34. Vex

34

VEX

W hen I get to the cabin, King and the others are already there because of the head start they all had. They're standing by the tree Halo's half-brother tied him to, and if this were a movie, there'd be dark montage music playing.

Because it's obvious from the look on all their faces that Calista isn't here.

King holds his hand out as I approach and puts the locket with the tracker in my palm.

"Found it in that cardboard box by the tree."

"I thought we eradicated the Righteous Brotherhood," I say, fighting to remain rational.

"So did I, brother," says King.

"They're the only ones who know what happened here that night," Clutch says.

When everything went down at this very spot for Halo, Brad Collins—aka Darryl West, leader of the Righteous Brotherhood—was killed.

"They want the money," Niro says. "I suggest we give it to them."

Spark looks at Niro. "We can't. We've spent a chunk of it in the new buildings on the lot, refurbishing the clubhouse, and levelling up our weaponry and equipment."

"It makes no sense that they went to all this effort and didn't tell us how to contact them or where to return the money," Bates says.

My mind races as I try to assimilate all this information.

But it's impossible to focus because all I can think of is what they are doing to Calista.

Switch moves to stand next to me. "We haven't lost an Outlaw woman yet," he says. "And we aren't going to start now. What would you usually do?"

"I'd search," I say.

"Then, do that."

King steps forward. "Let's start with the feed from your house and the footage of the cameras around this place. My guess is, if they know about the money and what happened at this place, they can't be too far away from here."

"The foster sister," I say suddenly. "And that fucking sealed file."

Halo nods excitedly. "Yes. She lived in Hackensack, which is northeast of here. Daryll West had been to see her just before he came for me and Ari and Lola."

Halo had wondered what kept bringing West to New Jersey. I'd found the foster sister.

"Can we go in your cabin?" I ask King.

"Whatever you need."

We all follow him as he lets us inside. But my mind is processing what I remember. The sealed envelope said he'd been brutally beaten by a third foster sibling who was older than him and the sister. The third sibling had been physically abusing him, but then, West found out he was abusing the sister too. The older brother was left with life-changing injuries by the time West was finished with him. The sister testified on West's behalf. Everything in the file suggested that Darryl would do anything for his sister.

And if that's true, maybe his foster sister would do anything for him.

Including enact revenge.

"If he was close to his foster sister, he may have told her more than we knew," Niro says.

"If we want motive, the fact she might have known he was coming to face off against us, and then disappeared, would be enough," Spark says.

"Yeah, but why Vex? Why take Calista? For ransom?" Switch asks. "That part doesn't make any sense."

Saint shakes his head. "Listen, I know from my time in the ATF that the way women commit crimes is not the same way men do. They are less inclined to commit revenge crimes. My sense is this is something else."

My head snaps to Saint at that. "She doesn't want revenge in the traditional sense. She wants to rebalance the scales. She wants the money. There was a car trailing Calista. A black sedan. Couldn't get a plate. But it was driven by a woman. If she knows what Calista does, she might have taken her to get the money back."

"Or taken Calista as collateral to make sure Vex returns it," Catalina says.

"So, let's go find out everything we can about the woman," Niro says. "Why don't Cat, Bates, and I set off in the direction of Hackensack, and you can refine the search as we head toward it?"

"No," Spark says. "We're stronger together than apart. We need to set up a perimeter. For all we know, this could be a fucking trap, and we're standing around in a single large group in this cabin. If someone has a semi-automatic on the other side of that window, we're all toast."

Bates rushes to the window and closes the curtains as King dims the lights.

I yank my laptop out of my backpack and place it on the kitchen counter of the open-plan living area. I need to find the sister's address as a possible lead and start a search of my files to find the information we gathered about West.

"Marlie Callihan. That was her name," I say as I set an additional search to see if her or West owned additional land close by. My guess is if they did, that's the most likely place they would have taken her. We need to check King's cameras to see what happened when the tracker was dropped off. Maybe the cameras picked up a vehicle or identifying characteristics of the people who took Calista.

Clutch, Halo, and Spark start to plan routes and strategy. King pushes back the carpet of the living room and unlocks a door in the floor. He begins pulling weapons and grenades out from the hole. After the siege here, King has obviously put some time in to upgrade the provisions, beyond those in the panic room he previously installed.

But I start with the cameras.

As I watch, the damn feeds get glitchy.

Slow as fuck.

But then, something stops me.

An email, which, who the fuck reads emails at a time like this? The email is about a new kink dungeon setting up on Valentine's Day. Asbury Park: Red Rope Lounge.

"Fuck me. Calista is trying to talk to me from wherever she is," I say.

