SOULLESS (Black Thorns, #2) (25 page)

“The deals you were making in his name, using him to threaten people into doing shit for you.”

He seems real surprised I know.

“Yeah. I do my research, Sin. Skinner thought he was above it all and too fucking invincible to worry ‘bout watching his back half the time.”

“Why the hell you think I’m gonna help you, Ax? You killed my fucking brother.
Your
old man. Don’t seem too bothered by it, do ya?”

“I ain’t. He had it coming. And why you gonna help me? You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. Plus, you want Kent in the ground as much as me.”

“What’s this about? Wanna know what I’m walking into.”

“He’s got my girl.” A straight up lie. But Sin hates Dealer just as much as Skinner did. If I tell him this is a rescue mission for him, he’ll walk right now. Bad enough I gotta say it’s Rox, cuz she’s Dealer’s blood still. But he’s gotta believe it’s something worth me risking my life for.

He thinks for a moment. “Wait. That biker princess bitch? Roxana? Yeah, last I heard you were fucking ‘round with her.”

I take an aggressive step towards him. “Hey! Don’t fucking call her shit like that!”

“Dealer’s daughter? You messing with me? Wanna risk our lives for a hot piece of ass and some tight pussy?”

It takes everything I got not to punch him out. “She’s my fiancé and she’s pregnant with my kid, so watch your fucking mouth.”

“Kid?” he asks, caught off guard.

“Yeah.”

“Boy?” he asks, hopefully.

Oh, right, so the boy can carry on the family line—get caught up in club life like the rest of the men in my fucking family. But not the kinda club life we got now at Thorns. Nah, Sin will be wanting the Mavs’ kinda club life. Be wanting to resurrect the Devil’s Mavericks, or some screwed up shit like that.

“Dunno,” I tell him. “Too early.”

He nods. “All right. Listen, Ax. I’m up for this.
But
we walk into this shit storm and I gotta know you got my back.”

His eyes bore into mine, getting ready to scrutinize me for any sign of a lie.

“I got your back,” I tell him, meeting his harsh glare.

“Yeah?” he presses.

“How many more times you want me to say it?”

“Just ‘til I believe it.”

I scoff and fire up another smoke. “Look, you’re either in or you’re out. I
can
do this alone. Just thought you’d want a shot at Kent. No two people on this earth hate that fucker as much as you and me.”

“You gonna let me take the kill shot then?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna be busy pulling my girl out.”

“All right. Where’s he at?”

Now comes the dangerous part. “The warehouse,” I say, before taking a harsh drag of my smoke.

Realization flashes in his eyes. “So that’s why you wanted me in on this. You’re worried you ain’t gonna be able to see straight setting foot in that place again.”

“Sin—”

“Ax, I gotta know where your head’s at before we walk into all this.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Dunno ‘til we get there. Can’t honestly say. Could be an issue. Could not.”

“But you ain’t over it? The shit he—”

I hold up my hand and snap, “Let’s not fucking rehash it. That ain’t gonna help, is it?”

“Better to freak the fuck out
before
we get there.”

I smash my boot into the side of my truck. “Jesus fuck! Let’s just fucking do this, Sin! We don’t got time to rehash shit, take trips down memory fucking lane
or
do some messed up version of therapy here! You’re either in or you’re out. Just tell me right the hell now!”

“Hell, kid. You’re even more impatient than I remember.”

“Getting old.”

He hacks out a laugh. “Talk to me ‘bout getting old in twenty years from now.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Like fuck, I will. Never gonna see him again after tonight.

And that’s guaranteed.

Chapter 29

~Roxana~

Smiter pats me lightly on the back as we walk back into the clubhouse after being out at the doctor’s appointment Neil had him arrange behind my back.

“Great news. Yeah, Rox?”

“Yeah,” I murmur.

He walks in front of me. “What’s wrong? The doc said the baby’s real healthy and everything’s perfect, sweetheart.”

“Nothing,” I say, brushing a stray hair out of my face. “I just…this time around, I wanted Neil to be there with me. We never got to have our first appointment last time and I just always thought…never mind, I’m just being stupid.”

He shakes his head and gently grasps my shoulders as he leans down so he’s at my eye level. “Rox, he’s gonna be there for all the rest.”

“Yeah,” I say, faking a smile.

He starts talking about the huge news that’s spread like wildfire around here, ever since Runner noticed the ring on my finger shortly after Neil left last night, and started blabbing. Neil finally getting married. I’ve learned that it is
not
something to talk about with a bunch of guys. The things I’ve been hearing are not the things I ever want to hear, or know about. Some things are better left not knowing, such as the apparent fact that
all
the club whores are going to be devastated when he gets married. Lovely.
All
the club whores. My God. How many are there exactly? No, no. I don’t ever want to know. I just need to avoid any situations where I might hear about it.

It’s not helping right now while he’s not here with me.

And Smiter’s reassurances about Neil being there for all our future appointments are just falling on deaf ears, because I now know the truth about what Neil’s up to. I
know
he’s putting himself in danger. The only thing that is slightly reassuring about the whole thing is that Sin is with him. At least he has some back up. And I think Neil is intending to use him as a
human shield
for want of a better phrase. It’s exactly what I would do if I were in his position, or if I were in a similar situation and still running in the circles that I had been back in Brockford.

But he won’t be out there with just that psycho, Sin, as back up for long. I’m going to make damn sure of that. I glance at the clock on the lounge wall.

Only a few minutes left.

