TWENTY-FIVE
Body Go Boom
Lucky
I peered out the windows, using a finger to part the curtains. The neighbors’ lights were shining brightly even through their curtains. Eyes darting farther out, I saw more lights on in the distance and felt my blood run cold. Son of a bitch! Someone had cut the power in the house.
Instinct had me diving for the spare pistol I kept hidden underneath the couch before I sent off a quick text to Hastie. Then I quietly stalked back up the stairs where Seven was. As I approached, all my muscles were tense, locked tight with fear and panic. “Seven?” I called out.
No response.
The room was empty. The sheets were hanging off the edge, dragging onto the floor. The window was open, allowing a hot breeze to waft over my fear-chilled skin. Where the fuck was Seven?
A sound had me pivoting to find Trey’s back towards me, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. In front of him, Seven had her own gun pointed straight at him, her eyes filled with both adrenaline and fear. She must’ve ran into the bathroom to grab the pistol hidden behind the toilet when she saw Trey come in, but in doing that, she had also trapped herself in a tight enclosed space.
As I breathed out her name, Trey turned around, finally noticing me.
“Don’t move!” Seven barked as she held the pistol in her hand up higher. I hoped to hell she knew how to use that gun.
Trey turned back towards her, giving her a sweet grin. “You can’t shoot me.” The grin built into a smug smile. “Only I know where G is.”
Seven blanched at the words. “What are you talking about? What happened to G?”
“Why don’t you ask him?” Trey answered, tossing his head in my direction. Seven’s panicked eyes met mine, pleading for information.
Fucking hell. I cleared my throat, eyes settling on Trey. “Hastie called me to inform me that G is missing. Glory MC thought the Phantoms had found him, but now I know that you’re behind it.”
“Put the gun down,” Trey demanded. “Unless you want no chance of finding G again.” I growled at his orders. “PUT THE GUN DOWN!” His barking yell echoed off the tiled walls in the bathroom, making Seven jump.
With great reluctance, I placed my pistol carefully on the floor, stepping away from it as Trey barked at Seven to do the same. Satisfied that he had the upper hand in the situation, he stepped into a shaft of moonlight, illuminating him for a second.
His hair was a mess on top of his head. Trey looked rough with his unshaven jaw and red-rimmed eyes. But it wasn’t until my eyes lowered to his button-down shirt that my fear spiked because holy fucking shit, the guy had explosives strapped to his chest! What the hell was he planning to do? Had Seven actually liked this guy once?
“Come here,” he snapped at her. Seven stayed rooted in place, hands fisted at her sides as she glared at him. “Don’t want to cooperate? Fine. We’ll see if you’ll cooperate now.”
Before Seven could open her mouth, Trey aimed and fired at me. I couldn’t get away before the bullet pierced my leg. As my balance deserted me, so did my patience. In a rage fueled by pain and fear for Seven, I charged for him, roaring.
But Trey knew his control over me. All he did was train his pistol on Seven and I froze. “Try it and she dies.” Seven’s cerulean blues were widened with fear, tears already forming as she looked down at my bleeding leg.
“Take this.” Trey tossed some rope to Seven. “Bind him with it. If I see that you haven’t tightened them enough, I’ll shoot his other leg.”
“Fuck you,” Seven spat. “I’m not doing it.” Without warning, Trey shot me in my other thigh. I muffled the cry of pain through gritted teeth, but Seven still gasped, rushing forward for me. “Okay, okay,” she cried, tears now fully streaming down her face. “I’ll do it.” As she dropped down beside me, her eyes found mine. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault,” I gritted. None of this was.
“Shut up!” Trey screamed. “Don’t talk to him or I’ll shoot him again.”
Seven immediately snapped her mouth shut, cutting off her next reply. As she tied my arms back, her eyes held an apology.
“Tighter,” Trey bit off as she wound the rope around my wrist and ankles.
“But it’ll cut off his circulation.”
“Do I look like I care about his fucking circulation?”
