CHAPTER NINE

– HAYDEN –

Fear is something I’ve encountered only a few times in my life, but never to the extent of what I’m feeling right now. She’s gone. They fucking took her. I have no clue where they are and to make matters worse? We’ve been trying to locate Tar Lines for over two weeks without any success.

Which means they’re in the wind, along with my old lady.

The reminder of what that sick brother by blood of hers wants to do with my Deanna is tearing me apart from the inside out. She’s been missing for hours and it’s getting dark. Who knows what she’s had to endure already, and we’re not getting any closer to rescuing her.

It’s clear these Tar Lines fuckers have no morals and are complete animals. They shot Lee, through his damn skull, just so they could take the women. Lee still had a pulse when we walked into the back room of the tattoo shop. Fuck. The image is still locked in my head.

Lee covered with blood, lying lifeless on the floor. Silence. Complete silence and emptiness. A far cry from what I expected. I craved to have Deanna’s eyes on mine and walked into the tattoo shop with a smile, knowing she was safely inside with Bran and Lyla while Lee kept watch. Motherfucker, how can everything go to shit in a handful of seconds? She should have stayed by my side.

“What the hell are you still doing here?” I snarl at Pax who stomps back into the waiting room of the hospital.

He raises one of his eyebrows. “Helping, or did you forget I’m the one handling the hospital, and am the main link of communication in case law enforcement catches any sight of Tar Lines, or the three women.”

I narrow my eyes and know deep down I shouldn’t unleash my anger at him, but I can’t help being an asshole when I snap, “My cousin should be here, not you.”

“Your cousin is handling a serial killer, a murder fugitive, and two cold cases they just blew wide open with new leads. His hands are full, so you got me. Deal with it,” he grits.

I want to punch this fucker in the teeth. Even if it won’t change anything, I would at least feel some hint of satisfaction.

Suddenly I’m blocked by my VP, Kyan. “Shove the anger down, Prez. Pax is here to help, and we damn well need all the help we can get.”

I grind my teeth. From the corner of my eye, I watch a doctor step into the waiting room. Heath, along with Sico, Everleigh, and Briggs step forward to hear what the doctor has to say. There’s no need for me to go over there. Lee’s parents and brother are the ones who need to hear it first. Besides, Heath is right behind them.

Simi, that’s what Sico calls his old lady instead of Everleigh, releases a heart-ripping scream. Her knees buckle but Sico and Briggs manage to keep her upright. Heath steps forward and talks quietly to the doctor. The scene in front of me gives me the impression that we lost Lee.

Pax murmurs into his phone and draws my attention when he snaps in a harsh tone, “Put her through. Now.”

His eyes hit mine and he whispers in a low voice, “911 dispatcher received a call from a woman who picked up two women alongside of the road. Code name ‘Deeds, Archer, Pax’ was mentioned which gives me the knowledge it’s Lyla because I told her to mention it whenever she had to call 911.”

“Are you serious?” I croak. “You’re sure it’s them?”

He gives me a tight nod and returns to his phone call when he says, “I’m here. Yes. Hey, fuck it’s good to hear your voice. Yes. I’m heading out right now. No. Stay there. Okay, darlin’. Yeah. I’m gonna stay on the line, but I have to chat to Hayden, hang on.” Stepping closer to me, he taps the screen of his phone to hit the mute button. “I need you to come with me and not flip out.”

“Just fucking tell me already,” I grit.

“They managed to escape, those fuckers were right on their heels and Dee told Lyla to run and help Bran because she’s sick. Lyla and Bran managed to escape with the help of a woman who stopped with her car. They’re at a gas station down the road. I have the coordinates. Police are at the scene, ambulance is still a few minutes out.”

My heart is slamming against my ribs and at this moment I don’t want to think about Dee and where the fuck she is. This will bring us closer to her and right now it’s the best lead we have.

“Give me a minute and we’ll leave,” I tell him and jog in the direction of Heath. “A minute, brother.”

We step aside and I ask, “Lee?”

Heath gives a slow shake with his head. “They’re keeping him in a medically induced coma and they have no clue if they can bring him out or if he will still be Lee if they do manage to bring him out of it. For now, they’re keeping a close eye on him. The bullet was removed and they stopped the bleeding. It was a bullet to the head, man. Fuck. There’s no guarantee if he’s still able to talk or be a fucking person.”

“Fucking hell,” I mutter. “Hey, I need to head out. Pax has a lead.”

“What lead? I should go with you guys.” He rubs the back of his neck and we both glance over the waiting room filled with older generation Areion Fury and second-generation.

“One of us should stay here, and Heath?” I swallow hard and croak. “Deanna helped Lyla and Bran escape. She’s still out there but Lyla and Bran are at a gas station down the road from where they escaped. Pax already has cops on the scene and ambulances on the way. I’ll make sure to have your old lady sent here so be ready, yeah?”

