by Bella Jewel
“I want to talk to you about Bennett, he hasn’t shown up for work in two days and ...”
“We’ve got him.”
She blinks. “What?”
“We’ve. Got. Him.”
“Are you insane?” she cries. “Why would you do something so stupid? Like it’s not risky enough.”
Yap, yap, yap.
I turn to her and growl my response. “First of all, don’t come into my fuckin’ club throwin’ around insults. Second of all, we’ve got him because we’re makin’ a deal with Dax. He wants him returned, and in return he’s goin’ to give us what we want.”
She shakes her head, confused. “You’re making a deal with Dax?”
“Yeah, he wants Bennett and he wants us to back down. We’re not backin’ down, of course, but he’s goin’ to think we are. It’ll give us the chance to go in undetected once more. He’s got two people I want, and he’s goin’ to return them when we return Bennett and declare we’re goin’ to leave this one alone.”
“He’s not stupid, Alarick. He’s going to suspect you’re going to keep looking into him.”
“Which is why we’ll leave it for some months. He’ll think we’ve given up. Trust me on that.”
She frowns. “How, exactly, are you going to take him down?”
“Waverly. You.”
“You want me involved still?”
“Yes, and I want Waverly to keep doin’ what she’s doin’. You tell me exactly what we need to bring this operation down, and we’ll make sure she gets it.”
“You’re handing this over to the police?”
I glance at her. “I don’t need any more blood on my hands, so yeah.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea? I can’t see Dax just giving up that easily.”
“Here’s the thing about Dax, his operation is worth more than the war with me. If he keeps going like this, attention is going to be brought to him, and he’s going to end up in a fuck load of trouble. That ain’t worth it to him. So he figures if he gives me what I want, I’ll back off and he can carry on doing what he’s doing. My guess? Someone higher above him is ordering this to be dealt with, and he’s not getting an option.”
“You do make some sense,” Zariah agrees. “I just feel like there’s going to be more to this, call it cop intuition.”
“Maybe there will be, but the fact of the matter is that we’re not in a place right now to fight anymore. One thing is for sure, Dax will kill anyone that gets in his way and right now we can’t afford anymore lives.”
Zariah nods. “Count me in, then. Let me know when you’re going to do the exchange of Bennett, I’m glad you’re choosing to let him go because if we were to be kept, it would cause a world of problems.”
“Believe me,” I mutter. “If Dax didn’t offer this deal, I would have fuckin’ killed Bennett and made sure I put a huge hole in their fuckin’ operation.”
Zariah blinks, and then turns and walks toward the door. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Smart woman,” I murmur.
She disappears.
I glance down at my bloodied hands.
I hope this is fucking worth it.
“I’M NOT DOIN’ IT,” Cohen growls the next evening at Church. “I will not stand in front of that dirty motherfucker and admit defeat.”
“It’s not admittin’ defeat, Cohen,” Mykel growls, finally out of the hospital but still going really slow with his everyday business. “It’s doin’ the smart thing. Alarick is right on this one, it’s about makin’ the best choice for right now.”
“The best choice is killin’ that cop, bringin’ their operation down, and bein’ done with this,” Cohen snaps.
“And riskin’ the lives of two innocent people because of pride?” Mykel snaps back.
“King ain’t my fuckin’ problem. He chose to get involved in this shit, that’s on him.”
I exhale and stand, putting my hands on the table. “This is happening, it is fuckin’ so ordered. You obey, or you suffer the consequences, Cohen. You do not want to cross me on this one.”
Cohen stands and glares at me. “You’re makin’ a fuckin’ mistake, but I’m not goin’ to go against the club. I’m not stupid. I am, however, goin’ on a long fuckin’ ride after this away from you motherfuckers.”
He turns and walks out, slamming the door so loudly the building echoes. I release the breath that was sitting angrily in my chest at the idea of having to take him on again. But, being smart is part of Cohen’s better traits. He’s not a stupid man and he’s not going to risk his life, or his respect with the club by not following orders.
Still the idea that he’s fucking disappointed in me bothers me. He’s my best friend, and I respect the hell out of him. But he’s angry about all of this. He’s angry at me, at King, and he feels let down by the fact that he wasn’t told any of this.
Can’t change that now.
“Everyone else on board?” I ask the remaining table of people.
The older members all nod their approval.
“Yeah,” Kendric and Samson say at the same time.
Bohdi nods.
Mykel gives me a supportive look.
“Good,” I say, slapping the table with my hand. “Then let’s fuckin’ do this shit.”
I STEP FORWARD, MY entire club behind me, and Dax walks forward with five of his men, all holding machine guns. They’re not coming unarmed; they don’t trust us. That’s fucking fine, because we’re all carrying, too. I don’t trust him either.
Standing next to him is King, battered and bruised, but alive. He’s standing, hands cuffed behind his back, staring at the club with a look of complete love in his eyes. Pride, pure pride. This club was his whole fucking world, just like it’s my whole fucking world now. I know exactly how it feels to look at them and feel that.
