by Dana Arden
Rip stomps through the living room to the kitchen table and takes a seat. He slams his open palm on the table. “Chaotic’s have a fucking seat so we can get this over with and move on. We’ve got a lot of shit to go over and not a lot of time.” The six-seater table isn’t going to hold the twenty odd brothers that are filling up the room, so most are standing as Beanie directs me to a chair at the opposite end from Rip. He doesn’t even sit. He stands behind me, which makes the rage burn hotter. “Tonight has been both productive and devastating. Beanie, can you please fill us in on what happen at Wonderland.”
“Razz and I had no problems until she was approached by a submissive. He requested a private scene and she agreed.” A growl emanates from my chest, but Beanie ignores it. “I was in the observation room from start to finish. The scene was going as expected until the lights flickered and went out.” He takes a deep breath and exhales. “When the lights came back on, Razz was gone.”
I stand up abruptly and turn on Beanie. I push him against the wall and yell. “What the fuck do you mean she was gone? The whole point of those fucking trackers was so we’d know where she was and we could get to her fast. Now tell me where is Razz.”
“Brother, you need to settle down and listen. Fucking me up won’t solve anything.” I step back. “Before we went into Wonderland, Razz told me that if she was taken to let them take her and not come after her until her tracker was still.”
I don’t even let him finish before I slam my fist into his cheek. It takes Roadie and Spook to hold me back from going on full attack.
“Trigger, I didn’t want to agree, but you know Razz. You know that those people and kids are her number one priority. You’ve got to have faith in her.”
Mad Dog forcefully sets his laptop on the table and turns up the volume. “Listen to this.”
The voice is easily recognizable as Razz’s even though it’s muffled.
I’m fine. Please let Trigger know that I’m fine. They put a hood over my head so I don’t know exactly where I am, but from the inside, it looks like a barn. My earrings are still in place so hopefully you’re able to track me and hear me. There are six women and one of them is Darla West. There are five men and one of them is Garrett Wilder. I’m not sure where the kids are, but I can hear them crying, so their close. Please don’t come here until they attempt the kidnapping at the rental.
Trigger, I’m sure you’re pissed at me but I’m good. Please know that this was the only logical way to take this operation down.
Farrah was the first person I saw along with the receptionist and the submissive from Wonderland. You need to put a tail on the owners. I was taken through hidden passages through the walls of the club.
Mad Dog turns down the volume and pulls up the tracker. We compare the addresses and they are one in the same.
Greer wrapping her arms around my waist gives little comfort. “She’ll be okay, Trigger. Hopefully, these fuckers won’t wait to take on the rental.”
“Listen to her.” Rip says gruffly. “The rental is surrounded and Duke is hiding out inside. As soon as we get word, we’ll raid Razz’s location and get her back. Just think of how good it’s going to feel to tan her ass.” He chuckles, but my mind doesn’t care for the joke even if it was to ease the tension in the room.
***
Razz
Listening to those poor babies cry and whimper is upsetting, but what’s worse is watching their parents fighting to get loose to get to them, but being defeated by the binds that hold them back.
The rancid smell of piss and shit overwhelmed me when I first entered, but the longer I take in the fumes, the more I can’t smell at all.
Farrah strutting around in her designer clothes pisses me off since every one of her prisoners is in threadbare clothes or none at all. Watching her in action puts Dimitri’s reputation to shame. She’s brutal. I’ve listened to her bitching at someone on the phone about making the pick up or they don’t get their cut for the past twenty minutes.
These people are not flesh and blood to her. More like dollar signs and a new Gucci bag. I can’t wait to see the life leave her eyes when the Chaotic’s take their retribution. She better enjoy having her riches and plush clothes, because before too long, she’s going to be enjoying dirt, bugs and the flaming fires of hell.
I know this is what I wanted, but I’m hoping and praying that the dumbasses get locked in our trap and we can get rescued from this hellhole.
Chapter 22
Trigger
It’s been six hours since Razz was taken and there’s been no activity at the rental. Sleep is absent and exhaustion is a new high. I haven’t left my spot from the table. I’ve sat here with Mad Dog’s laptop so I can listen to her breaths as well as the occasional words spoken to the people surrounding her.
Even in the worst situation, she’s trying to give these people something to believe in. She’s giving them the hope that they’ll get out of their prison soon.
Eight hours abducted. Still no luck with the rental and I’m hoping that Razz is asleep since I haven’t heard a peep out of her.
Nine hours abducted. A piercing scream brings me out of my daze and has the men rushing to the kitchen. Turning up the volume, we can hear shuffling and indications of a fight breaking out. Razz begins to speak.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Ya’ll need to get here. There are men in suits surveying us and the children.
That’s all she needs to say for me to get off my ass and rush to the Tahoe with Spook, Beanie and Duke hopping in. It takes us less than ten minutes to get to the address.
We park on the side of the road as two more SUV’s park and multiple bikes. On both sides of the road, there are woods. We take the left side of the driveway using the woods as cover. The longer we walk the closer we get to a barn that is probably condemned. Half the barn is missing a roof and several planks of wood are missing from the sides. Parked in front of the barn door are two SUV’s, Farrah’s car and a silver BMW.
