by Cat Mason
That shit doesn’t fly.
Rabbit, Merc’s V.P., shoves the woman off his lap, stands, and heads my way. “Look what the cat dragged in,” he laughs, slapping Stone on the back. “Merc didn’t say you assholes were headin’ down.”
“Passing through,” Stone tells him. “Thought we’d stop and check in. He busy?”
“He’s back in his office,” the old man says with a smile. “I’ll take ya on back myself.”
“Appreciated,” Stone says, following Rabbit.
The Road Warrior Compound is considerably smaller than our own. Instead of having their buildings spread out across their property, things are kept tight. What the place lacks in size it makes up for in man power and security. This is one of the reasons Twisted Mayhem has worked so well with Merc and his crew in the past.
Inside, music is blaring and the alcohol is flowing. People are dancing and laughing, none of them even giving us a second thought. My senses go on high alert, looking over every inch of the room. My focus on finding Merc.
Rabbit takes us down a hallway, stopping at a closed door at the end, he knocks. “Yo!”
Opening the door, Rabbit steps inside the room, moving out of the way to make room for Stone and me. I clench my fists the moment I see Mercury sitting at the old oak desk, his face buried in the tits of the nearly naked blonde sitting in his lap. “Hard at work?” Stone asks, his tone calm.
Pulling back, Merc looks our way, a slow grin spreading across his face. “Wasn’t expectin’ to see you boys for at least a week,” he says, his hand moving to grip the woman’s ass.
“Quick stop. Need to know what Blip dug up,” Stone says, giving Merc rope to hang himself. “We need to move on Hammon.”
“Have a drink and grab yourself some pussy.” Merc waves us off. “I’ll get him in here after I finish with Heidi.”
“No,” Stone says, shaking his head. “You’ll stop feedin’ me bullshit and do what I said. Party’s over, Merc. Put away your toy.”
“Dangerous move, Stone. Walkin’ into a man’s clubhouse, barkin’ orders like your patch means somethin’ here.” Merc’s stare hardens, his grip tightening on the woman, making her yelp. “Best you remember who’s territory you’re in, Brother. Show respect to the ranks.”
“I’ll show respect to any man inside this fence,” Stone grounds out. Stepping forward, he braces his hands on the desk, leaning in as he stares Merc down. “Long as he’s earned it.”
“You’ll wanna watch how you talk to me,” he warns. “You’re burnin’ a significant bridge here, Stone.”
“You set fire to that, motherfucker, not me,” Stone says, raising his voice. “It’s time you feel that heat off that, my friend.”
Sitting up in his chair, his eyes drifting between the two of us. “You heard the man, sweetheart,” he bites out, pushing her off his lap. Scrambling to her feet, she grabs her clothes and bolts around the desk, and out of the room.
Closing the door behind her, I lean back against it, crossing my arms over my chest. Not to intimidate. It is to keep me from storming across the room and beating this son of a bitch to death.
“You lied to me.” Sitting down in the chair opposite the desk, Stone scratches his chin. “You’ve been lying to everyone. Including your club.”
“What the hell’s he talkin’ about?” Rabbit blurts, looking to Merc.
“You’re the goddamn liar, Stone!” he roars, slamming his fist on the desk. “I want you two off my lot!” Standing to his feet, he rounds the desk, heading for Stone. “Now!”
Lunging, I grab him by the throat. Throwing him down on top of the desk, I squeeze until his eyes nearly bug out of his head. “You’re not callin’ the shots here anymore, Freddie,” I bite out, wanting nothing more than to strip every patch from his leather and shove them down his fucking throat.
“Enough!” Rabbit growls, pointing his gun at me. “Let him go or I end you right here.”
“You wanna kill me? Do it,” I challenge, keeping my eyes on Merc. I loosen my fingers, not wanting him to pass out. No, I want him awake and coherent for every fucking second of what I have in store for him. Grabbing onto my hand, he gasps for breath. “Your man is a traitor and a goddamn rat.”
