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  Kasey’s heart went out to Lindsey.

  Lindsey held her hands up. “It’s okay. You don’t need to hug me or anything. I don’t need any sympathy. I fell for him, and he got me with the prank in the end. When I saw it, I had a breakdown in the toilet. Tears, snot, you name it. I think I even threw up. It had been a bet all along to get me into bed. That I would be so desperate for some attention, I’d throw myself at anyone. Anyway, after listening to a bunch of girls cackle at my expense, I was done being the one sitting in the toilet feeling ashamed, humiliated, and broken.”

  Kasey couldn’t imagine that ever happening. She waited, listening as Lindsey continued to finish her story.

  “I left the toilet. Held my head high. It suddenly occurred to me that not only had I fucked the most popular guy in school, the experience was awful, and just because he thought he’d gotten one over on me, I wasn’t done. Of course, everyone thought I was the butt of the joke, but I decided that it wasn’t going to end like that. I guess in a way my fuck ’em and leave ’em attitude began that day.”

  “Okay, now I’m curious. What did you do?” Kasey asked.

  The wicked smile on Lindsey’s face confirmed that she didn’t take it lying down.

  “I walked into the cafeteria, head high, instead of crying the whole time, and having lots of tears and puffy eyes. I’d stopped crying and splashed water on my face, so I probably looked like the most calm and collected girl in the entire school.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder. “The cafeteria went so quiet as I looked for him. Now, up until this point, I’d been told what an amazing kisser I was. He was so shocked by how much he loved it when I kissed him. Anyway, instead of going to him, I walked right up to his friend, grabbed his face, and kissed him. I put my all into it. At first, he didn’t respond, and then he did, and when I say he responded, he pulled me into his lap, and I felt the hard-on he was sporting. By the time we finished I asked him if he was better in the sack than his loser friend. By the end of the afternoon, no one was laughing at me. They were laughing at him as the video also showed how lame he was in bed.”

  “Wow,” Kasey said. “Only you can go and kiss the next guy. Did you know you were going to do that?”

  “I didn’t have a clue to be honest. I entered that cafeteria, and I got so angry. I just reacted, and I wanted no part in it. Besides, within a few weeks we graduated, and I was done. I never slept with anyone else at the school.”

  Kasey pulled her into her arms. “I’d have crushed his balls for you.”

  Lindsey laughed. “You can’t even hurt a fly, so I’ll be the one doing all that ball-crushing you keep on talking about.”

  “Very true.” With Lindsey talking to her, one of the washes had finished.

  She realized that she’d been distracted for twenty minutes while her clothes washed.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “You’re very welcome.”

  They continued to do their washing as Lindsey kept on chattering away. Kasey loved listening to her friend, and what she had to say. Some of the stories made her laugh. Before too long, three hours had passed and she couldn’t stand the wait anymore.

  “I’m just going to make a call.”

  “Sure. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

  Leaving the room, she sat down on the third step and held her cell phone in her hand. She didn’t call Chip. The last thing she wanted to do was give him a distraction if he was in the middle of something, so she put a call to Holly, waiting anxiously as she answered.

  “Hello,” Holly said, a little out of breath.

  “Hey, it’s just me. I was wondering if you’d heard anything?”

  “No, not yet. We’re all here if you’d like to come and check. We all like to stay at the clubhouse when shit goes down.”

  She looked toward the room, hearing Lindsey hum. “It’s okay. I’ve got company, and I really don’t think I could handle being there right now.”

  “Okay. I’ll call you if there’s any change.”

  “Thank you. Is it normal to wait this long?”

  “Yes. It is. I’m sorry I can’t give you any more information.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Saying their goodbyes, Kasey hung up the phone.

  Closing her eyes, she rested her head in her hands, taking several deep breaths. She didn’t want to be dealing with this right now. She felt so utterly alone.

  “Bad conversation?” Lindsey asked, peeking out the door.

  “It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t exactly tell me what I wanted to hear.”

