“How? They have such a big reach,” she sniffles. “I overheard that bitch talking to the asshole, and they said something about having a pull in California. She also said she had something on you that will make you come back to her.”
“She has my kid I didn’t know about until a few days ago. That won’t make me go back to her. I’m going to get rid of them and get my boy back. Did they say anything about why they wanted Redline?”
Izzy shakes her head, “No. It doesn’t make sense, they used him as a piñata. Each of their new recruits had to beat him until he blacked out. It was awful hearing the punches and kicks over and over and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.” She wipes the tears from her eyes, “How is he doing, anyway?”
Ashley squeezes Izzy’s hand, “he’s still unconscious, but nothing major damaged or broken.”
“That’s because Austin saved him from them going to crazy. He saved me so many times too. I owe him my and my baby’s life. When Wrath would come at me, Austin would step in and stop her. He has something on them and they’re afraid of him.”
“That’s good to hear,” Ashley whispers. Conflicting emotions pass across her face and she quickly schools her features and offers Izzy a smile. “We’re going to get out of here and let you rest. We’ll be back in a little while.”
“Take care and watch your backs. I had a guardian angel looking out for me and he’s watching out for the both of you too.”
I give Izzy a soft kiss on the forehead and climb off the bed. Ashley gives her a hug and a kiss on the head. We walk out of the room and down the stairs. It’s time to pay these two a visit. They’re going to be dancing with the devil and the devil is me.
Chapter 31
Nolan
The moon is high in the sky, glowing brightly onto us as I drive the sleek grey Shelby GT 500 Ace left for us. Ashton, Ashley and I make our way down the dark street on the outskirt of The City with the rest of my team in the black SUV behind us.
“Boss, we have company,” Marks chirps in my ear. “Three cars coming and picking up speed fast.”
“Copy that. Hang tight boys, it’s going to get dicey,” I reply and punch the gas, shifting smoothly. We pull away from the cars following us and fly up Interstate moving at top speed.
“Fuck, Nolan. Watch out!” Ashley screams and braces herself against the seat, hanging onto the ‘oh shit’ bar when a car appears onto the highway and tries to sideswipe us. I jerk the wheel hard to the left and hit the median. Grass and dirt kick up behind me making the car fishtail. I tear back onto the highway and steady the car and my beating heart.
“You good boss?” Ramirez asks.
“Yup, I’m good,” I reply, releasing a breath. “That was close.”
“It’s not over yet,” Ashton says from the backseat.
I glance into my rearview mirror and see three cars surrounding the SUV, slowing it down. Every time my team speeds up, a car cuts them off making them slow down.
“Boss, I can’t get past them. Get out of here and take care of business,” Harris shouts into the comm pieces.
“I’m not leaving you behind,” I shout back, zigzagging up the highway, passing cars left and right.
“Boss get the fuck out of here. There’s more coming up behind us. We will take care of them and catch up.” Harris orders.
“Nolan, we have to go, they’re trying to stop us from reaching our destination. If they do, we’re as good as dead.” As soon as Ashton says the words, gunshots ring out. I glance in the rearview mirror; the black SUV and the other cars are nowhere in sight. “Keep going. Trust your team to do the right thing.” Ashton reassures me.
Punching the gas, I shift again and race past the other cars on the highway. Looking in my mirror, bright headlights are right on my ass, not giving me any room. I speed up and they keep the same pace, inching closer and closer.
“Brace yourselves,” I hold on to the steering wheel with a tight grip, turning my knuckles white. Ashley throws her seatbelt on and braces herself against the dash. Ashton tightens his hold on the seats. The car behind me nudges my back bumper, and the wheel shakes under my grip. The asshole behind me backs off, gains speed and hits me again, slamming into the rear end hard. I keep the car on the road, just barely. My heart is beating hard in my chest and my hands are sweating. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins and my fight or flight instincts are kicking in.