My brothers crowd around me.

"She is?" Switch says.

I point to the email. "Calista's middle name is Valentine. Red rope is what I used to tie her up."

"TMI," Saint says.

"Hey, if he wants my title as kinkiest fucker, he can have it," Halo says.

Switch squeezes my shoulder as some of the other brothers chuckle.

And this is how we do it. Humor in the most stressful moments.

Brother backing brother.

Appreciating the severity of what's happening but keeping each other calm before we tackle it.

"What else does it say?" King asks.

"Scroll the damn message," Niro says. "The slow reveal is fucking killing me."

I grab my phone and snap a picture of what's on my screen, in case this is a trail of crumbs when I click on it.

What happens next proves all the reasons why I love this woman. I stare at the neatly written marketing email telling us all we need to know.

Halo leans closer. "Is that all it says? That it's from her?"

"Gimme one second," I say.

Ever dreamed of one night with three men and one woman?

Are you in need of a rural retreat with guaranteed privacy where you can participate in pony play?

Endless rope and a night of escape.

"There are three men and one woman with her." I scan for more details. "Pony play…I'm guessing a barn or some kind of farm building."

But it's a note beneath the signature, inviting me to click on the "Tell Me More" box, that catches my eye.

I3I.7E.I33.A7

"Shit," I mutter, copy pasting the number into a notes app so I can work on it.

"What is it?" Cat asks, placing a hand on Niro's shoulder as he bounces on his toes.

"It's an IP address. It'll put us close to where she is."

Bates looks closer. "Doesn't look like an IP address."

"It's LEET speak. It switches Latinate letters and ASCII characters."

"You got that in English?" Clutch asks.

"Similar looking letters replace numbers. The number one is replaced with an I, the three replaced with an E, the four replaced with an A."

I decode the IP address and put it into a map app to cross reference with the properties popping up on the search I started first.

"The property is here." I point to a spot on the map and switch to a terrain view. "It's seventeen minutes away. There are three properties in this area. This one looks like it has a paddock. So, I'm thinking it's this one." I get to work disconnecting the laptop from the Iron Outlaws' network. There is nothing on this machine that would allow access to bank details.

Then, I click the link in case Calista has set up some code behind it, but nothing happens. She did the absolute minimum to get us what we need, but not put the Outlaws in danger.

And I feel an enormous sense of pride in my woman. She's keeping her head.

And she trusts me to get to her.

"Let's go."

Halo looks at the location. "Gimme five minutes to figure out where the fuck this is and how we approach it. Can you zoom in on the aerial view?"

I do as he asks.

Spark nods. "Bates and I will work with him."

My heart beats normally for the first time in two hours.

Switch squeezes my shoulder. "We'll have her back with you in under an hour."

I look to King. "Her message says four people. But, if she's inside a building, there could be more situated outside."

King nods. "Yeah. But I still like our odds."

"Fuck this shit. I'm going," I say.

Niro steps in front of the door. "Far be it from me to stop a man rushing out of here like the world is on fire. But your woman is keeping her head. You should follow her example."

Switch comes to stand next to me. "She's buying us time. She's a smart woman. You're usually the first to encourage caution until we have a plan. Now, it's time for you to trust your brothers to plan it well."

I look over at the military men. Halo and Spark are planning the route and assault. They're looking at the satellite image around the farm and its outbuildings.

King nods as they say something, and then Halo laughs.

I know it's the way.

Humor in everything, even life or death situations.

And I breathe.

"Agreed?" King says to Halo and Spark.

They both nod.

Spark steps forward to speak. "Two teams. Team A moves from the front. It's a tricky approach as there isn't a lot of cover. So, Team B will approach first from the rear. Hopefully, if they are spotted while getting into position, it will cause enough of a distraction that Team A can move in quickly. Team A consists of King, Halo, Bates, Switch, and Vex. Team B is Clutch, me, Niro, Saint, and Cat. Halo and I will coordinate timing with each other."

"Spark shouldn't be going in," I say.

The big man looks hurt. "Why the fuck not?"

"Do I need to remind you that you have a new baby at home and a wife who needs you?"

Spark places both hands on my shoulders and squeezes tight. "I appreciate the thought, brother, but this is the life I choose. Brotherhood and family. I can't live my life staying behind. And eventually, we'll almost all have kids. We stop being Iron Outlaws because there are kids, then we'll lose our sense of self. And I can't do that. Want my kid to be proud of who I am. Not shamed because I stayed behind when a brother was in trouble."

I nod, even though the lump in my throat just got a whole lot bigger.

"Let's go," Niro says.

