Page 35 of Stay With Me
Elijah immediately wraps me in a hug and I wince from the pain of my likely broken ribs, but I hug him back. “Fuck, Ev. Don’t do that shit to me again,” he says, where only I can hear. I can’t imagine what my best friend has gone through since I was taken, but it’s good to see him.
“You look like shit, brother,” Iris pipes up from behind Breaker’s large frame. I haven’t seen him in a few months, but he still came as soon as he was called. It warms my heart to know the brotherhood we forged is still so strong.
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” I joke, giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder. Iris has always been the tallest and thinnest of us all. Since leaving the Corps, he’s been working on starting a boxing gym of his own outside Charleston. In the process, he’s bulked up quite a bit. My mind immediately draws a parallel between his appearance and a certain tall viking vampire in the show Kelsea keeps making me watch. Ironic that it takes place in Louisiana, just like the scene unfolding in front of me.
“Nice to see you in one piece, even if you’re a little worse for the wear,” Breaker grumbles, and I nod.
“Made some new friends while you four were sucking each other off, planning my heroic rescue or whatever,” I say with a smirk.
“Should’ve just left your ass here,” Helo replies.
Owen and Axel walk out of the bay doors behind meand my men immediately tense, their fingers itching to pull the trigger on someone.
“Easy there, boys. You’re in my house now,” Owen says, holding his hands up in front of him.
“It’s okay, guys. This is Owen, the president of the Bayou Reapers and owner of this fine piece of land. It was his man that took the contract, unbeknownst to him.” I hear Breaker growl low and sinister behind Eli. He’s connecting the dots to the man who laid his hands on Aurora.
“Who was it?” He grumbles, a deadly look in his eyes.
“He’s being handled. He won’t be a problem for you anymore,” Axel chimes in. Breaker’s hands tighten around the stock of his gun, itching to pick a fight. But he remains silent.
“I’d gladly deal with him,” Eli says. “It was my sister who had a gun against her head, after all.” Venom drips from his words, and Owen looks genuinely apologetic.
“I’m sincerely sorry for any damaged he caused. He will pay for it, trust me.” Owen tells us.
“Trust you? We don’t even fuckin know you,” Iris adds.
“Listen, this is all very sweet, introducing ourselves and all. But we’ve only got about two hours before the congressman and his goons come to collect,” Axel adds, and I agree.
“He’s right. We need to set this trap,” I say.
“I don’t fucking like this. You’re really playing the martyr a little too well today, Everett. I’m fucking over it,” Eli grunts.
“I want this bullshit finished. I won’t let my family or yours be put in danger any more. It ends today.” The finality in my tone comes through loud and clear, daring any of them to argue with me.
“Let’s get this show on the fucking road, shall we?” Iris exclaims.
I go over my plan with everyone again, making sure we iron each detail out. We can’t afford any mistakes here. Using myself as bait sounded like a brilliant plan in theory, but as the time to execute this plan draws near, I’m second guessing myself. Before I let my thoughts run me off the track, I close my eyes and all I see is Kelsea. Her crystal blue eyes shining back at me as she smiles. This is what I have to do to make her safe. Taking a deep breath, I go over the plan in my head.
The congressman will enter with his team of muscle. God knows he doesn’t do any of the grunt work himself. I’ll be tied to the chair in the middle of the room, my restraints loose enough for me to slip out of them. Once Owen and Axel have him convinced he’s free to take me, my men will appear from their placements around the warehouse and the congressman won’t know what hit him. I’m feeling hopeful, if not a little naïve, about this plan actually working. But it’s the best option we have to diffuse this situation.
Helo moves his chopper, concealing it in just enough time to avoid it being seen by anyone else. Each man takes their position as the sound of a black SUV coming through the front gates alert us all to the congressman’s arrival.
My arms are stretched behind my back again, the ache in my shoulders almost unbearable. But this time I know I can slip the cuffs easily. I just have to wait for the ideal moment. Owen and Axel stand behind me, just out of my peripheral vision. I hope I can trust them to have my back, should the need arise. I hear the slow rhythmic scuff of dress shoes and boots against concrete, the sound drawing nearer.
“Congressman Hoffman, I presume,” Owen says, taking a step forward with his arms crossed over his chest.
“You presume correctly, sir,” the congressman’s voice is nasally and grating, an edge of superiority about it. “This is the waste of oxygen that murdered my son?”
“Your son deserved the bullet I put in his fucking head,” I spit back at him. Axel’s fist collides with my jaw, my head jerking to the right. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he meant that punch. But the smirk he’s suppressing gives him away. The coppery taste of my own blood floods my mouth and I spit towards the congressman, barely missing his expensive Italian loafers. He sneers in my direction, taking a slight step back. He’s flanked on either side by security of his own.Two men with stocky builds and poorly tailored black suits stand guard at his back. Two more stand at the side of the SUV, hands clasped around their pistols in front of them.
“You’d do best to keep your mouth shut, boy. I told Justin that sister of yours was trash. She was nothing but trouble for him. But he just couldn’t listen. He’s dead because of that slut.” His face reddens with anger as he speaks about Ember.
“This is all very touching, but can we get this shit taken care of? I’ve got better things to do with my evening than this,” Owen says.
“Of course,” Hoffman snaps his fingers and one of his goons turns to retrieve a bag from the backseat of the SUV. He throws the bag towards Owen and resumes his guard behind the congressman. I notice a slight shift in his gait and he turns, his right knee giving out slightly before he recovers. I make a mental note of the weakness. “Your payment, gentlemen. I think you’ll find it’s all in order.”
“Ya know, when my father took over this club, he was so lost. Searching for something to give his life a purpose. He turned to the drug trade, gun running. Shit, even prostitution if the price was right. But I never agreed with his choices. Flooding the streets of our home with that poison, selling people like they were nothing. It’s just not right.” Owen steps closer to me, placing a hand on the chair I’m occupying. “I’m by nomeans a righteous man, congressman. I know my hands are not clean. But I can sleep at night next to my ol’ lady, knowing I don’t hurt people who don’t deserve it.”