“Don’t make this ugly, Colt,” Rabbit warns, taking a step toward us. “If that’s true, prove it. Let’s hash this out without a body count”
“Too late for that.” Springing up from the chair, Stone rips the gun from Rabbit’s hand, pinning him against the wall. Rabbit struggles, but gives up the moment Stone presses the gun to his temple. “Don’t want to make you part of the collateral damage. Huck considered you a friend. I do too. Hear me and think before you get yourself killed.” When Rabbit calms and nods slowly, Stone continues. “Every attack made on my club in the last few weeks has been traced back to Merc. I can prove he’s tied to Hammon. Wouldn’t be here if I couldn’t. Huck is dead. Trigger man or not, that blood is on your President’s hands. Now, I’ll share that proof with you and anyone else who needs to see it. But know that we’re here demanding that debt be satisfied once that’s been offered.”
He nods again. “Agreed.”
Releasing him, Stone steps back and tucks the gun into his waistband. Pulling a flash drive from his pocket, he holds it out to him. “It’s all there.”
Yanking Merc up, I shove him into the chair Stone was sitting in, wanting him to have a front row seat while Rabbit gets educated. Shielding himself defensively, Merc coughs and wheezes, fear crystal clear in his eyes while his number two rounds the desk. Pulling up the documents on the drive, Rabbit’s expression turns from defensive, to enraged. “You slimy rat bastard,” he hisses, grabbing the gun off the desk. Standing, he points it at Merc. “What have you done?”
“I did what I had to do!” Merc shouts, trying to shift out of the chair. “What was needed for the survival of this club.”
“Bullshit.” Tired of his excuses, I bust him in the mouth with the butt of my gun.
“Fuck,” he wails, spitting blood and part of a tooth onto his shirt. “Doesn’t matter what you do to me,” Merc chokes out, staring me down. “Killin’ me won’t stop Hammon from gettin’ what he wants.”
Stone turns away from watching Rabbit comb through the files. Arching a brow, he looks to Merc. “And that is?”
“Henley,” I answer. “He wants Henley.”
Stone’s eyes shoot to mine, worry etched across his face. “Where is she?”
“Work,” I answer, checking my watch.
“You put the prospect on her?” I nod. Grabbing the black cell phone from the desk, Stone slaps it against Merc’s chest. “Get Hammon on the phone.”
“Go to hell!” Merc spits, throwing the phone back at him.
Tired of his bullshit, I grab a fistful of Merc’s hair. “I’d try that again,” I warn, pressing the gun to his temple. “Moment you stop being valuable. You’re dead.”
“Silver phone in the top desk drawer,” he blurts, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. “He’s the only contact on it.”
Digging through the drawer with his free hand, Rabbit yanks out a stack of paperwork before tossing Stone the phone. After pressing a few buttons, he puts it on speaker phone, holding it up once it begins to ring. “Hello, Gentlemen,” Hammon says confidently. “You made good time I see.”
“Hammon,” Merc blurts. “You gotta—”
“Quiet, shithead,” I warn, ready to bash his face into the desk if he says another word. “Richie Rich won’t be savin’ your ass.”
“I have no reason to,” Hammon agrees.
“We had a deal!” Merc chokes out. “You can’t do this to me.”
“And it’s run its course.” Hammon’s reply is ice cold and dismissive. “Our arrangement was in exchange for money, Mr. Coleman. Not protection once your associates discovered the paper trail I left for them to find.”
“You son of a bitch!” Merc spits, fighting against me. “You threw me under the bus.”
“I’m afra
id it was warranted. I can’t have anything standing between me and Henley. Not when I am so close to getting everything I want.”
“Try it, motherfucker,” I warn, releasing Merc to grab the phone. “You even breathe in Henley’s direction I’ll make you beg to eat a bullet.”
“You know what this means, Merc,” Rabbit says calmly.
Mercury sits up, his eyes widening as he stares down the barrel of his V.P.’s gun. Squeezing the trigger, Rabbit unloads it into Merc’s chest. Tossing the gun down, he rounds the desk. Digging a pocket knife from his jeans, he slices through the threads on the President’s patch, removing it from Merc’s cut. Glaring down at the man, he tucks the patch in his pocket.
“Sorry to cut this short, gentlemen,” Hammon inform me, almost laughing. “I hate to keep a beautiful woman waiting.”
