Drax had just alerted us that a group of bikers was at the gate. They wore our colors, so he was told to let them in. We gathered outside to greet them. I made sure Lakelyn was at my side and that her brother was close by.

  When they came roaring into the compound, I counted the bikes. I was surprised. Even though I told Lakelyn to prepare for up to ten, I figured Scythe would send a handful, and I didn’t expect him to come himself. Ten bikes came riding up to a stop in front of the clubhouse. Scythe and his VP, Mountain, were in the lead. As they removed their goggles, I cataloged who came.

  They didn’t waste time getting off their bikes and over to where I stood with my officers. The regular members were gathered slightly behind and off to the sides of us. Drax walked up from the gate, and Knife was standing with him. It was always good, though a little nerve-racking, to meet with other chapters.

  Scythe smiled and held out his hand. “It’s good to see you, brother,” he said.

  As I took it, he yanked me close to give me a back-pounding hug. I expected it. As I returned it and his greeting, I heard the others calling out their hails and welcomes. When I finally got loose, I turned and held out my hand to my woman. Her soft hand slid into mine. I gently squeezed to reassure her, then brought her forward. Scythe was eyeing her, and the others with him grew quiet as she became the focus of attention. I put an arm around her and hugged her to my side. I smiled at her. Lakelyn returned it.

  “Scythe, thank you and your men for coming. I’d like to introduce you to Lakelyn Barbeau, my old lady. And this is her brother, River. Though not entirely, they’re a part of why you’re here.”

  Scythe offered his hand to Lakelyn first. “It’s an honor to meet you and your brother. When Tyrant told me he had an old lady, I thought he was lying, though that wasn’t like him. He doesn’t joke. Be honest with me. You’re not his, are you?”

  She laughed. “He wasn’t joking. I am his. He claimed me, and I can’t say I’m upset about it.”

  “And you actually like this surly old bear?” Mountain asked in astonishment.

  She squeezed my side, gazed up at me, and gave me a smile that made me automatically smile back. “I more than like him. I love him.”

  This remark made all my men cheer loudly and tease the other Kings. When they quieted, Scythe shook his head and replied.

  “I can’t believe it. Have you told any of the others yet? Have they met her?”

  “I did let a few know the other night. They’re looking forward to meeting Lakelyn and River to welcome them to the Kings’ family.”

  “They do? Who? You didn’t tell me that,” she gasped.

  “I was waiting to surprise you. Alright, River, get up here closer. I’m gonna let Scythe introduce you and your sister to his crew. They’re uncouth and more barbaric than us, so you’ve been warned.”

  Scythe snorted as his men preened as if I complimented them. Yeah, they weren’t right in the head.

  “As if any King is tame. This guy is Mountain, our VP, and next to him is Twister, our secretary. Then you have Phantom, our SAA, and Scarecrow, our enforcer. This one is Hound, our treasurer, Lasso, our tail gunner, and Hayride, our road captain. These last two are Virus, our tech, and Moonshine. We left Charon, Sasquatch, and Country back home to hold things together. Welcome to the family. We’re here to help however we can,” Scythe introduced.

  “Welcome and thank you all for doing this. I don’t want anyone to get hurt from either chapter, and the more of you there are, the better. Now, why don’t we go inside? We have your rooms ready, and drinks are available. In half an hour, a very late dinner will be served if you’re hungry. Make yourselves at home, and if you need anything, let us know,” Lakelyn graciously said.

  She waved toward the door. As we began to move that way, Scythe came up on the opposite side of me from Lakelyn. “You sure got yourself a looker, and she seems sweet as hell. Never saw you with an old lady, but I gotta say, good fucking job. You’re a lucky fucker, just like I am.”

  I grinned as I told him, “I didn’t think I would get one either. I know I’m damn lucky, and I’m not about to lose her.”

  “I wouldn’t either, and we’re here to ensure that doesn’t happen.” His slap on my back comforted me.

