Page 6

CHAPTER SIX

HENDRIX

I raised my hand to signal at the tall, dark, menacing figure emerging from the main doors of Dulles International Airport.

The sight of Breaker in his classic jeans, beat-up sneakers, and tight black tee with a rucksack slung over one shoulder emerging from the curved, space-age-looking building hit me as a strange juxtaposition. The classic American Marlboro Man type sauntering toward me against the backdrop of modern architecture seemed ridiculous, but then Kit Stone always had been his own person and made no apologies for it.

The smile spreading across his face was wide but lazy, and his golden eyes sparkled with humor as he took me in on his approach. “You look like a man-bun toting commando on his day off,” he called over.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Usually, I lived in my biker gear much the same as Breaker. Jeans, boots or sneakers, a tee if I could be bothered, and my cut, but today, knowing what lay ahead, I’d worn the standard commando garb of black pants, tee, boots, and Ray-Bans.

Grabbing his hand, I pulled him in for a man hug, clapping him on the shoulder as he got close. “How ya doin’, brother?”

“I’m good,” he confirmed, pulling back to study me, his eyes darkening. “How you feelin’?”

“Excited, terrified, and like I wanna shoot someone in the head in equal measure,” I admitted.

He leveled me with a look. “I’m under strict instructions to take Anna back to Wyoming.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Not gonna happen. Already told Tristan that.”

He let out a chuckle, his hand reaching for the door of the SUV. “Tristan’s losing his mind. He’s booked on the morning flight. It’s good to see you’ve finally got your head outta your ass. Saves me knocking some sense into ya—” he grinned “—again.”

A few years back, I lost my mind over Ace’s betrayal and losing Anna, and I started trouble at a club party over in Wyoming. Breaker kicked my ass, though all I remember is being so lit at the time that I saw three of him, so it wasn’t a shock I tried to hit the wrong one.

I barked a laugh, watching him slide into the vehicle. “The only way you beat me before was ‘cause I was wasted. You sucker punched me.”

He grinned. “Knocked you clean out, asshole. No sucker punches involved.”

Still chuckling, I rounded the hood and jumped into the driver’s side, glancing over at Breaker. “How’s Kennedy?”

“Get your thoughts off my woman,” he growled.

“Jesus,” I muttered. “Talk about whipped.”

“Still haven’t forgotten your bullshit antics back when I was in the vet hospital,” he said dryly, pulling out his cell phone to check his messages.

My mouth twisted into a grimace, the same way it did whenever I was reminded of that time.

Just before I left for Virginia, Breaker’s woman came back on the scene. He’d met Kennedy years before when he went to Vegas with his army buddies. They stayed in contact and built something good, but over time, he began to suffer the effects of PTSD and left her for her own safety after he blacked out one night and got violent. Shit happened, and Kennedy got word he was KIA while serving, so she raised his twins alone, only to discover years later he was still alive.

He went away to get treatment, and that was when I made a move on Kennedy, even though I was seeing Anna.

I glanced at my bud, then pulled out of my parking space, joining the flow of traffic to merge onto Dulles Toll Road. “Different time, different world,” I explained before adding, “Different man.”

He let out a snort.

“You know, brother, it wasn’t about you or even Kennedy. It was my way of pulling away from Anna. I knew I was gonna leave, and I needed her to let me go. Being a dick was the easiest way to do it. It wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t right. I knew it then, and I know it now. It was messed up.”

“Damned straight,” he muttered, firing off a message. “But you forget, I walked away from my soulmate too. Can’t exactly judge you for doin’ the same. I get it, Drix. You weren’t ready for her, and you would’ve done her a disservice by forcing yourself into a relationship you didn’t want. If you had, you would’ve hurt her more in the long run. I just wish you could’ve done it respectfully. Ghosting Anna was your downfall.”

I signaled and merged the SUV onto Route 28. “If it’s any consolation. I’ve lived to regret it.”

“No consolation to me, man,” he replied, pocketing his phone and looking out the window. “Didn’t know about your past when you were my VP. I was too busy tryin’ to reconcile my own and keep my shit straight. Now, I can reflect with a clear head, and I get it. Military men are built differently. Your formative years weren’t full of a mother’s nurturing love. You were raised by men, then bellowed at, ordered, and made to fall into line by more men. How can you show care when nobody’s ever shown it to you?”

