Climbing Out (18 page)

“Hell, woman. Whad'ya do that for?”

“You and your stupid sperm! That's why. Now get me to the damn hospital.” She stopped and hunched over while Talon and I held her weight, and she screamed through another contraction.

“Kitten?” Talon's tone was gentle. Once we started moving again, she looked over at him. “We'll get through this together. I hate that you're dealing with this pain on your own; I wish I could take it away, but I can't. Just think though, kitten. Once this is done, we'll have our beautiful kids with us.”

Tears shone in her eyes. “We will.” She smiled. “But until then, be prepared for the ultimate bitch to be here.”

“I'm ready for her, baby.”

“Good.”

We helped her up into the back of the ambulance, and just as I was shutting the door, Talon grinned with fuckin' joy. “Thanks, brother.”

I gave him a chin lift and said, “Anytime.”

“Griz?”

“Yes, Wildcat?”

“I asked Deanna to come to the birthing suite. I need my girl there. Bring her, please.”

“I'll go get her.”

As I watched the vehicle leave the car park, my phone rang. “Yo?”

“Griz?” A deep male voice asked.

“Yeah.”

“This is Warden.”

My brow furrowed. “What's up, man?” Why was this guy calling me?

“There's been a situation. Violet has set off her safety button in her pocket.”

“You need help? I can't talk to Talon. He's just left with Wildcat; they're about to be parents.” I smiled.

“No. I...fuck, man. She was at Deanna's when she set if off.”

My body stilled, my heart stopped and by fuck, I wanted to scream at the sky.

“I'll be at the office in five,” I snarled.

“See you then.”

Deanna

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V
iolet and I were thrown—literally—into the back of a black van. We could hear the door being locked behind us. I quickly tried the side door. No luck there, it was also locked tight.

I turned to see Violet sitting calmly.

“What the fuck, Vi?” I hissed.

She pulled something outta her pocket and smiled. “It's a silent alarm that sends its signal back to the office. It's also a tracking device. By now, Warden will be rounding up the troops to come find us.”

“Fuck,” I whispered.

My fists went to my eyes and I flopped to my back on the steel floor. Even though it hurt, a sense of solace swept over me, because I knew that Warden would call Griz.

My man would be hunting for me.

Damn, that felt good—no
great
, ...fan-fuckin'-tastic to think of.

“But just because we know the cavalry are coming doesn't mean you can cause shit. You need to keep your mouth shut and do as they say. That way, neither of us should get hurt.”

I felt my cheek; I knew it was already bruising from how tender it was. “Okay,” I said and sat up to face her, where she sat at the back of the van.

Violet smirked. “What? You're not going to fight me on this?”

“I don’t have the energy. I've got enough shit to worry about.”

“Like your foster brother?”

My eyes widened. “Who told you?”

Violet rolled her eyes. “Come on, Barbie. I knew something was up that night we were all around for dinner at my brother’s house. Even though I didn't get to stay for the information, it doesn't mean I wouldn’t check.”

I shrugged. “So, you know. I really couldn't care.”

Violet studied me. “What else was wrong when you got to your house before?”

“Nothin' you need to know about.”

“Did someone ring you about Jason Drake?”

“No, why?”

“He's out, Deanna. He got out a month early; he was released yesterday.”

Panic surged through me.

Shit, just what I needed.

I scoffed. “Well, aren't you just a bringer of good fuckin' news? Glad you told me now? What, did you want to see the worry, the panic in my eyes, so you can go back and tell Travis and have a good laugh about me? About how it freaks me the hell out to know the man who murdered the only parents I knew did it all because of me? Great, thank you. Fuck!” I punched the side of the van.

Oh, God. I just wanted to curl into a ball and forget everything. But I fuckin' couldn't.

“That wasn't why I came to tell you, Deanna. I wanted to warn you.”

I snorted. “Yeah, okay.”

She sighed. “Look, I don’t give a shit if you believe me or not; at least
I
know what my intentions were. Now tell me, do you think these idiots who took us have anything to do with Jason?”

“Hell, it hadn't even crossed my mind. But honestly, no. He'd want to do his own work. He's never trusted anyone else. This has to do with something else, Vi, and I wouldn't have a fuckin' clue what.”

“Doesn't matter. We'll figure it out. If not us, the guys will.”

“Where do you think they’re taking us?” I asked.

“Not sure, but it's obvious it’s not some place in Ballarat.”

I crossed my legs and sat straighter as I watched Vi move to lean against the side of the van. “Look, I can’t help but be a bitch, and I'm not sorry for it, but I am sorry for having you dragged into this. Whatever this is.”

“Aw, Barbie, you do love me.” Vi laughed.

“Fuck you.”

“No, thanks. I get enough at home.”

I cleared my throat.
Damn, was I really going to do this? Have a bloody normal conversation with my nemesis?

“How are things with you and Travis?”
Yeah, I guess I was.

