***Xerox***

 

 

It’s gone. All gone. Flames are bursting through the gallery like it’s been hungry for weeks. I can’t believe what I’m seeing right now. I slam on the brakes and jump out of the truck.

Corban and Ryland’s chests both hit my shoulders as they catch me. I fucking need to get in there. I know it’s stupid, but that’s my first reaction. This gallery holds our main source of income. Some of my work is still in there and also most of…fuck.

“Let go of me, you assholes, and grab Barlow. It’s only five or six fucking pieces of mine but all of Barlow’s work is in there,” I growl and turn just in time for me to tackle Barlow to the ground.

The three of us wrestle until the crazy asshole is pinned underneath us.

“Get him in my truck and get him the fuck back to the clubhouse. Then get back here with my truck,” I order Ryland and Corban.

They grip his shoulders and drag him off. Corban takes the wheel while Ryland is struggling to get Barlow into the backseat. Michael, Nancy, and Maci are standing at a safe distance watching us. Maci’s eyes bounce from me to the flames and back.

Stepping toward them, I make eye contact with Nancy. “Eyes on her at all times. I need to talk to some folks.”

I inch closer and wrap my hand in Maci’s hair before I pull it back. “Stay with the prospect. I’ll be right back, yeah?”

My mouth covers hers for way too briefly before I connect my lips one final time to the top of her forehead.

“Mike,” I snap at Maci’s brother. “You’re with me.”

He nods and falls in step behind me. Even though the boy has been with us for a very short time, he’s managed to clean up his act in rapid speed. Like he’s grabbed this chance with both hands. Or he finally found his place and purpose because I gave him a cut to wear and a bike to ride.

The agent, Tracy Neeson, comes up and offers me her hand. “Sorry to see you again so soon under these circumstances.”

I wave the small talk away with my hand, signaling to speed this shit up. “Just gimme the damn details. This fucking sight hurts my eyes. The gallery was filled with art. Mainly wood carvings by one of my guys, Barlow. Some pieces were going to be solid income for us for months. Not to mention I lost a few pieces, sketches, of my own. And let’s not forget the fucking gallery itself. We have a large exhibition coming up in a few weeks. This thing is screwing us up and slicing straight through our club.”

She gives me a curt nod. “A witness saw two guys running off right after a small explosion. That’s what set the fire. I’ve got the witness already at the station with a sketch artist. But, Xerox…with what we discussed at the restaurant earlier today? I sense this is some kind of payback.”

“No kidding, genius. Fuck.” I glance back at Maci, but come up empty.

Turning around, I glance in every direction. What the hell? She was standing near the bikes of Corban, Ryland, Barlow, and Nancy.

“What is it?” Mike questions from behind me, but curses right after his question. “Where the hell is my sister? Or Nancy for that matter?”

My feet push the ground to pick up speed. Hearing footsteps behind me, I know Mike is following me, or fuck, maybe the agent too. I round the corner and come to a stop. My hand moves underneath my cut and with my next breath, I’ve got a solid aim. I’m about to squeeze the trigger when I hear a voice coming up next to me.

“Freeze. Federal Agent. Step away or I’ll shoot.” Tracy is pointing her gun in the same direction as me.

I don’t fucking care about the fact that she’s an agent, or the fact that she’s an inch away from me. That’s not going to keep me from killing this guy in the next…

A shot rings out as I see the fucker fall back, red soaking the front of his shirt while he stumbles backward and crumbles to the ground. The other figure who was in the alley had been slowly backing out of it, but he now takes off running and disappears around the corner.

“Get a fucking ambulance here, right fucking now!” Mike barks from behind me. He shoves my shoulder. “Come on, dude, snap out of it.” He starts to run forward.

  Snap out of it? What the fuck? He’s the boy, I’m the fucking Prez. But right now that means shit as I stare down at Nancy. He’s got a tiny hole right between the eyes. Eyes that stare straight to the sky, locked on heaven until the end of time. Dead. No longer among us.

Switching my gaze, I swallow hard. I’ve seen a lot because of my fucked up childhood and my years being Prez of Wicked Throttle MC, but this? My heart has been ripped out of my chest and shredded to pieces in front of my eyes.

I can hear Tracy talking behind me, commanding people around me while I watch in horror as Mike falls to his knees in front of his sister. Her wrists are tied with rope to a drain pipe above her head. My gray hoodie, the one she was wearing, is laying on the ground. Her jeans are half way down her knees.

“I can’t find a pulse, fuck. Dammit, sis, come on. You can’t leave me,” Mike begs, frantically putting his fingers on her neck.