I bristled at his words. “I had a good life.”

“And that’s a beautiful thing, but it can still leave scars, brother, ‘cause having it good don’t gotta mean you didn’t miss having your mom.”

My gut tightened. “You think my fear of commitment’s tied to my mom?”

“Don’t you?” he countered.

My stare flicked to Breaker, then back to the windshield.

There was truth in what he said, except I had committed myself to somebody a long time ago. I met Erica at Fort Benning, Georgia when I was with the 75 th Ranger Regiment, and she was an infantry soldier also based there.

We got married in Vegas three months to the day we met. We were high on life, full of the exuberance of youth, and eager to grab hold of every scrap of beauty we knew our future would bring.

Three years later, she was dead.

“No,” I replied. “It’s tied to a lot more than just losing my mother.”

“Yeah, brother,” he replied gently. “I know.” He studied me briefly and must’ve decided it was time to change the subject— thank God . “So, how’s the Virginia chapter doing? Cash is happy with the green you pull in. Last year’s profits were through the roof.”

“I bet he’s happy,” I shot back. “That fucker gets five percent.”

Breaker laughed. “Sharing’s caring, Hendrix, and I know by the percentages that you guys are raking in more than enough to top up your 401(k)s in a very healthy way. I’m happy for you, brother. I know how much you wanted your own club. Always wondered if Dad would pass Cash over and give you the Wyoming gavel. Never thought my big brother would sort his shit out.”

“I always accepted it wasn’t my gavel to have,” I professed. “Me and Dagger had that chat the day he offered me VP. Cash was in jail, Bowie wasn’t interested, and you were wandering the country after leaving the military. Abe wanted to step down to spend more time with Iris, and I was probably the most sensible choice he had left. I’d led a team of Rangers, and your dad wanted someone with experience who could offer stability. We agreed back then that, one day, I’d set up my own chapter. It was a condition of me accepting the VP role.” I let out a snort. “It’s weird, but I always assumed it would be a neighboring state. I had my eye on Montana.”

“Pretty country up there,” he murmured.

I nodded. “Dad and his buds used to take me up there on fishing vacations when I was a kid. I loved it.”

Breaker smiled. “How is Will? Taking to biker life?”

“Dad’s in his fuckin’ element. He’s a man’s man, so he’s bromancing his ass off.”

“And Hollister?” he asked.

I grinned at Breaker calling Blade by his surname, a throwback from their military days. “He’s a fucking revelation. I thank God for the day you told me about him. Had a feeling about that man before even setting eyes on him. He’s an asset to my club, Breaker. Dunno what I’d do without him.”

He chuckled. “Fucker used to ride my ass like a cowboy when he was my lieutenant.”

“He still rides asses,” I concurred. “Never seen anyone make a room full of hard-ass ex-Special Ops soldiers shit their britches with just a look. They love him like a father figure but are still wary of getting on his bad side. That fucker has a way of making you feel like a seven-year-old schoolboy.”

“Sounds familiar,” Break drawled. “That was me for six goddamned years. Never respected a man like I did Lieutenant Hollister, never detested a man more either. I was the fuck up of my unit, always playing practical jokes and mouthing off. Was called into Hollister’s office more times than I care to remember, and without fail, that asshole read me with just a glance. The man’s sixth sense is off the damned charts, and I’m talkin’ eat your heart out Tyler Henry off the charts. Bet the brothers in your club don’t get away with shit.”

I let out a quiet chuckle. “Seems like some things never change.”

“He’s one of the best men I know,” Breaker declared. “He’d die for you. Think he would’ve died for Benny, Kyle, and Espinoza if he were given the choice.”

My throat thickened. “Yeah, brother. I know, and I don’t take it for granted. If anything happened to me, he’d make a fine president. Never met a man more cut out to hold a gavel than Nate Hollister.”

Breaker lounged back in his seat, his hands folded behind his head with a big grin spreading across his face, cocky as all fuck. “Knew it would work out for ya. The minute I saw him at his cabin in the woods, axe in hand, chopping wood with his blade attached to his knee for all to see, I knew he needed purpose. Then when he told me how much he missed the soldier life, it all clicked into place. You needed a Veep you could trust after Ace fucked you over, and Blade’s a man of honor and a born leader. Sending him your way was a no-fucking-brainer, brother.”

“Smug bastard,” I muttered.