“Get us out of here,” Ashley pleads from the passenger seat. I look from side to side trying to find an escape route. There’s a break in the cars and a left turn exit approaches fast. I yank the wheel hard to the left and cut across several lanes and shoot off the exit, leaving blaring horns and bright lights behind me. I don’t let up until I’m right on the hairpin turn, then I let up on the gas, grab the e-brake and turn hard to the right. We barely make the turn when I’m forced to repeat the process to the left.
“Who in the fuck made the roads?” Ashton grumbles from the back seat.
“I don’t know but we’re almost out and in the clear.” I grit through my teeth. Another curve to the right descends upon us and I repeat the process. Relaxing my grip on the wheel, I check my rearview mirror at the same time Ashton turns around. I breathe a sigh of relief and calm my racing heart when I see no headlights in sight. “Pull up the GPS and see where we are.”
Ashley fumbles for her phone and clicks on the app with shaking fingers as she steadies her own breathing. Her face is pale, illuminated by the glow on her phone. “We’ve gone too far. We’re two exits away from the one we wanted.”
“Is there a way back that isn’t on the highway?” I ask.
“Yeah, but we have to go through some Podunk towns to get there and some windy mountainsides. I think it’ll be best if we get back on the highway and head south. It’s the quickest.”
“All right keep your eyes open for any more trouble,” I answer and whip a quick U-turn in the middle of the road. I drive back toward the highway, watching and waiting. Taking the turns to get back on the highway, no other cars are in sight. We ride in silence, the moon high in the sky creating an eerie glow of the treetops. Once I reach the exit, I check my rearview mirrors. There are cars coming up behind us, but they’re too far back to cause me concern.
“Harris, Marks, Ramirez, are you back online yet?” Silence greets me on the other end. I try again. “Harris, can you hear me?” No response. “Marks, you there?” Silence. “Ramirez?” Nothing. “Where the fuck are they?”
“I don’t know, but their phones are off too,” Ashton answers from the back seat.
Turning left, a dreadful feeling sets in the pit of my stomach as I drive into the night. I turn down a dirt road and pull off to the side.
“Here’s the plan. Since Harris, Marks, and Ramirez are missing, we need to do this with just the three of us. We won’t have eyes on our six so it’s up to us to watch each other’s backs. The house I know Switch is in is at the end of this road. I’m going to hide the car here and we’re walking to it through the woods. Remember to stay quiet and do not hesitate to take any of them out.” I pull back onto the road and find a spot to hide the car. We quietly get out and make our way into the forest.
“Why is it when things are getting dicey we end up traipsing through the woods?” Ashley whispers.
“I was wondering the same thing,” I respond and we both chuckle. “We’re getting close, silence for here on out. We go in fast and hard. Don’t ask questions. Switch will not hesitate to kill you, and neither will Wrath. We take them out along with Marcus, and we slice the head off the whole operation. Everyone ready?” We stop walking and check our weapons.
“Ready,” Ashley whispers.
“Ready,” Ashton responds.
“Let’s do this.” We come to the edge of the clearing and a huge old farmhouse lights up the night sky. Every light is on the first and second floor. Cars are parked haphazardly in the driveway and front lawn. The bass of the music is pouring out the open windows and creating a cover f
or us. Sneaking around the back of the old house, it’s dark and deserted back here. I check the area for anyone patrolling the grounds and there’s no one around. These guys are too comfortable and I’m about to change all that. Channeling my inner strength, we climb the back porch and I place one hand on the doorknob. I hold up three fingers signaling to go on my count. Lowering one finger, Ashton moves to the left of the door and Ashley moves behind me on the right. My second finger lowers and we aim our weapons at the door. My third finger drops, and I turn the knob cracking the door open. We all file into the back mudroom, staying low and silent. The music is vibrating the old wooden floorboards and we quietly creep into the kitchen doorway. The bright lights from the room cause me to pause before entering.
“We need to find the fuse box and kill the lights,” I whisper in my earpiece. This is why I need my team. Fucking assholes for splitting us apart.
“I’m on it boss,” Harris’s voice comes across my earpiece.
“Thank fuck. What took you so long?” I tease him.
“Marks had to make a pit stop,” Harris jokes.
“Fuck off,” Marks responds.
