BEAR: A Hellbound Lovers MC Novella, page 5
I only had a few hours to decide what to do. I’d heard about Jeb and what he was capable of, but I thought it was people talking. Murmurs of shady way he got elected, rapes that were unsolved, cases that were never closed. I now knew he’d hurt him if I didn’t do what he wanted. This was my fault, and I needed to fix this.
It would tear my heart apart, but there was only one thing I could do. I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t put Derek in jeopardy, it wasn’t fair to him. And if I stayed, Jeb would destroy us both. Without thinking, I packed my bag. I didn’t know where I was going, but I prayed to God whatever road I took would lead me back to Bear.
Five
Bear
We had our eye on a shipment that was coming in. I wasn’t privy to the contents but what I did know was that it was worth millions. We had received word that the son of a bitch in charge of receiving the shipment and transporting it to the National Chapter in New Orleans, had decided to veer off somewhere. It was now my job to find him. According to the members, word was he was hiding somewhere near Bucks County. All I needed to do was find out where he was and make sure the traitorous bastard paid for what he’d done.
I never killed anyone, and I wasn’t about to start. I made that crystal when I joined the MC. But if I was put in a situation where it was my life or his, you better believe I’d choose my life. In this case, I was going to make sure this traitor wouldn’t walk straight for the rest of his life.
I tracked him down by Silver Lake, an old rundown house stood facing the waterfront. It was nearing three in the morning and yet all the lights were on inside. I had a feeling I was going to need backup on this job, and I wasn’t stupid enough to go inside alone. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t check the place out.
Hiding my bike along the side of the dirt road leading in, I used the shadows to approach the rear of the house. I stumbled over something, and when I looked down bile rose in my throat. I’d stumbled upon whom I could only assess, was the owner of the house. Mid-thirties, skinny, a bottle in his hand. I knelt and felt for a pulse, hearing absolute silence. He was cold, but Rigamortis hadn’t set in yet, which only meant he was a fresh kill. He was merely tucked away by the edge of the water, out in the open where anyone could find him.
Hearing the murmur of voices and the deep bass of music coming from within, I pulled out my gun and slowly crept up to one of the windows. There were four men inside, three were sitting on the couch drinking beer, the shipment of pills lying on the table in front of them. They looked young, teenagers, the one with the black leather jacket that read Prospect on it, laughed and shook his head.
“They won’t do shit! I totally lost them. Fuckers have no idea where we are.”
I rolled my eyes. Like we wouldn’t put a tracker on a shipment this valuable. Prescription drugs were always valuable. They’ve been watching him the whole way. They had stationed roadblocks to make sure he was crossing these points at certain times. When he didn’t cross the third point, they knew he hadn’t left Pennsylvania. Then the truck had been spotted at a gas station a mile away, which is why they called me.
Stupid.
Now here they were, celebrating what they soon would find out was their last hurrah, because as soon as I called this in, they were all dead. I may forgive your life, but the members of the Royal Bastards did no such thing. I was signing their death warrant with my call, but I couldn’t do this alone. Shame. These kids were young, and this one in particular would have taken on a significant role in the club.
I looked at the pharmaceutical pills on the table and knew this wasn’t anything I wanted to take part in. Fuck if I cared about some drugs, but I was here to do a job, and this fucker had just stolen millions of dollars from the MC. The members weren’t the type of men you wanted on your bad side.
I caught movement from my right and a fourth man finally turned to look at the others. This man put me on edge. This man was someone I recognized. I was staring into the face of Jebediah Crawford and the son of a bitch had a huge grin on his face.
“All I could tell you is that my friends are going to be very happy to see this.” He clapped the transporter on the back congratulating him. “You did a good job, man.”
I focused on him as he talked. How relaxed he was as he took a swig of his beer. This was definitely not his first round about. This motherfucker was knee deep in illegal activity and he knew just how to play the system. I was right when my gut told me something was off about him. After checking him out I noticed his connections entailed drug lords and the mafia down in New York. There were also certain events that had taken place recently which made me think this asshole could be a possible threat to my Meg.
My eyes wavered slightly and that’s when I realized Jebediah Crawford was planning something more sinister than I could have imagined. He slowly pulled out his gun while the kids were busy talking about what they were going to do with their cut of the money. Gently, he placed a hand on the transporter’s neck. He turned to the kid and grinning at him, he didn’t think twice before shooting him in the head. Within seconds he took his shots at the other two kids who had been laughing and clearly high. Their laughter died instantly. Dead bodies were strewn on the old leather couches and a big smile was pasted on the crazy fucker’s face.
I watched, horror-stricken, as his plan began unfolding. Grabbing a cloth from his back pocket he wiped his hands clean and then taking the gun, he wiped it off of fingerprints and placed it in the kids’ hands. When he was done, he lifted his radio and called out.
“Job’s done. I need a cleanup crew down at the Mackenzie farm. And make sure you’re not being tracked. I don’t need the heat of the Royal Bastards on my ass. As far as their concerned, the kid stole the goods. Mackenzie’s out back by the water. Make sure the statement reads he died of intoxication. There ain’t nobody going to that fool’s funeral.”
