Crank's Rescue (Hell Raiders MC Book 6), page 6
A heavy door closed loudly somewhere out of sight. Fergus nodded and one of his silent shadows faded away into the darkened area off to the side. All the men at the table stood, and drew weapons.
With a huge gun in one hand, Crank took my arm with the other, and pulled me close. "If I say the word, you run like fuck back out to that bakery, get in the SUV, and get the fuck out of here. I'll meet you back at the hotel." He pressed the key fob to the rented vehicle into my hand and kissed my forehead.
Oh, God. What was happening? My heartbeat thudded in my ears and sweat broke across my upper lip. Were we under some kind of attack?
A male voice called out in an unfamiliar language, and one of the men replied. The man who had run off into the darkness returned, another man at his side. The pair spoke to Fergus for several minutes, but since they didn't use English, I had no clue what they might be saying. For all I knew, they could be plotting to kill us, or sell us into white slavery, or something equally terrible.
Finally, Fergus finished his conversation and returned to his chair. "Crank, my brother, it is a very good thing my scouts are so good. Your gut told you true. Your hideaway at the hotel is compromised."
"Well, then I guess it's good I brought my woman and all my toys along with me, huh. Your scouts happen to get an ID on the intruders?" Crank seemed entirely undisturbed by the whole thing, but the calm I had begun to recover threatened to evaporate completely.
"You underestimate us. They did even better, and brought one of them back for you to speak with. I'm told he's extremely anxious to cooperate as soon as possible." Fergus repeated the same feral smile from earlier, and I could easily imagine him leading a war party to raid an enemy encampment.
My little shudder of apprehension didn't escape notice, and Fergus turned that smile on me once again, but said nothing. I was incredibly grateful for Crank's presence, because without him, I had no doubt that man would change from the almost friendly biker gang president to a terrifying individual. Even without Crank's order to stay at his side, not even a herd of wild horses could have pulled me away from him. I had plenty of dream nightmares without spending time alone with a real live one.
Crank smoothed his thumb along the inside of my upper arm, out of sight, in what I hoped was meant to be a comforting gesture. "Well, the bastard can wait a little bit. I'm going to get Sarah settled in a new location first, and make sure she's safe. Then I'll talk to him about his cooperation."
He said his goodbyes and draped his arm over my shoulder to lead me back along the corridor created from supply pallets. "Keep walking, no matter what. We need to get you out of here."
I certainly wasn't going to argue.
Crank:
I practically shoved Sarah into the SUV and got behind the wheel. I couldn't get us out of there fast enough. At least one of Fergus' scouts would follow, and probably more, so I needed to take Sarah where they couldn't, or wouldn't, follow. Now where the fuck might that be?
"That was, um, interesting." She sounded small, frightened.
"That's one word for it." I risked a glance in her direction. "You weren't scared?"
She laughed. "Terrified. Those men looked very intimidating, but I felt like what lay below the surface was much more of a threat.'
"That's a good way of putting it, and very accurate." No trace of a tail showed in the rearview, but that meant nothing, really. "Fergus and his men are associated with other clubs we know, and sometimes work with. Kellen says Fergus is a straight shooter, but I don't know the man personally, and I don't fucking trust anyone other than my Brothers."
"So we can't trust him?"
"No further than you could throw him. However, he's a tool, and we'll use him. But he gets absolutely no further information until he proves he's actually on our side." A blue Taurus hung in the rearview, three cars back. Nothing made it stand out, but the fucking car made me itch. It was exactly the kind of car, and in exactly the position, I would choose to tail someone.
"What do we do now?" Her knuckles turned white where she clenched her hands in her lap.
I considered a little more. "Well, I wish I knew. There really isn't a place where Fergus can't go, or at least, reach, even though I fucking wish there was. It would make things a hell of a lot easier." The blue Taurus turned at a corner. Looked like I was wrong. A green Jeep took the car's place and I continued on down the street. "So, I think we'll find the fanciest, most exclusive hotel in the area, and check in."