If she’s gone, there’s nothing left for me in this fucking world. In a split second I debate if I should kick the dead body on the ground to a fucking pulp to release some of the anger inside me, but I push it down and then shift Mike out of my way. I grab the pocketknife from my jeans pocket and free her wrists. She crumbles into my arms as I gently place her on the ground.

I shrug off my cut and drape it over her lower body before my fingers slide to her neck. Closing my eyes, I try to focus. Come on…gimme a fucking pulse.

“Nothing, there’s nothing. Fuuuuuuck.” My eyes flash open at the sound of Mike’s desperate voice. “She’s dead, isn’t she? No…fuck. No.” His hands are gripping his hair.

“Hey,” I growl, before throwing his exact words back at him. “Snap out of it.”

His eyes bounce from me to his sister and back.

There. Hell yes. “I got a pulse, it’s weak, but it’s there.”

Maci is still unconscious, but she’s got a fucking heartbeat so I’m gonna make damn sure she’s going to pull through.

“I found this.” Tracy’s voice makes me switch my gaze to her. “They probably drugged her the second they got the chance to.” She’s holding up her phone showing us a picture she took of a syringe that’s on the ground near Nancy’s body.

Got a chance to do so. Right. Because my Old Lady fights like hell. The first time I met her she punched my eye shut. My gaze slides over her battered body. Several cuts litter her face where blood has been flowing freely, showing those guys got a few punches in. Her hands show signs she gave back just as good.

Fuck. Two guys. She faced two guys on her own, probably witnessing Nancy getting liquidated in the process. Hearing footsteps and more shouting, I watch as EMTs come rushing toward us. Stepping back, I take Mike with me to give them the room to help his sister. My woman.

I grab my phone from my pocket and shove it in Mike’s hand. “Call it in. Get Corban to come over here with a few other guys. ASAP. Tell him to set up a meeting. I want everybody at the fucking table tomorrow morning.”

Mike tears his eyes away from his sister. The boy has been through enough already and to face this? Fuck. He needs his mind working on other stuff. Although he seems to handle it like a strong man standing tall, he’s bound to be tearing up inside.

Tracy steps toward me. “Can we talk for a sec?”

I glance to Mike, who’s firing off words into my phone. We both stalk a little further down the alley, away from prying ears.

Tracy starts to talk, keeping her voice low. “The one that got away was Nero’s second in command. Did you see?”

“Fuck,” I growl. “No. I had my eye on the other guy.”

“Just so we’re on the same page and all…that guy raised his gun first, okay? That’s why I took the kill shot.” Tracy pins me with her gaze.

I glance behind me to see the dead guy she’s talking about, his gun lying on the ground next to him. “Damn straight. That’s the only fucking truth and you know it. He was gonna kill all of us if you didn’t react like you did.”

The fucker wasn’t pointing, let alone holding his gun. It was tucked in the back of his jeans because he was holding his fucking dick in hand, ready to rape….

“Hey.” Tracy grabs my forearm. “We got there in time. That’s what matters.”

I stare at her hand. Damn. I can’t even let my mind trail off what would have happened if we didn’t intervene or stumbled into the scene minutes later.

“I’m gonna get him. No worries,” Tracy vows, yet her voice is barely a whisper.

I’m sure I wasn’t even supposed to hear her words, but when my gaze hits hers, I see the venom swirling around in there.

“That we are.” My agreement, and the emphasis on the ‘we’ makes her nod.

Good. She got the message, because I’m not gonna play by any fucking rules involving the law. Fuck the rules. Retaliation is what I live for.

“Now go and hop in the ambulance with your woman. I’ll call if…”

A thought comes to mind from the last time she reached out to us, picking the top number of the three listed phone numbers of the card I gave her. Agent Tracy stepped up just now, giving me a side of her that makes me appreciate her on a whole other level. Might be good to tie her to the club.

Time for a little matchmaking. “Make sure you ask for Barlow. He’s the one you called earlier, he’ll be your contact from now on.”

A man jogs our way and leans in to tell Tracy something. She gives me a quick nod as a silent acknowledgement before she gives the man her full attention, allowing me to get back to my woman. Just in time because they are loading her into the ambulance.

Stepping inside, I glance at Mike one more time. His face is filled with worry. “You okay to handle it here?”

He throws his shoulders back, his face turns serious, and he gives me a tight nod. “Yes.” That single word is filled with determination. Mike swallows. “Take care of her.” His voice cracks at the end.

“She will never leave my side again,” I vow. To him, but mainly to myself.