****
When Lexi awoke, she was sitting on a chair with her hands tied to the chair arms. Her head hurt where the bastard hit her, but she was more afraid for her baby than for herself. She looked around the room where she sat by herself. What the hell is happening she thought?
At that moment, she heard voices outside the door. “She’s inside. I heard stirring so I think she’s awake now,” she heard a man say. The door opened and in walked several men. The last one looked familiar and then she knew. This was the Zane’s brother, the one she had overheard talked about in the Tavern. A picture of Zane was listed in the newspaper right after his death. Now Lexi was in the middle of a club fight.
When Zach first looked at Lexi he had nothing but contempt, but then he couldn’t help but notice the way her belly stuck out. She was pregnant, fuck!
“Who is this?” Zach asked as he continued to look at Lexi.
“This is her, Eli’s old lady,” said one of the two men standing with Zach.
“No one knew she was pregnant?” Zach shouted. Lexi flinched. “Get out of here,” Zach told the two men. Once they had left and shut the door he turned to Lexi.
Zach’s plans turned on a dime. His plan was to send Lexi back, raped and bloody with a message to back off or he’d finish all of them, including the women. His heart was cold and he was tired of messing around. But the one thing he hadn’t counted on was Eli’s old lady being pregnant.
He sat down in a chair facing Lexi. Lexi was a strong woman, but the thought of someone harming her child had her both angry and frightened at the same time. Hot tears stung her eyes. She couldn’t wipe them away since her wrists were tied.
“I don’t care about myself,” Lexi said, “But please don’t harm my baby. He’s innocent and shouldn’t have to pay for other people’s grievances.”
Zach took a knife out of his back pocket and flipped it open. Lexi, remembering the carvings on Rose’s face, closed her eyes. But the next thing she felt wasn’t the knife piercing her face, but tugging on the bindings around her wrists. She opened her eyes to see Zach cutting the rope that bound her wrists to the chair. Lexi rubbed her wrists and looked at Zach.
“Your baby has saved you today. I may be a lot of things, but I’m no baby killer,” Zach said. “But I do have a message for your husband. Tell him and his club to stay out of my town and my business; otherwise, I will slam his club’s family with more hurt than he wants to bargain for. You got that?”
“I got it,” Lexi said.
“Okay…my boys will take you to the edge of town. From there you’ll have to walk.”
Lexi nodded and stood up. Zach opened the door and gave instructions to his men. One man put a hood over her head.
“What’s going on?” Lexi said.
“It’s okay,” Zach said. “The hood is to prevent you from knowing where our crib is.”
Zach looked at the men and said, “Don’t harm her, just take her to the edge of town and let her out.”
Lexi was guided back to the van and taken as instructed to the edge of town where the men pulled off the hood and had her get out of the van. She walked towards town to a little grocery store where she asked if she could borrow the store clerk’s cell phone to make a call.
Chapter Seven
Raul walked back to Lexi’s office from the kitchen. He thought he could get through the dinner shift, but the prep left him sore and tired. When he couldn’t find her in the office, he looked throughout the restaurant. He checked the parking lot to ensure she hadn’t left, but her car remained in its usual spot. Raul walked back to Lexi’s office and looked around. He spotted her purse. She must still be here, but where, he thought.
At that moment Lexi’s cell phone sitting on her desk rang. Raul could see it was Eli calling so he answered the phone.
“Eli, this is Raul. I can’t find Lexi at the restaurant. I’ve looked all over for her and her car is still in the parking lot, but she’s nowhere to be found.”
Eli had been calling for the last hour, but assumed when she didn’t answer that she was either busy or the phone battery died. What Raul said chilled him to the bone.
“Have you seen her at all today?” Eli asked.
“Yes, I saw her earlier, but that was several hours ago.”
“Wait, I’ve got another call coming in Raul.” Eli didn’t recognize the number but it didn’t matter, he took the call.
“Hello,” Eli said.
“Eli, it’s me,” Lexi answered. “Zach’s men took me but I’m okay.”
“Where are you baby?”
“I’m at the edge of town on New Market street, near the Laundromat.”
“I’m on my way…are you hurt?”
“No, just a little rattled, but I’m okay.”
“Alright, I’m heading your way…I love you babe.”
“I love you too Eli,” Lexi said as she rubbed her stomach.
After hanging up with Lexi Eli yelled for Blaze to come with him to pick her up and call Raul back to let him know she was safe.
“This is it Blaze, I’m going to kill him if he touched a hair on her head,” Eli said as he and Blaze traveled down the highway in the club’s SUV.
“I know, but let’s find out what she says and then make a plan. We can’t go off half cocked or it will all blow up in our faces.”
