Page 17

CHAPTER

ELEVEN

HARLOWE

M onday, I don’t have class because school is still closed for the holiday.

Marnie and I are both working in the kitchen.

She’s making some of her signature gougères, a light and fluffy cheese puff that customers love.

She is avoiding talking to me, and I worry that she’s mad at me, or that she and my brother aren’t going to work out.

Oly is at a summer day camp program at the local family fitness club, not the gym Jerry went to.

“Okay, I’ve let you wallow long enough. We are friends. I’m not giving up on you, even if you and my brother don’t work out.”

She sighs and drops her head. “It’s not that. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up. I can’t be with him.”

I sit on the stool and watch her work. Her hands knead and work the dough. She’s been working with me and teaching me how she does it.

“It’s just that my life isn’t in a good space for a relationship right now.”

“Are we ever ready? Do you think I was ready for Crue when he came into mine? I wanted revenge for my dad’s death.

I wanted to prove I was tough enough to do it on my own and didn’t need the men who walked away from me all those years ago.

” I share something with her I never have before.

She only knows I moved from Texas, not that I was in hiding.

“I didn’t know that for my safety my father told them never to contact me. ”

“Why were you in hiding?” She looks up at me, taking her eyes off the pastry she’s creating.

“I had to because an enemy of the club decided to put a price on my mother’s and my head. She was killed, as you already know.”

“Oh, crap. I didn’t know that.”

“I didn’t know how you’d react to learning that. Can I tell you something?”

She nods and smiles at me. “Of course you can. You’re my only friend.”

“I don’t know your story, but I want you to know I’m here to help you if you ever need it. I can teach you how to defend yourself and shoot a gun, if you want. I’m also a really good listener.” I stretch across the work bench and take her flour-covered hand in mine. “You’re my only friend too.”

“Thank you.” She doesn’t say anything else but looks up. “Oh, crap! I have to go get Oly. Would you mind putting these in the oven and then starting to close up on your own? I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Take my truck and Fezzik, if you want.”

“No, I can’t do that.”

“Yes, you can, and you will. I heard that p.o.s. giving you problems this morning.”

“I’ll take the truck, but Fezzik won’t leave with me.” She wipes her hands off, then moves to the sink to wash them before taking my keys off the hook and heading out.

I pan the pastries that just need to be baked—she did everything else—and put them in the oven.

I then step out front and start cleaning up.

We were busy this morning for a burst and then again at lunch, but our normal afternoon rush didn’t happen.

We think it was because everyone is still on holiday time.

Some businesses, like the college, took today off too.

I’m wiping down the tables when the bell rings, and I turn to see a man walking in. He’s dressed in a suit and has tawny skin and a slightly rounded face. I smile at him.

“Welcome to Marnie’s French Pastries Café, how can I help you?” I say as I move behind the counter.

He doesn’t say anything to me but looks around the shop.

“What are you in the mood for today?” I try again. But the more he remains silent, the more the hair on the back of my neck stands up.

“I honestly thought it would be harder to get to you,” he says in a deep voice.

I hit the panic button on my watch, and Fezzik comes from the back. He walks over to my side, and the man chuckles. Fezzik growls at him.

“I think it’s time for you to leave,” I tell him and wave my hand to the door.

Another man walks in, who looks vaguely familiar. Then it hits me.

“Goat,” I say.

He smiles at me. He’s not dressed in his cut but in dark slacks and a button-down shirt with a jacket over it.

“You do know who I am. I’m shocked.”

“I remember you, plus I’ve seen you at the bar.”

“They wouldn’t let me come to the table that night. You’re some special pussy, I’d say.”

Fezzik growls at his tone, and I turn back to the first guy, who pulls a gun out of his jacket.

“No, no, son, we don’t kill dogs.”

Fezzik moves between me and the counter, trying to push me back from the danger.

Goat pulls a gun and fires it at Fezzik.

I scream, but when I see the dart with the bright-colored tip, I realize he tranquilized him.

I pull it out and drop it to the floor, but it’s too late. Fezzik falls to the floor, out cold.

“What did you fucking do to my dog, asshole?”

I come around the counter on the side near the other man. I don’t know him, but he’s the one I need to take care of first. Goat is easier to handle. He’s older, and from the looks of it, he hasn’t been working out as much as he used to. His skin is weathered, and he’s showing his age.

“It sounds like the princess is as rabid as the rest of those bikers. Is she what you call bear bait?”

