by J. L. Leslie
I sit beside Mackenzie, still in shock that she and Warren hooked up. I wanted to hear all about it earlier, but she was busy, so our plans to get together didn’t happen. Which means, I didn’t tell her anything about me and Lucien and how I want to let him live. Maybe even work out a truce with the Sinners. I know that won’t go over well.
“I like Warren,” I tell her. “Especially if you and Suggs have called it quits.”
She has not given me a lot of details, only that he was checking out my house and he stopped by hers to ask if she’d seen anyone snooping around. How that developed into the two of them getting naked together, I have no idea. She says it was a one-time thing and that things are good with Suggs now, so I don’t push it.
She wasn’t forthcoming about why they were having trouble, but if they’ve worked it out, then I’m happy for her.
“I should probably tell you the others know you’re fucking Lucien,” Mackenzie lets me know. “I know we planned to keep that part of your relationship quiet, but Donia was being questioned, and she didn’t feel comfortable lying to the girls.”
“Did you tell her?” I ask her, and she shakes her head.
“Thought you did,” she responds. “I thought about it, but figured it wasn’t my business to tell. You’re still on board with taking him down, so no need to share intimate details about how you’re going to do it.”
“That explains the strange looks I’ve been getting since we got here,” I reply, not commenting on my thoughts about taking him down. I’ll talk with Donia later.
“They just aren’t sure where your loyalty lies. If it’s with us or with the Sinners. I’ve told them it’s with us. He’s not clouding your judgment. You know the mission.”
I tell myself she’s right and I even say it out loud. So, why haven’t I said anything to Donia about what they’re planning against Jiminez? I should’ve come straight to her and told her. Given her the intel that I have. I shouldn’t be wasting time. I haven’t even mentioned it to Mackenzie.
I did tell her about them getting their trucks from Wakeford tonight though. She was pissed that they weren’t waiting until the end of the month as planned. She even asked if I knew why they were getting them sooner, which I told her I did not.
But to tell them about the attack on Jiminez would be harmful to Lucien and the Sinners and I can’t seem to bring myself to do that. Not yet anyway.
“Okay, ladies, this meeting has officially started, and I don’t want to waste any time,” Donia begins. “Harper has informed me that the Sinners are getting their trucks from their supplier tonight. Annie, Crystal, and Harper, I hope you ladies are ready. Did you study the intel from Mackenzie?”
Annie and Crystal both nod their heads, seemingly excited for the job. I look over at Mackenzie, nervous, but I nod as well. I have studied the documents she gave me, but I haven’t looked at them since I’ve been at the Sinners’ clubhouse. There was no way I could take them there with me. I’ll have to look over them again.
“Crystal, you’ll go with Harper since this is her first job. Mackenzie, I’ll allow you to do a quick rundown of the intel you provided,” Donia says, and Mackenzie stands up.
“We know Wakeford sticks with a timed pickup and delivery to ensure he’s not under any suspicion to the legitimate side of his business. Wakeford & Sons are open twenty-four hours a day, but the supply trucks run at night. The Sinners should pick up their trucks at seven p.m. The three of you will need to make your move on the trucks after they have left the warehouse. It won’t be possible to get in them prior to them leaving the warehouse. Wakeford keeps his business under heavy security. We will be watching the warehouse to see which trucks the Sinners pick up, and we can have Suzanne find out the route those trucks will be taking from their GPS coordinates. They will be making the regular scheduled business deliveries first. You should have an opportunity to get on the truck at one of the regular deliveries. I think that’s going to be your best option. Once they leave from those deliveries, they will be headed for their own stop, so it will be your job to have the truck before they get back on the road.”
“It’s simple really, ladies,” Donia says. “Get in the truck while they’re out making the delivery and steal it. It’s not a difficult job. They will not be suspecting a jump on the truck.”
She makes it sound simple. They get out to unload the carpets and we climb in the driver’s seat and drive off with their product. Best laid plans, right?
