Deceived (12 page)

Chapter Five

The atmosphere was angry when Eli entered Chancey’s Tavern. The rest of the club members had arrived and were filled in on what happened on the supply run.

“Let’s go,” Eli said as he walked to the church meeting room.

“Tell me exactly how it went down,” Eli said as he sat at the head of the table.

Blaze filled him and the club members who weren’t there on what went down. He explained there was no way he could get Rick’s body out of there. The mention of Rick’s death left a cloud of both anguish and rage hanging over the club.

“How in the hell would Zach know where the supply meet was going down?” Eli asked. “Only the club and the suppliers know the meeting point and when it’s going to occur. Fuck!”

“The supplier would never tell,” Blaze said. “Do you think one of the prospects told?”

“Possibility,” Eli said. “But who?”

“Well it sure as fuck wasn’t Rick,” Laser said.

“Lucky’s our only other prospect right now, and he was in the middle of the gunfire. I can’t think it was him either,” Blaze said.

“Okay, let’s table this for the time being and determine our next move on Zach.”

“I say we take out the entire bunch. Just get rid of their asses once and for all,” Dog said. Rose had suffered by Zach’s brother’s hand and he was tired of making nice.

“I want you all to make some calls. They’ve probably gone underground for a while to let things cool down. But somebody will cough up the intel when you wave some cash in their face,” Eli said.

Eli adjourned the meeting and took Blaze aside.

“Do you have any idea who sold us out to the Hounds?” Eli asked.

“I wish I did, but I don’t.”

“I’ll get in touch with our distributor, let them know what happened. Only a few of us will know about the next supplier meet, that way we can narrow down the suspects,” Eli said.

“Sounds good. I’ll get to making calls so we can locate the Hounds and finish this once and for all.”

Eli slapped Blaze on the back and went to one of the offices in the warehouse to make his call to the distributor.

****

Lexi entered her office at The Copper Door restaurant and before she could sit down behind her desk, Raul walked in.

“Raul, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to go to the club after you got released from the hospital.”

“I know Momma, but I’ll just be in the way. I’d rather work…it will get my mind off things.”

Lexi understood how he felt. Sometimes she’d rather fill her head with spreadsheets than club business.

“Well, okay Raul. But have the assistant chefs help you out and take several breaks. If you start to feel bad, please stop and go to the club. They’ve got you a cot set up in an office there where you can stay until this is all over.”

“Thanks Momma. I will only work until I get tired.”

“Good…I’ll see you later then.”

Raul walked out of Lexi’s office and headed to the kitchen. Lexi busied herself with reports, not noticing the comings and goings outside her office door. After about an hour, a shadow fell across her desk. When she looked up the first thing she saw was the barrel of a gun pointed at her face. She quickly looked at the man holding the gun, not recognizing him.

“Get up and don’t say anything,” he said. Lexi slowly stood up from her chair. The man seemed surprised to see her swelling pregnant belly, but it didn’t stop him from his task.

“Head to the parking lot and don’t scream or there’ll be a massacre in the kitchen.”

Lexi did as she was told, walking out of her office and towards the front door of the restaurant. The man followed her, keeping his gun hidden inside his jacket, but she had no doubt it was pointing at her back.

Once they arrived in the parking lot, he told her to walk towards the side of a blue van. Once she arrived at the door, it swung open and everything went black. The next time she woke up, she’d be face to face with Zach.

Chapter Six

Zach was not in a good mood. He lost one man in his small group the other night during the shootout with the KOBMC. Another one was healing from a bullet wound in the shoulder. He didn’t like how the entire event played out. He thought by having the advantage of a sneak attack he could take out half or at least a good majority of the club, but that didn’t happen. At least he had disrupted their supplier--that would hurt them in their cash flow at least. But Zach wanted to hurt Eli where it counted most…his club and/or his wife.

Zach had heard Eli was married and very much in love with his new wife. This was a weakness of Eli’s that would be easier to manipulate than the club. Zach knew this was a coward’s way of doing things, but he wanted to send a message, much like his brother did with the whore.
Of course, look where that got him
, Zach thought. But Zach wasn’t going to carve on her pretty face or any of that shit. His lesson would be more permanent and gratifying to Zach. He waited in anticipation for his crew to bring the bitch in. When they did, it wasn’t what he was expecting.

****

When Lexi awoke, she was sitting on a chair with her hands tied to the chair arms. Her head hurt where the bastard hit her, but she was more afraid for her baby than for herself. She looked around the room where she sat by herself.
What the hell is happening
she thought?

At that moment, she heard voices outside the door. “She’s inside. I heard stirring so I think she’s awake now,” she heard a man say. The door opened and in walked several men. The last one looked familiar and then she knew. This was the Zane’s brother, the one she had overheard talked about in the Tavern. A picture of Zane was listed in the newspaper right after his death. Now Lexi was in the middle of a club fight.

When Zach first looked at Lexi he had nothing but contempt, but then he couldn’t help but notice the way her belly stuck out. She was pregnant, fuck!

“Who is this?” Zach asked as he continued to look at Lexi.

“This is her, Eli’s old lady,” said one of the two men standing with Zach.

“No one knew she was pregnant?” Zach shouted. Lexi flinched. “Get out of here,” Zach told the two men. Once they had left and shut the door he turned to Lexi.

Zach’s plans turned on a dime. His plan was to send Lexi back, raped and bloody with a message to back off or he’d finish all of them, including the women. His heart was cold and he was tired of messing around. But the one thing he hadn’t counted on was Eli’s old lady being pregnant.

