Brick: Blacktop Renegades (BRMC Book 2)

by Chelsea Handcock

  With Ryan’s help, everything was back under control and in their favor within minutes. He took two of the guys down with the shotgun, Caine took down one of the guys at the same time, and Junior took on two of them with a precision that would have impressed Brick if he hadn’t seen their Enforcer fight before. The man was crazy good at hand-to-hand combat. He didn’t need weapons, only his hands to disable, disarm, and destroy anyone in his path.

  When the smoke settled, the BRMC had made it through this portion of the battle, but he knew there was more to come. Ryan’s program had indicated fifteen bodies. These guys only accounted for five. His heart beat faster as he thought of her alone in her office while this was going down, but at least she was safe. He needed to get with it and do what needed to be done, so he could get to her ass. Looking down at his phone, he saw the figures moving away from the building at a fast pace. That couldn’t be good. When the final message from Ryan came up, he was already sliding back over to the refrigerator. Fuck, he had to get London out of there. There wasn’t any time to waste. The time clock on his phone was mocking him with every second that passed. Brick ripped the refrigerator out of the wall, not giving a shit about giving anything away at this point. He just needed to get London out.

  Axel jumped over the bar and was helping him. It took precious seconds to find the latch and release it, but Brick maneuvered his body, so if he couldn’t get it undone, he was prepared to kick the fucker in, anything it took. He finally found it and felt the latch as it released and pushed the door open. London’s tear-stained face appeared, and she launched herself at Axel. Brick looked down at his phone—one minute, fifty-seven seconds.

  “RUN!”

  Axel didn’t need to be told twice. Throwing London over his shoulder, he vaulted the bar like it was nothing. Once he landed on the other side, the man was already running with his precious bundle. Brick was right behind him, grabbing people and shoving them toward the door. Once he made it there himself, he looked back, not noticing anyone. His eye landed on Caine, running down the hall with Junior on his heels. Roo was out, so he knew he didn’t have to worry about him. His heart sank into his stomach, thinking about Ryan. He just needed to get out of the building and track her ass down. There was an exit through an old manufacturing section of the building, but she had the heads up before they did, so he had to have faith she got out of there and was safe.

  He had just made it through the door to the outdoors when the building blew. The aftershock knocked him off his feet, propelling him forward in a cloud of dust and heat. When he was able to roll over, half the building was gone, nothing but smoke, ash, and fire. His ears were ringing, his eyes watered like a son of a bitch, and his body sore as fuck. Junior reached out a hand to him.

  “Where’s Ryan!” He was probably screaming, but he couldn’t hear a damn thing. Junior looked at him shaking his own head but not to hear him more clearly. The look on his normally expressionless face was sad. No fucking way. Brick took his hand, letting Junior pull him up. Brick didn’t know where he was going, but he took off running through the mass of people standing or lying on the ground, his eyes searching for the one he wanted to see the most. The ringing was starting to stop in his ears, and he could hear whimpering, crying, even yelling, along with sirens. Caine stopped his mad pursuit, and Brick almost decked him.

  “Stop! You need to use your head.”

  “Where the fuck is she, Caine!”

  Caine gripped his shoulder, but Brick was already shaking his head. No way in fuck was he going to accept she was lost in that building.

  “She saved our fucking asses. Now, it’s time for us to do the same. Where the fuck is she?”

  “You need to calm the fuck down, brother, she had a plan, but we can’t even check and see if it worked until the damn place cools down.” The fire chief walked by, and Caine let go of Brick, talking to the man.

  Brick didn’t care what the two men were talking about. He needed to find Ryan. He was about to take off when Caine grabbed his arm again. This time, Brick didn’t give a shit and clocked the fucker. If he wasn’t going to help him, Brick didn’t need his ass. He’d already left the damn prospect behind, and memories of the past were assaulting him. He was barely holding it together when Caine punched him back. The pain was just enough to bring him back to the present. Caine had Brick’s head in his hands, looking directly into his eyes.

