Chapter Twenty-One
Axe
Picking up a shot of Jack, Axe waited for Hawk to come in and give the word that they were ready to head out to Chad Bridgewater’s place. He’d had some time to kill after working at the club’s restaurant that day, and he wasn’t ready to go home. For the past two days, Baylee kept telling him they needed to talk, but he didn’t want to just yet. He felt like a pussy, but the thought of their life changing so drastically still weighed on him. The club offered him a respite from reality, and he needed that in the worse way at that moment in his life.
“Give me another,” he said to Brandi who was subbing for Rusty. The three prospects were busy loading the SUVs with guns and grenades. When the prospects weren’t available, the club women picked up the bartending duties.
“Here you go, sweetie. You look like you lost your best friend. Do you wanna talk about it?” Brandi leaned over and smiled when Axe glanced at her tits.
“I’m good.” He swiveled on the stool, his back to her. Baylee’s overjoyed about the baby. Why the fuck can’t I be? Maybe it’s different for a woman because the baby’s growing inside her. For him, everything felt the same way as it did when she first told him she was pregnant. His mother’s face floated in front of him. He couldn’t remember how many times she’d told him during his growing years that she hadn’t wanted him but his dad had insisted she had him. And then his dad had blown and his mom had acted like it was Axe’s fault she was stuck with him. Why am I thinking about her? He wasn’t anything like his mom, or was he?
He placed his empty glass on the bar. Baylee just didn’t get it because she had two parents who loved each other and were crazy about her. She has no idea how it felt to be around parents who didn’t give a damn about you. So how in the hell could he tell her he was scared of being like them? He was an Insurgent and being afraid wasn’t okay.
“Another one.” He looked behind his shoulder at Brandi who smiled and winked while pouring him a double.
“You better take it easy. We got some serious shit going down tonight,” Jerry said, taking the stool next to his.
“I’m fine.”
“What’s up with you? You’ve been off for the past week.” Jerry brought the beer bottle to his mouth.
“I just got some shit going on at home right now.”
“Yeah me too, but when I got shit going on it’s a double pain in the ass because I gotta always deal with Banger too. Fuck. Every time I say or do something that upsets or pisses Kylie off, she runs to Daddy and tells him. Then Banger gets up my ass. I fuckin’ hate that.”
Axe nodded. “That sucks for sure. Are you sure Kylie’s telling Banger shit, or is he just picking up on it ’cause she’s his daughter?”
Jerry shook his head. “I’m not sure if she tells him all the time, but he fuckin’ knows it. Either way, it’s a pain in the royal ass.”
“What’s the problem you got going on now?” Axe asked.
“I’m pissed that Kylie’s in grad school. She didn’t even ask me how I felt about her going on with her studies. I missed her like hell this past semester so she said she’d do the classes online so we could be together. Now she’s basically telling me she can’t do much for the next four months. And I think she’s gonna go to summer school. It sucks.”
“What’s she studying?”
“Something in education. She wants to work with kids that have problems. I don’t even know why she had to go to grad school. She doesn’t need it because we want a family and she’ll be home with the kids, so what’s the point of it all? I wanna get going on starting our family soon.”
Axe leaned back against the bar. “Maybe she doesn’t want a family just yet. Just because you do doesn’t mean she wants it to. Maybe she wants some time before she gets saddled down. Kids change everything.” He drained his glass.
For a few seconds Jerry didn’t say anything, and then he nodded. “That’s right. You’re gonna be a dad. Why the fuck didn’t you tell any of us? Kylie told me.”
Staring straight ahead, he shrugged. “Didn’t really think about it, and I don’t want to talk about it.” Jerry gave him a funny face, and Axe stood up, his head jerking to the front door. “Hawk’s telling us to come over. It’s time for us to fuck up some assholes real bad.” He sauntered to the door with Jerry following behind.
Once outside, he and Jerry joined the other men huddling near the cars. The wind was bitter as it sliced through Axe, and he zipped up his leather jacket and stomped his feet on the frozen ground. Cruiser handed him a joint, and he cupped his hands and lit it, capturing the frosty air as he inhaled deeply.
“Rock and Tiny have been surveying the compound for the past couple of days. As they tell it, the fuckers are cocky as hell and don’t have anyone standing guard,” Hawk said.
“That’s ’cause they don’t think we know it’s them. They did a good job making the network think it was bikers.” Banger took the joint Cruiser handed him.