“Hammon, I swear to God—”
The line goes dead and my heart seizes in my chest.
Twenty-One
Henley
“Ten-hour shift,” Jace yawns, sounding like he did the shift for me, instead of spending the time flirting with nurses and emptying the vending machines. “You work that load every night?”
“Hardly,” I scoff, shouldering my bag. “They went easy on me tonight. That was lighter than normal.”
“How many of those hours you spend on your feet?”
“Out of ten?”
“Yeah.”
“All of them,” I fire back, focusing on my surroundings while we walk to my car. I hadn’t expected the lot to make me so nervous, but the lot is so quiet and eerie, I can’t help feeling a little deja vu. Not that the piss and vinegar mood I have been in since talking to Daniel has helped any. “Eh... If wanna get technical about it, I clocked out having done eleven hours and seven minutes. You work shifts like these you try not to sit. That only reminds your body that it’s tired.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, every inch of my body bristling the second I see the black Town Car parked at the far end of the lot. I freeze, my feet feeling like lead in my shoes. Jace stops and turns to face me. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah.” Blowing out a breath, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. “I guess talking about being tired is as bad as sitting down.” Patting him on the arm, I hand over my keys, my mind focusing getting the hell out of here and hopefully curing the funk I am currently in. “Take me home. I need a big bowl of PB and Cones ice cream, a bottomless glass of red wine, and at least two hours worth of Netflix.”
“You’re the boss,” he says, giving me a dorky mock salute before opening the passenger side door.
Climbing into the seat, I adjust the side mirror, giving me a perfect view of the town car. My phone vibrates again, pulling me from my attempt at analyzing the damn thing in the poorly lit lot. Swiping the screen, I see the missed call from Colt, along with half a dozen texts and a voicemail. Pressing play, I put the phone to my ear, eager to hear the sound of his voice.
“Jesus,” he curses, and I swear I can hear him yanking a hand through his hair. “On my way back. Call me when you get this.” My finger hovers over the button, ready to call Colt back to put his mind at ease. Until Jace opens the door and slides into the front seat. “Shit,” he grunts, staring down at his phone.
“What?” I ask, shifting in the seat to look at him.
“Nothin’,” he answers quickly, his body language changing from calm and laid back, to closed off. He fires off a text before starting the car. Backing out of the space, his body tense, fingers clutching the wheel so tightly I have no doubt it will leave indentations.
“Are you sure everything’s okay, Jace?” I ask nervously. “You’re acting weird.”
“Yeah.” His answer is immediate but lacks conviction. “It’s all good.”
“Right,” I breathe, righting myself before yanking on my seatbelt. Looking in the mirror again, I see the town car’s lights turn on before it pulls out of the space, following behind us at a distance. “You’re a shitty liar.”
Jace’s eyes shoot to mine, then to the rear-view mirror. “Fuckin’ awesome.” Laying on the gas, he peels out of the lot, tires squealing as he crosses through the two lanes of traffic, cutting off two cars before slowing down at all. “You fucking idiot!” Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I grip onto the console and door handle for dear life. “What the hell are you doing?”
“The goddamn hokey pokey,” he mutters, keeping his eyes on the road. “What the fuck does it look like?”
“Looks more like you’re practicing for your fifteen minutes of fame on Live PD,” I seethe, slapping his arm. “Wanna slow it down before I hurl in your lap?”
Jace doesn’t slow down, but he does lay off the weaving and hard turns that have me waiting for my poor vehicle to roll the rest of the way to my house like a freaking tumbleweed. Pulling up in front of my building, Jace is out and around to my side of the car almost as fast as the prick was driving. “Upstairs. Let’s go,” he says, taking my arm. “I’ve gotta call Colt.”
“Hands to yourself, little man.” Slapping his hand away, I grab my bag and hit the button to lock the doors. “You’re a biker, not a boy scout. I don’t need your help crossing the street.”
“Hey, Henley.”
I groan, hearing the familiar chirp from Levi. “Hey,” I force out, stepping up onto the sidewalk.
“Back at work already, huh?” he asks, tossing a large brown paper bag into the dumpster before eating up the distance between us. “Look at you.”
“Yep. They can’t keep me away long.”