He barked a laugh. “Yep.” His smile faded, and his head twisted toward me. “How is he underneath it all? Does he cope okay?”

I knew immediately what Breaker was getting at.

Blade lost a leg in the same incident that took the lives of three of their unit, one of them being Breaker’s closest friend and Carina’s man, Benny. Their Humvee was attacked just outside Kabul by the Taliban. Blade and Breaker were the only men who made it out of there alive.

Blade had been given a medal for bravery and sent on his way. As knowledgeable and proficient as he was despite missing a leg, the military was done with him.

Their loss was my gain.

“Mentally, Blade’s a fucking machine,” I relayed. “He’s strong of mind, and even losing a limb hasn’t fazed him. There’s nothing my VP can’t do, and he’s fitter and more able than most of the others. He’s a fucking powerhouse and as tough as they come, and he kicks ass. What he doesn’t admit is how much pain he’s in. The hydrotherapy pool helps him manage it, but his meds give him brain fog, so he’ll only take ‘em as a last resort.”

“Does your doc help?” he asked.

“Yeah. Bones was a field trauma surgeon. He’s operated on and treated more amputees than I’ve had steak dinners. He makes it his business to learn everything he can to help Blade and the men, and he’s training Freya to do the same. Your sister’s a fucking talented doctor, Break. She’s helped us out of some sticky spots over the last couple of years. We also have a physiotherapist come in three mornings a week. She goes through exercises and techniques that help him and some of the other brothers. Blade seems to take it all in his stride.”

“Good.” Breaker’s stare stayed on me. “And what about his personal life?”

I opened my mouth to tell him about Carina but hesitated.

Gossip wasn’t something I got involved with, but I knew Breaker was coming from a place of concern and even a desire to see his old lieutenant happy.

“He doesn’t really have one,” I stated. “He was regularly fucking one of the club girls before she started sleeping with the other brothers.” I glanced at him sideways. “It’s pretty obvious to everyone in the club that he’s smitten with Carina.”

“Benny’s Carina?” Breaker asked, his tone shocked.

I smirked. “I call her Blade’s Carina. He’s so protective of her and Gigi it can get a little weird, but yeah.”

“Fuck me,” he muttered. “Talk about goddamned complicated.”

“I know,” I said, signaling to take the turnoff toward Arrowhead Point. “Except he’s circled around her for so long that now she’s firmly friend-zoned him. Add on the fact that the club girl he was fucking started to get territorial, and it seems Blade’s a little bit screwed.”

“Oh shit.” Breaker laughed. “Fuck around and find out.”

I grinned. “Ain’t that the truth.”

“Poor bastard,” he muttered. “Probably held back out of some fucked-up sense of loyalty to Benny. Stupid though ‘cause my bud would never want his woman and kid to be alone. As long as Hollister handled her with care, Benny would give him his blessing.”

“That’s the military for you,” I pointed out. “Soldiers face their mortality more than most. Makes us think about our loved ones and what we want for them if the worst happens.”

“Damned straight,” Breaker agreed. “Me and Benny used to talk about it all the time. It comes with the job. You gotta think practically, especially when you’re in the business of bomb disposal.”

“Could you chat with him?” I asked.

Breaker pulled a face and winced. “You want me to talk to my six foot four, hairy-assed, behemoth of an ex-lieutenant about his feelings and, even more mortifying, his unrequited love life?”

My lips twitched. “Well, yeah.”

He barked a laugh. “That’ll make the fucker squirm.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I said under my breath as I signaled left and took the turn for the hotel.

Breaker hadn’t been here before. Cash and Cara had, and of course, Freya’s dad, John Stone, had visited her and Colt a few times along with his wife Elise. Atlas had also made it his business to come and check the place out and get to know Diablo, his counterpart. Considering Breaker called every week to check on Carina and Gigi, it suddenly occurred to me it was strange this was his first time in Virginia.

“It’s good to finally have you here, brother,” I told him. “It’s been a long time coming.”

“Good to be here,” he responded quietly, throwing me a furtive glance. “Getting VP hasn’t been a natural progression for me. I’ve had to work hard at balancing everything, as well as making sure I was on top of my Vet Center meetings and keeping my head straight. Glad to be here; wish it was under better circumstances, but rest assured, Drix, we’re gonna get Anna outta there safely.”

My heart panged at the mention of her name.