  ☙☙☙

  It was eleven o’clock at night. We fed and watered our guests. A session of sanctuary was held to get everyone up to speed on the latest plan. We’d taken the information on the possible location and had Crypto research it. He came up with blueprints of the building as of the last known renovation. I didn’t ask how. We studied those and, assuming it was the place, we determined who would go where.

  The desire to wait and hit it tomorrow night was there due to the time, but I didn’t want to wait. Plus, we were wired, and they might be less alert, which was why we had brought Rémi to the clubhouse and into my office with Scythe to make the call. I handed Rémi the phone. If he tried to warn them, I’d take out my gun and shoot him in the head. I didn’t need to tell him that. He was seated in front of my desk, though I leaned on it, and Scythe was behind Rémi. He input the phone number. He had it on speaker so we could hear. It was picked up after only two rings.

  “Where the fuck have you been, Rémi?” Jean-Baptiste’s impatient voice snapped as soon as he answered.

  “I’m sorry for the delay, sir. It took much longer than anticipated. The woman, Mera, couldn’t lure the other one out as she expected. Her chance just came not long ago. We have the one you want,” he told Jean-Baptiste calmly and without emotion. I figured it was how you’d have to be if you worked for someone you hated and feared.

  “I don’t care for excuses. You should know that by now, Rémi. Excuses won’t keep that family of yours safe, will they?” Jean-Baptiste asked silkily. The threat was evident in his tone, without the need for words. My fist clenched, and I saw Rémi’s did as well. Confirmation that he had told the truth about the threat to his family.

  “No, sir, it won’t. We’re back on schedule. Where would you like us to bring her, or do you want us to hang onto her until morning?”

  “Hell no, I’m not waiting until morning! I’ve waited too long as it is to get my hands on that bitch. She’s caused me nothing but trouble. I want to start her training immediately. She’ll learn who her master is and not to displease me. We do this tonight. Do they know she’s gone?”

  “Not yet, but that could change at any time. It would probably be best to secure her wherever you want her taken as soon as possible.”

  “Where’s Henri?” Jean-Baptiste asked.

  “She’s being a bit unruly, so he’s keeping her quiet. I found a place where I could talk without interruption. Do you want me to see if he can talk?”

  I stiffened, but he was mouthing, It’s alright.

  “No, just keep an eye on him. You know how he is with the women. She’s not to be touched,” his boss growled.

  “I can see them from where I’m at, sir. He’s behaving. Where would you like us to bring her?”

  “Take her to the building off Park Avenue, there in Turmoil. You know the one. Wait for us. We’ll be there as soon as we can. Père and I are finishing up an important dinner engagement. We’ll be there as soon as we can get away from these fools.”

  “We’ll see you there, sir.”

  “You’d better. Don’t let anything happen to her, or your family will pay the price along with you,” Jean-Baptiste promised.

  “I won’t.”

  “Good. Au revoir, goodbye,” Jean-Baptiste said briskly before hanging up.

  Rémi sagged and closed his eyes. I gave him a moment to compose himself. When he opened his eyes, he stared hard at me. “They’ll be safe?”

  “Moonshine and Jury have them in our safe house. No one knows they’re there. You spoke to them. They’re fine,” I reminded him.

  We’d sent those two earlier to round up his family and take them to safety until this was resolved. Rémi had to speak to them to convince the women to believe our guys were there to help, not someone the Jacquots sent. He was just reaffirming. I would do the same in his shoes.

  “Okay, you heard him. They picked the one I thought they would. Since they live in Kearney, I don’t think they have as many places or the reach here that they have there—another reason to take what you have. We should get there ASAP. It shouldn’t take long at this time of night, but you never know,” Rémi said.

  “Let’s go,” I stated.

  It was a fast transition. Everyone was loaded and ready to go before we made the call. With the location confirmed, all I had to do was pass it along and kiss my woman one more time. She held me tightly.

  “Killian, please be careful,” she whispered.

  “Mon doux bébé, I will be super careful. I’m coming home to you. And when I do, you and I have more things to figure out.”

  “Like what?”

