Rico’s Way

by Joy Blood

  I heard it, and I can’t unhear it. Can’t sweep it under the rug it’s been buried under since the first time I laid eyes on the little boy.

  "Got Church. College is going to stay here." I back away, and she takes three steps toward me. "No, Ree." I hold up my hand, halting her steps. "Just...just stay here," I demand, defeated. "I need to get to the clubhouse. I can’t deal with this right now." I walk out the door, and she calls out from behind me, but I don’t turn around. College shoots me a quick glance, now standing in my kitchen, no doubt having overheard the conversation, but he doesn’t say anything as I pass by and yank open the front door. "Don’t let her leave," I snap before heading outside into the biting cold with only a t-shirt and my cut on my back.

  * * *

  I keep the thought of Ari and Boyd at bay as I take my seat at the table, my brothers gathered around. Jake sits to the right of Rock, and Sage on the left, as Rock stands and tells the club about his long-lost brother. "Didn't think it would hurt to forget about it since it wasn’t a club matter. Turns out, I was dead wrong. There are people out there who want Esteban’s location, which we don’t have."

  "We'll find it and turn him over to 'em. Problem solved," Chess says, as if that will solve everything. One glance at Rock, and I know it won’t. Even if we did have Esteban’s location, I doubt he’d turn it over. Ratting on someone isn’t his style—let alone his blood brother.

  "Whoever the fuck these people are, they tried to kill my woman and my kid. Far as I’m concerned, they’re dead men walking. They fucked with the club by targeting her," I say, smacking my palm against the table top. My brothers seated around me nod in agreement.

  "We'll keep an eye out and keep digging for Esteban, just in case we need that location. It’s not what I want to do, but if it comes to it, this club will come before someone I’ve never met, blood or not." Rock slams his gavel to the table.

  While everyone shuffles out of the room, I make my way to the surveillance room, not ready to go home yet. Wiz joins me moments later. "I didn’t want to say anything at the meeting ‘cause I didn’t know shit yet, but I think I may have found Esteban." I raise my eyebrows at him. "It’s a long shot, so, yeah, I didn’t want to force Pres into a decision if he didn’t need to make one. Not yet anyway." Shrugging, he sits down in the chair next to me and types away at the keyboard in front of him.

  "Damn, Wiz, showing me up. Gonna put me out of a job," I say, truly impressed. He continues to click away at the keyboard, showing me this and that with the new security he has brought to the system. My phone starts buzzing in my back pocket, and I grab it. I don’t recognize the number, but the feeling of dread is something I can relate to when I answer the call and hear Premo's voice on the other end.

  "Tell me you are fucking there," he shouts, barely understandable.

  "Where? What the fuck is going on, Premo?" I start heading down the hall for the front door.

  "Ari. I was on the phone with her, then heard a gunshot before the line went dead. Tell me you are there and this is just a big fucking misunderstanding, Reek," he demands, but I can’t reassure him. I storm through the bar, catching sight of Rock and Sage on the way through, and slow just enough to tell them what’s going on.

  "Premo was on the phone with Ree. Said he heard gunshots, then the line went dead," I explain without stopping to see if they’re following.

  "You get your ass there, and fucking quick, Reek." More demands from Premo.

  "Don’t have to tell me twice, asshole. I’m going." I hang up the phone and stuff it into my pocket. Rock and my brothers fall in behind me as they make their way toward their trucks. "Hang the fuck on, Ree," I say under my breath as I throw my truck into gear and peel out of the clubhouse lot.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Ari

  Catching my breath, I pull myself from the bed, swipe at the wetness trailing down my cheeks, and decide to take a shower. I had no intention of telling Rico like I did, but he walked in right as I got off the phone with the doctor. Though, I’m not sure when the best time to tell the man you love the child you plan on raising with him isn’t biologically his. It’s not like they make cards for the occasion. "What a mess," I say into the empty room.

  The steam still lingers on the mirror as I look myself over. I run my fingertips along the bald spot on the left side of my head. The natural dirty dishwater blonde has started to grow back, leaving a two by five-inch buzz cut that only slightly conceals the four-inch-long raised scar from my surgery. It kind of looks badass, but I’ll be happy when it grows out long enough to attach extensions. The other scar I have from the night my son came into this world is a little longer and not healing as fast. It’s still red and angry. I developed a little infection in the hospital, causing the incision to take longer to heal.

