There were two nine millimeter handguns at my waist, extra clips in my pockets, a large knife at the small of my back, another knife in my boot, and two sets of throwing knives attached to my belt. I’d come prepared, and had plenty of ammo stashed in my saddlebags on the bike. I might not be able to take out every Chapter, but I could at least get rid of the problems closest to my woman. From what I could see, the bastards I’d hit this morning and this group were Nomads and didn’t have allegiance to a particular Chapter of the Chaos Killers, which meant it was possible they wouldn’t be missed for a bit. Vi should feel safe in her own home. The fact she didn’t pissed me off and I was going to make these fuckers pay.
I slipped up behind one of them, placed my hand over his mouth and held tight as he struggled. With one smooth swipe, I used one of my knives to slice his throat. He gurgled, and once he stopped fighting to break free, I let his body slump to the floor. His sightless eyes were staring at the ceiling and I sneered down at him. I hauled my foot back and kicked the asshole in the ribs, not that he could feel it. One down, five more to go. Unless there were a few I hadn’t seen during my surveillance.
As much as I wanted to make them suffer, to draw things out, I knew that wouldn’t be wise. I didn’t have backup, and if they figured out someone was taking them down, then it would be harder to kill them all. I’d taken down two more, slitting their throats and stabbing them through the heart, before someone realized what was happening. Unfortunately, there weren’t three left. There were six, and they were actively searching for me.
The building didn’t offer much in the way of places to hide, so I blended with the shadows as best I could and bided my time. I picked them off one at a time, using my knives so I could move silently and not give away my location, until I was down to two who had partnered up, apparently smarter than the rest. Not that the safety in numbers shit was going to help them. I pulled one of my guns, and when the perfect opportunity presented itself, I put a bullet between their eyes. After I made sure the building was clear, I checked the next location and got back on my bike. Knowing that Surge would try to track me once it was discovered I’d gone missing, I’d shut off my GPS. Didn’t mean someone hadn’t planted a tracker on my bike, but since no one had tried to stop me yet, I didn’t think that was likely.
I got to the third location within twenty minutes, and had to wonder why there were so many of them so close together. From what I could tell, they looked like temporary setups, something that had happened over past few months. Until they’d shot Spider, none of us had given them much thought, but I was wishing that we had. It was one thing to gather the Chapters, but none of these were part of a particular Chapter, and they were all spread out. Each location had been fifteen to twenty minutes from the previous one. There was a bad feeling in my gut that said I was missing something huge. It wasn’t until I’d observed the third spot that I realized what was going on. The Nomads were gathering women and young girls. Three were dragged into the building, bound and gagged. My heart hammered in my chest, and I knew there was no fucking way I could get in there and take out the fuckers without risking them killing every innocent they’d snatched.
“Your Pres isn’t going to be very happy with you,” said a voice from behind me.
I spun, my gun in my hand before I’d even thought about drawing it. The man who came out of the shadows was dressed all in black, but it was the ink that drew my attention. When I lifted my gaze to his, I knew that I was well and truly fucked. If there was one thing I knew, it was don’t piss off certain men. You don’t piss off your Pres, you don’t piss off another club’s Pres without expecting retaliations, and you sure the fuck don’t piss off Casper VanHorne or Specter.
“Thought you were busy with personal shit,” I said.
Casper shrugged. “I was going to deal with my wife, something I’ve needed to handle for a while. Then I got a call from Specter saying someone was looking into the Chaos Killers in this area. Decided to check it out, and what do I find? You, fucking shit up.”
“Am I supposed to sit on my ass while my woman is in danger? Or while they’re in danger?” I asked, pointing to the women and girls now disappearing into the building. “I’m sorry, but I’m not wired that way.”
“You can’t take out that building on your own,” Casper said. “It’s not some falling-down shack like the last two places you hit, which I’m having cleaned up. Thanks for the extra work. You made a fucking mess.”
“They deserved worse.”
