Allegiance (The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 8) Page 17

  He was in that spot because he was watching my back.

  I wasn’t alert enough to watch his.

  Brothers always watch each other’s backs.

  Tiny falling to pieces is heart-wrenching to watch.

  Foxy pulls Tiny into her arms, forcing her to let go of Scratch’s lifeless body. Tiny collapses into Foxy’s grip, all the while the sounds of crying children echo down the hall.

  Sparx sniffles, and Trax nods to go to them. Lala follows.

  Finn and Dax bend down, carefully picking up our fallen brother.

  All of us stand, bringing our closed fist to our chest in a mark of respect as he’s carried out of the clubroom and to the armory. The entire room is silent except for the heavy sobbing of Tiny.

  She was destined to become an Old Lady tonight.

  She didn’t even get that honor.

  Those fucking assholes came in and stole that right from her.

  Foxy takes Tiny and starts walking with her down the hall. My stomach churns as I look down at myself. I’m covered in blood—Mexicans’, Scratch’s, maybe even some of my own. I’m a fucking mess, but the only thing I can think about is the sight of Lily’s feet being dragged out of the clubhouse. It’s playing on a loop inside my brain.

  I lost a brother tonight because of my actions.

  I can’t lose my woman as well.

  I need to do something.

  I can’t sit around waiting.

  With quick steps, I start the walk to my room to change before I head out on my ride to find her.

  Ace rushes across the clubroom, and I spin around.

  “Pres, Lift, you’re going to wanna see this!”

  LIFT

  My chest squeezes as I glance at Ace’s iPad.

  He has something.

  Something on Lily?

  Who took her?

  A location?

  I don’t fucking know, but he has something, and that’s good.

  And I need to know what the hell it is.

  “Ace, talk to me!” I demand as Torque furrows his brows like he’s annoyed, but it’s not his woman at stake here. He’s got to understand if the roles were reversed, he’d be wanting to know everything he could, not sitting around waiting for orders to be thrown at him. Ace glances at Torque anyway, ignoring me, and Torque cocks his head.

  Ace shows me the iPad, and I look at the screen.

  Torque peers over my shoulder.

  Oh, for fuck’s sake! My lip curls in anger as my fingers clench into tight balls of fury.

  If the charges against Raphael Acosta are not dropped by the close of business Monday evening, Delilah Page will be exterminated.

  Let us know when it’s done, and we will release her back to you.

  You can reply to this message, but it will not be traceable.

  Xolotl Warriors

  My muscles tense as I re-read the words over again, just to be clear on the message they’re sending. They’re going to kill Lily if Rowdy doesn’t drop the charges. But it’s not that simple. Once there’s a case in motion and evidence submitted, it’s not as easy as just pulling Rowdy’s testimony or her backing out of the case. There’s physical evidence linking Raphael to the crime in a police- guarded facility, and we have forty-eight hours to find and destroy it.

  This is going to devastate Rowdy.

  I glance at Torque, and he rubs the back of his neck like he’s deep in thought. “Ace, I know it says it can’t be traced, but—”

  “There’s no way I wasn’t going to try anyway, Pres. I did, and they’re right. I tried the instant I received it and nothing,” Ace affirms. “The packets are being routed through so many obfuscated servers, there’s no way to pinpoint the exact location. I can continue to try, but even with deep packet inspection, the disguise is holding.”

  I roll my shoulders while Ace talks his tech shit. I have no fucking idea what he’s talking about. But I did understand the words ‘no way,’ and that’s when I zoned out.

  Vibe and Rowdy walk over with the worst possible timing.

  “They took Lily, didn’t they?” Rowdy asks.

  Torque glances at me like he’s actually asking how I want to play this. So, I take the lead. “Yeah. I think whoever this is, they’re in line with Raphael. They’re calling themselves the Xolotl Warriors.”

  Vibe shakes his head. “Haven’t heard that one before.”

  Ace types something into his iPad. “Xolotl, it’s an Aztec god associated with lightning and death…” He raises an eyebrow. “Subtle.”