  “I’m a big girl if you want to go to the clubhouse and be with them.”

  “Nah, it’s fine. I like being here. Spending time with you.” She rubbed her friend’s hand, and rested her head on Lindsey’s shoulder. “I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

  Lindsey didn’t say anything. She put her arm around her shoulders and hugged her.

  There really wasn’t anything else she could do.

  Chapter Eleven

  Earlier in the day

  When they were thirty minutes from Abelli territory, Duke flagged them all down near a parking zone. Pulling his bike inside, Chip turned off the ignition and moved to hear what Duke had to say.

  “The moment we cross that line we’ll be on Abelli’s land. He’ll know we’re coming, and our element of surprise will be ruined.”

  Chip had already figured that out. This was just another reason why this was so dangerous. They could all be killed before they even got to Francis Abelli.

  “If any of you want to turn around and head back, I will not under any circumstances hold it against you.”

  No one moved a muscle or even looked like they were going to.

  “You’ve got kids and family,” Duke said.

  “So have you, Duke,” Raoul said. “I’m not backing away. We end this today, and I am done playing this game.”

  Duke nodded. “You’re all ready? I can’t guarantee that we’ll all make it out alive.”

  “For those that don’t, take care of their families,” Pike said. “Make sure they’re taken care of.”

  Then they were back on their bikes and heading into Abelli turf. Chip smiled. He loved being on his bike, on the open road, and fuck it if this didn’t feel so good, taking the fight to Abelli.

  For a long time the Trojans MC hadn’t dealt with any kind of shit storm like this. They’d been dealing their business, doing the normal kind of shit. Fucking, falling in love, the runs that Ned Walker arranged for them. Then Maya came to them, followed by the truth about Holly. It had been like a noose tied around their necks, waiting for the stool beneath them to be pushed out.

  No more.

  They were not a club that had death waiting for them. They were the club that brought death to whoever threatened it, and he was done waiting.

  As he rode toward the Francis Abelli mansion, Chip’s rage grew with every passing second. He thought about Holly, about Russ and Sheila, and also about the love he had for Kasey. If he didn’t make it, he’d be so pissed, but he’d also put everything in place with the club so that she would be taken care of if anything happened to him.

  He didn’t want it to go that way.

  As he rode toward his possible death, he thought about everything he wanted to do. To take Kasey on the back of his bike, to date her, to show her the love he felt building inside him, and the life he wanted with her.

  Not only did he want to claim her as his old lady, but he also wanted to marry her for real. For her to take his hand and for them to walk together as one. He wanted to get her pregnant and to see her swollen with his kid. Just the thought made his dick ache, and when he got home, he was going to tell her what he wanted, how much he loved her, and that no matter what he would make her happy.

  The gates were open when they got to Abelli’s land, and they rode right inside. Diaz had pulled away, and Chip figured they’d come in when they needed it, or they liked the scenery.

  He really
didn’t give a shit. Parking his bike along the line of Trojans MC, Duke took the lead just as Francis Abelli along with all of his men came out of the house.

  “Well, I have to say to what do I owe this little surprise?” Francis Abelli asked.

  Chip looked at Abelli’s goons, checking out the ones on the outer edge and seeing that they looked the most collected of all of them.

  They all had a hand on their guns, and the crew did as well. Chip held his gun ready to take aim.

  “Well, you see, I have a little problem. I thought we were all friends here. You know. I’m with your granddaughter, and we had a deal that Anton ended everything between us,” Duke said, stepping forward.

  Chip didn’t take his gaze off Francis, whose eye had twitched at the mention of his son.

  “We did,” Francis said. His voice no longer sounded like the cheery fellow of moments ago.

  “You see, I thought that.” Duke began to pace, walking several steps ahead, then turning and walking back. “Let me get this entirely straight. Anton wanted either Sheila and Russ, and there was no chance in hell of me giving over any of my club or my club women. So I come to you, and you guarantee to me that you’ll keep your son in line. I won’t go into the entire detail of that conversation as you were there. We had that conversation, you and I, and you told me Anton would be taken care of. So in my own parking lot, in my clubhouse.” Duke had stopped at this point, and was poking his chest with each time he said “my.” He’d stopped pacing. “Sheila and Russ were taken from us. Two people you swore to me would be safe were killed in my house, on my land.”

