by K. L. Ramsey
Kill groaned. “Yes,” he said. “It’s still early but will give me time to shower and get to work. See you at six,” Kill said. He turned to leave Havoc’s office, grabbing his gym bag on the way out.
“Yep—six, sharp,” Havoc called after him. Kill waved over his shoulder, not bothering to look back. He knew he’d find his old friend watching him, wearing his shit-eating grin that was always infectious. Kill made Havoc a promise to have his back and that was one he planned on keeping. He had just enough time to swing by Savage’s house before he had to be home to help Viv at the diner. Kill wasn’t looking forward to having to convince Savage to hear Jackson Hart out, but it might be the only way to get Chloe back knowing that there was now a ticking clock hanging over their heads. Time was of the essence and they would all need to work together before it was too late.
_______
“You fucking mean to tell me that you went to the cops, Cillian? Why the hell would you do that when I specifically told you not to? You know how these things run. We take care of club business and leave the cops out of it,” Savage growled. Cillian watched as the big guy paced the floor in front of the bar. Bowie and Savage met him there when he called, leaving Dallas and the kids at home. Cillian told them he had news and they didn’t want the kids in on their conversation. They were just babies but Greer had asked about her sister a few times and Dallas had told her she was at a friend’s house. It broke Cillian’s heart that they were all having to go through this but Savage needed to remember the end game—getting Chloe back from the Dragons in one piece. Nothing else mattered.
“Just hear me out, Savage,” Cillian asked.
“No—just fucking no,” Savage growled.
“Maybe we should just all calm down and hear Cillian out, Babe,” Bowie offered. “It can’t hurt. If you still want to kill him when he’s done, I’ll help.” Bowie shot him a wolfish grin and Kill nodded his thanks. He could tell that Savage’s husband was just trying to soothe him and from the way Savage exhaled and sunk into a chair, it seemed to be working.
“Fine,” Savage grumbled. “Start talking.”
“I went to see Havoc,” Kill said.
“You should have led with that, from the beginning,” Savage said. “What did he say? Does he know if they have my daughter or where they are keeping her?”
“Yes,” Kill breathed. “He said they have her and last he saw her; she was safe and being held by the Dragons.”
“Last time he saw her?” Savage asked.
“Yeah, he didn’t have much to go on since he’s out of the Dragons. He refused to be a part of Chloe’s kidnapping and they stripped his patches and he walked,” Kill said.
“Fuck,” Savage shouted. “Why didn’t he warn me?”
Kill knew exactly why Havoc wouldn’t rat on his old club. “They’d murder him if he had. Hell, they would have probably killed Chloe by now if Havoc ran to you, just to make an example of you both. You know how they operate better than anyone, Savage. The Dragons don’t play by the rules. Havoc still has to watch his ass. They won’t let him just walk away from their club, but he’s out—for now.”
“So, we’re back to knowing nothing?” Bowie asked.
“Well, there’s more and this is the part that you both aren’t going to like very much,” Kill admitted.
“I haven’t liked one fucking word you’ve said so far, Cillian,” Savage griped. “Just spill it.”
“Havoc confirmed that Dante is running a trafficking ring and he specialized in virgins. He’s planning on moving Chloe to Mexico and selling her off.” Kill watched Savage like he was a bomb about to go off.
“What the fuck,” Bowie shouted. “We have to stop them from doing that, Savage. If they move her, we’ll never get Chloe back.”
“Don’t you think I know all that, Bowie?” Savage almost whispered. He sounded defeated and even broken. Cillian hated that anyone had the power to bring his friend to his knees.
“So, we don’t let that happen,” Cillian said. “We take Hart up on his offer and I go into the Dragons. I can work on finding Chloe once I’m on the inside and get her out. We don’t have time to sit around and think about this though, Savage.”
“She’s just a little girl.” Savage’s voice broke and it nearly gutted Cillian.
