CHAPTER 26
AXLE
We stop at the end of the block, and I dig into my pocket to grab my phone that’s been vibrating against my thigh since we left. We’re only ten minutes out, which is pissing me off.
Herrin is taunting us by being this close.
“Hershel’s bike is definitely parked out there, along with a few others I recognize,” Jude says, walking from around the corner and coming back to his ride, while I listen to my messages, feeling my stomach sink.
“Answer your fucking phone!” Drake is shouting in the message that’s just a few seconds old. “Maya says they’re coming here. She’s fucking positive for some reason, and—fuck!”
His voice cuts out as gunfire sounds against my ear—rapid, unrelenting gunfire.
Screams tear through the message, and I hang up, revving my bike. “The girls are under fire. You deal with this!” I shout at Drex, whose eyes widen.
“Go,” Sledge says to Drex, his eyes on the Royal Inn. “Leave half with me.”
Drex starts snapping out orders for which ones need to follow us, but I’m already driving, weaving in and out of traffic the second I get turned around.
My entire body is strung tight, and an old, very distant feeling I haven’t felt in years almost chokes me.
Fear.
I haven’t been this scared since I was a kid, but right now, I’m barely holding it together as I skid around a curve, almost colliding with a car that manages to hit a ditch instead of me.
It doesn’t slow me down, because it’s not my life that has fear settling on me like a tangible force.
It’s Maya’s.
Cutting a ten minute drive in half, I slide in sideways on our street, seeing the building come into view. Sirens wail in the distance, probably on their way to us, and my stomach drops when I see the smoke blowing through the window near the top.
It’s not on fire, but I can tell they just blew the fucking hangar to pieces.
I leap off my Harley before it even comes to a full stop, letting it skid across the pavement on its side as I burst through the door.
Colleen is frantically pulling at the door near the back that probably sealed after the explosion, a safety mechanism. She’s screaming, and ash falls down, landing everywhere like a blanket of gray snow. Wires hang and flicker with electricity. Glass is shattered everywhere.
The worst of the damage is closer to the hangar, leaving half the warehouse barely affected.
My eyes scan the place as Drex bursts in behind me, rushing to Colleen. More panic rises when I can’t find Maya, fear ratcheting up more by the second.
“Maya!” I shout, barely getting the word out as my heartbeat echoes inside my own ears.
Drex is typing in the disable code to open the door, and I rush to it, looking for Maya to come out. Women pour out, including Eve. Drake hobbles out, grabbing and hugging Colleen as his eyes flick to mine.
“Where’s Maya?!” I bark.
Before he can answer, my eyes dart to a corner, and I see her. My entire body is filled with so much instant relief that my legs almost give out.
“Don’t!” Colleen shouts at me as I start walking toward Maya. “Don’t! She’s freaking out! Don’t touch her!”
I ignore her, watching as Maya rocks, her eyes wide and fixed at the end where the explosion was. It’s not hard to figure out that an explosion is rattling her, considering she watched her parents die in one.
Slowly, I kneel down, but when my hand reaches out to connect with her knee, she jerks, panic clear on her face. But the second her eyes meet mine, tears start leaking, and she reaches for me.
I lift her from the ground, carrying her toward the exit, getting her out of this hazard and away from the visual. She clings to me, her face buried against my neck.
Carrying her like a broken bride, I step outside, walking toward the back where SUVs are pulling up.
“I have to get her out of here before the cops arrive,” I tell Byson as he glances at her.
“Take this. It was one of the few that survived in the other garage,” he tells me, putting the keys back inside the ride as I open the passenger seat door for Maya.
She doesn’t speak when I put her in the seat or buckle her up. Drex comes running out, Eve’s hand clasped tightly in his as I shut the door on Maya.
Maya is just staring blankly ahead, possibly not seeing anything.
“Get her out of here, too,” Drex says as he opens the back door for Eve. “Last thing we need to deal with is them asking questions about her, since her uncle is currently ‘missing’.”
I just nod. He’ll know where to find me.
Maya says nothing as I start pulling us away from the warehouse, and Eve blows out a shaky breath.
“What now? That’s where we were hiding out,” Eve says quietly.
“We weren’t hiding,” I tell her tightly.
As I back all the way down the alley, I notice her in the rearview as her shaky hands swipe an errant hair out of her face.
“It all just happened so fast,” she says as I get us turned around and head down the street. “The blast hit, we managed to make it to the door, but it slammed shut. Colleen had run out to help Maya, and we couldn’t get it back open after it sealed shut. We were terrified Herrin’s guys were about to burst in with Colleen and Maya stuck on the other side.”
