by Erin Trejo
“A little hard not to worry when you are the cause of the problems,” I remind her. Angel lifts an eyebrow and shakes her head.
“When you care about someone so much that it hurts to think about them not being here with you, you will do anything for them. If you love them enough, you would jump in front of a bullet to make sure that they could live. You need to look at this from Remi’s point of view, Giselle. I’ve never seen him find something that he’s wanted to hold onto. All those years of riding and doing what he loved and still, nothing. You are the first thing that he has given a shit about in a very long time and if protecting you is what he wants to do, I’m all for it.” She takes down the shot in front of her before pouring another.
“Don’t you worry that he won’t come back?”
“Of course, I do! I’m his mother but I also know what lurks inside of him. You have to take the good with the bad. Everything else will fall into place later. I accept him for what he is and what he does and the rest just comes from the heart.” She shoves a shot across the bar to me. I reach for it and swallow it down quickly.
“He told me about his friend,” I say softly. Angel’s eyes fall and a sad expression crosses her face. She reaches over and grabs my hand in hers before meeting my gaze.
“That hit him hard. He was a mess after that. I know what you fight every day of your life, honey and I’m sorry that you have to do it but you are who you are. Remi can see that in you. He sees you for who you are and he will accept whatever comes with that.” I give her a sad smile and squeeze her hand when I hear the door open behind us. I don’t turn to look but judging by the hollers and roars the guys are in a good mood. Strong hands wrap around my waist as Angel lets my hand go.
“You look comfortable. Don’t go gettin’ drunk on me again,” Remi chuckles in my ear.
“It’s a little early for that. Remind me later,” I tease. His lips come to rest on my neck and just like that I melt into his touch. Angel grins from across the bar as Kred throws an arm around her shoulder, leaning in and whispering something in her ear.
“You have great parents, Remi.” His lips stop moving and I wonder if I said something wrong.
“Yeah, I do. You wanna take a walk with me?” Nearly leaping off the stool, I stand in front of him nodding my head like a little girl. Remi just laughs and holds his hand out to me which I gladly take. He leads me toward out the door and into the backyard of the clubhouse. Looking up at the rising sun, he sighs.
“I always wondered what my life would have been like if Kred didn’t take me in. Wondered if I would even be alive,” he says, his gaze distant.
“You’re a fighter. I have no doubt you would be alive,” I tell him. He turns to look at me and I’m lost in his eyes. So fucking beautiful and all mine.
“You sound so sure of that.”
“I am. You are a lot of things, Remi but a quitter isn’t one. If life tried to hold you down, I know you’d fight your way back up.” His lips crash into mine before I can say anymore. When he pulls back, he lets his forehead rest on mine.
“Would you travel with me? When this is over? I don’t know how well I can stay in one place, Giselle. I’ve never had too and just bein’ here for the short time we have been, I feel unsettled. I understand if you don’t want that. You’ve never had to keep movin’ in your life.”
“I’d love to go with you. I was locked in the house all the time Remi. I barely got to go out for fear that I would embarrass my dad or someone mess things up for him. That’s why I ran to begin with; I had to get out of there. It was like a prison of my own and I hated every second of it. So, I’d love to travel anywhere and everywhere with you,” I say before kissing him quickly.
“Thank fuck. I don’t know what I would do if I had to sit inside all the time. I’d probably lose my shit.”
“Well, you don’t have to so don’t lose it. I still need you you know?”
“You need me?” he asks his tone turning husky.
“In more ways than you know.”
“Show me,” he demands. Heat rises inside of me as I slide my hands under the hem of his shirt. As soon as I touch his hard muscles he groans and tightens his grip on my arms. I slide my hand lower until I hit the front of his jeans, not surprised at all at how hard he is. Remi groans and rocks into my hand as I slowly rub up and down his length.
“I could fuck you right here against the wall, Giselle,” he groans.
“So do it,” I whimper the harder he pushes into my hand.
