by Amity Cross
“She’s safe,” he said, combing his fingers through my hair.
Damn, that felt good. He’d never been so touchy-feely with me, and it was as comforting as it was alien. It was strange how things had changed so dramatically between us. It was as if Chaser had gone through something profound while we’d been apart. It was unlikely he would ever talk to me about it, but I felt it nevertheless.
“Good,” I murmured, glad Sam was out of this place and had a future she could look forward to. “Yvette?”
“Her claws were out.” He narrowed his eyes, giving away that he’d had a verbal spat with the feisty blonde.
I laughed and shook my head. “Then she’s fine.”
Taking his hand, I turned toward the LA skyline. The weather had eased in the past day, the sweltering heat now a mere simmer. The calm before the storm.
“What now?” I asked, tightening my grip on Chaser’s hand. “I don’t have a good feeling. Whatever we do, someone’s going to get hurt. We’re not ready, but…”
“We can watch and wait,” Chaser said, but he didn’t look convinced. He knew these men and didn’t want to see unnecessary bloodshed, no matter how vile some of them could be.
“We don’t have time to play the long game,” I said. “He suspects…”
Chaser nodded.
God. We were all in the firing line, and he would be first. And what about me? I had a strange feeling of foreboding wash over me, and I shivered. This was all because of my piece of shit father. If he were out of the picture… If we assassinated him, it would put a swift end to all our problems. Wouldn’t it?
I glanced at Chaser, hardly daring to put the option on the table. “If I asked... Would you?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I won’t be your soldier. I’ve done that, and it hasn’t worked out so well.”
“So, that’s a no then.”
“We’re equals, Sloane.” He sighed, and I sensed another of his Yoda moments was incoming. “I’m on your side, but murder doesn’t fix everything. It would be easy to pull the trigger, but you have to live with that stain the rest of your life. I have to live with the things I’ve done. I won’t do them if there is no just cause.”
“There is just cause,” I argued.
“It’s not that simple. Killing Marini is a temporary fix. Fortitude would still be split in two. It would be utter chaos, and people would die.”
“No matter what we do, there’ll be war.” I sighed and shook my head.
If only we’d disappeared that day after we’d escaped the Hollow Men on the train. I should’ve driven in the opposite direction. Right now, Chaser and I could be living happily in some remote cabin in the Rockies or a romantic shack by the ocean. Just us and the sky. Now…we were fucked whatever we chose to do. War was on the one hand, and war was on the other. There was no middle ground.
“I can’t take the club,” I said. “I don’t have the following. I have a dozen men I can safely say would be on board. A dozen out of how many? Eighty? We’re fucked. We can’t take on my father with those numbers, let alone the Hollow Men.”
“We’re not entirely fucked,” Chaser said. “There are options. None of them come with glory, but being alive is more important.”
“I like being alive,” I agreed.
“So do I. For once.”
Chaser tugged my hand, and I melted against him. Laying my head on his shoulder, I sighed.
“I just…” I began, but trailed off, not sure he wanted to hear my soppy dreams for the future. A hard man like Chaser didn’t do hearts and flowers. He did bullets and blood.
“You just what?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yeah, it does.”
“I just…” I swallowed hard, glad he wasn’t looking at my face. I was sure I was flushed red, and it had nothing to do with the air temperature. “I just want to be with you. That’s all.”
“What happened to revenge?”
I shrugged.
“I don’t blame you for wanting this to end,” he said. “I’m wondering if the price is worth it.” I stilled, shocked to hear those words come out of his mouth. “Still, we’ve started something, and we have to see it through to whatever end. We can’t end our lives here on a cliffhanger.”
Fuck, he was so wise. The hard-ass player who kidnapped me from Teasers Gentleman’s Club was nowhere to be seen. Was this what he was like before he got mixed up with the Hollow Men and Fortitude? After the dust settled, I hoped I got the chance to know either way.
