Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Maddox

Church was a somber affair. It was typically a serious meeting, but today, our topics of embezzlement and Helena's kidnapping weren't precisely small matters.

"This is so fucked," one of the brothers said under his breath as I went over the embezzlement particulars.

"Yeah, it is fucked," I agreed. "Look, there isn't any getting around the issue that Jake stole from us. From the MC and all of us by doing what he did." We were low-tech around the Brotherhood, but not so low-tech that I didn't throw up a small PowerPoint to show the particulars so I could highlight the exact quantities and the runs that he stole from. "We're looking at these runs here. You all know that we keep track of every dime. Not only because the club is earning, spending, and paying, but because every brother here earns their cut." I let that sink in. The MC was a brotherhood in name and deed, but every person here earned their way. They were paid accordingly. What the MC did wasn't easy or safe.

"That means Jake stole from each of you." Dimitri made the point for me, pointing his fingers around the room at individual brothers.

"He was my pick. I backed him, and that makes me feel like shit." I shoved my hands into my pockets. "If he'd asked me, I would have helped him with his issues with the money. I'd have lent it to him. He didn't need to go behind our backs for over a year to steal from all of us. This is a betrayal. The Brotherhood is about loyalty." I was crushed, and I couldn't help but show it. "Hands up if you think that exile is enough."

Looking around the room, I could see the people grumbling to each other, their faces angry. One or two hands went up, and one went up and came back down again.

"Okay, I get that. I do, I wish it were enough for what happened, but that isn't how we work. Jake knew the consequences of his actions. Hands up if you agree that the brother in question should die for stealing from us." I swallowed as I spoke, bowing my head and raising my hand. Then I lifted my head and met their eyes.

There are only two hands down. The vote was nearly unanimous, and there were more than enough votes to advance. There was no mercy to be found today, which was fine by me. That business would typically have occupied the agenda for more time, but I was on a tight schedule and couldn't wait.

"Alright then. Let's move on to the next item on the agenda," I said. "Helena Marsh has been back with us. She is staying with the Brotherhood while she gets back on her feet. Most of you know she was abducted from her job at the Duck this morning."

This knowledge had spread like wildfire through the club, so it wasn't news. I needed a unanimous vote for this next part of our work.

"She's been taken by a rogue member of the Bratva by a man who is wanted for human trafficking. Helena had found information about auction sites." At this, there were several veiled looks in Dimitri's direction. "I want to get her back – she's mine. It'll mean war. Do I have the support of the Brotherhood?"

"Fuck yeah!" Dimitri's voice was loud above the others as fists rose, a sea of them. There were no dissenters as all the brothers pumped their arms up and shouted in the smoky room. It meant a lot to me that the MC was behind me. Dimitri and I needed the backup, even with the extra manpower from the Volkovs.

"Let's go get our princess then."

With the weight of the Brotherhood's support behind me, I felt a surge of determination coursing through my veins. The air in the clubhouse crackled with anticipation.

"We ride in an hour." The men knew what this meant, even if they didn't know where we were going. Fuck, I didn't know where we were going yet. My palms were sweating, and I had no idea where Helena was, but fuck me if we weren't going somewhere. They sprung into action, rallying together to prepare for the coming battle. There was a sense of purpose in the air, a unity that bound us together as we geared up for the fight ahead.

Preparations were made to ride into a fight. Some of us likely wouldn't return if the Russians were involved. The gun safes were opened, and the weapons were checked. Bulletproof vests were pulled out—just because the Brotherhood was a biker gang doesn't mean we were stupid. They were top-notch, too. Roscoe insisted on them, and I continued the practice for raids and high-target runs. It was just good sense.

Amidst the flurry of preparations and the mounting anticipation, Dimitri approached me with a grave expression etched upon his features. A solemn determination replaced his usual swagger as he pulled me aside, away from the hustle and bustle of the clubhouse.

"Hey, Maddox," Dimitri said, his voice low and serious. "I took care of Jake. I handled it myself."

Jake was my responsibility, and yet Dimitri had shouldered the burden alone. His tone had a sense of finality, a silent acknowledgment of our sacrifices for the Brotherhood. I would have dealt with Jake another day and let him rot while I went after Helena, but I appreciated that Dimitri had handled it.

"Thank you, brother," I replied, clasping his shoulder in solidarity. Dimitri had always been willing to do what was necessary for the club's good, which was even more apparent now. Seeing how he handled the crisis with Helena meant I'd made a great decision when I brought him back into the Brotherhood.