  “Listen, asshole, we aren’t leaving anyone behind this time. Ryan had a plan. We need to get to the back and into the basement. Do you think you can hold it together long enough to make that happen?”

  Brick didn’t need to be asked twice. He took off at a dead run and made it to the back of what used to be the clubhouse, looking down into the basement. The ceiling had been blown away in the blast. Everything was charred, flames were still coming from some places, and the only things remaining were old pieces of machinery. Just looking around, he almost lost it again. There was no fucking way anyone could live through something like this. He could see the door Ryan would have needed to use to get into the machinery room. It was wide open, and beyond it, all he could see was rubble. Her office was back there.

  Caine was yelling at the firemen in the background, directing the spray at the blast furnace.

  “She can’t have much air left. Do it now!”

  Brick watched as the streams of water from the hoses hit the old blast furnace. The thing was used to melt metals back in the day, and he couldn’t even think about why Ryan would go in there or how she would have survived if she made it. Caine came up beside him.

  “You need to listen to me. The blast furnace is off the floor about four feet. The outside is solid steel over a foot of solid fiberglass insulation. It’s big enough, Ryan could have gotten in from the top hopper and still had enough air while the outside erupted around her, but the fucker is too hot to open it right now. The firemen need to cool it down and secure the area before we can get to her.

  “What the fuck, Caine?” Brick pushed him back. “I have followed you for years, built this damn club with you, and the first time we grow roots, a chick is dead, one was beaten all to hell, and another one might have just lost her life because of us! Because of you and this damn shit with Perez!”

  Caine pushed him back.

  “You don’t think I live with that shit every fucking day? I was a fucking kid, Brick, and I made a hard-ass choice to keep someone I loved safe. Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same.”

  Brick knew he would have, all of them would, but he was so torn up about Ryan, he couldn’t think straight or act rationally. Caine would just have to deal with it.

  “Listen, Ryan is smart. She knew she would never make it out of the building in time and sent me a text, telling me exactly what she planned. If it worked, man, you just have to wait a little while to see her again, to hold her in your arms and tell her everything is going to be okay. She’s tough. I don’t have a single doubt she’s sitting in there with her laptop cuddled up beside her, bitching about why it’s taking us so long to get to her after she did all the hard work. Just keep your cool until we can get down there.”

  Brick crouched down by the hole, watching and waiting until they got the all-clear to get down there. It seemed like an eternity, and he was barely keeping it together. When the hopper lid had to be sawed off, he almost pushed the firefighters out of the way to try it himself. Precious seconds later, he watched as Ryan was lifted out of the machine and handed to the paramedics waiting close by. He didn’t even realize he was holding his breath until Ryan started coughing and wheezing into the oxygen mask they placed on her face. He couldn’t tell if she was hurt or worse due to the dirt and soot covering her body. Brick stayed close by, his hands on his head until she was taken to the ambulance.

  “Get it together, man. The first thing she asked for was you, and you’re standing back here. What the fuck, man!”

  “Leave it alone, Caine.” Brick pushed him away and walked back a little. Brick had too much
shit going on in his head to have this conversation right now. Those people came into the club, destroying it, and he almost lost everyone he cared about, including Ryan. He just needed a minute to get it together, and Caine was there pushing him. It wasn’t the time or the place. Caine pushed forward.

  “That girl just saved our asses while putting her own on the line.”

  Brick threw his hands up, “No shit, asshole!”

  Caine shook his head. “Fuck, you’re going to brush her off, after all this, all the bullshit. You’re a stupid son of a bitch, Brick. You have a future with that woman, staring you right in the face. One who will stand by your side, stick to you when the times are good and bad, and you’re just going to throw it away, aren’t you? Let me guess, for her own good, right? You’re a fucking pussy. Just so you know, there is no permanent damage. She wasn’t hurt, just some bruising. I’m going to have Junior take her to my house to rest and recover. Take my advice. Leave her be if you’re planning on ghosting her ass. We can take care of Ryan from here and get her back home.”