My hands grip the steering wheel as I glance over to Maya, seeing her motionless with that blank stare.
“Pressure sensor. If it senses an explosion of any kind, it’s set to shut and seal to preserve the stability of the foundation, ensuring the blast doesn’t cause harm. It’s designed to be a panic room, so to speak. Or a panic floor, actually.”
I cut the wheel, driving us toward one of the off-grid houses Drex owns. It’s big enough to hold several of us. We’ll scatter for a few days, then regroup after finding a new spot to call ground zero. Going home is sure as hell out of the question.
I reach over, taking Maya’s cold, limp hand, noticing how she doesn’t even react.
“How’d she know it was a trap?” I ask Eve.
“I have no idea. We watched that disgusting video Herrin sent, and suddenly she was asking questions and calling you.”
“What kind of questions?” I ask her, turning down another road that takes us deeper into the desert.
“Questions about Liza mostly. Who escorts her home? How long has she been with the club? Other questions like that. And then she went into panic mode. Which I’m glad she did. We were all at the meeting room that was blown to bits. We’d be dead right now if she hadn’t told us to go downstairs. Just attempting that put us all at the other end of the building.”
I squeeze Maya’s hand in mine, but I get only a small squeeze back in return. At least that’s something.
Eve grows quiet and pensive, and I try not to think about what Maya must have meant with her questions. Sledge and I would be in a fight if she brought those up aloud, because Sledge would want her dead for an accusation like that.
And normally Sledge is the level-headed one.
A text comes through on my phone as I get stuck at a red light, and I release Maya’s hand so I can text Jude back.
JUDE: Herrin is still in the wind, but we have ten guys, including Hershel. They were surprised AF that we showed up. Got Liza too. Sledge is gonna fuck Hershel up himself.
I glance at Maya from the corner of my eye, find her still staring endlessly, and text him back.
ME: We took a big loss too. Warehouse is fucked. The idea was to get us out so they could drive by and blow our shit to pieces.
JUDE: Yeah. That sucks, but no one was hurt or taken.
ME: What was Liza like when you found her?
JUDE: Not physically hurt, but you know. Probably emotionally fucked.
ME: But how was she? Were there guys holding her at gunpoint? Was she surprised or scared when you busted in? Did she act like she was emotionally fucked? Give me the details.
There. I fucking asked. And it’s Jude, so he’ll get pissed, but he’ll keep his mouth shut about me asking that.
JUDE: I’mma pretend you’re not asking this. And you’re gonna pretend I’m not saying this. But she was alone in a room with no guns trained on her. Looks like she’d just gotten out of the shower not long before and was watching TV. And definitely surprised to see us, but she rushed to Sledge. Thing is, she was unguarded, but that doesn’t mean she could have run and risked them seeing her. I mean, right? Careful, Axle. Don’t poke this one.
ME: Just pretend like it’s nothing? What happens the next time they use her against us? It’d be a stupid thing to forget.
JUDE: Fair point. Poke it delicately then. Like a virgin.
I’m not even sure if I’m reading into this or not. I didn’t see her with my own eyes, and I don’t know what made Maya so suspicious. Obviously, I’m worked up and getting ahead of myself.
One more text comes through as I pull up to the isolated house in the middle of nowhere.
JUDE: Take it from someone who knows, it’s really fucking hard to believe your girl betrayed you.
Eve pushes her door open as I park, and I put my phone away and do the same. Maya weakly pushes her own door open, and I go to lift her from the passenger seat, cradling her against my chest as Eve goes to the front door of the house.
As I tell Eve the code, Maya puts her arms around my neck, nuzzling her nose along my jaw. At least she’s coming out of her catatonic state.
We step inside, and Eve shuts and locks the door. The house is large, with seven bedrooms and even more bathrooms. Eve looks around with her hands on her hips.
“Whose is this?”
“Drex’s,” I tell her.
“Why the hell didn’t I know about it?”
I shrug, carrying Maya to a bedroom I’ve only ever seen once.
“No one but me knew about this property. Drex bought this years ago, but kept it a secret. He only came out here when he needed a break from all things Death Dealer. And he thought if his sister ever needed a place to lie low, he’d put her here until he could figure out her next move.”
Eve grows quiet, and I turn to see her eyes fixed on Maya in my arms. “Let me know if you need any help,” Eve finally says, offering me a small, tight smile.
I nod before ducking into the bedroom, and I gently place Maya on her feet. She sways, but leans against the wall, her eyes on me.
