Hawk balled up another towel and pressed it against Starla’s head.

“She needs to go to the hospital,” Jefferson said.

“Shut up,” Levi growled. “She needs to tell us everything.”

Reese kept Josie behind him, knowing that she was ready to pounce. Things had finally exploded and of all things to have happen, Steph was missing. Josie’s idea that maybe the DRM came after Steph because of Digg being the baby’s father, that wasn’t true.

This was personal.

This was…

“Haney,” Starla said in a weak voice. “He’s the one. He works for some group that you work with. I’m so sorry.”

“You knew this all along?” Reese asked.

“No,” Starla said. She looked at Reese. She looked tired and beat up. “I swear. It was exactly like I told you.”

“He showed up here?” Reese asked.

“Yes. As soon as I saw him, I got nervous. He was alone though. So, I kept dancing, doing my normal thing. He sat in front of me for two hours and spent a lot of money. He wanted a private dance and I told him I couldn’t. I got off stage and stayed away until he left.”

“You didn’t think to call us?” Hawk asked.

“I wasn’t thinking.”

“You were fucking high, weren’t you?” Josie asked.

“No. Not high. Just… okay…”

“Okay?” Jefferson asked. “Are you out of your damn mind?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong!” Starla cried out.

Hawk stood up and backed away. “You were supposed to call us, Starla. We could have had guys here to figure this out. We’ve been looking for that prick for a little while now.”

“I didn’t know,” she said. Her eyes were dazed, and it was obvious she was feeling the hit to the head that Haney gave her.

Reese stepped forward. “Okay. We can get to this shit later. Right now, Starla, I need to know what happened. Exactly what happened.”

“I left and had the feeling I was being followed,” she said.

“Jesus Christ,” Levi said.

“I’m going to kill her,” Josie said. “My cousin is missing because of you.”

Josie jumped forward and Levi blocked her. She was quick to throw a punch, hitting Levi in the mouth. Reese dove back and wrapped his arms around Josie to get her away from Levi.

“It’s okay,” Levi said. “It’s okay.”

“Christ, sweetheart,” Reese said. “You have to control it right now. We’re going to find her. We’re going to end this. Okay? One step at a time.”

Josie started to cry, and Reese hated himself, but he had to break away from her.

He turned and walked right to Starla. He reached down and lifted her chin so she looked at him.

“You get one chance,” he said in a low voice. “If you don’t tell me everything, you’re going to have a matching hole in the other side of your head.”

“I came back here,” Starla said. “I thought someone would still be here. Nobody was. That’s when he showed up. He attacked me. He broke my phone. He hit me… he wanted his stuff back. Or the cash. I didn’t… I just… I said you guys had it.”

“Fuck,” Hawk said.

“That’s okay,” Levi said. “He knows we’re onto him for sure now. Let me call D.O. and see what he says.”

“Don’t,” Reese said. “This is about us. This club. He took Josie’s cousin. He must have been following us longer than we were following him. This is a personal attack on me and on Lasz.”

“VP, you can’t think…,” Zac started to say.

All Reese had to do was shoot a glance at him to shut him up.

Reese addressed Starla again. “What else happened?”

“I was on the ground and he told me he was going to take care of some business with you guys,” she said. “Then he was coming back for me. Next thing I knew, he swung something at my head. I was out cold.”

“I found her out back,” Jefferson said. “I thought she was strung out. But then I realized she’d been attacked.”

“You didn’t call the cops,” Brett said. “Smart man.”

“I called you guys,” Jefferson said. “Then I called Josie.”

Reese felt Josie step up next to him. Inches from Starla.

Starla looked at Josie and started to cry. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he would do this.”

“If my cousin gets hurt… or that baby… whatever he did to you… is nothing compared to what I’m going to do to you.”

Starla cried harder, lowering her head.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Levi said. “Jefferson. Put her in your car. Take her to the hospital. The story is that a man in a black mask mugged you and hit you in the head. I’ll call Winston to confirm the story.”

“Winston,” Reese said. He looked at Levi. “Son of a bitch.”

“What is it, VP?” Jason asked.

Reese looked around the room and nodded. “I think I know where Steph is.”

* * *

“If I tell you to wait here, will you listen?”

“No,” Josie said without hesitation.

“Right,” Reese said. He turned and saw Benny wrestling with a ripped-up jacket and a ring of keys hanging from his mouth. “Jesus, man, give me the fucking keys. We don’t have time to waste.”