  Francis’s jaw clenched.

  “You see, Francis, buddy, pal. That’s two people you couldn’t even fucking protect. Being the good guy that I am, I decided that instead of taking out two of your guys, I took out your very troublesome son. Believe me, I can count. Two to one, you were getting the better fucking deal. Not only did I have to bury two of my people, I’ve had to deal with the fucked-up shit that was done to my wife. You know, the mother of my children. Which is fine. I can handle that. I can handle having to be the big man, and take care of my wife when she’s lost her parents. The two people she saw as her parents in the world.” Duke moved toward his cool box, lifting it off the back of the bike.

  Guns were pulled out and aimed, the tension increasing with every passing second.

  Francis held out his hand, keeping his men at bay.

  “So you see, Francis, I’m a bit confused. We agreed that Anton was the end of it. No one else would die. You’d back off. I’d back off, and we’d both enjoy our fucking back-off party, when this piece of shit turns up.”

  The head of the man asking a lot of questions was pulled out by his hair, and tossed toward Abelli.

  Chip held his gun steady, watching the men, making sure no one got a shot off. None of them were taking out his Prez.

  He wondered what the fuck Diaz was doing.

  Duke threw the cool box to the ground. “Now tell me what the fuck that is?”

  Francis stared at the head on the floor then looked up.

  Silence fell between them.

  It stretched for several moments, and Duke’s hands were on his hips, waiting.

  “You made a mistake coming here,” Abelli said, the first one to cave.

  Duke shook his head. “Nah, I didn’t make a mistake. I’m not the one that backed out of our deal. You did. The way I see it, a life for a life. This fucker, that makes three.” Suddenly Duke took out his gun and fired at the first man in the long line of men. Still Abelli didn’t move a hand. “Now we’re even.”

  Francis smiled. “Do you really think you’re going to leave here alive?”

  Duke laughed, and it took Francis by surprise. “You really think I give a shit? You really think that I’d take my men on a suicide mission without guaranteeing their safety? I’m not you, Francis Abelli. You pushed the wrong man. I’m not Russ. I’m not one of your pussy goons. I won’t be pushed around.” Duke turned toward them. “I’m Duke. The infamous Prez of the Trojans MC, and no one messes with us.”

  Abelli gave the signal just as Diaz and his crew made his way out of the house.

  Gunshots rang out, and Chip cried out as pain exploded in his leg. He held his gun out, firing at the fucker that had got a bullet inside him. He’d been so intent on watching fucking Abelli that he’d not seen the fucker aim toward him, and now he was so fucking pissed off.

  The pain was instant, and it burned.

  One by one, Abelli’s men went down. Chip gripped the wound in his leg, fucked off that he’d been shot. He’d not been shot in a long time, and now he was angry. He wanted to go home looking like a hero to his woman, and now that he’d been shot, there was no way in hell that was happening, which pissed him off.

  Minutes passed, and Chip stayed in position, gun poised. The only man standing was Francis Abelli.

  “You bastard,” Francis said.

  Diaz held a knife to his throat. He kicked him, sending Francis down to his knees, and Duke walked up to him.

  “I think my parents were married, so I’m not much of a bastard.” Duke took the blade from Diaz, nodding at him. “Never invite a Trojan horse into your house, Francis. You don’t know what they’re hiding. Didn’t the myths ever tell you the truth?”

  Chip watched as Duke held the blade at Francis Abelli’s throat. Then Duke slid it across Francis’s neck, blood spilled, and he gurgled before falling dead at Duke’s feet.

  Silence rang out, and Chip looked at the carnage in front of them.

  Duke was doing the same, looking at the large building, then at the bodies. “Torch it.”