Silencing the radio, he proceeded in packing the drugs into five big black duffle bags. He left a few bags strewn on the table. From another duffle bag he removed three guns. Each one was placed in the kids’ hands so that it looked like they had shot at each other. The transporter was shot in the temple, so he’d made it look like he had committed suicide.
He was intricate in his planning and I watched as he took his time to discard the beer he was drinking from. He wiped down the counters and turned up the volume on the radio so that the music blasted out onto the waterfront. Leaving all the lights on, he grabbed the first three duffle bags and made his way out. I ran to my bike, hidden down the road, and prayed I’d make it out to the road before he did. He still needed to go back for the rest of the drugs, so I had a few minutes headway. Revving up the engine I shot out just as he made his way around the curve. Taking to the shadows, I pulled over a few miles ahead. There was only one road out and we were both on it. I waited only a few seconds, when he sped past me I went after him, making sure to keep enough distance so that I wouldn’t get made.
We drove for a good thirty minutes before he turned down an old dirt road. I stayed far back and slowed down as I realized the road took us to a large farmhouse. I sat quietly, watching as he pulled the duffle bags out and made his way out to the barn. After a few minutes he came out, closing and locking the doors with a heavy chain before marching his ass into the house.
I stayed for a minute, trying to decide what to do with all the information I had gathered. Looked like the Sheriff of the town was not only crooked but a goddamn murderer. The Royal Bastards were going to have a field day with this one.
I hopped off the bike and walked it a mile back down to the main road. I couldn’t risk letting him hear me start the engine. I managed to ride down to a gas station about a mile away. It was desolate this time of night, which was fine by me since all I needed was to use their public phones. Dialing out I reached my contact down in New Orleans.
“Tell me you’ve got some good news for us Bear?”
“You guys have some serious shit to deal with down here. Looks like the Sheriff in Bucks County had an eye on your shipment.”
“Our shipment, or did you forget you’re a part of us now?”
I bit my tongue and kept myself from giving him a smart comment. To be honest, I hated being a part of this shit, and I wanted nothing to do with this mission. “I did my part, but we’re gonna need some more men down here.”
“Do you know who he’s working with?”
I shook my head and grimaced. “I have no clue. He made a call out to someone, said some friends would be very happy.”
I waited for a long moment before he replied. “Watch him. We want our shipment back, but we’re gonna want to know who’s behind this even more. Just watch him.”
“You sending me any backup?”
“Just do what I tell you to do. I’ll send backup when I say you need it.”
I slammed the phone down and grimaced. “Asshole.”
Getting back on my bike I went back down to the farmhouse. This was going to be a long fucking night. Hell, it might take longer than one night. I hated having to play watchdog to this son of a bitch when all I really wanted to do was go back to my warm bed and the beautiful woman I’d left back at home.
Home.
I preferred to be on the road, but lately… There was something about the thought of going back to her that filled my emptiness. Meg had become so much more to me than just a body to keep me warm at night. I couldn’t tell you what it was, but the woman moved my soul. I’d never be able to get over how sweet and pure she was. How perfectly she fit by my side. Hell, I’d do anything for her. Even give up on this life as long as she was happy. I shook my head thinking how ridiculous I sounded.
Why would a woman like her want to make a life with someone like me?
Then again. Why not?
Six
Bear
I had been trying to call her for the past week but still hadn’t heard from her. They’d told me she wasn’t working her shifts and her friend Sherry was worried about her. Hell, I was worried about her. All I knew was that Jebediah wasn’t with her. I’d been watching him all this time, he hadn’t gone near her, shit, he barely left his house. He was laying low for now.
I had promised her I’d return in a day, but this shit had taken longer than I wanted it to. After what went down, I needed to make sure she was safe. I needed to talk to her. To hear her voice.
“Goddammit!” I slammed the phone down and pressed my forehead to the headset. The men the Royal Bastards had sent, left this morning, leaving me to deal with this shitstorm on my own.
Picking up the phone once again, I dialed out another number. I needed to talk to someone I trusted, someone I knew could help. The phone rang once, twice, and on the fourth ring it was picked up. A voice I hadn’t heard in ages answered.
“Barton’s.”
“Ryder?”
“Yeah. Who’s askin’?”
“It’s Derek.”
“Derek Matheson! Holy shit man!”
I chuckled. “How you been, man?”
“I’m good. You know, same old shit.”
“I bet.”
“Where the fuck did you go hide off to?”
“Been around. Doing a few side jobs here and there. I was actually just calling to talk to Nick. He around?”
Ryder paused for a moment. “Nick? Shit, man, didn’t you hear?”
I gripped the phone, tension running through me. “What happened?”
Ryder hesitated but I pushed him. “Just say it man. Is he dead?”
“No. But there was an accident about two weeks ago.”
“Fuck,” I whispered.
“His parents are gone, man.”