“What if they don’t leave the truck unlocked or unprotected?” I ask.
“Kill whoever is in it and steal it,” Mackenzie answers. “We need those trucks. I have your supplies ready.”
I feel my phone buzz in my pocket, but I wait until the meeting ends before I look at it. It’s Lucien letting me know he has club business tonight and will not be around to take me to work. I suppose he’s showing me he can check in since he expects me to.
I send him a response letting him know that I am off work tonight. He’s quick to respond that he will have Ian come to my house to check it out and watch it for the night. He assures me he will have him wait outside so that he doesn’t disturb me and Layla.
I smile at his text. He’s protecting us without disturbing our lives. I thank him for that, knowing that makes it easier for me to slip out and do my job. I was worried about how I would explain a disappearing act to him. Now, I just have to worry about pulling off a job against my old man’s club.
Chapter Thirty-One
Lucien
Reid rides shotgun in the delivery truck, blasting music and singing along to a heavy metal song. He calls it singing, I call it screaming. He’s in a surprisingly good mood considering the risky job we have planned tomorrow. I guess that’s his youth. I’m not an old man at thirty-two, but I suppose my life experience has aged me.
When you join a motorcycle club at eighteen, you have to grow up fast. Prior to that, I was pretty much on my own in foster care. I don’t recall a time when I was able to be carefree and relaxed.
“You ready for tomorrow?” I turn the radio down and ask him.
“Hell yeah,” he responds with a grin. “We’re taking over a cartel, and I get to kill people. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
I chuckle at his excitement. I used to believe I was invincible too. Sometimes, I still do. When you’ve been thought for dead, and then you come back, it’s easy to be unafraid of it.
“We could lose,” I remind him.
“We won’t. We’re ready.”
He’s so sure of it. I don’t tell him all the ways it could go wrong tomorrow. There are far too many. Being outnumbered being one of the main ones. Our shooters could take down the outside guards, but we have no idea how many are inside. We have a good guess, but no guarantees.
Our shooters could miss, and then we’re fucked. If they don’t shut down the camera and get the outside guards, there’s no way we’re getting in to seize the product and cash.
I look at the GPS and follow the route. Wakeford requires all of his trucks to input GPS coordinates for the legitimate businesses so there’s a record of the locations they delivered to.
“We make this delivery and then we’ll store the product in our warehouse. Warren is still trying to make contact with his buyer, but Wiggie set up a few purchases already.”
“Who is this buyer Warren has? A mayor or some shit?”
“Governor,” I answer and turn into the parking lot for our delivery. “He hasn’t confirmed he’ll work with us yet though.”
I see a few parked cars, figuring they’re employees. I find the loading dock and back the truck up to it. I grab the clipboard Wakeford gave us, and both me and Reid get out to unload the truck. I’m happy we only have the one delivery tonight and can get on our way after.
I greet the night manager for Carter’s Carpets and have him sign off on the delivery, watching Reid as the crew unloads their carpets. I tear off a copy of the invoice and hand it to the man before going back t
o the truck. The crew is still unloading, and Reid is standing by the truck having a cigarette.
Reid puffs out a cloud of smoke and walks to the back of the truck to check on their progress just as they close the doors. He waves goodbye to them and tells me we’re good to go. I climb into the driver’s seat and wait for him to get in before pulling off.
“We have to do that shit each time?” Reid asks. “That shows our damn faces.”
I shrug. “Those men don’t have a clue what else is on these trucks. They’re just getting carpet, man. We’ll swap out, so they don’t get used to seeing us.”
“Fuck, they can’t even close the damn doors!” he grumbles, looking at the side mirror. “Pull over.”
I look at my mirror and see the door flapping open. I mumble a curse and turn my flashers on as I pull off the road. Reid is raising hell as he jumps out of the truck to go close the door. I sit in the truck, waiting on him, but when I see the door still open, I get out.
