CHAPTER 8
AXLE
We roll up to the warehouse, our bikes rumbling as we take in the scene. No one is outside like they’re waiting to announce us. The doors are shut, even as music thumps from inside. I glance around, growing suspicious.
“Rush, you sure these guys are good?” Drex asks, already thinking the same thing I am.
Rush walks his bike up alongside mine, his eyes scanning everything around us. “I asked three of our sources. All vouched for these guys to be legit. But I don’t like this. Someone should be outside.”
“Call Jude and tell him and Dash to circle around back,” Drex says to Rush, who nods.
As Rush calls them and starts relaying the message, I look over at Drex. “All our sources need to be re-vetted. A lot of them were strongly tied to Herrin, you know?”
He nods slowly, eyes not moving from the front of the warehouse.
“Didn’t really think about that being an issue, since I’m twice as lethal as Pop. But yeah. Now it’s definitely crossing my mind.”
“I’ll go in first. This is my mess. If anyone needs to take the risk, it’s me,” Rush tells us. “My guy isn’t answering his phone.”
“We go in ready for anything. Leave the bikes here,” Drex orders.
I’m off mine first, walking toward the warehouse as I cock my gun. Rush joins me at my side, his own gun drawn. Feeling exposed in the empty parking lot, I look around again, searching for any movement.
The music grows louder as we approach, and I realize what’s playing. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor is blaring when Rush opens the door, warily peering inside.
“Son of a bitch,” he hisses, shoving the door all the way open and rushing in.
Drex curses, and we both follow him in, guns drawn in front of us, but my eyes widen when I see the massacre. Five guys are dead at our feet, bullet holes and blood plumes littering their chests. And every one of them has one execution style shot in their forehead too.
It looks like they were trying to escape and all ended up in a heap by the hallway and door.
“What the—”
Drex’s words stop short as I look up, seeing another bout of feet sticking out past the corner, and we walk over, noting the same kill style here, too. That’s when my gaze swings up, and I see a blonde sitting on top of a SUV, her head banging as the song plays on.
Her eyes collide with us, and a slow smile spreads over her face.
Sarah. Or AJ. Or whatever.
Life has gotten confusing with all the motherfucking name changes lately.
She lifts a remote, and the music goes silent instantly.
The warehouse is massive, so I have no idea how many more bodies we’ll find or why Sarah decided to go on a killing spree.
“What the hell?” Rush bites out.
Sarah slides down the windshield to the hood of the SUV before scooting off it altogether. Rush draws his gun, aiming it at her, and she lazily moves her finger to the trigger of the gun she’s holding beside her leg.
One hand is clutching her side as she limps toward us, blood seeping through her fingers. “There’s only one guy I’ll let hold a gun on me for longer than a few seconds without me killing him for pissing me off.” She levels Rush with a crazy-looking stare. “You’re not that guy.”
Slowly, Rush lowers his gun.
“What the hell, AJ?” Drex asks, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
“You’re welcome,” she answers with a cold smile. “Your daddy set you up. Evidence is recorded. I wired the place a few days ago when I found out you’d be meeting here. But only found out this was the plan in time to get here before you and save all your lives.”
My lips twitch as she stares down Drex, waiting on some appreciation.
He blows out a breath, his hands going to his hips as he looks around. “You could have just called me and gave me a head’s up.”
“Or you could say thank you for me handling this and all of you walking away unscathed. It’ll send a message to everyone else that you don’t fuck around, and they’ll be less likely to take Herrin up on his offers in the future.”
My eyes drop to her side. It’s not bleeding profusely, but she’s definitely been hit.
“How bad is it?” I ask her as Rush kneels down, examining one guy on the ground.
“I’ll live. Just a nasty graze. I’ve had worse. You guys need to vet your incoming clients better.” Rush glares over at her, about to defend this mess, when she adds, “But I have a job for you that you can trust.”
She sags against a beam like she’s in need of support.
“Let’s get you to a doctor,” Drex says, taking a step toward her, but she waves him off.
“I have to get out of town for a little while. You owe me several favors.” She grimaces as she bends over and picks up the backpack from the floor. “You’re going to take her up on her job offer, and you’re going to let her stay with you until I get back.”
“Who?” Drex and I both ask as Rush kicks the dead guy at his feet.
“I’ve gotten fond of the weird girl, so it’s about to be your main priority to keep her breathing. But like I said, you get something out of it too,” she goes on, not making any damn sense, before her gaze shifts to Rush. “He’s not dead.”
“I noticed,” he says, peering over at her. “Thanks for leaving one for us to use against Herrin.”
She shrugs, but before she can say more, Dash is walking toward us, his head cocked in confusion. “Dude, there are at least half a dozen guys dead back there, and there’s a crazy girl in—”
His words die when his eyes find Sarah leaning against a pole. She smirks at him as she swings the backpack onto her shoulder with her free hand, and then uses the same hand to dig something out of the side pocket.
She launches something small at Drex, and he catches it.
“Proof you’ll need to know this was an ambush, along with your lone survivor that I just knocked out real good for you,” Sarah says quietly, using her head to gesture to the motionless guy at Rush’s feet.
“What’re you going to do with all the bodies?” Rush asks, and Sarah chuckles under her breath.
“I don’t know about you boys, but in my house, when someone does all the hard work of killing, someone else does all the cleaning. Have fun with that,” she chirps.
“Is she like the little psychotic, dark, guardian angel or something?” Dash asks under his breath as he moves back a few steps.
“I really don’t like guns being pointed at me!” a feminine voice snaps, tearing all our gazes away as a familiar face comes into view by the SUV.
Jude is behind her, gun pointed to the back of her head, as the girl skates—fucking skates—toward us. I recognize her immediately, even as my brow furrows in confusion.
Very short, white spandex shorts are suctioned to her body. Pale pink socks reach her thighs, along with a pale pink shirt that says something about Bubble Gum. Her hair is in twin balls on her head like she’s Princess fucking Leia or something.
And white roller skates.
With rainbow-striped shoe strings.
And she’s in a warehouse with massacred bodies lying around, but she’s not batting an eye. Her arms are loaded down with phones that she’s hoarding at her waist.
It’s the single most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Found this…whatever she’s supposed to be, picking the pockets of the guys back—”
Jude’s words die much like Dash’s did when his gaze lands on Sarah.
Sarah tenses, her lips creasing as she looks away first.
“Take care of her,” she says quietly to Drex, and goes to pluck cash out of the band of Maya’s shorts before winking at her.
Sarah limply starts walking toward the door, not looking back at us as she exits the building without another word.
“What the fucking hell is going on?” Jude demands, his eyes following the path Sarah used for retreat.
My gaze settles on the girl in roller skates, who, despite the gun pointed at the back of her head, does not look the least bit worried about dying. She looks annoyed.
Until her gaze settles on me. Then a slow smile curves her lips. She’s definitely fucking crazy. I should have known that the first time I met her.
Clearing my throat, I look over at Drex.
“We’re supposed to deal with this?” I ask, gesturing to…all of her.
“We owe her,” he tells me with a shrug.
“You mean we owe Sarah? For fucking what?” Jude growls.
“Saving our lives,” Rush drawls. “Again.”
Jude’s body goes rigid, and Drex pushes play on the recording device. My eyes flick to Jude as he stares at it while still holding the gun behind Maya. That’s starting to make me tense, so I walk over and push his hand away.
He glares at me for a second, but Maya quickly skates to my side, shadowing me like I’m her damn hero now when I move back over to where Drex is. Fucking eh.
This is not what I need.