Jaw tight, Seven gave a sharp tug on the bonds, effectively tightening them further. I grunted as pain shot up my arms and legs. “There,” Seven said, glaring. “Happy?” Trey smiled in return as if she’d offered him some biscuits to go along with his afternoon tea instead of tying up a bleeding person at his request. “You’re a fucking asshole, Trey,” Seven snarled. “You clearly aren’t the man I thought you were.”
Trey chuckled. “But I am, sweetheart. I’m exactly the same guy I was at Giovanni’s.”
“No.” She shook her head. “You’re not. The Trey I knew wouldn’t have broken in here or kidnapped a friend.”
“You’ve got your story twisted, baby.” He grinned wider as he approached her, backing her slowly into a corner of the room. I tested the hold of the bonds, finding no give. Damn, Seven turned out to be quite the pro at tying people up.
“What are you talking about?”
“I only popped the door open the night of the break-in. I didn’t get in before being spotted.”
I frowned. Wait . . . something wasn’t matching up here. Trey had meant to break in after the Phantoms raided Giovanni’s but had been caught? By whom?
Before I could ask who saw him, Trey surged forward, catching Seven off guard. Instinctively, I cried out her name. Fuck, if he hurt her, I would never forgive myself for being tied up and useless here on the floor.
Seven did her best to fight him off but when Trey stepped back, she was still standing, unharmed. For a brief second, I allowed myself to relax until the triumph in Trey’s eyes caught my attention. “Don’t worry, bunny,” he said, using the nickname I used on Seven to taunt him. “I’ve got her.” He lifted his arm up in the air and Seven’s went up as well. As the light shone in through the windows, a glint of silver caught my attention. I recognized them as handcuffs.
“She’s stuck with me,” Trey said with supreme satisfaction. “I know you saw what I’m wearing. You try anything and she goes with me, got it?” I growled with frustration but it only seemed to amuse him more. “Here’s what’s going to happen next,” he explained. “She and I are taking off in the car Glory MC has ready for G. You try to stop me, I hit this trigger.” He demonstrated pushing down on a button for my benefit. “I’m sure you can figure out what this button does.” I shook my head, almost not believing it all except for the fact that it was happening right before my eyes. The fucker was willing to blow himself and Seven up in a last-ditch attempt to have her. Apparently, if he couldn’t have her, then no one else could either. “And,” Trey added, “you lose your chance at finding G, too.”
“You’re fucking insane.”
To that, Trey grinned again. I was so ready to wipe that motherfucking smirk off his face. But I had to play this smart or risk losing Seven forever. As long as he had her, Trey wouldn’t hurt her. This was beginning to feel like some nightmare-style honeymoon. “Tell me where G is,” I gritted.
“After we get the car and have left.”
I laughed. “You have no idea what you’re getting into.”
Trey’s face fell, the grin disappearing into a threatening look. “If you think I won’t hurt her, think again. The bitch needs punishment for choosing you over me, and I wouldn’t mind taking her in front of you just to show you who’s boss.”
The thought of Trey touching Seven made bile rise in the back of my throat. Even worse was thinking of him raping her just to get his revenge on me. One look at her and I could see emotion rising to the surface. “You fucking shit,” Seven snarled from his side. “What idiot would want you?”
If I weren’t so afraid for her safety, I would’ve laughed at that. Trey tugged her forward, slamming her into his body. She reached out, intending to punch or hit or something, but Trey grabbed a hold of her wrist, twisting savagely as she cried out in pain. Then he kissed her. Hard. A bruising meeting of mouths that left his blood on her lips.
Through all this, I cursed and cried out her name, struggling against the iron hold of my bonds.
Seven swiped her forearm over her mouth, her wrists curled delicately inwards as if it pained her. “I will never be yours!” She punctuated that with a swift kick, foot meeting balls in a sickening smack.
Trey howled and fell to his knees, clutching his family jewels. As the pistol clattered to the ground, Seven dove for it, aiming it between his eyes. “Go ahead, babe. Kill me,” he taunted. “You already have.”