Heath grabs my shoulder and slightly stumbles. Hanging his head he mutters a curse and braces himself to stare into my eyes.

“You got this?” I grit, pushing my fear and panic down.

We’re both caught by emotion and this only indicates how deep these twins have managed to crawl underneath our skin.

“I got this,” he repeats. “Send my woman here, and go find yours, brother. Bring them home.”

I only nod and snap my fingers in Kyan’s direction. “VP, you’re with me.”

Briggs rushes to my side. “I need to get the fuck out of here, Prez. Whatever you need, I’m with you.”

“Yates, Soren,” Heath snaps. “Go with Prez and VP.” He turns to me. “Enough brothers or do you need more?”

I glance at Pax, Kyan, Briggs, Soren, and Yates. “The six of us should be enough for now. If I need more, I’ll reach out.”

We head toward our bikes and once we hit the road, Pax rides beside me. I should regret cursing the fucker out, but for now my focus is getting to Bran and Lyla fast. They might have crucial information as to where they were staying so I might have a chance to find Deanna.

I have no clue why Pax would even mention a code name to Lyla. Hell, I didn’t even know it was possible to reach one of Broken Deeds by calling 911. Bran and Lyla would have gotten to safety without it, I’m sure, but precious minutes would have been wasted. At least now we’re already on our way and hopefully it would make a difference between life and death for Deanna.

Fuck. I just have to believe she’s still out there, surviving. My woman has enough skills, spunk, and drive to pull through wars that’ll make a trained soldier weak in the knees. She just has to stay alive long enough for me to step in and bring her home.

The lights of the patrol cars flashing are the first thing I notice and I slow down to park my bike. Bran is on a stretcher while EMTs are taking care of her. Lyla is standing at a small distance, rubbing her arms and shaking her head at a police officer.

Pax jumps off his bike before me and storms to Lyla.

I’m right behind him when I hear him growl, “I told you not to fucking question her.”

Okay, the man wins points in my book and that alone is enough for me to leave him with Lyla so I can check on my brother’s old lady. Bran notices me and there’s a spark of joy and relief until it’s instantly tampered.

“Hayden, where’s Heath?” she croaks.

The corner of my mouth twitches. “Not who you wanted it to be, eh? I’m glad to see you, though.” I turn to one of the EMTs. “She could be pregnant.”

“I already told them that, Heath,” Bran hisses.

I shrug. “Just looking out for my brother’s old lady. He’s waiting for you at the hospital.”

Bran bites her bottom lip. “How’s Lee? Is he?”

“Still breathing,” I tell her. “Focus on yourself right now, Bran. Now, can you tell me every detail before you go?”

She gives me a sad look. “Sorry. I was so out of it the whole time. Lyla might be a bigger help.”

Fuck. I give her a nod and school my features so she doesn’t see the disappointment I’m feeling. I was hoping to gain details, anything that would give me a lead where to start looking for Deanna.

“Feel better, Bran,” I grunt and turn but feel her fingers wrap around my arm to stop me.

Turning to face her she says, “Get her back, Hayden. She sacrificed herself for us. We heard shots. I heard her scream, I…please. Bring her back.”

I cup the side of Bran’s face. Her eyes and features so fucking similar to Deanna’s and yet they’re two completely different people. I care for this woman, but the feelings running through my veins, branded in my bones, for the woman who holds my soul is deeper than I ever thought possible.

“I’m not coming back unless she’s right beside me,” I vow, and it’s the motherfucking truth.

There’s no point in living if my woman isn’t by my side. She’s filled a hole in my life that wasn’t there before she crossed my path. The craving, the emotions and feelings she raised inside me are all because of her. There’s no way I can go back to living in a world where she’s not there. Not while I’ve only now discovered the true meaning of having a partner, in life and love.

Love wouldn’t have crossed my mind at this point ’cause it’s too early in our relationship, and yet this woman is the only one that makes the thought of loving someone unconditionally cross my mind. So, yes. She’s mine, my old lady, my wifey and it’s something I want to make official.

Fuck. Even if I find her alive, I know she’s going to fight me if I tell her we’re getting married. The thought of her sass and feistiness makes the corner of my mouth twitch. Going head-to-head sounds perfectly fine to me right now. It would involve her breathing and being alive to be able to do so.

Bran nods and disappears into the ambulance. I make my way over to Pax who is holding Lyla way too close for my liking.

“That’s enough,” Briggs grits before I can say something. “I’ve allowed it for a few fucking minutes because she was the one who initiated the contact, but give my sister some damn room to breathe.”

Kyan crosses his arms and moves so he’s standing beside Briggs. Soren and Yates are on his other side.

I step closer and Pax’s gaze finds mine. “Are y’all ganging up on me? Like I said, I’m here to help so cut it the fuck out.”

Lyla turns as if she’s protecting the fucker as she’s now standing in front of him.

