by Wilder, L.
Seeing her in danger like that did something to me. All the past bullshit faded away, and all I could think about was getting the woman who consumed my heart and soul to safety. My entire body tensed when I heard him shout, “You’re going to tell me where the fuck she is, or I’m going to put a fucking bullet in your goddamn head!”
“I’m not telling you anything.” Her blindfold was gone, but her hands were still bound behind her back. “Not now. Not ever.”
“Is that right?” he scoffed. “Well, I’ll tell you this. I can make you talk, and I will. Hell, I’ll fuck the answers out of you if I have to. For that matter, every man in this room will take his turn with you, if that’s what it takes. But I guarantee, you will tell me where she is. You got that?”
“You’re wrong. I don’t care what you do to me. There’s no way in hell I will ever tell you where she is.”
“You stupid cunt.”
When he raised his hand to hit her, I saw red. Without thinking of the danger that laid ahead, I started charging towards them, shooting with every step I took. Polito’s eyes filled with panic when he saw that I was headed in his direction. Frantic, he turned to his men and shouted, “What the fuck are you waiting for? Get him!”
His order came too late. My guys had already moved into action, and in a matter of seconds, Polito’s men were dead. All that were left standing were Polito and his right-hand man, Sal Carbone. I continued forward, and when Polito saw that my sights were set on him, he stepped behind Samantha, placing the barrel of his gun at her temple. Then, and only then, did I stop dead in my tracks. Looking quite pleased with himself, he glared at me and said, “Take another step, and she’s dead.”
“It’s time to give it up, Polito,” I snarled. “You’re done.”
“Maybe so, but if I go, she’s going with me.”
Samantha’s eyes met mine, and when I saw how terrified she looked, I wanted to kill Polito right then and there. I had a clean shot but couldn’t take it—not with his gun positioned at Samantha’s head. He had the advantage, but there was no way in hell I was going to let him know that. “That’s not gonna happen. You’ll be dead long before you have a chance to pull that fucking trigger. Step away from her now before this gets any messier than it already is.”
“Who the fuck are you anyway?”
“It’s a little late for introductions, don’t ya think?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Shadow approaching. He was just a few steps away from Polito when he shouted, “Just tell me why the fuck you’re here, asshole.”
“Because you made the mistake of coming after my daughter, and then you took my woman,” I shouted. My throat tightened with fury as I went on, “And nobody fucks with my family. Nobody.”
Just as the words came out of my mouth, Sal spotted Shadow and tried to warn his boss. “Anthony! Behind you!”
He started to turn, but he wasn’t fast enough. Shadow squeezed the trigger, sending a bullet straight through Polito’s head. Before Sal had a chance to move, I shot him twice, sending him flailing backwards. I took a quick glance around the room, and when I saw that the job was done, I went over and knelt down beside Samantha. Her voice trembled as she said, “You came.”
“Of course, I came, Samantha.” I started to untie her hands as I continued, “No way I was gonna let anything happen to you. You gotta know that.”
“After everything that’s happened,” her eyes dropped to the floor, “I wasn’t so sure.”
I had so many things I wanted to say to her, but it wasn’t the time nor the place. We had to get the hell out of there and back to the clubhouse before someone spotted us. Once I had her untied, I lifted her into my arms and held her close to my chest as I carried her out of the warehouse. I couldn’t believe how fucking incredible it felt to have her back in my arms. So incredible that when we got out to the SUV, I didn’t want to let her go. I just wanted to stand there and relish in the feeling of her body so close to mine. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. I needed to get in touch with Viper and see how things had gone over at the house, so I opened the door and placed her inside. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“No. They didn’t touch me. Scared me a little, but I’m not hurt,” she answered in barely a mutter.
It gutted me to hear her sound so defeated, making me wish I’d been able to do more to protect her. “I’m sorry we couldn’t get here sooner.”
“You came just in time.”
“Regardless, it’s over now.” I placed my hand on hers and said, “I have to take care of a couple of things, but I’ll be back.”
“Okay.”
I closed the door to the SUV, then headed back inside with the others. I put a call into Viper, letting him know that all was well on our end, and I was pleased to hear that the same held true for them. The boys and I did one final check of the warehouse, then headed back to the Sinners’ clubhouse. As soon as we got there, I took Samantha to see August, and she couldn’t have been more excited to see that her mother was back safe and sound. I hated to leave Samantha, but I needed to get back to the others. Besides, she was in good hands with August. I was on my way to the conference room when I spotted Gunner and Riggs coming in through the back door with a young woman I’d never seen before. I walked over to them and asked, “Who’s the girl?”
“You remember when Harper was taken … how I told you she mentioned that she was with someone?” I nodded, then Gunner continued, “Well, this is her. This is the Gabriella that Harper told me about.”
“You find her at Polito’s place?”
“Yeah. She was locked in one of the bedrooms,” Gunner answered. “Riggs and I found her.”
Gabriella was young, nineteen or twenty, with olive-toned skin and straight, dark hair that flowed down around her shoulders. She was a beautiful girl, but there was something in her eyes that concerned me. “You got a last name?”