We hustle to our bikes.

"You okay to do this?" I ask Switch.

He knows what I'm asking. He's struggled with control of his weapon because of his injuries.

He simply grins. "You gonna try and make me stay home too, Dad?"

"Fine. But take care of yourself. Was going to ask you and Sophia over to dinner to be the first to congratulate Calista on becoming an old lady. You better be fucking alive to make it."

"What are they gonna do, hit the metal plate in my head and give me amnesia again?"

I can't help but laugh. "Funny fucker."

But the slight break in tension doesn't last as we ride in formation to where Calista is being held.

The sudden silence within my bike helmet is deafening.

A life without Calista in it flashes before my eyes. I'm a great uncle to everyone else's kids, but otherwise, my heart would go with her.

I know this for sure.

It's the reason I'm still single.

None of the other women were her.

And no one else could replace her.

She's my woman.

"Hold on, babe," I mutter.

The farm buildings come into sight in the distance. A part of me wants to ride my bike straight through the doors and not give a shit what happens next, beyond finding Calista.

But my brothers have never made a misstep in planning an operation on the fly like this.

Has there been bloodshed and broken bones? Definitely.

No one has died.

Which, fuck, I start to think about the odds. Wouldn't the odds say it's about time someone was killed?

No. I can't think like that.

When we pull up to the agreed spot, those in Team B ride by us. Clutch salutes.

Shit.

A wave of panic like I've never known flashes through me, leaving me light-headed. I place my hands on the seat between my legs and lean forward. I need a second to regain my center of gravity.

"You okay?" Switch asks.

"Honestly? Fucking no."

"Then we go through the motions," Switch says as I climb off my bike.

I know what he means.

Remove my helmet. Check my weapons. Check my blades. Secure my bike.

I do as he says, looking no farther ahead than the next task. The routine of it helps me calm my escalating pulse. Mom once told me that fear stood for Face Everything And Rise.

I hear the words in my head in her calming voice.

And who knew a biker could need their mom in a moment like this?

"Ready?" King asks.

"Just want to get my woman back, Prez."

He nods. "Then, let's go get her."

"Stay behind me," I say to Switch. The respect I have for my brother grows. He's going to be the slowest if we have to run. In the event that happens, I'm gonna fall in behind him and cover his back.

He shakes his head. "I know what you're thinking. That you're gonna cover me or some shit. Well, like Spark said, if I start hiding now, I might as well quit the Outlaws. Side by side, brother. It's how we've always done it."

I hug him hard and fast before King leads us out on foot.

We creep towards the farm buildings. There are three possible buildings that could all fall into the description of a barn, but only one has the thinnest slivers of light emitting from around doorframes.

But between us is an entire paddock. Bringing the bikes any closer would have immediately notified them that we were close. There's already a high probability that the sound of our bikes has carried through the night air.

I scan the roof of the buildings, looking for anything that might give us a clue to if we are being watched, but I see nothing but an ink-blue sky and a plethora of stars.

King puts four fingers in the air, meaning there are four vehicles in his line of sight. That could be one vehicle each for the perpetrators, but the reality is, probably, that more people have arrived.

None of us are wearing any protective clothing, and I hate that I'm dragging my friends into this situation. But as I look across the line we hold as we spread out, walking towards the buildings, I know they'd follow me all the way into the depths of hell if I needed them to.

Old snow, compacted over time, crunches beneath my feet, but there is no way to avoid it. The frigid wind gnaws at my fingers as they hold my weapon, pointed to the ground.

King lifts the collar of his leather jacket up around his ears and neck.

Halo walks confidently, like it's just another summer's day in the park.

Even though all these men have families they love, at its very core, the Outlaws brotherhood is the foundation on which we all live.

The high-pitched whirr of a bullet confirms all my fears were true. There are more men, and they've had time to secure their position.

"Fuck," I curse as I try to bite down panic, worry about Calista, check on Switch, and figure out where the fuck that bullet just came from.

I scan everywhere, trying to absorb every micro detail, but it's too dark.

I don't know who fires the first bullet from our side, because when this is over, it won't matter. But we run for cover.

"This side," Halo yells, running to the right.

The white snow offers little in the way of camouflage. With our black leather jackets, we're easy targets.

"Your only job is to get Calista," King shouts as we follow Halo and rush to an outbuilding, slamming our backs up against the wall to peer around the corner.

While I'm glad my president agrees, it was always my intention to do exactly that.

A steady stream of gunfire starts to rain down from the upper level of the barn.

Halo gestures to me to give him cover, and I do, as he runs for a better spot to take out the shooter. I keep firing as Halo sets up the shot.