Before we can even step foot in the clearing, a black armored truck speeds towards the barn slamming on the brakes as several men in SWAT gear clamber out of the back with Mad Dog filling in the rear.
We slowly approach Mad Dog and watch him hand signal his men to proceed with caution and stay alert. The flimsy barn door opens as the first of his men pass through and then the gun fire echoes through the barn.
We follow Mad Dog as he has his men split up. The gun fire cease after a few minutes and we come to an opening with Razz standing in the middle, gun pressed to her temple and a heavyset Hispanic man with his hand wrapped around her throat.
She doesn’t make eye contact with me, but her eyes stay glued to Mad Dog.
The man begins to speak in Spanish. “Sus armas o la muchacha muere.” Your weapons or the girl dies.
No one responds to him, so he repeats himself aggravated loosening his grip on Razz’s neck. Mad Dog nods and Razz blinks her eyes.
In a hazy second in this horrible nightmare, Razz lifts her right foot and power drives it into the man’s foot. At the same time, she bends and falls face first into the dirt. Several shots are fired in succession. I watch as the man and his associates fall to the ground from the lovely holes that decorate the middle of their foreheads.
Once the dust clears, I charge in Razz’s direction as she slowly starts to rise to her feet. I wrap her tightly against my chest rubbing her back and gripping her hair pulling it away from my chest. Our mouths collide in an intense kiss that pours our love and affection for each other in it.
Cries, screams and whimpering bring us out of our moment and we watch as ten children are carried out of the small room they were gathered in. The adults have been unbound and are taking their children in their arms.
As the barn begins to clear, there are still a little boy and girl standing off to the side looking around the room. I tug on Razz’s hair and nod towards their direction. She goes to them kneeling in front of them talking softly as they collapse in her arms sobbing
.
She meets my eyes with her wet ones and I can only imagine the hell these kids are going through. She stands with the little girl in her arms and the little boy gripped tightly at her side with his head tucked into her stomach.
I follow behind her as she maneuvers around the crowd and heads towards an open ambulance door. The EMT bends in front of the little boy, but he hides deeper into Razz’s side. I come up behind her as the little girl watches me timidly approach.
“Hi, honey.” I whisper. “Can I hold you so Razz can help the little boy get looked over?” She nods slowly and I hold my arms out for her. Razz releases her and the little girl buries her cold nose into my neck. “What’s your name, sweetie?”
“Emerson.” She mumbles.
“It’s nice to meet you, Emerson. My name is Trigger.” She nods slowly and her body relaxes.
Razz picks up the little boy and he latches on to her like his life depends on it. The EMT works around Razz to check his vitals and for any evident injury. After a few more minutes of prodding, he steps to me to check out Emerson.
She’s fallen asleep in my arms and I’m able to set her on the cot. The EMT does the same as he did for the little boy except it goes by a lot faster.
The diagnosis for the kids is dehydration. He recommended taking the kids to the hospital, but we declined the ride and let him know that we would take them.
Picking Emerson up and cradling her back to my chest, I find Razz in deep conversation with Mad Dog.
“I don’t give a shit about protocol, Mad Dog.” She whisper yells. “I’m taking them to the hospital and you can have CPS come there. Then, I’m leaving with these kids and they are going to stay with me until everything has settled.”
“CPS is not going to let you keep the kids, Razz.”
“Watch them.” With that she walks determinedly towards the Tahoe that someone pulled up closer to the barn.
Razz climbs into the back with the little boy on her lap. I look to Spook giving him a chin lift as I climb in next to her with Emerson in my lap.
The ride to the hospital is quiet with Spook driving and Beanie in the passenger seat. Razz’s head is pressed against my shoulder and even though the past couple of days have been shit, I wouldn’t give up the feel of her against me.
Chapter 23
Razz
Arriving at the Emergency Room, we were immediately seen. We made sure that Emerson and Xander were in the same room. I don’t want to separate them anymore than I have to.
The nurse started IV’s since the kids were dehydrated and Spook and Beanie left to get the food the kids wanted, McDonald’s.
As they’re eating their cheeseburger Happy Meals, Ruth from CPS comes into the room getting very little information from the kids. They shy away from everyone except Trigger and me.
I sit next to Xander and coax him to give me the information Ruth needs. “Xander, what’s your last name?”
“Sharp.” He mumbles.
“Was your mom or aunt in the barn with you?”
“I don’t know. My mom was taken and we went to stay with Aunt Georgie. Men with masks took us out of our beds and we couldn’t see. They put us in that room with the other kids. I only saw a lady and a man.”
“Emerson is your sister, yes?”
His brown disheveled hair moves with his nod and his vacant ocean blue eyes torment my heart.
Ruth rises from her seat in the corner. “Thank you, Raquel for helping out. I’ll be back in an hour to take the kids with me.”
“Ruth, I’m certified to foster and I would much rather they come home with me tonight. You’re welcome to follow us there and do the house inspection.”