“I know man. This is the only way. Let me tell Hart that I’m in. It’s like you said yesterday, I’m one of the only ones who can do this. The Dragons will think that I’m desperate to be a part of a club and they’ll believe I want to prospect to join them. Once I get into the club, I can find Chloe and get her out of there,” Cillian said.
“Just like that?” Savage asked. “You honestly believe it’ll be that easy?”
“Yep,” Kill lied. He was sure that it would be a shit show but he wasn’t about to tell Savage that. His friend had seemed to lose all hope and there was no way he’d let Savage give in to his despair.
“I can’t lose her,” Savage choked. “You have no idea how much this hurts.”
“I get it, man, I’m not a father. But, I will be soon. I know that if anything happened to Viv or the baby, I’d be lost. At least let me try,” Kill said.
Bowie nodded at Savage and the two seemed to share a silent connection. “Fine,” Savage agreed. “Set up the meeting for this afternoon. You’ll go into the Dragons tonight and ask to probate. If they are going to move her, I want you in there to stop it. I won’t lose my daughter,” Savage growled and stood. He walked out the back of the bar, not bothering to look back.
“Sorry,” Bowie said. He stood and slid his chair under the table. “That’s great news about Viv and the baby, Cillian. He’s just not ready to hear anything goodyour right now. We need to get Chloe back—for all our sakes.”
VIVIAN
Cillian came running through the front door with about ten minutes to spare before they needed to head out to the diner. She had felt like shit and had spent most of the morning bowing to the porcelain god. Luckily, the trick her doctor told her finally started to work and she was able to keep the crackers and ginger ale down.
“Sorry,” he said. “I met with Havoc and then had my ass reamed out by Savage.”
“You can’t blame the guy. You would be just as upset if it was your kid,” Viv said.
“I’d kill every fecking one of the Dragons if they took our kid,” he said, cupping her belly. “How are you feeling today?”
“Same,” she said. “But, better now. I foolishly got out of bed when I should have eaten my Saltines before my feet hit the floor. I think that might help. I just need to remember to put them on my nightstand before I go to sleep from now on.”
“I think I can handle that chore,” he said. “You already do too much, Viv. You need to let me pick up some of the slack both here and at the diner, Love,” he offered. Viv smiled at the way he called her ‘Love’. Cillian had been doing that a lot lately and she had to admit, each time made her feel like a giddy schoolgirl.
“So, did Savage agree to meet with Hart?” she asked. Changing the subject was her safest bet. She and Cillian hadn’t professed their undying love towards each other, even though she just wanted to blurt it out so many times. They had other pressing matters to worry about and then, she’d find a way to tell Cillian she was in love with him. He had asked her to marry him and she had agreed but a part of Viv worried that was just for the baby's sake. At least on his part. She was in love with him, baby or no, and marrying Cillian just felt right.
“Yep,” he said. “I called Hart on my way home and we’ll meet at Savage Hell at noon.”
“What about your parole?” Viv asked.
“Hart said that I would be considered working and cooperating with an undercover operation and all of my parole rules would be overlooked,” Cillian said.
“Wow,” Viv breathed. “Is this safe?” Cillian rummaged around the refrigerator, looking for something to eat and she could tell he was avoiding having to look at her. He made a humming noise in the back of his throat
that told Viv all she needed to know—it wasn’t safe. “Shit, Cillian,” she shouted. “If you are walking into a dangerous situation, don’t you think I have a right to know about it? I am the mother of your child.”
He closed the fridge and crossed the small kitchen to pull her into his arms. “You’re right, Love,” he said. “And, don’t forget you’re going to be my wife.” Viv smiled up at him and nodded. That was something she couldn’t forget because she wanted to be Cillian James’ wife more than anything.
“Yes,” she murmured. “So, if you go off and do something stupid and get yourself killed, I won’t get that chance.” Viv buried her face in his jacket and snuggled into his arms. “Please don’t do anything stupid, Cillian,” she whispered.