Casper shrugged. “These men are bad, but there are worse monsters out there. At least the Chaos Killers don’t hide their true faces, they aren’t like the men and women who place the bids that torture the victims, or those who purchase them after. They aren’t hiding behind computers and false accounts. I’d rather face a monster that doesn’t try to pass itself as a human.”
I could understand that. Didn’t mean that I wasn’t going to find a way into that building and remove the threat. I watched, trying to figure out if they had security other than the armed men. I didn’t notice cameras on the outside of the building, but that didn’t mean they weren’t discreet.
“If you’re determined to do this, you’re going to need help,” Casper said.
I eyed him. “Aren’t you getting a little old for this?”
He arched an eyebrow and just stared. It was the most unnerving look I’d ever received and I was wishing I’d kept my fucking mouth shut. I’d heard about VanHorne and what he was capable of, but I also knew he was getting older. Not that age seemed to be slowing Spider. Once a badass always a badass.
“You want help or not, boy?” he asked.
“I want my woman to feel safe,” I said.
He nodded. “Then sit and wait. I have backup coming and they’ll be here in about fifteen minutes. No way to get those women and girls out with just two of us. The second we make a move, they’ll be in danger.”
I could wait fifteen minutes. I’d wait longer if it meant these fuckers wouldn’t be walking out of here or hurting anyone ever again. As the minutes ticked by, I studied the structure from every angle, quietly walking through the wooded area so I could see how many armed men were outside and if they had any patterns they followed. When I made my way back to Casper, I froze and stared at the men standing with him. Their cuts didn’t have any words, other than their names. But the colors stitched to both the front and back told me enough.
“They’re here to help,” Casper said. “If you still intend to do this, you aren’t going it alone. Or…”
“Or what?” I asked.
“You can go home to Violeta and let us take out the trash. Specter already has his pawns in place to hit the Chaos Killers full force, and the Devil’s Boneyard are going to extract the girl your club promised to save.”
“I owe it to her to take them out, to end their reign of terror. The women and children they’ve taken deserved justice,” I said.
“And Violeta deserves to have the man she loves return to her in one piece,” he said softly. “Go home to your fiancée. We can handle these men while Specter takes care of the rest. You’ve done your share, Rocket. Let someone else step in now.”
I glanced at the men standing with him, then looked at the building again. He was right. If I went in there and didn’t come back out, then Violeta would be alone, and she’d never forgive me. I couldn’t do that to her, couldn’t leave her forever. Rubbing the back of my neck, I knew that VanHorne was right. I needed to step back and let someone else finish what I’d started today.
“You have my word that none will survive,” Casper said.
“You’ve done your part,” said one of the men, his voice scratchy like he’d smoked a pack a day for years. “Now let us do ours.”
I nodded and stared at them a moment, then walked to where I’d stashed my bike. I turned my GPS back on before sending Surge a message that I was on my way home, then set my phone to do-not-disturb mode. They could track me if they needed to, but I
wasn’t ready to talk just yet. I knew I was in for the ass-chewing of a lifetime, but I wouldn’t change a damn thing. Well, except scaring Vi. I had no doubt that she’d been terrified, and I felt like a complete dick for doing that to her, but if I’d told her what I planned she’d have tried to talk me out of it.
I was about fifteen minutes from town when I picked up an escort. Knox and Yankee flanked me, but I heard others behind me. When I pulled through the compound gates, I stopped my bike but didn’t turn it off. Yankee glared and even Knox looked pissed the fuck off.
“The Pres would like a word with you,” Yankee said. “Several in fact.”
“I need to see Vi and let her know I’m all right.”
“She’s taken care of,” Knox said. “Teller is with her, and Dread has been trying to force-feed her. She was so fucking worried about you that she came to the clubhouse, then ended up puking when she realized you were missing and no one knew where the fuck you were.”
I winced and an ache started in my chest. I’d fucked up, I could admit that, but I’d done what I thought was right.