  Sighing, I grab the abdominal binder the hospital gave me and strap it on over my recovering stomach, then pull on my softest leggings and a loose-fitting t-shirt, deciding to leave Rico's in his drawer for today. Since I have houseguests, I make sure to pull on a sports bra. My phone starts to ring, and I already know who it is. The knowledge instantly puts a knot in the base of my throat. "Hello." I try to disguise my voice, but it still comes out scratchy.

  "Told him then, huh?" Premo says. I only nod as silent tears form in my eyes. "Know it might be an asshole thing for me to say, but I’m happy he’s mine."

  "Yeah. It’s a huge monkey wrench, though." I try to laugh, only to choke on it. My hand goes to my throat, rubbing at the lump lodged down deep. I knew that the chance of Boyd being Premo’s son was greater, but still, the confirmation has left a small crack in my heart.

  "Well, it won’t be easy, might be annoying as fuck having to deal with that man of yours, but it’ll be worth it. I'll be there for the two of you," he declares, and a slight smile tilts my lips.

  "You’re a good man, Premo." The shatter of glass on tile pulls me from the conversation. I take the phone from my ear, straining to listen for anything more. Maybe Sam dropped a glass? I’m proven wrong when the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh fills the quiet. Yelling from my phone brings me back to reality. I put it to my ear again, and the sound of a gunshot goes off. The phone falls from my grasp as I run from my room, needing to get to my son. Panic courses through me as I get a hard hit across my chest by a meaty arm. All the air leaves my lungs in a whoosh with one smack, and my body falls right to the floor without protest. "Got the girl. Tie that fucker up. We’re taking them both." My head swims as the man moves to lift me. "You be a good girl and you might get to see that kid of yours again," he says right alongside my ear, his stale breath wafting across my prickled flesh. Regaining the stolen oxygen I try struggling to get away, but the man overpowers me.

  "You hurt him, and I swear—" My words are cut off by him slamming my chest into the wall, my cheek scratching along the rough plaster.

  "Up to you, sweetheart." He secures my hands behind my back before wrapping them in tape. The sound of my phone ringing catches my attention. My eyes dart around the room, searching it out, but he finds it first. I don’t even remember dropping it or hanging up. "Someone’s calling. Probably a Rider. Won’t be long ‘til they’re here." He tosses my phone to the floor and stomps it to pieces with a heavy thud of his boot. Boyd's little screams start from his room, and without thought, I throw myself from the man’s arms as I try to get to my boy. I don’t get far before another masked man yanks me from my path.

  "Bad little kitten," he purrs, clicking his tongue. "Weren’t you just told to behave?"

  "Please, he’s crying! I need to get to him. Please," I cry out, struggling to get out of his hold. He chuckles at my efforts.

  "We’ve got places to go, people to see. Your boyfriend should be here soon. Kid’ll be fine."

  "No. Please. No!" I scream as I’m dragged toward the door. Remembering a self-defense seminar from college, I let my body go limp, catching the man off guard enough for me to slip through his fingers and get a swift kick to
his groin when I land on the floor. His wale is loud, matching my grunts to get away, but he recovers too quickly, kicking me back with his thick leather boot right in my stomach. Blinding white hot pain slices through me as thick, black spots float into my vision. Nausea assaults me, and I pull into myself, trying to protect my stomach from any more kicks as best I can with my hands behind my back. When they don’t come, I’m pulled from the floor by the man who had me first.

  "Shit. Little fighter. I like it," he says, once again too close as he grips my hair in his hand and directs me toward the door. "Told you to behave. Would hate to set the house on fire as we leave. How long do you think the kid will last with smoke inhalation?" Bending at the waist, I expel my breakfast onto the kitchen floor as we pass the glass Sam must have knocked over when they came in and attacked him. A puddle of blood on the floor alongside the chipped tile now joined with my vomit. "Fucking hell." The man pushes me out the door into the cold outside. The sun is shining bright today, but it doesn’t make things any better as I’m tossed into the back of a van along with an unconscious Sam, his torso covered in blood.

