“What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Jace? You haven’t been running around with your cousin Jared? Have you?”
All us brothers glance at each other.
“Does Jared have another name?” Pops yells.
Jace shouts. “Don’t answer that.” But his dad doesn’t listen.
“Paine. Stupid fucker. Why my brother ever got involved in a gang I’ll never know, but he brought his fucking kid into it too. That’s what this is about isn’t it Jace?” The man shakes his head. “I told you to stay away from him!”
“Dad shut the fuck up!” Jace yells and Rhys slams his fist into his gut.
“What do these men want, Jace?”
“Alright enough, with the fucking male bonding shit.” I cut in, fed up with this circus. “Jace tell us where Paine is or I fucking kill him. I’m done with your shit.”
“He’s right. Either way you die today. Take your father with you if want to, but you’re fucking going.” Becs says crossing his arms over his chest and I nod.
“Dagger.” Pops lifts his chin and he pulls the man’s arm hard, probably out of the socket. He screams.
“Fuck.” Jace says as Rhys holds him and I land a few punches.
“We can keep this up all fucking night.” I bark shaking my fist out.
After what feels like forever, Jace gives us an address. But with his prior record, I need to make sure. I pull the gun out of my holster and hold it to the man’s head. “You want to rethink that address boy? Cause if you’re fucking around with me, I fucking hunt your father down and kill him, no questions asked.” I click the gun and the man starts babbling again.
“I swear that’s the last fucking place I saw him. If you can’t find him there he has a girl and a kid that has a place out on Ebert Road, he’d be there.” I remove the gun from the old man’s head.
“What about the money that you owe and now Shaina? How the hell does she fit in to all of this?” Cruz asks.
“Diamond’s daughter and she was easy. Wanted to hurt her daddy… blah… blah…”
I ask the questions that I need to know the answer too. “Why Casey? What does she have to do with any of this shit?”
He smiles and he will pay for that after he talks. And surprisingly he does and he almost seems to get off on it.
“Paine knows all the little biker brats.” I nod to Dagger and Rhys who pull on his arms and he screams then laughs. “You just don’t get it. Paine wants you all dead. He doesn’t give a shit about that land, it’s about pride. You’re such dumbasses.”
I slam my fist in his gut. “You’re not telling me why.” I move over to his father and cock the gun to his head. “Tell me.”
“Planned out. Moved in a week before she did. Pretty much lied about everything. She was pretty easy to convince, surprisingly.” Then he started laughing harder. “Then when she lost that bastard of a baby.” I’d heard enough as the fury of a father courses through my body. I pound his face over and over and over until it hangs there, blood dripping from it.
I look over at Pops, who nods at me. I point the gun at Jace, pulling the trigger with ease. He falls immediately to the ground.
The old man screams. “Now. We let you go and not a word of this to anyone, or we come and find you. Even if he’s right and gave up Paine, we will kill you, make no mistake about it.” Pops states and nods to Dagger, who picks the man up and takes him away.
“What do ya think?”
“Not the first. Let’s go to the girl and kid.” Becs moves to the door. “Get Tug and Breaker here to clean up this fucking mess.” He looks down at the man covered in blood and I for once can breathe. The fucker is dead.
The house is modest, nothing elaborate, but that’s how someone hiding tries to blend in to the community. Night has fallen and lights shine throughout the house, but I don’t see any movement. I move around the house trying to get a better view, my brothers doing the same. The curtains are drawn, but the light penetrates through them, allowing us to see inside.
I text the brothers saying I see no one. And I get five other texts saying the same thing. I move quietly up to the door, stand to the side and test the handle which turns. The door creaks open and I hear it. A ticking. “Fucking Run, Bomb!” I yell jumping away from the door just as a huge explosion fills my ears.
My head hits the ground. I smell fire, sulfur and something else I can’t place. My head feels so fucking heavy, but I fight to stay awake. I roll to my side and hear my brother’s yelling. I look over and Cruz, Dagger and Becs are carrying Rhys. “Fuck.” I push up on wobbly legs and head over to them.
“He was right there when it went off. He must not have heard you yell.” Rhys’ body is black, but there is no blood.
“Call Doc have him meet us. Now.” He barks as the guys take Rhys to the cage.
“You alright, son?” I stand looking at the huge pile of burning rubble.
“Yeah. We gotta get the fuck out of here. Now.”
Chapter 17—Casey
G.T.’s been gone all day on club business and it’s been great. Not that he’s gone because I miss him, it’s just when he’s here I’m always preoccupied. Today, I was able to get more than my assigned homework done and work on this massive business plan that one of my professors assigned. I feel very accomplished.
I lay out on a picnic table enjoying the sun shining down. It’ll be dark soon, but I need the fresh air. Brothers from the Clayton chapter of Ravage have been here all day while the guys have been gone. I feel their eyes on me constantly, but ignore them. They know I belong to G.T.
Harlow and I made them sandwiches, but mostly they did their thing and we each did ours. Harlow said that Coop needed a rest, so she decided to lie with him while I bask in the last bit of sun for the day.
It’s amazing how things have changed so much in such a short time. I really never thought that G.T. and I would be able to get to this place. There was just too much hurt there but for some reason we have. And I’ve never been happier.
“Hey Casey.” I hear whispered through the wind. I sit up and look around. Shaina is standing on the side of the garage next to one of the entrances.
“What?” I do not know what is going on between her and club. I do know that she is a ball full of trouble that I don’t want to be a part of.
“I need your help.”
“With?”
She looks behind her and I can’t see anything. A little girl about the age of four pokes her head around the corner her eyes scared. I jump to my feet. “Who’s kid?” I say walking towards them.
“Mine.” A man’s voice comes from behind them and my body goes on instant alert and I let out a painstaking scream that would get anyone’s attention. Jared. What the hell? Before I can say a word, his hand comes up cracking me hard across the face. My knees give out and I fall to the ground, but continue to scream knowing it’s my only salvation right now. He picks me up and wraps his hand around my throat. I kick and scratch anything that I can get my hands on. Something gets stuffed in my mouth and tight arms grip my body making me immobile.
“Stop right fucking there.” I hear screamed in the background. The man slams his head into mine and I see black.
My head throbs as I move it back and forth slowly. I hear soft moans and realize they are my own. My arms are laced with pain and my shoulders are on fire. I try to open my eyes, but they feel heavy and gritty, like sand paper and everything around me is grainy and blurry. I blink repeatedly trying to clear the fog, look up and realize quickly why my arms and shoulders hurt so badly.
My hands are wrapped with a thick metal chain and I’m being held so my feet barely hit the ground. I move my arms slightly and the chains clank together loudly, but do not budge. I look down at my body, my clothes are torn but still covering me. Next to me, Shaina is in the exact same position, but her head is slumped down to her chest and there is no movement from her.