“I do, but I think it’s best that I keep that to myself for now.” She cocked her eyebrow at me as she said, “It’s not like I have any idea who you people really are.”
“No, but we did just save your hide, kid.”
“Maybe so, but I’ve learned not to trust until trust is proven.” She looked me dead in the eye as she told me, “While I appreciate you getting me out of that house and away from Anthony Polito, I’d feel a lot better if we could just keep things on a first name basis for now.”
“I’m not sure that’s gonna work for me. I know nothing about you.”
“All I can tell you is Anthony Polito killed my father. They had a deal that didn’t go the way he wanted it to, and he was holding me captive for God knows what.” She shrugged. “If you need more than that, I can leave. Not sure where I’ll go or what I’ll do, but I’ll figure it out.”
“Damn. You’re a stubborn little thing, aren’t ya?” I thought back to the conversation I’d had with Gunner about Harper being so shaken up when we got her back from Polito. Poor thing must’ve been scared out of her mind. I couldn’t imagine how much worse it could’ve been if Gabriella hadn’t been there with her. Feeling like I owed the kid something for being there for my granddaughter, I told her, “You hang with us for the time being. Get some rest, and we’ll sort things out in the morning. You good with that?”
“Yeah, I’m good with that.”
I turned to Riggs and said, “We need to get her to a room, and maybe a change of clothes.”
“Yes, sir. She can have mine for now. I’ll crash in the family room or something.”
“Appreciate it, brother.”
When Riggs started down the hall with her, Gunner turned to me and said, “I’m gonna check in with August.”
I nodded. “Bring her to the conference room when you’re done.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No. Just have a loose end we need to tie up.”
“Okay. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
When I got to the conference room, Viper was already there w
ith T-Bone and Blaze. They filled me in on how things played out with them at the other warehouse and office, then Viper told me about Billy the Butcher, his cleaner. He and his crew were already working to clean up the mess at the house, and once they were done there, they would head over to the other locations. In a matter of a few hours, there would be no trace of Polito anywhere. Now, we just had David to contend with. He was the root of our problem, and I had every intention of making him pay for putting my girls in danger. That need to take him down was the main reason I’d asked Gunner to bring August to speak to us. I was hoping that she’d be able to give us some insight on how to get him where it hurt.
The room fell silent when they both walked into the conference room. After she sat down next to me, I said, “I’m sure by now you know that Polito has been taken care of.”
“I do.” I looked around at the others as she said, “I’ve already said this to Gus, but I want you all to know how much I appreciate what you did tonight. I know you put your lives in danger for us, and I will always be indebted to each and every one of you for doing so.”
“Like I already told you, that’s what we do. We protect what’s ours. That’s why we asked you to come down here and talk to us.” She’d already been through so much and I hated to add to that, but it was time to put an end to all of this, once and for all. “We have one last matter to contend with.”
“Okay. What’s that?”
“David.” I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. “We have to decide what we’re going to do about him.”
“I honestly don’t care what you do to him.” There was no missing the look of resentment in her eyes when she said, “I’d kill him myself if I could.”
“As much as I would love to put a bullet in that man’s head, I don’t think that’s our best move.” There wasn’t a man out there who deserved it more, but I knew it wasn’t an option. We’d have to find another way. “He’s the mayor. There’s no way in hell we’ll be able to take him out without blowback.”
“Okay, then. What do you suggest we do?”
“We gotta get him where it hurts.” I already knew the answer when I asked, “What’s most important to him?”
“Well, that’s easy,” she scoffed. “His career.”
“Then, we take it from him, but we don’t stop there.” I wanted to see this guy hit rock bottom. I wanted him to wish we’d just killed him. “We take everything from him, including his freedom.”
“That sounds great to me, but how?”
Riggs leaned forward and said, “We were hoping you could help us with that.”
“I’ll do anything you need me to do.”
“We have everything we need to prove that David was taking bribes.” Riggs handed her a folder, and as she opened it, he told her, “Each one of those deposits can be tracked back to Polito or Carbone, but not just them. David was in bed with several big names. We just need to get this information into the right hands.”
“Why couldn’t I simply take it to the police?”
“You gotta remember, we don’t know who David has in his pocket,” Riggs explained. “We just can’t take the chance on this getting brushed under the rug.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
Shadow added, “The election is just a couple of months away, right?”
“Yeah?”
“And he’s running against that Brent Walker guy?”
“He is.”
“All right then. I’m sure he would be very interested to know that the guy he’s running against is a crook. Hell, his campaign would be made with information like this. If we can get this folder in his hands, then I’d bet he’ll do all the work for us.”
“You’re absolutely right.” A spark of excitement flashed through August’s eyes as she said, “I know plenty of people who’d be able to help us out. I’ll just need to call in a few favors.”
“We were hoping you’d say that.” I stood up and before I started out of the room, I told her, “You get the names, and we’ll make sure they get everything they need to sink David. If we’re lucky, they’ll put him behind bars.”