“We’re in the back mudroom, right next to the kitchen. You all locked and loaded?”
“You know it,” Ramirez replies. “Let’s put the women and kids to bed and play with the big boys.”
The house plunges into darkness and chaos ensues. People are shouting and running around, trying to figure out what happened.
“Get Switch and Wrath out of here,” I hear someone yell.
“What about the kid?” Another one asks.
“Fuck that kid, leave him.” The same person barks out. I spot them moving into the kitchen and heading right for us by the flashlights on their phones. “Wrath doesn’t even want the little asshole.”
I hold up three fingers, signaling to Ashton and Ashley. They both give me a quick nod and prepare to take them out. The three men turn around and have their backs to us when they hear a noise from the living room. We each sneak up behind them and I don’t see what the other two are doing. I know what I must do. Channeling my inner self, I grab the man from behind and without thinking twist his neck until he drops to the floor, not moving. I’ll deal with the outcome later.
Moving quickly into the next room, I find two more men, strapped with AK 47’s. They’re looking all around and are scared shitless. I keep to the shadows, waiting and listening.
“What if it’s that guy Switch warned us about is here?” One whispers.
“Kill him. Those were our orders. Kill him and anyone with him.” The second guy answers.
“I’ve never killed anyone before. I don’t know if I can do it.” The first one responds.
“If you have a chance to kill him and don’t, Switch will kill you. Which would you rather have?”
“I…,” the first guy stutters.
“Listen, the first kill is always hard, but after that it gets easy and you don’t even think about it anymore. Just do the fucking job or I’ll take you out myself.”
The flashlight shines in the first guy’s face. He swallows hard and his face is pale. He’s shaking and backing away from the second guy. “I can’t do it, man. I didn’t sign on for this.”
The second guy brings up his rifle and points it at the first guy, “Then say goodbye you little fuckhead. Wrath and Switch don’t want someone in their gang that won’t kill for them.” Not even hesitating, I sneak up behind the second guy and snap his neck before he even realizes what’s going on. He collapses to the ground with a thud. I leer at the first guy who holds his hands up in the air, shaking so hard, his teeth are chattering.
“Don’t…,” he stutters. “Please don’t hurt me. I never wanted to be here, but they made me,” he pleads.
I approach him silently and watch his eyes widen with fear. He’s just a kid, can’t be any older than sixteen. Tilting my head to the side, I assess his stance. He’s shaking, scared out of his mind. In that split second, I let him go.
“Stay still and don’t move,” my voice is low and deadly as I remove his AK 47 and pat him down, finding no other weapons. “Marks, one friendly coming out. He’s wearing a green hoodie and blue jeans. No weapons on him.”
“Copy that. Send him out the back. Ramirez is waiting,” Marks responds. I grab the kid by the hoodie and make him walk in front of me toward the kitchen. Ashton steps out of the shadows, making the kid jump and shake even more.
“I got him,” Ashton says and moves the kid through the kitchen and out of sight.
Ashley moves next to me and gives my arm a squeeze before we go into the next room. There’s a set of stairs to the left and the dining room directly in front of us. We do a quick sweep of the dining room and come up empty-handed. Quietly making our way up the stairs, I’m in the lead and Ashley is right behind me, hanging onto my belt with one hand and her nine mil in the other. We keep our backs against the wall until we round the corner at the top of the stairs. Three closed doors line the left side of the hallway and I open the first door. The room is empty except for a twin-size bed and a dresser. We move onto the next two rooms and find the same thing, empty.
“Where the fuck are they?” I question, pacing the hallway. “Marks, Harris, Ramirez, did they sneak past us and get away?”
“Negative boss. No one’s come out,” Harris responds.
Replaying the layout of the house in my head, I flash through the images. There’s two stories, lights on in every room except the basement and the attic. There is no door to the attic here. Shining my light above my head I see a pull cord by the stairs. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to go up there, would they? A thump above my head has me moving fast toward the pull cord. I yank it down and a ladder falls with it.
