Page 19

Chapter Eighteen

S lice, Cruise, Winnie, and War had snuck into Faith’s apartment. As soon as Slice realized how vulnerable Faith and the boys were, he started planning how to move them to the compound. War was able to open the boys’ bedroom window with a couple tools.

They had the lights off in the apartment. Winnie was in the front room close to the door. War was hidden in the kitchen with a line of sight to the front door and could also see outside. Slice was keeping an eye out Faith’s bedroom window through the blinds to keep Beth in sight from the time she exited the car until she went into the apartment.

Slice had texted Faith a couple times to let her know everything was still okay. He’d been waiting to see if she asked why they weren’t involving the police. First off, Bluff Creek only had a sheriff’s office for the county, and after their recent issues with the last deputy sheriff being a plant to gather information about the MC, War had said they’d try to handle things by themselves until they could confirm the sheriff hadn’t known what was going on.

Slice checked his gun, though he didn’t plan on having to use it. He also had zip ties to restrain anyone if needed. Beth pulled up in front of the apartment in Faith’s sedan and parked in her usual place in the driveway. She got out, turned, and opened the back to get out the car seat.

He would have never believed it, but with Beth’s disguise and her mimicking Faith’s walk, he wouldn’t be able to tell it was someone else from across the street.

Dex texted that a black lifted pickup was idling around the corner with two individuals in the vehicle. Once the supposed caseworker and the brother entered the apartment, their vehicle would be blocked in just in case they decided to run.

Beth entered the apartment, and Slice could hear her closing the front door and then going toward the kitchen. Slice continued watching out Faith’s bedroom blinds. The truck pulled in, and a woman and man exited the truck, coming toward the apartment.

“Incoming,” Slice called quietly, snapping a picture of both individuals to send to Faith to see if she recognized either one.

He stayed to see if either one of them pulled a gun as they rang the doorbell and waited for an answer. He couldn’t see anything on them, but the woman had a puffy coat, which could be hiding something.

Once he heard Beth let them in, he walked into the hallway, then paused when Faith answered that she recognized the man as her previous neighbor. Slice waited to see how everything unfolded.

“I was surprised to hear you’d found a relative so quickly for LB. How did he come to be left?” Beth asked.

“Well, my sister isn’t well, and she had the boy and left him. I didn’t realize, or I would have taken him in.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. Is she going to be okay?” Faith asked, turning as if to check on LB.

The woman pulled a gun and held it out toward Faith. “You don’t need to worry about that. Just give us the baby, and we’ll be on our way.”

War stepped out of the kitchen with a gun, the sight on, pointed at the woman.

“How about you put down your gun and I tell my guys not to fill you with some nasty bullet wounds?” War said. Slice leaned out and saw four red dots on her chest with two red dots on the man’s chest. Slice wasn’t in a position to fire because of crossfire.

The woman glanced at her chest and then held her gun up in the air, taking her finger off the trigger. Beth turned, disarmed her, and had her in cuffs in seconds. Cruise came from behind and slipped zip ties on the man. As their Enforcer, he had wanted to be in the house. War kept his gun on the man until he was secured. The red dots disappeared, and Slice assumed the guys outside were coming in.

“How about you tell us who you really are,” War said.

Slice walked out of the hallway. “The man lived in Apartment B previously,” Slice said. He wasn’t giving any more information about Faith identifying him because she already had a target on her back.

“Hmm, interesting. You must have known the woman, if she was your sister, was pregnant if you lived together. I’m just wondering where she is unless you’re her,” War said, staring at the woman.

“Hey, I just know him from the bar. He said someone had stolen his nephew and he needed someone to act like they were with DCFS. He said he’d pay me a thousand dollars. I needed the money,” she said.

“And that makes it okay to steal a child?” Winnie asked.

The woman stared at the floor. Slice wasn’t sure whether she was telling the truth or not.

War nudged the man’s legs with the toe of his boot. “Look at me.”

The man turned his face up to War.

“Do you know who I am?” War asked. Slice wanted to get in there and beat the answers out of the guy, but he trusted his President to lead them where they needed to go. What would have happened to Faith and the boys if she’d headed home without hearing the phone message?

“You’re the wannabe MC in town. Playing at being bikers,” the man said.

War chuckled, and a shiver went down Slice’s spine. Holy heck, he’d never seen this darker side of War. War squatted down in front of the guy.

“Wannabe MC? I agree that we’re not a one-percenter MC, but maybe you don’t know my background. Former military who was a police detective, but I left that life to come home and take over my father’s legacy at the MC. It coincided nicely with me being tired of seeing the criminals win, and I was tired of losing because I followed the rules. Now I don’t need to follow the rules. So, the question is, how much is your life worth to you?” War said.

Slice kept his eyes on the man. He squirmed a little and leaned back from War. War stood and shook his head.

“It’s your choice what happens next. Maybe a little time thinking about your issues will have you change your mind. Blindfold him and let him think about his life choices. You know how I want him kept,” War said, motioning to Cruise and also Bear, who’d come into the room during the questioning.

Cruise and Bear each grabbed an arm and lifted him off his feet, carrying him outside.

“Now what to do with you,” War said.

“I really didn’t know anything. I just needed the money,” she said, sniffling.

Beth leaned down, slid her finger under the woman’s chin, and tilted her face up.

“Answer me, what did you need the money for?” Beth questioned.

“I’m behind with my drug dealer. I needed a fix,” she said.

“Do you want to get clean, or do you want to stay the way you are?” Beth asked.

“Clean. But I don’t have the money for rehab,” the woman said.

Beth nodded and turned toward War. “I’ll take care of getting her someplace to get help if that works.”

“Sure, as long as someone goes with you. I don’t want any of us alone right now,” War said.

“I’ll go with you,” Dex offered.

Slice waited until it was just him, War, and Winnie standing in the house.

“I’d hoped we’d get answers, but I have more questions,” Slice said.

“I agree. Let’s grab what you think the boys and Faith will need for at least the weekend. We can always come back and get them more until we figure out what is going on. I think LB’s supposed uncle will be more inclined to talk tomorrow morning. Bear has a way with a mindfuck, and Cruise has no problem fulfilling his enforcer position however needed,” War said.

Slice nodded. “I’ll get Faith’s stuff and then help you all if you haven’t grabbed the boys’ favorite items.”

Slice grabbed a duffel bag from Faith’s closet and opened her closet doors. He had no clue what she’d want. He called her phone.

“Slice, is everything okay?” she asked.

“Everything is good. I’ll be back in a little bit and update you. But you and the boys need stuff for the weekend. What all would you like me to get for you?” he asked. He wanted this done quickly so he could hold his family in his arms. In his head, he knew she and the boys were safe, but he needed to see them and feel them to relax.