Chaos Conquers All (16 page)

Black just shook his head.

“Take them inside,” he ordered, “The rest of you, anything out here moves, you fucking shoot it.”

She watched as several Niners stepped from the dark shadows of the building to acknowledge their master with a nod. Even if she managed to get free and kill Black, she doubted she’d get Trace out through all those guns. This was looking more like a suicide mission with every moment. Her death didn’t frighten her but Trace’s? She turned to look at Trace’s bloody battered form. The thought of his death nearly paralysed her with fear.

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Tex checked his phone screen for what felt like the hundredth time since they left. He wanted to charge into that mill take back his woman and his brother, and lay waste to Black, the Niners and anyone else that got in his way. Waiting had never been his strong suit and yet he’d been waiting years to make Nikki his. If they got through this he wasn’t gonna wait any longer.

“You need to relax, son. At this rate you’re gonna blow a god damn gasket,” his father told him clapping him on the shoulder.

“Relax? My woman has just walked into the hands of the man who wants to slaughter her and you want me to relax?” Tex replied incredulously.

“Your woman is no ordinary woman, son. She’s a Soldier and she can handle herself,” King attempted to reassure him.

That’s exactly what he was afraid of. Nikki could handle herself which meant she was prone to taking action and that just might get her killed.

His phone began vibrating in his hand. He didn’t even glance at the screen before answering.

“Speak,” He said gruffly.

“Your man is down. He’s been shot,” the deep gravelly tones of a voice he recognised came down the phone at him.

At that point his anxiety peaked.

“Which man?” he asked without even acknowledging who it was he was talking to.

“Slender guy, tattoos up his neck, wearing a cap,” came the reply.

Thank god it was Mace. According to Dog, Mace was wearing Kevlar so as long as he took the bullet in the torso he’d be fine.

“Trace and Nikki?” he asked.

“Black has Deveraux and Nikki in the old mill. I’m going in to get her,” the voice on the other end announced.

He would not let that filthy prick get his hands on Nikki. After all they’d been through, he was not going to let her slip through his fingers again.

“You are not going in there. You can’t even keep your man in check. You think I would trust you to get them out?” Tex growled down the phone.

“I didn’t say I was going to get them out. I said I was going to get her out. What happens to Deveraux makes no difference to me,” Bridges replied.

“We are going in and when we get in there, I better not see your face. If I do? You best expect a bullet between your eyes,” he warned.

“What you do from here is up to you but I will be leaving with her,” Bridges stated before hanging up.

“Fuck!” Tex shouted as he kicked the tire of his bike.

“Who was that?” King asked him.

“That was Bridges,” he replied, “He says Mace is down and they have Nikki and Trace in the old mill. He reckons he’s going in to get Nikki now.”

A deep growl rumbled through King’s chest, “He ain’t getting his hands on her ever again. We’re going in.”

That was the best news Tex had heard all day.

“I want two groups. Half go round the north side of the mill, the other half round the south. We circle round the building. I want you two to find Mace,” King ordered two of the Southern River boys, “He might’ve just been winded by the bullet but you get him in that van and get him clear. The rest of you take out any man you get your hands on but you do it quiet. The less they know about us coming the better.” King turned to Brodie and Jay, “You two are in charge of Trace, got it?”

Both men nodded solemnly in reply.

“Tex and I will handle Ace. Let’s go,” King commanded.

The group split into two. The Southern River boys plus Rock and Case went north, while King and Tex led the rest of their chapter south through the forest. As they crept through the dark, King grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“You see that prick Bridges, you let me worry about Ace. I want you to put that bastard down hard son,” King told him.

He didn’t have to tell Tex twice, “Gladly.”

“Where to start?” Black asked thoughtfully as his gaze flicked between her and Trace.

They were both tied to wooden beams facing each other. Trace’s bloodied face was even worse in the stark light of the industrial bulbs. His breathing seemed not quite right and she caught a glimpse of bruising around his ribs as they’d shoved him into the building. His eyes were locked on her and every time someone neared her he’d growl and struggle in his bonds.

“Your boyfriends taken quite a beating already. So maybe I’ll start with you,” he said as he reached out and stroked her hair.

“You fucking touch her and I swear I’ll kill you,” Trace wheezed and coughed.

Black’s gaze went to Trace and he laughed.

“Then again, maybe he has some fight in him still. What do you think?” Black asked turning his attention back to her.

Nikki did not want to see Trace take any more of a beating.

“I think what you want is right in front of you. Why waste what little time you have before the MC comes beating up on him when I’m right here,” she said to him.

“You make a good point, Miss Jones.” Black paused as if considering her suggestion, “However I think your tolerance levels for your own pain are probably a lot higher than they are for his.”

He gestured to his two goons. Both men stepped closer to Trace. The first fist landed in Trace’s stomach. He grunted and tensed but his eyes still didn’t leave hers. She knew he would do his best not to give voice to his pain in an effort not to see her hurt. The next one landed in his ribs and that was much harder to hide. His breath rushed out of him on a groan and he coughed and spluttered. He straightened up in defiance and the fists came flying then.