"But…okay." She fidgeted, running her thumb absently across the back of her opposite hand.
I reached over and grabbed her hand, and drew her fingers to my mouth. After a quick, sharp nip to the pad of her index finger, I swirled my tongue over the tender skin. "But what?"
A little sigh escaped her. "I can't exactly afford fancy and exclusive. My budget runs more to Motel Six. I have a credit card, though—"
"Whoa. Wait just a fucking minute. You thought I meant you had to pay?" Annoyance flushed my face with unexpected heat. The very concept just floored me.
"Well, it is my problem. I'll just put the hotel on my card, like I did the other one." Her other hand clenched and unclenched in her lap, betraying her conflict.
"No, you fucking won't. I have more than enough cash on me to cover a few nights at a hotel, darlin'." There was no fucking way I would let her go into debt over this shit, especially not with over twenty-grand in cash lining my pockets, and more available.
Sarah pulled her hand away. "You aren't the one who got in over your head. It isn't your responsibility to pay the costs. Any expenses involved are mine."
"Fine." If she wanted to think I would fucking let her pay for anything, she could dream on. But for the moment, I was more interested in the green Jeep back there, which had just whipped into a parking lot, and been replaced by the same fucking blue Taurus. "Motherfucker had us tailed."
"You mean someone is following us?" All that annoyance melted away with new fear. "Why would he do that?"
"Maybe providing us some security, or he might be worried he's being set up. Who knows? Whatever, I don't fucking trust him enough to tell him where we're sleeping."
"You say that word a lot, don’t you?"
"Which word?" I played the last few minutes of conversation back in my head, and came up with nothing.
"Never mind. If you don't trust him, why are we including him and his people in this?" Okay, she was definitely getting annoyed with me, judging by the tone of her voice.
I barely managed not to sigh, aware that would really piss her off. "Because we need fucking help bringing Sennit down. I don't have any other connections in the area that might be able to give us the kind of help we need."
"We could still go to the police. They could help."
That fucking sigh about choked me, trying to get out, but I held it. "Sennit grew up in the area, right? Knows a lot of people?"
She nodded. "Yeah. He likes to brag about being the fifth generation of his family here. He played ball in school, too." She talked with her hands when she was frustrated, and I found it fucking adorable. "But I don't see what that has to do with getting the police to help. I understand about not going to his superiors. That would be too risky. But the police?"
The blue Taurus in the rearview switched out with the green Jeep again. Motherfuckers. "What are the chances that he went to school with, dated the sister of, played ball with, or whatever, at least one of the cops?" I glanced over long enough to catch the blank stare she sent my way.
"I don't know. Probably pretty high, I guess."
We approached a corner with a gas station that had double street access. At the last second, I whipped the SUV into the lot, floored it, and we jolted out the other side on the cross street. The green Jeep sat blocked by a minivan trying to leave the gas station. Perfect. Okay, then. "He knows you're on to him. He'll be leaning on every single resource he has, including people he played ball with, for information and favors. Evidence would disappear, along with witnesses. We would get nowhere, and Sennit would just continue business as usual. Only, when a particularly sweet little piece hits the system, he might share her with one of his cop buddies, to repay him for his troubles." I took another quick turn, hoping to shake Fergus' scouts for good.
Sarah sat silent for several minutes, processing everything I'd said. "Do you really think the police officers would do what he wants? I mean, I know he's friends with them, and the risk is there, but do people really do that?" Doubt of her own instincts filled her voice.
I nodded. "Absolutely. I've seen it a million times. He would take a twelve-pack over to the cop's house one evening, and explain how this bitch at the office is trying to screw him over because he broke things off with her. The whole woman-scorned defense. The cop knows him. He's a good guy, with a solid rep. Of course he wouldn't do anything wrong. And when the woman comes to the department with her story, that cop would make it all go away." One more quick turn, and still no sign of the green Jeep, or the blue Taurus. I set a course for a really nice-looking bed and breakfast place I'd noticed on the way into town.
