“Your brothers and your rifle. Seek and destroy ops aren’t your MO, Eagle. That’s the kind of shit that Havoc or I would do. You scout out threats and snipe them off before they endanger the team. I don’t know what the fuck you think you’re gonna do alone.”
I didn’t like him insinuating I couldn’t handle this shit. “Whatever’s necessary.”
“You’re assuming Brass is running the show, but he’s a goddamn tweaker now. You saw the guys who picked up Naomi. They’re someone’s muscle. Brass ain’t shit in the whole scheme of things. Someone’s pulling his strings and whoever it is has targeted us. They know who we are, and they think we’ll just roll over and take it.” He zipped up the bag. “You’re not doing this.”
Shocked, I stared at him. This was his sister we were talking about. I knew he was busting his ass to find her—calling in favors all around the city—but why would he stop me from paying for her release? “I know you’re pissed at me, but I’m trained, and I’m quite capable…”
He held up a hand. “This has nothing to do with you and me. This is about her safety, yours, too, and my role as the president of this fuckin’ club.”
I was trying to keep his nose clean and get Naomi out safely, and the bastard was pulling rank on me. “No offense,Prez, but I don’t exactly need your permission to do this. I have the cash, and I will damn well take care of my woman and child.”
My woman. That’s twice I’d used that term in front of Link, making a public claim on Naomi. She was my woman. She’d invited me to be a part of her life, and although she hadn’t given me time to accept her invitation before she ran off and got herself taken, I sure as hell planned to give her my answer when I got her back.
His eyes flared with anger. “Goddammit, Eagle, no you won’t!” he roared. “You’re not a lone wolf anymore, and Brass ismyproblem. I brought him into this club and I was too proud, thinking I was real hot shit as the incoming president. Couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to what was happening right under my nose. Brass’s problems didn’t spring up overnight—and even you tried to tell me about them—but I didn’t listen to shit.”
Nobody expected perfection from Link, but Brass had been his first prospect, and he’d turned a blind eye when a few of the club whores complained about Brass. He should have listened… should have put Brass in check long ago and maybe we wouldn’t have this problem. But, it was well past time to play the blame game. What was done was done, and we needed to handle the repercussions.
“This is about more than Naomi’s safety, Eagle. Morse pulled images of the homeless guy who’s been watching Emily. It’s him. It’s Brass. Fuckin’ brass balls and lead brain if you ask me. After all I did for him, he’s been waiting for the right time to strike. I’ve had Emily covered, so he took Naomi. Goddamn ironic how my sister finally comes home to safety and immediately gets swept up into my bullshit. I can’t sit on my fuckin’ hands while you clean up my mess.”
“You can’t go after Brass. You have to protect the club,” I reminded him. The Dead Presidents always stayed on the right side of the law. It wasn’t in our bylaws or anything, just an unwritten rule everyone followed. But, if word got out that a motorcycle club full of military vets was dishing out vigilante justice, every ounce of good the club had done would be put under a microscope. Havoc’s case would be questioned. All of the programs Link had put into place to help vets and the community would be picked apart. We’d lose credibility and any time a law was broken the cops would come sniffing at our door to make sure we weren’t the ones responsible.
“Pops ran this club for twenty-five years. I’ve had it for two. In that time, we’ve done nothing but help people… vets, the community, whoever needed help. Now this city that we’ve busted our ass to help thinks we’re soft. Thinks we’re a bunch of washed-up do-gooders who can’t even protect their own. First, they kidnapped Emily’s grandma. Then they fucked with Havoc and went after Julia. Now…” He shook his head. “Naomi wasn’t even a block away when Brass nabbed her. You think I can let that shit slide?”
“But the club—”
“What good is a fuckin’ club if we can’t even protect the ones we love?” he asked. “Pops and I have fought to keep us legit, but at what cost? Who are these motherfuckers gonna come for next? Your kid? Wasp’s? Mine? Fuck that. We’re not gonna hide away our families out of fear. We need to remind these fuckers who we are and the lengths we’ll go to in order to protect what’s ours. Up to this point, every time someone’s brought trouble to our doorstep, we’ve let the law take care of it. But these bastards aren’t afraid of the law, and they keep coming. We need to give them something to fear so they’ll think twice before they fuck with us again.”
“Are you sure you want to go down this road?” I asked. Link had made some damn good points and I was on board, but this was a one-way street and there’d be no coming back.
“I don’t see where we have a choice. Either we show these motherfuckers who they’re dealing with, or we bend over, grab our ankles, and spell run. I’m not taking it up the ass, Eagle. Not now, not ever.”
When Link had recruited me, he’d been this fired up and passionate about the cause. Over the past two years, he’d done a great job growing the club and furthering the cause, but a little of that fire had been extinguished. It was nice to see it back in his eyes. This man—committed to justice, freedom, and protection—was the president I promised to follow when he patched me in. This was the Link Naomi and our kid needed right now. I only hoped this shitstorm didn’t splatter all over the face of the club. “I’m in, brother. What’s the plan?” I asked.
Havoc pushed his way into the office. “If you two are finished applying the war paint and getting all fired up, you’re needed in the chapel.”
“Did they find Naomi?” I asked.
“No. The club met and voted. It’s unanimous. We’re in, Prez. Nobody fucks with our women and gets away with it.”
“You called church?” I asked, frowning as I fumbled with my phone to check my messages. “I didn’t get a notification.
“You weren’t invited.” Link stood. “We’re still a democracy and a decision this big had to be put to the vote without me, you, or Pops in the room to sway votes or point the finger at anyone who voted against taking out these bastards. Now that it’s settled, let’s get in there and figure out how we’re gonna end this threat to our club.”
Naomi
BRASS AND JOE left me in the dark again, locking the door behind them. The room still smelled like vomit, and I made it a point to stay away from the puddle I’d left. Didn’t matter, because with no ventilation, the overpowering stench still churned my stomach and made my situation seem even more hopeless. Unable to admit defeat, I stared at the splinter of light surrounding the door and considered my options. I could step between my arms again and sever the zip ties now that I had more time.
But then what?
That was the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question. The door was locked, and the knob was smooth. Nothing to even pick at. No windows. No other doors. No way out. And if Joe caught me out of my zip ties…
A shudder went up my spine as I remembered Joe’s hate-filled gaze, and the sting of his hand across my face. He wanted to hurt me. I could tell by the way he looked at me like I was a bug he needed to squash. When Joe looked at me, I saw my death in his eyes. Every instinct I possessed told me to shrink back and make myself seem small and insignificant, not even worth his time and energy. I needed to mind my p’s and q’s if I had any hope of getting out of here in one piece.
Thinking about Joe was giving me serious anxiety, so I let my mind drift to Eagle instead, and wondered what he was doing. By now, Eagle had to know what had happened to me. He’d been so worried about me dying in combat, I couldn’t help but wonder what he thought about me getting taken from right in front of the fire station. He had to be so pissed. Was he out there looking for me? I knew he had the money, so would he pay my ransom?
Eagle might not want a relationship with me or the baby, but there’s no way in hell he’d let us be in danger. He’d find a way to get to us.
And if Eagle didn’t, Link would.