He gasped and wheezed and groaned in pain as the hits came hard and fast. The monster inside her growled and pushed forward. She desperately searched for some imperfection in the beam to work her bindings against while trying to keep her shit under control. Seeing him beaten like that, watching him hurt and not being able to do a damn thing about it, it tore her up inside. She knew somewhere in there was some irony but she wasn’t in the space of mind to find it. Trace’s eyes begged her to keep quiet. Then one of Black’s goons punched Trace in the face and blood flew from his mouth. She couldn’t keep quiet. She was torn between wanting to rip Black’s head clean off his body and crying out for him to show mercy to Trace.

“You don’t want to do this Black,” she told him through gritted teeth as she struggled to hold herself together.

Black held up his hand up for his men to stop. Trace breathed shallowly as he tried to straighten up. He was struggling to get a breath in and Nikki knew that was bad. Internal panic set in. Whether she lived or not didn’t matter to her but she couldn’t let him die.

“Give me one good reason why I wouldn’t,” he demanded.

“Because I made a deal with Cole and as far as I recall, you work for him. Do you think he’s gonna let you get away with this?” she asked him.

Black scoffed at her, “If you think I’m afraid of Cole Marcus Bridges you are sorely fucking mistaken. He might’ve been willing to accept your subservient little pussy in exchange for giving up his revenge on your club but I don’t need or want your nasty defiled little snatch. My men on the other hand? They might like to take a run at it.”

Trace lunged forward in a useless attempt to get at Black.

“I’m going to tear you limb from limb you sick bastard,” Trace spat the words out of his mouth along with a heap of blood.

Black lifted his chin and the men resumed beating Trace. Her desperation rose as she watched them throw punch after punch into Trace’s already battered body. Her fingers found an old rusty nail head sticking out the beam. She lifted her wrists on awkward angle trying to snag the cable ties on it. Then Trace stopped trying to resist and sagging against the pole like deadweight slipped to the ground. It didn’t stop them from hurting him though. Instead of throwing their fists they began kicking him. She couldn’t take it anymore.

“You fucking cowardly pricks!” she screamed at them as tears rolled down her cheeks, “Fucking leave him alone. You wanna hurt someone Black, hurt me. I’m the one who kidnapped your girlfriend. I’m the one that jacked her up on drugs and dragged her to your brother’s dungeon. I’m the one who tied her up and cut her pretty little face. The one who held her drugged up in an abandoned house and left her to the mercy of any man who’d have her.”

The last statement was a lie but it got the reaction she wanted. Black’s goons stopped kicking Trace as a primal growl left Black’s mouth. He crossed the short space between them in several quick steps.

“You fucking bitch!” he screamed at her as his fist thundered into her face.

The crack of his fist left her with no doubt that he was furious and she was about to receive his full wrath. A slice of pain burned from her brain down into her neck. That’s right. It was her that needed to be hurt not Trace. It was her that needed to be tortured not Trace. Black could have his men rape her if that’s what would bring his sick ass pleasure, as long as Trace didn’t get hurt anymore.

She gritted her teeth against the throbbing pain and pushed forward, “That’s right Black. You’re innocent little southern belle has had half the city’s bikers through that pretty little pussy.”

Black pulled his gun and thrust it into her temple.

“You better be fucking lying to me bitch or I will shoot you now!” Black yelled at her.

“Do it. Fucking shoot me!” she screamed back at him.

He pushed the gun hard into her temple then drew back pacing into the middle of the room.

“No, Baby Girl. Please,” Trace sputtered out the words as he came to.

That was all the distraction Black needed.

“Get him to his feet,” Black ordered

Black’s goons pulled Trace to his feet and rested him against the beam. No. She needed him to forget about Trace.

“How much time do you think you have before the Soldiers roll in and tear this place apart? They will come for us and when I get out of here I will come for you. There is not a place on this earth that you can hide. I will find you and the hellfire I will bring down on your head will be like nothing you have ever known,” she threatened.

Black just smiled at her as he approached her slowly, “If you’re counting on boyfriend number two to swoop in here and save both your asses you’re wrong.”

Boyfriend number two?

“Aaaahhh, didn’t think I knew about your little love triangle with Tex? Or is it a ménage à trois? Don’t worry once I’m done with Deveraux, Tex will be next on my list. I will lay their heads at your feet so you never forget what it means to take something from me to hurt what I love,” he whispered sweetly as he stroked her hair away from his face.

She spat in Black’s face and he slapped her hard across the cheek.

“Hurt what you love? You think I hurt her? You have no idea the things I’m capable of. If you think that was hurting her wait till I get my hands on her again then you will know the meaning of hurt,” she threatened as the monster growled.

“You won’t live long enough to lay another hand on her,” he growled in return.

