Making Choices (Black Shamrocks MC Book 2) (18 page)

Mad Dog’s worried, hazel eyes flick up to Lucas’s. I feel Lucas nodding in response to the unspoken question his eyes are posing.

Looking around us at the tree-lined road and seeing that there aren’t any houses around, I start to feel more confident that I can help them. There can’t be many houses along this road, so if they can show me where they met us, I think I can work it out from there.

“Mad Dog. Timber. We’re ready to head out.”

A tall, skinny man dressed in a Shamrocks vest comes to a stop in front of our odd threesome.

“Thanks, Butch. Hang them in the bunker. Separately. And gag them. Don’t let anyone see them.”

Butch lights up a smoke, and offers the packet to Mad Dog. He takes one, lighting up and inhaling deeply. His eyes close, and he stays like it for a moment as smoke billows from his nose and lips.

“If Beast’s there, make sure he stays there. If he tries to split, don’t make a scene, but keep eyes on him. Same goes for Lenny.”

“What’s going on?” the man called Butch asks Mad Dog in a gruff voice. He looks to be in his fifties. Even being an older man, I would still peg him as tough, although he lacks the intimidating bulk of Lucas and Mad Dog.

“Can’t say yet. Just keep your eyes open until we get back.”

Lucas pushes me toward Butch as he dishes out his orders.

“Take JJ back to the Compound with you. Put her in my room, and keep Kid on her. Call Doc and get him to check her over. She’s in shock. I think she hit her head when they crashed.” At his words, I touch the throbbing lump on my head. It’s bigger than I expected. Tender too. “We’re taking Smoke with us, so you’re our eyes and ears at the Compound.”

Butch lifts his chin in agreement, dropping his cigarette butt to the ground, and grinding it out with his boot. Holding a gnarled hand out to me, he gestures for me to come. I look at it, and then up at Lucas.

“Don’t you need me to help you find the house?”

“No, Doll. I need you safe. We have a fair idea where the house is. That’s what we were looking for when we found you.”

Relief fills me, speedily followed by a bolt of disgust. I’m happy that I don’t need to help them find the house, but I feel guilty for not being there for Maddi. As annoying and bossy as she is, she looked out for me today. I know, deep down, that the whole ordeal would have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for her.

“Okay. If you’re certain.” I offer a weak smile, stepping away from him.

“We’re good,” Mad Dog barks at me before he jerks his chin toward Butch, who grabs my hand and pulls me toward the van. I’m about to pull myself into the front passenger seat when I’m lifted off of the ground and spun around by Lucas. Dizziness tries to grip me, but I push it aside as I wrap my legs and arms around his bulky frame. Bringing our mouths together, he bestows a quick kiss on me.

“Don’t run. We need to talk. Wait for me to get back.
Please?
” His rough voice is pleading. His eyes meet mine—their depths haunted and appealing.

I shouldn’t wait for him. I don’t owe him anything, considering the situation I was just in—the situation I
am
in if I think about what’s more than likely residing in my uterus.

I should be running away from the lot of them, screaming for the authorities.

“I’ll wait,” I breathe against his lips. I instantly regret my acquiescence, common sense telling me it’s the wrong choice, but I’m unable to resist Lucas’s pained face.

“Good. We can sort this out, Doll. Promise.”

Placing me on the seat, he tosses the bottle of water he was holding gently onto my lap. Slamming the door shut, he slaps the hood as he jogs past on his way back to his bike where Mad Dog and another Shamrock wait.

TIMBER

Present Day

J
J’s bleak eyes are all I can see as I follow Mad Dog down the deserted road.

She’s fucking rattled, and I’m not looking forward to the confrontation that’s bound to happen when I get back to the Compound. If she’s there for it, that is.

An outcome I haven’t much faith in.

Mad Dog slows down. Signalling Smoke and I to follow suit as we pass the spot where we intercepted the SUV with JJ in it. It was pure luck that Mad Dog spotted Connor in the back seat when we passed by earlier.

Let’s hope our luck holds out and the house just up the road is the one we’re looking for.

