Page 131 of All Our Ghosts

“And you threatened them,” I snap filling in the blanks. “For what?”

“For the money.” He rolls his head towards me. “For the pussy.”

Cole tosses a toolbox over before grabbing Stokes by the chin. “You stole girls to feed the club?”

“You stupid boy,” Stokes mumbles. Cole roars as he drops Stokes and paces the shop. “You’ve been playing with the cardsIgive you. The guns, the women, all of it is because of me and you stuck your hand in the cookie jar without any question.”

“You threatened my club!” Cole yells.

Stokes laughs again. “Youletme.”

“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Cole hisses, shaking his head.

“Hey!” I bark, grabbing Cole by the back of his collar. “Get your shit together,” I rumble, looking O’Neil in the eye.

“Watson’s been obsessed with your girl for a while now,” Stokes continues on. “I really couldn’t stop him from calling Miami. That boy’s head hasn’t been screwed on right since well…” He trails off and even before he finishes I know. My eyes flick to Cole to see the realization on his face. “Watson was first on the scene of your sister’s horrible accident,” He taunts. “Why do you think that is?”

“You son of a bitch,” I growl, hitting him again. “You blamed me, convinced half this town that I killed Becca!”

“No,” he rasps. “You did that on your own, Nash. All they had to do was see the destructive mess you’d become after prison.”

“You know where Kade is don’t you?” Dex says, circling around Stokes like a shark sniffing for blood. “You’re dead anyway, Stokes, you ain’t got nothing to lose.”

“If you kill me,” he taunts, “you’ll never get her back. That Miami prick and Watson will disappear so fast you’ll be chasing your tails.”

“Will.” I say after a moment, “You said will disappear which means they haven’t left town yet.” My eyes narrow in on the old man. “Where the fuck is she?”

“I’m shocked you haven’t found her. She’s hidden in plain fucking sight.” He trips over his feet again, causing his arms to strain against the chains. “The warehouse you idiots,” Stokes hisses, “it’s where Watson goes to hide.”

“Fuck!” Cole yells. I know it’s the first place we should have looked. Or one of them but we had been so hellbent on locating Stokes, no one thought to look there.

“Thanks,” I say bitterly as I step back into line next to Dex. I hold out my hand and Wolfe drops a pistol into it. “You know, Stokes, you deserve a hell of a lot worse than what you’re going to get from us. You corrupt piece of shit.”

Cole moves to stand next to me. All three of us stare at Stokes with hatred in our eyes. Dex moves to hand Cole a pistol behind my back.

“And you three aren’t anything other than a couple of orphaned assholes. The three of you destroy everything you fucking touch–”

Cole, Wolfe, and I all simultaneously raise our weapons, firing off three shots each before Stokes can finish his thought. His body slumps against the chains as blood pools around his feet.

“One evil down,” Dex mutters, “two more assholes to go.”

I hand him back the pistol. “Get the prospects to clean this shit up.” I turn to Cole as Scottie comes into the shop. His eyes wide as he surveys the mangled body in the middle of the room. I spare him a glance. “Get Falcone over to the Sheriff’s office. Any deputy who isn’t on board with him becoming head, is out. I don’t give a fuck how it happens.”

Scottie glances at Cole. Looking for confirmation from his President. I don't have to turn to Cole before he gives the go ahead and Scottie nods.

“What are you going to do?” He asks.

“I’m going to go get my girl back and kill the motherfuckers who put their hands on her.”

KADENCE

Fighting them was never a good idea. Trying to run was an even worse one as soon as I found out about the flight. About his plan to steal me away from Pine River. Now, my hands are bound to the chair I woke up in, my feet bound to the legs and my head pounding from the second hit I took.

Everything still feels foggy but it isn't the time to give into my body’s need to curl up into a ball and take it. I’m done with the abuse from a man who never deserved me in the first place. There has to be a way out of this.

The room is still pitch black other than the light above me. Jeremy and Watson had left hours ago, leaving me here in this dark hell hole with nothing but the sound of chirping rats. If I can just figure out something, a way to get out of the binds I can make a run for it and pray they aren’t watching me.

I tug on the binds again. Zip-ties that dig into my wrists and ankles. The chair they tied me to is wood, if I can just get it to tip over, hard enough to break I can get out of this. My heart starts to race in my chest with the hope of being able to get out. I’ve got one chance.

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