With the weight lifted from my shoulders about Jake, I focused back on the task. Helena's safety was our top priority now, and nothing would stand in the way of bringing her home.

"Also, I got some information from Maxim."

It was weird to hear him mention his brother so casually, but his face was pinched, and I knew he was still uncomfortable with it. "What'd you find out?" I asked.

"He was able to get an address on the auction site—there are several, as a matter of fact. Maxim believes it is a multi-pronged organization that Makarovich just stumbled into, but he is sending some of his vors to dismantle them. He's tracking Makarovich, but he hasn't picked him up yet. Maxim says that he doesn't believe that he's the one who has taken Helena, but Sergei—perhaps it is him, Makarovich's right hand."

That was good news about the auction sites since it gave me one less thing to worry about. If Volkov could handle dismantling the auctions until I had Helena back, then we could assist afterward. My brain couldn't handle anything now other than getting her back where she belonged.

"What about the victims? Can your brother relocate them? Get them help?" I was worried about turning the whole thing over to the pakhan. He wasn't a man whose character I knew personally. The idea of forcing people into slavery was one of the most disgusting ideas ever to me, and I didn't want people victimized all over again.

"Maxim is a good man. He will ensure they are provided with all the assistance they need. The Volkov Bratva does not believe in flesh peddling. It was one of the reasons that I was so sure that Anton was acting without permission. There was no way that my brother would have sanctioned such a thing. Ever," Dimitri's voice was firm. We hadn't had time to sit and talk about this new development with his brother, with the Bratva. I wish we had because I knew that he was struggling with it. I could see on his face that he had significant feelings about it. How could he not?

"Okay, I trust your instincts. I'm relieved that he will handle that then. It gives us one less thing to concern ourselves with." Taking a deep breath, I pushed a hand through my hair. I was trying hard not to let panic overwhelm me. "What do we know about Sergei? Are there any properties or previous locations?"

I took a moment to steel myself, to push aside the doubts and fears that threatened to overwhelm me. Helena's safety was paramount, and I'd be damned if I let anything stand in the way of bringing her back. Hopefully, she was unharmed despite the sick feeling that churned in my gut.

Dimitri hooked his hands into his back pockets and lifted his chin toward the men hanging toward the back of the room. The Bratva suits stuck out like sore thumbs. "They're working on that now with some of our contacts. Hopefully, they'll have somewhere for us to ride to—something. Anything."

"Are you going to try to call Pike?" Dimitri was strapping on his vest as he asked, adjusting the Velcro.

"Yeah," I conceded.

I'd contemplated it for the last half-hour but feared what I would discover. Our friendship was long ago, but maybe I had hung on a little too long to the memories that I had as a boy. If we needed men, then I would call in all the favors possible, which was one reason I wanted the treaty in the first place. Taking the Smith and Wesson M&P off the table, I loaded the 12-gauge slugs.

"We need all the men we can get," he nodded at the M&P. "You can still blow people into tiny pieces. I promise I'll save you a few."

"Yeah, fine." Stuffing extra slugs into my vest, I put the safety on and retreated to the hallway, pulling my phone out. I hesitated for a moment and then pushed the contact for Pike.

"What's up fucker."

"Helena's missing — someone snatched her from the Duck," I wasted no time saying.

"What the fuck? Are you serious? When?" The anger in his voice settled me. At least since we were waiting for information, another person who was angry and looking for retribution on her behalf was something. More eyes looking for her were better.

"At the Duck, some suits took her from the alleyway. We think they were working for Makarovich." Not giving him the rest of the information made me a dick, but I was interested to hear the response. Would Pike take the Bratva full force with me if I needed him to?

"Bratva? You think they took her? Why? Holy shit."

"She found some information that Makarovich would prefer to be kept quiet. He was into some shady shit." Giving him this small piece wasn't too hard. He hadn't backed out yet. I was still curious.

"Shit. Well, we need to get her back. Fuck the Bratva. The Cobras are in."

I was legitimately stunned. Pike and I had history, but given the information I'd given him, I wasn't sure I'd put the Brotherhood in that same position. Taking on the Bratva would be monumentally stupid and a complete suicide mission.