I remained silent as I took the information in. Nick Barton was like a brother to me, someone who had always been there for me. Why the fuck hadn’t I called earlier. I’d been so involved in getting away, I forgot what really mattered, and these were the consequences I had to pay.
“Where is he?”
“He’s putting the house up for sale. He has no idea what he’s doing, Derek. He’s got nowhere to go, ya know.”
“What’s he planning?”
“He hasn’t talked to me in a few days. I came over today ‘cause I got worried but he’s not around.”
“Fuck!”
“I don’t know what to do here, man.”
I didn’t hesitate. I couldn’t leave them alone. Not Nick anyway. Ryder had always been on his own, but Nick, Nick was about family. “Look, man, don’t leave him alone. If anything, come down and stay by me. I’m in PA right now, but we can figure that shit out later. Just come down. I got a place where you both could stay.”
“Yeah. Yeah, man, that sounds like a plan. I’ll talk to Nick when I see him. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Sounds good. It was good talking to you, Ryder. Take care of yourself and let me know if you need anything.”
“You too, man. You too.”
I hung up and turned to face the woods. I’d called for help but instead I found myself facing shit alone. I didn’t have much, but what I did have, I’d put to good use. I stared out at the road and grimaced. I needed to get back home. Back to Meg. It wasn’t like her not to be at work. I was done with this fucker. What the hell was he waiting for?
“Fuck this!” Starting up my bike I made a quick decision and rode out to the college. She’d be out in an hour and if I had to, I was going to beg her to forgive me.
* * *
An hour later I was seated outside the building where she took her classes, but as the students wandered out, I didn’t see her. Frowning, this unease swept over me. She wasn’t one to skip classes. I waited until the last soul walked out and then I ran to my bike and made my way to her apartment. I didn’t have a key, but after knocking and not getting an answer, I got frustrated and kicked the damn door in.
As soon as I walked in, there was a deep sense of emptiness in the place. Switching the kitchen light on I made my way to the bedroom. I looked around but nothing was out of place. Pulling out drawers I noticed her clothes were gone and it looked like there had been some sort of rush to get out. What the fuck had happened to make her leave? In my desperation, I ran out to my bike and made my way to the diner.
As soon as I walked in, I found Sherry at the other end talking with a customer. Her eyes grew wide when she spotted me, and she quietly took the order and signaled for me to meet her in the back. I stepped out and waited for what seemed like an eternity. A few minutes later, Sherry rushed out.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen or heard from her for days now. That’s not like her. At first, I thought she’d left with you, and I’d been relieved, but when you called…”
She brought a hand over her mouth and stared at me wide-eyed. “What if something bad happened to her?”
I shook my head. “I’m sure she’s fine. I doubt she would leave without letting either of us know.”
“YOU!” I looked up just as Jebediah Crawford’s shadow appeared under the streetlamp. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
He hadn’t come out of his damn house all this time and he chose now to come and instigate shit. I narrowed my eyes on him as he charged at me. The look in his face was dark and deadly.
Tackling me around the waist he sent me flying back onto my back. Before he could get a blow in, I kneed him in the groin and managed to leap out from under him. Regaining my footage, I prepared for a fight.
“You hurt her! You killed her!”
“I didn’t do a damn thing!”
“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” he gritted out as he went to pull his gun out. I ran up to him, holding the gun down as it fired off, Sherry’s shrill scream filled the air. We struggled with the gun and I yelled for her to get inside.
I elbowed him in the jaw causing him to stumble back. I managed to gain control of the weapon and raised it, pointing it at his sorry ass. He grinned at me, blood coating his teeth and running down his chin. I grimaced in disgust.
“You’re gonna pay for what you did?”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!”
He laughed up at the sky, a crazed sound that put my nerves on alert. “You have no idea, do you? You think you’re slick, but I’m smarter than you,” he taunted me. “I wonder what would happen if I called in that a one percenter piece of shit biker had come into town and taken down a few teenagers down at the Mackenzie farm and killing the owner of the house. On top of that, the woman he was with. A young, innocent woman, had gone missing?”
“What the fuck are you going on about? You’re crazy? No one would believe that.”
“I think they’d believe an upstanding citizen, like let’s say, the Sheriff, over scum like you.”
I stared back at him in awe. The fucker was so twisted he was going to put the blame on me.
“And then to hurt our sweet, Meg. Why? Cause she didn’t leave with you?”
“What did you do to her?”
I angled the gun on him, and he raised his hands and tsked. “Now, now. Wouldn’t want the death of the Sheriff under your belt, would you now? You’re already looking at life in prison for murdering those boys.”
I sneered at him. He knew.
“Oh, yes. I know everything, Matheson. I also know who rode into town a few nights ago looking for that shipment. It’s long gone, by the way. But that doesn’t matter, does it? You’ve got three murders and a missing woman on your hands. What are you gonna do?”
“Fuck you.”
“Should I give you a head start?” He pulled out a radio from his side pocket and my finger twitched on the trigger. Fucker was trying to instigate me.
