Page 35 of Fire Meets Fire

Fuck knows why indeed. I certainly don’t. I’ve no idea why he made sure his brothers couldn’t follow him, or why he’s brought me nowhere obviously near the state line. He’s done nothing to make me trust him.

Warily, I examine what I can see of the cabin. It looks deserted from the outside, no other vehicle unless it’s hidden, and no sign there’s anyone else here. I’ve learned to have eyes in the back of my head, to be aware of threats before I can see them. As all my senses are on high alert, my ears pick up the sound of an engine. And, while it’s still a distance away, I quickly realise, in this isolated place, there’s only one place it could be heading.

“Fuck you!” I scream, jabbing my gun painfully into his scalp. “You’ve given me away. I’m going to fucking kill you!”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAZ

I’ve lost my fucking mind.

From the moment I heard Slugger talking about selling out Queenie for money, all I saw was red, and from that point on, I’d acted purely on instinct and hadn’t stopped to think.

If Slugger hadn’t been there, I’d have whipped the brothers into church and educated them about a few things. I’d have knocked their heads together and tried to convince them to come around to my way of thinking. Legend would have been on my side, StoryTeller, too, I think. Maybe I’d have gotten enough ayes to keep her breathing. But though normally, as prez, I’d have the casting vote on any course of action, with the national prez in the house, all of us would be expected to defer to him. Especially when he was endorsing what clearly a lot of them were thinking. As it was, Slugger had already gotten them riled up, their mindset like a group of piranhas heading in for the kill. I had a vision of Helo descending the stairs and her being torn to pieces, though that wouldn’t have happened without her taking a few lumps out of my men. One thing I know for certain, she wouldn’t have gone easily.

I couldn’t risk it. Everything inside me had screamed,get her away.No time to stop and argue a battle I feared Slugger had already won. Getting her away would at least give me space to see if there’s another route I could take to sort this mess out.

My overriding compulsion was that I didn’t want Helo to end up dead.

It was only when I got some miles from the clubhouse, I’d realised how badly I’d fucked up. Even then, though, however I looked at it, if I wanted to save Helo, I couldn’t see any alternative solution. With her affliction, I couldn’t have simply handed her the keys to my bike.

But I can’t minimise what I’ve done. I’m not just a member of the Wretched Soulz MC, I’m their president. I’ve turned on my club. I’ve taken away their chance of becoming two million dollars richer, and all for a bitch who stole from us. If I’m lucky, I’ll be out bad. If I’m not, I’ll, too, have a price on my head, and the first Soul to see me will have orders to shoot first and ask questions after.

And fuck me, but I’d had no chance to explain, and now I’m risking that bullet in my skull not from one of my brothers, but from the woman who doesn’t yet know she owes me her life. Ironic doesn’t begin to cover it. She’s misinterpreted what I’ve done to keep her safe. Even if she doesn’t kill me, I’m going to have a fucking bruise from how hard she just bashed the barrel of the gun into my head.

“Calm the fuck down,” I rasp out. “It’s not what you think.” Belatedly I realise that telling a woman to calm down may not be the smartest thing.

It’s not, as that gun rammed into my skull once again proves. “You know about the bounty and you’re going to sell me out.”

Rolling my eyes, I refute, “Yes, I know you’ve got a fuckin’ big price on your head, but I’m not selling you out. I’m protectingyou, woman.” While I’m irate at the situation, I try to keep my voice level, unsure how trigger-happy she is.

The car’s engine noise grows louder, showing it’s getting close, then dies as it comes to a halt. The gun moves from my head and now is jammed into my back as she shoves me toward the door of the cabin.

“Open it,” she demands.

I do, then she sidles around me, wrenching me around, so I’m framed in the doorway and in between my expected visitor and her. As the car pulls up, I only hope Jacinta looks innocent enough that Helo won’t pull the trigger.

“It’s someone bringing us supplies,” I say in an even tone, hoping the ancient bright pink sprayed Kia Soul will persuade her it’s no one intent on doing her harm. No self-respecting man, let alone someone with a grudge, would be seen driving such a car.

Another prod in my back. “Put your hands up.”

I do. Jacinta extracts a couple of bags from the car, then turns to face me. When she sees I’m clearly being held at gunpoint, she gasps loudly and the shopping drops from her hands.

“Madre de Dios, ¿qué está pasando?” Copying me, she puts her hands in the air. “Chaz?”

“Who are you?” Helo demands. The gun still held steady shows she hasn’t yet dismissed our visitor as a threat.

“Jacinta’s the woman who takes care of the cabin for me.” I speak soothingly, but fast, seeing Jacinta looks like she might faint any second now. She doesn’t know I’m the prez of an outlaw MC. As far as she’s concerned, I’m just a city man who appears from time to time for a bit of R and R in the mountains. I doubt she ever expected I’d bring trouble to her door. I’m annoyed as good help is hard to find and I hope Helo hasn’t scared her off. Though, I suppose, in the scheme of things, losingthe caretaker for the cabin is the least of the disruption she’s brought to my life. And it’s only a loss I’ll suffer if I stay alive.

“Open the back door,” Helo nods toward the car and demands. Luckily, Jacinta’s English is good enough to react to her command.

I wait as Helo analyses the situation. The trunk is open, only shopping bags have come out, and it’s obvious there’s no one in the car hiding. Jacinta couldn’t look more innocent if she tried. Though she hadn’t been issued with the instruction, she, too, has again lifted her hands high.

“Back up,” Helo states, applying pressure to my shoulder. I take a step back out of the way of the door. When she’s got us where she wants us, she calls out, “Bring the bags inside.”

Jacinta looks dubious, but I give her a reassuring dip and rise of my head. I wouldn’t put it past Helo to kill me, but I doubt she’d hurt an innocent woman. Bags in hand, Jacinta obeys, scurrying in quickly, dumping the bags, then turning to escape.

But she stops by me, and her work ethic clearly tops her fear as she asks shakily, “You want me to make bed?”

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