Devil's Angels Boxed Set: Bikers and Alpha Bad Boy Erotic Romance (27 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

It had been two weeks since she had managed to sneak an email into her drafts folder from Xander’s phone. It was the only way she could think to do it without leaving any trace. The problem was that she had no clue if Rex had found a way into her computer. Even if he had, would he think to check the drafts folder?

Two months inside this hole were taking a toll on her. She was almost positive that Xander had managed to break one of her ribs a couple of days ago. He was very careful to keep from marking up her face and arms, but everything else was fair game. Her back and sides were covered with bruises in varying stages of healing.

He had come back last night and repeated his lie that he had killed Rex. Not Manny, just Rex. She still didn’t believe him. Every night she listened to the guards on the other side of the door gossiping. She was learning a lot from their loose lips.

Xander was definitely into some shady stuff. The kind of stuff that can get you killed, if the right people decide you’re a liability. Fear had him pulling back on some of his side dealings, as he felt the pressure to appease his new, dangerous  friends. He had created a special batch of meth, but was no longer selling it out of his club. It was all going straight to Mexico now.

The shipment of stolen military weapons that were hidden in the storage buildings was now the main focus. Finding the right buyer and getting the deal done without alerting the authorities was of the utmost importance. Apparently, that was where kidnapping Ellie came into play. With Rex and Manny focused on finding her, they weren’t going to pay enough attention to the storage buildings.

The deal was set to go down in just a couple of days. When it was done, what would Xander do with her? He couldn’t let her go and that left only one real option.

***

Rex checked his and her email accounts every day. He called her publisher every day, as well, and always got the same response. They couldn’t tell him anything and he expected no less. They were strict about protecting her privacy, but at the same time, he had to try.

Manny returned to spying on Xander full time. He knew that something was going on. In the past couple of days, there had been lots of activity around the club. Strangers were always coming and going. He suspected that the deal for the weapons and explosives in the storage buildings was back on.

The police were finally interested, as well. They sent representatives from a couple of different agencies to talk to Manny. Sophisticated surveillance had been set up and was running twenty-four hours a day. They were actively searching for the location of the barrels that Manny saw carted off. He wasn’t as clear as to what caused them to change their minds and he didn’t care. He only cared about finding Ellie.

Of course, Manny had a theory. He thought Xander had taken Ellie to distract them from watching the club and the storage buildings. It made sick sense.

Rex had to find her before that deal went down. He agreed with Manny on a few things. He believed that Xander was too smart to be caught when he had so many lackeys to take the fall for him. Also, he thought that once the deal was done, Xander wouldn’t need Ellie anymore.

Locking himself in his apartment, Rex opened the laptop and began methodically checking the emails. There was more fan mail, but he no longer bothered to open those emails. A lengthy email from her publishing company was in her inbox, also. They wanted to know when she was coming back and what the status was on her next project.

There was a “1” beside the folder marked “Drafts” in her personal email. He couldn’t remember if it had been there before. It was possible he hadn’t noticed it because he was so focused on the new emails that arrived in the inbox folder. Curious, he clicked the folder. Then, he saved item which had no subject line. His heart turned over when he read it.

Old house. Cellar. Remember? Tunnel to club. Guards!

The draft was started two weeks ago. For two weeks she was waiting on him to find her. He prayed she was still there and alive.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Something was wrong. The afternoon guards had left, but the evening guards never showed up. The sun went down a couple of hours ago, but no one brought her meal to her, either.

When she heard footsteps coming down the tunnel, she knew it could only be Xander. He was taking his time, whistling a happy tune. For some reason, the whistling made her entire body shudder.

There was only one reason that he was happy. The deal was going down and he was coming to make sure she never told anyone what happened. It was her day of reckoning.

Xander turned on the light, opened the door, closed it, and relocked it. He had never bothered to lock it before, but without guards on the other side he must have felt the need for the added protection.

The light blinded Ellie for a minute. When she could focus fully, Xander was leaning against the door to the tunnel and his arms were crossed over his chest. She dared to look into his eyes. There was a heated, crazed look there that made her skin crawl and her stomach cramp.

“You look so much like your mother. I’ve never really seen much of me in you at all.” He moved away from the door and took a couple of steps closer to where she sat on the edge of the bed. “I think we should change that, don’t you?”

***

Rex had no choice but to find Manny and the cops before he went busting into that cellar on the Karthadossian property. He wasn’t in the loop enough to know what was going on and who was watching what. He could make things worse and get Ellie killed while he tried to save her.

The club was a flurry of activity when he came down. Every table was occupied by men in all kinds of gear, ranging from simple bulletproof vests to full SWAT gear. They were talking on radios and cellphones.

He found Manny at the back of the room. His shoulders were tense and he had an eagle eye on all the fuzz in his place. “What’s going on?”

