“It’s probably best if you just sit this one out.”
“I don’t fucking think so,” Trigger growls.
“Not happening. We have personal involvement in this now. Either you let us help or we do it on our own,” I inform him.
Detective Dick acquiesced with a nod. Not that I needed his approval. Hernández is after my woman and I will stop at nothing to make him gone.
“Alright, but we do this my way. I don’t need Hernández tipped off before we even get close because he hears a bunch of damn bikes roaring down the road.”
“We’re not fucking stupid.”
“Hawk, I got it,” I tell my twin. “First and foremost, don’t disrespect my men again. You forget, detective, who keeps this town clean? Do you forget who keeps the gangs out? Who helps you with the cases that need someone to go a bit further than the law allows? The Infernal sons deserve your respect, and you will give it.”
I pause, giving Detective Dick a moment to really hear my words.
“Now, we will follow your lead, but if I get to Hernández first, I make no promises.”
“I guess that will have to work. Pack your boys up. I’ll meet you at your club in one hour.”
With nothing left to say, we all stand and head outside to our bikes. I need to get back to my ol’ lady.
Chapter Nineteen
Rose
I woke with a start. At first, I thought it was from a dream, but I remember my dream. I remember exactly what I was doing when I woke up. Just washing the dishes in Bear’s cabin. Weird I know, but it’s a nice reprieve from my normal nightmares.
No, something else caused me to wake so suddenly.
Wait, what’s that smell?
BANG! BANG! BANG!
I jump from my bed at the sound of someone banging on my door. Shaking my head, I wrap the blanket around me and walk over to see who it is. I’m about to touch the handle when I notice the smoke coming in the room from beneath the door. Is the building on fire? Grabbing the edge of the blanket, I grab onto to the handle and swing the door wide open.
That’s when I knew I made a terrible mistake.
Turning, I try to run back into the room. I don’t get more than a few steps before I’m hit over the back of the head. The only thing I see as everything fades to black are the cold eyes and sinister smile…
Of Roman Hernández.
Chapter Twenty
Bear
We arrive back to utter chaos. The building is in flames, people are running around screaming and crying. Firefighters are racing to beat back the fire eating away at our sacred clubhouse.
None of that matters. I have only one thought.
Where is Rose?
“What the fuck happened?” Hawk asks.
“Listen up. Hawk, I need you to do a headcount. Check and make sure everyone got out safely. Trigger, I need you to round up all the brothers. Have them escort their family’s home and then meet back here.” I turn and walk right toward the firemen. I need answers and I need my woman. Not in that order.
“I can talk to them, brother. You go look for your ol’ Lady,” Chains says from right beside me.
“Sounds good to me. Come find me if you find anything out.”
Clapping Chains on the shoulder, I turn around and scan the crowd. Rose is so tiny she could be anywhere. I spend the next ten minutes searching but can’t find her. My heart is doing double time. If she isn’t out here, then she’s still in the building.
I do the only logical thing. I run straight for the fire.
“Bear, what the fuck?” is said right before someone slams me down on the ground.
“SHE’S IN THERE. SHE’S STILL IN THE FUCKING BUILDING. LET ME GO. I HAVE TO SAVE HER.”
“Listen to me, Prez. She’s not in there. There’s no one else in the building. They’ve searched it thoroughly and said everyone got out safely.”
That news calms me down. But, not by much.
“Then where is she, Chains? I’ve looked everywhere. She isn’t out here. If she isn’t out here, or in there then, where is she?”
“I think I have an idea.”
I nudge Chains off my back and jump to my feet. Standing in front of us is Slim with a grim look on his face.
“Slim, what do you know? What are you even doing here?”
“So, I’ve been keeping my eyes and ears on Carrie. When you kicked her out, she went straight home and sulked for a few days. But then she made one phone call. This was before I was able to tap into her cell, so at the time, I had no idea who she called.” Whatever he has to say next, I can tell I will not like it.
“When she left, I followed her. Straight to Roman Hernández’s territory.” That fucking bitch. I knew I should have killed her. “I couldn’t stay too long, but I did stay long enough to see something that you might find interesting. Carrie was meeting Hernández at some dive bar. About ten minutes into their meeting, fucking Derrick sat down with them.”
“Derrick?” Chains asks. “As in hang-around Derrick?”
“The very same.”
“This is fucking bad, brother.”
“Yeah, it is. Let’s go find Hawk.”
“Oh, he’s by his truck with Trigger. I have a little surprise for you,” Slim says as he walks towards Hawk’s truck.
We arrive to see Trigger sitting in the back of the truck…using a struggling Derrick as an ass cushion.
“Bear, did you find Rose?” Hawk asks.
“No, and I’ve looked everywhere. The firefighters told Chains that there wasn’t a single soul in the building. But I have a feeling Derrick here might be able to help us find her.”
“That’s not the only thing, brother.”
At Hawks tone, I look away from Derricks red face to my brothers very pissed off one.
“Princess. She’s gone, too.”
We all stand in stunned silence. My little princess and my beautiful Rose are both gone. And, I have a feeling they are in the hands of evil.
“Trigger, I want answers. And I want them fast.”
“Not a single problem. Meet me at your cabin in twenty minutes,” he tells me. “By the time you get there, I’ll have all the information he has to give.”
“I’ll drive,” Hawk says. He walks up to me and touches his forehead to mine. “We will find them both. And, when we do and we get them safe, there will be nothing left of Roman Hernández for Detective Dick to find.”
Borrowing some of my brother’s strength, because mine has been scared out of me, I stand up straight and get this shit with the firefighters done with so they can leave. My building isn’t completely gone, but I don’t give a fuck if it falls to the ground in a pile of ash.
I have only two objectives in my mind. Get my ol’ lady and Princess back and then…
Revenge.
Forty-five minutes later I pull into my driveway. Trigger, Chains, Hawk, Slim, Brick, and Josh are all sitting on my porch. I see Derrick’s dead body in the back of Hawks truck.
“What are you doing here?” I ask Josh.
“I won’t let her down again,” was all he said. Good enough for me.
A quick look in Trigger’s eyes and I know we have some good information.