Page 67 of Sold to the Bikers
In the next room, two fuckers are taking potshots through the windows at the mess outside. I indicate two with my fingers, then point at them. I’d shoot, but I don’t want to give away that we’re here, not until we have to. I motion for Natalie to stay put and she nods. Fuck, if she gets hurt in here, I'm never going to forgive myself. I should’a fucking argued harder when Badass allowed her to come. For now, we do our best to protect her.
Badass can move with a fighter's grace when he wants to. They don't hear him coming up behind them until he grabs one with each hand and yanks them back. They barely get out yells before he slams their skulls together so hard I'm surprised no one hears it, even through the gunfire. They slump to the floor, knocked out cold.
Animal gives one a nudge with his boot. "They're not going anywhere for a while."
"Where do we think Crusher's taken Sandra? This house is fucking huge." Outside the back windows, the building extends into a huge addition that looks newer than the front. If we're going to check every single room, we're going to be here all fucking day. I look at Natalie, trying to ignore how fucking terrified she is. It makes me want to pick her up and hold her until this is fucking over, but we can't afford that kind of luxury. Not until afterwards. "Do you remember where they kept you?"
"I didn’t exactly get the tour, but it was a bedroom close to the common room. I don't think it belonged to anyone, since it could only be locked from the outside. It was close to the auction."
"As good a start as any," says Animal.
The auction was towards the other end of the house, though, right? We're going to have to clear the whole way there at this rate.
Badass glances down the hall outside this room. "There's stairs out there. These old mansions often have more than one set of stairs, right? Like one at each end? Maybe we can go over their heads, if most of the fuckers are down here."
"Works for me." Animal's the first one through the door, leading with both of his guns ready, and then the rest of us follow.
It's obvious it's been a long time since this building had its days of greatness. Wallpaper's peeling off the walls, there's black spots on the ceiling and boards cover half the windows, but more importantly, there doesn't seem to be anyone up here. At least not yet.
"We gotta fucking hurry," says Badass, his brows furrowed as he looks out at the shootout. "Looks like we're holding our own, but we're gonna fucking lose people if this doesn't get sorted out. I’d rather be out there in the fight than playing housekeeping up here until someone puts a bullet in my head.”
"Fine." Natalie dashes up the stairs. "If you guys would rather be shooting, I'll go looking on my own. I don't want to see anyone shot. I just want Sandra back."
"Don't act stupid. Of course we're coming." Animal gets ahead of her so he can be the first one up.
The upper hallway follows the curve of the front of the house, its windows overlooking the courtyard, with rooms evenly spaced along the left wall. Like a fucking prison, but it's where the members have their rooms to judge by the couple we kick open. Looks like they're all downstairs, hopefully making their last wishes.
We're halfway across when the window to our right explodes into a storm of glass shards that blows across the room. Natalie screams, shielding herself with her hands. I throw my arm around her and pull her away. Fuck, that was too damn close. Just the thought gives me fucking chills, and I haven't had jitters in a gunfight since the day that cop shot me. Jesus fucking Christ.
We need to get this done and get her the fuck outta here.
I drag her past the window, hunkering down and making sure she does the same. "We're getting you through, but you gotta fucking stay down, babe."
"I will, I will." The danger seems to be sinking in now, and she’s fucking terrified. That's good. She needs to be. I don't want her doing anything fucking stupid.
We come out into a big round room in the middle of the mansion. Huge stairs come up from below leading to a set of double doors across from us. My thought is to go around the back railing where we're less likely to be seen, when I'm distracted by angry yelling from behind the doors.
"Jesus fuck, Crusher!" Is that Cain? "You and your damn fascination with whores is costing us this whole goddamn setup."
"They fucking owe us money. And what the fuck are you so pissed about? Carlo made good. His guys are out there right now, taking care of the goddamn Eagles. By the time this is done, you're going to have Eagle-eye's fucking head mounted on your fucking wall and we can take over their whole setup."
"That's all well and fucking good, except they're shooting the shit out of our clubhouse and killing brothers. We were supposed to hand them over to the Fabbris, not take the heat ourselves." There's a slam, like a fist into a wall.
The four of us look at each other. At least Cain and Crusher are in there, maybe the fucking Fabbri as well. We could cut the head off the snake if we play this right.
"Crusher, let me go!" yells a feminine voice. Fuck, we might've hit the fucking jackpot. "This isn’t what we agreed on."
"You shut the fuck up and do what you're told, slut!" Crusher's hard words are followed by a sharp crack and a scream. Did he just slap her?
"Sandra!"
It doesn't really fucking matter what he did, because Natalie charges the doors. Before any of us manage to stop her, she throws them open. "Let her go, you fucking monster!" she yells.
Fuck.
36
NATALIE