Eli knew he was right, but it didn’t do much to quell the burning rage in his chest.
Lexi stood on the street and waved when she saw the familiar SUV. Eli parked the SUV and rushed to her. He held her in his arms and then looked her over to ensure there were no cuts or bruises.
“I’m fine Eli. Let’s just get out of here.”
Blaze helped her into the front seat and got into the back of the SUV.
“What happened babe?” Eli asked as they headed back to the Tavern.
Lexi told her story to Eli and Blaze and the warning Zach issued for the club, but if Zach thought Eli and the KOBMC wouldn’t retaliate for kidnapping his wife and unborn child, he was delusional Eli thought to himself.
Eli had Blaze on his cell phone calling the other members for a church meeting as soon as they arrived at the Tavern.
*****
Eli knew he had to calm down in order to think straight. While the thought of having his wife and unborn baby kidnapped by a low life like Zach infuriated him, he knew that only calm heads should prevail to figure out their next call of action.
The club was ready to go all out for Eli, and he appreciated their willingness to even the score, but he didn’t want to risk his men’s lives if possible.
They mulled over initiating another lock down, and decided against it. Zach’s threat was more of a don’t bother me and I won’t bother you. But they also knew better than to trust him. Eli adjourned the meeting, telling the club members they would gather the next day at 10am to go over different scenario plans for what happened to Lexi.
Eli walked over to Lexi who was sitting with Alice and Rose. “Let’s get you home,” he said kissing the top of her head.
“I’m ready for a hot bath and some shoulder rubbing that’s for sure,” Lexi answered.
“Take care of her Eli, she’s had a tough day,” Alice instructed.
“You don’t have to worry about that. Good night ladies.”
“Night Lexi, I hope you feel better tomorrow,” Rose said.
“Thanks Rose, I’m sure I will.”
Rose and Lexi had become closer, especially since she announced the pregnancy. Rose herself had just learned she was pregnant as well, but hadn’t told Dog just yet. She was waiting for the right time.
Chapter Eight
Zach got the call about 4 hours after letting Lexi go. It was the call he’d been waiting for--to find out the name of the person who killed his brother. Zach had a man on the inside of the KOBMC who he was paying for information. That is how he knew where to ambush the supply run.
Getting the money together to come up with the info on his brother was much
harder. The informer wanted big bucks for that intel and it took Zach a month to come up with that kind of cash, even selling his own beloved Harley. But it was worth it to find out who the person was who had killed his brother.
The information chilled Zach to the bone. He couldn’t believe that not only his brother but also several other members of the Hell Hounds had been taken out by a skinny cunt. At first, he didn’t believe it, but then it made sense. Zane had carved the club‘s initials on her face, and she was taught how to use firearms. It’s possible she could take them out, especially if caught unaware.
The next bit of news made Zach smile. The cunt had just left with her KOB boyfriend. Zach could kill two birds with one stone.
*****
Dog’s red and black Harley roared down the freeway. He didn’t know how Eli kept it together so well, especially with Zach kidnapping Lexi. Even though she was all right, except for some raw nerves, she was pregnant and it could have ended badly.
He worried about Rose. She had already undergone a brutal episode in her young life and all he wanted to do was take care of her. He’d bought an engagement ring with the money he’d been saving up. It still wasn’t as big a diamond as he would have liked, but maybe someday, he could buy her another one on their 10-year anniversary. Normally Dog wasn’t the romantic type, but Rose had changed him. She was tough as nails to the outside world, but a soft and warm soul underneath.
Dog felt the arms around his waist tighten as he zoomed down the four-lane highway. It was rush hour and the freeway was busy, but he glided easily side by side between the vehicles. He didn’t hear the roar of three bikes as they approached behind them for the noise from his own Harley. Dog was usually alert, but this evening he had other things on his mind, like making Rose a nice dinner and then sliding that engagement ring on her finger. Fortunately, his last thought was of Rose and her silky skin and how smooth it felt on his lips. When the back tire of Dog’s bike blew from the gun blast, it sent the Harley into the opposite lanes of traffic where a semi tractor-trailer rolled over the top of the bike. Sparks flew as the bike became lodged under the semi until the driver could bring it to a stop. The busted and battered bodies lay on the roadway a mile back from the stopped semi. Several other vehicles had also ridden over the bodies, unable to stop in time before hitting them. One driver mentioned I doubt they ever knew what hit them.
*****
Eli and Lexi both sat in the large soaking tub together, with Lexi lying in Eli’s arms. Candles were lit and the calm ambiance settled Lexi’s nerves to the point she was softly snoring. Eli loved her little snoring sounds, which had only come along in the last month as her tummy swelled. He stroked her arms and stomach. He loved her so much and the thought of Zach having her in his clutches sent a river of rage through his being. But he fought it. Not tonight. Tonight he just wanted to hold his love and bring her comfort. That was all.