After Gunner took August back to her room, he returned to the conference room and we all spent the next few hours monitoring all the police scanners, making sure that no one called in with concerns about a possible break-in. Our goal was to make it look like Polito and Carbone had skipped town and left everything they owned behind, and from where I sat, it looked like we’d pulled it off. It was nearly daylight when we finally got word from Viper’s cleaner that the job was done. Knowing the boys were exhausted, I sent them to get some shut eye, telling them that we’d meet back in a few hours.
When we left the conference room, I was feeling pretty damn good with how things were playing out. It wouldn’t be long before August would have her life back, and we could all put this nightmare behind us. As I started down the hall, I found myself drawn towards Samantha’s room. It was late. She was more than likely asleep, but I had to see her.
CHAPTER 13
Samantha
As soon as we got back to the clubhouse, Gus took me to see August. I felt so terrible for making her worry. I should’ve never gone over to the house. It was a stupid move, and I would always regret putting everyone in jeopardy like I had. Just as I’d finished telling her all about what had happened in the warehouse, Gunner came to let her know that Gus had something he wanted to discuss with her. When they left, I went to the bathroom and took a hot shower. I was exhausted and hoped that it might help me unwind. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. When I got in bed and closed my eyes, I was suddenly pulled back in that warehouse with Polito and his men. I’d never been so terrified in my entire life. When he threatened to do all those vile things to me, I knew he meant every word. I could see it in his eyes. I could hear it in his voice. I thought for sure that I was going to die in that room, alone and scared, but then I saw Gus coming towards me. It was like something out of a fairytale. My hero had come to save me, but he was no knight in shining armor. Instead, he was a biker—rough, tough, and sexy as hell. When I saw that look in his eye—that look that told me there was still a part of him that cared about me—I thought maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for us after all.
I spent hours tossing and turning, thinking about Gus and how good it felt when he lifted me into his arms. It was a feeling I’d missed more than I realized, and I wanted desperately to have him close again, even if it was just for a brief moment. When I rolled over, I noticed that the sun was starting to rise. I hadn’t slept a wink and was considering getting up when I heard a tap at my door. Thinking it might be August, I tossed the covers back and rushed over to answer it. After spending the entire night thinking of him, Gus was there, standing in my doorway looking at me with the same fierceness in his eyes that he had in that warehouse. The air rushed out of my lungs when I heard him say, “I’m sorry if I woke you. I just needed to know you were okay.”
“I wasn’t sleeping.” I stepped back and eased the door open wider. “You want to come in?”
Without answering, he stepped into the room, slowly closing the door behind him as he looked over to me with a serious expression. I had no idea what was going through his head, but the way he was staring at me sent a carnal chill down my spine. I couldn’t help but notice that he remained positioned close to the door. He was intentionally keeping his distance, like he was considering his next move. “Why couldn’t you sleep?”
“I can’t seem to stop thinking about last night.” My eyes drifted to the ground as I said, “I’m really sorry. I never should’ve gone over to the house like that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have, but what’s done is done.”
We both just stood there in silence, neither of us really saying what was on our minds, and when I couldn’t take it a moment longer, I finally asked, “Do you ever think you’ll be able to forgive me for all of this?”
“Which part exactly?”
“All of it. Any of
it.” I inhaled a deep breath and forced myself to look up at him as I said, “I really hope you’ll try.”
“I’ve been trying. It hasn’t been easy.” He took a step towards me as he said, “You know that saying Love hurts?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
“That sayings has it all wrong. It’s not love that hurts. It’s losing someone you care about, missing them so much you can’t breathe, that’s what fucking hurts.” He was just inches away from me when he said, “I could hold onto these fucked up feelings forever, but in the end, I’d only be hurting myself more. I’m done holding grudges.”
“Does that mean you forgive me?”
“You know, it’s not just you I have to forgive here. I had my own part in all of this, and that’s hard for me to swallow.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“If I had been more careful, then your mother would’ve never had a way to blackmail you like she did. That’s on me.” My chest tightened when he took another step in my direction, slowly closing the gap between us. “I hope in time I’ll find a way to forgive us both.”
“And until then?”
“Can’t say for sure. We’ve got things we need to talk about. A trust has been broken, and it will take some time to heal,” His eyes met mine as he said, “But the way I see it, I figure we can both heal a lot faster together than we ever could apart. You get what I’m saying?”
“No. I’m not sure that I do.”
“I want you, Samantha. Always have.” I gasped when he reached for me, pulling me close to his perfectly defined chest. His lips hovered over mine for several moments, making my entire body tremble with anticipation. “I made the mistake of letting you walk away from me all those years ago. I’m not gonna let that happen again.”
Before I could respond, his mouth met mine with a kiss that made my heart race with ecstasy. It was strong, demanding and oh-so possessive, making me want him that much more. Gus was a man who knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t afraid to take it. At that moment, he wanted me. His lips traveled down to my neck, teasing me with a trail of feather-light kisses down to my shoulder. Completely consumed in the moment, I whispered his name, over and over. “Oh, Gus.”