Manny took in the determined look that settled over his son. He filled Rex in on the newest information, “They moved up the deal to tonight. It’s going down in less than an hour. All these folks are here to take care of their respective parts, including DEA, ATF, and the regular cops. Even Homeland Security sent a couple of suits.”

“I know where Ellie is. She managed to get a message to me after all. It was hidden in the drafts folder of her email. He’s got her locked up in that old cellar behind the house where she was born. There’s a tunnel that leads back to Xander’s club from the cellar. If he’s going to kill her, it will be while that deal is going down.” Rex turned, ready to race out of the club and get to Ellie, but Manny’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Let go. I have to get to her.”

“You can’t go racing off on your white horse just yet, son. Be smart. We have to tell the fuzz about that tunnel, so they can have people watch all the exits in case Xander tries to escape.” He poked Rex in the chest. “Not to mention, the last thing we need is you getting hurt in the crossfire. This operation is huge. Much bigger than I was expecting. There’s more letters in this club than at a spelling bee.”

“Okay, fine. I get that. Let’s tell them, so I can get over there and get her out.” Rex was running out of patience.

Manny let out a whistle that would break the eardrums of more delicate creatures. “Hey, suits and such, we have some information that you need to hear.”

The room full of cops all turned eyes on Rex and he took a deep breath, explaining as quickly as possible. Maps were unfolded and red marks were made. A change was made in the way they would hit the club. It all moved quicker than he thought it would. He was very appreciative of that; however, there was just one thing he needed them to be clear on.

“No one goes after Ellie, but me. She’s been held by that sadistic bastard for two months. I don’t want her scared any more than she has been already.” Rex’s tone was low and serious. He knew that dictating terms was probably futile, but he had to try.

A big man with an old-fashioned flattop haircut stepped forward and looked him in the eye. “I can see that you’re serious, but you’re a civilian. You don’t get to tell the authorities what to do.”

Rex stared the man down, working out his choices. “No offense, but I don’t trust you. I don’t know you. I
know
Xander. I’m going to get her.”

Flattop shook his head and said, “You want to sit here handcuffed to a chair?”

“No.” He’d let them have their way. He wouldn’t be around by the time they started their operation either way.

Flattop shook his hand. “We’ll get your girl out, safe and sound.” He turned away and went back to his maps and radio.

Rex smiled. Yeah, he wasn’t waiting on any uniform. They could clean up whatever mess he made later. Turning to his dad, he spoke loudly enough to be heard; but, not so loud that it was obvious. “I need Ellie’s laptop. I left it upstairs.” The look he gave his dad was all the explanation needed. Manny nodded once.  He understood because it’s exactly what he would do.

Rex walked normally when he wanted to run. He got out of the club, grabbed a crowbar from the tool box in the back of his truck, and made it around the side of the club without anyone stopping him. The minute he was in the clear, he ran. He cut through the woods and towards the old path they had used years ago.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Xander watched fear leech into his daughter’s eyes. He had waited so long to see that look again. A ribbon of dark lust snaked through his body. He could have seen this look so many times over the years, if her whore-of-a-mother hadn’t taken her away and turned her against him. Unbuckling his belt, he slid it free and folded it in half, setting it on the small tray in front of the bed.

When his hands went to unbutton his pants, Ellie slid as far back on the bed as she could. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. Something clicked in her mind and she saw this scene replaying in her head, only she was much younger and the room was filled with junk.

He had been spanking her with his belt for going to the ditch with Rex. She hadn’t understood then what it meant when his breathing turned harsh and he lovingly stroked the skin he hit with the belt.

Her mom had come in the room, screaming at him. Crying. Holding her chest like it was going to explode. She understood everything now. The way she had fought to keep Xander away, how she had warned her to never, ever be alone with him. She understood and it made her head pound with sickness.

When she came back to herself and opened her eyes, he had his left hand inside of his jeans. He stroked himself while holding the belt in his right. Her stomach revolted and she leaned over the side of the bed, vomiting on the floor. In return, he let out a harsh, nasty laugh.

She wiped her mouth out with the corner of the sheet, spitting a couple of times to try and clear the taste from her mouth. There was no way that he was going to do this to her and she would never let him touch her that way.  She had to find a way out.

“I can see what you’re thinking, Ellie girl. There’s no way out of here. No mommy to save you.” He slapped the belt on the mattress, cackling when she jumped and scooted back against the wall again. “You’ve been bad and you need to be punished.”

“You sick fuck! You monster!” Ellie screamed the words. She might not win this fight, but she was going to give him one.

Xander leaned forward, close enough that she could feel his breath. “You don’t know what a monster is yet, Ellie girl.”

***

Rex had a hard time finding the entrance to the cellar in the dark. He knew he was close. Then, he heard the scream.