For all the bullets the assailant has used, it takes Halo just one bullet to take the man out. He falls forward to crash out of the opening in the barn roof.

Switch winces as he runs. I know the man is hurting, but he moves faster than I've seen him run in a while. And his shot is no less precise and deadly as he takes out an assailant who runs at us from a doorway to our left.

Bates uses the break in gunfire Halo provides to run toward the stable entrance. The two men who turn the corner and face him are caught unawares by his arrival, and the fast slash of the two knives he holds. One in each hand.

King and Switch follow behind him and check the stables are clear.

An explosion inside flashes the window out, and I cover my head and ears to avoid getting cut up. The blast knocks King to the floor, and he shakes his head in confusion.

But Niro appears at the opening as the smoke clears.

"Yippie Ki Yay, Motherfuckers," he yells with a grin, then disappears back inside.

I knock the rest of the glass out of the window with the handle of my gun and climb in.

Following Niro and Cat as they scope out and clear the room, I look for signs of Calista. Finally, we hit the main barn building, and both Niro and Cat come to a halt.

Marlie Callihan, Daryll West's foster sister, has a gun to Calista's head. And she's using Calista as a shield, hiding behind her body.

The sight sucks the fight right out of me.

Life is fragile. We walk around in this thin skin that holds everything vital for survival. Heart. Lungs. Brain. And I don't think I've ever been more aware of how utterly mortal we all are.

A nine-millimeter bullet weighs about eight grams. Eight fucking grams. And it has the ability to decimate everything I hold dear.

I hear King shouting orders behind me, telling men to hold the door, to spread out wide, to scope the room.

But all I can do is look at my girl.

"Don't come any closer," Marlie says.

Calista stands incredibly calmly, but her eyes…fuck, those expressive eyes of hers shine with tears as they focus on me.

The sound of gunfire and shouts and cries fades into nothing.

Just me and my woman.

My ride or die.

And I refuse to give up on our eternity.

"Don't," Calista says. Her mouth moves, but she doesn't make a sound.

"Let her go," I say. "And I'll do what you want."

Marlie jostles Calista, dragging her slowly toward to door. "Like I'd trust a biker. One of you fuckers killed Darryl."

I put my hands up in the universal sign of surrender. "Let me make it right."

"How?" Marlie shouts. "You can't bring him back. But you can get me the money." She tips her chin towards the bank of laptops. "The account details are on the screen. Put the eleven million into that account, and I'll return her to you."

She's almost at the door, but her eyes search furtively around the room. Not sure whether she's looking for back up or watching the slow progress of my brothers and Catalina. I see Halo begin to creep out to my right. Saint moves to my left. I know they're looking for the shot. They have way better aim than I do.

And this time, I know the best part I can play is the one that gives them time to find the kill shot.

I take one last look at Calista. "I love you."

She swallows hard and nods.

I bend down to the laptop and begin to make a pretense of doing what Marlie said.

I turn around, with the world to my back.

If you'd asked me how I thought I'd die, it wasn't with my back to my assailant.

If you'd also asked me what I would do to save the woman I loved, I would have thought I'd be a more active participant.

But in this instance, I need to put my faith in the brothers I didn't originally get a say in joining but can't live without.

I need to turn my back on Calista and trust that the men care for me as much as they say they do.

I need to trust myself to be the distraction, not the hero of this story. This time, my sacrifice is not solving it by myself. It's knowing there are good men in this world who will stand for me, for who I am.

I close my eyes as I sit down at the laptop. I take a deep breath.

And then, I hear it.

The sound of our salvation.

As with when we arrived, I don't know who fired the shot.

But I don't need to.

Because at our very core, all of the Outlaws are one.

At least, these eight men, a new generation of Outlaws with the same beliefs and moral code as me, are.

I jump out of the chair and sprint to Calista. Both she and Marlie are tangled up on the ground, but Calista finally pushes the taller woman off her.

"Ti," she says, the single word coming out on a sob.

Gunfire continues outside as Bates, Clutch, Catalina, and Niro hold off the others.

I sweep Calista into my arms and run from the building with her. I don't look back. I don't need to. I know the others are covering my retreat.

It's fucking freezing, and she's not wearing a coat.

"Put me down," Calista says. "I can run."

I put her down at the entrance to the stables and yank a horse blanket from one of the hooks as we run by.

When we get to my bike, we're far enough away from trouble that I finally press my lips to hers. "Fuck, you're brilliant, my beautiful girl."

She throws her arms around my neck. "I knew you'd come for me."

"Always. In any lifetime. I'll come for you, Calista. I promise."