“Where’s Spider?” I asked.
“In his office at the clubhouse,” Knox said.
I pulled over to the clubhouse and parked my bike, then went inside. I saw that we’d gained a few guests since I’d been gone. Despite the fact I wanted to go straight home to see Vi, I made myself walk back to Spider’s office, wondering if I’d be tossed from the club or if he’d let me stay for Vi’s sake if nothing else. I knew I shouldn’t have taken off the way I had, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat if it meant that Vi would be safe, along with all the other women those bastards had stolen and abused.
Knocking on Spider’s door, I didn’t wait before pushing it open and stepping inside, then pulled it shut behind me.
“Congratulations, you’re a fuck-up,” Spider said.
“I know I shouldn’t have left like that, but it felt wrong asking someone else to take care of the problem. They hurt Violeta, could have killed her.”
He nodded. “Yes, they could have, and you made those men pay. It wasn’t necessary for you to take off after the others. Casper wanted you to know the third location was handled and the women and kids were safe.”
Spider went quiet after that, just watching me. His silence was scarier than if he’d started yelling and cussing at me. I tried to wait him out, but I needed to know where I stood.
“Do I need to turn in my cut and leave?” I asked.
“No. But I do need to make an example of you so someone else doesn’t try this shit. Tossing you from the club would only hurt Violeta, and Luciana. Besides, you have responsibilities at home. Can’t have you drifting out there with no purpose or way to earn money.”
“Responsibilities? If you mean Vi, then I already know I fucked up. I didn’t want to scare her, but I felt like I needed to handle this.”
Spider leaned back in his chair, making the leather creak. “I’m not going to demand your patch, but I’m going to cut your share of the profits for the next three months while you prove you can follow orders. However, that being said, your woman needs medical attention you can’t afford it, send her to me. I’m not going to have her suffer for your stupidity.”
“How much of a cut?” I asked.
“I’m going to cut your share by thirty percent. I’d slash more than that, but I don’t want Violeta to suffer as well. While I don’t mind covering medical expenses, anything else she needs will still be your responsibility. After three months, if you haven’t fucked up and I think I can trust you to do as you’re told, then I’ll give your full share to you moving forward.” Spider put his hands behind his head. “I understand why you did it, Rocket, but it doesn’t make it right. You scared the shit out of your woman, and had all of us scrambling to find you when we could have focused our efforts elsewhere. It was a selfish, shitty thing to do. I expect better from you.”
“Sorry, Pres. I know I fucked up, but it was something I felt needed to be done. I’ll take the punishment without complaint, but I’d really like to go see Vi now.”
He nodded. “You do that. Be careful with her, Rocket. I know you think she’s strong, and in some ways, she is, but I watched that girl break today when she thought something had happened to you.”
I swallowed hard and left, not stopping to say hi to anyone. I needed to get home, see my woman, and assure her that I was fine, and that I wouldn’t pull this shit ever again. No matter how much I wanted vengeance or to wipe out any threat to her, I’d handle it in a way that wouldn’t worry her. Or at least, in a way that allowed her to know where I was.
My house was quiet when I pulled into the driveway and I saw Dread’s bike, as well as Fox’s. The fact the club doctor and the VP were here made my gut clench. Had something happened to Vi and Spider just hadn’t told me? He’d said that I’d scared her. Was there more to it than that? I hurried inside and stopped in the doorway to the living room.
Vi was stretched out on her side, her head in Teller’s lap while he smoothed his hand over her hair. Even though her eyes were closed, I could tell she’d been crying. Dread and Fox both sent a glare my way, and even Teller didn’t look that impressed with me at the moment. I quietly approached and knelt next to the couch, then ran my fingers down Violeta’s cheek. Her lashes fluttered, then her eyes opened.
She stared a moment, then tears started slipping down her cheeks as she launched herself into my arms. I caught her, holding her against my chest, as she cried. Teller got up and joined Fox and Dread on the other side of the room.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I never meant to scare you.”