“You’re right. We have to keep moving forward. But if I can’t take Fortitude, then it’s best it’s ended,” I murmured. “It’s not just about us anymore. There are men and women down there that I actually like if you can believe it. I owe them. We can rebuild from the ashes…or Gasket can. The club would be better under him.”
“As far as criminal organizations go,” Chaser drawled.
“Either way, you’ll have your freedom from Marini,” I snapped.
“And so will you.”
“Until the Hollow Men and their rancid dicks come calling for payment. Somehow, I’ve got a feeling Marini’s debts are going to be inherited, no matter what.”
“I’d think it would be more about the fact we humiliated them than anything else.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“We killed their men, escaped multiple times, and caused a scene on a train that made national headlines.”
“That was on the news?” My mouth fell open in shock.
Chaser nodded, his lips curving into a sly grin. “Why do you think they’ve been quiet lately? They’re not on holidays.”
The squealing sound of the rooftop door opening gave us pause. When Gasket emerged, our shoulders lost some of their tension.
When he saw how close we were sitting, he narrowed his eyes, signaling his clear dislike of our relationship, but didn’t offer any commentary.
“Marini’s starting to wonder where Rick is,” he said, sitting down.
“Wait… What about Rick?” I asked, glancing between the two men. “What did you do to him?”
“He went on a long ride,” Gasket said wryly.
“We had to question him,” Chaser explained. “And we couldn’t allow him to squeal to Marini.”
“Why?” I demanded.
Gasket glanced at Chaser. “There was talk of a deal.”
“A deal?” My blood ran cold, and a chill shuddered through my nerve endings. “I knew it. He’s planning to sell me off, isn’t he?”
Chaser nodded. “I’m sorry, Sloane.”
“That’s why he came down so hard on Harley.” My breath caught. “Two birds, one stone, right? By killing him, he squashed any hopes of me staging a coup. He ensured Fortitude would split, and then he’d be able to take out those who weren’t one hundred percent loyal. After the dust settles, he’ll be able to ship me off to the Hollow Men and cement his rule for a fucking lifetime.”
“The kid’s got brains,” Gasket said. “But that’s not the half of it.”
“What do you mean?” Chaser asked, bristling.
“Rick gave me one more parting gift to bargain his life with,” he explained. “Once the Hollow Men have stood down, Marini will try to take them again, and once he’s gotten what he wants…” Gasket dragged his finger across his throat.
“He knows.” Even Chaser was looking worried.
“Marini is brilliant as he is psychotic.”
“And his blood runs in my veins,” I drawled.
“You are not him, you hear?” Gasket said, laying a big hand on my knee. “You’re more like your mother than him, you hear?”
“He’s still going to kill us all,” I said, brushing away an image of my mom I would rather forget. “We have to do something.”
Chaser put his hand on my thigh. “And we will.”
“Who’ll follow us?” I asked, fretting.
“Harley might’ve been a bag of shit, but he was Fortitude,” Gasket said. “You didn’t p
ull the trigger, but you got him killed. A lot of men won’t follow you because of that. Then there’s Sam.”
“What about her?” I snarled.
“You took away what was rightfully theirs,” Chaser replied. “She was Fortitude, too.”
“You’re defending them?” I practically shrieked. “There are men down there that were organizing a gang, Chaser. A fucking gang.”
“No,” he said. “I’m not defending them at all.”
“But it comes into play,” Gasket explained. “There are certain things people around here expect. They see you, and they see their rights taken away, no matter how fucked up they are.”
“We have a solution,” Chaser said. “You already voiced it, Sloane.”
I glanced at Gasket, the man I thought of as a surrogate father, the only family I had left the day I ran from Fortitude. I had an extended family now, but that was beside the point. I looked at him long and hard and knew he was our best chance. This wasn’t about me anymore. It was about us.
Gasket narrowed his eyes and nodded.