Anna Bouchard was kind and thoughtful, and she’d do anything for anyone who deserved it. The problem was, I stopped deserving her good grace the minute I began to fuck her around. I was scared of what she was to me and tried to make myself believe she wasn’t important.

Now, we were both suffering the consequences.

My breath caught the same way it always did as the hotel emerged from behind the flowering dogwood trees. “Welcome to The Lincoln, brother.”

Breaker sat forward, mesmerized. “Jesus, Drix. This place is spectacular, and the welcoming committee’s here.”

My stare caught on the double entrance doors of the hotel to see Colt engulfing Freya in his arms with Iceman beside him.

Freya broke away from her ol’ man and flew down the steps toward the car, her long, dark hair streaming behind her.

With a chuckle, Breaker threw his door open and jumped out, opening his arms wide for his sister to run into. “How ya doin’, Frey?” I heard him ask as I slid out of the SUV and walked around the hood toward them.

Freya pulled back from their embrace, her hands raising to hold her brother’s cheeks so she could carefully inspect him. “You look well,” she murmured, her eyes misty as they roved over his face. “Healthy.”

He grinned down at her. “I’m good. You’re even more beautiful.”

She waved off his compliment. “Are Kennedy and the kids okay?”

His grin widened. “Perfect. Kitten’s still kicking ass and taking names with her law practice. Kai’s started training, and he’s already nearly as tall as I am. The baby’s good and healthy, and Kady’s growing up to be so fucking pretty it scares the shit outta me. They all send their love, and Kennedy said to tell you it’s on for this summer once school’s out.”

“Can’t wait,” Freya breathed. “It’ll be amazing.”

I watched Colt saunter over with Iceman trailing behind him. “Yo, Break,” he called over. “How’s it hanging?”

Breaker released Freya, gently pulled her to his side, and slid a casual arm across her shoulders. “Shit. The Feds have finally caught up with me.”

Colt approached, grabbing Break’s hand and pulling him in for a man hug. “Good to see ya, brother.”

Breaker clapped him hard on the back before letting go and moving onto Iceman and doing the same. “Good to see you guys, too. This place is fuckin’ crazy gorgeous and right on the water, too. Bet summer’s a blast.”

“Gotta admit, I don’t hate it,” Ice told him. “Where the fuck have you been, bro? Thought you weren’t gonna be a stranger.”

Breaker pulled away and shrugged. “Work, treatment, wife, new baby, kids. You know how it is.”

“Not really, except for the whole work thing,” Ice responded.

“Has nobody made an honest man of you yet?” Break joked.

Ice winced slightly, probably thinking of Marney from the night before. “Nah, ‘fraid not. Still looking for Mrs. Right.”

“SPC Snow!” a deep voice boomed from the top of the hotel steps. “Thought you got lost.”

Breaker turned toward the hotel, and a wide smile stretched across his face. “Yo, LT. Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

I glanced behind Blade, noticing Carina slip through the entrance doors. “Kit!” she called out. “It’s good to see you.”

His eyes swept over her, probably studying how she’d filled out and finally gotten some color in her cheeks, unlike the last time he saw her. When she first arrived at the hotel, she was overworked, underpaid, and struggling to make ends meet as a single mom. These days, she’d lost the air of desperation that seemed to follow her when she turned up with Gigi.

It hit me how Blade and Carina had both been suggested to me by Breaker, and how they’d become integral to helping me rebuild the club after Ace screwed us over.

Both of them were important in helping the place run smoothly. Blade kept the men in line, and Carina looked after us by making sure we had home-cooked meals, a clean, comfortable environment, and laundered clothes.

Now he was here, putting his life at risk to help me extricate Anna from a dangerous sitch without a thought for himself. He was probably one of the most unselfish men I’d had the pleasure of knowing.

It suddenly hit me that I had a lot to thank Kit ‘Heartbreaker’ Stone for.

“Come inside,” I urged. “I’m sure you want a quick catch-up with Freya before we head into Church.”

“That would be good,” he agreed.

I rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Thanks for comin’, brother. Know you hate leaving Kennedy and the kids. Appreciate you bein’ here.”

He smiled down at Freya, who beamed back. “It’s no hardship. I’m happy to help in any way I can.” His eyes lifted to meet mine, and I immediately caught the change in his demeanor. I’d seen that dark, blank expression many times and recognized it as the look of a soldier preparing to go into battle.