It had to do with the fact that my emotions were fucked. They were going haywire inside of me. I was scared, angry, worried, pissed, annoyed and did I mention scared? Not only about this stuffed-up situation, but the fact that the man who would have killed me many years ago is out walking the streets.

A free fuckin' man.

It wasn't right. No man should have been released after the crime he committed, but it showed just how crazy the system was.

In my eyes, he hadn't paid enough for what he'd done. Which was why, in some ways, I did hope he came for me, so I could enforce a better punishment.

I may have failed Zara for not following through with what I wanted to do to David—at least he was dead now—but I would with Jason. He was a sick prick who needed to be eliminated.

“Are we really going to have this conversation?” Vi asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

Shrugging, I said, “What else is there to do. I'm not gonna sit here and play truth or dare, or braid your fuckin' hair.”

Violet actually laughed. I fought the smile from my lips.

“All right, things with Travis are good.”

I waited for more. “What, that's it? That's all you’re going to say?”

It was her turn to shrug. “What do you want me to say?”

“I don't know, but something more at least. How are you, the PI, handling that your man is the top dog in Melbourne for selling women?”

She rolled her eyes and then glared. “Nothing is sacred in our little family, is it?”

I shook my head. “No, not really.”

“How about you tell me what was up your arse when you got home, and then I'll talk to you about...that.”

“Deal.” I smiled. I didn't care; my information wasn’t juicy gossip like hers was.

Griz

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B
efore I left the compound on my Harley, I called Killer and told him to get Stoke and Blue to meet me at Violet's office. Then I called Nancy, Wildcat’s mum, who had Swan.

“Hello,” she answered.

“Nancy, it’s Griz. I need you to watch Swan for a while longer.”

“Sure, honey, as long as you don't mind me taking her to the hospital. You know my baby girl is gonna have her babies? I'm so excited.”

“Yeah, I know. Look I gotta go—”

“Griz, what's wrong?” she interrupted to ask. How in the fuck she knew I didn't have a clue.

“Nothin' that can't be fixed.”

“Do you need help?”

Damn, she'd actually brought a smile to my face when it felt like my heart had dropped into my arse and I was about to shit it out.

“No, woman, I'll deal with it,” I said and slipped my leg over my Harley.

“Deal with what, young man? What is going down; is someone hurt? Griz, do not leave me worrying.”

“Nance—”

“Griz, Richard here. What's going on? Why does my wife look pale all of a sudden?”

Fuck, I had no time for this.

“Richard, shit, sorry to upset your woman, but I don’t know how in the hell she knew something was going down, but it is, and I gotta cut this short so I can get things done. Long story short—my woman and Talon's sister have been taken. We know where they are, so I'm going to go get them back.”

“Right, son. I'll keep things here under control. You go do what you gotta, unless you need an extra pair of hands. I've still got that gun Talon gave me.”

“No, I've got my brothers to help, but I really have to head off.”

“See you at the hospital to meet my grandkiddies after you get the women back.”

“Richard, what's happening? You tell me right now or I'll...”
I heard in the background.

“Woman, shut it and get everyone in the car. Zara's probably holding her legs together keeping those kids in, waiting for us to get there.” He took a breath and then said into the phone, “Be careful, son.”

“Right,” I said and hung up. With a kick, my Harley roared to life. I was finally on my fuckin' way to kill whoever put his hands on my woman.

––––––––

––––––––

S
triding into Violet's office, I found Warden and Travis, Violet's man, standing at a desk; they both looked up from the computer and gave me a chin lift.

“What's the deal?” I asked.

“The tracker hasn't stopped, so we don’t know their final destination. As soon as we do, we'll be on the road,” Warden said. I looked at Travis; he seemed just as strung out as I was—any fuckin' wonder. Who knew what was going on with our women? Fuck, now I knew how Talon felt when he had to sit around waiting for information about where Wildcat had been held.

It not only fuckin' hurt, but it made you even crazier as the seconds ticked by.

“What area are they at now?” I asked.

“Heading their way to Geelong.”

“Christ,” I hissed.

“What?” they both snapped.

“I know where they're goin'. Let’s head out and I'll explain on the way.”

We all jogged out, and while Travis and Warden jumped into Travis's Hummer, I went to the back of it where Blue, Stoke, Killer and Pick pulled up on their Harleys.

“What's happenin'?” Blue asked.

I ignored him and looked at Pick. “Why haven't you spoken to Warden about an inside watch at that jackass's place in Geelong?”

“I had, Griz. I swear I had. Fuck, is he saying something else? I went straight to him that day I left the meetin' and told him what we're after. He said he'd get on it. I thought he had. Hell, I haven't done anything. I swear.”

“All right, calm the fuck down.” I shook my head. I could understand the panic in his eyes. He knew if he betrayed us in any way, he'd be a dead man. “Looks like Ryan wanted payback after all. That's where the women are being taken.”

“Pick, you know the way?” Stoke asked.

“Yeah, yeah, I know it.”

“Okay, you lead the way. Park a street away; we'll go on foot from there. You boys know the drill.”