It was off to his left. He ran faster than he ever had. While he was trying to listen for the sound of another scream over the sound of his own breathing, he nearly tripped over the entrance.

He took the crowbar and started beating the door with it, as he screamed Ellie’s name over and over. The lock began to give way and he shoved the end under the hinge. He pushed against it with everything he had in him.

It gave way. He yanked the doors open just as the sound of a gunshot rang out.

***

Xander grabbed her legs and pulled, yanking until she was at the edge of the bed. The belt sang as it sliced the air, hitting her cheek with a nasty slap. Her ear rang, making her stomach lurch again. The shock of it made her muscles go limp.

He was on top of her before her next breath. The hand that was not holding the belt squeezed her breast painfully. Trying to push his weight off of her, she lifted her head. Over his shoulder, a glint of silver caught her attention.

Xander raised his arm again. Then, he brought the belt down and let it glance off her thigh. The quick sting made her gasp and he felt himself hardening even more. The more she fought the more he liked it. Her breast was soft under his hand, so he slapped it hard, laughing when she screamed.

Ellie had no choice left. It was him or her. He was so distracted by his attempts to hurt her that he had raised his upper body to get more leverage. She moved, snatched the gun from the holster at his lower back, clicked off the safety, and pulled it between them. She could see the amusement in his eyes. He didn’t think she could do it. He put his hand around her neck and squeezed as hard as he could. She pulled the trigger.

His hand went slack and she started coughing. The sound of banging and yelling reached her ears. She pulled the gun out from between their bodies and pointed it at the doorway.

***

Leaping down the steps, Rex rushed into the room and immediately stumbled to a halt. Ellie was pointing a gun right at him. “Ellie, honey. It’s me.” He put his hands up non-threateningly.

It was such a relief to see Rex that Ellie immediately started crying and couldn’t stop. She put the gun on the bed above her head and started pushing at Xander’s weight, her hands slick with his blood. The weight lifted and she heard his body hit the floor with a sickening thud. She heard Rex exclaim, his voice filled with disgust, when he realized what Xander tried to do.

Rex gathered her up in his arms and carried her out of the cellar. He moved quickly, in case someone heard the gunshot and decided to come after them. He rushed across the wooded lot with her hands clenched tightly on his shirt, as she sobbed uncontrollably.

He heard sirens ,as the bust on the club started. He came out into the clearing and saw cops already bringing people out of the club in handcuffs. The sound of men shouting and doors breaking could be heard from inside. There were several ambulances lined up at the edge of the road and Rex headed towards the closest one.

Manny, Flattop, and the two Homeland Security suits were huddled up about twenty feet from where he was headed. Manny saw them first, shouted, and raced towards them. One of the EMTs and all the cops were hot on his heels.

The EMT was trying to take her from his arms, but he wasn’t ready to let her go. “It’s not her blood. She’s alright. It’s not her blood.” Rex turned to Manny who was gently stroking the hair off of Ellie’s temple. “He was…he was trying to…she shot him.”

He knew he wasn’t making much sense, but his dad seemed to understand him perfectly. Rex saw guilt in his father’s eyes. It was the same guilt that he felt and along with the guilt, he saw tears.

“Give her to the EMT, son. Let him take her to the hospital. You can go with her, I’m sure. Right?” Manny shot a look at the young man in question and he nodded enthusiastically.

Ellie picked that moment to try and shake off the shock. “Put me down!” She lifted her head and pushed against Rex’s chest. She had to ignore the look of hurt on his face for the moment. There were things that she needed to say.

He put her down and she held onto his hand, not just to steady herself, but because he was the only human she could trust at that moment. She looked at Flattop and addressed him, deciding he was in charge. “The entrance to the tunnel is in the small closet next to Xander’s office. It’s a false panel in the wall. You have to press the left hand corner to get it to open. Follow it down to the cellar. I shot him. His body is down there.

“Xander has a drug lab down there, too. It’s behind a door on the right side of the tunnel halfway down. It’s active, so everyone needs to be careful. There are two guards right inside the door.” The pain in her side was becoming overwhelming. She wrapped her free arm around her body and tried to hold on until she was done. She looked at Manny and tried to smile. “You told them about the storage buildings, right?”

Manny smiled back and reached out to touch her cheek, startled but not offended when she pulled back. She had been through a lot. “I got ‘em here didn’t I?”

“And the bodies? Have they found them yet?” Manny shook his head no and looked away. She nodded and looked at Flattop again. “I heard them talking about Parson’s Pond. They said George and the others are safe at Parson’s. I’m sure that’s where you’ll find the bodies.”

Manny looked at Flattop. “George was my guy. The one I told you about.”

Flattop nodded and gave her a look that was filled with concern. “Ellie, you need to go get checked out. We can talk later.” He tried to touch her shoulder, but again, she jerked away. This time the pain that shot through her was too much and her vision faded to black.