“The way we see it, they got only eight people max staying at the farm. They don’t have anyone watching the warehouses. We figured a couple of them are for growing weed, a smaller one looks like a meth lab, and the rest are for storing dope and guns,” Tiny said. The six foot three man built of muscle and grit made citizens move out of his way when he walked the streets of Pinewood Springs. With tats covering every inch of his arms and most of his chest and back, he was an imposing figure, and the average citizen who heard his road name didn’t dare snigger or ask where it’d come from.
“Any women or kids at the compound?” Hawk asked.
“Not that we saw,” Tiny answered.
“They got cameras watching the shit, but Blade’s gonna take care of that when I give him the signal,” Rock said.
“You gonna tell us where you want us to be? I was looking at the layout of the area again before I came, and it seems if we can cover it on all four sides, we’ll be good, especially since no one’s at the warehouses,” Throttle said.
“And it being ten fuckin’ degrees out helps us. I’m sure the lazy motherfuckers will all be inside warming their asses,” Helm added.
Chas chuckled. “We’ll warm them even more when we blow the fuck outta them.” The brothers laughed, their breaths rising above them and mingling with the night air.
“Hawk, Bear, Wheelie, Axe, and me will go in to have a talk with the assholes. The rest of you will follow Rock’s direction on where to be. Split up into two groups with Tiny heading one and Rock the other. If you hear shooting inside, you’ll know to attack. Let’s head out.” Banger opened the door on a black SUV and several brothers jumped inside the vehicle. The club had several dark-colored Chevy Tahoes and Ford pickups and used them in covert operations.
Axe slid over to make room for Jerry, Throttle, and Wheelie. Hawk looked over his shoulder. “Is everyone in?”
“Yeah,” Rock replied.
Hawk backed out and followed Banger out of the parking lot. Conversation was minimal which was normal before a hit. Preparing the mind and eliminating all thoughts and feelings were essential in confronting whatever lay ahead. Each time the Insurgents went out on a mission, it could be one of the brothers’ last time. Life and death were interwoven, and in the violent outlaw world, death was omnipresent. In the honor-obsessed outlaw biker world, disrespect took on a life-or-death significance, and the result was usually death to the offenders. The Insurgents were highly skilled warmongers, plotting, surveilling, and studying rivals. They learned where they lived, worked, and played, and then they’d silently enter their world and destroy them.
After a half hour, the vehicles slowed down and killed the headlights. They went off the road and drove a small distance before the engines turned off. The night was dark. The Insurgents used the darkness to shield them on one of their missions. Since Chad Bridgewater’s residence was outside of town, there were no streetlights, and the closest neighbor was a good quarter of a mile away.
The snow crunched under the men’s boots as they walked toward the farmhouse. In the distance, the howls of wolves and coyotes pierced the night air, and the wind whistled through the pine and evergreens. The faint pattering of small animals through the brush made several of the brothers whip out their guns. When they realized it was wild rabbits, foxes, and rodents, a hushed chuckle cracked the tension and they put away their Glocks and continued on their way. Axe glanced upward: stars glittered through the gaps in the trees.
“There it is,” Tiny said in a low voice.
Up ahead, a ranch-style house with a large porch greeted them. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimney, and the lights in the front part of the house cast yellow squares on the glistening snow. The six metal warehouses stood off to the left side of the main house. They weren’t huge buildings and perched on the front sides of them were security cameras. The buildings creaked in the wind.
“Do they have a camera at the house?” Banger asked.
“Nope,” Rock replied.
“Fucking unbelievable,” Throttle said.
“What a bunch of dipshits.” Helm spat on the ground.
“This is too fuckin’ easy,” Ruben said.
“We should take the shit from the grow building and the guns,” Axe said.
“That’s what I was gonna suggest.” Banger turned to Rock. “You and Tiny know which is which, so we won’t strike those until after we take the stuff. Rusty and Skinless are bringing the trucks. When we kick the front door in, give the signal to Blade to cut the cameras. Let’s go.”
In a flash, they were on the front porch, Wheelie carefully opening the screen door and jerking his head at Axe. Axe raised his leg and, with his full strength, kicked the door. It groaned and splintered, and the rush of excited voices told him he had less than a second to break it open. Another kick and the door flew open. He rushed in with his gun drawn and saw two men run to the back of the house. Knowing Jerry, Chas, Cruiser, and Helm would be waiting, he let them go and moved over quickly to let Hawk, Wheelie, Banger, and Bear in.