  Rowdy grimaces. “So, if they took Lily, they want something, right?”

  “Yeah. And you’re not going to like it.”

  She clenches her eyes shut. “Is it me?”

  I reach out for her. “No. And we would never trade one for another. You know that, Rowdy.” She breathes, a sense of relief washing over her. “But… they do want the charges against Raphael to disappear.”

  Vibe lets out a low growl as she snaps her hands away from me in anger. “What? No! How can that even work?”

  Torque steps forward. “I don’t know. We’d have to think about it. Really think about it. Lily’s life is on the line here, Rowdy. But to do what they’re asking, we would have to break into the police department and get rid of the evidence. You would also need to retract your statement. This shit’s big.”

  Rowdy’s face falls, tears welling in her eyes, but she blinks them away as she folds her arms across her body protectively. “They’re gonna kill her?”

  I flare my nostrils at the thought. “Yeah. I’ve just found her, Rowdy. I don’t… I can’t…” I pause taking a steadying breath as she reaches forward to take my hands.

  She stares in my eyes. “Oh, God! Do you think they’re… I mean, if they’re Raphael’s crew, and he did that to me, do you think they would…” she pauses, eyes wide, “… do it to her?”

  Bile rises in my throat as I turn and begin pacing. The urge to hit something, someone, anything overwhelms me, the fear almost crippling as it ripples inside me. The thought of them touching her in any way makes me want to rip them apart with my bare hands.

  “Lift, you need to calm down. Keep your head in the game. We have to work together to figure this out,” Torque orders.

  “Keep calm? Keep. Fucking. Calm? Could you keep fucking calm if known sex offenders held Foxy hostage, Torque? Huh?”

  The entire place falls silent as Rowdy bursts into tears and runs off down the hall.

  My chest squeezes at the sight as Vibe glares at me and takes off after his Old Lady.

  This clubhouse is a mess.

  There are bodies everywhere, and I am losing my control.

  Torque steps up to me and places his hand on my shoulder. I shrug him off as I breathe harshly out of my nose.

  I need to find her.

  I need to get to her.

  The fear is eating away at my very soul.

  Torque grunts, grabbing my cut and yanking me to look at him. My entire body shakes as I stare my president down. “Pull your damn shit together. Lily doesn’t need you falling apart. Take a look around, brother. This fuckin’ club’s in chaos right now. There are screaming kids at the end of the hall. A woman who was about to be claimed just lost her partner, our brother, and an Old Lady just got told she’s going to have to find a way to deal with revoking her statement because of an act that was so fuckin’ vile the guy should be six feet under. But we can’t do that because of evidence. Evidence which we now have to steal from a damn police station!”

  I swallow a lump in my throat.

  “I get you’re scared for Lily. We all are. And fuck, brother, if they hurt her, we’re all going to be there to rain down fuckin’ hell on them, but it’s more than just Lily right now. There’s more at play here. So pull up your fuckin’ panties and be a Defiance Sergeant At Arms like you’re meant to fuckin’ be.” He shoves my chest hard making me take a step back as he walks off down toward the armory where Scratch’s body is located.

/>   I know there’s more at play here.

  I get it.

  But the thought of those dirty bastards hurting Lily sickens me. I don’t know if Lily will cope.

  I can’t think of that right now.

  I need to do what I’m able to here.

  I need to be a brother until we come up with a plan because right now I have nothing. We as a club have nothing. No way to find her. No way to know if she’s okay.

  The only thing I can do is help the cleanup and work with Ace to try and bring my woman home.

  HAYLEY

  The Next Morning

  Sitting on the edge of my bed, my emotions swarm through me. I’m all cried out as Vibe finishes up with his shower, and I sit staring at the wall. He walks into the bedroom wrapped in a towel. The way his abs disappear into the white plumes of the fluffy towel should make me quiver.

  It should make me lick my lips and my clit ache.

  But it doesn’t.

  All it does is make me wish for a time before my life was irrevocably changed. For a time when I saw a man’s body, and it made me dance with joy inside, especially one as gorgeous as Vibe’s. I avert my eyes from his immaculate physique as he strolls in seeming to sense my mood.