“It’s time, old man,” I said. “Their lives, and my revenge…and Chaser’s is in your hands.”
He grunted and looked out over the city.
“This has to happen before Marini makes the deal or this would’ve all been for nothing,” Chaser said.
“I hadn’t exactly thought this far,” I admitted. “I’d hoped to do things peacefully. Well, except where my dad was concerned. I expected violence there.”
“It’s an unpredictable situation,” Chaser said.
“The minute I give the word, we’ll round up those loyal to Marini,” Gasket explained. “Once we’ve got him locked down, the others will fall back and surrender. Without a leader, they’ll scatter.”
“What then? Are you just going to lock them up forever?” I asked.
“He’ll force them to choose,” Chaser replied. “Pledge allegiance to the new world order or…”
I felt sick, and I turned my face away before I dry retched. I would’ve had to do the same thing if I was still in charge of all this. It was yet another glaring indicator I wasn’t cut out for leadership. I was Marini’s daughter, but I didn’t have the smarts to lead Fortitude. Never did.
“It’s the way things are done,” Gasket said. “And the only thing these men will respond to.”
“It’s the best way to save lives,” Chaser said. “We need to neutralize Marini as soon as possible.”
“You’ve thought about this before,” I drawled. “Haven’t you?”
“Let’s just say this isn’t the first seed I’ve planted.” Well, this was new.
“Typical.”
“Wait for my signal,” Gasket said, climbing to his feet. “And be ready to move.”
“Is that it? What are we supposed to do?” I asked, completely confused.
He smiled and strode across the roof, the door screeching as he opened it.
I glanced at Chaser, and he shrugged.
“You better get some sleep,” he murmured, kissing my forehead. “I don’t know when we’ll get another chance.”
I glanced toward the door where Gasket had disappeared.
“He knows what he’s doing,” Chaser said. “He’ll have a plan.”
“I hope so,” I muttered. “I really fucking hope so.”
Chapter 20
Sloane
I couldn’t sleep. Not that night or the next.
I tossed and turned, my body sluggish yet wired to blow. It was a weird sensation, being on the edge of such a jagged cliff.
Fortitude went about business as usual, yet there was something in the air that didn’t sit well with me. The garage was quieter than usual, the metallic clangs and the blaring rock music dulled as if I were swimming underwater. I knew Gasket was going to give the order soon, but not knowing was making me break out into hives.
My head swam with what-ifs and worst-case scenarios until the night after the meeting on the roof when there was a knock at my bedroom door.
Thump, thump, thump.
My heart hammered in my chest, and I sat up in bed, swiping at the sweat beading on my forehead. I rubbed at the dampness under my boobs as well, cursing the heat and the sweats caused mostly by nervousness.
“Sloane.”
Chaser. Sliding out of bed, I stuffed my feet into my boots and unlocked the door. He slipped through the crack and enveloped me in his muscled arms. He smelled like spice and musk with a tang of sweaty boy stink. Usually, it was rank, but it worked on him. His pheromones were calling out to mine, but this nighttime appearance wasn’t about sex even though I was thirsting for it.
“Is it time?” I asked, holding him tight.
He buried his nose in my hair and breathed deeply.
“Chaser?”
“They’re already on the move,” he replied. “They’re moving the women to a secure location within the compound. When they’re safe, they will corral the men pledged to Marini, then take him.”
I snorted, the notion of women being guarded like lost kittens not sitting well, but I knew it was the right thing to do. A lot of the women I’d made friends with weren’t fighters. They didn’t even know how to fire a gun, which struck me as strange considering where they lived, but I suppose they relied heavily on their men for protection. Maybe, when this was all over, I could teach them. Give them some power of their own.
“I need a gun,” I said, pulling away from him.
“Sloane, you can’t go out there,” Chaser said, holding me back. “Gasket’s got this.”
“I won’t sit back and let everyone else do the dirty work,” I argued. “I wanted this, and I will be a part of it. I’m prepared to face Marini.”
