I can’t wait to rip Ransom apart with my bare hands.
Because once I catch him, that’s exactly what’s gonna happen. If he does anything to hurt Trinity, it’ll be a long, slow slide into oblivion for that cockroach.
There are so many emotions stirred up inside me, I can barely think as I lead Trinity back into the war room. Rock raises an eyebrow but doesn’t speak.
No one says a word.
Finally, Z meets my gaze. “We’re working on another plan.”
I almost say “good” and push Trinity out of the room. But she squeezes my hand. Z’s trying to give me an easy way out, and we both know it.
“She’s in. But if anything happens to her, I’m taking it out of your ass. After I dismember Ransom.”
Z rests his folded hands on the table and stares at them for a few seconds. “It all depends on how soon he wants to do this, brother. My preference is multiple tracking devices. Even if he wands her, which I doubt he’ll bother to do, he won’t catch all of them. If he does later, she can pretend she didn’t know.”
“All right,” Rock says, drawing our attention to the head of the table. “Planning anything is useless until we know how Ransom wants this to go down.”
“I say, follow his lead,” Teller suggests. “That asshole has a giant fuckin’ ego. Let him think he’s got us by the throat.”
Sparky and Stash show up next.
Z greets them. “Called you like half an hour ago, ya fucks. All you gotta do is come up a flight of stairs.”
They apologize to Rock. And while he accepts their apology, he doesn’t tell them why they’re upstairs.
“Let’s wait until everyone gets here first.”
Slowly, brothers trickle into the room and take their seats. The tension in the air stops anyone from asking questions.
Last to show up is Ravage. “Sorry, two of the girls got into a fight out in the parking lot. Had to make sure they both left…” Ravage trails off as he looks around the table and takes in our expressions. His gaze lands on Trinity in the chair next to me, and he drops into his seat without uttering another word. By the graveyard silence in the room, he knows Trin ain’t sitting here for some last-minute wedding details.
Trinity squirms and attempts to leave, but I reach out and grab her arm. I turn to Rock and he nods.
“Trin, I need you to stick around. What you’re doing for us is huge. I want you informed of everything that’s going down,” he says.
Once he’s sure Trinity’s staying put, Rock finally explains why we’re all gathered here. Every word he drops intensifies my urge to grab Trinity and run.
And I’ve never run from a threat in my life. Removed myself from a bad situation until I could regroup, sure. I consider that smart. Outright run and hide? It’s an unfamiliar feeling. But I’m willing to do anything to protect Trinity.
I’ll give Sparky credit because as soon as Rock finishes he shakes his head. “There has to be another way, prez.” He swings his bloodshot gaze my way. “You cool with this, bro?”
“No. I’m not fucking cool with this.”
All eyes are on me after Rock wraps up the discussion.
“You’re sure?” he asks.
My hand settles over Trinity’s. “We’re ready.”
“Let’s get this over with.” Rock keeps his eyes on us while he dials Ransom. No one in the room needs to be told to be quiet. A hush falls over the table as everyone watches Rock.
“Surprised you made a decision so fast, prez,” Ransom answers.
“Let’s make this quick. I only have a few minutes. I can’t have this blowing back on me. I think you understand why.”
“Going behind your SAA’s back?” he taunts with fake surprise.
“Gotta think of the entire club,” Rock snaps back. “How do you wanna do this?”
“Day after tomorrow.” Ransom rattles off the address of a grocery store in South Ironworks. Not far from the Vipers’ old clubhouse/meth lab. “Send her there. I’ll take care of the rest. Don’t even have to get your hands dirty.”
“How the fuck am I supposed to get her there?”
“Don’t your bitches listen? You gotta give her a fuckin’ reason to do what she’s told?”
Rock snorts.
“You sure about this, Rock? Why you so eager to hand one of your girls over to me when you think I’m such a bad guy?” Ransom’s brazenly disrespectful tone would get him shot if he were standing in front of us.
“Come on. You know how uppity these whores get when they start fuckin’ one guy on the regular.” Rock keeps his steady gaze on both of us as the words flow out of his mouth. His expression doesn’t change, and only because I’ve known him so long do I know how much it bugs him to talk about Trinity that way. Even though I know why the words are being said, it doesn’t stop my hands from curling into fists.
Trinity doesn’t even flinch.
Ransom, scum that he is, laughs—loud and harsh. “Yeah, prez. I know exactly what you mean.”
“Who’s gonna pick her up?” Rock asks.
“Now, prez, you’re not plannin’ to double-cross me, are you?”
“No, you fuck. You’re asking me to hand over a brother’s girl. I wanna make sure the right person gets her.”