  “You still struggling with Lily being gone?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  Vibe rubs his hair with another towel as he exhales. “Yeah, it’s shit, babe, but you can’t take it on board. It’s not your fault.”

  I snort out a mocking laugh. “Isn’t it? If this shit with Raphael didn’t happen, she wouldn’t be with them right now having God only knows what’s happening to her while we sit here doing nothing!”

  He exhales, walks over, and sits on the edge of the bed next to me. I feel the heat from his body radiating off him. “Hayley, you need to stop. This is going to eat you alive—”

  I stand abruptly. “We need to do something, Vibe! Any damn thing! We can’t just sit here trying to formulate a fucking plan, we need to make one. Lift must be out of his mind. I know I am, and I’m only her friend.”

  Vibe raises his brow. “You’re her friend?”

  “Stop it! I’m being serious. Do you want what happened to me to happen to her?”

  Vibe runs his hand through his hair. “What the hell, Hayley? No, of course not. I don’t want that to happen to anyone.”

  I steady my shoulders. “So then, let’s do something.”

  He throws his hands out to the side. “Like what, Rowdy? What can we do? Torque and Trax are formulating a plan to break into the police department tonight. Then we go from there.”

  I shake my head. “No, that’s bullshit, and you know it. There’s too much risk. I won’t have any of you guys going to jail for me.”

  “There’s no other option, babe.”

  I stand taller, a thought coming to mind. It makes me feel sick, but I think it’s the only option that could stand a chance of working. “There is something else.”

  He narrows his eyes on me. “Okay… tell me.”

  I roll my shoulders taking a deep, steadying breath. “You’re not gonna like it.”

  HAYLEY

  Trying to convince Vibe of my brilliant idea was one of the hardest things I think I’ve ever had to do. Then having to do it all over again to bring Lift in on it was just as damn hard. Shit! I’ve spent the last three hours working my ass off on this idea. But if I couldn’t sell it to them, then there’s no way I was going to be able to convince Torque, and without him, there’s no way I’m going to be able to get it done.

  I need his help.

  Torque and Ace to do the leg work, and I need Vibe and Lift beside me as my support. Because without them as heavyweights guiding me through this, I don’t think I could I step foot inside that place.

  Torque shakes his head at me as I stand in front of him. Vibe to my left, Lift on my right. “Are you sure you wanna try this?” Torque asks.

  “I figure I need to at least try to see if it’ll work. If it doesn’t, then we go with Plan B.”

  Plan B—the original plan. The boys break into the police station and steal the evidence, then I change my testimony, and they will not have a case to prosecute. But that’s only if my plan is a failure. We’ll see which way this goes.

  “You ready?” Lift asks.

  He’s eager.

  I get it.

  Lily’s been gone for hours, including overnight, and he’s antsy to get this started.

  I nod as I glance down at my attire. Tight pants and a low-cut top. Far from the norm of what I’ve been wearing lately. It goes against everything in me to wear something more revealing, more like the old me, but I need to grab attention.

  And even though my mind’s screaming at me not to do this, I know I need to.

  For Lily.

  “Let’s go,” Lift instructs.

  Everyone watches the three of us walk out of the clubhouse. The state of the main room almost looking normal again after last night’s raid—the club girls have done a great job.

  But the blood of the fallen still weighs heavily on all our shoulders.

  We walk to the van in total silence, the tension rolling through me like a damn tidal wave.

  I’m nervous.

  And with my anxiety, it’s doing me no favors.

  It has me second-guessing.

  Damn! I don’t know if I can pull this off.

  If anything, I guess this will test me to see if I’m really Old Lady material.

  As I slide into the middle of the van, Vibe’s in the driver’s seat, Lift’s on the passenger side, and none of us say a word. We’re all focusing hard on a job we know we have to do, a part to play. We need to get this right. It’s just a matter of whether I can pull it off or not once I get there.

  Strength.

  Determination.

  Willpower.

