Miles high, p.27
Miles High, page 27
part #4 of Grimm Tales of Smoky Vale Series
“While you risk your life because of my problems?”
“They’re not just your problems anymore. They’re mine too.”
Frustrated, I stared out the window. It didn’t help at all that I was sitting in a car instead of riding my bike.
“We have a plan,” Miles said.
“Not a complete one,” I reminded him. “We get my brother out and take Black with us, but we won’t know how until we get inside the venue.”
Miles peered at the office buildings Booker drove past.
“And you’re sure we’re going in the right direction?” he asked.
I dug my phone out of my pocket and checked the information again. “Yes, he said it was in the business section of Smoky Vale. Why?”
“I’ve never been taken to a place this nice before,” he said. “Always to an old garage, an open field, restricted parking lot but never somewhere like this.”
His words only made me jumpier. “That’s it. I don’t trust this.” I thumbed through my phone for my brother’s number and rang him. The phone went straight to voicemail.
“Still not getting him?” Miles asked.
“No, his phone’s off. If anything happens to him, Miles, I blame myself.”
He rubbed my thigh. “You can’t do that to yourself. You tried to talk him out of this whole fighting thing, didn’t you?”
“But maybe Bear was right, and I didn’t go about it the right way. Maybe I should’ve talked to him when we weren’t so angry. And alone. He has a short fuse and goes off so easily if he thinks other people are in on it too. Shit, I messed this up.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself, man,” Booker said. “He’s a dumbass kid, plain and simple. We were that same half-cocked teen at that age. Don’t tell me you weren’t. You look like you gave your mother some gray hairs.”
“Exactly,” I muttered. “I gave her hell. It’s not fair she has two boys, and none of us turned out right.”
“That’s bullshit,” Miles spat, and I was stunned silent. “You came out just right, Phinny.”
A choking sound came from the front seat. “Who the fuck is Phinny?”
“Shut up and drive,” I growled at my VP. He had every right to put me on grunt work for my insolence, but he only guffawed.
“Our parents are the fucking worst at naming babies.” He chuckled.
“Nothing’s wrong with Phinny,” Miles said.
“You telling me that you call him Phinny when you’re fucking ‘cause that’s going to be stuck in my head for a long time?”
“He calls me Daddy, you fuck turd.” I slapped the back of his seat, then settled back. “You don’t worry about my Christian name, Booker. Just for the love of god, keep an eye on Miles once we get inside. If anything happens to him…”
“He’ll be in good hands, and if something happens to you, I think he’ll fit with my two men just fine.”
“Like hell, he will!”
“I guess you just have to make sure you walk out of there alive, then.”
I clasped Miles’s hands. Booker slowed down as he neared our destination.
“You should get that bag over his head now,” Booker said. “We’re almost there.”
I didn’t fucking like this. I kissed Miles hard, thrusting my tongue into his mouth. A hell of a time to have a boner, but danger had always done that to me.
“Please stay safe,” I said as I pulled the bag over his head.
“I will.”
Booker pulled up to a wide one-story building without a name or other sign that it was in use. While investigating Black, the Reapers had found out the man owned several buildings in Smoky Vale, but their purpose had remained a mystery. The best they had come up with was warehouses, but after everything I’d learned about Black, I was sure it had to be something else.
“This is it,” I said softly as Booker parked. “If you want to leave, squeeze my hand.”
“Okay,” he whispered. “I love you, Rubble.”
“I’ll say it back when we get out of here with Black no longer a menace to anyone.”
“Let’s do this,” Booker said.
I opened the car door and helped Miles out. His heels clicked on the asphalt as we made our way to the side.
“How do we even know if this is the right way?” Booker asked. “Couldn’t you have gotten better info from your friend?”
“His phone was off when I called him back.” I guided Miles up the short stairs, dread filling me with every step. My only comfort was the element of surprise and the fact that we were armed to the teeth.
