CRASH: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Outlaw Series) (51 page)

Green took a sip of his beer. “Yeah, and that’s the last time I buy duct
tape at the dollar store.”

“Crash tracked down Ralston’s driver,” Red Dog explained and nodded
toward the door to the back room. “He and Cole are talkin’ to him out back.”

“Put these guys in the conference room,” Mack ordered, nodding toward
the two men he’d brought in, and then he headed toward the back door. He walked
down the hallway and into the warehouse. There, cuffed to chairs, were two guys.
One was in a suit, his mouth duct taped, and a look of terror on his face as he
watched the other man getting worked over by Cole.

Cole punched the second man in the face again, blood spraying from the
guy’s busted lip and broken nose.

“You don’t understand, he’ll have me killed!” the man pleaded brokenly.

“You don’t tell me where he is, you’re not gonna live long enough for
him to deal with,” Cole growled, pulling his fist back.

“Please!”

Crash grabbed Cole’s fist, halting the beating for a moment. “Alphonso,
you don’t get it, we’re gonna kill him. He can’t have you killed if he’s
already dead.”

The driver spit blood out of his mouth. “Okay. Okay, I’ll tell you. Just
stop hitting me.”

Cole grabbed him by the hair and jerked his head back. “Where the fuck
is he?”

Blood and spittle ran down Alphonso’s chin, and he struggled to breathe
through his broken nose. “There’s an estate southwest of Monterey off Seventeen
Mile Drive. He took her there.”

Cole let him go, stepping back. “Shit. That’s eighty miles from here.”

Crash put his hand on Cole’s shoulder, knowing he hadn’t expected she’d
be taken out of town. “We can be there in an hour, brother.”

Mack walked up and stared down at the man in the chair next to Alphonso.
“Who’s this guy?”

As Cole pulled off his black leather gloves, Crash looked over at Mack
and replied, “Shannon’s father.”

Mack’s brows went up. “And he’s here
why
?”

“He’s our guest until we hit Ralston. Didn’t trust that he wouldn’t tip
him off.”

“You really want to make an enemy out of a man like that?”

“I want to put him in the ground, but I think that’ll piss his daughter
off. So, I’ll settle for putting him away. No one’s going to hold shit over her
head. No one. Not ever again.”

Mack nodded, studying Taylor for a moment before looking over at Crash
and Cole. “Bill and Tony are waiting in the meeting room.”

“Yeah, okay,” Crash replied.

“Fuck that, I’m moving on the location he gave us.” Cole motioned to
Alphonso.

 
Crash stopped him, gripping his
upper arm. The last thing they needed was to rush in blind. Ralston would be
ready for that. “Brother, I understand the urgency, but we need to do this
smart. We may only get one shot at this. Let’s pull up some maps and satellite
views of the location he gave you on the internet and get a plan together.”

“Then let’s do it quick. She’s coming home
today
, Crash.”

Crash nodded.

“Who’s watching Shannon?” Mack asked.

“Wolf’s at the Batcave with her,” Crash replied.

Mack nodded. “Better let him know what’s goin’ on.”

“Yeah.”

Wolf’s cell went off. Shannon watched as he put it to his ear. She
listened to the one-sided conversation.

“Yeah?”

Wolf’s eyes connected with her.

“That’s great. Monterey, huh? No shit. Seventeen Mile what? Oh.” Wolf
chuckled. “She’s fine. Yeah, all right.”

Shannon eavesdropped and heard the words Monterey and Seventeen Mile,
and then she remembered the place Nicklaus had taken her to one weekend a long
time ago. An estate he’d rented. If Cole and Crash had gotten the information,
they must think that was where Angel was.

Shannon knew what she had to do. If she was going to prevent bloodshed,
she was going to have to beat them there. She looked at Wolf. But first she was
going to have to get away from her guard. Her eyes went to her purse, and she
had an idea.

*****

“I can possibly help you with Taylor and checking to see if he’s in
trouble with the SEC. But going after someone like Nicklaus Ralston? That’s a
whole different ballgame.” The club’s attorney shook his head.

Cole looked at Mack. “We’re wasting time here.”

“Just listen to him.”