Coming to a stop on the side of the road behind the other two, I cut my engine and kick down my stand. I roll my shoulders and neck, and flex my fingers, as I walk with Smoke toward Mad Dog, loosening my muscles. Tension’s engulfing me, fucking with my equilibrium. It’s getting worse the closer we get to Maddi.

“What’s the plan?”

Mad Dog shifts his eyes to me, the blackness that’s been present since he killed Two-Ton Tony more prevalent than it was before. He’s on edge, and I pity any fucker who gets in between him and Maddi when we get to the Mavericks’ safe house.

“We walk from here. Don’t want anyone to hear the bikes.”

Smoke grunts at the mention of walking. He’s not a fan of anything physical unless it’s fighting or fucking. It’s not the moment for it, but I can’t contain the chuckle that rolls from me at the disgust on his face.

“Then we secure the perimeter of the house. The cunts in the car said that there’s two Mavericks left behind.” He shrugs like he doesn’t give a shit if there are twenty fuckers waiting for us. He’s probably betting on them being full of shit anyway. For the first time, I’m heading into a situation blind. I don’t have a clue what was said back at the car wreck or if they were telling the truth. I was too busy making sure JJ was okay.

“Sounds good to me.” Smoke grins, bouncing around on his toes, shadow boxing. Fucker looks amped for the fight he’s picturing ahead of us. “Let’s get this done.”

Jumping the wire fence that surrounds the fields leading up to the house, we keep to the trees lining them, and approach together. Once we’re in the main house block, Mad Dog motions for Smoke to head around the back and for me to follow behind him.

Grabbing him by the shoulder, I jerk my head behind me.

“Stand down. I’m going first.”

He’s ready to argue when we’re interrupted by an urgent scream from inside the house.

“Fuck! That’s Lainey,” Mad Dog yells at me as he breaks into a sprint, pulling his gun from the back of his jeans as he goes.

He closes the distance to the house, and without breaking stride, turning his shoulder to the front door. The door splinters around the latch from his impact and flies open, hitting a wall and bouncing back. He kicks it out of his way and charges through.

I regain my wits, running after him as more screams fill the air.

Following Mad Dog, we run down the hallway and into the depths of the house. It smells of piss, stale beer, and cigarettes. Garbage litters the floor and every other flat surface we pass. The house is a huge, old colonial that’d be worth a mint if it’d been looked after.

Typical fucking Maverick pigs.

Smoke meets us at the center of the house, his eyes wild, and his gun drawn as he tries to decipher where the screaming’s coming from. It’s a fucking maze with closed doors, and hallways branching off in all directions. The sound of Maddi cursing up a storm erupts, helping us finally get a lock on her location.

“Get the fuck off me,” she yells.

She sounds scared and breathless. Mad Dog takes off in her direction, kicking open another closed door as we progress toward her.

We hear slapping before she shrieks again.

Mad Dog bursts through the door in front of us, his handgun pointed at the fucker who has Maddi pinned on the bed. He’s trying to wrestle her shorts off her, her top already ripped down the middle, and exposing her breasts to everyone in the room. A second asshole has his arms wrapped around her waist, as he lies under her on the bed, attempting to subdue her so the other cunt can undress her.

Maddi’s fighting with all she has, blood running faster down her chin when she cops another blow to the face after she kicks out at the fucker trying to pull her shorts off.

“Get your filthy fucking hands off my woman,” Mad Dog states with lethal intent.

The room falls silent as the cockhead with his back to us stiffens, registering our intrusion, before raising his hands in the air on either side of his head. The prick lying half undressed under her turns his head to us, the blood draining from his face as recognition dawns.

He lets go of her waist, but doesn’t make a further move.

“Now step the fuck away from her.”

When Mad Dog speaks, the goateed asshole shoots a wary glance over his shoulder, and shuffles toward Smoke after Mad Dog’s arrogant jerk of his gun in that direction. He turns to face us as he moves, his pants falling past his ass, giving us all an eyeful of his erect cock.

Fuck, I could have lived without seeing that.

Averting my eyes quickly to his face, I’m stunned when I recognize him.