“We can’t. I need to suit you up and get you ready.” Those words halt everything. My hand loosens and Remi stops rocking. His hand comes up to curl around the back of my neck.
“You can always say no, Giselle. I can handle this without you bein’ there.” I shake my head. My dad wanted me dead there is no way I’m not going to be there and look in his eyes. I want to see him; see why he hates me as much as he does.
“No. I’m ready, Remi,” I tell him. He nods his head and pulls back to look me in the eye.
“You were right. He wants to meet at the warehouse. The plan is to roll you in the door, keepin’ you as close to the door as possible. I’ll pull the sheet back and let him see you from a distance. A quick flash and the sheet goes back over you. In fact, we’re gonna have a few on you in case they can see you breathin’. You need to stay as calm as possible because the more that sheet moves, the faster they are gonna realize you aren’t dead. I want the focus on me. I’m gonna talk a lot of shit and I don’t want you to take any of it to heart. You’re gonna hear me say shit about you but it’s only to keep his attention on me, got it?” Nodding my head slowly, Remi continues. “Logan, the guy you met before is gonna be there. Our faces are gonna be covered so I don’t want you to be alarmed. When I say the word dismissed that is Logan’s cue to grab you and get you the hell outta there. Don’t fuck with him, Giselle.”
“No! That wasn’t the plan!” I snap as Remi chuckles. Asshole.
“You wanna let me finish there killer?” Glaring the death glare at him he smiles.
“Once I have him secure and the others are taken out, Logan will bring you back in. If it becomes too much for you, you tell him, understand?”
“It won’t be. Andre, keep him too,” I tell him. Remi shakes his head no.
“No. The less alive when you are in the room, the better and safer you are. No.”
“Remi! He called you! I need to know why he would fucking do that to me! He was my best friend. He was all I had and he turned on me,” I scream to the point it hurts my throat. Remi runs his hand down his face in frustration.
“Fuck! Fine. I’ll tell them to hold onto him too but that’s it. You ask your questions then you get the fuck back out with Logan. I am not backin’ down on that.”
25
Remi
I have her secured in a vest but that does little for a head shot. That thought alone makes me nervous having her in there. The more I think about it the more I can’t sit still in the back of this goddamn van. Traveling back to Texas was a bigger pain in my ass. Kred’s too although he’d never say it. The guys are all around us on their bike and I’m locked in the back of this fucking thing with Giselle, Angel and one of Kred’s boys, Woody.
“You gonna snap that jaw workin’ it like that, brother,” Woody chuckles. I tilt my head and glare him until he holds his hands up in surrender. He chuckles but looks away when Giselle grabs my hand in hers.
“Stop worrying. Everything is okay.” I wish that was a certainty. I wish I knew everything was going to be okay. We can’t know that for sure and that is the part that is eating away at me.
“You understand the plan?” I ask needing to make sure that we are all on the same page. I know we’ve been over it a million times but that means shit as far as her safety goes.
“I will breathe easily so they don’t notice I’m alive. Logan will wheel me inside, you will pull the sheet back up and I’ll be moved out quickly.” She repeats me word for word. She shoul
d have this down but the more I look at her and see that fucking life like make up, the more my heart stutters in my chest. I raise my hand and cup her cheek shaking my head.
“I fuckin’ hate the look on you. It’s too fuckin’ real,” I admit. Her lips past slowly as she stares into my eyes.
“Then I did a damn good job,” Angel adds with a laugh next to us. I keep my eyes trained on Giselle though as if she’s a fucking mirage and could disappear if I look away. My heart is hammering in my chest.
“Three minutes!” I here, Tom, the guy driving the van call out.
“I love you, Giselle. Remember that,” I tell her. She blinks her eyes rapidly before she leans in closer, her breath mingling with my own.
“We’re both coming out of this alive.”
“I know that I just need to say it.”
“Tell me that when we’re on the road, Remi,” she says before pressing her lips to mine. I kiss her back roughly when Angel clears her throat.