“Really? Well right now I’m still breathing,” she stated, “and while you’re here with me who’s watching your bitch?”

She barely finished the sentence before Black’s gun was back at her temple his finger paused over the trigger.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Cole’s deep growl broke through the tension of the moment.

Nikki felt the darkness inside her purr like a kitten at the sound of his voice. She could feel his eyes on her as he stepped out of the shadowed edges of the room close to Trace. Black’s goons automatically took a step back and inside she smiled at their obvious fear.

“You’re just in time for the show, boss. I was just about to have these assholes killed,” Black answered turning his attention on Cole.

“You’re not killing anyone,” Cole growled and stepped closer.

She needed to get to Trace. She needed to protect him. She kept her eyes on him as she lifted her wrists and resumed her efforts to snag the cable ties on that nail.

“Not killing anyone? These bastards killed my brother. Are you really gonna walk away from all this for her?” Black asked him.

Cole didn’t answer his question instead he repeated one she’d asked earlier, “Who’s watching Daisy?”

Black bristled, “Daisy is fine. She’s..”

Cole cut him off, “She’s in the car outside where you stupidly left her while you were seeking your revenge and right now Roger has his gun trained on her pretty little head waiting for me to walk out of this building.”

“Fine. You want her then just fucking take her. She’s yours but I need my revenge. If she goes, then I want the Soldiers dead.”

Silence followed Black’s words. Cole stared at her and said nothing. She could feel his eyes inspecting her.

“What the fuck do you care if they die? They killed your mother. He and Tex King are fucking your woman. The two of them kidnapped Daisy and helped torture her. I want them all dead. Starting with Deveraux,” Black said as he raised his gun and pointed in Trace’s direction.

Please no. She needed to get free of these bloody cable ties.

“This way we all get what we want. You get the girl and I get vengeance. What do you say?” Black said looking to Cole for the go ahead.

It was the perfect deal for Cole. He’d get her and he’d inadvertently get his revenge. She couldn’t let him make that deal. She wouldn’t.

Nikki finally turned her attention to Cole. His intense gaze had never wavered from her. Those otherworldly green eyes stared at her probing the depths of her psyche. He was searching for something. She begged him with her own eyes. Please don’t make the fucking deal. Don’t let him kill Trace. She tried to find the reassurance she needed in his face. It wasn’t there.

He turned his gaze toward Black, “Not in front of her.”

Those five words were her undoing. Her loud sob broke through the silence as she gave up trying to free herself.

“You fucking bastard!” She screamed at Cole no longer able to hold in the emotion. “You fucking bastard,” she repeated quietly sagging against the pole tears sliding down her face.

Trace was going to die. Then Tex would be next. She had no doubt about that now. Another sob left her mouth as the pain ripped through her chest. Then the rest of her family would die too. If they were going to die, she would die along with them.

Nikki twisted her wrist up behind her one last time and lunged for the nail. One of the cable ties caught and she yanked down hard as gunshots sounded outside the building. The tie snapped, freeing her bound wrists from around the beam. The cavalry was here and all she had to do was make sure Trace lived long enough for them to get inside the building and rescue him. Both men were focused on the increasing gunfire outside and it wasn’t until she lunged across the space that either man noticed her. She ran for Trace, crossing the space between them at break neck speed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Black’s head swivel around. She prayed she would make it to Trace before Black pulled the trigger.

She didn’t. Instead she was hit from the behind and landed hard on the concrete floor of the mill. As she looked up, it was like everything was moving in slow motion. She watched as Black’s aim levelled out and she quickly twisted her head around to see Trace. She knew she screamed out something as she struggled with the body pinning her down. Then Cole stepped into her line of vision. He stood in front of Trace as Black’s gun went off. Then time froze. Cole’s otherworldly green eyes were locked on her. They were bright and intense as he took her in. They were filled with that possessive love he had for. Obsession, admiration, need and something else. Something she just couldn’t identify.

His breath puffed out through his lips gently and then his gaze dropped away from hers. She followed his stare down to his chest. A red stain slowly seeped onto the white fabric of his business shirt. His hand went to his chest and his body kind of shuddered. Her gaze flew back to his face and she saw the darkness in him roar to life as he reached out for her. He took one wobbily step then fell to the ground. His eyes still locked on her as the darkness faded away.

“Cole,” she whispered his name as the monster inside her roared with grief.

Hands gripped her harder as the door for the mill ripped open and the sound of gun fire entered the room. Black fired towards the door as Soldiers piled in through the opening and she prayed that bastard hit nothing but air.

Prayers weren’t gonna be enough though. She looked down at the person on top of her. Somewhere in her brain it registered that the body was Black’s goon. He was trying to drag her back towards him. She spotted the gun in his holster but it was out of reach. She let him drag her back and as he did so she grabbed the gun ripping it from his holster. She fired one bullet into his skull, stilling the man before he had time to realise what was going on. Then she swivelled around and fired at Black.