Uncontrollable Temptations (The Tempted Series Book 3) (31 page)

“Where’s Blackie?” Wolf asked, glancing at Lacey before fixating his eyes on mine.

“Gold has him and Reina,” I said, diverting my eyes to Lacey as she whimpered beside me. “Call your mother and tell her where you are, tell her you’re okay,” I said, lifting her chin. “You’re okay,” I reminded her as she stared at me with questionable eyes.

“Come here, sweetheart, let’s dry that pretty face of yours,” Grace said, reaching out to take Lacey’s hand. Her eyes lifting to mine, seeming to speak the words she didn’t say.
You take care of mine and I’ll take care of yours.

Lacey dropped her hand into Grace’s as she pulled her against her chest like the nurturing woman she was and guided my daughter toward the bathroom.

I ran my fingers through my hair and walked toward the room where we held church. I knew they’d follow, and not so much because they wanted answers but because one of our own was at the mercy of another man and that wasn’t acceptable. Not in our book, not in our club.

However, I didn’t expect Anthony to stand in front of the door, with his arms crossed against his wide chest, his brother-in-law Mike at his side.

“Move out of my way, Bianci,” I growled, fire in my eyes as they met his. He glanced over my shoulder at Riggs, Wolf, Pipe and Bones who had joined the pack behind me.

“I get you have a code you people live by, a brotherhood, but you’re down a man and I owe you a favor. So, like it or not, I’m a part of this thing. I’m with you until you get your right hand back and your woman, because not too long ago you laid it all on the line to help me get mine.”

“And him?” I tipped my chin toward Mike.

“Now come on, Bulldog, you and I go way back,” his lips curved. “You saw my shot with your own eyes,” he said, raising an eyebrow, slapping the palms of his hands together and pointing his index fingers outward, mimicking a gun. He clicked his tongue. “Bang, bang,” he added.

They were both right, not that long ago I vowed to help Anthony get his life on track so he could get his woman and I was there when Michael first pulled a trigger at our shooting range. The kid was his father incarnate. They weren’t Satan’s Knights, but we were allies and when one was at war they needed all the help they could get. Anthony and Mike provided us with an advantage—they’d been around Jimmy a lot more than any of us had. They would have insight to that lunatic, knew what made him tick and what they didn’t know they could get from their people on the streets.

I looked at them once more before turning around and looking at my club.

“That okay with you?”

“Since when does what we think play a factor when dealing with the likes of them?” Pipe grunted.

Wolf elbowed him. They had a right to be bitter but now wasn’t the time for it to surface. No, now we needed to be a unit, and our honor and loyalty to one another needed to play front and center.

“Fine, but I’m not riding with one of them on my fucking back, they drive a cage,” Wolf warned.

“A cage?” Mike asked, leaning into Anthony. Bianci shrugged his shoulders and stepped aside allowing me to walk into the chapel. One by one we filed through the door, taking our respective seats at the table. I stared at Blackie’s empty chair for a moment before slamming down the gavel.

“A couple of months ago, Pastore asked me to take care of a problem he had. A Fed was sniffing around one of Jimmy’s bodies and they wanted me to make the Fed disappear. That Fed was my brother, Danny. This guy over here…” I pointed to Bianci who was leaning against the wall, “…was about to help me save my brother’s life but we were too late. Jimmy killed Danny and set his house on fire. Reina, the woman I’ve been seeing, was Danny’s girlfriend and she was in the house with Danny when he let the house go up in flames.” I glanced around the table and sighed as I continued. “I’ve been planning my revenge for months, figuring it was personal and so no need to bring it to the club. It’s not personal anymore. It’s not even about Danny anymore. Wolf, Pipe, you two have been around since Cain’s days, you guys remember the G-Man, right?”

Pipe nodded. “Remember going to a lot of funerals at his hand,” he said.

“Yeah, well, long story short, Jimmy has been working with him since the days of Val.”

I averted my eyes to Mike as he cleared his throat at the mention of his father. I realized I wasn’t sure if he knew Jimmy and the G-man were responsible for his father’s death. Victor had taken out the hitman responsible and when Nikki was kidnapped by the G-man’s son, Mike had killed him but the man he killed went by the name of Deke Rogers, an alias to throw off the Pastore’s. I looked over at Anthony, allowing him to see the questions in my eyes before he continued. Mike’s eyes moved back and forth between the two of us before he rolled his eyes and stared at me expectantly.

“Keep on, I know all about it,” he informed me.

“Every blow to the Pastore family has been orchestrated by Jimmy and his quest for control, including Val’s death,” I stated.

“That’s your pops,” Wolf said to Mike. “And Victor’s underboss.”

“I remember the newspaper headlines. The press called his death a ‘mobbed up massacre,’” Pipe added.

“With Val dead and Vic in jail, Jimmy is the head honcho, paving a clear path for the G-Man to move drugs through the streets. The thing is, without Cain and his connections, and Victor cutting out whatever smack he could, they became vulnerable and in search for a supplier. The plan was for us to supply Jimmy with the heroine, give him enough to make some money. When his dick got wet, he’d come crawling on his hands and knees for more and we’d tell him we were only in business to get large quantities. He’d agree because he’s a greedy cocksucker and we’d set the scene for the cops to find him with all the drugs.”

“So now we’re playing cops?” Pipe asked. “When did we start doing citizen’s arrests?”

“When Victor Pastore gave the green light he’d be waiting on the other end, ready and willing to do our dirty work,” I retorted.