  “You’ll see,” I smirked.

  I knew it would drive her crazy, wondering. She pinched my side before I gave her one last peck on the mouth and walked out. My smile slid away, and my Tyrant side entirely took over. I was about to teach the Jacquots what happened to those who fuck with the Kings of Anarchy and why they should’ve never targeted my club. There will be blood flowing tonight.

  ☙☙☙

  We’d made it to the handoff place in plenty of time. Since we didn’t want to draw attention to ourselves or be recognized if we were seen, we’d left all the motorcycles at the compound. Yeah, bikers riding in cages wasn’t a pretty sight. It was nothing but grumpy faces and muttered curses. In addition, to make it worse, we left our cuts behind. It felt like we were naked and without a weapon. We didn’t worry as much about our clothing because it was nighttime. Dark jeans, boots, and dark shirts were okay.

  Crypto and River were monitoring the police radio in case anyone called about the address. In addition, they were tapped in and ensured there were no cameras at the building to worry about, and that traffic cams in that general area would be on the fritz so that nothing would record us in that section of town. We also brought a frequency jammer to kill cell phones that others might bring to the building. Our radio comms, used with the earpieces we wore to make communicating and coordinating in the thick of things possible, were set to a rarely used frequency so the jammer wouldn’t affect them. It was something that Crypto had tinkered with and improved. He did that to a lot of things. To protect against being shot and killed, we wore Kevlar vests. It would reduce the odds of us dying from a gunshot wound unless we took one to the head.

  The drivers of the various vehicles dropped us off at different points around the property, then parked in their assigned areas. They would meet us back at the building. Some men were serving as lookouts outside while the rest of us were inside the building, waiting for the Jacquots to show. Rémi was inside with me. I made sure he was kept close to me. If he tried to warn or help the enemy, I’d shoot him dead before he could expose us.

  While many people would grow tense as they waited, this kind of situation made me feel calmer and more focused. It had been the same whenever I went into battle or danger with my club or when I’d been with my SEAL team. If Lakelyn had been nearby or in the crosshairs, that would have been a stressor for me.

  We were spread throughout the building. There were two stories to it. It was a cross between a warehouse and a plant, like where one would’ve built automobiles. There were cranes and other heavy-duty equipment scattered throughout it. Although it had been abandoned, Rémi assured us that most of it was still operational. I wondered whether the Jacquots had left the utilities on, or if whoever owned it had forgotten they hadn’t turned them off. Wouldn’t they realize they paid the electric bill? From the looks of it, it had been decommissioned for more than a year or two. When I mentioned it to Rémi, he told us he’d been here more than a time or two over the last three years.

  “You have incoming. ETA five minutes out. There is a silver Escalade and a black Mercedes 7 Series sedan. Get set,” Crypto’s voice spoke into our ears.

  Rémi, Howler, and I were back toward the office area, which Rémi told us they would head to first when they entered. We’d turned on the light in the office but left the others off. In addition, the vehicle he and Henri had driven to kidnap Lakelyn was parked outside, where it would be visible. The rest of the men inside were ordered to remain hidden until we had them inside the office door. Then, we’d reveal ourselves to them. Those outside would, as quietly as possible, dispose of the people they left outside on patrol.

  “They’ve pulled in front of the building. Getting out and scanning around. It’s Hugo, Jean-Baptiste, and six men, including the sedan’s driver,” Crypto informed us.

  “Everyone, hold your positions until I say,” I murmured.

  A handful of moments later, the squeaky door we’d entered at the other end of the building sounded. From my hiding spot, I saw two men enter. They were followed by Hugo and his son, and another guy brought up the rear. That left three outside to be dealt with. Recalling what happened with Arturo and his men, we wouldn’t expose all our outside forces to take out the three guys standing guard in case they had others watching.

  “Henri, Rémi, where the fuck are you?” Jean-Baptiste yelled as he stormed toward the lit office. He was so impatient that he pushed past their two guards.

  “Sir, let us check first,” one of them stated.