That was the moment all my nerves and anxiety faded away and a realization hit me square in the chest.

There was nobody who could beat us when we put our mind to something. Better and meaner men than Anna’s husband had tried and failed to take us out, and every time, we’d proven we were indestructible.

The Speed Demons always came out on top.

———

Two hours later, I sat back in my seat and eyed every man around the table one by one. “So, we all know what we’re doin’ and what our roles are?”

“Got it, Prez,” Gambit affirmed.

Breaker gave me a confident nod, his face expressionless.

Picasso grinned and jerked his chin.

“Good,” I muttered, my heart clenching as Anna’s face flashed through my mind.

Shit was starting to get real. Within hours, I’d have my woman back in my sights, and I couldn’t help wondering how she’d react when she saw me. Colt was right. Anna would either kiss me or punch me in the mouth, depending on her mood and how pissed off she was.

“Shep and I will fly in with you and be there ready for when the incident gets called in,” Colt added. “We’ll tell local law enforcement that we’ve been investigating the Lis brothers and had our ear to the ground. They know their operation has been on our radar for a while, so it shouldn’t strike them as too much of a coincidence.”

Not for the first time, I thanked God we had the Feds on our side, and in particular, Colt.

I’d known the tech genius since the day he showed up at the Wyoming chapter. He’d taken Dagger’s back in a bar fight and promptly got offered a place in the club. He was a computer mastermind and ex-intelligence officer. There wasn’t a computer or security system in existence he couldn’t hack. Nobody was safe from Colt and that included criminals and the government, which was probably why the FBI had coerced him into the fold. It was safer to have him as an agent than an enemy, and it had worked out for Colt as he’d been in love with the prez’s daughter, Freya. He decided to leave the club and join the Feds to get around the fact that she was off-limits to all brothers.

At the time, Dagger had ordered Colt into the ring and fought dirty to prove a point, and for a while, things were fraught between Freya and her dad. Hence her move to Virginia.

I took advantage of the fact Colt was close and recruited him into my chapter. He was a brother but also the liaison between the club and the Feds. He handled all our contracts and tech work, as well as acting as our go-between.

It had worked out well, and I had to admit having a Fed who was also a member of our club gave us valuable inside knowledge. Colt got the best of both worlds. He kept the sense of brotherhood he loved so much and also got to keep his patch. Additionally, he got to play secret agent and utilize his mad technical skills and knowledge and do it with the law on his side.

Win-fucking-win.

“Still can’t believe you’ve got your own private plane,” Breaker crowed. “Cash’s face will turn green when I tell him we’ve been jetting around the country.”

I laughed. “It’s an old one.”

“Don’t call PJ old,” Ice admonished. “She’s never let us down yet.”

I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. Iceman was on a first-name basis with all his toys. PJ—or private jet—being his favorite girl.

“She’s all fueled up and ready to roll,” Colt informed us, tapping on his phone. “We take off in an hour.”

My stare went around the table, taking in every man. “Thanks for this, brothers. I appreciate you all doing this. It means a lot.”

“We’ll get her out in one piece, Drix,” Picasso assured me. “She’ll be okay. We’ll make sure of it. Every man here would take a bullet for her ‘cause she’s yours, which means she’s ours. We look after our own, and your woman’s no exception.”

“We’re taking on the Polish Mob. There may be kickback,” I warned him. “You gotta know what you may be gettin’ yourself involved with.”

“That may be the case, Prez,” Gambit answered. “But you also gotta remember something else.”

I looked at him expectantly.

“We may be taking on the Polish Mob, but they’re also taking on the Speed Demons.”

My mouth curved into a grin. “Good point, brother, but I still need to give you one last opportunity to back out. This may be club business, but for me, it’s personal, and there’s no obligation for you to do this. If you don’t wanna take on my shit, there won’t be any hard feelings.”

“Fuck off, Drix,” Breaker muttered. “You know I’m in.”

“Me too,” Gambit stated emphatically.

Picasso deadpanned at me. “Can’t believe you’d even ask.”

I cracked my neck from side to side, something I did whenever I was about to go into battle. I’d done it since my first mission as a Ranger, and it helped me get into the zone.

“Then there’s only one more thing left to say, boys,” I rumbled. “It’s time to rock ‘n’ roll.”