“Hold the phone,” Riggs said, holding up a hand. “Tony Soprano is going to take out that crazy clown in prison?
That
is your plan?” He asked incredulously.

“
Was
the plan,” I corrected.

“And now?” Bones asked hesitantly.

“Now, that motherfucker is mine,” I said simply.

“What does he want?” Pipe questioned.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I don’t know what the fuck happened, where the plan went wrong but he took Reina and when he tried to get to Lacey, Blackie sacrificed himself. He called me again and asked if he had my attention before hanging up on me.”

The room grew silent, the bleak truth smacking us all in the face, we were riding blind. Or at least I was. I lifted my head and cleared my throat, pulling them away from their thoughts and demanding their attention.

“I’m sorry this shit fell on our doorstep. I’m sorry I didn’t bring it to the table sooner. You can vote upon my poor judgement but not now, that will have to be done some other time because right now you have a choice to make. I’m going after Jimmy Gold, I will put him in the ground and I will plow through anyone who stands in my fucking way. You’re either with me or you’re not but I got a brother to find and a woman to get back, and a cocksucking weasel to bury.”

“Ay,” Pipe said in agreement. “I’ve got you.”

“We’re brothers, that shit isn’t temporary, it’s a bond you take to your fucking grave. Now you may have forgotten that but I haven’t and I will not let you forget it ever again,” Wolf said, eyeing me. “Got your back.” He paused. “Always.”

“I’m in but I want pie when your lady friend is safe and sound,” Riggs said, lifting his head. “And I’m not sharing it either,” he warned.

“Let’s bring this fucker to his knees,” Bones chimed in.

“Do we get a vote too?” Mike asked, causing the rest of us to look at him. “Didn’t think so,” he said.

      
“I’ll call Pops, let him know he should expect us before nightfall,” Wolf stated. “Might not have a plan but we’ll have all the fucking ammo we need,” he added.

Pops was Cain’s old man, and the man in charge of our shooting range. It was owned and operated by Satan’s Knights but on paper Pops was the sole proprietor. The government was funny like that, wanting a man with a clean record in charge of a building full of weapons.

“I’ll get a truck off the lot for them,” Pipe said, motioning to Anthony and Mike.

“Bianci, you got any idea where he could’ve taken them?” I asked.

“Vic’s got properties all over, could be held up in one of them. We’ll check them out,” he said.

“I’ll get taps on the phones,” Riggs offered.

I nodded, watching as the men sprang into action, taking on tasks and doing what they could so we were prepared for whatever may come.

I gripped the edge of the table about to rise to my feet when my phone rang. Everyone froze, turning around to stare at the offensive phone in my hand. I accepted the call and lifted the phone to my ear.

“Parrish,” I barked.

“Good evening, friend,” Jimmy crooned into the phone.

“You’re no friend of mine, and I will show you what I do to my enemies,” I ground out.

His laughter filled my ear and my fingers dug into the edge of the table.

“Quite the character you are,” he commented. “But I’d take it down a notch if I were you,” he said.

“I’m not into games, Jimmy, so you should tell me what the fuck you want before I don’t give two fucks anymore,” I replied.

“I’m more of an
actions speak louder than words
type of man,” he said, deliberately. “You should receive a video shortly,” he said, disconnecting the call.

“Son of a bitch,” I shouted, sliding my phone across the table.

“What’d he say?” Pipe asked.

“Nothing, just that he’ll be sending me a video including his demands,” I shot a look toward Riggs. “Get a wire on that thing and get it done fast,” I ordered, before pushing back my chair and walking out of the chapel. I ignored the stares in the common room and climbed the stairs to the second floor, making a beeline for my room. I kicked open the door and my eyes zeroed in on the bed, memories flashed of Reina and the night we shared in this room. I closed my eyes and pictured her on my bed wearing my cut, her eyes locked with mine as I filled her.

“You,” I whispered.

“Me,” she affirmed.

“Not going to lose you, Sunshine,” I said in a whisper, to the memory of her living inside my head. I walked to my nightstand and opened the drawer, pulling out my prescription bottle and popped off the cap. I swallowed the pills as someone knocked on my door.

“Come in,” I called.

Riggs opened the door, holding my phone.

“Message came through before I could get a tap,” he said.

My phone chimed, alerting me of the message. I stood up and grabbed the phone from him, sliding open the message and stared at the grainy image. My fingers hovered over the play button as I tried to prepare myself mentally for the horror I was about to expose myself to.

I closed my eyes and saw Reina’s face and Blackie’s anguished eyes and that was all I needed. I opened my eyes and hit play.

“I missed you, Sunshine, so goddamn much,” Jack whispered against my neck. He sucked the spot where my neck merged with my collarbone while his fingers dug into my hips and tugged me against his hard body. I arched my back, his erection brushing against my thigh.

I wasn’t sure who moaned, if it was me or him or maybe it was both of us, it didn’t matter either way as I gripped his shoulders and pulled him as close as possible. I was never letting him go. I felt his hands slide up my shirt, gliding over my stomach before roughly shoving my bra aside to grab my tits.

Heaven.

“Such a pretty girl, oh that face, I bet it’s all sorts of pretty when she’s coming,” a voice whispered in my ear. A voice that didn’t belong to the man I loved. My eyes sprang open as I screamed in horror.

So much for sweet dreams, I thought as I woke to face my nightmare. Jimmy was leaning over me trailing his tattooed fingers, dressed in gold rings, down my cheeks.

“Quite the dreamer aren’t you?” He questioned, as he leaned closer, his breath on my ear, his lips dangerously close to my skin. I flinched.