In her expression, I could see the war raging inside. His words had hit her hard, and while she hated him for doing what he did, there was still doubt lingering in her eyes. As indecision filled those precious few seconds, Seven dropped to her knees, putting herself as close to Trey as she dared. “I was wrong,” she said to him in a low, steady voice as she released the safety on the gun in her hand. “You’re not the kind of guy I’d bring home to my mother. Even if I had one.” Trey’s eyes went wide right before she pistol-whipped him, effectively knocking him out. Then she used the gun to shoot at the handcuffs still connecting her to him until she was free.
Then, she was by my side, untying me in the next moment. “Grab my phone,” I ordered. Both my legs were still bleeding, but I kept my attention off it and onto Seven’s face.
“Shit,” she breathed, panic lacing the one word. “Your legs! I’m so sorry!”
“Shh, it’s okay.” We were nowhere near being safe yet and until then, I wouldn’t allow myself to register the pain. “We need to get you out of here.”
“No, we have to find G.”
“Glory MC is searching for him right now. In the meantime, I’m going to drag him to the bathroom and lock him in. Call Hastie for me.” As Seven turned to the phone to do just that, I limped towards Trey’s prone body, finding it easier than I thought considering I had two holes in my body. “G better be unharmed when we find him.”
“Any word?” I asked Seven as I came back from locking Trey away.
She shook her head. “They’re entering his apartment now. Here, talk to Hastie.”
The moment I put the phone up to my ear, Hastie asked, “Do you really think the idiot would keep G here?”
“Trust me. He’s not that smart.” All this had likely been done in a jealous rage.
“Nothing,” Hastie announced minutes later. “All the rooms have been checked. There’s no one here.”
Fuck! G had to be there. Trey wouldn’t have had enough time to transport him someplace farther before Glory MC discovered G was missing.
“Do you think he took him somewhere else?” Seven asked.
“No way, there wouldn’t be enough time.” I froze, turning towards the bathroom where Trey was. What was that noise? Dread flooded me as I kicked the door open. “Shit!” Trey was gone! I ran towards the open window and looked down at the road below. Up ahead, a small figure bolted down the street in a flat-out run.
“What happened?” Seven asked behind me, but I was already swinging my leg over the edge of the window.
Realizing what I was about to do, she screamed my name. “No, don’t!”
I ignored it, taking one big breath of courage before jumping off.
Seven
My gut did a crazy somersault as I watched Lucky jump from the second floor. Though he seemed perfectly fine after landing, Trey now had a significant lead and was much faster having not been shot twice already.
Spurred by both anger and worry, I sprinted for the door, grabbing a hold of the phone and pistol, just in case. Redialing Hastie, I flew down the stairs, out the front door and onto the street in hot pursuit. “What happened?” the vice-prez asked.
“Trey escaped,” I panted. “Lucky’s chasing him down.”
“Fucking hell. I’m five minutes away. Hold on.”
“You have to hurry! Lucky’s been shot.”
“I’m coming.” Five minutes he’d said, but I didn’t think we’d have that long. Stuffing the phone into my bra, I ran for all that I was worth, pumping my arms, hoping I was gaining some speed. It didn’t look like I was closing the distance between us, but at least Lucky was still managing to keep up with Trey fine.
Up ahead, Trey hopped over a fence, cutting through an alley that would lead to a main street. Lucky wasn’t far behind. Even with two bullet wounds and blood loss, he was still faring better than I was at the moment.
I stopped for just a second, bending over, hands on knees so I could catch my breath when a loud roaring engine whizzed by me. I stumbled back with a cry. “Get on,” Hastie called out.
Oh, thank goodness! “They’re over there!” I pointed farther down the street before jumping on and wrapping my arms around his torso. Hastie stepped on it, flinging us forward and gunning with a speed that nearly peeled me off him. I struggled to keep a grip on him, but I had to or I’d be thrown off.
The only thought in my head was please. Please let Lucky be all right.
Lucky
My legs felt like they were on fire as I ran. Arms pumping, chest heaving, I concentrated on the fucker before me.