“I’m going to go up to Neil’s room,” I tell Smiter. “I need a nap.”

“Sure, sweetheart. We got church in a few anyways. I’ll come by when we’re done to check on you.”

I know, no matter what I say, he’ll insist on coming by anyway. Neil has clearly asked him to watch over me like a damn hawk while he’s away.

I smile inwardly. Neil knows me
very
well.

As I make my way out of the lounge, towards the corridor at the back, I’m very aware of Runner walking in. He smiles casually at me, but the chin lift he gives me is anything but casual. It’s him saying he’s got my back. He’s going to help me to do what we’ve planned.

It’s such a huge turnaround to the way we first were around one another when Neil and I had just started
dating
, or whatever the hell it was that we were really doing back then. Runner hated me and I hated his attitude towards me.

But everything is different now.

We both want the same thing: Neil remaining alive and well.

Normally, Smiter would be my go-to guy for anything, but I can’t bring him in on this, because he already has his orders from Neil to keep me here. I can’t put him in a bad position like that.

My biggest problem is going to be getting a bunch of sexist men used to casting women aside to actually listen to me.

And that’s where Runner comes in. He’s a respected member of the club and he’s known Neil longer than anyone here. That will count for a lot.

I head up to Neil’s room. I need my laptop for this.

***

I press my ear to the door. The meeting sounds like it’s in full swing. Good.

Drawing in a deep, calming breath, I push it open and walk on in, making sure to act like I belong, even though I don’t. I’m not a member. But I can’t show any weakness. These men won’t respect that.

“Rox?” Grit says, eyeing me in surprise.

“You need something, sweet girl?” Mullet asks kindly.

I walk over to Grit and place my open laptop down on the space beside him—Neil’s spot, I think.

All the boys gasp.

“Just relax. Give her a second,” Runner says, getting to his feet.

I wink at him and he smiles back at me.

I turn the laptop around so everyone down the long table can see it. “This is Malcolm Kent’s compound. You guys know it as
The Warehouse
, I believe. I can tell you all the weak points in security. I can tell you how to get in and out without encountering any security issues, without Kent even knowing you’re there. I can have you move in and out of there like ghosts.”

“Rox, why are you—?” Grit starts.

I cut him off, telling them all, “Neil is planning to extract my dad with Sin.”

Gasps and muttered curses all around. As I’d expected.

“No fucking way. He’s alone. Said he can get in and out, cuz of his skills as a thief and shit,” Grit says.

“Nah, Grit. He’s using Sin,” Runner says, providing me the backup I need.

“He doesn’t want to risk what he loves—you guys and me. That’s why he kept it quiet. I don’t know about you, but
I’m
not prepared to lose him when we could easily save him. Help him. Back him up.”

“Jesus fuck,” Grit says, rubbing his face roughly.

“Grit. That fucking Sin is gonna stab Ax in the goddamn back. You know his record,” Mullet says.

I shake my head. “I think Neil’s using him. Killing two birds and all that. He’s leading Sin into a trap.”

“How you figure, Rox?” Smiter asks, leaning back in his chair and eyeing me intently. This is
him
backing me up by treating me like one of the guys.

“Why would Sin—Skinner’s
brother
—agree to help Neil save
my
dad? They hate each other. The only explanation is Neil lied to him. And if he lied, then he’s planning on offing him before he figures out the truth, once he’s used him for what he needs.”

“He could do it alone. Why’s he need that bastard with him?” one of the boys gripes.

“Cuz he’s got issues with that place,” Runner says, still on his feet. “Kent tortured him there. Brutal fucking shit. He ain’t forgotten that. Might be issues once he goes back there. Flashes. Might freeze up.”

“We been there before. We can do it the same as we did when we pulled Ax outta there a few years back, yeah?” Mullet offers.

“Security’s been updated since then. And there’s been construction on it as well.”

“How you know that, Rox?” Grit asks.

“Because,
I
have eyes everywhere, boys,” I say, flashing them a sly smile.

“I thought you buried all your leverage and shit when you sacrificed your business in Brockford to wipe the rest of that list?” Grit says.

I grin. “I
do
have friends who aren’t just my friends, because of something I’m holding over them.”

The boys laugh at that, including Grit.

I fold my arms across my chest and eye Grit, the one I really need to convince here, as he’s VP and in charge of the club in Neil’s absence.

“
But
I get to come along.”

“Rox, that weren’t part of our deal,” Runner cries.

“You made a deal with her?” Smiter barks at him.

“She was worried you guys would just ignore her, cuz she’s a chick.”

“So,
you
told her where Ax was really headed? ‘Bout her dad?” Smiter realizes. “Oh, shit, fucker. You’re gonna be in some deep shit when he gets back.”

Argh. “He won’t be coming back if we don’t step in here!” I yell. “Don’t you get it? He
can’t
get in and out of that place alone
or
just with one person backing him up. He won’t make it. It can’t be done. It just can’t.”

“Can’t override Prez’s orders, sweet girl,” Mullet tells me. “Rules of the club.”

“What if one of the orders contradicted the other?” I suggest.

Smiter chokes out a laugh. “Jesus, Rox. You’re something, ain’t you?”

“What? What is it?” Runner asks.

“Someone please get to the goddamn point
now
,” Grit orders. “This is the most fucked up meet we’ve ever fucking had.”

“Only other order, apart from staying here under lockdown, was to keep Rox safe,” Smiter says, getting exactly where I’m going with this.

Grit nods and then turns to me and shakes his head with disbelief. “You got some balls.”