  "Hey, kitten," the man who kicked me says. I turn to look his way, and his fist comes out, hitting my head hard right over my stitches. My world goes black.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Rico

  Boyd's screams fill my ears as I walk through the door, allowing me to let out part of the breath I had been holding the blurred drive here. Rushing straight to his room, I scoop him up and try to calm him as I go back out to inspect the house. The blood on the floor I didn’t want to register stands out, as does the broken glass and vomit. "Fuck. Where is your mama, tiny man?" I look over the place while taking out my phone to give Vin a call. I’m going to need someone to take care of Boyd so I can get Ari back, and I’m going to need Vin's help along with the club to do that.

  My brothers show up just as I hang up with Vin. "They took her and College. V is on his way. Ells is gonna take Boyd," I explain, sounding so detached from the situation. On autopilot, I tend to Boyd, needing to put him first right now. Getting him calm will help keep me calm. It’s working now, but when Ellie takes him, I know I’m going to snap.

  We don’t wait long before Ellie and Vin show up. V stays behind with us, and Ellie, a sympathetic smile on her face, takes Boyd with her. "I want two guys with her. Call in Rhino. The Siberians. We are tearing apart the fucking town until we find them," I say to Rock. He nods before walking away to make the call.

  * * *

  Pacing the floor of Rock's office, I have all but pulled my hair straight out from the roots. It’s been nearly twenty-four fucking hours since Ari and College were taken, and with each minute that passes, things look bleaker. Wiz has been working nonstop trying to get a lead, but so far, nothing has come up. He kicked me out of the tech room when I snapped and nearly split a computer screen in half because it wasn’t loading fast enough. That’s when Rock put me in his office and threatened to lock me in until they came up with a trail to follow. He wouldn’t let me head out and drive the streets to look for her. Like that would do much good. She might not even be in Cental anymore. My fists crash down onto Rock's desk. "Reek, someone is here," Sage says, pulling me from my hammering on the wooden furniture.

  "Who? Why the fuck would I care if someone is here?"

  "Says he knows where Ari is." I don’t let him explain any further. I storm past him to the front of the building where I find every man we have aiming their guns at one single person.

  Hands extended over his head, the sharp dressed man circles around, dropping his suit coat to the muddy, snow-covered ground, exposing the empty holsters at his sides.

  "The fuck is that?" I ask no one as I make my way to Rock, who’s standing in front, aiming his own gun.

  "See. No need to shoot. Unarmed. Like I said, I’m only here to help," the man says, pausing to look directly at Rock. "Brother," he adds with a slow smile.

  Esteban.

  The man wouldn’t pass as a distant relative of Rock's, but when he drags the sunglasses from his face to place them in his shirt pocket, the relation becomes clear. Those same hard eyes stare down at his long-lost sibling, daring Rock to pull the trigger before hearing him out.

  "You know where Ari and College are?" I grit between clenched teeth, stepping closer. "You said you're here to help, so…where the fuck is she?"

  "You must be the computer guy. Well, Mr. Smarty Pants, you stirred up a fuck load of shit tracking me down. Ever heard of Pandora's box?” He raises his brow. “I was in there, hidden, all nice and cozy, until you opened it the fuck up and let me out. So...here I am." He holds his arms out wide.

  "The fuck you talkin’ about?" I growl, getting closer, enough to get right in his face.

  "You know who I am. You know what I do—or did. I’m a wanted man. Sought after, if you will. You found me, so they took your woman. They want me," he says, simple as that, as if it’s no big deal that I would happily hand him over to be gutted just to get Ari and our brother back.

  "So, what? You’re just going to hand yourself over so we can get our people back?" Rock scoffs and steps closer to pull me back. Esteban lets out a laugh, and my teeth grind together.

  "Fuck no. I’d rather make sure the bounty hunter pieces of shit are wiped from existence. Then you can have your people back." He puts an emphasis on “people” as he looks at me, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, then winks. I jolt forward out of Rock’s grip and lay my fist right into Esteban’s nose.