“What the fuck?” a tall man with red hair said. “Banger? What the fuck are you doing?”
“I came over to visit,” Banger replied, his hand inside his jacket.
“Why the fuck didn’t you just knock? You broke my fuckin’ door. You gonna pay for that?” From where Axe stood, he could see the red blotches on the man’s face, and the vein in his temple pulsing.
“Brothers, this here is Chad,” Banger said. Turning to two other men who stood near Chad, he laughed. “How in the hell did you get mixed up in this shit Randy?”
“I needed the money,” Randy blurted out.
“Shut the fuck up!” a skinny man said.
“Let him talk if he wants, Beau. It figures you and Calvin are working with Chad.” Banger shook his head. “But Randy? It’s too damn bad you didn’t go to the bank for a damn loan.”
“I’m not involved with any of this, Banger. Honest. I was just helping with some of the plants.” Sweat beaded up on the dude’s forehead.
“Banger’s here because he’s pissed we’re doing meth. What the fuck can I say? I need the money. I couldn’t get the grow license, so I had to do something. The farm hasn’t been doing that good. Hard to get good help.” Chad smiled but it was one of the most insincere smiles Axe had seen in a long time. “Do you and your friends want a beer?”
Beau started to move away. “Don’t fuckin’ move, old man or I’ll put a bullet through your head,” Axe said.
Chad snorted. “No reason to be so serious. Sit down. Tell me what’s on your mind. We can reach an agreement. The fucking cops don’t even give a shit what I’m doing. I’m not a big honcho. I’m not threat to anyone’s operation. Really.”
“This isn’t about the weed or meth. It’s about Sketcher,” Hawk gritted.
“Who? I don’t know him.” Chad looked at Beau, Calvin, and Randy. “Do you guys know who he’s talking about?” They shook their heads, but Randy looked like he was going to have a heart attack.
“I’m not asking if you knew him. I’m telling you why the fuck we’re here.” Hawk took a step forward.
Chad snorted. “Banger? Tell your friend that I don’t know who he’s talking about.”
Banger shook his head. “You fucked up, man. You killed one of ours.”
Randy’s eyes bugged out. “He was an Insurgent? Fuck. We didn’t know.”
“I told you to shut the fuck up.” Beau slammed his fist in Randy’s face.
“Both of you shut the fuck up! Sketcher was part of our family. We don’t like it when someone messes with someone in our family. It doesn’t matter if they’re brothers, club girls, or on the payroll, they are in the fold.” Banger took out a joint and lit it.
“Go check the other rooms,” Hawk said to Axe and Throttle.
Axe went into one of the rooms and saw a small girl sleeping on the bed. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. He checked the other rooms and met Throttle in the hallway.
“All clear,” Throttle said.
“Same here except for a girl who’s sleeping. She looks about five or six. Shit.” Axe replied.
“I thought Rock and Tiny said there were no kids?”
Axe shrugged. “Stay here. I gotta tell Banger.”
When he went past the kitchen, he nodded at Jerry and Chas who had the two guys who’d tried to run on their knees with their hands behind their backs. He went into the living room. “There’s a kid sleeping in one of the rooms.”
The vein in Chad’s temple throbbed. “That’s my granddaughter. Don’t hurt her.”
Banger went over to Chad and slammed his gun into his head. “Don’t tell me what the fuck to do.” Chad cried out and brought his hands to his head.
“You want me to take her out?” Axe asked.
“Yeah. How old is she?” Banger said.
“She’s only five. Please don’t hurt her.” Chad’s voice broke.
“Put something over her eyes and take her out.” Banger went over to Randy. “Now you’re gonna tell me the truth because we’re done fuckin’ around here. If I don’t hear the truth from you, I’m gonna make you sorry you ever heard of the Insurgents.”
Axe chuckled and walked back into the room with the girl. He went over to her and stared down. Her lips were parted in an “O” and with her blonde hair and fair skin, she looked like one of those angels he’d seen in books. He turned away and rummaged through some drawers until he found a scarf. He went back to the bed and picked her up, blanket and all. She moaned slightly then wrapped her arms around his neck. He walked to the kitchen.
“What the hell?” Chas asked.
“She’s the fucker’s granddaughter,” Axe replied.
