Page 4 of Exile & Lula
Likely stressing the same possibility, York shook his head while checking his rifle. I noticed Ojai frowning hard as he tied back his long, blond hair. Most of the guys seemed on edge.
Zodiac noticed our unease and taunted, “I’ll go alone while you boys live into your seventies. The biker life isn’t for everyone.”
“Asshole,” I muttered, and Zodiac instantly winked at me.
Zodiac knew how to inspire his troops. The guy was always cool and confident. Zodiac was also a beast in battle. He never got rattled by anything. He could make women giggle and dampen their panties from across a room. If we didn’t follow him toward the ranch, I had no doubt he would have absolutely gone alone and likely come out with his damsel in distress under one arm and a six-pack of beer under the other.
So, despite my misgivings about hitting this ranch located in a state where we lacked power, I joined Zodiac and my club brothers.
The sun dropped below the horizon enough to create shadows for us to hide in as we zigzagged toward the quiet ranch. The closer we got, the more I heard voices. Less than a dozen men stood between us and our objective.
Zodiac led his group around the back of the sprawling one-story house, while York set up his sniper rifle near the stables. As my group entered through the open garage, I heard men arguing nearby over money. With their attention elsewhere, I left Sugar and Tug to hide between the SUVs and kill anyone entering the house.
Ojai and I headed inside, nearly running into an armed man. He didn’t notice us as he walked away from the kitchen and toward the bedrooms. I figured Tallulah Reed was tied up somewhere in that direction, so I followed the man.
He opened a door only a crack and peered inside. His interest was clear. I felt him considering if he could unleash his perverted desires on the lawyer before anyone noticed.
The arguing outside grew more heated. Glancing back when the voices got louder, the asshole saw me and reached for the large pistol stashed in his holster.
My Bowie knife slid into his larynx, stopping him from crying out. After slapping away his hand from his holster, I slit his throat and eased his dying body to the ground. His hand grabbedat his open wound, trying to stop the bleeding. I ended his flailing by shoving my blade into his eye.
After wiping the blood on his shirt, I entered the room while Ojai kept watch. The sounds of shots outside signaled that Zodiac had made his move. The angry voices turned to panicked ones. I heard return fire as I moved into the bedroom, lit only by a corner lamp.
Tallulah Reed rested on the mattress, facing away from me. She wore a business casual getup with high-end black pants and a shiny, black blouse. Bound behind her back, her wrists were red and bloody as if she had been working on breaking free of the zip ties.
I noticed one of Tallulah’s manicured nails had been ripped off. She wore no shoes, her ankles were bound, and her feet were bloody.
Creeping closer, I never considered this part of the mission. My mind had been on killing rather than consoling a scared woman.
I reached out to touch her shoulder. Finding my voice, I told her everything would be okay. Tallulah rolled onto her back. Her wet, fearful eyes widened at the sight of my face as if she recognized me.
“Your people sent us,” I said when her fear turned to confusion. “The Crimson Guard, I mean.”
The words tumbled out of my mouth. I wasn’t sure if I was even making sense.Tallulah Reed was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on.Her chocolate brown eyes held a quiet intensity. Her tawny skin somehow glowed despite the dim lighting. Her golden-brown hair tumbled in soft waves, framing her perfect face. Her lips were the definition of kissable.
I felt myself staring starstruck by her beauty. Tongue-tied now, I undid the bindings on her ankles and wrists beforehelping her sit. Tallulah removed the gag from her mouth but didn’t speak.
Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “Well, holy hell, if you aren't a vision.”
Tallulah’s gaze hid nothing. At first, she was startled by my words. Then, a smile toyed at the corner of her lips. Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes and glanced around.
“Are you taking me back to my people?”
After blurting out my lustful words, I wasn’t sure how to respond normally. Tallulah watched me intently, waiting for my answer. Before I could make more of a fool of myself, Ojai fired at someone in the hallway. Moving to the door, I glanced out to find a man twitching on the ground.
“Are we leaving?” Ojai asked me as his thick blond hair fell over his eyes.
Nodding, I gestured for Tallulah to join me at the door. She winced when she stood and limped in my direction.
“We’ll get you to a hospital,” I said quietly as Tallulah gave a dismissive glance at the now dead men on the ground.
“Where are we?”
“Not too far out of Little Rock.”
“I’ll need a phone to contact my ex-husband. We should drive to the hospital where he works to ensure the authorities aren’t alerted.”
I wasn’t sure why the woman held hostage five minutes ago was now calling the shots. Rather than disagree, I led Tallulah and Ojai to the living room.