  “You don’t want to take some souvenir?” Pike asked.

  “No. I don’t want anything this fucker touched. I made a statement. That’s all I wanted to do.” Duke shook Diaz’s hand. “Thank you.”

  “That’s what I’m here for.”

  “Let’s have a damage count,” Duke said.

  “Chip, Floss, and Daisy have been shot, but other than that, we’re all perfectly fine,” Pike said.

  “Speak for yourself, it fucking burns,” Floss said.

  “Yeah, I can’t claim this is fucking easy or a picnic. How the fuck am I going to get home?” Chip asked.

  Pie came toward him. “It’s a flesh wound. You can ride bitch for me.” Pie ran a hand down his face, and Chip slapped his hand away.

  The building was torched, and Chip was riding bitch for Pie, which really pissed him off. Diaz packed the bikes that they couldn’t ride in the back of their vehicles. Chip was so pissed off that he’d been shot. They’d put a tourniquet to help stop the bleeding. He couldn’t go to a hospital, so he had to get home.

  He hoped Kasey wasn’t angry at him.

  ****

  Kasey opened her eyes, groaning as she realized she slept with Lindsey. Her cell phone was vibrating, and she reached out, grabbing it. It had been a couple of hours, and she must have passed out on her sofa.

  She saw it was Holly’s name, and sitting up, wiping her eyes, she answered it.

  “Hey, do you know anything?”

  “They’re back, Kasey. They’re all back, but erm, Chip, he … got shot. He’s asking for you.”

  Pushing Lindsey’s legs off her, Kasey was up. “I’ll be right there. I’m coming.”

  Her heart racing, she quickly checked to make sure she looked fine. Lindsey woke up with a groan.

  “That’s not a nice way to wake a woman, shoving her legs off you.”

  “I’m so sorry. I’ve got to head out though. I can’t stay and linger.”

  “What?”

  “Chip’s back, and I want to go and check on him. It’s nothing personal. You can stay here, and I’ll bring you breakfast or lunch or something,” Kasey said.

  She hugged Lindsey and rushed out the door.

  Kasey didn’t wait for the elevator. She rushed down the stairs, leaving her apartment block and climbing in the car.

  Within minutes she
was on the road, heading toward the clubhouse. She broke speed limits to get there in record time.

  She parked her car with a screech, which she didn’t care about. Running into the clubhouse, she saw Holly.

  “Where is he?” she asked.

  “He’s down in the basement. The doctor is with him.”

  Following Holly, she saw several of the brothers, including Pie.

  “Hey, baby,” Chip said.

  The doctor moved out of the way, and Kasey sobbed, rushing toward him, wrapping her arms around him.

  He held her tightly, and she cupped his face, kissing him.

  “I was so worried. So scared that something went wrong, that something happened to you.”

  “Nothing happened to me, baby. I’m fine. I’m alive and well.”

  She stroked a finger down his cheek and laughed. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too. You’re going to have to take care of me, though.”

  Kasey realized he wasn’t wearing any pants, and his leg was bandaged up. “What happened?”

  “One of the perps got me, baby.”

  “Oh, no.” She saw that it was completely clean, and the bandage looked right. “Does it hurt?”

  “Yes, it hurts.” He sat up, and moved so that he was about to stand. “Will you help me upstairs? I don’t want to lie down here all night.”

  He put one arm around her shoulders, and she helped him leave the basement. She was so happy right now that he was alive, and well, and he was more than fine.

  It took her some time to help him up to his room, and Pie finally conceded and helped.

  “I could lift you up in my arms, and totally carry you like the hero in a movie.”

  “Fuck off, Pie,” Chip said.

  “Or I could drop you and your heavy ass,” Pie said.

  “Don’t you dare,” she said. “Don’t hurt him.”

  “As the lady wishes.”

  She pulled back the bedsheets, and Chip lay down. “I think it’s safe to say I need a few days’ rest,” he said with a groan.

  “Anything you need, give me a shout,” Pie said.