“I am, but she thinks she is,” Shade said smugly.
“Heaven help the person you two gang up on; they wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Chapter 68
Shade was sitting at his desk when the first call came.
“You have something of mine, and I want it back.”
“And would this be Ice or Jackal?” Shade replied.
“You know?”
“I know something is going down, and you know what it is. And you’re going to tell us what we need to know, or you’re going to have one less brother under your command.”
“We need to meet.”
Shade gave him the address.
“Bring my brother.”
Ice could demand all he wanted; however, he wasn’t getting anything until he produced the information Shade needed.
“You’ll see Eightball when I decide you get him back.” Shade emphasized Eightball’s name to let Ice know they were aware it was as fake as shit, and it had been a stupid fuckup to get caught by.
“Oh, you’ll bring him, and I’ll bring that pretty little sister of yours.”
Shade didn’t lose control of his temper. He had fucked up himself; he should have expected the move.
“I’ll bring him.” Shade had no choice other than to relent.
“Now that’s more like it. We’ll be there in an hour.” The line disconnected.
Shade got up from behind his desk, opening his door. “Jewell, take over. Rider, Train, you’re with me.”
They were halfway across the parking lot when the second call came in. Shade paused to answer it.
“Later, Lucky. I’m busy—”
“Shade, it’s Lily. She’s gone. I was on my way to my office when someone knocked me out. When I came to … she was gone. I called Knox; he’s on his way over.”
Shade disconnected the call.
“Shade?”
He looked at Rider. “We’ll talk in the house. Gather all the brothers and meet me in the kitchen.”
They ran up the flight of steps. Shade found Viper in the kitchen. It took very little time to have the brothers gathered in the kitchen and the television room. The door stood open toward the living room so all the members could hear.
Shade quickly explained about the meet with Ice and that Lily was missing from the church.
Viper took control. “Razer, call Beth. Tell her to get here and stay here. Train, call the brothers in Ohio, tell them to haul ass here, then call Stud and tell him the same thing. I’m calling in my marker. We’ll meet the Predators, we find out what they know, and then we’ll find out how to find Lily.
“We have to shut the town down so whoever has Lily can’t get away. We have to have someone who knows every way in and out of town. Call Knox and tell him to call the Porters for help. There’s no place in town or the mountains they don’t know. Everyone’s got five minutes to get dressed and packed for war. We’ll meet at our bikes. Move.”
Shade went to his house and came back carrying a canvas bag. When he got to the parking lot, everyone was getting on their bikes. He threw his bag into Rider’s back seat with Nickel. Unzipping it, he took out his .50 caliber Desert Eagle, shoving it in the back of his jeans. Then he reached in, taking out several magazines and putting them in his jacket pocket, zipping it back up. Slamming the truck door, he went to his bike, climbing on. Only then did Shade cut on his motor, ready to ride.
The brothers were all moving their bikes behind Viper and Cash at the beginning of the parking lot.
Viper’s voice sounded strong and clear over the roar of the bikes. “Last Riders, we ride!”
A few minutes later, The Last Riders were pulling into the parking lot of Rosie’s bar where the Predators were already waiting.
Viper and Cash pulled to the front while Shade rode his bike to the other side of Viper. The three waited.
Ice and Max rode their bikes forward, and the men faced each other down.
“Where’s Rip?” Ice’s cold eyes searched the riders behind them.
“You mean Eightball?” Viper asked sarcastically. He pointed to the mountain ridge to their left. Two men moved to the edge, one held with a gun to his head.
“Are you going to tell us why you planted a traitor in our club and what the fuck it’s got to do with Lily? Or is your brother going to take a leap of faith?” Viper finished, turning back to Ice.
Ice gave a whistle, and two bikes at the back of the lot moved. Penni stood with a gun to her head. The terrified look on her face made Shade want his rifle; however, he knew the men wanted their brother as much as he wanted his sister.
“Ice, man, this wasn’t part of the plan.” Two men toward the back got off their bikes, walking forward.
Shade remembered the one with the goatee from the diner. The second one was recognizable to anyone who could turn a television set on.