"But surely there would be some of the police who would investigate?" The defeated tone of her voice made me wish I didn't have to explain how shit like this worked. It was bad enough she knew about it from TV shows and that kind of thing.
"It's possible. But even if there was an investigation, the cop who drank the beer with him is going to make shit disappear. By that point, he has to cover his own tracks. If he allows evidence to come up against Sennit, he's risking being outed as a dirty cop."
Sarah let her head fall back against the head rest, as if exhausted. "I can't believe I didn't know this kind of thing. I mean, I've wondered how it happened. Some pillar of the community beats his kid, and we investigate, remove the child, but they're quickly sent right back home. It all just goes away. And that's how it works."
"Yeah it is." I hated to be the one to tell her how the real fucking world worked, but she needed to know, too. I took the turn to the bed and breakfast. "When we get here, we sign in as Mr. and Mrs. Smith. The owners will know that's fake, but it doesn't matter, as long as they get their money." I chose the private place specifically because it was less likely to share information. Fucking chain hotels put everything in a central database, which someone like me could easily break into.
"People still do that? Like on TV, when someone's having an affair?"
I chuckled at her innocence. "Yeah, they do. But in a world where everyone pays with plastic, and everything is digital, it's getting harder and harder to use an alias like that. So we go to a privately owned place, not part of a chain, and we pay cash. Some managers will even skip registering a guest in that situation."
"Oh." Apparently, it took some time to let all that sink in, along with the information about why we had to have help from Fergus. She stayed quiet, staring out the window, until we pulled into the circular drive at the bed and breakfast.
I parked under a big oak tree in hopes the spreading limbs would shield the SUV from view a little. We were still in Fergus' fucking town, and no doubt, he would quickly find where we were staying, but I didn't have to just hand it to him.
"Wait here, doors locked. Do not, I repeat, do not, open the doors to anyone but me. If I'm not out in ten minutes, you get behind the wheel and get the fuck out of here."
"But, where would I go?" The way her eyes widened with fear made my fucking dick twitch with want.
I thought about that for a second. She fucking trusted me, and as wrong as it might be, her fear combined with her trust in me to keep her safe made me want her all over again. "You look up the nearest FBI field office, and go there. Tell them everything."
She gave me a serious nod, and I got out, and waited to hear the locks engage before I walked up on the porch of the sprawling house.
A discreet sign directed me to reception as I stepped inside, and a bell on the door jingled. "Just a second!" The female voice came from the right, where the foyer opened into a big great room. A heavily pregnant woman with a pronounced limp came through and greeted me with a bright smile. "I'm Chancey. What can I do for ya, hun?"
The damn cheerfulness was contagious, and my grin refused to be contained. "I need a room for a few days, or a suite, if you have one."
In a matter of minutes, I had a suite for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and knew Chancey's entire family history. She didn't bat a lash when I asked to keep things anonymous, as if she received similar requests all the time. Once she gave me the key, and the schedule for meals served in the dining room, I went back out to the car for Sarah and our things.
Inside, Sarah marveled at the house as we found our room. The carved moldings and vintage wallpaper fascinated her. I probably wouldn't have noticed more than the place being clean, but her delight with the glass doorknobs made me smile. I used the big iron key Chancey gave me to unlock our room, and stepped back to let Sarah go in first.
She froze in the doorway. "Oh, my God! Crank, this place is incredible."
I moved closer to see what astounded her so much, and felt my own jaw drop a little. Hardwood floors gleamed, but my attention went immediately to the huge carved bed in the middle of the room. Snowy white linens contrasted sharply with the dark wood, tempting me to throw Sarah right in the center, and fuck us both senseless.
I led her into the room, dropped our shit on the floor, and kicked the door closed. When she would have continued looking around at all the marvels, I lifted her in my arms. "You can check all this out later. Right now, I need you in that bed."
