Chapter 40

~Ax~

 

I turn to Dealer. He’s on his bike beside me. “You ready for this, old man?”

He scoffs. “You’re ‘bout to see just how much of an old man I ain’t.”

I laugh. “Good to know. Gonna be some brutal shit.”

The two of us are on our bikes at the top of a hill overlooking the Devil’s Mavericks’ massive compound located in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere in the hidden countryside below. We’re just outta their line of sight and surveillance. We got the task of dealing with the front and anybody who tries to come through the gates and escape after what we’re gonna do. I got the rest of my boys positioned at three other points. Runner’s commanding a bunch of our boys at the rear. Smiter’s got the west side. Grit’s got the east by their huge-ass shed.

When I was a kid, my old man used to take me into the compound a lot so I know the layout real well and how things work. That’s why Dealer and me are gonna take the front, cuz I know it’s Skinner’s escape route. Sounds dumb, but the asshole is smart, cuz nobody expects an escape out front. Always the back.

He’s got two cars parked either side of the dirt road just for that purpose. If he’s gotta escape suddenly. We’re gonna kill the bastard. Well I am. I brought Dealer along outta respect. He’s got a lot of unfinished business with him, so I’m gonna let him sort that shit out first.

We’re just waiting on confirmation from two of my boys manning RPGs either side of the compound. Waiting on ‘em to take position. Yeah, we managed to access some sweet military-grade weaponry. High-powered submachine guns and bullet proof vests too. Pissed me off having to do it, cuz the club’s supposed to be legit now. But taking out the Mavs’ compound ain’t an easy task. We need all the firepower we can get. They got three times our number of guys in there right now.

They’re having their semi-annual club meeting, including every fucking chapter. Every member is inside those walls. And, for once, so is Skinner. Spends most of his time away from the compound for safety, but he’s here now for this meeting. He always changes the dates, but we got a tip on it so we hauled ass down here. Ain’t gonna pass up an opportunity that only comes twice a year to take the lot of ‘em out.

I glance at my watch. Don’t normally wear one, but today we’re all wearing one for this shit. Need good fucking timing here. Gotta be in sync.

Five minutes left before my RPG guys get in position.

“You doing alright?” Dealer asks me suddenly.

“Yeah.” I turn my head to look at him. “My girl?”

He scowls.

“Fuck you. I’m staying away, but she’ll always be my girl even if we ain’t together.”

“Yeah, all right,” he says.

“So? How’s she doing?”

“Took a big hit, even for someone as tough as her. Losing you and the kid in one shot was a lot. Hit her hard. She’s doing good now, though. Thinks she’s let you go, but I see her still tryin’. Be a while yet.”

Fuck me.

He obviously picks up on my distress as he adds lightly, “She got a tattoo. Her first.”

“Yeah? Over her scar?”

“Nah. Not yet. Cross on her left forearm. For the kid.”

“Christ,” I breathe, tryin’ to keep my shit together.

“It’s good. Her way of moving on, expressing the loss.”

“Yeah,” I murmur.

“Good thing you did pulling your guys outta Brockford.”

“Just wanna make it as easy on her as I can.”

“She knows.”

I cock an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

He smiles. “Yeah. She’s grateful. Came home smiling ‘bout it.”

Hearing that puts a smile on my face. “Good.”

“She’s gonna leave Brockford, Ax.”

My chest tightens. It physically hurts me hearing that she ain’t gonna be nowhere near me. But I know it’s what’s best for her. She needs to go. Gotta put all the shit behind her. Put me behind her. Live a better life, a happier life. “Good,” I answer.

Dealer goes to say something, but my earpiece buzzes in my right ear. I hold up my finger and tell him, “Here we go.”

I tap the earpiece. “You in position? Both? Good. Hit it.”

Seconds later, I hear two sharp hisses. Two rockets rip through the air towards the compound. One headed for the far left side of the forty-foot frontage. The other to the right.

The second they hit, the ground shakes beneath our feet as the deafening explosions rip through the area. The concrete monster shakes and collapses on both sides as flaming eruptions assault it.

“Second wave,” I bark into my earpiece.