“You want Nicklaus Ralston on a silver platter, I get that. But getting
access to a man like that? Shit.”

“We think we’ve got a lead on his location. We’re heading there now,”
Crash informed him.

“Look, as your attorney, I don’t want to know if you are planning
anything illegal. I just want to strongly caution you of the kind of man you’re
dealing with.”

“I know exactly the kind of man I’m dealing with.” Cole replied, giving
him a cold stare.

“Do you? Do you know his net worth? He’s not some low-life drug dealer,
Cole. He’s a well-known public figure. His death would be investigated.
Thoroughly. A man like that? Taking him out is not a smart decision. It would
be…difficult.”

“Taking him out will be easy,” Cole growled.

“Okay, taking him out with no blow back would be difficult.”

“We through here?” Cole asked Mack.

“Cole, listen to the man. He’s right. We have to be smart about this.”

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Tate sat on the edge of the counter in the control room. Movement on one
of the screens caught his eye, and he pulled the lollipop he’d been sucking on
out of his mouth. “Fuck.” He slapped the back of his hand on the shoulder of the
man sitting in the chair in front of the banks of monitors. “Bradshaw, you
seeing what I’m seeing?”

Strolling up the driveway, pretty as you please, was the woman Ralston
had gone to so much trouble to get back.

“Shit. Let’s go.” Bradshaw jumped to his feet, his chair rolling back
across the linoleum.

Tate followed him out, hoping this broad wasn’t about to fuck up
everything he’d worked three months for. They met her in the driveway. Bradshaw
drew his gun, but Tate knew it wasn’t necessary. She’d just walked into the
lion’s den of her own free will. “Miss Taylor?”

Her eyes connected with his, and she nodded.

“If you’ll come with us, please,” he paused to give Bradshaw a look.
“I’m sure the guns won’t be necessary.

Bradshaw lowered his weapon, and she came forward.

Shannon took a deep breath and tried to stay calm as Nicklaus’s two
goons led her into the estate’s library. There were tall bookcases, a fireplace
off to the left and a bank of windows behind the massive carved desk.

Nicklaus was sitting in the chair, leaning back, his hand at his chin,
stroking. He appeared to be deep in thought. His eyes flicked up as she was led
into the room, and for just a moment she noted the look of astonishment on his
face before he quickly hid it. He rose to his feet.

Shannon looked him in the eye. “I’m here, Nicklaus. It’s what you
wanted. You won. Now let her go.”

Nicklaus smiled, looking Shannon up and down. “You’re looking well,
Shannon, luv. Although you have been keeping company with some rather
undesirable ruffians. Really, my dear, you chose the very dregs of society this
time.”

Her spine straightened, and her chin came up. “The company was
preferable to the company I’m in now.” She watched the corner of his mouth pull
up, and then his eyes slid to a door she hadn’t noticed off to her left.

Shannon’s gaze followed his to see a man enter pulling a woman with him.
Her eyes moved passed the man to the woman. Angel! Her hands were bound behind
her back. My God, she didn’t look well. Her eyes flew back to Nicklaus. “What…what
did you do to her?”

His eyes met hers. “Just gave her a little something to keep her in
line.”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “More of your drugs, Nick? Is that the only
way women can stand your company? When you drug them?” She watched his eyes
flare with the heat of anger. Turning her attention back to Angel, she asked,
“Angel, are you all right? Did they hurt you?”

Angel’s head lifted to Shannon, her eyes trying to focus. “I’m…I’m okay.
You shouldn’t have come, Shannon.”

“I had to,” she whispered back. “I’m so sorry, Angel. I never wanted you
to be hurt in this-”

Her eyes swung back to Nicklaus, full of fury. “Don’t you dare hurt her.”

“Well, I hope I won’t have to, luv. But then, that all depends on you.”

“I’m here. You won, you asshole! You don’t need her anymore!” She could
see in his face the rage take over and realized too late that she’d made a
grave mistake in letting her emotions rule her mouth. She should have
remembered how talking back to him, especially swearing at him was a major
trigger for his wrath.

“Enough!” Nicklaus snapped. He looked at the man holding Angel and
jerked his head toward the door. “Get rid of her. Make sure they never find the
body.”

