“Yep. Harper went back to the clubhouse this morning.”
“How is Duke?”
“He’s awake, but won’t speak and is a general pain in the ass most of the time. The only reason I’m here now is because he needed something and no one else was available to bring it to him. Before I could leave, Carbon text me and told me to stay.”
“I think right now it is the best place you can be. Listen, stay there like Carbon said. I have to go, but I should be home soon.”
“Wait! What did you need help with?”
“I needed to ask you some questions, but you already answered them. I really have to go. I’ll talk to you soon. Stay safe, Reese.” I quickly disconnected the call before she could say anything else and handed it back to Copper.
“She got a text from Carbon about five hours ago telling her not to leave Duke’s hospital room until he came to get her. He told her it was a life or death situation.”
“Fuck, man. That means something must have gone down at the clubhouse and Carbon somehow managed to get a text out to her while he could,” Dash surmised.
Copper told Judge to pull into the nearest gas station. Once there, he got out and quickly informed the other guys of the new information and the current plan. He was back in the SUV and we were on the road in no time. We would be there soon. I couldn’t shake the feeling that what awaited us was going to be less than pleasant.
CHAPTER 25
Dash
The open and unmanned gates were the first sign that something was wrong. The second sign was the body of a prospect lying on the ground beside the gates, a knife protruding from his chest. The third sign, the clubhouse doors were wide open.
Judge stopped in the lot and turned to Copper. “I’ll stay with Ember and the prospect. If you’ll send me Batta and Tiny, we can keep her safe using less men.”
“Good thinking, Judge. I’ll send them your way. Dash, you ready?”
“Yep, let’s do this.” I turned to Ember. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. If Judge thinks he needs to get you out of here, you don’t fight him on that. Just go with him and I’ll come when I can, okay, baby?”
She nodded and her eyes started to fill with tears. “Stay safe. Love you.”
“Love you, too, baby.” I gave her a quick kiss on the lips and got out of the SUV.
Tiny and Batta climbed in per Copper’s orders and I thanked each as I passed by them.
Rounding the back of the last vehicle in our little convoy, I found our three prisoners on the ground, awake, but still groggy from the drugs. Good, they’d be easier to handle.
We removed everything except the ropes around their wrists and the tape across their mouths. Jerking Octavius to his feet, I placed my gun to his head. Copper grabbed Nivan and Spazz grabbed Hector. We silently approached the clubhouse, frog-marching our prized prisoners. Spazz shoved Hector through the front door. We hung back a few feet to see if there would be any activity. Nothing. Spazz stuck his head around the door. “Don’t see anybody and don’t hear anything.”
Copper shouted to his guys behind us, “Split into groups of three or four and let’s get this building cleared. Check every room.”
Twenty minutes later, the building was cleared. We found nothing. Not a soul was there and not a clue as to what happened to everyone was found. No blood, no evidence of a struggle, nothing.
Copper placed his hands on his hips, “I’m kind of at a loss as to what to do now. I figured we would at least find something to go on if we didn’t find them here.”
Octavius started to laugh and shake from his spot on the floor. Hector maintained his hate-filled stare. Nivan, surprisingly, looked terrified. Interesting. I ripped the tape off Octavius’s mouth. “The fuck you laughing at?” I kicked him with my booted foot for good measure.
“You are all a bunch of leather-clad idiots,” he cackled, sounding like a rabid hyena.
I kicked him again, harder this time. “You gotta point you want to make? I’m getting really fucking tired of you and your bullshit. I’m abouteightseconds from putting a bullet between your eyes.Ninefrom putting one between your son’s eyes.”
His laughter immediately died and his face filled with rage. “How dare you disrespect what I stand for?” he bellowed.
I smirked, “You did that all by yourself, oh Eight the Great.” The men around me burst out laughing.
I didn’t think it was possible, but Octavius’s face grew even redder. “You’ll never find him. You need me to find him! He needs me to lead you to him! I’m the one with the power. I’m the one that is important. I’m the one that is needed. Not your precious fucking Phoenix!!”
I looked to Copper, my eyes wide, “You know what Ocho is going on about?”