“Don’t go fucking up the makeup!” I pull back with a quick laugh.
“Get on that stretcher and be dead for me, baby,” I tell her nodding toward the bed. Giselle stands and climbs onto the bed as the van begins to slow. My heart kicks up another notch as I reach over and pull the sheet over her head. My eyes meet Angel’s as she nods her head once giving me a little more courage. The van stops and I close my eyes to control my breathing. I could essentially be killing us all and that’s not something I’m prepared for. The back door opens and my eyes snap open to see Logan with a grin on his face.
“Nice to see you again, dick,” he says as I jump out of the van and grab his extended hand. He pulls me into a brief hug before looking in the back of the open van.
“You too, brother. Fucked up situation but I’m glad I got you here,” I tell him honestly.
“You know I got your back, Remi. Whenever you need it, I’m here. She’s your old lady now, yeah?” Nodding my head, he grins.
“Good for you, brother. Let’s get this shit over with and get her safe.” I couldn’t agree more with that. Logan and I pull the stretcher out of the van, snapping the rolling legs into place before sharing a glance with Kred and his guys. They all nod their heads, ready to move at any second.
“You feelin’ good about this?” Logan asks as we walk to toward the door, pulling our masks over our faces. My stomach is in fucking knots but I can’t voice that with Giselle right here. I don’t need her freaking out on me and Suzi running and ruining it all.
“Real fuckin’ good,” I say sharing a glance with him. Shoving the door open, I step inside with the stretcher right behind me.
“You must be the man I’m waiting for,” the man in the suit steps forward from the small group he has. I’m scanning the men with my eyes gauging them, sizing them up. I don’t see a tall man that looks gay though. That’s what Giselle told me to look for.
“And you are the fucker that wanted the body, I assume,” I answer trying to keep my tone calm.
“Things happen; things also need to be handled. We all did what we did and now it’s over,” he says. He looks between me and the stretcher as my heart hammers harder against my ribs. I reach over and pull the sheet back revealing her face only. The man, I assume to be her father’s face pales as he looks at her. He takes a step toward the stretcher when I throw the sheet back into place.
“Nice try. We make our deal and then the body is yours,” I say flipping my hand through the air, signaling to Logan to take her out. Logan moves to grab the stretcher when hell breaks loose. Pulling my gun, I aim it at the man off to the right that I saw pull first. Anxiety is running high at this point.
“Wanna make your boy put that down?” I ask. The fucker smiles, he fucking smiles at me.
“The deal, as you call it is void. The body is here now. There is nothing you could possibly do to make it deader.” I step away from the stretcher knowing that Logan will guard her with his life but I need that focus on me. I need him to look at me and not that fucking stretcher.
“So you tried to fuck me over?” I ask keeping my gun on the guy.
“I just needed the body and no money trail. You are greatly compensated for your jobs are you not?” He asks me simply. What the fuck?
“Don’t put yourself on that list, man because you are right, I’m greatly compensated.” Trying to force him to stop glancing between me and her is harder than I thought. He must really want to get rid of her body quickly.
“Fuck this. Fuck all of this!” I roar before glancing over my shoulder at Logan. “You’re dismissed.” His eyes blaze with fire before he grits his teeth and moves. He grabs the stretcher and starts to head toward the door when shots are fired. My stomach knots as I feel a bullet graze my thigh. I turn and fire taking the asshole that shot at me out quickly. Sometime in the chaos Logan flipped the stretcher on its side and has now begun to fire from behind it. Smart fucker. I make a move away from it, keeping the rest of the eyes on me when I start shooting. The good Governor, Andrew Dynasty turns to run but he isn’t going anywhere.
“Watch my ass!” I roar when the room explodes. Kred and his boys move in quickly, shooting and taking down who the can as I run after Dynasty himself. He’s near the door when I jump and fly toward him. We both fall to the ground, me slamming my head against the concrete causing my vision to blur slightly. I shake it off as he tries to clamber to his feet. He’s too late. I already have him around the neck, yanking him back against me.