I hear Mad Dog growl when he sees the asshole’s dick. Fucking hell, with his and Maddi’s history, it’s the last thing he needs to see.

Rushing forward, I move to grab him when he throws his gun on the floor and pulls his hunting knife from the sheath on his belt.

I’m too slow.

He lunges for the dumb fucker, who just stands there with his hands still in the air.

“Mad Dog. NO!” I bellow.

Grasping the guy’s cock, he brings the knife down and severs it with one slash. His target squeals like a stuck pig, dropping to his knees. Not stopping at cutting off the guy’s cock, Mad Dog catches him with one arm as he falls, plunging his knife into his gut, and wrenching it upwards.

Reaching him, I wrap my arms around his waist. Summoning all of my strength to lift my enraged best friend, I throw him on his back on the solid wooden floor, away from the asshole he’s just gutted. The fucker he stabbed hits the deck, gurgling as he clutches his stomach.

It’s apparent he’s not long for this world, the death rattle that erupts from his chest moments later justifying my assessment.

“Fucking stay down. It’s Wizard,” I tell Mad Dog as he tries to struggle to his feet. Smoke jumps on him, pinning him to the ground for me. “You’ve just gutted the motherfucking President of the Mavericks of Mayhem, you stupid son of a bitch.”

Dropping my hands to my knees when Mad Dog stops fighting, I rest for a moment. I’m panting, fighting to catch my breath. Mad Dog’s a fucking handful when he snaps like this.

My brief rest is disrupted by a new commotion.

Maddi shrieks when she’s grabbed by her hair, and pulled off the bed by the other Maverick—the one I’d forgotten about until now. The fucker points his gun at her head, shoving her in front of him. Fuck. I’m dropping the ball all over the place this afternoon.

I immediately recognize him as Wizard’s nephew and heir apparent.

Just what we fucking need.
This has potential to turn further to shit if I don’t shut it down.

“Come on, Cam. Just let her go.” I pick up my gun from the floor at my feet, thankful it landed so close to me after I dropped it when I was wrestling with Mad Dog.

I point it at him, sighting it straight between his eyes. The coward ducks as much of his head as he can behind Maddi, who’s desperately trying to keep her feet and the tattered fabric of her top together.

Mad Dog pushes Smoke off of him. They both rise to their feet.

“Not gonna happen,” Cam wheezes when Maddi slams an elbow into his ribs. She pulls her arm forward, driving her elbow back into him again. He falls to the side.

At her movement, Smoke kicks Mad Dog’s gun along the floor toward him. After he scoops his weapon from the floor, he aims and shoots Cam in the leg before throwing himself at Maddi as she’s dragged to the floor when Cam falls.

Smoke and I pounce on Cam.

Smoke rips his gun from his hands while I secure him in a headlock. A keening cry erupts from him, telegraphing the pain caused by his bullet wound to the entire room.

Fucking pussy needs to man the fuck up.

“Fuck, Angel. Tell me you’re okay?” Mad Dog drops to the floor with Maddi in his arms. She doesn’t reply, her shaking shoulders an answer of their own. She’s wrapped herself around him like a vine, legs tight around his waist, her arms around his neck. With her head buried her head in the crook of his neck, you’d need to surgically detach her from him to get them apart. Mad Dog’s eyes are shut, his lips moving silently in prayer, as he holds her just as tight.

I brace for the usual stab to my heart that hits me when I see them connect like this, but for once it doesn’t come. Instead, JJ’s sad green eyes enter my mind, and an urgency to get back to her grips me.

“Check him.” I tilt my head toward Wizard.

He’s still lying where he dropped, not making a sound.

We’ve got to work out how we’re dealing with him before we leave.

Smoke turns him over with his foot. His head lolls to the side, his face white and his lips blue. He’s dead as a doornail.

“He’s gone,” Smoke declares.

“You motherfuckers are gonna pay for this. Mavericks aren’t gonna stop ‘til they rid the earth of you fucking Shamrocks—” Cam spits his threats at us, his face turning ashen at the sight of his dead uncle. I wrench his neck tighter in my headlock, his words stopping as he chokes.