  I say the mantra the entire way while my muscles spasm. The thought of this whole thing sends shockwaves through me, and I feel like calling ‘time out’ on it numerous times.

  But I won’t.

  Because Lily needs me. I can’t let her suffer because of me.

  Vibe pulls up at the prison, and my stomach rolls, bile creeps up my throat, and I shudder so much I feel like the entire van is rocking from side to side. I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans as I inhale deeply trying to calm my breathing.

  Strength.

  Determination.

  Willpower.

  “It’s not too late to turn around,” Vibe states, breaking the silence.

  Lift glances subtly at me, but I shake my head. “No, I’m good.”

  Vibe pulls the van to a stop, and we all sit for a brief moment staring at the jail.

  Raphael’s inside.

  Waiting for me.

  Holy. Fucking. Hell.

  What was I thinking?

  “You can do this, Rowdy,” Lift whispers.

  It was all I needed to lift my spirits again.

  Strength.

  Determination.

  Willpower.

  I sit taller and smile. “Yeah. Yeah, I can. Let’s go.”

  Lift rolls his shoulders and slides out of the van taking my hand and helps me out. Vibe hesitates for a moment, then slides out the driver’s side and marches around to us. We collectively take a deep breath and start walking as a united front toward the prison.

  With each step, I feel my entire body become tenser. Knowing I’m going to see Raphael again for the first time since—well, I honestly don’t know how I’m going to react. All I do know is that I need to keep my shit together for the sake of Lily, for my club, and for me. Because if I give him an inch, that bastard’s going to take a mile and run. People like him smell fear, and he’s not one to let this go without a damn fight.

  We get to the gate, and they buzz us through.

  Torque rang ahead to the guards he knows and told them we would be coming. That’s why I needed Torque on my side to help get this train rolling. We walk through the long, dimly lit hall. Guards watch
us like hawks as we meet up with a tall guy who looks like he’s been in one too many prison brawls himself. He looks Lift up and down with a glare that’s almost maniacal as he takes in the patch on Lift’s cut. “Sergeant At Arms… so, you’re in charge of this little excursion, right?”

  Lift squints looking at his name badge. “Officer Cunningham, there’ll be no trouble from us. I expect the same from you and your men.”

  I raise my brow. I thought with Torque’s guys on the inside, this place would be safe for us. Maybe I was wrong.

  Cunningham’s eyes shift from Lift to Vibe and then to me. “This isn’t the place for club women, Sergeant.”

  Vibe stands taller wrapping his arm around me instinctively. “Good thing we’re here to protect her then, isn’t it?” Vibe bites back.

  I clear my throat stepping forward a little out of Vibe’s grasp. “Officer Cunningham, with all due respect, we’re here to see an inmate not to cause trouble. So, if you would kindly let us through, it means the quicker we get in, the quicker we get out. Win-win for everyone, wouldn’t you say?”

  Cunningham looks me up and down and lets out a small chuckle. “You’ve got lady balls... I like you.” He tilts his head toward the gate. “Go on through, but any sign of shit, and I’m pullin’ you out.”

  I inwardly jump for joy that this isn’t over before it began. “Thank you, officer.”

  He shakes his head. “Just don’t do anything stupid in there lady, okay?”

  I smirk. “Why officer that sounds like concern,” I tease.

  With that, he manages to crack a small smile. “Go on then. In you go.” Officer Cunningham presses the buzzer which releases the doors. Vibe places his hand on my lower back as Lift, Vibe, and I walk through the railed gates into the hall. Another guard greets us, but he says nothing and simply gestures for us to follow him. I grimace at Lift, and he shrugs, but we follow as he leads us down the hallway. Off the hall are small rooms with thick doors.

  I feel coldness seeping into my bones the further we walk into the depths of hell. I know with each step, I’m getting closer to my attacker.

  The guard stops and signals at the door. “This is your room. You have limited time. So make it count.” He unlocks the door with a huge wad of gigantic keys, cranks open the door, and then takes off, leaving me reeling. My entire body shakes as I glance up at Vibe. He grips hold of my shoulders, looking into my eyes. “It’s not too late to back out.”