“You practicing for when you’re a daddy?” Jerry chuckled.
“Fuckin’ lame, dude. I gotta get her outta here. I can tell by the way Banger and Hawk are standing that shit’s about to hit the fan.” He went outside.
The cold air woke her up and she cried out, “Poppa. Where are we going?”
Axe’s heart twisted. “Your poppa’s busy. I’m helping him out. We’re going to play a game. Have you played pin the tail on the donkey?”
“Yeah, but I don’t wanna play.”
He kept walking to the SUVs. He wanted to get her out of there before the gunfire and the explosions started up. Jerking his head at Skinless, Axe opened the door of the vehicle.
Skinless tossed his cigarette to the ground, stubbing it out with the toe of his boot. “Just got the word to move in.”
“Shit’s about to get real.” Axe handed the prospect the scarf. “Put this around her eyes.”
“I don’t want that,” the girl cried, trying to wiggle out of Axe’s tight clasp.
“It’s just for a little bit. It’s a game.” He pulled the driver seat back and slid in, the girl still in his arms. Skinless went over to the truck and took off toward the farmhouse. After turning on the ignition, Axe cranked up the heat.
The girl rested her head on his shoulder. “How long we gonna play the game?”
“Not long. How old are you?”
“Five. Do you know Poppa?”
“Yeah. Where’s your mom and dad?”
She shrugged.
“Do you live with your poppa?”
“No. I sometimes sleep over. I don’t like too, but Mama takes me sometimes.” She yawned.
“Why don’t you like to stay over?”
“I don’t know. I don’t like Uncle Beau and Poppa makes me be nice to him.” She buried her face in his jacket.
Axe clenched his jaw as threads of fire wove around his spine. “You tell your mama you don’t like staying over?” She shook her head, her face still buried in his leather jacket. “Why not?”
“I’m not supposed to. Please don’t tell Poppa I said anything. I don’t wanna talk.”
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I won’t say anything. What’s your name?”
“Charity.”
“It’s a pretty name.” He wrapped his arm around her a little tighter, listening to her breathing. Seconds turned to minutes, and from the way she relaxed in his arms, he could tell she’d fallen asleep. On high alert, his eyes darted all around, making sure no one lurked among the trees or the underbrush.
Crack! Pop! Pop! Boom! The gunshots and explosions split the night. Charity jumped and whimpered in her sleep, not fully waking up. Billows of gray then black smoke mingled with the frosty air as streaks of orange-yellow flames illuminated the darkness. Axe wished he could be in the thick of the action instead of watching it as he babysat the asshole’s granddaughter. Happy the girl slept through the melee, he stared straight ahead, watching for Skinless and Rusty to come by in the pickups.
After a long while, wavering headlights made him squint as the two trucks came toward him. Then several brothers jumped out and made their way to Axe and the other SUV. A few brothers stayed in the pickups with the prospects, lifting their chin to Axe as they drove away.
“You driving?” Hawk asked, opening the driver door.
“I can. You wanna take her?” Axe replied. Hawk nodded and Axe started to hand her over when she woke up screaming.
“I don’t want to. Stop it.” Tears rolled down her face as she tried to tear off the blindfold.
“Charity, it’s me. I’m not gonna hurt you. Calm down. We’re almost done with the game. Remember?”
“You’re not Uncle Beau?”
“No.”
“I wanna stay with you.” Her voice broke.
“Take her in the back and take off her blindfold. She’s freakin’ out,” Hawk said.
“She’s gonna see us,” Throttle said as he settled in the front seat.
“It’s dark. It’ll be fine,” Axe replied, slipping in the back seat. “Everything go good?”
Hawk glanced behind his shoulder. “Yeah.”
They rode back in silence, and Axe turned his body so that Charity could look out the window and not at the brothers. No one dared say a word about what had happened at the farmhouse. The less the child knew, the better it would be for her and for them.
By the time they arrived at the clubhouse, the girl had fallen asleep again against Axe. He covered her head with the blanket and went into the clubhouse.
“Take her to my room,” Hawk said, handing him the key. “We gotta figure out what we’re gonna do with her. Have Kristy stay with her.”
The rest of the brothers came in, and Rusty and Skinless pulled the trucks around back to unload the marijuana plants and the guns. The other prospect, Hog, had drinks lined up and ready for the brothers when they were ready for them.