“Reid, what the fuck man?” I call out, walking to the back of the truck. “Shit!”
Reid lies on the ground, groaning and grumbling about someone being inside the truck. I look to the truck, but I don’t see anyone. I turn, and before I can defend myself, a woman dressed in all black hits me with a fucking tire iron.
I stumble but manage to stay on my feet only to be hit again and again. I struggle to stay conscious, realizing this is why Reid is on the ground, when she yells for someone else to get to the driver’s seat. I see another woman jump down from inside the truck and start closing its doors.
Reid is up to his knees now and is reaching for his gun. The woman with the tire iron is positioned to hit me again, but Reid fires a shot at her, hitting her square in the chest. The woman shutting the doors screams out as the tire iron falls from the injured woman’s hands. I pick it up as Reid lunges for the second woman, catching her by the ankle. We know we need to take one of them alive so we can find out who the fuck they are.
“Gun, Reid!” I yell as she reaches in her waistband and pulls out a nine-millimeter.
She gets a shot off, grazing Reid’s arm. He lets her ankle go, and she scurries away from him. She rushes past me, doing her damnedest to get to the truck. I go after her and tackle her to the ground. The feel of her body beneath me is shockingly familiar. The color of her reddish, brown hair peeking beneath the ski mask she’s wearing stuns me, and I back off her a bit.
“Harper?” I gasp, giving her the opportunity to train her gun on me.
She doesn’t speak a word, doesn’t give me the chance to hear her voice. I let go of her, pain and confusion filling me. I sit there in disbelief as she climbs into the truck and drives off.
Harper
I tear the mask off my face and let my tears fall, screaming out in frustration. Crystal is dead, and Lucien knows it was me. I could see the shock written all over his face. How could I betray him like that? How could I do that to him?
I thought this was supposed to be a simple job. Crystal and I discussed our plan from start to finish. I knew Lucien and Reid were driving a truck, but Mackenzie assured me before she went to my house to babysit Layla that we wouldn’t be assigned to that truck. Did she know? Did she lie to me?
I shake my head, not wanting to believe she would do that to me, but also knowing she had access to the information. Our plan was a good one. The truck we were assigned to only had one business delivery tonight. We slipped into the truck during the delivery, and then we opened the doors after they drove off because we knew they would stop to close them. Everything was going to plan until, well, it wasn’t.
Crystal is dead.
I left her there. Oh my God. I left her! I cry harder, thinking of the sister I left behind. Thinking of how I failed her.
Harper?
Then I hear Lucien’s voice in my head. How he said my name. How he looked at me with such pain in his eyes. I caused that pain. I did that to him, and for what?
Gavin isn’t back. None of the Hades Riders are back. Their families aren’t happy. What are we accomplishing for them? For ourselves? We are doing awful things just like they did and that’s what got them all killed. It’s what got Crystal killed.
I got Crystal killed.
I cry silently while I drive the truck to the rendezvous point, hating myself for what I’ve done. For thinking I could pull this off when everything inside me is screaming that it’s wrong. When I arrive, Annie hasn’t made it there yet. Donia is talking with Suzanne and Heather.
“Where’s Crystal? Any word from Annie?” she asks me as I hand her the truck keys. I feel sick when I look at her.
“Crystal is dead,” I say quietly.
“Shit,” she mumbles.
“And I’m compromised. Lucien knows it was me and he’ll come for me,” I tell her. “He’ll come for the trucks.”
“You left him alive?”
I narrow my eyes at her. “He left me alive!”
She scoffs at this. “You mean to tell me he had the opportunity to kill you, but he let you leave with his truck instead?”
“Yes, but don’t think for one second that he won’t be after it! Didn’t you just hear me? He’ll come for you and for the truck!”
“How did you plan on killing him after you were finished fucking him if you couldn’t do the job tonight?” she questions me. “Did you forget what he did to your brother?”
