Page 60 of Heart of Stone
The call comes at just after midnight.
"We need you," Lee's voice is tight with tension. "Axel's caught up in some shit with Summit's guys. It's bad."
I am already moving, sliding from bed and reaching for my cut. Beside me, Andi stirs.
"Everything okay?" she mumbles, voice thick with sleep.
"Club business," I say, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Go back to sleep. I'll be back soon."
She makes a soft sound of acknowledgment, already drifting off again. I watch her for a moment, memorizing the curve of her face.
Fuck she is beautiful. Feels good to have a woman like her next to me, in my bed, in my life.
More than I'd ever thought I'd deserve.
The night is thick with humidity, my bike's headlight cutting through fog as I ride to the meetup point. Lee is waiting with Tank and two prospects, their faces grim in the weak light of dawn.
"What happened?" I demand as I kill my engine.
"Axel was doing recon, when security showed up for an early shift change." Lee's jaw is tight. "He's stuck in the records room. They've changed their schedule. These guys look new and eager. They're doing rounds every fifteen minutes. He can't get out without being seen."
"Fuck." I study the building's layout on Lee's phone. "How many guards?"
"Four that we can see. Camera five is compromised." He taps his phone. "So we can get him in but getting him out is gonna be harder."
My phone buzzes—Andi. I hit ignore, focusing on the situation at hand.
"We need a distraction," I say. "Something to draw them away long enough for Axel to slip out."
The prospects nod eagerly. Young, dumb, and ready to prove themselves. Perfect.
"No violence," I warn. "Nothing that can be traced back to us. We're here to get our brother out, not tip these fuckers off that we're starting a war."
My phone vibrates again. Andi's face lighting up my screen.
"Fuck," I mutter, hitting ignore again. Whatever it is will have to wait.
We split up, the prospects heading to the far side of the complex with instructions to trigger some car alarms. Tank positions himself by the emergency exit while Lee and I work our way toward the security office.
My cell buzzes a third time.
"Jesus, Hawk, you wanna give our position away?"
Andi's call stops, only to start up once more. I hesitate, a rock settling in my gut. I don't have time to deal with her, Axel needs me.
My club needs me.
I hit decline and power off the cell, pushing away the guilt I feel.
The Summit's temporary building looms ahead, all white panels and steel wrapped in scaffolding. The three story-modular would house their operations over the next few years as they slowly corrode our town, buying up business and housing to create their pipeline.
I want to burn the fucking thing to the ground.
We slip through the shadows, using the construction equipment dotted across the grounds like sleeping giants as cover.
"There." Lee points to a second-floor window. Light flickers behind the blinds just once—Axel's signal.
I study the guards. They move with the rigid precision of ex-military, weapons visible on their hips. These aren't the usual rent-a-cops Summit usually hires.
