28. Tiberius

28

TIBERIUS

“Money, drugs, ledger.” Prez screws his face up. “I gotta tell you, if I’d known about this shit, I’d have already relieved Jude of it.” He grins with a shrug.

I’m at Den of Filth’s clubhouse, where I received Rossi’s latest call. I had the phone on speaker so everyone could hear and I wouldn’t have to repeat myself.

“You already had the drugs. I’m assuming they belonged to Rossi. Did you see anything else?”

“We emptied that container,” Prez says. “We still have the drugs.”

My eyes shoot to his. “I thought you’d have gotten rid of them straightaway.”

He shook his head. “My main contact is out of town. They’re hidden till he’s back. If you need them in exchange for Kinsley, I can send two of my men to bring them to you.”

I shake my head. “Rossi gets fuck all except for a bullet.”

He nods. “You have any clue as to where Jude put the other shit?”

I quickly shoot Nine a message to check the basement and beneath the desk.

“Nothing more than what Kinsley suggested. She said it might be buried deep in the earth, where no one can find it.”

“Well, if that motherfucker did that, then you’re screwed.” Prez lounges back in his chair and shoves his feet on the table.

Jude was my brother. I should have some idea where the fuck he’d bury something he didn’t want anyone to find. I carefully consider Kinsley’s words. Is there a deeper meaning to what she said?

Both Salem and Prez stare my way.

“Do you think Kinsley was trying to tell me where she is?”

Prez slams the chair legs down and rests his arms on the table. “She didn’t sound buried in the ground.” He shudders.

I roll my shoulders. “I’m making shit more complicated. We stick to what she said. I have Nine checking the basement out now. Jude didn’t like getting his hands dirty. He was never one for shooting shit in the woods. I don’t think he’d have buried anything unless someone else was in on what he was up to.”

My phone beeps, and I read the message from Nine.

“Fuck. It’s not in the basement, but he did find a file on Edge. Everything Maia told us Jude held over Anna.”

Me: Destroy the contents of the file. Nothing left behind.

Nine: Consider it done.

“You know,” Prez says thoughtfully, “I remember hearing scuttlebutt years ago about Rossi having an underground bunker built on his land.”

“ Buried deep, where no one can find it .” I look at Salem. “Do you think that’s what Kinsley meant? Was she giving us a clue to her location?”

Salem grins. “Clever girl.”

“We need a fixed location and a plan,” I say. I would much prefer to get on my bike, ride over to Rossi’s place, and put a bullet right between the bastard’s eyes. I turn to Prez, “How sure are you of the bunker?”

“I’m sure.” The large guy gets to his feet, a hand going to his ginger beard. “Let me have a word with Geo. He knows all stuff like that.”

While Prez talks with his guy, I turn to Salem. “They do not walk away. Rossi and Elf. I’m not sure about Veronica. You know how I feel about taking out a woman.” I pause. “All bets are off if she’s hurt Kinsley, though.”

“Do you believe everything Maia told us about Jude and Anna? About him abusing her?”

I let out a long sigh. “Jude always watched others around him. He would stand with a calculating look in his eyes. If I really think about it, I can see him being abusive to get what he wants. After all, he was my mother’s favorite, and she had no honor.”

I pause. “Thing is, I never paid much attention to what went on between them. Looking back, I never saw them argue. Anna was always pleasant.” I rub a hand down my face.

“I never noticed anything either,” Salem offers. “I’m just wondering if Rossi is full of shit.”

“You think he has an ulterior motive?”

“The man has always had more resources than you or Edge. He has contacts no one else can find. He could be using that bullshit as a means to an end. You go in for Kinsley, he kills the both of you, and Edge. That’s his rivals wiped out.”

“That is a damn good theory,” Padre says from the doorway. The bear of a man is followed in by Geo and Prez.

Geo pushes between them and spreads out a hand-drawn map on the table. “I drew this forever ago. There was rumor about a bunker. I found out about it and its location.” He grins and looks at Prez. “Bet you’re glad I decided to stay, huh?”

Prez grunts and crosses his arms over his massive chest, the only confirmation Geo will get.

Geo clears his throat. “I don’t know the code, which is an issue. You won’t get inside without it.”

"That won't be a problem once we get there," I say and throw a glance at Geo. "To what degree is the map accurate?"

"It's perfect." He pauses. "I also sent up the drone. I called it back twenty minutes ago."

"What?" I get up. "You're only now telling me about a fucking drone?"

"Cool your jets, Beckett," Prezadvises. "Didn't want to get your hopes up." To Geo, he says, "What did you find?"

