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I look at Thomas, “How did that man get in here disguised as a deputy, and kill both of them? You do know that is the same man that killed Crow and kidnapped Cooper and Bexley, right? So how the hell did this happen?”

He shakes his head, “I don’t know Saige. I just don’t know. I was gone to lunch with the mayor, came back to all of this. I must get in there with the coroner. Lynch do you know who hacked into the system to where we couldn’t get into it?”

Lynch looks at me, “It needs to be kept to ourselves until we can find out why, sir. But I will tell you as soon as we talk to Stone.”

Commander Thomas looks at the both of us, knowing that if it has to go to dad, it has something to do with the club. He nods as we walk out of his office. “I’ll call dad now, get him here so that we can go over everything with you. He needs to know about all of this.”

I call dad as soon as Lynch and I get outside, and he says he’ll be here shortly. Lynch and I sit on the tailgate of the truck and wait. He looks at me, “It was Tech. We were right not to trust him. I wonder why he is doing this?”

“I have no clue. It seems like the club is falling apart. Reading their lips in the video, Tonya and Grange were talking about breaking her out. I couldn’t catch everything they said, but that was the gist of it. And when Richard went into the room, she was begging him to let her go, that she knew he had gotten Cooper and Bexley to Michael. That she was sorry she couldn’t help being locked up. That’s when he slit her throat. So, I guess they are tying up loose ends so to speak.” I say. I watch as dad pulls up beside us, and we tell him everything that has happened.

“We’ll handle Tech. Could be he was blackmailed into it or something. Let’s go see what we can figure out.” Dad says.

We follow him back into the station.

Fifteen

Cooper

I’m so damntired and weak. This asshole has beaten me with a baseball bat, made little cuts all over me, little burns on my arms and chest, and now is reaching for a larger knife. The thing that has gotten to me the most is hearing Bex begging him to stop. She has sobbed, begged, and screamed and it is echoing in my head. Talk about psychological torture. Michael is standing in front of me laughing. “It’s fun to hear her beg isn’t it? You know, Tonya saw her in the bar where she was working? Bexley was supposed to be taken and given to some guy from overseas who wanted a red head. But when I saw her, I knew I had to have her. She would be my prize possession. I would own every inch of her and do with her what I pleased. So I took her. She was mine until her damn cousin helped her escape. But I got her back. And she won’t get away this time.” He turns and grins at Bexley. But his grin suddenly turns to anger when he sees that she has gotten loose.

“What do you think you are doing Poppet?” He raises his hand and slaps her. I try to kick him from behind but can barely lift my leg. I look over him to see Bex is standing her ground.

“Michael, you have hurt me and everyone I love for the last time. You will never own me!” Bexley swings a baseball bat that she had grabbed off the table and whacks him in the side of the head. It makes a sickening sound and he makes a gurgle sound as he hits the floor. Bexley then grabs the handcuff keys from his pocket, along with a gun from the back of his pants and pulls the chair she was in over to me. She stands on it, gives me a quick kiss, then unlocks one the cuffs. I fall to the floor with an oomph escaping me as I land. Bexley jumps off the chair and rushes over to me. She helps me to sit and is hugging me tight. “Are you okay? Do you think you can walk? I would give you that bottle of water on the table, but I just don’t trust that he hasn’t poisoned it.”

“Yeah me neither. Just give me a second, I’ll be able to get up. I love you, you foxy lady you.” I say as I put my forehead against hers and kiss her. We both hear movement and a groan coming from Michael. Now I’m even more pissed. He has held us here for two days, and it has been constant torture. Mental and physical. This man caused my woman to be hurt in more ways than one, and it’s time he pays. I slowly get to a standing position and take the gun from Bex. I wait until he has rolled over onto his back and he sees us standing before him, Bexley curled into my side, my arm around her, the pointing the gun right at him.

“This is for kidnapping us.” I say as I shoot him in his left knee, “This is for tying my woman up and hurting her.” I shoot his right knee. Michael is screaming and cussing now. I point the gun at his stomach, “This is for making my woman have to save me and go through everything you put us through.” He screams even louder and grabs his stomach. I move the gun to in between his eyes. “This is for being a scumbag who thinks he can take my woman from me and live. Bexley is with me, not owned by me. You will never hurt anyone ever again.” I say as I shoot for the last time, killing him. Bexley puts her arms around me squeezing tight.