Shannon glanced over, and then her head spun back to Nicklaus, noting
that the head of one of the men standing next to her also jerked toward
Nicklaus in surprise. “What?” Shannon shrieked. “Nick, no, please. Don’t do
this. I’m sorry I said that. I’m here. I won’t cause you anymore trouble, I
swear. Just let her go.”

Nicklaus’s hooded gaze cut to her. “That’s very true, Shannon, you’ve
caused me all the trouble I intend to stand for.”

The man dragged Angel out the door, and one of the men that had escorted
her inside, the one that had pulled the gun on her, followed him out.

Shannon flung herself forward, her hands planted palms down on the
desktop. “Nicklaus, please. I’m begging you, don’t do this!”

“I better go make sure those two idiots don’t fuck this up,” the other
man that escorted her in said. Shannon’s eyes swung to him, studying him a moment,
their eyes connecting before hers broke away and returned to Nicklaus who
nodded at the man.

“Yes, perhaps that would be best, Tate. See to it.”

“Please, Nick. You don’t have to do this. Please!”

The man called Tate moved quickly out the door.

Tate climbed into the backseat of the car, where Carter held a now
blindfolded and gagged Angel. “Change of plans. We’re letting her go.”

“What? You’re shittin’ me?”

“Boss changed his mind.”

“Never seen that happen before,” Carter answered skeptically.

“What can I say? That bitch up there has a strong pull over the man. She
begged him. Said she’d do anything. Guess that was incentive enough. Now
drive.”

“Hell, guess the guy couldn’t resist that. He does love it when they
beg, don’t he, Bradshaw?”

Bradshaw grunted in reply and rolled his eyes as he put the car in gear,
and they pulled out.

An hour later, they were back in San Jose.

Tate pulled the blindfold off Angel.

“We takin’ her to that clubhouse?” Bradshaw asked.

Tate’s eyes dropped to Angel. “Naw, too dangerous. They’re in lockdown.
Brought in guys from all over preparing to move on this.” He watched her
reaction to that bit of news. She didn’t look too surprised.

“Where’re we goin’ then?”

“Her house. Take her there.”

Fifteen minutes later, they drove down the road approaching the drive to
Cole and Angel’s home.

“Stop here,” Tate instructed.

The car pulled to the gravel shoulder. Carter moved to open his door.

“Stay here. I got this,” Tate instructed

Carter looked over at him, hesitated a moment, then shrugged. “Fine.”

Tate pulled Angel out of the car. Her hands were still zip-tied behind
her back. He pulled her along the shoulder toward the drive and started down
it. The gravel drive was long and surrounded by tall pine trees. When he was
out of sight of the car, but before they came into view of the house, he pulled
her to a stop, her back up against his front. Leaning down to her ear, he
whispered, “He wanted you dead. He
didn’t
change his mind.
I
made that call.”

Angel twisted, turning her face up to him, her eyes searching his. She
moaned behind her gag.

He pulled her around by the upper arms and looked down at her, giving
her a little shake. “Listen up. Before I let you go, you need to pay attention.
Can you do that?”

She nodded her head.

“They pump too much of that shit into your system for you to understand,
cause you need to get this?”

She shook her head.

“I’m DEA. Undercover.” He watched her eyes widen. Then he pulled the gag
loose.

“What?” she whispered.

“You heard me. Been working this case for months. Didn’t count on you.
You’ve been a thorn in the whole setup. But I’m not blowing months of deep
cover, just so your man can fuck it all up.”

“Cole? What about him? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine, but if I had to guess, I figure he’s lost his shit over
this. He’s amassing a small army. Only thing holding him back was he didn’t
know where Nicklaus was. Now that Shannon has showed up, I’m figuring someone
talked. And I’m figuring that someone was Alphonso, his driver. He never showed
up last night. So, now I figure your man’s gonna come in, guns blazing and blow
this whole deal to shit.” He studied her eyes. “I’m sure you’d like that, but
you need to get this. I took care of you in there. Did the best I could to make
sure you didn’t get the worst of it. I got you out of there. I wasn’t about to
let them take you out. But now, you gotta do something for me.”

“I appreciate what you did, but I don’t
gotta
do shit for you.”

