Chapter 23

Ryder

Axel pulled up beside me and pulled off his helmet before speaking. "He's going to know we're here."

I turned my bike off and motioned for the other guys in the MC to do the same. "He already knows where here, Axel. He's been goading me to do this for years."

"That's true, boss." Sabian moved up beside me, the bastard never wearing a helmet. "What's the plan?"

"We're just going in both barrels blaring. Try hard not to get your ass shot. Got it?" I turned and looked at everyone as they crowded as closely around me as they could.

"Let's do this shit." Hyde started his hog again and swerved around all of us.

"Well damn." I pulled my helmet back on and took off after him. The bastard was crazy as all get out no matter what we did. Scary enough, time wasn't going to change that, or it didn't seem like it was.

I half-expected shots to be fired at us from the windows, but the house sat quietly as we drove up. I motioned for two of the guys to move around to the back and one on each side just in case anyone made a run for it.

After parking my bike, I walked up to the front door with my gun drawn. Axel stood just to the left of me.

"Let me kill him, Jon. You got Jason you need to raise and a family that depends on you. I ain't got anyone. Let me do this for you. For all of us."

"Not a chance." I stopped in front of the door and glanced over at him. "Besides, there's a pretty girl back at the shop that's just waiting patiently for you to stop being a pussy and ask her out."

"Ellie?" He almost sounded surprised.

I snorted. "I hate you sometimes."

"Ditto."

We turned and kicked the door down before pulling back. Nothing. I knelt and leaned around the opening to see if anyone was waiting for us. No one.

"Weird. Where are these mother fuckers?"

"Not in here." Hyde walked through the lobby of the mansion toward us.

I rolled my eyes and got up. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Taking one for the team. Hello?" He waved his gun around.

"Put that up." Axel nodded toward the gun. "Check all the rooms and see where these mother fuckers are."

"They knew we were coming." I walked in and tucked my gun in the back of my pants. "How though."

"Fucking Tanner King has eyes everywhere, man. You know as well as I do that his little sister probably told him. She plays whatever part he gives her. We all know that." Sabian walked in through the side door near the study. "She told him."

"And he ran?" Jax asked. "No way. That's not King's style at all."

"Jax is right." I turned in a full circle before catching the scent of gas. "Get the fuck outta here. The place has a gas leak."

Everyone ran for the front of the house and bounded down the stairs. We barely made it to the yard before the house exploded, which sent us flying. Fire lit up the night behind us, and the sound of groans filled the air.

I lifted up in time to see a bike cut across the field with two people on it. One had to be Cade and the other? A woman with long hair. I couldn't make out her figure as my ears rang and my face burned.

"There." I lifted my hand to point to them before I dropped back down on my side. I blinked a few times and growled as someone pulled me by my arms back away from the house.

"He alright?" Flex dropped down beside me.

"Yeah. Give him some fucking room." Axel growled.

"I'm good." I rolled onto my stomach and tried to get up. The world spun a little, but I reached out and grabbed Axel's arm. "Fuck. Did the-"

"Yeah. The goddamn house exploded." Jax walked up. "Unbelievable. You know how much money that fucking house was probably worth?"

"King doesn't care." Sabian reached out and patted the side of my face. "Ryder. You alright, boss?"

"Yeah. Someone lit that fucker on us." I pointed again. "I know I saw Cade drive off, but there was a woman with him."

"Candace?" Axel asked.

"I don't know. I don't think so." My head throbbed painfully as worry danced deep inside of me. Had Dani been on the back of that bike? Was that her promise to Tanner? She'd told me straight up that she was to deliver me to him. What better way to do it than piss me off with the idea that Tan was fucking with my girl. That he had somehow hurt her or kidnapped her?

Was Jason in on it too? He'd been the one to plant the seed.

"Hey. Stay with us, buddy." Axel was in my face. "You alright."

"Yeah. Get the hell outta my personal space." I pushed at his chest and walked away from them as the fire burned bright behind me. I had to get myself together. I was getting paranoid. We'd come to take Tanner out, and the bastard had almost single handedly taken all of us out - together.

He couldn't have pulled that off alone.

Not without the help of someone close to me.

Or several someones.