Brushing her hair away from her face, I take inventory. Her face is smudged with ash, and her clothes are just as dirty. I’m just glad the blast was contained enough to not hit the other end of the warehouse. I’m sure those weren’t Herrin’s intentions, but the hangar is tougher than it looks, and it took the brunt of the hit.
“I’m okay,” she finally says, though she has to clear her throat afterwards.
Moving away from her, I clench and unclench my fists, feeling fucking useless as I move into the bathroom and turn the water on for the tub.
As it fills up, I move back into the bedroom. She’s already pulling her clothes off without having to be asked, and I shut the door to the room, giving us privacy.
As soon as she’s bare, she moves into the bathroom, eyes on the tub.
I rifle through the damn sink cabinet, hoping the woman who tends to this house for Drex has left some supplies. All I find is a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, so I dump a big glob of the shampoo into the water, letting the faucet make a few bubbles with it.
“It’s clean,” I grumble. “Drex has a housekeeper who comes once a week and cleans everything to keep the dust away. He hasn’t been out here in over a year, but he keeps her on payroll, even through this rough patch we had.”
Maya gives me a small smile as she steps in.
As she gets seated and leans her head back over the edge, her eyes close. I use the opportunity to run my eyes over the small, barely-there cuts on her arms and legs from where she likely crawled over the glass, trying to make it to the door.
Her blood looks like flakes of paint on the small cuts, but it’s still enough to send the anger simmering close to the surface.
“I don’t know what happened,” she finally says quietly. “I just froze. Colleen started trying to shake me out of it, and I screamed. As soon as she gave me space, I froze again.”
I crouch next to the tub, putting my hand in the water and testing the temperature, even though she’s not complaining.
“I had a gun in my hand, just knowing they were going to come in. I’m glad they didn’t. After that blast, I just…froze. I’ve never had that happen,” she goes on, her voice barely carrying over the steady stream of the water that’s filling the tub.
Spotting a pack of sponges, I open it and pull one out, busying myself and trying to rein in my rage. She could have been fucking killed.
“I should have checked my phone sooner.” The words come out gruff, my own voice strained right now.
It’s like I can’t take my eyes off her, worried if I do, she suddenly won’t be here anymore. It’s a fucked up feeling I’ve never experienced before.
“I’m glad you checked it at all,” she says on a sigh, the tension leaving her body little by little.
I drench the sponge, using the shampoo to soap it up, and start washing some of the ash off her neck.
We stay silent after that. Her eyes remain closed as I sponge off the rest of her body, turning off the water when it’s high enough.
She leans up, her back to me, and I take the opportunity to wash it too.
“You could climb in with me,” she says softly.
If I got in there with her, I’d fuck her. Not because I’m turned on, but because I would need physical reassurance that she’s really safe and not an illusion. Son of a bitch, what’s wrong with me?
“I’ll stick to the outside of the tub,” I say under my breath.
She catches my hand, her eyes on mine. She’s been in there for so long now that her fingers are pruning and the water is getting chilly.
“Thank you,” she says hoarsely.
She leans in to kiss me, but a loud banging on the bedroom door halts it from happening. I straighten and walk out, though it’s hard as hell to do, and close the door behind me.
Opening the bedroom door, my eyes collide with Drex’s. His jaw is tight, his eyes are lethal, and I can tell we’re finally going to get some blood on our hands. I couldn’t be fucking happier to hear that, because I feel like I’m drowning in uncharted territory.
Fear.
Worry.
Dread.
All of those are emotions I never feel. Anger? Sure. It’s my best fucking friend. But I’m almost a novice with any of the other emotions.
“Drake is bringing the girls some clothes when he rides out with Dash. Sledge is here—”
“Is Liza here?” I ask, the question blurting out without hesitation.
His brow furrows. “No. She’s at the hospital getting checked out. We left her with a group of guys ready to kill a Death Dealer if they see them. But we have Hershel in the shed around back. The other guys they got from the bust are already dead and hanging near the factory where they tried to send us for a fucking trap.”
I nod, unsure if I want to get into the Liza situation with Drex.
“Sledge might kill Hershel too soon if I leave him alone out there for long with him. I need your help on this. You can calm us all the fuck down, and right now, we sure as hell need that.”
I swallow the knot in my throat as I give him a bitter smile. “As of right now, I’m not so sure how calm I’ll be. Maya didn’t get behind that door. Glass cut her up—shallow cuts, but they’re still there. If Herrin had known about her, she would have been taken. They’d have come in after her.”