“Fight me, motherfucker. I want you to,” I hiss in his ear. He stiffens but he doesn’t make a move to fight me. I just chuckle as the noise calms around us.
“What the hell is this?” he asks.
“This is your death. This is her future. This is my life!”
26
Giselle
The room spins, my stomach lurches. I feel the bile racing up my throat before I heave. Logan has kept me down behind the stretcher even as the shots were being fired. The noise from his gun has my ears ringing as I try to blink myself back into focus. The pain radiating through my head is almost unbearable.
“You good?” I hear Remi’s voice blast through the fog. Oh, God! Remi!
“Remi!” I try to scream but it all sounds muffled and unnatural.
“Yeah! We’re good!” Logan calls out to him. I try to shove myself up but fall back on my ass. Logan moves quickly, grabbing ahold of me before I smash my head again.
“You hurt?” he asks. I can hear rummaging around on the other side of the stretcher, Kred’s guys hollering and laughing.
“I hit my head. It fucking hurts, the room is spinning,” I tell him. His hand moves to my head, running his fingers over the back and over the knot that I can feel forming.
“Probably a concussion. That’s gonna hurt for a bit,” he says with a slight smile.
“Is Remi okay?” I ask quickly.
“You love my boy?” He asks keeping the conversation going even as the noise begins to settle around us.
“Yeah, I do.” He nods his head when we hear Remi call out again.
“Let her up.” Logan stands first pulling me up into his side. The room sways as I try to steady myself. Logan keeps his grip on me as we walk around the stretcher.
“She’s got a concussion, bro,” Logan says when Remi comes into view. I can see his jaw clenching as he looks at the way Logan is holding me. If I didn’t feel like vomiting I would have laughed at him. Remi moves quickly to come to my side, taking over for his friend.
“She wasn’t dead!” my dad yells as he looks at me in front of him. “That was your job!”
“It was my job but then I found somethin’ extremely sexy about this little thing that I didn’t want to lose,” Remi grits his teeth.
“You lying bastard!”
“You ordered your daughter to be killed!” Logan snaps at him as the other guy’s crowd in around us. Still feeling that bit of unease, I look up at Remi.
“Andre?”
“Is dead. I killed that bas
tard after he served his purpose,” my dad says causing me to jerk my head back to look at him.
“How could you do that? Why?” the questions I need answered the most and he just smiles at me.
“You were ruining my campaign whether you were seen or not. It would have been easier to gain sympathy if your psychopathic daughter was killed. The votes would come in then. With you alive? They only wanted to know your status, if you were stable. It was a waste of my perfectly good talents.” How could he? How could one man hate his child so much? I gasp and open my mouth but nothing comes out. No words form.
“You never wanted me. Mom wanted me though. You were just a coward that only thought of yourself!” I spit in his direction. Pain races through my head as Remi pulls me in tighter.
“I take jobs where I kill. I don’t ask questions, I don’t give a shit but one day I got a call to kill the Governor ’s number two man and that day changed everything for me.” My dad watches Remi for a long second before he says, “You killed him?”
“Yeah. Found a little somethin’ hidin’ that just happened to see. You see, she almost died before you ever ordered that hit on her but there was just too much to her that I wanted to know,” Remi tells him as if that was his proudest moment.
“You failed at your job. She was a payday for you,” my dad hisses.
“I think it’s time we handled business, yeah?” Remi’s hand tightens around me once more before he pushes me into Logan’s arms. His grip is just as strong but it isn’t Remi.
“Remi!” I holler as Logan tries to pull me from the warehouse. Remi looks over at me, a smile on his face.
“I love you too, Giselle,” he says as if he knows what I was thinking. I smile back when my dad yells.
“You are just going to let him kill me? Your own father?” He roars from the place he’s tied to a chair. I giggle and nod my head slowly.