“This is how you show us fucking respect at a meeting you set up?” Prez turns around. I can barely make out the figure of a man standing in the shadow of the doorway. I keep my body moving forward, getting myself into the center of the mob. A bright red beard and bald head are illuminated by the outdoor lights as the man Prince talks to steps outside. He has a snake tattoo that wraps around his neck, the head of the snake placed next to his mouth. I haven’t seen Red since he was made VP a few years back. After their Prez was killed last fall, he took over. The Reapers have been going down a bad path since.
“We may have had a meeting, but we never came to an agreement. You don’t want to give me what I deserve, then there is no respect,” Red spits out. A devilish look crosses his face as he turns back to go inside. “Finish this,” he calls out over his shoulder. He isn’t even going to fight with his men. A fucking pussy is what he is.
Within an instant, the parking lot descends into chaos, the Reapers come from all sides, boxing us in. This whole thing was a setup.
I shove my gun back into my waistband and take down the first Reaper I see. I feel the change happen the moment my fist connects with his chin. I am no longer Dane but Axel—the Enforcer for one of the most notorious one-percenter Motorcycle Clubs. The sound of bone breaking and the feeling of blood coating my hands brings me to life in a way most wouldn’t understand.
My vision tunnels as I take out everyone in my path. Then I catch sight of the man I have been looking for, Death. He had threatened my club; he had threatened Jenna. He had signed his death warrant. I turn and start in his direction when a Reaper launches himself at me. I move my body, allowing myself to take the hit with ease. We are on the ground grappling when his headcomes down on my brow in a crack. I feel a sharp sting and then hot liquid slithers down my face.Motherfucker.
I maneuver my body so that I am perpendicular to his torso. He is big, but doesn’t have nearly as much training as I do. I place my legs over his chest while pulling his arm up to my ear. The snap of his shoulder and the sound of his scream is music to my ears.Fucker wanted to play, so let’s play. I stand, grabbing my Glock from my waistband and pointing it at his head. The look in his eyes tells me he’s accepting his fate, dying protecting his piece-of-shit club. Instead of killing him, I slam the butt of the gun against his temple. I’m not going away for murder tonight. I whistle for a prospect who has just beaten the shit out of a Reaper, and he runs over without pause.
“He leaves with us,alive,” I grind out. Shiny is a newer prospect, but I can see he will make a good brother. He looks at the man and then back to me.
“We need him for information,” I explain. Not that I really fucking need to. Prospects should do as they’re told without question or explanation. Shiny nods and lifts the man’s limp body from the pavement.
I smirk when I see my target once again. The Reapers’ enforcer has quite the reputation. He is what horror stories are built on. I had asked Ace to look into him, see what shit he is into. You name it: guns, drugs, human trafficking. This guy is a psycho with no conscience, and that makes him extremely dangerous. I will be doing a service to the public by putting a bullet between his eyes.
The Hell Chasers are in no way good guys. We run guns and launder money through our more legit businesses. We are outlaws; normal laws don’t apply to us. But the moment I learned about the trafficking and selling of drugs near Cranson, I knew this needed to be dealt with.
Death catches sight of me and turns to give me his full attention. He smirks, much as I am, but his eyes say it all. They are hollow, dead, unaware of the monster he is.
Almost to him, I hear bikes from all directions and shots blasting around us. I look up to see a brigade of Hell Chasers storming the area. Pride swells in my chest as my brothers make their way to us. I drop my head to avoid the shots.
When I look back to the spot where Death stood, it is empty. My blood boils as I look around the lot, catching a glimpse of his bike as he tears out of here. I almost go after him, but tonight we hadn’t driven our bikes. We had taken two SUVs to not attract attention. I curse myself for not bringing my hog.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” I hear someone shout behind me. Looking back, I see my brothers racing to their bikes or hopping into cars. I move my eyes to the only vehicle I care about.
The black SUV sits in the same spot, but now the windows are gone, only shards of glass hanging onto the window panes. Much like most of the cars that surround us. I can see a body on the front of the car, boots staring me in the face and Cal looking at me with fury in his eyes.Fuck.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
jenna
I lean forwardin the driver’s seat as far as I can and try to keep my breath steady. All I can hear is shouting and glass breaking. My mind races with all the things that could be happening outside the car. Who am I kidding? I know exactly what’s happening out there, and none of it is good. I’ll do as I promised, though—I’m going to stay right here and wait for Axel, even though every part of me is screaming to put the car in reverse and hightail it out of here.
My car shakes with an extremely loud thud, followed by a loud cracking sound. The sudden movement has me ducking my head and shrieking into the otherwise quiet car. I look up to see a man on my now broken windshield, his lifeless eyes staring at me. Instantly, I lean over the passenger seat and throw up any remaining contents in my stomach. I hold back tears threatening to fall down my face. This is insane—I need to get out of here.
Without thinking, I pick up my phone and call Cal. Over the short time he had been stuck doing surveillance for us we had developed a friendship, and I trust him. He picks up after the second ring.
“Teach?” he says in a groggy voice.
Shots pop around me, my body tensing with each one. “C-Cal,” I reply, trying to calm the shake in my voice. The tears I was trying to keep at bay spill onto my cheek now.
“Jenna, what’s wrong?” I can hear rustling in the background. “Axel said he was with you. Where is he?”
“I don’t know,” I say, steadying my voice. “We were leaving the club when a guy got into it with Blaze. Everyone came outside, and the man—well, biker… Reaper—pulled out a gun.” I look up at the man still staring at me through my windshield. God, I hope I’m making sense. “I’m in my car, but Axel went back.” I pause, still trying to gather myself.
“And now there is a fucking dead guy on my car,” I say as my voice breaks.Damnit, Jenna, hold it together!I have never been one to use expletives but I think this moment calls for it.
“Okay, take a deep breath. I’m going to call the clubhouse and get guys there. Where is your car?” he says in a calm but deathly serious voice. I consider telling him again about the dead person on my car, his level of concern for the situation not matching my own.
“I’m in the front row, a few cars left of the entrance.” I look up to see a fury of men. “Cal, please hurry. This doesn’t seem right.” Looking up, I can tell there are way more Reapers than Chasers. “There are twice as many of them here.” My heart sinks in my chest.
“Fuck.” I hear a motorcycle start and can barely hear Cal’s next sentence. “Keep your head down, Teach. We’re coming.” Then the line goes dead.
I look back toward the front of the club; it’s turned into a full-on brawl. I’ve never seen so many people fighting—punching, kicking, and throwing bodies through the air before. I run my hand along the door, making sure it’s locked, and start looking for Axel. I can’t find him in the sea of fists and leather.
My chest tightens, and I dig my nails into my palms. I try to tell myself that the only reason I’m searching for him is to make sure my friend is okay. But in my gut, I know I can never just be friends with Axel. This right here is what I should have been prepared for. Entangling in his world means getting dragged into violence, and I don’t think I can handle this. For Pete’s sake, my daily tasks include deciding what craft pairs well with my daily read aloud. Not what dress pairs well with blood.