"If they took her, then they're dead. We'll get her back, brother." His voice was steely and assured, like the Pike of my youth when I was young and bullied. The story he'd told Helena hadn't been that far off. Pike had been a terrible influence on me but a savior of sorts. He'd taught me to stand up for myself, to fight when I had nobody else to teach me.

Clearing my throat clogged with emotion, I said, "We spoke with the Volkov pakhan. He assured us that Makarovich was not acting under any orders from him. He's sent us his assistance. We're searching now for either Makarovich or his right hand, Sergei — he could have taken her."

"You'll ride from there?"

"Yeah, if you'll join us?" The invitation was clear.

"We'll be there in thirty minutes. Just going to gear up," he paused. "We'll bring her back to you." The line disconnected, and I looked at the screen in bemusement. The conversation had thrown me a little. The friendship we'd had was what got me through so many challenging moments during foster care, abuse of the worst sort. Pike had been a confidant and ultimately molded me into the man I was. The fact that he'd abandoned me during that encounter with the police now only made me wonder what really happened that day. Maybe I was the asshole in this story. I'd been released from juvie, but I had been so hurt I'd never looked for Pike again.

"They're coming? The Cobras?" Dimitri asked, shaking me out of my thoughts.

"He said thirty minutes, just to suit up." I chuckled to myself. "I'd wondered if he'd come if he thought we'd be going against the Bratva, so I didn't tell him everything." Dimitri's eyes crinkled in amusement.

"Ah, so he still agreed? He was always a crazy fucker."

We'd had plenty of time to assemble, and the tension in the clubhouse was at an all-time high. At this point, all I had was worry and regret that I hadn't done a better job rotating out shifts of men to watch Helena — been there myself. The idea that she had gotten taken from the Duck was a needle straight to my heart. She should have been able to go to work and be safe.

Jillian and Amber were fluttering around with snacks and platters of food like we were preparing for the apocalypse, but to be honest, I was a nervous eater. Every time I walked by a plate of food, I was stuffing something in my mouth, even if it tasted like sawdust.

Finally, Dimitri was hurrying over, and I knew he had something for me. "We have a location—Sergei's," he clarified. "Maxim eliminated Makarovich. He said he flew out of Phoenix immediately for Mexico City that day we phoned him. Sergei just called Maxim asking about Makarovich. He admitted that he has Helena. Maxim played him and was able to get a location. Maxim said he wanted her for himself, unharmed."

Relief swamped me—finally, a location.

"Just one thing." Dimitri laid a hand on my shoulder, and I immediately knew whatever he said next would be terrible. "Sergei told Maxim that he'd lost his temper with her. Maxim could have her, but that he'd gotten rough." Was I breathing? My throat was suddenly tight as my eyes bore into Dimitri's. His eyes were glassy and bright, and I could feel his hand clamping hard on my shoulder, bearing down on it as I bent over my knees, dry heaving.

"Pull some men, and let's get my woman, or I'm going alone."

Striding to the door, I didn't bother looking back. I could hear Dimitri giving orders and explaining as he called names, but I could only think about Helena and the fact that someone had "lost their temper" with my sunshine. Should I call an ambulance? Should they meet us there? Fuck. I pulled at my beard as I straddled my bike and shoved the M&P into the sleeve.

Dimitri strode purposefully to his bike, rattling off in Russian to the crew of suits that were apparently following him everywhere now. I couldn't complain at this juncture, though. They had been a lifesaver, literally. My head was all fucked up right now. I was itching to go. Even the time it was taking for the men to get on their bikes was pissing me off.

Pike was just rolling up with his crew of fifteen. I couldn't be bothered to let him know what was happening. Based on what we learned now, we didn't need more, but I couldn't take any more time. Pushing off from my kickstand, I lit out, opening the throttle.

There was no turning back now, no hesitation as we set out on our mission to rescue Helena and bring her home where she belonged.

With each mile beneath our wheels, my resolve grew stronger. I'd be damned if I let anyone take her away from me. I only prayed that we were in time. Something told me Sergei wasn't the most stable individual if he was off alone. His boss had ditched him and flown off without him. What could he have possibly thought to gain from taking her? Maybe he'd decide he didn't need her? New worry filled me at the thoughts of what had happened to her and what losing his temper meant. Helena was a tiny little thing on a good day. She was meant to be cherished and protected.

As we tore through the deserted streets, the sun was already high in the sky, reminding me painfully that she'd been with that asshole now for hours. I could only hope we were in time.