“Got to admit.” Dax grins. “Didn’t think you’d do it.”
I glare at him. “I’m not a fuckin’ stupid man, Dax. You should know that by now.”
“Your pride is greater than your mind, though. Isn’t it, Alarick?”
I grit my teeth but say nothing. He’s not going to bait me, not right now. My club is relying on me to keep this safe, and that is exactly what I’m going to give them. I’m here to make a fucking point, not let them all down any further.
“Are we going to get on with this, or would you rather sit around and have a chat?”
Dax’s grin gets bigger.
He loves every fucking second of this.
“I’ll hand over what you need, once I’ve heard you and your entire club confirm that you’re going to back down.”
“You’re getting off on this, aren’t you?”
He nods, slowly. “Oh, you have no idea. What’s it going to be, Alarick?”
“How do I know the moment I say it, you’re not going to shoot him?”
“Well, it’s simple. You don’t. But you’re going to have to trust that your pathetic little fucking club isn’t enough for me to risk everything for. You back off, we back off, and everyone goes on with their lives. Believe me, it’s not the option I would rather, but it’s the option I’m going with. I’m sure you can understand that?”
He’s right.
I know he’s going to give me this, because the operation he’s got running, is so much bigger than the club. He’s right about that. And he’s going to do anything he can to protect it, including calling a truce this time around.
“Very well,” I say and then look back to the guys. I know it’s going to kill them to do this, but they do it because they do what I ask and they’re fucking loyal. At the same time, all of us say the following statement, “We, the King’s Descendants, will officially step down and stop looking into your operation. We will no longer cause any problems, or distractions, and will go on with our lives in exchange for King and Cova.”
He’s not getting any more than that.
He laughs, slapping his hands on his knees. “Man, I wish I
got that on camera, really. It would be a YouTube sensation. Big tough bikers admitting defeat.”
I keep it together, and I know everyone behind me will keep it together.
I owe them fucking big for this one.
“Hand him over,” I growl.
Dax turns to his man that’s holding King and nods, and the man undoes his handcuffs and shoves him forward. Tight faced, King walks toward me. When he reaches me, he places a hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eye, “You’re a smart man, my son. You’ve done the right thing.”
Then he joins the rest of the group.
“Now the other part of our deal,” I demand.
Dax nods again, and another man steps forward with a file. It’s thick and it’s marked with the name Cova Reynolds. I take it when he hands it to me and look down at it, flicking it open to see pictures, information, and contact details for Cova.
“I said I’d give you her location, but it’s up to you to get her out of the place she’s in. Can’t guarantee she’s going to go willingly, but that’s not my problem, is it? It’s yours.”
I stare at him, closing the folder.
“Then this deal is done.”
I turn and nod to my guys, and they all return to their bikes and get on. King gets in the truck with Kendric. I glance back over at Dax and he’s getting into his truck. He looks at me before he does, and gives me a long, slow grin.
Evil motherfucker.
I’ll take him down.
Oh, god, I’ll make him wish he was never fucking born.
This time, though.
I’ll be smart about it.
22
BRIELLA
“So, this is where she’s living?” I ask, staring at the file about Cova.
There is an address, a name, hell a social security number, for the man she was sold to. Mostly, though, I let my eyes scan over the pictures of her. The few pictures that are in the file, but they’re everything.
She looks a lot like me, gosh, so much more than Magnolia did. She has this soft brown hair, with light scatterings through it. They look natural, sun-kissed. She has greeny-blue eyes, not quite like mine, not quite like Mom’s. She’s very similar in build to me, and other than that fact that she’s a little fairer and has a smaller frame, we’re very alike.
“We’ve got an address,” Alarick tells me, taking the pictures from me and staring at the girl who looks a whole lot like me. “Fuck she looks like you.”
“Well, we have the same parents ...” I say, and he grins at me.
“You’re way prettier.”
I chuckle. “Well, of course you have to say that.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead and then kicks back on the sofa, going over the file. “We’ve got an address, and by the looks of things, it’s not going to be too hard to find her. We’ll go there, bring her back with hopefully no drama, and that’ll be the end of it.”
“Do you think it’s going to be that easy?”
He snorts. “Fuck no, I was just hopin’ it would. We’re goin’ to have to go there, watch her, see if there’s a way we can just snatch and grab.”
“I’m not sure that’s going to be a good idea, she might freak out, she doesn’t know who we are after all.”
“I’m sure if she’s been livin’ the life I think she’s been livin’, then she will quickly get over that. We can’t have anyone knowin’ it was us that took her, so the quicker we’re in and out, the better.”
“What if she’s locked up somewhere and we can’t get to her?” I ask, frowning at the possibility.
“Then we fuckin’ make them give her over. Trust me, Briella, I’m goin’ to get your sister back.”
“When do we leave?” I ask, holding my breath in anticipation of his answer.
“We’ll go first light. Bring a group of us, we’re due for a big fuckin’ ride. I’ll have Bohdi follow in the truck, to bring Cova back when we get hold of her.”
“Okay, yeah, that sounds good. I’ll get everything ready.”