“I promise,” he said, not missing a beat. “I have you and this baby now. I wouldn’t chance either of you for the world. Just give me a little trust here, Viv. You’ll see.” She knew she could trust him. He was honestly the first man she had trusted in a damn long time but his promises weren’t ones he could keep. Dealing with the Dragons was going to be dangerous whether she liked it or not. Cillian could make her every pretty promise he could come up with but that wouldn’t change the fact that he wasn’t in control of what the Dragons would do to him if they figured out what he was up to.
“I’m going in tonight,” he said.
“Tonight?” she sobbed. Cillian sighed and nodded.
“Please Viv,” he begged. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be. I give you my word that I’ll come back to you.”
Viv pulled free from his arms and gathered her stuff for work. “Don’t make me promises you can’t keep, Cillian.”
“Where are you going?” Cillian questioned. Viv opened her front door, not bothering to look back at him She knew if she did, she’d stay. Seeing the hurt in Cillian’s eyes that she heard in his question would be her undoing and she’d cave. Viv knew that her only option for protecting her baby and her heart would be to walk out that door and not look back, no matter how hard that was to do.
_______
Viv watched the clock cursing under her breath each time she realized that only a minute or two had passed since the last time she looked at it. “You okay, Boss?” Tommy asked. New Kid was working out surprisingly well. Viv had stopped calling him that to his face since he had been with the diner as long as Cillian had and that felt like a lifetime. A lot had happened in just mere months, but she felt as though she had known Cillian her whole life.
“Yeah,” she lied and plastered on her smile. She’d keep the fact that she was worried that she’d never see the man she had fallen in love with—the man who held her whole life in his hands—again after tonight. She didn’t believe for one-second that Cillian walking into the Dragon’s bar and declaring he wanted to be a prospect was a good idea. Viv was certain it was a fucking awful idea but how could she stop him from going? She couldn’t. An innocent little girl’s life was at stake and she’d feel awful if she stood in the way of Chloe being safely rescued.
“Is Cillian coming in today?” Tommy asked.
“No,” she said. “He has some errands to run today,” she lied again. Viv looked up when the bell sounded over the front door, to find a big guy with dark hair and tattoos that ran up his arms, walking in. He reminded her of Cillian and her heart sank.
“You can sit anywhere,” she called to the guy and he nodded, taking a seat in the corner booth. Tommy grabbed a menu and a silverware bundle and Viv took, them both from him. “I’ve got this one,” she said. “You take the couple over there.” Tommy nodded and grabbed two more menus.
“Sure, Boss,” he said.
Viv looked the hot tattooed guy over, noting the way he watched her. “Today’s special is a BLT club with fries,” she said. “Can I get you something to drink?” What she wanted to ask the guy was why he had wandered into her little diner. She was beginning to get the feeling that it wasn’t a coincidence at all. Viv looked back at the clock that hung over the back counter and realized that it was about time for Cillian’s meeting with Savage and Hart.
“Coke,” he said, drawing her attention back to him. “Please.”
“Sure thing. I’ll be back in just a minute to take your order,” Viv said.
“No need,” he said. “I’ll take the special.” Viv nodded and went back to the kitchen to put in the order. She was so used to having Cillian back there that when she found Cole behind the grill, she felt a little disappointed. In such a short time, Cillian James had infiltrated every aspect of her daily existence and she worried that she’d never be able to find her way forward without him. Viv pulled her cell from her pocket, thinking about calling or texting him, but that would be a mistake. Cillian had decided to put himself in harm's way and she wasn’t going to just let him off the hook for that. She needed to stand her ground no matter how stubborn that made her sound.
Viv grabbed the Coke and walked back to the corner booth. Biker Guy looked her over and smiled. “You all right?” he asked.
“Yep,” she lied. “Just worried about a friend.” God, Cillian was so much more than her friend but explaining that to a stranger wasn’t her scene.
He chuckled and sipped his Coke. “If Kill heard you call him your friend, he’d be pissed.” The guy stood from the booth and Viv had to crane her neck to look up at him, he was so tall. “I’m Repo,” the guy said, holding out his hand. Viv shook his offered hand, not sure if she should be afraid of the big guy or call him a friend.