Tate grinned. “Okay, Angel, I’m
asking
you to do something for me. Fair enough?” When she didn’t reply, he continued,
“A big player’s coming for a meet. His name’s Carlos Montoya. He’s the target.
Nicklaus’s involvement is peripheral. But shit’s about to go down. Serious
shit. I’ll have enough to take Montoya down. That’s not getting fucked up.” He
shook her. “You hear me?”

She nodded.

“Your man moves to retaliate while Montoya and his men are there, it’ll
be a bloodbath. Montoya travels with a small army of his own, and they’re all
heavily armed. They won’t hesitate to slaughter anything that gets in their
way. You don’t want that do you?”

She shook her head. “Of course not. But I can’t stop Cole, not on
something like this. He’ll want Ralston’s head.”

Tate looked back toward the road, knowing he’d already been gone from
the car too long. “Nicklaus is already on the move. Now that he’s got Shannon
back, he’ll be long gone before they have a chance to get to him. But I know
where he’ll be on Thursday night. I’ll contact you with the location. The
meet’s set for nine o’clock. Just make sure he doesn’t move on this until after
it’s over. There’ll be four black SUV’s. Make sure your man understands he
doesn’t move until they’re gone. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

He studied her a moment. “Don’t make me regret this, sweetheart.” Then
he spun her around and pulling a switchblade from his pocket, he slit the
zip-tie. By the time she rubbed her wrists and turned back around he was long
gone.

*****

After Angel was taken from the room, Shannon threw herself at Nicklaus,
begging him to change his mind. “Nick, please. Please don’t do this. I’ll do
anything you want. Go anywhere you want. Just let her go. Please. I’ll never
run again. I swear.”

He grabbed her upper arm and dragged her through the house. “Let’s see
just how cooperative you can be, luv.” He pulled her through the large house
and down a hall of another wing. Throwing open a door, he pulled her into the
master bedroom and pushed her down on the foot of the large king bed. “Lie
back,” he ordered.

Shannon did as he said.

He stood above her and began undressing. His suit jacket came first as
he tossed it aside. Then he loosened his tie and pulled it free, his motions
jerky and violent. As he worked the cuff links free at his wrists, he smiled.
“Pull your shirt off.” When she complied without hesitation, he smirked. “All
the fight gone out of you, luv?”

She nodded. “Just please, call off your men, Nick. Please, before it’s
too late.”

Nick stared at her a moment, and then he reached in his pocket, pulling
his cell out. He moved his fingers over the pad, pretending to make the call.
He put the phone to his ear and carried on the charade, pretending to talk to
someone. “Bradshaw. Change of plans. Take her to the other location. I’ll
decide what’s to be done with her later.”

He slid the phone back in his pocket. “All right, Shannon. We’ll see.
Here’s your chance to convince me.” He undid the buttons of his shirt and
yanked the tails free of his trousers. Then, leaving the shirt hanging open, he
bent over her, his hands going to the fastening of her jeans. “Let me warn you,
Shannon. You leave again, luv, and I’ll be forced to turn my attention to your
sweet little sister, Shelby.”

“You leave my sister alone.”

“That’s all up to you now, isn’t it, sweetheart?”

“I won’t leave. I won’t cause you anymore trouble. I swear.”

“You’ve been a great deal of trouble to me already, luv. Trouble and
expense. I intend to get my money’s worth.”

Shannon closed her eyes, so thankful he’d called off his men that she
didn’t even care what he did to her anymore. She felt him undo her jeans and
jerk them violently down her hips and off, tossing them aside. That left her in
just a matching set of black bra and panties. She looked up at him. He smiled,
until his gaze drifted down her body and stopped on the tattoo Crash had put on
her lower belly. His hands froze in their movement.

Shannon watched the anger flame to fire in his eyes. Oh, shit. She’d
forgotten he’d see the tattoo. She hadn’t meant to piss him off.

One brow lifted, but his eyes remained fastened on the ink on her
stomach. “What the bloody hell is that, luv?”

“It’s just a rose. It doesn’t mean anything.”

His eyes finally lifted to hers. “And the barbwire? What is the
significance of that, Shannon?”

“Nothing,” she lied. “It doesn’t mean anything. I just picked the design
out of a book.”