Page 55 of Unbreakable

Jace

Ican’thelpbut laugh as the Princess tries to play matchmaker with me and Arizona. Hell, I’m not complaining. I’m glad I’ve got the ball of energy on my side with the girl I want. I’m sitting at the bar watching as Arizona moves around the pole like she’s a weightless feather, when I feel the movement of the bar stool beside me and Charles, one of the older members, sits down on it beside me. Ash’s guys were in earlier but they’re at the clubhouse now, waiting to have a secret meeting. The others aren’t aware that I know more than I should about the whole mole situation.

“What’s up prospect, whatcha’ doin’ here tonight?” Charles asks, raising his eyebrow at me poignantly.

“Princess duty and enjoyin’ the show, ol’ timer.” I point over to the stage as I tell him.

“Yeah, that’s a hot one, have ya fucked her yet?”

I fight the urge to punch him in the damn throat, instead I laugh it off and lift my beer up, taking a swig, swishing the liquid around in my mouth. I bring the bottle back to my mouth, acting as if I’m taking another swallow and spit it back into the bottle. It’s been my routine the whole time I’ve been sitting here, about every twenty minutes the Princess or Vee come over, take the bottle and replace it with another. The object was to give the appearance of drinking and not being on my game as personal guard to the Princess. You never know who's watching.

The place has really filled with people over the last hour or so since the guys left, it’s like a packed can of sardines up in here.

The music is pounding and Charles is still running his mouth when I hear the sounds of gunfire coming from the front door, turning my head quickly to find the source. I see the bouncer stationed there going down to the ground, from a gunshot to the head. My attention is drawn up when an onslaught of bikers head into the bar, all wearing the cuts of the Reject’s MC. They have their guns pulled and begin firing.

Vee and Ash drop to the floor behind the counter and the boy who was seated at the bar in front of Vee jumps over and drops down beside her, pulling a gun and beginning to fire. How the hell did he get the gun in here, did the fucking bouncer not check him? He better hope that was a kill shot he took, because if he ain’t dead he soon will be.

I hear the Princess scream out, “Vee,” as I race around the counter to get to her. I see her being led off by the guy, but she is not my priority, the girl by my side is. I pull my gun from where it’s placed, sticking it in the back of my belt.

I grab her by the arms and pull her closer to me where I’m crouched behind the bar. “Come on Princess, we need to get you out of here, now. Follow me and stay down.” I tell her, both forcefully and urgently. I have a bad feeling about this.

Working to avoid the bullets flying everywhere, we make our way to the nearest exit towards the back alleyway. I feel her tug back on me slightly, as her hands begin to tremble. I know this is where she was taken from, and she hasn’t been out here since she’s returned to the bar, but it’s our only choice. There’s no way we’ll make it through the chaos to the front door. I hear her mumbling something over and over under her breath, but my focus is on getting us the hell out of here.

I’m almost to the door when Charles appears, as if he popped out of thin air. I hadn’t even noticed him move from the bar with everything happening so fast. Him and a couple of the other ol’ timers are firing their guns back at the crowd helping to clear a path to the exit.

We burst through the door to the alleyway, finally free from the chaos of the club, only to come face to face with another obstacle, one I wasn't expecting, but should’ve when it all went down. I knew it was a trap to get the Princess.

Charles and the other men have moved up beside me still firing at the danger behind us, oblivious to the man standing alone in front of us.

“Hello my sweet girl, I told you I was coming for you.” the vile man, who kidnapped her, says sanguinely from where he is standing by a van.

I’m caught off guard when the back doors of the van swing wide open. I immediately push Ash behind me, shielding her from the man in front of us.

“Over my dead fuckin’ body. Looks to me like you’re outnumbered.” I spit out angrily.

“Is that so?” he gloats. Is this fucker insane, can he not count?

I hear Ash gasp behind me, thinking it was just her coping with the situation. I keep my gaze focused on the man in front of me instead of checking on her, that is, until I hear her piercing scream.

“I see she still likes to fight, I can’t wait to have a taste of her again.” the asshole says as his face turns up in a sinister looking smile.

I turn towards the sound of Ash’s screams, tuning the fucker out. I start to move toward where I see a member of the Rejects holding onto her but stop suddenly when I feel the barrel of a gun go flush against my skin between my shoulder blades.

Hearing Mike speak again, I turn to see a gun pointed directly at Ash’s head. “Tsk, tsk, I don’t think you want to do that now do you? Not with two guns pointed at her ready to take her life.”

It’s then I look around to find the second gun. When I see who it is, I’m hit with overwhelming rage and betrayal. He’s holding Ash in his clutches with a gun barrel against the temple of her head. How the fuck did they overlook him? “Fuck you Charles! How could you betray your club like this? I’m going to fuckin’ kill you.” I growl, spitting at him on the ground.

He looks at me, giving a deep laugh, “Boy, I’ve never been loyal to this club. I’ve only been loyal to my cousin. My dick’s been hard this entire time, watchin’ y’all run around tryin’ to protect this pussy and find the mole who’s been right under your fuckin’ noses.”

My attention is drawn to the door from the club flyin’ open behind me, banging up against the concrete wall of the building, emitting a loud thud. I use that gift horse as a distraction and lunge forward, grabbing Ash from Charles’s clutches, throwing her to the side where I see her land on the ground, hopefully not injured.

I hear the gun, before I ever feel it. My knees become weak and I start to go down as I clutch my chest, pulling my hand away to see blood. Fuck this isn’t good! Pain hits me in an excruciating wave, ripping through my chest. I look up to see Ash inundated by shock, keeping her stunned in place. “Run, Princess!” is all I can manage to scream out to her before hitting the ground. I hear another gunshot go off and I pray it didn’t hit her as my world turns to blackness and quiet.

Arizona

I was mid spin on the bar, when I heard the shots being fired. Shocked and freaked out at the same time, I lose my hold on the pole and fall back, hitting the floor and knocking the air from my lungs. I hear a sudden thud sound come from beside me, cocking my head, I see the guy who’s been sitting in front of the stage for nights now, like it’s his assigned spot.

“Hey toots, name’s Nic and I got ya. I’m gonna pick ya up then we’re gonna head back to one of the rooms and barricade ourselves inside.”

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