“If he’d known Eve was there with just Drake watching after her, he’d have come in. But he didn’t. His target was the new vehicles, because he’s unaware of Maya being a sympathetic client and assumes this is going to hit us hard and get us into a mess with said client.”
Which makes me really fucking happy that Sledge kept Maya a secret from Liza. And I can’t believe I’m seriously thinking that. But Maya saw something that had her convinced we were running into a trap and that the club was about to be hit.
The club was hit, and conveniently, several people spotted Herrin at the factory where they tried to lead us.
For a likely trap.
He runs a hand through his hair like he’s frustrated. “I’m not cut out to be the P. I’m a solid VP, but running things is different. I’m still in the frame of mind that someone will reel me back if I’m ready to rush in, guns blazing, ready for a fight. And Pop is using that against me.”
I lean against the doorframe, crossing my arms over my chest. “You’re a good P. Stop letting him use his knowledge of you against you and start using your knowledge of him against him. Think like Herrin. You’re the only one who can do that.”
He runs a hand over the scruff on his jaw and nods absently, staring at nothing in particular.
I push away from the door and go back to the bathroom, poking my head inside in time to see Maya wrapping a towel around her body.
“I need to handle something. Stay inside.”
Her eyes meet mine, and she nods, being too quiet. Usually by now she has something to say.
“Drake is bringing you some clothes.”
“I hope he brings me some underwear,” she says on a sigh. “Otherwise, you’ll have to dig that pair out of your pocket and your pervy panty-sniffing will have to be put on hold.”
A smile slips over my face unexpectedly as she smirks at me. Looks like she’s recovered.
“Stay inside,” I repeat before stepping out.
Drex is telling Eve basically the same thing when I step out of the bedroom, and she’s berating him for not telling her about this house. My lips twitch as I pass them.
Eve is simply trying to take his mind off feeling like he’s failed. Once again. So she’s getting him riled up—something she’s damn good at.
I spend the short walk to the shed trying to get my temper under control so that I’m not one who accidentally kills Hershel before time.
As soon as I step inside, I see Hershel’s head snap to the side, blood spraying from his mouth as a seething Sledge shakes out his fist and takes a step back.
Hershel looks like he’s already been worked over enough for the day. His right eye is swollen shut. His lips are bleeding and swollen as well. His face is one step away from being mangled.
But the sadist is laughing even as he spits out another wad of blood. Because he wants to taunt Sledge into killing him.
Sledge raises his fist, but I speak before he can strike. “You can kill him now, or you can make it last for months.”
Sledge hesitates, his eyes darting to me as he breathes heavily, fury etching his features.
“Because if he dies right now, he doesn’t tell us anything. If he lives, he lives to suffer another day. And another. And another.”
I pull my shirt off—something I do when I’m ready to scare the hell out of people who think they’re a badass. My back goes to Sledge, giving him the visual, as I speak again.
“I know how to make the pain tolerance grow little by little, until you can handle so much pain that you’re incapable of passing out from it anymore. You’re forced to endure every single strike. Every single cut. Every single ounce of agonizing torture without the reprieve of your body shutting down to spare you.”
I look over my shoulder to see Sledge lowering his fist, nodding at me once.
“I know how to make him pray for hope to survive because death seems like an elusive dream that will never come true,” I go on. “And I can assure you, that after six months of being put through this sort of hell, he’ll forget his own name. He’ll beg you for mercy. He’ll cry and piss himself when you step into view. He’ll be your bitch, in other words.”
Sledge takes a step back, blowing out a breath as he gets himself under control. Hershel has paled a little, reluctant fear etching his face. All these years, he’s never heard me speak about the scars. He knows I’m not bluffing when I tell Sledge I can coach him on how to completely ruin a person.
“Not only will you completely wreck his body, you’ll destroy his mind,” I go on. “He’s too old to recover.”
A dark smile graces my lips as Hershel cuts his gaze to Sledge.
“Liza was good. Especially when she was screaming,” he bites out, trying to rile Sledge into a furious retaliation that will kill him.
Sledge’s lips twitch, not at all rattled.
“Let’s do this your way, kid,” Sledge tells me, his eyes shifting toward Hershel. “Because I want to see him beg.”
Not speaking, I lift my shirt, tying the sleeves together, as Hershel tries to rock the chair he’s tied to, but it’s nailed to the boards of the shed’s floor. After constructing a makeshift bag out of my shirt, I drop it over Hershel’s head.
And with that, I turn Sledge into my pupil, telling him the things that he can do to Hershel.
Telling him the things I know.
Because they were done to me.