Page 25 of A Biker for Noelle
“Wrong answer,” I reply, slamming my fist into our guest’s rib cage once again. The tension around us thickens. “Let’s trythis again.” I land another blow, this time on the man’s jaw. His head snaps back, and a grunt escapes his lips as he tastes the blood dripping out of his mouth. “Rob send you?”
Lifting his head, he glares defiantly, blood trickling into his mouth as he grins through it all. “Rob is nothing more than a weasel who owes my boss a fuck ton of money. Nothing you do will make me tell you who sent me to this shithole.”
Rage twists in my gut at his defiance. Reaching down, I unsheathe the knife hidden in my boot and twirl it between my fingers. “Who is your boss?”
“I’m no nark.” He grins. “But I told him about the piss ass bikers in this town.” He spits at me again.
I reach down, grip his nipple, slice it off, and revel in his pain as the screams rattle the steel container walls and his face contorts in agony.
“You have no idea who you are fucking around with.” Carlos breathes heavily as blood runs down his torso. “This town has something that belongs to him, and he will stop at nothing to get the debt he is owed,” he seethes through gritted teeth.
“Noelle?” I question.
The shadows in his eyes reveal more than words ever could, yet our guest remains silent.
The darkness creeps in like tendrils around my consciousness, and silence falls like the quiet before a storm.
Carlos’s manic laughter breaks the silence. “He’s coming for you. And he will claim what he is after.”
Unease settles in my chest, knowing a threat hangs over our heads. The thought of someone invading our territory and threatening my family adds fuel to the storm raging in my head.
Sparing no ounce of mercy for the man in front of me, I pull my gun from its holster, shove the barrel down his throat, and listen to him choke. “Let him come. Me and hell will be waiting.”
I pull the trigger.
Several Hours Later
As my brothers gather around the table, I lean back in my chair, rubbing my temples to relieve the building tension.
Brewer shuts the door, taking his seat to my right.
I get down to business, looking directly at Tech. “You got anything for me?” I say, sounding like a broken record, considering I was asking the same question only two days ago regarding Noelle’s stepdad. However, this situation is different. The level of concern for her and Zack’s safety is now elevated.
“The guy, as you know, is from Silver Lake, Texas, and has a rap sheet a mile long…” He looks down. “Assault, theft, drugs, you name it.” Tech opens a folder sitting in front of him. “He has ties to a strip club operation there in Texas that this guy owns.” He slides the picture across the table to me. I pick it up, getting a good look at the guy. He’s dressed in a flashy suit and has short dark hair, dark eyes, and a scar above his right eye. “His name is Vincent Stone.” I pass the photo to Brewer, and it goes around the table. “His clubs have been raided several times for illegal gambling, and his name is tied to rumors that he’s involved in the skin trade.”
“Sounds like he’s the scum of humanity,” Poet states.
I reflect on what his goon, Carlos, said before I ended his life. “The dead motherfucker stated Noelle was a debt he was collecting.” The knot in my gut tightens, and heat rises in my chest.
“Before long, someone will come lookin’ for their guy and Noelle,” Brewer says, and his words make the air in the room oppressive.
My blood runs cold. As a club, we’ve seen and dealt with our fair share of darkness, but we hold a hard line against motherfuckers who prey on the vulnerable.
“What’s the game plan?” Rooster asks.
“We will keep doing what we’re doing… protecting the family and this town, no matter the cost.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Noelle
It’s been two days since the incident, when Torin received a phone call in the middle of the night, slipped out of bed, and left the house shortly after. After he left the house, I got up, went to the living room, and peeked through the curtain to find one of his men sitting in his truck in the driveway. I knew Torin had him there to watch over me and Zack. Everywhere we go or when Zack is out with Torin’s mom, one of the guys is with us. I know it’s for protection because Torin explained that to me. However, there hasn’t been a peep from him about his little disappearing act in the middle of the night.
For a split second after he left that night, I got a sickening feeling that perhaps he would meet up with another woman, but as quickly as that thought entered my mind, it was gone. I trust Torin. My gut tells me the phone call that night had everything to do with Zack and me and the shitstorm we left behind in Texas.
I fear my troubles have followed me to Ember Falls.
Now Torin and his club are taking it on. That thought alone has guilt eating at me. Torin and his club barely know me, yet they are willing to clean up my mess.
