguing with her. And even with Solomon taking her side, he wasn’t convinced.
Tex was just opening his mouth to say something else when, luckily, the argument was interrupted. Marco seemed to appear out of thin air beside her and Lori jumped, already on edge at the idea of the meeting with both gangs… and Gears.
“Jesus, do you always have to sneak up on people,” Lori muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes towards Solomon. “Can’t you put bells on him or something?”
Marco just gave her a hard look, obviously not amused, before intoning in that same hard, emotionless voice.
“Your guest is here.”
“Porky? About damn time,” Tex grumbled, looking towards the door.
Solomon just nodded and dismissed Marco with a wave of his hand.
“Bring him in.”
Chapter 23
Tex was still fuming as Marco left to fetch Porky. Could they not see how dangerous this was going to be? How could he put Lori in danger? Their baby? She would be caught between two notorious gangs that were at war with each other. It wasn’t going to be a Sunday fucking picnic. They would be lucky to get out of there with their lives. He fully expected to leave with at least a few new bullet holes through him.
No. He wasn’t going to do it. He couldn’t put Lori into that. It would be like throwing a lamb to a pack of ravenous wolves. She would have to stay behind. And she would just have to deal with it, damn it. He honestly didn’t think he would be able to survive if anything happened to her. Just the thought of it made his hands clench in to fists and kindled a murderous desire inside him.
Tex turned, ready to launch into another argument to try and convince Lori that she didn’t have to go. But the words stuck in his throat as Porky stumbled into the room after Marco.
Tex’s eyes widened in shock as he saw the state that his friend was in and, for a moment, he forgot everything else. The man looked like a total wreck! Like an old dish rag that had been rung out one too many times. More like hundred.
He immediately rushed over to Porky, trying to console him. He’d never seen his friend like this before. But the big brawler was obviously close to a breakdown.
“Hey, Porky. Good to see you man,” Tex said tentatively. “I’m glad you’re here to help.”
“Help. Yes. Help. That’s why I came.” He turned and grabbed Tex by the collar of his shirt, hauling him up on his toes. “You have to help me. You have t
o help Carrie, Tex. He’s got her and he’s… I’ve heard. I’ve heard the horror stories Gears in the past. I know what a sadistic bastard he is.”
Porky shook Tex again, beside himself with worry about Carrie.
“You have to help me. He wants… he wants Lori and I know you can’t… But Carrie. My sweet Carrie. He’s hurting her, Tex. I know. I snuck over to the Reaper club last night to try and bust her out, and I could hear her crying. I couldn’t get close enough. I tried, Tex… I tried.”
The words sounded as if they were being torn from the big man’s throat, and they made Tex’s stomach clench in pain for the man. He could only imagine how he would feel if it was Lori in Gears’ clutches instead of Carrie.
“I know you tried, Porky. But we’re the only ones who can get Carrie out,” Tex said with a heavy sigh.
“You’ll help me? You’ll help Carrie?”
“Of course, we will,” Lori said suddenly as she walked towards Porky and pulled him in for a big hug. “Of course, we will help her.”
Tex had to grit his teeth at the reminder of what they had just been arguing about. He wanted to save Lori, damn it. She had to be safe. It would kill him if anything happened to her or their baby. Couldn’t she see that?
But Tex kept his thoughts to himself as he watched Porky give a big shuddering sigh as Lori patted him on the back. He didn’t need to hear that. Not now. Now when he was living through his own worst nightmare.
“Here, come on Porky. Why don’t you sit down over here?” Lori said gently, as if she was talking to a child, as she led him to a seat.
Porky sat down and looked a little bit more composed, though Tex could still read the panic in the other man’s eyes. His friend still took a moment, though, to shoot Lori a small grin, a hint of the old Porky there.
“Congratulations on the baby, by the way,” he said.
Lori just smiled softly, wrapping her hands over her belly as she took the seat next to him. That left one for Tex. But he didn’t sit down. He couldn’t
“Thank you.” Lori said softly.
But then everyone’s smiles faded as Porky took a deep breath and started talking.
“A lot has happened since you guys fled the safe house. Things got really bad there for a while. But then every incident kept pointing back to Gears.” Porky looked at them both with a serious expression, before his gaze landed on Tex. “Look, the Devil’s Martyrs are willing to look past what happened with you and Lori. Their focus now is to take down Gears. He’s totally lost in. Like bat-shit crazy lost it. Worse than ever before.”
“And what about the Grim Riders?” Lori asked of her own gang.
Porky just shook his head.
“It’s hard to tell. There has been blood shed on both sides, and both gangs have lost members. But I think the Riders are getting just as tired of Gears’ erratic behavior. The Devil’s plan on taking Gears out at the meeting.”