When the second assault hits, the entire building starts collapsing, folding into itself like it’s being swallowed up from inside. Swallowed into hell is more like it. Where all the Mavs belong.

That’s the signal.

As guys start rushing outta the compound every which way, my boys rush in, their automatics tearing ‘em down. My orders were no prisoners. Nobody left alive. Can’t risk it.

“Let’s go,” I tell Dealer, cocking my Desert Eagle. I didn’t go automatic. Wanted to keep things personal with Skinner. Take him out close range. Dealer’s got my cover anyway.

He readies his TEC-9 and we rip down the hill side by side.

We skid to a stop when we reach the gates. I take in the bloodied scene in front of me. None of Skinner’s guys are prepared. They’re just running ‘round like fucking chickens with their heads missing. My guys ain’t got no trouble gunning ‘em all down. Good.

As I dismount, I spot Skinner heading for the gates. His Sergeant-at-Arms, Bulldozer, is covering him. They’re too distracted by the chaos ‘round ‘em to notice me and Dealer lying in wait.

I nod to Dealer and he rips into Bulldozer, bullets tearing into his chest. He’s buried in seconds.

I lunge forward, grab Skinner’s shoulders and haul him into the chain-link fence bordering the compound.

I got some serious shit to work outta my system.

“You piece of shit!” I snarl at him.

He throws a punch, but I catch it in my palm and twist sharply to the right, snapping his wrist. He grunts in pain. He’s gonna be screaming soon.

“You killed my kid!” I roar, smashing my fist into his face. I punch him again. “Nearly killed my girl!” I knee him in the gut. “Murdered my mom! Tried to rape my girl! Fucking scarred her! Trapped me in this life! Made my life a living hell with your rep hanging over my head!”

I kick him to his knees.

He looks up at me, a malicious smirk on his face. “I made you what you are,” he spits.

“I ain’t nothing like you!”

He leans forward on his hands, panting for breath. His eyes stray to Dealer. “You had it coming, fucking my wife, Cal.”

Dealer moves beside me and glares down at him. “Fucking her? She was mine first. You took her from me. Hid her for the longest time and by then it was too damn late. You’d seduced her into your world. The fucking Devil’s Mavericks world. You manipulated her. And when she realized the truth, you started beating on her, ‘til Ax was old enough and strong enough to knock you on your ass and get you outta their goddamn house!”

“Bitch shoulda fallen in line!” Skinner seethes.

Seeing the look on Dealer’s face, I step back to give him some room.

He pistol whips Skinner across the head. Some brutal shit with a gun as big as that. Skinner curses and falls back.

I kneel down beside him. “Just as I thought, old man. When it counts, you ain’t even man enough to fight back. Always had your expendable muscle for that. Coming back on you now, yeah?”

He don’t say nothing this time. Knows I’m right.

I get to my feet.

It’s time.

I cock my gun.

“Wait!” he yells.

Fuck me, I hesitate. Hearing him beg ain’t what I’d expected at all.

I watch in shock as his expression softens. Ain’t never seen that from him before. He’s always been hard as nails all the time. He groans and pushes himself to his feet, grabbing the chain-link fence to help himself out. Me and Dealer both tense, thinking he’s gonna make a move. One last ditch attempt to escape.

But he don’t make a move.

That confusing soft expression of his remains as he looks my way.

And then he says, “You’re Prez of a club now. So, you need to hear this. Never make a deal or get into a situation that’ll take you down a dark road, cuz you’ll never find your way back. Never works out that way. It’ll seep into every fucking pore of you. Blacken your goddamn soul. And that ain’t you, son. You’re better than that. Keep it that way.” He gestures ‘round him. “Don’t end up like me.”

Fucking hell.

“Ax!” Dealer hisses at me, telling me to pull the trigger.

Shit, I been waiting on this moment for so fucking long and now I’m hesitating, cuz he’s finally had a goddamn epiphany?

He lifts his chin at me in a sign of respect.

Again, a first.

And then he steels himself and tells me, “Do it, son.”

Yeah, he knows what I do. It’s way too little, too late. He’s too fucking dangerous.

I pull the trigger, putting a bullet between his eyes.

I watch him hit the ground and my whole body breathes a heavy fucking sigh.

It’s finally over.