Eli heard his cell phone ring, but he wasn’t about to disturb Lexi and get it. Whatever it was, it would have to wait.
Chapter Nine
Blaze stopped by the burger joint and picked up dinner on his way home besides making a few other stops on the way. It was late and he didn’t want Alice to have to cook dinner for them. He was surprised when he entered a dark house. Blaze figured Alice would be here by now, but he wasn’t worried.
He sat down at the kitchen table and took a bite out of his hamburger. He wondered how the club was going to take care of the Hell Hounds. This shit had to stop before anyone else from his family got hurt. When his cell phone rang, he had just finished his burger and fries. The number flashing on the phone was familiar but not one that showed up very often. It was one of the cops on the take from the club.
Now what, Blaze thought. He answered the phone and listened to the man on the other end. His face paled and he blurt out “I’ll be right there.” His world was crashing and he didn’t know how to stop it.
*****
Rose was filling in behind the bar at Chancey’s Tavern. Before Dog and Rose took off for the evening, he had fallen sick and asked to go home. Rose said she’d fill in until his replacement came in a few hours. Alice then asked Dog if he’d mind dropping her off at the house since she’d had a long day. While none of the parties involved thought anything of the switch, the repercussions would reverberate through the club for years to come.
Journey and Laser sat at one of the tables in the Tavern going over the day’s events and the upcoming church meeting scheduled for tomorrow, when a patron walked out of the men’s room and walked up to them.
“I think Hawk left his cell phone on the sink,” he said holding the phone.
“How do you know its Hawk’s?” Journey asked.
“It’s got that stupid gold cover on the back with his initials.”
“Oh yeah…well just leave it with us. We’ll get it back to him.”
“Could send his girlfriend a pic of your cock…tell her it’s what’s waiting for her at the end of her shift tonight.” Journey said, chuckling as scanned through the phone.
The smile dropped from his face when he came upon several names. Hawk had two names of the Hell Hounds listed in his contacts and one stood out…Zach Taylor.
“What the fuck,” Journey muttered.
“What?” Laser asked downing the rest of his beer.
“It ain’t good,” Journey answered. “I need to get a hold of Eli.”
Chapter Ten
Blaze was accompanied into the morgue by the police officer who called him earlier. The two bodies lay beside one another on separate metal beds. The woman behind the glass window pulled back the covers to reveal the faces of both bodies.
Blaze sucked in a breath as he looked on the face of his one beloved, Alice. Her face was bruised and swollen but still beautiful in Blaze’s eyes. He looked over at Dog, whose face and head were battered almost beyond recognition, an effect pavement can take when tender skin and bone are smashed against it with enough velocity. But he could tell it was Dog and he nodded to the officer that they were his wife Alice and his friend.
The officer asked if he wanted him to take him home and Blaze shook his head. He was headed to the Tavern.
Once Blaze arrived at Chancey’s, Laser grabbed his arm and told him to come to one of the offices in the warehouse where Journey now held Hawk.
As they walked back to the warehouse Laser looked at Blaze’s face and remarked, “Damn Blaze, you look like shit.”
“Alice and Dog are dead,” he said. Laser looked stunned. “What?”
“They were shot at by the Hell Hounds on their way down the freeway. Blew out his back tire causing him to lose control and spin into oncoming traffic.” At least that’s what witnesses told police and the officer told Blaze.
Blaze was unusually calm, but Laser knew he was boiling under the surface. Laser walked into the office first followed by Blaze. Hawk was sitting in the office chair behind the desk with Journey holding a gun on him.
“What’s going on?” Blaze asked.
“We found our snitch,” Journey answered. “It seems Hawk has some interesting contacts in his phone.” Journey tossed the phone to Blaze. After looking at the names of the contacts, he lunges over the desk, grabs Hawk, and pulls him across it.
“You son of a bitch! They killed Alice!” Blaze yelled in his face.
Journey looked stunned and looked at Laser who nodded his head.
“What?!How?” Hawk sputtered as Blaze pulled his collar tighter around his neck. Suddenly it hit him and he pushed Hawk back onto the desk.
“Now I get it. It was supposed to be Rose with Dog tonight. You told Zach that is was Rose who killed his brother and then called when Dog left the club. What you didn’t know was, Rose didn’t leave with Dog, Alice did!”
“Holy shit!” Journey said as he pointed the gun at the top of Hawk’s head.
“How much blood money did you get Hawk?” Blaze yelled. “I want to know how much it took for you to sell out the club!”
“Take it fucker. You’re making a phone call,” Blaze said.
*****
Deceived Page 11