“What do you mean, your brother?"
“The man who took me. Apparently, my dad had another child at the same time as me but married my mother and sent the other woman on her way. Tony is his name. He said he made a deal with some other biker club to use me as a message to you guys. Doing so would get him a patch with them. I’m glad Mary got away; that other club had bigger plans for her. I fear what they will do to her if they get her.” I finished, exhausted.
“Here, Ann, take these. They will knock you out; your body needs rest to heal,” Doc said, putting the pills in my mouth, followed by some water. “I’m going to check on Johnny; if you need anything, just push the button here’ Pointing to a button on the bed. This sure felt like a hospital.
I had forgotten about Johnny. How terrible of me. “Is Johnny okay?”
“Yeah, the bullet missed anything important. He will be down for a while but will be okay,” Black said.
“Thank goodness.” I had become friends with Johnny since he was the one usually following me. My eyes were getting heavy, must be some pills.
Black noticing said, “Rest Ann, I will watch over you today, and from this day on, I will be here to protect you.”
As I drifted off to sleep, I thought that sure sounded like a commitment to a long-term relationship. So I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.
BLACK
ONCE ANNdrifted off to sleep, I left the room, knowing Summer would sit with her. Shadow had sent a message saying they were back with our special guests to meet him in the basement. I was anxious to release all the pent-up anger that was boiling inside me. Seeing Ann in her condition makes me feel like a raging lunatic, and hiding it from Ann while I talked to her was a miracle.
It wasn’t often I got to participate in things that happened in the basement that was usually reserved for senior club members. Shadow and Fuse were waiting outside a door when I got there.
“Ann wake up?” Shadow asked.
“Yeah, she is still in a lot of pain. Gave some information about the men inside.”
“Really? What did she say?”
“One of those guys named Tony claims to be her brother. Says he made a deal with the Fire Dragons to use Ann to send us a message, giving him a patch for beating and dumping her.”
“Anything else?”
“You’re not gonna like this, but from what Ann said, your old lady is the prize they’re after. Ann said they hinted they would do more than beat Mary.” Shadow’s face darkened to damn near purple, then he threw the door open and stormed into the room.
Inside, the rest of the officers stood, along with Lord, Moreno, and King. Three men were hanging by their arms from the ceiling. My heart sped up; it was go time. I hadn’t unleashed the demon inside me for years, and he was breaking out.
Shadow walked up in front of the men. “Hello boys, I hope you're comfortable.” Shadow grabbed one man by the legs swinging him back and forth. “So, you are the men who dare touch what belongs to this club and to Black and me personally.” Shadow snarled.
“When the Fire Dragons get rid of you bastards, your old ladies will get more than a touch; they’ll be made whores for the club, fucked and beat daily.” One of the men obviously wants a quick death to target each man in the room.
I have to hand to the brothers they didn’t take the bait, their faces showing their anger but not making a move to react with violence. “And how are they going to do that? The cowards are hiding, like the chicken shit they are.” Viking chuckled, leaning casually against the wall like he hadn’t a care in the world.
“Yeah, if you’re the best they got, I think we’re right not to worry,” Vampire joined in laughter in his voice.
“Why don’t you tell us where Cross is, and we’ll go see him,” Shadow said snidely.
“Why don’t you go fuck yourself.” The man snarled.
“No, no, I don’t think I will, but thanks for the suggestion. How about one of you tell me who it was that dared to touch my old lady?” Shadow said. His face was now deadly.
None of the men answered, but one had blood on his pant leg. Shadow zeroed in on him and walked to stand in front of him. Pulling his knife out of his pocket, he flipped the blade and, with the flick of a wrist, cut the man's jeans where the blood was stained. “Is that a bullet wound I see? Because you see, my old lady shot the man who assaulted her, and here you are with a bullet wound. Did you get the bullet out? We better make sure.” Shadow took his knife and shoved it into the wound, twisting it and causing the man to scream.
That got the attention of the other two men, who were now not being so cocky. Shadow pretending to be looking over the wound. “I don’t know; I think it may still be in there.” Shadow twisted the knife again, the man screeching with the pain. Shadow pulled back. “Unhook him.” Fuse and King rushed to let him down. The man slumped to the floor. Shadow kneeled in front of him. “Which hand did you use to strike my old lady?”
I could see where this was going, and it wasn’t pretty. The man stayed silent, keeping his head down. “No answer? Well, then I will have to assume it was both hands.” Shadow walked over to the table with weapons on it, picking up a machete. The man saw and tried to crawl backward away from Shadow as he advanced on him.
Holy shit!
I have never seen Shadow like this. I watched the gruesome scene unfold, listening to the man’s blood-curling screams as Shadow made sure he paid for what he did to Mary by taking his hands. When he was done, he looked down at the man. “Nobody touches what’s mine, and nobody lays a hand on my old lady!” Shadow snarled, his face a black mask of hate. The man was in shock and incoherent.