“No, she isn’t. She’s worth it. I’ve heard she’s a virgin. We could get some money for this one.”

“You’re his son?” I ask the other man. “You’re Aaronov.”

“You were right, she’s smart. Hello, my dear princess, I’m Boruta Aaronov.” He’s got to be close to forty years old, and like his father, he didn’t age very well.

“I’m Harlowe Thatcher. You killed my parent’s, asshole.”

I twist my body, readying to attack, when a sharp pain hits my upper chest. I look down at the dart protruding from me.

I rip it out of my body and throw it across the room before I punch Aaronov in his smiling face.

My hit doesn’t land, and he punches me. I fall to the floor and stare out the door, hoping my guards come in, but I don’t see any of them.

Instead, I’m lifted and carried out of the bakery.

Aftershock

I look down at my phone and see GB’s name. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“They got her. Sorry.” He coughs, and then there’s nothing.

I stand up in the middle of the meeting we’re having regarding the evidence from my dad. “Golden Boy,” I yell into the phone, but he doesn’t answer.

Kodiak is up, and we both run from the room. I miscalculated her safety, and I was wrong. I thought she’d be okay for a couple of hours without an officer. I had a patch and three prospects watching her.

“It’s Goat,” I shout to Vortex as I rush to my bike.

I don’t bother with my helmet. I take off, tires spinning and throwing up dust. I cut off cars and weave through traffic, pushing hard toward the outskirts of town. I can’t afford to get pulled over, not now.

By the time I reach the bakery, I see Harlowe’s truck pulling up, but Marnie is behind the wheel. I whip around to the front, and there, lying on the ground, is GB. He’s been shot.

I rush to his side and lift his head. “Come on, kid.” I check his vitals. “Call an ambulance,” I yell at Marnie as she holds Oly in her arms.

“Sorry, Shock, I tried. When I saw him tranq the other guys, I pulled my gun, and the other man shot me.”

“Fuck,” I exclaim, upset that he willingly took a bullet to save my girl—and she was still taken.

“She was tranqed when they carried her out. Blue panel van. Newer model. Had something weird written on the side.”

“Okay, kid, don’t worry. I’m going to take off. You get better. EMS is on their way.”

Sparky, who is a volunteer firefighter and EMT, checks him over. “He’ll be okay until they get here.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Miner, take Marnie and Oly to my house. Put it on lockdown. Take Fezzik too.”

“Where is Fezzik?” I look around, worried.

“He’s been tranqed too. I’ll have a vet I know come to the house and look him over.”

“Thank you.”

“Rylan?” Marnie says his name as she cries.

Kodiak walks over to her and kisses her deeply, then presses a kiss to Oly’s forehead. “I’ll be back with Harlowe. Be safe, and do whatever Miner tells you.”

“I will. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

“I’m glad you weren’t. They would’ve hurt you both.”

He walks to his bike as we hear the sirens approaching, and we take off.

We pull over in a neighborhood where we have a safe house. We roll the bikes into the garage, hidden from prying eyes, and gear up with supplies we keep here for situations just like this.

When we finally leave, we’re in a large three-row SUV and another vehicle, switching it up to keep the police off our trail. I’m sure they’re watching for us after responding to GB’s gunshot wound.

The drive takes us to the southern part of Anchorage, in Bear Valley, where Aaronov has a house, pretending he’s not the leader of a criminal drug syndicate and gang.

Tonight, I’m going to show the Black Devils why I’m really called Aftershock.

I look into my bag on the floor with an evil grin. These fuckers won’t know what hit them.

“Shock, I have everything needed to make it look like a gas leak, but you need to control yourself,” Loki says from the back.

He’s the cleaner and chemist of our group.

I have several mixtures he’s made for me.

Growing up, my father was hard-pressed to keep us in line.

Loki would make it, and I’d detonate it.

I have a way with these things. It’s as if the chemicals are telling me how to place them and where.

When I was in the military, I served in the engineers’ unit and also received extensive training in explosives ordinance demolition.

“I have both vehicles connected to this call.” Vortex’s voice fills the car.

“First, GB is stable. He’s at the hospital, and they’re prepping him for surgery.

The other prospects are awake with no side effects.

The vet said Fezzik is okay too. Kodiak, Miner has your house locked down with your girl and kid. ”

“Enough with the niceties. Why did Goat betray us?” I bark.

“Aaronov is his son.”

“What the fuck?” we all exclaim.