"More men than usual are patrolling the grounds, and there is a six-man team guarding the land above the bunker."

"Fuck!" I squeeze Geo's shoulder. "Good man."

Prez asks me, "How many men do you have?"

I defer to Salem, who has been handling the details. "The rest will arrive at the Glass House in one hour. So, that makes twenty-eight, including Beckett and me."

"I have twenty-four here, but I can call in a favor and get another thirty if we need them."

"I'm not sure what the plan is, but with fifty-two men, Rossi will be outnumbered," Geo says. "However, there is every likelihood that Rossi has many men hiding out of sight. I don't have infrared on the drone."

"Padre, go round the men up. Tell them to prepare to ride in an hour," Prez instructs.

"I'm on it," Padre responds and heads out.

"Geo, find my vice prez and tell him to get his ass back here."

"Will do." Geo salutes and leaves.

"I have a plan," Prez assures me.

The tall trees creak and groan as they sway. It makes it difficult to tell if anyone is following us. Like my house and the Lake House, the forest edges onto Rossi land. The underbrush tangles and grabs at my ankles, while the rough, cracked ridges of the tree bark bite into my hands. By the time we're out of here, I'll be covered in scratches from prickly thorns and branches. Fucking worth it to get my girl back, though.

The tree line ends, and as I peer into the clearing, I spot the men Geo had found patrolling the land above the bunker. They're armed and vigilant, making it clear that this won't be a simple fight. I take a deep breath and signal to Salem.

My phone suddenly starts jackknifing in my back pocket. I make a grab for it and realize it's a group message when Salem reaches for his own phone.

Geo: STOP! It's a decoy. Sending a new location.

Log and lag digits come through in the next text.

"Motherfucker," I hiss. I grab Salem's arm as he moves to change positions. "I'm guessing Elf will be at the other location. Be careful."

Salem grins. "Didn't know you cared so much."

"Fuck you, asshole."

He chuckles and gives me a quick nod before we head toward the new location.

"Is this it?" I whisper, wondering where the fuck the entrance to the bunker is.

Salem shrugs as he scans the area for any signs of a hidden entrance. "Let's split up and cover more ground," he suggests, then pauses. "I think I spot something." He pulls out more weapons, and I follow suit. I have a knife in my left hand, a gun in my right, and a backup tucked at my ankle. There’s another in the back of my jeans, along with two more knives hidden on my person.

We move cautiously, staying low to the ground, as we search the area for Rossi's men. Salem suddenly stops and points to a door hidden beneath some brush. "There it is," he whispers, a hint of excitement in his voice.

I tap him on the shoulder and say, "Let's wait and watch for a few."

Nine is somewhere around, blending in with the scenery. Edgar is in the same area as Salem and me. He's really the only one who has a chance at gaining ground if Elf is around. Me, I want to shoot the fucker in the head.

"Don't shoot," Prez hisses. "Padre and Razor are across from us."

Without another word, I follow behind him. Wilder wears his cut. The patch has a bike with a skull sitting atop the handlebars, wearing a crown. Wings spread out on either side of the bike, with dual pistols under the wheels. When I was nineteen, I thought being part of the Den of Filth MC was a wild ride. I left before I patched in and sometimes regret it. I left on friendly terms with the prez back then, Jesus Drake, the current prez’s dad. When he stepped down, Wilder took over. Wilder and I have helped each other out over the years. Wilder Drake is more like a brother to me than Jude ever was.

The sound of a rifle shot sends a flock of crows into the sky. The crows scatter, their black wings flapping against the gray sky, as I instinctively take the safety off my gun. Prez takes off running, with Salem and me on his heels.

"Motherfucker," Prez hisses as he runs to help Wrath, who has Elf to deal with. "Go get them!" he shouts over his shoulder.

I don't need telling twice, but then I think, fuck it. I veer off toward Prez and Wrath. I get into position and slow my breathing. "Cover my ass," I tell Salem as I sense him beside me. I bring my gun up and wait for a shot. Elf currently has Wrath in a choke hold, but I don’t have an opening. Then Wrath’s eyes connect with mine. I nod, and he goes slack. I pull the trigger. As though in slow motion, I follow the trajectory of the bullet. Elf does too, seconds before it hits him straight between the eyes. The giant looks stunned, then drops like a fucking trunk of a tree.

Wrath drops to his knees before Prez helps him up.

"Fuck, that was an awesome shot." Salem thumps me on the shoulder.

"Let's get Kinsley and Edge and get the fuck out of here.”