Lori fell into a thoughtful silence while Tex tried to process everything that Porky had told them. Tex looked up and he could see the wary look on his friend’s face.
“What. What is it? I know there’s something else, Porky, I can see it on your face.”
Porky looked away for a moment but then gave in with a shrug.
“Both gangs have agreed to meet on the condition that you both are there. But…the meeting is today. In three hours. Outside of that abandoned oil rig outside of town.”
Tex sucked in a sharp breath. “Shit. Three hours? That’s not enough time.” His brows furrowed as he thought. “At least it’s in neutral territory. That’s something.” He snorted. It wasn’t much. But, at the moment, he would take whatever he could get.
Tex looked over at Solomon, who had yet to say a single word. Dread and fear were circling inside him like vultures, knowing that Lori would be putting herself within their grasp.
“Well? What do you think, Solomon?” Tex asked, his voice probably harder than it should have been, but he couldn’t soften the edges. He was too god damned terrified for Lori and his baby. “Please tell me you have some tricks up your sleeve.”
“Oh, I might have one or two,” the dark-eyed man drawled.
He held up one hand and snapped his fingers. Marco appeared out of the shadows. Tex swore he heard Lori mutter something about bells, but it didn’t make sense and he was far more interested as Marco pulled open a set of doors.
Tex couldn’t help but whistle as a small army of intimidating men walked in. They were all wearing full body-armor and hefted military-grade weapons.
“They will help protect Lori,” Solomon said, but then gave Tex a sharp look. “They can’t interfere in any other way. You have to understand that. I can’t be seen to be taking sides here. They will guard Lori and protect her, and maybe look intimidating enough to hold back anyone else from shooting you both immediately. That’s the best I can do.”
“That’s pretty damn good,” Tex said, nodding his head towards the man. “Thank you.”
Solomon just shook his head.
“Don’t thank me. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to Lori.”
Well, whatever the reason, Tex was just glad they had the other man on their side. Even Porky looked impressed. But a moment later his expression fell into panicked worry once more.
Tex leaned over and patted the man’s broad shoulders.
“Don’t worry. We’ll get her back,” Tex said gently.
But then his voice hardened as he glanced at Lori. He would keep her safe. No matter what.
“Now, let’s figure out how exactly we’re going to do that.”
Chapter 24
Lori looked over at Porky and Tex as the men cooked up their plan of attack, but she didn’t say anything. All she could do was watch with trepidation and that sense of dread that wouldn’t go away. That feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
She couldn’t stop thinking about what Porky had said about Carrie, about Gears hurting her. She knew first hand exactly what extremes the man was capable of and, if he had grown as bad as Porky had said, well, she believed that he was capable of worse than even she had seen.
Lori held her arms tighter around herself as she listened, but the feeling just wouldn’t go away. She had known the meeting was coming. Hell, she’d even hoped for it. But she’d thought they would at least have a couple of days to prepare. She had been certain they would have more time to get ready. She had never expected Porky to announce that it would be happening today. In just a few hours’ time. Three hours. She glanced at the clock on her phone. Two hours and forty five minutes, now. And the clock kept ticking. They didn’t have much time at all.
But Lori also knew that Carrie’s life was on the line. They didn’t have a choice. Not really. The gangs, and Gears, had determined the time and the place. All they could do now was show up, be as prepared as they could be, and hope for the best.
Lori glanced over at the row of armed men that Solomon had trotted out and shuddered. She knew she should be grateful. She basically would have her own army at her back as she headed into the meeting with the two gangs, but she also remembered what Solomon had said. He wouldn’t let his men get involved.
If anything bad were to happen, or if things went south between the gangs, they would be little more than eye candy. There to look good and be intimidating, but basically useless. And that would leave Tex vulnerable and defenseless, stuck between the two warring biker gangs, and Gears of course.
Lori was almost more scared of confronting Gears as she was of both the other gangs. She shivered, holding herself tighter, reminding herself that she didn’t have a choice.
“Hey, sweetheart. Can I talk to you? Over here?” Tex whispered in her ear.
She got to her feet as he pulled her to one side of the room, far enough away from the other men not to be overheard.
Before Tex had even opened his mouth, Lori knew exactly what he was going to say and was already shaking her head. It didn’t stop him, though.
“Please, Lori. Just consider what I said earlier. You don’t have to go. You could stay here, safe. Protect yourself, protect our baby.”
It broke Lori’s heart to see the pleading in his eyes and the fear there as well, fear for herself, fear for their child. For one moment, her own fear rose up inside her. It whispered that maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to just stay and let the others take care of it. But Lori shoved that sly voice aside, throwing her shoulders back as she reached for the new-found strength inside her.
“You know why I can’t Tex. We both have to be there. Those were the terms. What happens if I don’t show up? What if they kill Carrie? What if they kill…”