  “I don’t need you to check on shit. I can do that myself. If you want to do something, find the switch and turn some more lights on in here. I need to see what I’m doing when I teach this bitch a lesson. You’ll want to see the show. You’ll learn how to train a woman properly,” Jean-Baptiste sneered.

  “Fils, son, she’s here. Another moment or two won’t make a difference. I know you’ve been waiting a long time. Anticipation can be a good thing,” Hugo cajoled him.

  “Père, it can be, but I’m impatient to start her lessons. Lakelyn has cost me too much time and energy. If goddamn Barbeau hadn’t gotten greedy and run to them, I would’ve had her in my bed and under my control a long time ago. I should’ve never listened to you. I wanted to take her from the start, but you didn’t want to upset her father. You said we needed him. Well, as you can see, we didn’t. I should’ve acquired her, and to hell with the consequences. Over six months of wasted time,” he snapped at Hugo.

  “I know, I know. I miscalculated. I thought his accounting skills couldn’t be matched. But I agree with what Gerald told you about his son and his capabilities, when added to those of Lakelyn, that they can more than fill their père’s shoes. And if we find someone better, they can be sold.”

  “I’m not selling her until I’ve used her up. She owes me. As for River, I don’t care about him. As soon as his superior is found, he’s gone. See how that high-and-mighty whore likes her precious baby brother sold into a life of servitude. She’ll do everything I want and beg me to keep her and him.” Jean-Baptiste darkly chuckled.

  Listening to him talk about my woman and River like that and imagining what he would do to Lakelyn made me want to rush out of my hiding spot and shoot the cocksucker. But I had a better end in mind for him.

  As they argued, they’d reached about ten feet from the office door. The lead guards stopped and peered around the area. Their hands were under their jackets. They were wary. Not wanting them to start shooting, I pressed the remote I had in my pocket. There was the sound of scuffling and then Lakelyn’s muffled scream from the office. I’d recorded it earlier at home. At that moment, Rémi came walking out of the darkness. The bodyguards had whipped around and almost drawn their weapons, but froze when they saw him.

  “I don’t like to be kept waiting, Rémi. Why didn’t you or Henri answer when I shouted for you?” Jean-Baptiste snarled.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I had to step out back to take a piss. I didn’t hear you. As for Henri, I don’t know. He’s in there with the woman.”

  When Rémi pointed to the room, Jean-Baptiste pushed past his men, jerked the door open, and rushed inside. The others and his father were on his heels. Most of my team and I emerged from the darkness and entered behind them.

  “What the—” Hugo’s puzzled tone cut off as he turned and saw us standing behind them. Our guns were out and pointed at the five men. His son swung around at his father’s words. His hand lowered.

  “Jean-Baptiste, I’d keep my hands where I can see them if you don’t want me to shoot you in the head right this second. The same goes for your father and these men. We’re going to spend some quality time together tonight. We have several things I need to get off my chest,” I growled.

  “Tyrant, what is the meaning of this?” Hugo asked.

  I wondered if he’d try to play innocent. Surely, he wasn’t stupid enough to believe we were here by accident. Although to keep them guessing, Rémi also had his hands in the air as if he were surprised by our appearance. It had been his suggestion to delay any gunshots until we had them contained.

  “Where are they?” Jean-Baptiste barked at me.

  “Who? Did you lose someone?” I smirked.

  “Don’t fucking play games with me, Tyrant! I can have you and your little club of biker trash wiped out of existence without lifting a finger. If you harm a hair on our heads or we don’t return home in perfect health, our family and men will move against your entire club and burn that shithole you call a compound to the ground, and we’ll take Lakelyn and River. It makes no difference to us. I will have what I want,” Jean-Baptiste snarled.

  “Garçon, boy, that’s where you’re wrong. See, you should’ve done more research before you got into business with us. And you sure as fuck should’ve done so before you tried to have Arturo and his buddies double-cross us on your orders. But where you really fucked up was going after Lakelyn and River,” I calmly informed him.