“I told you I would let you talk, Colton. You got ten minutes before I do my own fucking talking.”
The one named Colton walked a step closer to Viper before the large man next to Ice put an arm in his way, stopping him.
“My name is Colton; this is Kaden. Our wives were friends with Lily when she was a little girl. A man named Digger runs a sex ring; he kidnaps young women then sells them as slaves. Digger is in a power struggle with a man named King. Last year, my wife was kidnapped and held hostage by Digger to gain information to destroy King.”
“What did she know?” Shade asked.
“That King had a daughter, Callie. Your wife, Lily. It was only when Penni started working for us that we discovered Callie was still alive. Unfortunately, so did Digger.”
“That must be who’s been trying to kill her,” Shade said thoughtfully.
Shade saw the men pause and look at each other. “We weren’t aware someone had tried to kill her yet. We didn’t know until Friday, when Digger escaped, that he was aware of Callie. They found information that he had taken a hit out on Callie.
“Our wives have been tortured by this information. They love Callie and want to be reunited with her, but didn’t attempt to do so because they didn’t want to lead Digger to her. Ice was doing me a favor by trying to put a man in to keep an eye on Callie, and to be honest, make sure she was happy. That’s important to them.
“If you bring Callie here, she can confirm that she knows them. She was just eight, but she should have been old enough that she would recognize one of them. We have them waiting. When you bring Callie, I’ll send for our wives to be brought in.”
“What’re your wives’ names?” Shade questioned.
“Sawyer and Vida. Are you willing to bring Callie?” Colton asked.
“There’s a problem with that. She’s missing,” Shade said, carefully watching their reaction.
Shade could tell from their faces that they didn’t have Lily. They had told them what they knew. Viper could tell, too, which was why he lifted his hand. The two men disappeared from the edge of the cliff.
“You can have your man back. Any idea where Digger would take her?” Viper asked.
“No. He’s been in prison. We don’t know where the houses he operates are or which routes he still has open. The FBI have been trying to find information and can’t. That’s why they didn’t kill the bastard when they took him into custody.”
“Heaven help the person you two gang up on; they wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Chapter 68
Shade was sitting at his desk when the first call came.
“You have something of mine, and I want it back.”
“And would this be Ice or Jackal?” Shade replied.
“You know?”
“I know something is going down, and you know what it is. And you’re going to tell us what we need to know, or you’re going to have one less brother under your command.”
“We need to meet.”
Shade gave him the address.
“Bring my brother.”
Ice could demand all he wanted; however, he wasn’t getting anything until he produced the information Shade needed.
“You’ll see Eightball when I decide you get him back.” Shade emphasized Eightball’s name to let Ice know they were aware it was as fake as shit, and it had been a stupid fuckup to get caught by.
“Oh, you’ll bring him, and I’ll bring that pretty little sister of yours.”
Shade didn’t lose control of his temper. He had fucked up himself; he should have expected the move.
“I’ll bring him.” Shade had no choice other than to relent.
“Now that’s more like it. We’ll be there in an hour.” The line disconnected.
Shade got up from behind his desk, opening his door. “Jewell, take over. Rider, Train, you’re with me.”
They were halfway across the parking lot when the second call came in. Shade paused to answer it.
“Later, Lucky. I’m busy—”
“Shade, it’s Lily. She’s gone. I was on my way to my office when someone knocked me out. When I came to … she was gone. I called Knox; he’s on his way over.”
Shade disconnected the call.
“Shade?”
He looked at Rider. “We’ll talk in the house. Gather all the brothers and meet me in the kitchen.”
They ran up the flight of steps. Shade found Viper in the kitchen. It took very little time to have the brothers gathered in the kitchen and the television room. The door stood open toward the living room so all the members could hear.
Shade quickly explained about the meet with Ice and that Lily was missing from the church.
Viper took control. “Razer, call Beth. Tell her to get here and stay here. Train, call the brothers in Ohio, tell them to haul ass here, then call Stud and tell him the same thing. I’m calling in my marker. We’ll meet the Predators, we find out what they know, and then we’ll find out how to find Lily.
