Chapter Twenty-Two

 

Abe

 

I’m walking on clouds as I head back upstairs after seeing Mercy and talking to her briefly in the casino. I don’t know if all is forgiven for my outburst, but I’m starting to think that, if I put myself out there, maybe we might have some sort of a chance. I had only gone down to the lobby to find some bottles of water to keep in my room.  Once I go back to drop those off, I head over to the huge suite that Chase is staying in with Sasha. The rest of my brothers have already gathered there when I arrive, most of them seated at a long dining room table over by the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Vegas strip.

I take a seat by Chase mid-way down the table, then Torin is the only one left standing. He’s stomping around and fidgeting like a kid who has had too much candy.

He’s practically bouncing off the walls, ready to find Hector’s daughter right this very second.

“For the last time, we’re not going to hurt her,” Chase says to Torin as I get settled down, leading me to believe that this has been an ongoing discussion.

“She’s just as responsible for fucking me over as Hector is,” Torin declares, but then snaps his mouth closed before explaining how. I don’t think I’m the only one in the room who is clueless about what the hell those two did to Torin.

“Even so,” Chase says. “She’s only twenty fucking years old! We can’t go around hurting women who are practically still children. That’s not what we do. Am I right?” he turns and asks the group of us who made the trip. We all nod in agreement. Unless the bitch cut off Torin’s cock, then I don’t see any reason why he wants to physically harm her.

“That’s what I thought,” Chase mutters.

“She’s the only way for us to draw Hector out,” Torin grits out through his clenched teeth.

“Fine. We can use the rental van to take her, by force if necessary, but no one is going to hurt her more than is required to ensure her cooperation. Once Hector sets the meet, then we kill him, and the girl goes free.”

“That’s letting her off way too fucking easy,” Torin huffs before he finally lowers himself into the chair at the head of the table and crosses his arms over his chest. The entire room goes silent. I’m not sure if anyone even considers breathing.

“What?” Torin asks with his forehead creased when he glances around and sees we’ve all gone still. He probably doesn’t even realize that he sat down at the head of the table. Maybe it wasn’t even a conscious thought. But other chairs were available, and he took that particular one. It’s the first time he’s sat at the head of the Savage Kings since Kennedy was killed, so I’m sure I’m not the only one who is glad to see him ready to lead again.

“Nothing,” Chase says. Clearing his throat, he tells us, “After the wedding, we’ll do some recon and figure out a plan to seize the girl. Grabbing her from the club she works at may be the best plan…”

“No,” Torin says with a shake of his head. “This doesn’t have to be an MC deal. Just me, War and Cooper can handle it. Probably less conspicuous with only the three of us.”

“Are you sure?” Chase asks, looking to the two other men. They nod their agreement that they’ll keep Torin out of trouble.

“We’ll get her and bring her to a hotel outside of town so Hector can’t find us. I’ll have Reece close the bar and keep the clubhouse clear until it’s all over,” Torin explains.

“That’s probably smart,” Chase agrees with a nod.

“And you can go enjoy your honeymoon with Sasha,” Torin tells him. “That shit is more important.”

“I’ll keep an eye on Chase and Sasha,” I speak up and say. “Not in the creepy way. None of us need to be traveling alone until the score with Hector is settled.”

“True,” Torin agrees.

“I’ll stick around in Vegas too,” Sax says.

“Me too. I never want to leave this place,” Dalton announces.

Chase looks to War and Cooper again, who nod their agreement with the plan.

Turning to Sax, Torin says, “Make yourself useful and call Reece. Tell him I want a rental property secured out in the country back home. Have him use one of his fake identities and go through a realtor to get it, I want a place with a code lock on the door so we don’t have to be seen getting keys. Have him call me with the address when it’s ready.” Turning back to the table, he says, “Okay. We’ll split up after the wedding. Once I have what I need from her, we’ll only hold her until we can deal with Hector. If I run into any problems, I’ll contact Reece with orders, and he’ll get through to you guys. If any of you need me, you get messages through Reece. He’ll be able to track down any of us if we have to toss our prepaids. In the meantime, Chase, congratulations, my brother. This thing with you and Sasha, it’s a ray of light in the darkest time of my life. Thank you, all of you, for helping me see this through.”

Everyone gives a cheer for Chase, clapping him on the back and hugging him. I give him a hug as well, but the whole time, I keep my eyes on Torin. Even after our president’s little speech, and his presence at the head of the table, I have a bad feeling. I can’t help but worry that, as far off the deep end as Torin is, this shit could easily go sideways.

I open my mouth to express my doubts to Chase, but what comes out instead is, “So, all the arrangements are made for the wedding out in the park?”

Chase raises an eyebrow at me, knowing that I started to ask something else. “Of course, bro. You know we had the chaplain arranged and everything else set up days ago. Something else on your mind?”

“Nah, Chase, just wanted to see what you’re planning for tonight’s activities. Mercy mentioned that she wanted to talk, and I was going to see if I could get free a little early since you’ll have everyone else with you…”

Cracking a huge grin, Chase gathers me back into a hug and slaps me on the back. “Of course, man, absolutely. Get back here to the hotel after we eat dinner. You can skip the rest of the festivities. Sounds like you’ve got a much better show to make it to tonight. Just make sure you’re ready for the big day?”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world. You know, when we met in prison, I never thought you’d end up being my best friend. It’s a real honor to be here with you and Sasha. Seeing you guys so happy together has been…well, it’s been kind of inspirational for me. I never knew love like this existed. I hope I can find something like it one day.”

“Damn, Abe, Mercy has done a number on you,” Chase says, chuckling for a moment, before looking at me seriously. “I hate to say it, brother, but I think she might be the first truly good woman you have ever known. I can’t imagine what it’s been like trying to wrap your head around that after what you’ve been through. If you need to talk about anything, you let me know. For now, though, let’s break into that fridge and start making a dent in all that beer I brought!”

I do as he asks and crack open the refrigerator to find it almost overflowing with different brands of beer. Lined up on the counter are two-liter soda bottles and all sorts of brands of whiskey, vodka, and tequila. Someone cranks up the stereo, and I start pouring drinks for my brothers, but I can never quite get into the party. For one, my guts are in a knot wondering how things are going to go with Mercy tonight. What worries me even more, though, is the haunted expression I see on Torin’s face when he’s sitting by himself. If there’s such a thing as resting maniac face, Chase’s older brother has it.