We silently trekked through the wooded area to the lookout spot Phoenix had pointed out on the map. It gave us a perfect view of the cabin. I had no idea how in the hell that thing was still standing. There was no way anyone could be using that place as a hideout. Surely, even homeless people would turn their noses up at it.
Phoenix had everyone stay back except for Shaker and himself. They got down on their bellies and started scanning the area. I hated this part, the waiting. I was chomping at the bit to get my hands on this guy and here I was having to wait, quietly, for who knows how long.
Finally, Phoenix put his binoculars down and rolled himself to a sitting position. “Doesn’t look like anybody’s here.” He looked back toward the shack. “I don’t think we should go in though. Could be a trap.”
Carbon picked up a piece of a branch that had fallen and chucked it toward the house. It fell to the ground, immediately being snapped in half by the sharp teeth of a bear trap. Carbon said wryly, “Yeah, I don’t think we should go in either.”
Suddenly, gunfire erupted. Bullets were whizzing by and raining down on us from above. Above. What the fuck? We ran for cover, but found little. Standing behind a tree or crouched behind a rock did little to protect you from bullets coming at you from above. That fucker was in the trees.
I poked my head around the tree I was attempting to use for cover and tried to get a visual on the shooter. I saw a thick cloud of smoke around several trees. I poked my head out again, this time looking for the waterfall of casings. Bingo. I aimed the best I could and started firing. When my clip was empty, I ducked behind the tree, pulled out my backup piece, and started firing again.
I couldn’t tell you if it was me or another brother, but sweet relief washed over me when I saw a body drop from the trees, landing right on another bear trap. Well, if that wasn’t karma at her finest. The agonized scream that followed let me know that he was indeed not dead, or at least he wasn’t when he fell.
I put my guns away and started looking around for my brothers. I knew from the second the first shot rang out that not all of us would make it out unscathed. I just prayed no one was critically or fatally injured.
I made it back to the clearing to find that my prayers had not been answered favorably. Boar was on the ground, blood pouring from his torso. Phoenix was doing his best to stanch the flow. Carbon was bleeding from his arm, but he was actively helping Phoenix and seemed to be okay. Shaker was on the ground, his body bent over someone, but I couldn’t tell who it was. I figured it was Byte since I didn’t see him anywhere else.
I ran over to Shaker to see if I could help since Phoenix and Carbon were working on Boar. I looked down and saw Coal lying there, pale and limp. “Where the fuck is Byte?” I barked, my eyes frantically scanning the area for our missing brother.
“He went with Edge to bring the cages closer. Coal and Edge came running when they heard the shots.” He looked up at me. “I don’t know if-”
“Don’t say it, man. Let me help you get him to the cage.”
Shaker and I carefully lifted Coal and carried him to the cage. Phoenix and Carbon did the same with Boar. Byte told me to drive so he could find the nearest hospital. I hopped in and floored it, hoping I was headed in the right direction.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Reese
We were shuffled into the panic room while the guys went to handle some “club business.” Seriously, they were so transparent. I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, they were going to look for Omen.
Harper’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “So, Shannon, how did you meet Boar, if you don’t mind me asking?”
I was also dying to know how she ended up as the Old Lady to the president of a motorcycle club that was a quasi-rival to her estranged husband’s club.
Shannon smiled wistfully. “We met at a biker rally in Arizona. We were attached at the hip from the moment we met. When the rally was over, he asked me if I wanted to come home with him. I did, and here I am.”
“And Melissa? How did she end up in this area?” Harper continued.
Shannon sighed. “A little over a year ago, she had a falling out with our parents and they cut her off completely. So, she moved out here, claiming she wanted to be close to me, but I’ve only seen here a handful of times since she arrived.”
“How did she hook up with Omen?” I wondered aloud.
“She what?” Shannon asked, clearly surprised.
“Yeah, her and Omen have teamed up, so to speak. You didn’t know?”
“No, I didn’t know. They met when she came to visit one time, but I had no idea they formed any kind of friendship. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised with how fucked up both of them are.” She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I just don’t get it. What are they trying to accomplish?”
“Well, I don’t know what Omen’s end goal is, but Melissa wanted to kill me and pin James’s kidnapping on you so she could have Duke for herself.”
Her mouth dropped open for a brief moment and then snapped closed. “I can’t believe her. I mean, I can, but really? In what fucked up world would that plan actually work?”
“Yeah, we thought the same thing,” I said, gesturing to myself and Harper.
“Hopefully, this will all be over today. It sounds like they’re both beyond help,” Harper added.
After being cooped up in the panic room for several hours, I was just about out of patience. Dash had been by to check on us frequently and bring me anything I needed for James. You would think being locked in a room with Duke’s wife would be what was tipping me over the edge, but it wasn’t. Much to my consternation, Shannon was pretty nice, someone I might have been friends with if the circumstances were different. No, it was the fact that for the last two months, I had been locked up in some form or fashion and I was just damn tired of it.