“He didn’t kill Gavin!” I scream at her. “We are starting this war with the Sinners and for what? It won’t bring your sons back, Donia! It won’t bring any of them back! Look at what we’ve become! Crystal is dead!”
“And her blood is on your hands!”
“No, it’s on yours!” I shout at her. “All of this is your fault! This is not what I signed up for! Not how this was supposed to be! Crystal would be alive if it weren’t for you!”
“Oh, is that right?” she sneers. “And will it also be my fault when that fucking boyfriend of yours does to you what he did to your brother?”
“Go to hell!”
I wipe the tears from my face as I walk away from her. I can hear her yelling at me, demanding that I come back, but I don’t turn around. If she wants me out of the club, so be it. I’m only a prospect to them.
I climb on my bike and ride it home, reliving every second of what happened. My heart hammers in my chest when I see Lucien’s bike parked in front of my house. For a split second, I fear for Layla, but then I know he would never harm her. His issue is with me.
I park my bike in the garage and then come in the back door. Lucien is sitting at my kitchen table, a nine-millimeter in front of him, much like my own. I tell myself not to cry and manage to hold my tears back somehow. I expected this, so I shouldn’t be upset. I just hate that Layla will lose me too.
“Layla is at Mackenzie’s,” he informs me. “Seeing as how it was her that Ian was watching tonight and not you. I didn’t think this needed to be done in front of Layla.”
I glance down at the gun and back up at him. “I appreciate that. She’s been through enough losing Gavin.”
He picks it up and stands up from the chair. I walk over to the counter, unsure of exactly where I want to die, but figuring against the door isn’t where I want it to be. I don’t want to be sitting up and slumped over like they do in the movies.
“You stole my truck,” he states, stalking me.
I don’t take my eyes off of him, watching him as he approaches me, the gun in his hand and his finger on the trigger. He could take my life in a matter of seconds. Take my last breath the way I thought of taking his.
“I was ordered to,” I explain, hoping he understands that.
He comes to stand in front of me, and I cross my arms over my chest. I should beg for my life, but I can’t find the words to do that. He’s angry and feels betrayed, and he has every right to. I did betray him, but begging won’t do me any good.
“What else have you been ordered to do, Harper?”
My eyes fill with tears, and I
blink them back. He places one hand on the counter at the side of me, and he raises the gun to my temple. If I didn’t know better, I would say I could feel it trembling. See tears in his eyes. Hear the shakiness in his voice when he asks me again.
“What else were you ordered to do?”
“To kill you,” I whisper, and he turns his head for a moment, taking a deep breath, but keeping the gun against me, the barrel cold against my skin. “But I couldn’t.”
Lucien looks back at me, his eyes cold. “Why should I believe you? Give me a reason I shouldn’t kill you right now!”
A sob escapes my lips, and I reach my hands up to cup his face only to have him flinch away from me.
“Because you should know better than anyone else what a second chance means.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lucien
Harper believes she deserves a second chance. She attacked Reid and me, stole my fucking truck and thinks she deserves to live after that. If she were anyone else, she would be dead beside the road.
If she were anyone else…
I lower my gun and put it on her counter, placing my hands around her neck. I don’t squeeze, but I know it would only take a few minutes for her to die if I did. I feel her swallow against my palms. Feel her racing heartbeat.
“I’m going to need you to tell me everything.”
She grips my wrists with her hands. “I can’t betray my club.”
I drop my hands, resting them on the counter on either side of her. I can’t fault her for not betraying her club. I would never betray mine like that either. I just can’t wrap my mind around the fact that she’s in a motorcycle club and one that considers mine an enemy.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. We just wanted…we want the Sinners to know what it feels like to lose everything. I was so blinded by the thought of revenge that I got lost in it somehow, but I’m not blind anymore!”
“You were just supposed to fuck me and kill me, right? That was the plan?” I ask her, putting the pieces together. “You’re the club that Jiminez supplies. Mackenzie is the DEA connection.”