“I can’t let you put yourself in danger.”
“We aren’t on the road anymore,” I said, placing my palms on his chest. “You don’t have to put yourself in between every bullet. Not anymore.”
“This isn’t the same,” he murmured. “This is more than that ever was. There’s more to lose than ever.”
He was right, but this was about saving my own ass from being sold off to the Hollow Men. It was about paying back Marini for all the shit he put me through as a child. It was about my mom and her death at the hands of the Venturas MC. It was about protecting all the women still within these walls.
“I was the catalyst, Chaser,” I said. “Everything we’ve done has led to this moment. There are people out there I swore to protect, and I can’t do that from in here. I have to see this through.”
“Gasket and I will go after Marini,” Chaser said. “Go with Hopper and protect the women.”
I knew I was being kicked down a few rungs, but I would take it. I wasn’t sure I could face my father and point a gun at his face and not falter. That was an admission I had to face now or potentially suffer the consequences for in the heat of the moment. Chaser and his irritable ass had taught me something on the road, after all.
“Where are they?”
“The upstairs kitchen.”
I made to turn, but I hesitated. He had to know how important this was to me, right? I wanted my father to know I had a hand in his downfall. I wanted to see the look on his face when I walked into the room. When I saw him, I would finally know how he truly felt about me.
“I want to look him in the eye and…” I didn’t know what I would say to him. All this time planning and plotting and I hadn’t thought about what I’d say to him.
Chaser grasped my waist and squeezed. “You’ll get your chance.”
Reaching up, I kissed him softly on the lips. I would tell him to be safe, but Chaser didn’t need good-luck charms. I edged around him and made for the door. Game on.
“Sloane?” I turned. “Take the back stairs, okay?”
I nodded, leaving Chaser to go his own way.
The way was clear as I powered up the stairs and into the upper level. Ahead, light was trickling out from underneath the door, and I could hear murmuring coming from the kitch
en. Seemed everyone was already in residence.
I rapped my knuckles on the door, and it inched open, revealing Hopper. I didn’t know him well, but ever since I’d helped Sam get out of Fortitude, he’d softened toward me. It also helped I’d won over his woman, Shondra, too. It was comforting to know not all bikers around here were into owning women.
“Come in,” he said, opening the door so I could slide through.
“Sloane?” Shondra stood as I entered, looking on the verge of tears. “What’s going on?”
I glanced at Hopper, who only shrugged. He’d told them shit all, so no wonder everyone looked shaken.
“Something big is going down,” I said, glancing around the room.
“Like what?” It was a woman I’d never spoken to before but had seen around the compound.
“Sloane, be real with us, girl,” Emily said.
“Hopper won’t tell us anything, and I suck his cock on a daily basis,” Shondra declared, rolling her eyes.
“He won’t let us leave,” Raquel complained.
“I can’t even get Stewie on his cell,” Kelly added. “There’s no job on, is there?”
I sucked in a deep breath. How did you tell someone their whole life was about to change? If this went badly, who knew what was going to happen to them. Gasket’s plan was simple, but there was still so many things that could go wrong.
“Fortitude is undergoing a change in management,” I said straight up. “You’re in here so we can protect you from the fallout.”
“I knew it,” Sierra exclaimed.
“You did not, bitch,” Shondra spat.
“It’ll all be over soon,” I reassured her.
“Who’s leading?” Kelly asked, glancing at Hopper. “Who’s taking down Marini? Chaser?”
Hopper narrowed his eyes, aware she had the hots for a man who wasn’t his buddy Stewie.
“Fuck, no,” he drawled. “It’s Gasket.”
The room full of women visibly relaxed and talked among themselves. It seemed the old man’s popularity extended to the female population and the big, bad, burly bikers.
Pop, pop, pop. My head spun toward the door, and Hopper straightened up, reaching for his gun. Was that an automatic weapon? Shit.