Trey kept looking over his shoulder at me as he ran, throwing him off balance as he did so. I still couldn’t believe that Seven had seen something in this guy!
The explosive vest strapped to his chest would complicate matters. I couldn’t simply just shoot him as much as I wanted to. There was also the added nuisance that I needed him alive to tell us where G was.
Fucking hell.
Trey darted down an alleyway and slid into a warehouse. I could easily hear his scampering footsteps as he climbed the stairs to the roof. By the time I’d made it up the stairs myself, I was feeling lightheaded and dizzy. To make matters worse, the door was locked when I tried to open it. The son of a bitch had barred it from the other side!
Leaping back, I kicked it, using my momentum to do most of the damage. The barrier barely shuttered. Shit. I had to get him. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if he got away.
Teeth gritted, I clutched my leg. It was growing more painful by the second. When I pulled my hand away, it was sticky with blood. “Fuck.”
Honest to God, this was the worst I’d ever felt. I felt weak enough to keel over right then and there. But burning in the back of my mind was the image of Trey forcing himself on Seven. I wasn’t going to give up this easily.
My next attempt at breaking down the door was better. And the next, even more. After a few more tries, the door finally flung open and I ran through, huffing from exertion. Trey stared back at me, wide-eyed as he stood at the edge of the roof. By now, the sun was emerging, casting an incandescent light over his features. His brows were drawn down as he puffed out short breaths. Was he thinking of jumping off? “How the hell are you still standing?” he growled.
“I do cardio.”
Trey laughed a little hysterically at this. “Even after putting bullets into you, you’re on your feet. No wonder Seven chose you. You can protect her.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I would do whatever was necessary to make sure she was safe. I closed the distance between us. “Did you really think you could run away with her?”
“It was supposed to be simple.”
“Funny how in the face of getting what you wanted, you turned into exactly the kind of person you never wanted to be.”
Trey’s eyes bore into my own. “I was only trying to help Seven. I don’t want her in your world.”
“She doesn’t want to be in yours.”
“Don’t come any closer!” Trey yelled suddenly. I froze mid-step. “And don’t delude yourself. You put her life in danger just by being with her. The Phantoms are after her now, thanks to you. I could’ve taken her away from that.”
“You can’t protect her. Not like I can.”
“I said stop!” he hollered as I continued to advance. He was right on the edge now. One more step and he’d hit air. “You need me alive to tell you where G is. Seven wouldn’t forgive you if you killed me before she could find him. You have no choice.”
Too late for bargaining now. “If we can’t find G, Seven will kill you herself.”
Trey’s mouth opened to say something more when a rain of gunfire suddenly fell on us. What the fuck? I instantly dropped to the ground, shielding my head with my arms. The sounds of automatic gunfire continued as I craned my head to look at Trey. Shit. He hadn’t ducked quick enough and the back of his head was now the new home of several bullets. Beneath him, a halo of dark blood spread around his head.
As the gunfire ceased, I canted my head up, looking for a shooter. Another shot nearly took my head before I ducked again. Fucking hell! It had to be the Phantoms. They had found me. Had they seen me during the chase?
While they saved me from killing Trey myself, that still left the problem of finding G. Not to mention figuring out a way to get out of here alive myself.
Seven
My heart stopped as soon as I heard the gunshots. It brought me back to the night of the Phantoms’ raid, hearing the screams of my co-workers, seeing the blood.
God, I hoped that Lucky was okay. His best friend had assured me that he was more than capable of handling himself, but he hadn’t seen the state he was in before chasing after Trey. “Fucking hell,” he cursed, sending my heart into overdrive.
“What? What happened?” Hastie craned his head up to look at the roof of a building. “Are they up there?”
“Looks like.” He took off into a run but instead of heading towards the building where all the action was happening, he moved towards the building diagonal to it.
“Where are we going?” I cried. Why weren’t we doing something to help?