At first, I’d had my doubts about whether we would be allowed in with our weapons, but Miles had said they never searched the men who brought him in. Just the patrons who arrived to watch the fight.
“The door’s closed,” I said.
Before I could knock, the door swung open, and a huge man stood before us with a tablet in his hand.
“Name,” he said, his eyes on the screen.
My heart thudded hard in my chest.
“We’re here with the boy,” I said.
He raised his eyebrows. “What boy?”
I pushed Miles in front of me. “The boss’s boy.”
“I don’t know anything about a boy. Who did you say you were? I’ve never seen you before.”
“New hires,” Booker said in an annoyed tone. “Look, man, we’re already late getting him to the boss. I hope you don’t mind explaining to your boss why you held us up.”
“There’s only one boy the boss brings to these events, and he’s bailed,” the man said. “I know ‘cause he’s been fucking pissed since that’s happened.”
I tugged the bag from over Miles’s head and gripped his chin. “Doesn’t this look like him? The boss found him back today and wanted us to bring him here for the fight.”
“Fuck, that’s him.” The man eyed Miles up and down, licking his meaty lips. Miles gasped. Shit, I was squeezing his chin too hard. The man only laughed. “I always thought he was the best of the lot. Apparently, the boss thinks so too. He just keeps bringing him back.” He stepped aside. “Go on in. It’s a big night. You guys planning to watch the fight?” He shook his head. “Boss got this new kid fresh off the block, and I’m almost sorry for him. He has no idea what he’s about to experience. The fight doesn’t end until one of them is ice cold.”
A shiver ran down my spine, and my stomach roiled. “Sounds intense.”
“A fucking pity these fights aren’t for people like us. No way we can afford the bets.”
“Fucking shame,” I echoed as we entered. We were in way over our heads.
“Go straight ahead, then turn right,” the man said. “And follow the screams.”
“Thanks, man, appreciate it.”
Booker started off, but I hung back. “Is there an exit closer to that side we can use?”
“There is, but the door’s locked. Nobody comes in and goes out that I don’t see.”
Fuck. I hated a one-exit building, but the building had windows, and with being only one floor, it should be easy enough to get out that way if the need arose.
“I’ve never been here before,” Miles whispered as we walked down a long corridor. “Something’s off.”
“Like what?”
“The buildings he usually uses are never like this. More run-down and easily accessible. Easy to get away in case the police come.”
“Maybe he upgraded?” Booker asked.
“I doubt it.”
I stepped in front of Miles while Booker took the rear. If anything happened, he was our first priority.
Muffled grunts and cries of pain reached our ears. This might not be Black’s usual venue, but there was no doubt something sinister was going on. My nostrils flared as we stopped in front of a glass door.
I peeked through the glass. What the hell was this? The room was empty except for monitors set up in the center. Another cry of pain pulled my attention farther into the room. It wasn’t empty like I’d thought. In the corner farthest away from the door, a man was pummeling the crap out of the other.
“We need to go.” My eyes fell on a small figure sitting on a long bench. Luca. His eyes were trained on the two fighters going at it inside the makeshift ring.
“That’s Luca.”
“Your brother?” Rubble asked. “Which one is he?”
“The one wearing the blue-and-gray jacket.”
“I see him.”
Booker stepped back. “What are we going to do now? Is Black even here?”
“This…might be a good thing,” Miles said. “Fewer people get hurt. It also means he can’t blend into the crowd.”
“We need to decide,” Booker said. “Time’s not exactly on our side.”
I pulled my gun from behind my back. Booker did the same and moved so that Miles stood between us. They’d need to get through the two of us before they got to Miles.
If only I had eyes on Black, but he had to be on our side where we couldn’t see him. I nodded at Booker and blasted through the door, sweeping the area with my gun pointed. A huge screen mounted at the front of the room showcased the fight that was taking place. The camera zoomed in on a man lying on the ground, blood pooling around his head.
