Page 104 of Savage Ends

“I don’t fucking lie,” Pat said.

“Then wouldn’t someone get so desperate to join forces with their enemy to get the body back?”Grant asked.“He’s the only one we knew who lived in this fucking town, without anyone knowing.He survived here, and now we’ve got people close to the club being picked off, one by fucking one.”

“The mother and kid were not,” Rusty said.“Neither was that mechanic fuck from out of town.”

“The cartel clearly got to them.There are always exceptions to the fucking rule.I say we hunt for Ranford, he’s our target.”

Pat was about to say something when an ear-piercing scream filled the air.

He was pretty sure his name had just been screamed.All the brothers looked at one another, reaching for their guns when the door to their church meeting swung open.Gaz was the first one inside and he looked pale.

“Pat, you need to come outside.”

He was on his feet without hesitation, making his way through the clubhouse, and the moment he stepped outside, what he saw scared the fucking shit out of him.

Ava was standing, her hands shaking, her entire body shaking.Tears streamed down her eyes, and he was pretty sure there was vomit on the ground.What also scared him was the fact she was covered in blood, and the sobs coming out of her throat were heartbreaking.

Pat moved, went in, and cupped her face, as he saw she was on the verge of a panic attack.The moment he touched her, she started to scream.

“Ava, baby, it’s me, it’s Pat.Look at me.”She was starting to hyperventilate.He was aware of the whole club watching them.“Baby,” he said.This time, he did so with a forceful growl.

The harshness seemed to do the trick, as she suddenly stopped screaming and looked at him.Her voice was high-pitched and wobbled at the same time.

“He ...he killed her...”Ava said.

“What?”

“I ...we were not open yet, and I was helping Lauren.She was running behind.She had been on a date, and she really liked him.”Ava laughed, but it wasn’t an entertaining sound.“She asked me to go to the fridge, she looked so happy.”Ava burst into tears.“That was when it happened.They just ...I heard them through the fridge.I don’t know if Lauren locked me in it, or if she ...oh, God, if she fell against it.”Ava was shaking so badly.“She’s dead.I had to get out of the fridge.She was there, dead on the floor.”Ava began to sob.“Lauren is dead.She is dead.How did this happen?”

He pulled her against him and held her tightly, not wanting to let her go, feeling her pain.Lauren, her boss, was dead.

“I was going to tell her I was going to quit,” Ava said, sobbing.“I couldn’t tell her.She was so happy.She was so happy and in love.”

He held her tightly.

Pat looked toward Bull, Grant, Rusty, the men.They were shocked.

From the way Ava looked, she had touched the body, and he had a feeling she had tried to save her.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said.

“How did this happen?”Ava asked again.“She was so happy.”

Pat cupped her face.“I am going to find the one responsible for this.Do you hear me?I am going to make them pay.”

He tried to swipe the tears from her eyes, but it was no good.His woman was a mess.She had seen something he would never want her to see.

Picking her up in his arms, he looked toward Bull and Grant.“I’m going to take care of her, but you need to secure the scene.”

Ava was sobbing in his arms, and he carried her through the main clubhouse, then upstairs to his room.He didn’t stop until he had her in the shower, and he started to remove her clothes.The blood was washing off her.

“Did the person attack you?”he asked.

Ava tilted her head back to look at him.“No.”

“You were in the fridge?”

“Yeah.”