Axe climbed the stairs to the third floor and opened the door. Illuminated by moonlight, he gently placed her on the bed and covered her with the blanket then slipped out to find Kristy. Once Kristy was in place, he went down to join the others in the great room.
Banger motioned him over. “A goddamn mess with the kid. Did she see or hear anything?”
“Not really. She seems pretty tired. I’m damn surprised she slept through the noise. Sorry I missed it.”
“The only bastard we didn’t get was Reggie. We checked everywhere and the asshole wasn’t around. If he takes up where his dad left off, we’ll get him.” Banger grabbed the beer on the bar.
“I thought the pussy was the one who cut off Sketcher’s balls.”
“That’s what Randy said before we put a bullet through him, but we don’t know for sure. Let’s see what he does. The fucker still needs a beatdown and he’s gonna get it for sure. Is the kid his?”
“Not sure. She didn’t say too much about her parents. Seems like the fucker Beau was messin’ with her from some of the stuff she said, and grandpa didn’t seem to give a damn.” Axe shook his head.
Banger jerked his head back. “What a bunch of sick perverts. Well, the little one doesn’t have to worry about that shit anymore. Glad we took them out. They deserved it.”
Axe bobbed his head as he brought his shot to his lips.
“We gotta take her back to her parents. Find out who they are so we can bring her back before morning. We’re gonna have enough shit to deal with when the fuckin’ badges start snooping around. A kidnapped child will take all this to a new level.”
Jerry came over and sat down on the barstool. “We took the money and drugs, so it’ll look like a robbery. They’ll probably think it was Los Asesinos. We did find out Chad was cheating them. They had a whole stash of cash and drugs in a safe he’d put behind a false wall. We made it look like it was a hit.”
“That’s why we gotta bring the girl back to her parents right away,” Axe said. “I’ll go up and see what I can get out of her.”
A few hours later, Kristy, decked in a wig, glasses, and heavy makeup, rang the doorbell of Paige and Eddie Bridgewater. It turned out that Chad was Eddie Bridgewater’s grandfather and Charity’s great-grandfather. Kristy told them she’d found Charity wondering in the streets. She rushed away as the two confused parents hugged their daughter. It seemed that the news about Chad’s death hadn’t reached them yet. It’d probably take a few days before the badges received a call. By then, Kristy would be back at the clubhouse—her safe haven.
Axe dropped her off and drove home. It’d been a night of mixed emotions for him. Holding and comforting Charity had sparked something inside him he couldn’t explain. He didn’t know the child, but he’d been concerned for her safety and the way she felt. He hadn’t wanted her to be afraid of him. And when she’d said she didn’t want Beau around her, anger had flared up inside him and he’d wished he could’ve beaten the shit out of the man before Banger had put a bullet into his skull.
Axe went quietly into the bedroom and slipped out of his clothes. Slipping between the sheets, he smiled when Baylee mumbled something in her sleep. He scooted close to her and rested his hand on her belly. She’s got our kid growing inside her. For the first time since she’d told him the news, a thread of happiness unfurled inside him. He actually wanted this baby, and that thought blew him away. And something deep inside him assured him he’d be nothing like is mom or dad; he’d love his child no matter what.
“What time is it?” Baylee’s sleepy voice startled him.
“Almost four.”
“You’re back real late. Is everything okay?” She turned around and faced him.
“Yeah. Everything’s good.” He dipped his head down and kissed her tenderly. “I love you, baby.”
A smile flicked across her lips, and she brought her hand to his cheeks and stroked it. “I love you too.”
Rubbing her stomach, he kissed her again. “I’m happy about the baby,” he muttered against her lips.
“You are? Really?”
“Really, babe.”
Hugging him, she kissed his throat. “I’ve waited to hear you say that. Even though we didn’t plan it, this baby is a wonderful gift.”
“Yeah. You gotta hurry with the house plans. I want the best for our son.”
“Or daughter.” She chuckled. “I’m almost done with the plans, but we can wait until the spring to start building. The baby won’t come until July.”
He squeezed her and pressed her closer. Fuck. I’m gonna be a dad. Life can be so damn unexpected. He hadn’t expected to fall in love with Baylee and now he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it. He hadn’t planned on being a father, but now he was going to be one.
Yeah… sometimes life can be pretty fuckin’ awesome.
Holding her close, he shut his eyes and let sleep take him away.