He sat down in a chair facing Lexi. Lexi was a strong woman, but the thought of someone harming her child had her both angry and frightened at the same time. Hot tears stung her eyes. She couldn’t wipe them away since her wrists were tied.

“I don’t care about myself,” Lexi said, “But please don’t harm my baby. He’s innocent and shouldn’t have to pay for other people’s grievances.”

Zach took a knife out of his back pocket and flipped it open. Lexi, remembering the carvings on Rose’s face, closed her eyes. But the next thing she felt wasn’t the knife piercing her face, but tugging on the bindings around her wrists. She opened her eyes to see Zach cutting the rope that bound her wrists to the chair. Lexi rubbed her wrists and looked at Zach.

“Your baby has saved you today. I may be a lot of things, but I’m no baby killer,” Zach said. “But I do have a message for your husband. Tell him and his club to stay out of my town and my business; otherwise, I will slam his club’s family with more hurt than he wants to bargain for. You got that?”

“I got it,” Lexi said.

“Okay…my boys will take you to the edge of town. From there you’ll have to walk.”

Lexi nodded and stood up. Zach opened the door and gave instructions to his men. One man put a hood over her head.

“What’s going on?” Lexi said.

“It’s okay,” Zach said. “The hood is to prevent you from knowing where our crib is.”

Zach looked at the men and said, “Don’t harm her, just take her to the edge of town and let her out.”

Lexi was guided back to the van and taken as instructed to the edge of town where the men pulled off the hood and had her get out of the van. She walked towards town to a little grocery store where she asked if she could borrow the store clerk’s cell phone to make a call.

Chapter Seven

Raul walked back to Lexi’s office from the kitchen. He thought he could get through the dinner shift, but the prep left him sore and tired. When he couldn’t find her in the office, he looked throughout the restaurant. He checked the parking lot to ensure she hadn’t left, but her car remained in its usual spot. Raul walked back to Lexi’s office and looked around. He spotted her purse.
She must still be here, but where
, he thought.

At that moment Lexi’s cell phone sitting on her desk rang. Raul could see it was Eli calling so he answered the phone.

“Eli, this is Raul. I can’t find Lexi at the restaurant. I’ve looked all over for her and her car is still in the parking lot, but she’s nowhere to be found.”

Eli had been calling for the last hour, but assumed when she didn’t answer that she was either busy or the phone battery died. What Raul said chilled him to the bone.

“Have you seen her at all today?” Eli asked.

“Yes, I saw her earlier, but that was several hours ago.”

“Wait, I’ve got another call coming in Raul.” Eli didn’t recognize the number but it didn’t matter, he took the call.

“Hello,” Eli said.

“Eli, it’s me,” Lexi answered. “Zach’s men took me but I’m okay.”

“Where are you baby?”

“I’m at the edge of town on New Market street, near the Laundromat.”

“I’m on my way…are you hurt?”

“No, just a little rattled, but I’m okay.”

“Alright, I’m heading your way…I love you babe.”

“I love you too Eli,” Lexi said as she rubbed her stomach.

After hanging up with Lexi Eli yelled for Blaze to come with him to pick her up and call Raul back to let him know she was safe.

“This is it Blaze, I’m going to kill him if he touched a hair on her head,” Eli said as he and Blaze traveled down the highway in the club’s SUV.

“I know, but let’s find out what she says and then make a plan. We can’t go off half cocked or it will all blow up in our faces.”

Eli knew he was right, but it didn’t do much to quell the burning rage in his chest.

Lexi stood on the street and waved when she saw the familiar SUV. Eli parked the SUV and rushed to her. He held her in his arms and then looked her over to ensure there were no cuts or bruises.

“I’m fine Eli. Let’s just get out of here.”

Blaze helped her into the front seat and got into the back of the SUV.

“What happened babe?” Eli asked as they headed back to the Tavern.

Lexi told her story to Eli and Blaze and the warning Zach issued for the club, but if Zach thought Eli and the KOBMC wouldn’t retaliate for kidnapping his wife and unborn child, he was delusional Eli thought to himself.

Eli had Blaze on his cell phone calling the other members for a church meeting as soon as they arrived at the Tavern.

*****

Eli knew he had to calm down in order to think straight. While the thought of having his wife and unborn baby kidnapped by a low life like Zach infuriated him, he knew that only calm heads should prevail to figure out their next call of action.

The club was ready to go all out for Eli, and he appreciated their willingness to even the score, but he didn’t want to risk his men’s lives if possible.

They mulled over initiating another lock down, and decided against it. Zach’s threat was more of a don’t bother me and I won’t bother you. But they also knew better than to trust him. Eli adjourned the meeting, telling the club members they would gather the next day at 10am to go over different scenario plans for what happened to Lexi.

Eli walked over to Lexi who was sitting with Alice and Rose. “Let’s get you home,” he said kissing the top of her head.

“I’m ready for a hot bath and some shoulder rubbing that’s for sure,” Lexi answered.

“Take care of her Eli, she’s had a tough day,” Alice instructed.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Good night ladies.”

“Night Lexi, I hope you feel better tomorrow,” Rose said.

“Thanks Rose, I’m sure I will.”

Rose and Lexi had become closer, especially since she announced the pregnancy. Rose herself had just learned she was pregnant as well, but hadn’t told Dog just yet. She was waiting for the right time.