“I thought you were hurt, or dead. I didn’t know where you’d gone or why. You just… left. You left me,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Never, Vi. I’d never leave you,” I promised. “I love you, so fucking much. I’m sorry I was a dumbass and didn’t tell you where I was going, or at least that I’d be gone a while.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Dread and Fox. “Can I have a minute alone with her?”
“Don’t upset her,” Dread said. “The stress isn’t good for her.”
My heart slammed against my ribs as I contemplated what that meant exactly. Was there something wrong with my Vi? I knew stress wasn’t good for anyone, but he made it sound like there was something else going on. After they left, and Violeta managed to stop crying, I sat on the couch and held her.
“Something you need to tell me?” I asked.
“You didn’t just leave me,” she said, then grabbed my hand and placed it on her belly. “You left us.”
Us? I looked at my hand, then lifted my gaze to hers. Pregnant? Vi was pregnant? “You mean we’re having a baby?” I asked.
She nodded. “Dread made me take a test when I threw up earlier, but I still say it was just the stress and fear over you being gone. I’d been fine until then, so I doubt it was morning sickness.”
“I’m in a bit of trouble with Spider,” I said. “He’s cutting the percentage I get from the club by thirty percent for the next three months. At least now I understand why it wasn’t worse. He’d said he didn’t want you to suffer for my stupidity, but he knows about the baby, doesn’t he?”
“Dread told him.”
“Casper VanHorne, Specter, and an MC that shall go unnamed right now are taking care of the Chaos Killers. Casper said that the Devil’s Boneyard are going after Addie. Not sure if anyone knows where to find Marcus, or if he’s even still alive,” I said. “But you’re safe. At least, from the Chaos Killers. I can’t promise my way of life won’t bring more trouble to the door later.”
“Then we’ll face it together. Right?” she asked, staring at me expectantly.
“Right. No more lies about where I’m going. I won’t keep you in the dark about anything, unless Spider says otherwise. If the Pres says not to tell you, then I won’t. I’ve fucked up enough already.” I ran my hand up and down her thigh. “Any special instructions for this pregnancy? Thing
s you aren’t supposed to eat, drink? Things you can’t do?”
She stared at me. “Is that your way of asking if we can still have sex?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe.”
“You’re such a guy. Is sex all you think about?” she asked, her eyes flashing with amusement.
I rubbed my hand against my beard. “Well, when it comes to you? Pretty much. Even when I shouldn’t have been thinking of you that way, my dick still got hard. Then I hated myself for it, but now you’re my fiancée. I figure I’m allowed to think about you naked every few minutes.”
“Dread didn’t say anything about not having sex. He’s concerned that if I get overly anxious that I could miscarry, since I couldn’t carry a pregnancy to term before, and with Luciana miscarrying not that long ago… Well, he just wants to make sure everything turns out all right.”
“She can have sex,” Dread said from the doorway. “Just take it easy. If there’s any spotting or all out bleeding, then take her to the ER. I loaded your fridge and cabinets with healthy food and drinks for her. It would be a good idea for her to cut out caffeine completely. I also set an appointment for her with an OB-GYN in town, someone I trust to treat her right and not fuck up anything. I put the card on your fridge. Spider arranged for the club to be billed for any visits for the next few months.”
“We’re heading out and taking Teller with us,” Fox said. “Until we get word that Addie is safe, Marcus has been located, and the Chaos Killers have been eliminated, we’re going to do routine patrols by your house. Not taking any chances.”
“Thanks.” I hesitated. “And thank you for taking care of her today while I was gone.”
“She’s family,” Fox said. “Simple as that. You do something stupid that keeps you from coming home one day, we’ll watch over her and your kid. But you should probably curb that desire to run off and do shit you know will piss off Spider. Just sayin’.”
Rocket (Hades Abyss MC 2) Page 12