“Missed seeing you around, sweetheart,” he says softly, his eyes scanning the lot. “Glad you’re back home.”
“Yeah,” I breathe, inwardly cringing when he calls me sweetheart. “Thanks, Levi.”
“We really should catch up.” Looking over at Jace, his brow furrows. “Order a pizza and hang out.”
“Let’s go, Henley,” Jace says, stepping up beside me.
Shooting a glare at Jace, I start to tell him to fuck off. The words are lodged in my throat when I see the Town Car pull up on the opposite side of the street. The headlights shut off, but no one gets out. That eerie chill from earlier settles over me again, only stronger.
“I gotta go, Levi.”
His eyes follow mine, nodding when he sees the car. “Your ex?” he asks, looking back to me.
“Think so.”
“He always follow you like that?”
“Must be a new hobby of his,” I toss out, shrugging my shoulder.
“Right.” Squaring his shoulders, he nods. “Go upstairs and call this in,” he says, nudging me toward the door. His eyes move to Jace, who is now staring down the car, his hand on the butt of the gun I see poking out of his waistband. “Let’s check it out.”
“Right behind ya, Five-oh.” Glancing at me, Jace tosses me my keys. “Go.”
Not happy to be taking orders from some punk kid and a cop with a lackluster penis, I haul my tired ass into the elevator like a wimp. Pressing the button for my floor, I hold my breath the entire ride, hoping that the deathtrap doesn’t stall and leave me stuck inside for hours like it has been known to do. Making it to my apartment, I roll my eyes when I find it unlocked. Turning the handle, I swing open the door. “Reb! Your future fuckboy will blow a gasket when he finds out you left the door unlocked.” Kicking it closed, I toss my bag and keys to the couch, then head for the phone in the kitchen to call the police, like Levi told me to do. “You’re never gonna believe the day I’ve had.”
“Please.” Daniel’s voice sends a shiver down my spine. Stepping out from the hallway, he begins moving toward me. “Do tell, Henley, darling. It’s been so long since I’ve gotten one of your daily re-caps.”
“What the fuck are you doing in my apartment, Daniel?” I snap, stepping forward so that the kitchen island separates us.
“I’ve come to take back what’s mine,” he says confidently. “This little temper tantrum of yours has gone on long enough.”
&n
bsp; “Temper tantrum?” I ask, shaking my head in disbelief. “You really are two seconds away from a padded cell, aren’t you? Most men get a Corvette, or a twenty-year old piece of ass when they have a mid-life crisis. Leave it to you to one up them all and lose your goddamn mind.”
Where the hell is Jace and Levi? Shit.
I glance to the other side of the bar, where the phone sits on the countertop. “Careful,” Daniel’s voice grows cold. “Your friend’s life depends on what you do next.”
“Rebel?” Panic rises up in my throat, choking me. “Where is she?” I ask, frantically. “What the hell have you done?”
Slipping off his jacket, he drapes it over the back of the couch. Moving toward me again, he smirks. “Miss Tierman is resting comfortably under the watch of a trusted associate of mine. No harm will come to her as long as you behave yourself.”
“Jesus, Daniel. What the hell do you want from me?”
Stepping closer, he reaches out, sliding his fingers along my cheek before tucking a stray hair behind my ear. “Why, Henley, darling, I want you.” He leans in, his lips dangerously close to mine. “I will never allow you to replace me. Not in your bed, or your heart.” My stomach churns, the idea of him kissing me has me ready to throw up what little I managed to eat at work. “Now, be a good little girl and lock the door. The last thing I want is for your guard dogs bursting in to ruin our reunion.”
“They’re gonna lock you up and throw away the key,” I tell him, taking a step back.
Gripping onto my arms, he yanks me against his body. “You really should show some respect,” he warns, shaking me violently before shoving me back against the wall. Falling forward, I land hard on the tile. Shaking his head, he looks down on me, that condescending look I remember so well smeared across his smug face. “The last thing you want to do is test my patience.”
The door swings open, Jace and Levi bolting into the room, their eyes both on Daniel. “Get away from her,” Jace grounds out, pointing his gun at Daniel.
“No, stop!” I shout, holding up a hand. “He has Rebel!”