  "Fucking hell, Reek?" Rock says, coming to pull me off Esteban, but they don’t need to. I already got what I wanted. Esteban looks up at me with a bloodied smile as if he already knew what I was thinking.

  "Needs to look roughed up. More convincing," I say, extending my hand to pull the man from the ground.

  "I think you and I might get along, Rico," Esteban says in that cocky voice of his. "Brother dearest, if you wouldn’t mind sending in the cavalry to this location." Esteban extends his hand, passing Rock a piece of paper. "Gives us, what? Twenty minutes?" He looks my way, as if needing an answer, but doesn’t wait for one. "Let’s go, Rico. We'll take your truck." Esteban picks up his suit coat and throws it over his shoulders, bringing his arms through the sleeves. "It’s fucking cold out. I hope your heater works." I give Rock a nod and make my way toward my truck, slamming the door behind me as Esteban does the same.

  "You try any fucking thing, and I won’t hesitate to kill you. I don’t give a shit whose brother you are," I growl, putting my truck into gear and driving from the clubhouse.

  "Would think less of you if you didn't."

  "Good."

  Chapter Thirty

  Ari

  Cold seeps into my bones as I try in vain to move my arms. Tugging at my hands and the numbness in my fingertips tells me I’m still tied up. The air is musty, cold, and tastes like outside. Cracking my lids open, I find small slits of sunlight filtering through a tall wooden wall. Sam's unmoving body lays a couple feet from me on his side. "Sam," I whisper, trying to wake him. The plume of blood on his chest has since turned brown, making me equal parts happy that he’s no longer losing blood and panicked we’ve been gone for so long. How long, I’m not sure, but if he’s no longer bleeding and the blood on his shirt has had time to completely dry, it’s been hours. "Sam, can you hear me?" Stretching my body out, I try to nudge him with my bare foot. "Sam!" I whisper-yell, and see him flinch. He's alive. "Thank god." I take stock of our surroundings more, trying to see if we’re alone. The thick, stuffy air must be from the rotting piles of hay stacked along the opposite wall, and the nipping breeze is from a sizable hole in the roof. We’re in a barn. An abandoned barn. Small trickles of snow start to fall through the hole, shining in the sunlight as they make their way down to where Sam and I lay on the cold, rot-covered cement floor. Another shiver wracks me, and with the sharp movement, I bend, gripping my lower abdomen. My shirt is dark, and I can’t tell if I’m bleeding through my compression belt,
but I don’t feel wet, so I take that as a good sign. My head, on the other hand, pounds, making it difficult to focus. There’s a slight pull on my skin when I blink, letting me know I have dried blood on my face. After the hit I took to my head, I’m sure I was bleeding for some time.

  "You all right, Ari?" Sam's weak voice draws me back to him. He’s now somewhat sitting up. His hands are tied behind his back too, making the half slouch look terribly uncomfortable.

  "I think so. What about you? They shot you." He nods and tilts his head as if to assess himself, but he doesn’t get far before looking back my way from lack of mobility.

  "Through and through. I think. The bullet went through my side. I can feel my shirt sticking to my back, hopefully caught on the exit wound." I nod and smile at him.

  "Good. Good. You aren’t bleeding anymore either so—" The slide of metal against metal grinds, screeching, and heavy footfalls thud closer, crunching along the decaying hay and whatever snow may have ended up inside.

  "You're awake. Good. Saves me the trouble of having to wake you up," the cracked voice I remember from my house says, drawing closer. He looms over us, staring down with dark, hateful eyes and a slight smirk. "You two are going to help me get a lot of money," he boasts, making me angry.

  "Money? You took us for money!" I yell, earning a swift kick to my leg.

  "Shut it, kitten, or I'll let my boys have a go at you before we hand you over," he threatens, and I spit at his boot. "You are a feisty one, aren’t you?"

  "Leave her the fuck alone, prick. You fucked up good going after the Riders. You know who she is?" Sam seethes, and the man cackles out a laugh.

  "Oh, believe me, I know who she is—my meal ticket. Someone I’m going to trade for an even bigger someone. Just as soon as her boyfriend gets here." My ears twitch at the mention of Rico.