“Oh. Yeah. I’ll be the one to get her. Me and my associate.” He pauses and hastily adds. “Don’t get cute, I got other people in the area watching my back while I’m down there.”
Hard to tell if that’s true or bullshit.
Rock doesn’t press for details. Even though we’re all curious, he won’t risk raising any more suspicions.
“Is this number good?” Rock asks.
“For now. Why?”
Frustrated with Ransom’s denseness, Rock shakes his two fists at the phone while silently mouthing “stupid motherfucker. “I was gonna text you with what she’s wearing, so you know what to look for,” he answers calmly.
“Oh. Yeah. This number’s fine. Don’t stress, prez. I remember that bitch real good. No way I’d forget a face or an ass like hers.”
Fuck me. This motherfuckin’ prick needs to die. Hard.
Silence clings to the room even after Rock hangs up.
“Anyone else find it curious he’s comfortable meeting in Ironworks?” Teller finally asks.
Rock nods slowly, his gaze straying to Trinity. “Yeah. We’ll need to speak to our friend over there about that at some point,” he says, meaning Loco. Ransom shouldn’t be able to show his face anywhere in upstate, New York, and definitely not in Ironworks without it getting back to us.
Murphy shrugs. “South Ironworks has always been sketchy and that’s where their—”
“Yeah, yeah,” Rock says, cutting him off.
I sit up and pin Rock with a stare. “Lot of buildings down there. Could set up camp with a sniper rifle and take him out before he even touches Trinity.” It’s a weak plan and I know it, but I have to explore every other option.
“You’re solid with a rifle, no doubt. But Ironworks?” Rock slowly shakes his head as he thinks it over. “Too many narrow, one-way streets. Way too hard to get out clean.”
“You snipe someone in Ironworks in broad daylight, that’s gonna bring a lot of heat,” Dex says. “Police will know it’s more than a random gang shooting.”
“I know you’re a good shot. But with Trinity so close to him. No way,” Z mutters.
“I won’t take the shot if she’s too close.”
Z pulls up a map of the store where Ransom wants to meet and studies it for a few seconds before turning his tablet around for the rest of us. “Place isn’t far from the onramp to Route Seven. Cop presence is weak there…I can go scope it out today…”
Dex leans in, staring at Z’s screen. “Buildings around there aren’t tall enough. Besides, we don’t know that he won’t have his own people spread out in case we try to do something exactly like this,” Dex says. He lifts his gaze to me. “Believe me, brother, I’d risk you over her any day, but I think it’s best to take him down away from the city if at all possible.”
“We don’t know he’s taking her out of the city,” Sparky shouts. He shakes his head vigorously. “I really hate this.”
Me too, brother.
Dex growls with frustration. “It’s hard to tell, but he sounded like he’s planning to leave Ironworks as soon as he has her.”
“I can do it, Sparky,” Trinity says softly. She places her hand over mine. “Wrath’s trained me well. Not just with guns.” Her gaze flicks to Teller. “He’s not used to girls fighting back.”
Teller acknowledges that comment with a slight nod. Trin and Mariella were close. My girl probably knows better than any of us what she’s volunteering to walk into.
We toss a few other ideas around, and then it’s time to get serious and talk about what weapons she’ll be taking. “She can carry at her back and her leg—”
Teller shakes his head. “Carrying at my six is how my legs got fucked, have her—”
“She’s not gonna be wearing it long enough to have anything happen,” Z says. “He’ll pull that first. I doubt he’ll expect her to have another weapon or two hidden.”
My vision blurs red thinking about Ransom touching Trinity.
“Someone needs to keep a visual on her,” Rock says.
“Gotta be someone he won’t recognize immediately.” Murphy points at Z, Rock, and Teller. “Can’t be any of you.” He glances down the table at Dex and Bricks. “He might recognize you two from CB.”
Z’s mouth quirks up. “Looks like Stash and Sparky gotta come outta the basement.”
I love those guys, but I’m not real comfortable with the vampire twins being all that stands between my girl disappearing with Ransom and not.
Stash has sobered up considerably since he walked in here and seems to sense my hesitation. “We won’t let her out of our sight, brother.”
As Rock continues discussing the plan, my gaze drops to Trinity’s lap. She twists the hem of her shirt between her fingers, hands trembling with the strain of the situation, even though her face remains calm. Pride and fear go to war inside me. She’s so fucking brave, it scares the fuck out of me.
I swear, after tomorrow, once Trinity’s safe in my arms, she’s never leaving the property again.
What did I agree to do?
No, not agree. Beg to do.
I can’t back down now.
I won’t.
Not when all the guys are ready to die to protect me.
I need to follow through.
I swallow my fear and paste on a false smile. “Who’s going out to the gun range with me?”