Ignoring this shitshow I ask, “Tell me everything, Lyla. Even if you don’t think a detail helps, give it to me anyway.”

She starts to explain from the moment she was taken what they had to endure with Lee, how Bran and Deanna were drugged but not Lyla. It shows they were only expecting two females. Bran and Deanna being twins wasn’t something they were aware of…until now.

“I saw her.” Lyla’s voice cracks. “They fired off a few rounds in our direction. Dee screamed for us to go. We didn’t have a choice. I didn’t want to leave her.”

A sob rips from her, and I step into her personal space to cup her face. “You did good, Lyla. She’s the president’s old lady and gave you an order.”

She bobs her head, eyes spilling with tears. Fucking hell.

EMTs are standing close by and I lift my chin in their direction. “You should go with them to the hospital. They knocked you out, get a scan or whatever they say.”

She sniffles and I can tell Pax wants to pull her close to comfort her. Thank fuck Briggs steps up and guides her in the direction of the ambulance.

“Don’t even think about it,” I grit.

Pax glares at me. “Do you want to find your old lady or warn me away from Lyla? Cause I’ll tell you right now you’re not my fucking president, and I couldn’t give two shits about whatever you have to say.”

“She’s Areion Fury, you’re Broken Deeds,” I slowly tell the fucker. “I’ll take it up with Archer. Now, are we going to stand here or head down the road and search through the woods?”

Pax steps closer and grabs his phone, thumbing the screen before he turns it to me. Soren, Yates, and Kyan step closer.

“Lyla mentioned they were held in a shed. They had firepits and were standing around drinking beer and smoking. Twenty bikers give or take. This location doesn’t have many buildings. I remember an incident a few months back though. Some small MC was bumping heads with another and I couldn’t remember all the details so I just texted Ganza to ask him. He looked it up for me and just messaged back. The incident was a patch over. Three guesses who the MC was that took over,” Pax states.

“Only need one,” Soren snaps. “Tar Lines.”

“Bingo.” Pax taps his phone. “Ganza included the blueprints he found.”

Ganza is one of the computer experts of Broken Deeds, they can hack into anything, legal or not, to get the info they need. This time it came in handy so we know what type of building we’re heading in to search for Deanna.

“Are we going to need backup? I’d rather head in now and not wait.” I glance over the faces when Briggs joins us, the ambulance driving off with Lyla inside it. “There are six of us against twenty of them.”

“Tar Lines doesn’t know we’re coming,” Kyan states. “I’m liking those odds.”

“I’ll follow you no matter what.” Yates grins. “I brought extra weapons and ammo in my saddle bags.”

“You didn’t bring extra, asshole. You’re always prepared for war,” Soren mutters. “I don’t know if you’re expecting an apocalypse or simply insane for carrying a whole arsenal around all the damn time.”

Yates shrugs. “What’s wrong with being prepared?”

“Cut the shit. Then we’re going. Now,” I snap and glance at Pax. “Call it in with my cousin. He needs to know and maybe he’ll send some help if he can spare any with the cases he’s balancing. I’m going to text Heath and ask him for backup as well.”

“Don’t,” Pax rumbles while he’s thumbing the screen on his phone. “Archer says he’ll have SWAT teams here within twenty minutes. He’ll clear it with the authorities and notify them that there are five Areion Fury and one Broken Deeds at the scene. Though, I’d advise you to drop your guns once they enter the premises.”

“I’m not going to drop my fucking gun,” Yates grumbles under his breath, making Soren chuckle.

We all glance through the information Pax has so we know what to expect and then head for our bikes. Once we’re close enough we park our bikes and go on foot through the woods. I’m carrying my own gun in hand and did accept a backup gun from Yates, even though I have a spare one around my ankle.

The soft glow of firepits appears in the distance. Adrenaline is pumping in my veins and I have an itch to tear this place apart, kill anyone who wants to stop me from finding my woman. Voices are becoming louder. Music is playing and the scent of stale beer enters my nose.

Yates reaches for something and I see him screwing on a silencer. When he finishes, he points at a Tar Lines biker who is pissing against a tree a few feet from us. I nod and Yates takes him out with a soft pop, muted by the music and murmur of voices.

One down.

Shuffling of feet and branches snapping draws my attention to another biker who rumbles, “Shrimp, did you fall asleep pissin’?” His laughter is cut off by another soft pop and the biker crumbles to the ground, head bouncing on his dead buddy who apparently was called Shrimp.

Two down.

“Are you two fucking each other?” A bark of laughter rumbles over the music and muffled voices.

Yates curses and there’s another soft pop. My mind wants to say, “three down,” except all hell breaks loose with lots of shouting followed by bullets being fired in our direction. So much for the surprise. I’d rather have been inside the house once the shooting started ’cause there’s no telling what they might do to Deanna once they know we’re coming for her.

I take aim and start to return fire while moving to the back of the house, hoping to fuck I’m not too late.