Reese took the keys as Benny zipped up the jacket. He grabbed for a trucker’s hat with faded text and plopped it on his head of messy, greasy hair.

“Let’s go,” Benny said.

“Just tell us where you heard the noise,” Levi said.

“Nah, too far. I’ll show you the exact spot. Had my gun with me.”

“Should have shot then,” Brett said.

“Stop,” Reese said. “Zac, are you ready?”

“Fucking ready,” he said. He looked at Josie. “I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

“You should stay here,” Levi said.

“I tried,” Reese said. “She’s stubborn.”

“That’s my cousin,” Josie said. “And this is my fault. I let this happen.”

“How is this your fault?” Reese asked.

“I let you back into my world,” Josie said.

Reese felt the wind get knocked out of him. Of all the things he’d been through in his life, that one hurt. Pretty fucking bad.

“Right,” Reese said.

He turned.

“Reese,” Josie said.

He ignored her.

“Stick to the plan,” Reese said. “Brett and Jason, take the sides. I’m taking the front. Benny, you unlock the unit and get the fuck out of the way. Zac, you’d better be in position when shit goes down. I will not stop until Steph and that baby are safe. I don’t give a shit if you have to bury me and hang my cut up, got it? Do not stop me from doing what needs to be done here.”

“VP,” Levi said. “Wait a second…”

Reese wasn’t having any of it. He grabbed Benny’s collar and started to walk. Benny stumbled and let out a yell as he tried to keep up with Reese.

Part of Reese wished this were at night. Prowling around in the dark was better suited for the MC. But that didn’t matter. They were going to do this in the daylight. And there was a chance they’d open the storage unit and find nothing. That this was just a bad coincidence. But after all these years, Reese had a feeling for this stuff. And he knew how this was going to do go down. Haney took Steph because she was an easy target. Being naive and pregnant gave him a really big bargaining chip. Chances were, he’d want his drugs back, along with cash, and probably a lot more too.

If Haney had been smart, he would have taken off with Steph. Instead, he put himself in a cage and he was done for.

“Right up through here,” Benny said.

“Whisper, man,” Reese growled. “We have to be quiet at this.”

“Right, right,” Benny whispered. “Heard the noise up here. Thudding and stuff. I tried to check and didn’t see much. It was dark out though. My mind was messing with me…”

“That’s the booze,” Levi said.

“Yeah, maybe. I thought I saw something. Who knows? But I heard something for sure.”

“How far now?” Reese asked.

“Right up there,” Benny said. “I think the second one in.”

“Second one in,” Reese said. He looked over his shoulder. “Everyone, take your position.”

Reese broke from Benny and hurried to the storage unit. He used the key Benny had shown him for that unit. He stuck it into the lock and twisted. It popped with ease. He opened the door, not giving a shit about the noise. He pulled his gun and was ready for a war.

Except he stared at nothing but boxes. Floor to ceiling.

“Fuck,” he said.

He turned his head, ready to point his gun at Benny. The old bastard had probably been drunk when he saw and heard the noise.

He made it two steps before he heard a noise.

It sounded like a cry. From the storage unit next to the one where he stood.

Before he could give an order, Josie jumped at the unit and started to slam her fists against it. “Steph! Steph! Steph!”

“Godammit, no,” Reese said.

But it was too late.

A voice screamed from inside.

It was Steph.

Reese ran toward the storage unit.

Then came the sound of a gunshot.

* * *

Everything moved really fast then. Brett and Jason stormed the front of the storage unit. Levi pulled Josie away. She turned, screaming and thrashing. Reese threw the keys at Benny.

“Open this!” he ordered.

“Let me find the key,” Benny said.

Reese took out his gun and unloaded it on the lock until it exploded with sparks. He wasn’t thinking as he opened the door, not knowing whether it was just Haney in there or maybe an entire crew. It could have been an ambush from the runners themselves, setting up the MC for a deadly attack.

But Reese didn’t care.

The door flew open and Reese put his arms out, knowing that Brett and Jason were trigger happy.

“She’s pregnant, brothers,” Reese reminded them.

The storage unit had a small, circle carpet in the middle. Tables on each side with a lot of drugs on each. Scales, lights, a full inside operation for the junk that the MC worked hard to keep out of their town. Steph sat on the ground with her hands and legs tied. She had a cloth around her neck that had probably been around her mouth. Standing right behind her, gun drawn, was Haney.

“You know the routine,” Haney said.