  Brick got up in Caine’s face. “Like fuck you will, Caine. Stay the fuck out of it and my life, mother fucker. You won’t like the outcome if you keep on putting your nose in my shit.”

  Pushing him back, Brick walked by him straight to the ambulance. Ryan was sitting up now and smiled, tears filling her eyes. When she saw him, she opened her arms. When he hopped up and accepted the hug, she sobbed into his neck.

  “I was so scared you wouldn’t make it out, that they got you.”

  At that moment, Brick knew exactly what he had to do. Caine might have thought he had it all figured out, he might even be right about some of it, but there was one thing he needed to do first.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ryan was shaking so hard, her teeth were chattering. She tried shutting her eyes, blocking out the world, concentrating only on her breathing, lowering her heart rate, and the warm man that was holding her safely in his arms, but there was this gloom that seemed to have settled deep inside her ever since Brick had found her with the paramedics. When the SUV stopped at a house that resembled a mausoleum, that shaking hadn’t subsided. She knew it was the adrenaline crash the paramedic had warned her about. She felt like a live wire and a zombie at the same time, and the contrasting feelings added to her distress. She wanted it all to just stop, but she couldn’t do anything about it. She let Brick pick her up again, unsure if her legs would be strong enough to carry her right now and needing the comfort of his arms more than he would ever know. She had come so close to losing him, all of them, and it was tearing at her soul.

  This was all her fault. Her naivete, as Caine would call it, had caused this devastation, and he had been right about another thing—she hadn’t been prepared for any of it. Ryan could literally feel Brick pulling away from her, even while being held tightly in his arms. He was being so loving and caring but also so very careful, treating her like a fragile piece of glass that would break at any moment. It made her mad, and she wanted to rage, but she was incapable of it at the moment.

  The tension was coming off of him in waves, yet he still held her so sweetly. Ryan looked up at him, trying to assure herself once again he had made it—they both had. Their eyes met, but there was no warmth in his eyes to match how he was acting. The vacancy, lack of emotion or feelings reflected in his steel-blue eyes hurt even more than the bumps, bruises, and scratches she had all over her body.

  Ryan was almost grateful Sedona was already waiting at the door when Brick carried her inside, following behind them and directing him to the couch. She didn’t want to face what was to come, so she tried to distract herself by looking around the room. From the outside, the place was impressive, but the inside was a complete dump. Mismatched, well-worn, not in a good way, furniture decorated the interior while paint and wallpaper were chipping or peeling off stained walls. She could tell by the woodwork, at one time, this house had been a hidden gem, but now it was just sad.

  She had to wrap her arms around herself when Brick placed her on the couch, desperately wanting to reach back out to him or climb into his lap. Ryan felt like she was going insane. Thankfully, Brick stayed close while Sedona checked her pulse, blood pressure, and heart rate; otherwise, she was pretty sure she would have lost it. He only stepped away for a few seconds, coming back with a tumbler containing a couple fingers of what she assumed was whiskey. When he held it out to her, Ryan lifted her shaking hand for the glass, the amber liquid sloshing from the trembling. Ryan cupped the glass, bringing it to her lips, knocking back the liquid fire as it burned all the way down her throat into her stomach.

  “I’m going to recommend plenty of fluids and sleep if you can manage it. Sometimes, it’s hard after an adrenaline rush and ultimate drop, but it’s the best thing for you right now. A hot bath wouldn’t go amiss, either, but I’m not sure I trust Caine’s plumbing in this place. That’s a risk you’ll have to decide if you want to take.” Sedona leaned closer. “A good orgasm wouldn’t hurt, either. Call it ‘nature’s remedy.’” Sedona laughed. Ryan choked a little, but Brick didn’t make a single sound or movement. Yeah, this wasn’t going to be good.

  Caine and the rest of the guys came into the room, London sticking to the back, looking as frazzled as Ryan felt right now.

  “What can you tell us, Ryan?” Caine asked all business. Ryan tried to speak, clearing her throat several times, but nothing came out.

