His eyes widen in shock, telling me what I already know. Rhett has barely acknowledged his feelings about her; he’s far from confessing his love yet. But that’s okay, these things can take time. Despite what he’s fighting, I already know he loves her. I see it in the way he stares at her when he thinks no one is looking. His jealousy, his possessiveness. He’s totally fucking gone for her. He just needs to wait for his brain to catch up with his heart and to listen to the damn thing for once.
“Or ever,” he scoffs, making me laugh. “What?”
“Nothing, man. Nothing at all. Let’s just focus on the task ahead, huh?”
“This cunt is dying today.”
“Agreed, brother. Agreed.”
Ray nods at us as we approach. “You boys ready?”
“Always, Prez,” I say.
“More than ready.” Rhett nods as he tugs on his helmet and throws his leg over his bike.
We already know the plan; we went over it in Church. The Reapers are due over the border any minute. We’ll join them and then we’ll go hunt this motherfucker down until he’s no longer breathing the same air as us. Until he’s no longer a threat to the club…
Or our princess.
After a few words from Ray, the rumble of our engines fills the compound and we set off across town. My body aches from the blow yesterday. I might not have been badly injured, but I collided pretty hard with the wall when the explosion happened. Holding my bike steady is harder than usual as my muscles burn, begging to be relaxed.
Just as they agreed, we meet with the Reapers.
It’s the first time in my lifetime that I’ve known the two MCs working together like this. We might have had a truce since the war a few years back, and things have been amicable, but not to this level. It just shows how big a threat Darren is to both our princess and the Reapers’ future.
I can’t deny it’s nice, being surrounded by brothers from both clubs, fighting for the same cause.
We park down the street from the address Ritz gave us before heading toward the old rundown house we believe Creed is hiding inside. Our guys surround the place as Rhett and I move around the back with a couple of Reapers. We all share a silent look, and, after a countdown of three, Rhett blows the door handle off and storms inside.
Screams pierce the air as the people who were inside jump to their feet, taking cover. I notice a woman grab a child and duck behind the couch.
This ain’t right, a little voice inside tells me.
Ritz has been fed bogus intel.
I cover the door with a Reaper Prospect and watch the chaos as both Ray and Ritz try to calm the situation down with the residents of the house losing their shit.
This was not how today was meant to go. But I guess it explains why that dread was sitting heavy in my stomach earlier.
This is a setup.
It has to be. And we’ve left Sadie behind with little protection.
Glancing across the room, my eyes lock with Rhett’s, and I see the same concern in his blue depths.
This isn’t good.
Once we’ve got the situation inside the house under control, we all head outside.
“I don’t like this, Prez,” Rhett says to Ray the second we reach him. “What if it’s a diversion… what if that fuck plans to attack—”
“The intel was solid,” Ritz says, cutting him off. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You sure about that?” Rhett gets all up in his face. “Because if you played—”
“Whoa, easy there, son.” Ray wedges himself between Rhett and the Reaper VP. “Ritz came to us with this. We gotta trust that.”
“And you’re willing to put Sadie’s life on it?”
Ray scrubs his jaw, indecision flickering in his eyes. “Pike,” he barks, “call Pacman and get an update on the compound.”
“Consider it done, Prez.”
“I swear to God, Ray, if Darren’s sending us on a wild goose chase, I had no fucking idea.”
Rhett bristles and I move closer, ready to intervene. The last thing we need is him and Ritz going head to head while Darren runs circles around us.
“No sign of trouble at the compound.” Pacman strolls toward us. “The place is locked down tight.”
Relief slams into me and Rhett visibly relaxes.
“Okay, let’s just take a second.” Ray slaps Ritz on the shoulder. “We need to find this motherfucker before he does any more damage. Let’s head to those other locations your guys have come up with, and if there’s no sign, we’ll just have to keep searching.”
The group splits into two, Rhett going with Ray and me going with Ritz so we can check both places faster. After this bust, I don’t think any of us are expecting him to be at either location, but hopefully we’ll get a clue as to where the prick is actually hiding.
In minutes we’re taking off again, Prez and Rhett’s crew heading back toward our side of town while I follow Ritz toward the Red Ridge border.
I ride at the back of the group all the way to a warehouse that doesn’t settle anything inside me. My eyes scan the surrounding woodland, aware that anyone could be hiding in the shadows waiting for us.
We pull to a stop, and as the others climb from their bikes, they also look around nervously.
“I don’t like this, VP,” one of the Reapers says, clearly feeling the same unease I am.
“We’ll check it out then move on if it’s a bust. We’re sitting ducks right now,” Ritz says, agreeing with his brother.
Ritz nods at us and we climb from our bikes, pulling out our guns and heading toward the warehouse. I follow instructions and head inside while a few others remain outside.
The place is deserted. I have no idea if it’s a Reapers warehouse or what, but it’s clear he’s not here.
“This is bullshit,” Ritz spits. “He’s fucking playing us. We’re smarter than that psycho. Why can’t we get ahead of him?”
I stare at the Reapers VP. He looks exhausted with swollen, dark circles under his eyes. The stress with his father plus Darren going rogue is clearly getting to him.
“We’ll get him, Ritz. He’ll fuck up at some point and we’ll take him and his guys down. They’re not going to take this club. Not over my dead body,” Crank, his Sergeant-at-Arms, growls, his own anger and frustration over this cat and mouse chase obvious in his tight expression.
“Let’s get out of here, head back. Regroup.”
Ritz turns to me and my brothers beside me. “We’re gonna find him. And when we do, we’re going to kill him.”
“Damn fucking right,” I state, holding his eyes so he can see how serious we are.
Ritz takes off toward the door, more than happy to leave the damp and dusty warehouse, and we all take off after him.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Munster says beside me. “I feel like I’m being watched.” He visibly shudders.
“He’s playing us,” I say, confident that we’re currently just pawns in the sick bastard’s game. But until he plays his hand, we’re unable to take control.
“I hope Prez has had more luck.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, although I don’t have a lot of hope. They’re going to have been led on a wild goose chase as well. I’d put money on it.