“How’re you feelin’ about it all?” he asks, studying me.
“I’m nervous. I have no idea what kind of damage has been done to her. It has been a long time and god only knows what she’s endured. I’m scared that she’s going to be a handful, or too damaged to heal. That’s my biggest fear, is getting her back but it’s too late.”
Alarick puts a hand on my shoulder, squeezing tightly. “I’m sure you’re goin’ to get through to her. You have a beautiful fuckin’ soul, Briella. If anyone can help her, it’ll be you. It might take some time, but I have no doubt in my mind that you’re capable of doin’ it.”
I smile at him, grateful for his words. “I’m going to get some things ready, I’ll see you later?”
He nods, and steps forward, taking my face in his hands. He kisses me, long and hard, and then tells me he’s going to go and see King and the club, and make sure they’re not causing too much trouble out in the shed, now they’re all back together.
I have no doubt some drama is going to unfold out of this, especially with Cohen. Right now, though, that’s Alarick’s problem and not mine.
The only problem I am worried about right now, is finding Cova and making sure she gets home safe.
God, I hope this goes well.
I really, really need it to.
“YOU LOOK FUCKIN’ BEAUTIFUL, sittin’ there, lookin’ like that.”
I glance over at Alarick, who is doing a turn at driving in the truck with me so Bohdi could ride with the guys for a while. He wanted to give him the whole experience. I chose not to go on the bike, due to the fact that my butt gets numb and there is no way I can go a few hours on the back of that thing. I was happy to ride along with Bohdi, even though he didn’t say a great deal.
I got to know a little about him, which was good.
Now Alarick has taken over, and it’s just the two of us, following behind the massive group of bikes that makes me proud to be part of this family. Of this club.
“Thank you,” I say softly, smiling at him. “You look pretty good handling this truck, too.”
He chuckles. “Not a great deal of effort, really.”
I laugh. “No, but you’re doing a great job with it.”
“You know what would be even better?”
I shake my head, but a sly smile stretches across my face.
“If you get those tiny fuckin’ shorts off and play with that sweet pussy while I drive, nothin’ would turn me on more.”
Oh.
Boy.
Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.
But I’m not entirely against the idea, either.
I mean, damn, it wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I take the button of my shorts and slowly pop it open. Alarick glances over quickly, his eyes flashing with desire as I shimmy them down my legs. I move slight to the side and place a leg over the back of the seat, so I’m spread before him. I rub my panties, teasing, taunting, and I can see the bulge in his jeans hardening right away.
Oh.
Yes.
This is good.
I slip my fingers inside my panties and gently run them over my clit. I moan and Alarick makes a satisfied growling sound, before slowly placing his hand down onto his jeans and rubbing his cock through them.
Oh.
Yes.
Yes.
Please.
I slip my panties to the side, showing him my pussy, and I carefully rub, making sure to keep the seduction tactic alive. I rub up and down, moaning as I do. It feels good, incredible. Knowing he’s watching, knowing he’s turned on, it does things to me.
“Get your cock out,” I whisper, rubbing harder.
He does as I ask; he gets his cock out and starts stroking. Slowly at first, and I watch in satisfaction as it gets harder, redder, and god does it look good. I lick my lips and watch as his hand moves up and down, stroking over the hard length. I feel myself beginning to pulse as I watch him stroke his cock harder and harder.
“I need to put you in my mouth,” I whimper, pulling my seatbelt out and lunging forward until my mouth is on his cock, my hand is wrapped around the base, and my other hand is rapidly stroking my clit.
Alarick growls, low and deep, and his hips arch up, thrusting his cock further into my mouth until I’m gagging.
That only turns us both on even more.
I’m going to cum so damned hard.
I moan on his cock as I find my release. My body trembles and he growls in satisfaction, before I feel him tighten beneath my tongue and then suddenly he’s spurting, strand after blissful strand of cum, into my throat. I take it all, swallowing. With one last shudder, he pulls back, and I sit back up in my seat, pushing my panties back and pulling my shorts up.
Then I glance at him.
“Well, damn,” I whisper. “That was something else.”
“Fuck. You never cease to amaze me, honey. Fuckin’ wild child.”
I grin at him.
Well, that was a hell of a start to the trip, if I do say so myself.
Here’s hoping the rest goes just as smoothly.
23
FLICK
“Here’s the plan,” I say to all the men as we stand three blocks down from Cova’s address. “We knock, ask to speak to Cova, tell her who we are and see our reaction. If it’s safe, we take her. She may not come easily, or she may, that’s goin’ to be something we have to figure out. The problem is, she may have what’s called Stockholm Syndrome, it’s a very real thing and can confuse people who have been held captive.”
“What if there is someone else there with her?” Cohen asks. “Do we take him out?”
“We take them out without causing harm. We’re just there to get her, in and out. You’ve got a drug syringe each, use it if you need. We’re likely going to have to use it on Cova to avoid too much stress. She doesn’t know who we are and may not give us a chance to explain, to her we may be overwhelming and terrifying, which is why we just need to get this done.”