Climbing up quickly, I keep my head low and aim my gun and the beam of my flashlight into the small space. Hearing a whimper from the corner of the attic, I climb up the rest of the way and shine the beam around, landing on a little boy huddled in the corner. He’s shaking, scared out of his mind. Ashley walks past me quickly and reaches the little boy first while I’m paralyzed to my spot on the floor. I can’t make one foot move in front of the other. She’s whispering to the little boy and soothing him. I didn’t believe it until now. I thought it was a ploy from Wrath until he peers up at me with matching brown eyes and shaggy brown hair. His clothes and face are filthy, and he’s frightened.
“I got him,” Ashton says from behind me. He picks the little boy up and takes him quickly down the stairs. Still glued to my spot, Ashley approaches me.
“He looks just like you,” she confirms. “He told me they had him up here for a few days and he think they might be in the basement. He said they sometimes take him down there when they want to teach him a lesson in being a good boy.” There’s a hitch in her voice. I finally drag my eyes from the corner he was huddled in, to Ashley. She’s furious with a glint in her eyes. “Let’s finish this.”
We quickly make our way down the stairs and into the living room. Neither of us saying a word when we cross the kitchen toward the basement door. It’s heavy with several locks unlocked. I open the door and it creaks on the hinges. Shining my flashlight down the wooden stairs, we make our way down together. Memories flash through my mind when we reach the bottom. The pain and torture they inflicted upon me a few days ago in this very spot. This is where they took me and tried to beat me into submission. I can sense the evil lurking under my skin, ready to take over and turn savage. Metal beams and chains shine on my flashlight.
“Well, well, well. You finally decided to join us,” Wrath sneers from the shadows in the dark corner. I shine my flashlight on her face. The face of a woman I thought I once loved stares back at me with big hazel eyes and her blonde hair is up in a ponytail. “Where’s the little bitch?”
“Right here,” Ashley says and steps out behind me. “This is going to be fun taking you down.” She cracks her neck on her shoulders, stepping closer to Wrath.
“Not as much fun as
what I’m going to have with you, once I kill him,” Switch responds from another corner. He steps out of the shadows and has a gun pointed right at my chest. Fury pumps through my veins and the treacherous side I’ve kept restrained is thrashing against my chest trying to take over. An evil sneer crosses my lips.
“What’s the matter Switch? Can’t take me on one on one? Are you that much of a pussy?” I provoke.
His eyes narrow and he sets his gun down next to Wrath. “Oh, let’s do this fucker. I’ve wanted you dead for a long time.” He removes his shirt and his dark skin shines in my flashlight. He has his hands taped and his eyes appraise Ashley. That makes my blood boil. That’s my woman he’s looking at. “She looks even hotter in person, I’ll find out if she’s just as hot with me pounding between her legs, making her scream my name.”
“You will never touch me,” Ashley counters next to me. There’s no sign of fear in her voice or on her face. She’s channeling her own fury and neither of these two knows who they’re up against. She shifts her attention from Switch to Wrath, who’s grinding her teeth and has fire in her eyes. “What’s the matter, Wrath? Are you pissed he wants me and not you anymore?” Ashley taunts her.
“Slut!” Wrath screams and charges full speed. Ashley sidesteps her advance and swings her fist to the back of Wrath’s head, sending her into the corner of the basement.
I turn my attention back to Switch who’s inching toward his gun. “Bad idea,” I growl and charge him. He spins at the last second and elbows me between the shoulder blades. That pisses me off and the devil shatters free from the chains I have him bound in.
With a sneer on my lips and fire racing through my veins, I attack again. I swing my fist and connect with the side of his face. Bones crunch under my knuckles and the sound is like music to my ears. Switch’s eyes widen in surprise when he gains his bearing and looks at my expression. My muscles are bulging when I swing again, this time connecting with his nose. Blood flies everywhere and I keep attacking. Punch after punch, kick after kick, I continue to strike Switch, until he’s a bloody heap on the floor, not moving. Straddling his limp body, I lean down so we’re face to face, my breathing erratic, sweat dripping down my face and my adrenaline surging forth pushing me further.
Savage Chaos (Racing Dirty Series Book 3) Page 23