“I’d have to check all that information before I can allow it.”
“I understand. If you need character verifications, I have a waiting room full of people as well as a Federal Agent who would be willing to vouch for me.”
Ruth smiles. “Give me time to do what I need to do on my end.”
I nod and she leaves.
Glancing over to Trigger with Emerson tucked to his side as she eats, his eye penetrate me. “You amaze me every day, Razz.”
“Thank you. Everyone should want to help others and I can’t see these kids getting separated or end up in a crappy home.”
“True, but how many people do you know who actually would.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything I haven’t witnessed walking down the streets of Atlanta and watching people pass the homeless with their noses in the air.”
Looking around the hospital room, the picture is déjà vu to my dream. The man I love and the kids to round us out.
What’s the sayings, dream big, work hard, well I’ve got both of those in the bag.
Chapter 24
Trigger
Razz got what she wanted. When the children were discharged from the hospital, they went home with us to her Florida home.
The children are experiencing detachment issues when it comes to us. Emerson’s attached to me as Xander is to Razz. It’s to the point where I had to take the queen mattress out of one of the spare rooms and put it on the master bedroom floor where Razz and I are sleeping.
I have my own detachment issues. I can’t seem to detach myself from Razz’s side. Having her taken and not knowing the outcome was devastating. I don’t think I could ever handle her leaving me.
Funny how I thought my love for Sadie was indestructible, but she managed to destroy it. My love for Razz is irreplaceable. Razz doesn’t brush me off. She listens intently to what I have to say and adds her two cents. She shows me in some way or another every day that she cares for me. I don’t have to second guess her intentions.
She knows me.
She gets me.
She enjoys acting foolish with me.
She’s always been by my side even when I didn’t know she was there.
She’ll always be by my side regardless of the situation.
How do I know?
Because that’s the woman Razz is. She’s steady. She cares for people that she doesn’t know and cares limitlessly for the people that she loves. I may not have had the proof until last week, but I should’ve known. My eyes are wide open now. Even the little shit about Razz sparkles. The way she makes sure everyone has had plenty to eat before she gets a second helping. The way she listens intently to someone even though she’s exhausted and overwhelmed. She does this because she makes sure everyone she comes into contact with knows that what they have to say is important and that their opinion matters.
Razz puts herself second. Selfless.
Sadie never put herself second. She demanded to have your attention regardless of what was going on in that person’s life. Selfish.
Razz gives her love freely.
Sadie didn’t give shit away freely.
If I told Razz I loved her today, I know she would tell me that she loved me too. I wouldn’t have had to wait years to hear the words fall from her lips.
Life is all about decisions. We make poor choices in life thinking they are the greatest ideas only to have them blow up in our faces. Our good choices are usually ones that we spent more time molding and cherishing.
See where I’m going with this. I flew into wanting a life with Sadie without sitting back and taking in the pros and cons. Our relationship wasn’t molded through friendship or shared life encounters. It was fringed with want and desire to have what I thought would make me happy at the time. The challenge of having Sadie blinded me from what was right under my nose for years.
With Razz, I don’t have to work for it. It’s natural. There’s no fake emotion. There’s give and take. Not give, give, give and not receive the same in return.
It’s time for me to solidify our relationship. We have friendship down pat. I need to prove to her that I’m all in this time.
Chapter 25
Trigger
An early Monday morning knock on the door began a week of information overload and overwhelming grief.<
br />
The first to appear on the doorstep was Mad Dog. None of his information gave us relief. The men that were shot down were a part of the Diablo’s, a wannabe cartel. Farrah somehow escaped during the raid. The sub, the receptionist and Brad Knowles, one of the owners of Wonderland were taken into custody. That last bit was a relief, because at least someone was being held accountable for their crimes.
The second to appear on our doorstep was Officer Dwight from the local PD letting us know that Maggie Sharp and her aunt Georgie were found behind the barn in a shallow grave. Breaking the news to two children who had already lost their dad a few years ago that they’d never see their mom and aunt again was torture.
The crying and the questions were endless. The only answers we had were that Razz and I were going to do everything possible to make sure that they stayed together and that they were loved.
A midnight knock on our door on Tuesday brought about some more relief. Sandy informed us that Roadie had seen Farrah run from the back of the barn and escape into the woods. He followed her and in Chaotic’s fashion caught up with her ass and hauled her back to the Clubhouse once the smoke cleared.
Needless to say Greer is getting her retribution on the one woman who was meant to protect her, but failed in every way imaginable.
Wednesday morning, we had a meeting with Ruth. She let us know that the only blood relatives the kids have are Maggie’s parents who are estranged. They didn’t want to uproot their comfortable life with the responsibility of taking care of two young kids. Nice folks. We, also, found out that we could take the kids back to Cumming. We’re hoping that a change of scenery will help them.
You want to know the kicker about this middle of the week visit. Razz filled out adoption papers for the kids. Ruth told her not to get her hopes up because even though she may be financially stable there may be other factors that could change the outcome. When asked what those factors were, the main one was because she was married.