“We have to shut the town down so whoever has Lily can’t get away. We have to have someone who knows every way in and out of town. Call Knox and tell him to call the Porters for help. There’s no place in town or the mountains they don’t know. Everyone’s got five minutes to get dressed and packed for war. We’ll meet at our bikes. Move.”
Shade went to his house and came back carrying a canvas bag. When he got to the parking lot, everyone was getting on their bikes. He threw his bag into Rider’s back seat with Nickel. Unzipping it, he took out his .50 caliber Desert Eagle, shoving it in the back of his jeans. Then he reached in, taking out several magazines and putting them in his jacket pocket, zipping it back up. Slamming the truck door, he went to his bike, climbing on. Only then did Shade cut on his motor, ready to ride.
The brothers were all moving their bikes behind Viper and Cash at the beginning of the parking lot.
Viper’s voice sounded strong and clear over the roar of the bikes. “Last Riders, we ride!”
A few minutes later, The Last Riders were pulling into the parking lot of Rosie’s bar where the Predators were already waiting.
Viper and Cash pulled to the front while Shade rode his bike to the other side of Viper. The three waited.
Ice and Max rode their bikes forward, and the men faced each other down.
“Where’s Rip?” Ice’s cold eyes searched the riders behind them.
“You mean Eightball?” Viper asked sarcastically. He pointed to the mountain ridge to their left. Two men moved to the edge, one held with a gun to his head.
“Are you going to tell us why you planted a traitor in our club and what the fuck it’s got to do with Lily? Or is your brother going to take a leap of faith?” Viper finished, turning back to Ice.
Ice gave a whistle, and two bikes at the back of the lot moved. Penni stood with a gun to her head. The terrified look on her face made Shade want his rifle; however, he knew the men wanted their brother as much as he wanted his sister.
“Ice, man, this wasn’t part of the plan.” Two men toward the back got off their bikes, walking forward.
Shade remembered the one with the goatee from the diner. The second one was recognizable to anyone who could turn a television set on.
“I told you I would let you talk, Colton. You got ten minutes before I do my own fucking talking.”
The one named Colton walked a step closer to Viper before the large man next to Ice put an arm in his way, stopping him.
“My name is Colton; this is Kaden. Our wives were friends with Lily when she was a little girl. A man named Digger runs a sex ring; he kidnaps young women then sells them as slaves. Digger is in a power struggle with a man named King. Last year, my wife was kidnapped and held hostage by Digger to gain information to destroy King.”
“What did she know?” Shade asked.
“That King had a daughter, Callie. Your wife, Lily. It was only when Penni started working for us that we discovered Callie was still alive. Unfortunately, so did Digger.”
“That must be who’s been trying to kill her,” Shade said thoughtfully.
Shade saw the men pause and look at each other. “We weren’t aware someone had tried to kill her yet. We didn’t know until Friday, when Digger escaped, that he was aware of Callie. They found information that he had taken a hit out on Callie.
“Our wives have been tortured by this information. They love Callie and want to be reunited with her, but didn’t attempt to do so because they didn’t want to lead Digger to her. Ice was doing me a favor by trying to put a man in to keep an eye on Callie, and to be honest, make sure she was happy. That’s important to them.
“If you bring Callie here, she can confirm that she knows them. She was just eight, but she should have been old enough that she would recognize one of them. We have them waiting. When you bring Callie, I’ll send for our wives to be brought in.”
“What’re your wives’ names?” Shade questioned.
“Sawyer and Vida. Are you willing to bring Callie?” Colton asked.
“There’s a problem with that. She’s missing,” Shade said, carefully watching their reaction.
Shade could tell from their faces that they didn’t have Lily. They had told them what they knew. Viper could tell, too, which was why he lifted his hand. The two men disappeared from the edge of the cliff.
“You can have your man back. Any idea where Digger would take her?” Viper asked.
“No. He’s been in prison. We don’t know where the houses he operates are or which routes he still has open. The FBI have been trying to find information and can’t. That’s why they didn’t kill the bastard when they took him into custody.”
