Page 47 of Lies Beneath Secrets (Skeleton Crew #1)
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Con
It’s dark by the time we reach the clubhouse. We were so fucking far away. Each mile was agony and seemed to take weeks, not hours, to reach the destination. There are no lights on as we pull up in Knox’s truck. “All we can do is walk right through the door,” Knox says. I nod in response, and we both get out.
We stopped off at Knox’s house before coming here so we could gear up. I do my best not to think about all the blood we saw on the couch in the living room. How much gauze was laying on the floor and the bullet holes that littered the walls. All that went through my head was, she’s dead. There isn’t any way she could have survived that much blood loss, not without a doctor.
“Keep your head on straight,” Knox reminds me the closer we get to the door. I nod knowing if I lose it now, Gabby doesn’t stand a chance. “Ready?” Knox asks as we reach the door, and he turns the knob. He doesn’t wait for my response before opening it up wide. There’s a faint light on above the pool table in the corner. It illuminates enough space for us to see King playing with Kendra. She has a stick in her hand and is shaking. Her clothes are torn, and her face has a small cut under her eye. Knox just about bolts toward her, but I manage to hold him back.
“Ah, just in time. I’m about to win.” His declaration is laced with so much more than winning at pool. King takes his time lining up his shot while I look around the room. Brucie has Siena on the floor at his feet. She has a cut right through her lip. Rage and Wesley stand on each side of the pool table, both ready with their guns in hand. Three other guys I don’t recognize stand in the corner of the room, also ready with their weapons. The clacking of pool balls hitting each other is followed by one dropping into the pocket. It’s so damn quiet in this room, the sound of the ball rolling through the table fills the space before it comes to a stop with a clink. “Now then. Down to business.” King brings his attention over to where Knox and I stand.
“Where’s my daughter?”
“Well now.” King pulls the pistol from his back and points it at me. “Do you think you’re in a position to be demanding things?” He walks over to Siena and grabs a fist full of her hair, dragging her to her feet. “What do you think, dear?” He shakes her a little when she doesn’t speak. “Not talking?” King looks over at me. “It seems you’ve divided the club, Con.”
“You did that when you killed Boe and tried to pin it on Gabe. What I haven’t figured out yet is why. It can’t just be about fentanyl. Or the Flatliners.” I pause and reach into my pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. “I’m guessing it has something to do with this?” I wave it in front of me. King darts his gaze from the paper then back to my face. His eyes widen slightly when realization of what is on this piece of paper hits him.
“No clue what that is.” He feigns ignorance.
“You mean to tell me you haven’t been looking for the money you stole from the club?”
“I didn’t take shit,” he spits. “Gabe stole it.”
“I call bullshit on that,” Knox comes from my side, stepping a little closer. “Gabe found out what you were doing, rerouted the money and when you realized that, you framed him for Boe’s murder. Hoping it would buy you time to get him to tell you where it went. I’m guessing that didn’t go as planned?”
“Couple of detectives here. Give yourselves a pat on the back boys, you’ve got it all figured out.” King laughs. “Give me the damn numbers, and I’ll let you walk away with your daughter.” He pushes Siena toward the bar. “Get the kid.” She stumbles a little at his force but rights herself enough to walk to the other end of the bar and into the storeroom. “You have Gabe to thank for all of this bullshit. He poked his nose into shit that wasn’t his business. Got him and your woman killed.”
“Your greed played a part in all of it,” I say, directing my attention to Siena as she carries Gabby over to King. Her face is red and splotchy with tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I want her out of this room. Then I’ll give you what you want.” I look at Siena. “Siena, take her. Get in Knox’s truck and leave.” She tries to do what I say but King stops her.
“Hold up now.” King points his gun at Siena. “I said the kid could go.”
“You want your fucking money? Siena gets my daughter the fuck out of here, or you won’t get it,” I warn. King seems to think about it for a second, then tips his head to the side. “Fine.” He waves his gun. “Leave.”
“Daddy!” Gabby yells when Siena passes me to go out the door.
“Go with Siena, Gabby. I’ll be right behind you,” I tell my daughter, knowing full well King has no intention of letting me follow them. I try not to look at Gabby as Siena rushes out of the clubhouse. I listen for the closing of the truck doors and the truck driving away before tossing the paper onto the pool table. “Here.” King reaches down and grabs it, pocketing it inside his cut.
“Now that this is all settled, where do we go from here?” King asks, looking between me and Knox.
“You can let Kendra go,” Knox nearly growls from behind me. Brucie shoots him a grin and runs his hand along Kendra’s hair.
“I think I’ll keep this one,” Brucie says.
“The fuck you will.” Knox steps forward when a gunshot rings out and smashes through one of the high windows in the room. At first, it seems that the bullet has hit nothing until Wesley suddenly drops to the floor with a bullet hole in his forehead.
That’s when shit gets real.
Both Knox and I drop to the floor as well and take our own shots at the three unknown men. They go down as fast as Wesley did. King and Rage hightail it out the back of the clubhouse, along with Brucie who drags a screeching Kendra with him.
“They won’t get far!” I yell to Knox after the last bullet in the room flies. We’re up and after them in seconds, forgoing the same path they took. Instead, we go out the front door and circle around to the back where we can hear Kendra’s shouts.
“Going on a hunt?” Pace asks, running up close to us.
“King, Rage, and Brucie,” I say. “They got Kendra too.”