“I have a rifle strapped to my bike. Will you grab that for me?” Before I could question that request, Hastie added, “The Phantoms have snipers up in those buildings, looking down on the building Lucky is in. He’ll be an easy target unless I can take them out first. Come on.” I followed as best as I could as we climbed up the stairs, heading for one of the top floors. Through the grimy window, I could see the barest hint of a body lying face down on the ground. Was that Trey? Had he been shot? Oh God, what if it was Lucky?
“Stand back,” Hastie barked. Despite my shaky legs, I managed to do as I was told, trying to keep myself together while my nerves were slowly making a mess of me. Hastie handed me his phone. “Call Kitt. Ask him for a report on the search. Go into the other room to do it.”
Grateful for something to do, I took the phone and began dialing, realizing later that the real reason why Hastie had given me this task was because he didn’t want me around when he started killing people.
Kitt picked up on the second ring. “Hey, boss,” he said in his usual all-business tone. “No luck yet, but I’ve got a feeling we’re close.”
“Kitt?” I breathed, sounding very fragile. Very afraid.
“Seven? Is that you? I’m sorry, sweetheart. I thought you were Hastie. How are you?”
“I’m okay.” By the shakiness in my voice, we could both tell that was a lie.
Kitt didn’t comment on it though. “We’re looking for him, okay? Don’t worry. Like I said, I think we’re close. There was a clue at his house and if I’m right—and I almost always am—I think I know right where he’s keeping him.”
I nodded, ignoring the sounds of muted gunfire from the other room. “I hope he’s okay.”
“Hold up.” The phone went all static as I imagined Kitt running. “We might have something here.” Immediately, I felt my hope perk up. Any good news would make this day better. A second later, Kitt said, “We’ve got him!”
“Oh, thank God,” I breathed. “Can I talk to him?”
“Hold on.”
There was the sound of movement on the other end of the line before G’s gravelly voice echoed through. “Seven?”
“G! Are you okay? I’m so glad they found you!”
“I’m fine, sweetheart. But you’re not going out with that dickshit Trey ever again. Understand?” Despite the roiling emotions within me, or maybe because of it, I laughed.
“I’ll talk to you later.”
“Love you!”
“Love you, too.”
Kitt once again took over. “We’re going to get him first aid and a shower. But let Hastie know everything is well on our side.”
“Okay,” I said. “And thank you. For everything.” I don’t think Glory MC knew just how much this meant to me.
“You’d do the same for us,” Kitt said before clicking off. Snapping the phone shut, I listened carefully for sounds of gunfire. When about a minute passed and nothing was heard, I went back into the other room. “Hastie? Is everything okay?”
Hastie had a frown on his face but he wasn’t shooting at anything anymore. His gaze was fixed out the window as the phone in my hand rang loudly. “Answer it,” he said. “It’s most likely Lucky.”
Oh God, Lucky. “Hello?”
The deep voice I’d come to know so well sounded over the line. “Thanks for the assist, man.”
“Lucky? It’s me.”
Immediately, his voice softened. “Seven?” I couldn’t speak. I was just so happy to be able to hear his voice again. “Come on, baby. Don’t cry.” I hadn’t realized it but tears were streaming down my face.
“Are—are you okay?” I couldn’t contain my hiccups or my sobs.
“I’ve been better. But look, it’s not over yet. The Phantoms killed Trey, which means that they won’t hesitate to kill you or G either. We have to find him before they do.”
“Glory MC found G already. Everything is okay. We’re okay.”
“Thank fuck,” he breathed. Hearing his voice, having that reassurance that he was alive, made me so damn happy I could weep.
“Come on.” Hastie had somehow hidden the firearm because when he approached me, it was nowhere to be found. “We better move,” he said, motioning towards the stairs.
“We’re leaving now,” I told Lucky. “Meet you on the street.” When there was no response, my heart skipped a beat. “Lucky?” I stared down at the phone. It was still connected so why wasn’t he answering? “Lucky!”
“What happened?” Hastie asked.
“He’s not answering.”
“Shit,” was all Hastie said before he was on the move. With a curse, I dashed after him.