Now the guard’s words made sense. This wasn’t an ordinary fight. These were fights to the death, and one glance at the monitors and the monetary figures displayed at the bottom made everything clear. Some high-class betting was going on in the room.
“Stop where you are, motherfuckers,” Booker grated out. I spun around. At the back stood a table with a computer and four men seated around it. The man to the far left moved his hand, and I swung my gun at him.
“Don’t even think about it,” I growled. “I’ll put a bullet in you so fast you’ll be dead before you hit the ground.”
“Rubble!” Luca called my name, his voice full of fear.
“Get over here, Luca!” I called to him, my gaze fixed on the man sitting in the middle.
That’s right. I’ve got you now, you bastard.
“I can’t,” Luca cried. “I’m handcuffed to the bench.”
“Stay put. I’ll come get you.”
The screens around us turned off. Tempus Black looked horrified as he watched the night he’d organized to line his pockets disappear.
“No, don’t go!” he shouted. “This is just a temporary situation.”
The last screen went black, and he rose to his feet. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“We’re here for Tempus Black only,” I said in a loud voice so the others in the room could hear. “The rest of you stay back and mind your own business unless you want to get involved. As for you, Black, come on out there. I want to see you up close and personal.”
Black laughed as he walked from behind the table. “I don’t know how you got in here, but my security team will be here any second. You’re not getting out of here alive.”
“You wanna bet?”
He glanced away from me, and I could only guess who he was staring at when he smiled. “I see you’ve brought my pet back to me.”
“He’s not your pet.”
He shrugged. “My servant, then. He did a good job. More spirit than any other boy I’ve come across.” He pointed at me. “I’m guessing that you’ve fucked him. You can thank me for that, by the way. I kept him preserved all these years, and you got to fuck him first.”
“We should go,” Booker said. “He’s stalling for—”
“Too late. I’ve got you now.”
Chapter 32
Miles
The nuzzle of a gun poked in my spine, followed by a click. I froze at the voice of my worst nightmare. There was someone I hated more in this world than Tempus Black.
Hook.
Rubble turned with his back to the wall as he assessed me. I could almost see the thoughts running through his head. Him blaming himself for bringing me along.
“I’m fine,” I tried to reassure him. As fine as I could be with Hook pointing a gun at me. Maybe if it had been Tempus holding the gun, I would have felt like I had a chance, but after everything I’d put Hook through, I knew the man still carried a grudge.
“Let him go,” Rubble said, nostrils flaring. “If you touch a hair on his head, I promise you I’ll hunt you down and end you.”
“Oooh, what a threat.” Tempus sounded more confident. He walked right by Rubble, straight over to me. He took me by the face and gripped my jaw hard. “I gave you preferential treatment, and this is how you repay me?”
“You’re a monster,” I spat at him.
He struck me across the face, and I cried out, placing a hand on my cheek.
“You son of a bitch!” Rubble smacked Tempus across the face with his gun.
“Stand back!” Hook shouted at Rubble, bringing the gun up to my temple now. “I’ll shoot him if you don’t do exactly as I say.”
They hadn’t seen Booker yet, who stood behind the door, out of sight. He placed a finger on his lips for me to be quiet, and I glanced away from where he was inching toward us.
Tempus spat blood onto the floor and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I have to hand it to you, pet. I’ve always liked your spunk. You know how to get men to do anything for you.”
“Don’t call me that,” I cried. “I am not your pet. I am not your anything.”
He flexed his nostrils. “I’ve lost hundreds of thousands of dollars tonight because of you, but I’m an easy man. If you come with me right now, I’ll forgive you. You belong on your leash with me in control—”
“For fuck’s sake, he’ll never be yours!” Hook shouted, then pointed the gun at Tempus and fired. Then again and again. I screamed as the bullets slammed into Tempus’s body, and he jerked under the impact.
Tempus’s face was pale as he placed a hand on his chest and stared at the blood oozing through his expensive shirt.
