But who should she call?
Of course. Arianne.
* * *
“I can’t fucking believe it.” Cade handed the binoculars to Zane. “Is Viper that fucking arrogant? He’s only got six guards down there.”
Zane flattened himself on the rise above Viper’s cabin hideaway, still struggling to believe he wasn’t here alone. But as he’d strapped on his weapons at the clubhouse, ready to do battle with Viper and rescue his son, he thought about T-Rex’s funeral and how the brothers were all there for each other, and how together they had made it through the most difficult times. He had steeled himself to ask for help, but when he went down the stairs, they were all armed and waiting. His brothers. His friends.
“He probably thinks no one will find him,” Jagger said. “My place is pretty isolated. Unless someone ratted me out, I’d be surprised if a bunch of Jacks showed up.”
“How did we find him?” Sparky unzipped his pack and pulled out a box of ammo.
Zane focused his binoculars on the house. “I had Hacker put a GPS tracker in Ty’s Batman watch last time he was at the clubhouse playing vids. It worked so well tracking down Cade after Benson locked him in the slammer, I figured it was good idea. I also had Hacker put trackers in Evie’s new vehicle and a bug in her phone.”
Sparky let out a long low whistle. “I’m guessing she doesn’t know.”
“We all do it,” Cade said. “And none of the old ladies know. But we gotta keep them safe. Make sure we know where they are at all times…”
“Cade’s still worried Dawn’s got a thing for Benson,” Jagger said, smirking. “After all, she almost went into witness protection with him.”
Cade slammed a magazine into his gun. “Benson knows if he even looks at Dawn I’ll rip off his fucking arms.”
“I don’t think those are the guards.” Dax handed the binoculars to Sparky. “They’re busy like little ants. I think they’re doing some kind of construction. The guards are the ones standing around looking bored.”
Zane lay down and looked over the rise. “What the fuck do you know about ants? Did you torture them for fun when you were a kid?”
“Yeah, I did. Burned them with a magnifying glass. Just got an ant farm for my oldest. But I told him not to do what I did ’cause it’s cruel.”
Cade snorted. “Says the club torturer.”
Dax gave an indignant sniff. “I don’t hurt indiscriminately. Only the bastards you bring me. And only until they give me the information I want.” He hesitated and then shrugged. “Okay. And afterward, maybe a bit for fun.”
Sparky snapped open the tripod on his Barnett M98B sniper rifle. “So what’s the plan? I take them all out by myself while you losers yap like a bunch of old ladies?”
“I prefer the stealth approach.” Zane rolled over and pulled out his knife. “No noise. No gunshots to warn everyone we’re coming.”
“Ah. Ah. Ah … I think slicing a Black Jack’s throat might be a breach of your bail conditions.” Cade chuckled. “And I think some of us are felons. Someone call the fucking cops and haul this fucker’s ass back to jail.”
“Anyone need a weapon?” Tank came up behind them with the duffel bag he and Gunner had hauled up the hill. “Evie and Connie dug up the weapons Big Bill stole from the Jacks last week. He had them stashed in his father’s grave. Gun and I bought them for the club, although I think we might have overpaid. They drove a pretty hard bargain.”
Jesus Fucking Christ. What the hell was going on? Why was Evie selling stolen weapons, and why the fuck hadn’t she told him about them? How could they trust each other if she was going to go behind his back and put herself in danger? Of course, he had handcuffed her to the radiator, but still … that was a trust issue. Dealing in stolen weapons had to do with safety.
“You wanna call Evie?” Jagger gave Zane a nudge. “Tell her we’ve found him and we’re going in so she doesn’t worry?”
“She won’t be able to get to the phone.” He felt a stab of remorse, but then he thought about what she’d intended to do and his resolve hardened. Damn woman had no idea of the danger she was in, or the risk to Ty if she followed the course of action she intended to take.
Jagger lifted an eyebrow. “Do I want to know?”
“You may want to send a coupla brothers over there with this key.” He pulled the key out of his pocket and handed it to Jagger. “She was gonna go to Viper and bargain herself for Ty so I handcuffed her to the radiator. Whoever goes to get her should be armed and wearing a padded safety suit, maybe a helmet and a face mask. I got Benson checking on her through the window every half hour or so.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Jagger tucked the key into the pocket of his cut. “Well, that’s the end of that relationship.”
“Nah.” Dax laughed. “That’s called having a family. Anything to do with the kids and the old ladies go fucking ballistic and start thinkin’ they’re gonna handle things themselves. A man’s gotta know how to deal with them. I always keep a set of cuffs in the house.”
“Listen to the big talker shootin’ off his mouth like Sandy doesn’t have him by the balls.” Cade snorted. “You got those cuffs ’cause you’re a kinky bastard.”
“Guess we’re all kinky bastards ’cause I heard you cuffed Dawn to the bathroom sink when she found out some bully hit one of your little twin girls.”
“My girls. My responsibility.” Cade puffed out his chest. “That nine-year-old bully’s not gonna be saying dick to anyone on that playground ever again. And after I got home and uncuffed Dawn I made sure she understand how things were gonna be with me and the girls.”
“Wasn’t that the day you showed up with a black eye?” Gunner pushed himself to his feet and grabbed a branch for balance. His old injury from the night the Jacks burned down the Sinner clubhouse still bothered him, but he would never admit to suffering any pain.
“You want a fucking black eye now?”
“Like I said.” Jagger looked over at Zane and grinned. “That’s the end of that relationship.”
“No, like I said.” Dax laughed. “It’s called having a family. Sinner style.”
TWENTY-SIX
If you use the right tools, take your time, and follow the manual, the risk of disaster is quite low.
—SINNER’S TRIBE MOTORCYCLE REPAIR MANUAL
Viper’s bodyguard gestured for Evie to follow him through the spacious, chalet-style cabin, set into the side of the mountain and surrounded by dense forest. Evie breathed in the fresh scent of pine and cedar as they emerged into an open-plan living room with vaulted ceilings and giant picture windows boasting views over the valley below. Across the room she could see a honey oak kitchen, separated from the living space with a granite-topped counter and four tall stools. Bright rugs covered the polished teak floors, and large, comfortable sofas and chairs surrounded an open Victorian fireplace.
“Not what you expected?” Sprawled on the couch, his arms across the burnt amber cushions, legs parted wide, Viper gestured for her to sit. “Doreen did the decorating. Or maybe it was Shelly. I go through old ladies so fast, it’s hard to keep track.”
Evie wasn’t interested in pleasantries. Or sitting. “Where’s Ty?”
Viper cocked his head to the side. “Is that anyway to greet your man?”
“You’re not my man. I thought I made that clear.” Her heart drummed in her chest when he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“And I thought I made it clear that you are mine. Apparently you didn’t get the memo. I hear you’ve been spreading your legs for the Sinners. If I’d known you were such a little slut, I’d have taken you that first day I saw you in your shop. I would have tied you to the bench and fucked you till you screamed.”