She reaches me the cell phone that she had gotten out of his pocket as well. Both of our phones were destroyed in front of us by Michael. I dial dad’s number and I pray silently that he answers. “Hello?”

“Saige is that you? Why do you have dad’s phone? Never mind, can you get Tech to triangulate this cell that I’m using?” I ask. I can hear her talking to someone beside her. “Sis?”

“Yeah, Lynch is on it. Are y’all okay?” Saige asks

“Yeah, a little beat up, but we’re okay. Just want to get out of here. Why is Lynch doing it? Where’s Tech?” I ask pulling Bexley with me through the door and seeing that it leads outside, and that there are no guards. I close the door and notice we’re in the woods. I pull her over to the nearest tree and sit down, pulling her onto my lap.

“Um Tech is something we’ll talk about when we get to y’all. I’m bringing water and blankets. Wolfe and Hawke are going to follow us in their cage. We’ll be there shortly. Keep the phone on.” She says hanging up.

“Well hell, I reckon something is going on back at the club for Sis to be coming to get us. Are you okay Foxy?” I ask as I look her over.

“I’m okay Coop. My wrists are pretty raw, cut, and sore from trying to get loose from the ropes. My head hurts, but I’m okay. What about you? He did so much to you.” She cries as she leans into me, her arms going around my neck. “I love you Cooper. Do you think this is finally over?”

I run my hand up and down her back trying to calm her. “I’m going to be okay. I’ll need some antibiotics and antibiotic cream for all the cuts and burns so infection doesn’t set in, and my ribs wrapped. Other than that, I’m good. I love you too Bexley. I think that for the most part this is over, but I don’t know what’s going on back home, or what has happened to Richard. So I guess we just wait for Saige to get here with help.” We sit in this position and I hold her as she nods off a little. I’m exhausted but I won’t sleep until we are home, and I know for sure that she is safe.

I hear the trucks before I see them. I rouse Bex up and have her help me stand. I barely get straightened out when I am pretty much tackled by a barnacle that is hugging me tight. “Saige, we’re okay. Sis, loosen up please, my ribs.” She eases up and look up at me tears pouring down her face. I hug her, “We’re okay. Broken ribs and cuts, but okay.” She nods as she backs up a little then she and Bex hug, a crying mess, both of them. I look over to Lynch, “Brother, what the hell is going on?”

He signs to me, ‘Tech is helping these guys. We aren’t sure why, but he hacked the computers at the police station and blocked them from seeing what happened. Tonya and Grange are dead. Richard killed them. He’s also the one that placed the bomb at the garage and took you two.’

I look at him in disbelief. I sign back, ‘Why would Tech be helping them?’ He shrugs his shoulders. Wolfe and Hawke come up and get me and Bex into the back of the truck they have stocked with supplies. I watch as Lynch puts his arm around Saige and helps her up into her truck. It dawns on me, he’s still in love with her. I let Wolfe look me over.

“We’ll need you to shower as soon as we get you both back to the clubhouse, then I can help tend to your cuts, and wrap your ribs. I think they may just be bruised but we have the x-ray machine in the back room, I can get Doc to check them. Bex, I’m going to wash your wrists now with some saline solution, then I will put some antibiotic cream on them, wrap them up.” She nods and hisses a little as he cleans her wrists. We head straight to the clubhouse, Lynch and Saige following us.

“Hey Coop, what were you and Lynch doing with your hands?” Bex asks me.

I smile, “It’s American Sign Language. Lynch’s mom is deaf. She came to the clubhouse once for a party we were having, and Saige told Lynch she wanted to be able to talk to her when she was there. So he taught her, and she taught me. It comes in handy.”

Bex nods her head, as I lead her back to our room here. I lock the door and we head to the shower. We both are tired as hell. I wash her off as easy as I can so that I don’t hurt her wrists any. Then Bex slowly washes me off. Once we are rinsed off, we towel each other dry. I pull her to me and kiss her. “Bex, I love you. I know you feel like this is over with Michael dead, but it’s not. We still have to find Richard and worry about what John is going to do about his brother being murdered. I still want patched members with you at all times.”