  “Not now, Caine,” Brick growled as he stood, hooking his arms under Ryan’s legs and behind her back, lifting her up in the air. “Where can I take her?”

  “Tessa’s room, top of the stairs to the right.”

  A couple of tears broke free and ran down her cheeks. This whole situation was fucked up, and her emotions were all over the place. Being in that explosion, running for her life, and seeing her brother after all these years had shaken her to her core. She didn’t know if she could talk about any of it right now. She just needed a few minutes to process everything, maybe have a good cry, and gather all those pieces back together again before she could face the consequences of her actions. She felt responsible for what had happened. Caine was right before when he said Perez always used someone who would cause the most damage to come after them. She should have been faster, smarter, and a million other things. She should have protected these people better—she should have protected Brick better. Even now, he was caring for her, but she would have to tell him and the rest of them about her brother, that he was there, that he was the one that tried to take them down. That explosion might have destroyed their clubhouse, but that information was going to destroy the very foundation of the BRMC.

  Her heart hurt, almost more than her head right now. Brick lifted her a little higher on his chest and kissed her forehead.

  “Stop it, Ryan. I know what you’re thinking, and it isn’t even close to the truth. This shit is Perez’s fault, not yours. Let it go.”

  Ryan shook her head. Would he really think that when she told him all of it?

  Brick took her into a bathroom. So caught up in her thoughts, Ryan had missed the rest of the house and didn’t even know if they had gone down a hall or upstairs. When he placed her down on the vanity, his hands bracketing her face, making her focus right on those beautiful blue eyes, Ryan’s tears broke free in earnest.

  “I was so fucking scared you didn’t get out of there.” Brick stood, hugging her to him, the words rumbling through his chest. “We’re not going to talk about that right now. I need to take care of you and see for myself you’re okay. Just let me take care of you, Ryan. We can talk about all this later.”

  Ryan just nodded. It might be selfish, but she needed what he was offering more than air.

  Brick pivoted and turned on the water in an old clawfoot tub, testing it until he was happy with the temperature before adding some soap to the water. Gathering washcloths and towels, he placed them on the toilet seat. Ryan watched everything without a word. The distance she felt earlier was still betwe
en them, even while they were so close together, but like he said, they could talk about all that later and figure it out. Right now, she just needed him any way she could get him.

  The tears never stopped as he removed her shoes and socks, pulling her jeans and panties down her legs. Rubbing her stiff joints and muscles, he kissed every scrape and bruise he found. Ryan was a mess, and he was so gentle and sweet. When he lifted her shirt off over her head, his fingers brushed against her neck.

  “Damn, baby.”

  Ryan shook her head, saying without words, ‘not now’ as she reached for him. Pulling him closer, she kissed him with everything she had left, igniting what they both needed—to feel alive and confirm they had both made it out. He pulled back from the kiss, his fingers still lingering on her neck, skimming them down to her bra, toying with the lace.

  “Do you know how beautiful you are, Ryan? God, I have wanted you from the first second my eyes landed on you. You fucked with my head and made me want things I never thought I would.”

  She could see it in his eyes. She knew what this was—the words, the actions, the two of them so close, but still so very far away from each other—but she wasn’t ready to accept any of it. Ryan reached behind her back, undoing her bra and letting it fall from her body, exposing all of her to him.

  “Then take me. No more holding back or interruptions, just the two of us and this one moment.”

  Her words seemed to get through to him. They both knew what this was, and she had just given him permission to accept everything she was offering without reservations or regrets.

  Her breasts were swollen and ready for his mouth as his fingers traced her taut nipples, and her pussy was weeping for him and what was to come. When he knelt down on the floor in front of her, placing her legs over her shoulders and opening her up to him completely, Ryan’s breath caught as his tongue swept through her folds. His tongue settled over her clit, gently lapping at it over and over again, taking her higher but not letting her fall over the edge. Ryan was helpless to do anything but moan as he held her hips still when she began to writhe against him, searching for more. Her screams echoed off the walls as one of his fingers slipped into the quivering depths of her pussy.