“You know Cillian?” she questioned.
“Yep,” Repo said. “I’m in Savage Hell.”
“So, you’re a friend of Cillian’s?” Viv asked.
“Yes,” he breathed. “He sent me over to keep an eye on you and help out in any way that I can.”
“Well, Repo is it? I don’t need your help or your protection. I’m fine on my own. What I needed was for the man I love—the father of my baby—to listen to me, but that didn’t happen. Cillian decided what was going to happen for himself and didn’t consider my feelings in this matter at all.”
“Listen,” Repo said. “I know this has to suck for you but Kill can handle himself. He knows what he’s doing and he won’t go off and do anything stupid.”
“You mean like get himself killed and leave me and his baby to fend for ourselves?” Viv spat.
“That won’t happen,” Repo said. “Savage Hell will always care for you and Kill’s kid. You’re family now and we take care of our own. That’s why this is so important to him—you know, helping Savage get his kid back. We’re all brothers and when someone comes for one of us, they have to deal with us all.”
Viv sunk into the booth across from Repo. “I get that, I do. I know I sound like a heartless bitch, but I just found Cillian. I can’t lose him now. I appreciate that you are trying to keep an eye on me, but that’s not necessary. I’m sure that I’m safe. I’d much rather you have Cillian’s back than mine right now.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Honey,” Repo said. He sat back down and gave her an easy smile. “Once Kill goes into the Dragons tonight, you’ll be a target. He knows that and asked me to keep an eye on you. They will hunt down everyone who means something to Kill. I’m assuming I’m looking at the most important person in his life. Well, two people,” he corrected. “How about you let me do what I’ve been ordered to do by my club’s Prez and you just forget I’m here?”
It was going to be damn near impossible for her to simply forget the giant tattooed man sitting in the corner, but what choice did she have. Viv had a feeling that no matter how much she protested; he wasn’t going anywhere.
“Fine,” she said, standing again. “Lunch rush is about to start and I don’t have time to argue. Do what you want—stay, go, I don’t give a fuck.” Viv turned to walk away while Repo’s chuckle filled the corner of the diner. “Tommy,” she shouted loud enough for Repo to hear. “Table six is all yours.”
CILLIAN
“You sure about this?�
�� Savage asked. Kill wasn’t. But, telling his friend that walking straight back into the pits of hell, to rescue his little girl, scared the shit out of him, wasn’t something he could do. They had been over the plan a half dozen times now and every time he looked at Savage, Cillian saw that damn hope in his eyes. It was enough for him to push aside his fears and agree to this suicide mission because that was exactly what walking into the Dragon’s bar was. Cillian knew that if the tables were turned and it was his kid they had; Savage would do the same for him.
“Yeah,” Cillian lied. “It’s going to be a piece of cake, right? I’ll just go in, pretend I want to prospect, find Chloe and get the fuck out of there.” Cillian looked between Savage, Bowie, and Hart, knowing from the expressions on their faces that they weren’t buying a word he was saying.
“Shit, Cillian, Savage grumbled.
“It’s fine, really,” Cillian said. He had his poker face in place, not wanting to let his friend know just how much he hated their plan. All he could think about was the way Viv walked out on him earlier that morning. How she hadn’t even given him the chance to tell her that he was in love with her and that he wanted his chance to do that. Now, he might never have that opportunity again and that scared the shit out of him. It also gave him the strength to push through and make his way back to her. He had to tell her that she now held his heart and his future. Viv and their baby were driving him to pull through whatever lay ahead and make it out the other side.
“I’m going in with you,” Hart said. “You’ll need someone on the inside who has your back and the Dragons don’t know me.”
“Now wait a minute, Hart,” Cillian griped. “You can’t just go and change the plan now that we’ve worked it through.”
“I can and I just did. You can’t go in there without back-up, man.” Cillian knew Hart was right but the thought of his former probation officer, now turned police detective, having his back seemed laughable. “Don’t look at me like that. I told you why I was riding your ass these past few months.”