She smiled a little. "I thought you had to go back and see that guy they found?"
"That motherfucker can wait a few more minutes. I can't." I lowered her onto the bed, and bent to claim her mouth as I started pulling our clothes away.
Sarah:
Crank left me dozing in the bed, both exhausted and surprisingly refreshed. At first, I thought sex with him was so different because of the danger he represented. The thrill remained, possibly from the situation as well as the man, but every time with him was more incredible than the last. Now, I found his touch becoming as essential to my existence as air.
God, I was such a fool. The thing with Sennit would be resolved, and Crank would go back home. I knew for certain he was not the staying kind, not the type of man to settle with one woman for the rest of his life. And yet there I was, dreaming about having him forever.
Reluctant to move and disturb the blissful feeling he left me with, I lay there for a while, trying not to think too much. Finally, though, a full bladder forced me up. The big claw-foot tub had a ceiling mounted showerhead, and a lush curtain hung from a brass rail to completely encompass the tub.
The thought of hot water proved too much temptation. The smell of lavender from the silky French-milled soap surrounded me, relaxing my muscles even further, if that were possible. Guilt over the amount of hot water going down the drain eventually forced me from the shower. I wrapped the thick cotton towel around me, and went to dig through my bag for clothes.
The persistent buzzing of my phone sent me diving onto the bed, searching for it amongst the crumpled covers. My mom's name on the screen brought panic to surge through my veins. Had Sennit done something more?
"Mom?" I waited, breathless with fear. Had he reached them before they left?
"Oh, hi, honey. I just wanted to tell you our flight landed, and we're at the hotel now. I still can't believe this! Are you sure you can afford it all?" She sounded happy and excited, completely unaware anything might be wrong.
My pulse calmed a little, and I smiled. "I'm sure, Mom. I just wanted to do something really nice for you and Dad." Thoughts of maxed out credit cards tried to intrude, and I resolutely pushed them away. Debt meant nothing compared to my parents' safety. It was a small price to pay for keeping them in one piece.
"You could have saved for your wedding and honeymoon, though. You'll want it to be very special. Your young man is so dashing and handsome!" She gushed a little more about Sennit.
My stomach rolled. There was no need to lie more. "Listen, Mom, I have to tell you, it isn't like that. I'm not dating Jared Sennit, or anyone else from the office, and never gave any indication I might want to."
Silence stretched for a moment. "Nonsense, honey. You don't have to pretend with me."
I sighed. Time for the truth, now that they were safely out of his reach. "I'm not pretending, Mom. Jared Sennit is corrupt, and he's a predator. That whole little charade was a message to me. I've been digging into the corruption, finding proof, and through that, I stumbled onto something much bigger. He was telling me to back off and keep quiet, or he would harm you and Dad." I held my breath, waiting for her reply.
"Honey, you really don't have to do this. We know you're not supposed to get involved at work, but—"
"Mom! Will you listen to me?" Frustration made my chest heave. "I'm sorry. I know you'd like for me to be settled and raising a family. But Mom, I'm telling you the truth. Jared Sennit is taking kickbacks to place children in certain places. He's raping girls in return for good placements. And that could only be the start of it."
"Oh, honey…"
"That's why I had to get you and Dad to go away quickly. Him coming to the house was a direct threat. He had my apartment broken into, and sent a threatening text. I need you to stay away until he's arrested and charged." Telling her so much was a risk, but one I had to take. They couldn't come back here right now, even if they did think I had gone off my rocker.
"You can't do this alone, honey. Turn it over to the police and let them do their job."
I swallowed back a sigh. She always thought I was too fragile to do any kind of dirty work. "I'm not doing it alone, Mom." I tried to come up with a quick explanation for Crank, without giving too much information away. "The guy I'm working with is an expert, and he's making sure I'm safe, too, so you don't have to worry."