“You…shot me,” he mumbled, his words stiff. “You work for me.”
“Not anymore, asshole.” Hook blasted another bullet right into his head, and Tempus’s body hit the floor. Blood splattered onto Jamie’s vest, and my stomach roiled, bile rising in my throat. I tore my gaze away, biting hard on my tongue not to hurl.
“Now where were we?” Hook stepped back and pulled me along with him. “Not a foot further!” he yelled at Rubble, who had moved toward us. He wrapped an arm around my waist. “I’m afraid I have to relieve you of your boyfriend. You see, because of him, I suffered a great loss. He made Tempus maim me for life, and he’s going to pay. As a biker, you’ll understand this isn’t personal.”
“Except it kinda is,” Rubble replied. “Because anything that has to do with that boy is my business. Now you want to put that fucking gun down before you trip up and do something stupid.”
“The only stupid thing I did was not fucking your boy while I had the chance.” Hook chuckled. “He has a pretty mouth that looks good on my cock, but I’m guessing you already know that.”
The vein in Rubble’s forehead pulsed. I knew what that meant. He was going to let Hook goad him into doing something stupid.
“Hook, please,” I begged. “Tempus was the one who made you do it, and you killed him. Let me go.”
“He did it because of you.” He walked backward, tugging me along with him. “All of you, stay back, or I’ll end him here. And don’t think about following me either. I will kill him.”
“Rubble!” I shouted his name as Hook dragged me through the door. “Please—”
“That’s right. Go right ahead and practice begging for me, you little bitch. We’re going to have some fun.”
He moved quickly, pulling me along with him. He didn’t take the same door we had but went in the opposite direction. The alternate exit we’d been told was locked. I cast a longing glance at the empty hall ahead of us.
“Open the door.” He shoved me in front of the heavy-duty double doors. I had to push with all my strength for them to open. The crisp night air cooled my face as I stepped out. My first instinct was to run, but I wouldn’t get far in these heels.
“Don’t try anything funny,” he said. “Get to that car, now.” He tossed me the car keys. “You’re going to drive. You do exactly what I say, and you might see your biker boyfriend again. Although it’s moot if he’s going to want you back after I’m finished with you.”
His laugh left a chill down my spine as I climbed into the driver’s seat. He kept his gun trained on me through the windshield as he walked around the car. I wished I could lock him out, but then he would only have an excuse to shoot me.
Hook got into the car and slammed the door shut. The doors of the building banged open, and Rubble and Booker sprinted out.
“Miles!” Rubble shouted my name.
“Drive, now!”
“He’s going to find me, you know.” My hands shook as I turned the engine on. “And then he’s going to kill you.”
I put the car into Drive and slowly backed out of the parking spot. Hook lowered the window and aimed his gun at the men.
“No!” I screamed. I pressed on the gas and spun the wheel to the right. A gunshot went off. The car jumped the sidewalk and drove right into the wall of the building, smashing the side where Hook sat.
My body jerked, the airbags deployed, smacking me hard in the chest, knocking my breath out of my body. Everything went black.
“Miles! Miles, baby, open your eyes for me.”
Groaning, I followed the sound of the voice and turned my head. My chest hurt like hell.
“Rubble?” Then everything rushed back to me. “Rubble?” I jolted away, flailing my arms. “Did he shoot anyone?”
“No, no.” He pulled me in his lap where he was sitting on the ground beside the wrecked car. “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this.”
“Hook?”
“Booker’s got him. He has to take him away.”
“Why?”
“Because the cops will be here any minute. Our DNA’s all over the scene, so we can’t leave, which means we’re going to have to lie.”
I groaned and leaned into him. “My chest hurts.”
“I know, baby, but listen, we stick to the truth when the cops ask us any questions. Hook shot Black. Hook held you at gunpoint and dragged you off in the car. You crashed the vehicle, but he escaped.”
