Page 127 of Tracking Luxe

Pressing frantically at the call pad, someone better let her in or she was scaling the damn fence! Though, she had no fucking idea how she’d drag herself up there.

“Yo.” A voice crackled through the speaker. “You know what the fucking time is?”

“I don’t actually,” she yelled sarcastically. “Open these damn gates right now. They have Nathan! The Russian men have-----”

“What the fuck? Slow down. Who has who? Who is this?”

“The gates!” She was screaming at the speaker now. “Open the fucking gates, I need to see Rider right now.”

As though she’d spoken open sesame a whirring sound began and the gate started to slide open. About an inch and she pushed her way inside, did the same to the next two and was running towards the entrance door when a light popped on from inside and she was greeted by a wall of hard chests, some of the chests were naked, every face looking callous.

Exhaustion punched her in the face. She’d reached her destination and her body was about to die, she hadn’t realized her jelly legs had given out from under her until she felt the foyer carpet rise and meet her knees. Sweat pouring out of her, she dry heaved.

“Oh, shit.” Someone said around the ringing in her ears.

“She’s covered in blood.”

“It’s Grinder’s chick. Shit,” another announced.I’m Grinder’s chick.Yes, Grinder’s.And it was that voice who hunkered down next to her. “Babe. You hurt? Where’s the bleeding coming from?” Snake. She recognized him. Sweat in her eyes, though she was shaking from head to toe, she raised her head, panting. “Not--not mine. Nathan. They---They have him. They’ve beaten him so badly. They’re killing him.” Tears pooled into her eyes. Pain lancing her inside.

It was as though she’d set off an atom bomb. Everything became still. Silent.

And then a lot of things happened at a fast pace. People began to move and shout out orders to call Rider, to call Preacher, to call people she didn’t recognize names of.

Someone helped her up from the floor, her adrenalin had crashed, leaving her a shaking mess. “Are you sure you ain’t bleeding, babe?” blinking, she looked down at her stained hands and shook her head. “It’s not mine. It’s his.”Oh, god, it was his. So much blood.

Questions from a lot of voices came at her at once.

Where was Grinder?

Who had him?

Did she know where they had him?

How long had it been?

How didsheget away?

That last one stung and brought fresh tears hastily to her eyes she blinked back. Wouldn’t show emotion or weakness. The accusing voice joined a wall of eyes.

“He said---he said to tell Rider Grigori wants to use him as a bargaining tool and not to accept.”

Her voice sounded different. Far away. Raising her hand, she brushed back her hair.

“Jesus Christ,” Snake again. He was sliding his leather cut on, his hair disarray like he’d been either sleeping or passing time with a woman right before she stepped into their clubhouse. “Goddamn cock-munching Russians.”

It might have only been minutes later that she heard the roar of bikes pulling up outside and the towering presence of the man in charge came through the door.

She’d seen Rider Marinos a bunch of times now, none of which she’d felt the punch of his aura before. But oh, she felt it now as blue eyes sought out every one of the men that were around as he strode in with powerful steps, before meeting her eyes. The tautness of his tanned skin across high, sharp cheekbones covered in a fine dusting of a beard, shoulder length brown hair that was usually tied back hung down and he strode like he knew how important he was to every man there.

“Who wants to tell me what’s goin’ on? Has someone checked you out?” he asked her gently. Much more softly than she’d expected. “Someone get the Butcher out of his pit, she’s covered in blood, for fucks sake and get her a drink, make it strong.”

Just like that, bodies scattered.

She repeated. “It isn’t my blood.”

She then told him everything in a calm voice, where the place was, what had happened from the moment she’d left his club the first time, to being grabbed and then seeing what they’d done to Nathan, dragging the strength from somewhere, her voice didn’t shake and she didn’t leave out a detail, all too aware the time was going by and Nathan was with cruel men.

“Targeting our women now? Punk ass bitches.” Snarled a rough man.

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