“Drop them,” Reese said to Brett and Jason.

“VP…”

“Do it now,” Reese yelled.

Brett and Jason put their guns down.

“Now leave,” Reese said.

“What?” Jason asked.

“Leave. Right now.”

“Good call,” Haney said.

Reese showed his hands. “Look, man, this has nothing to do with her.”

“Yes, it does. It’s all tied together. You know that.”

“Your crew knows about you,” Reese said. “D.O. ratted you out to us.”

“I know. I saw. I’ve been working this deal for a long time. I need to finish this.”

“Then finish it,” Reese said. “We’ve got your drugs, man. We kept it from Starla because she can’t handle that. Now, me and my guys… we can talk about this.”

“You don’t deal drugs.”

“No, we don’t. But we can move them. Out of this town. Through. We can offer protection that nobody else can. Imagine what happens when D.O. sends the boys to come for you. And then we’re right behind you. Fuck, man, we can take D.O. out and make you the top runner. What do you think?”

“I think…” Haney started to pace but never took the gun away from Steph. “I think… fuck you.”

“Please, help me,” Steph said. “It hurts…”

“Steph, keep breathing,” Reese called out. “Don’t worry. I’m going to help you.”

“No, you’re not,” Haney said. “I set this up. All of this. I lured you right where I wanted you.”

“Okay,” Reese said. “I’m lured. I’m here. I sent my guys away. Now what happens?”

“Why does she matter to you?” Haney asked, nodding at Steph.

“Old friend.”

“Girlfriend?”

“No. My best friend’s stepsister. Like a sister to me.”

Haney curled his lip. “And she’s pregnant. How much is her life worth?”

“Everything,” Reese said. “Name your price.”

“Ten million?”

“I’ll get it.”

Haney laughed. “It’s not about money anymore. I’ve got that. This is about the power. That’s what I’m getting now.”

“You’ve got it,” Reese said. He stepped forward. “I told you, we’ll help you. You can man the runners.”

“Fuck you,” Haney growled. He pointed the gun at Reese. “I want this town. I want the cops. I want the MC.”

“Keep that gun on me,” Reese said. “Take it out on me. I fucked your deal, Haney.” Reese made a motion with his hands and Steph slowly inched forward. She wasn’t going to be able to crawl because her hands and feet were tied. But every inch counted. “I cornered Starla. Me. I took the drugs. I fucked it all up. I sold the drugs too. I undercut your supplier, Haney.”

“No,” Haney said. His eyes went wide. His eyes were bloodshot. He was tired. He was high. He was scared. “You do that and you’re already dead…”

“Then shoot me,” Reese said. He stepped forward. Close enough that he could touch Steph. But he side-stepped and wanted her to get to safety.

“Don’t you move!” Haney bellowed.

He pointed the gun beyond Reese.

Reese turned his head and saw Levi moving forward, gun drawn.

“Prez, don’t,” Reese said.

“That’s enough of this shit,” Haney said. “Everyone is going down. Her first.”

Haney moved the gun and Reese made his move. He threw himself forward as the gun went off, hitting Haney with his shoulder, driving him back.

“Reese!” Josie’s voice cried out.

Reese drove Haney back against the wall with a hard thud. Haney swung the gun and smashed Reese in the jaw. For a second, Reese saw dancing stars and stumbled to his right. He jumped at Haney again, hitting his arm as the gun went off yet again. Reese looked quickly and saw that Steph hadn’t moved. Josie was on the ground with her. Levi was doing everything he could to cut the rope off Steph’s hands and feet all the while dodging bullets.

“You’re done,” Haney said.

“No, man, you are,” Reese said. He slammed Haney’s arm to the wall and the gun hit the floor. He put a hand to Haney’s throat. “It’s over.”

“You have no idea where this is going,” Haney said.

A second later, the ceiling to the storage unit opened and down fell Zac, holding a gun in each hand.

“You’re fucking late,” Reese said.

“Shit,” Zac said. “You had me on the wrong one, brother.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Reese said.

Zac charged forward and put a gun to Haney’s forehead.

“Ready?” Zac asked.

“Reese!” Josie cried out.

“Hey, VP!” Levi said right behind her.

Reese turned. “What?”

Steph was free from the ropes. Her hand clutched to a crying Josie. But that wasn’t what everyone was looking at.

It was the ground.

On Steph’s legs…

“Oh, shit,” Reese whispered.

There was blood all over the ground… which meant… the baby…