Axle's Brand (Death Chasers MC 3)

Well, to a body that breaks my fall.

“Sorry,” I tell the dead guy whose vacant eyes stare back at me. I pat his chest appreciatively while pushing back up to a crouched position.

“This. Is. Not. My. Day,” I groan, then grimace as I look at Dead Guy. “Guess your day is worse than mine, huh?”

I almost don’t hear it over the music when Dead Guy’s phone starts ringing in his pocket. I grab it, looking at the name on the screen. Rush? I have no idea who Rush is.

Not that it matters. Dead Guy can’t answer the phone right now, because he’s…dead. I’m sure you didn’t need that explained.

Instead of answering the phone, I go about the carnage, doing my grunt work as instructed. If this is how Sarah wants me to pay back the favors I owe, life is going to suck.

I’ve racked up quite the favor bill in the past six months.

CHAPTER 8

AXLE

We roll up to the warehouse, our bikes rumbling as we take in the scene. No one is outside like they’re waiting to announce us. The doors are shut, even as music thumps from inside. I glance around, growing suspicious.

“Rush, you sure these guys are good?” Drex asks, already thinking the same thing I am.

Rush walks his bike up alongside mine, his eyes scanning everything around us. “I asked three of our sources. All vouched for these guys to be legit. But I don’t like this. Someone should be outside.”

“Call Jude and tell him and Dash to circle around back,” Drex says to Rush, who nods.

As Rush calls them and starts relaying the message, I look over at Drex. “All our sources need to be re-vetted. A lot of them were strongly tied to Herrin, you know?”

He nods slowly, eyes not moving from the front of the warehouse.

“Didn’t really think about that being an issue, since I’m twice as lethal as Pop. But yeah. Now it’s definitely crossing my mind.”

“I’ll go in first. This is my mess. If anyone needs to take the risk, it’s me,” Rush tells us. “My guy isn’t answering his phone.”

“We go in ready for anything. Leave the bikes here,” Drex orders.

I’m off mine first, walking toward the warehouse as I cock my gun. Rush joins me at my side, his own gun drawn. Feeling exposed in the empty parking lot, I look around again, searching for any movement.

The music grows louder as we approach, and I realize what’s playing. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor is blaring when Rush opens the door, warily peering inside.

“Son of a bitch,” he hisses, shoving the door all the way open and rushing in.

Drex curses, and we both follow him in, guns drawn in front of us, but my eyes widen when I see the massacre. Five guys are dead at our feet, bullet holes and blood plumes littering their chests. And every one of them has one execution style shot in their forehead too.

It looks like they were trying to escape and all ended up in a heap by the hallway and door.

“What the—”

Drex’s words stop short as I look up, seeing another bout of feet sticking out past the corner, and we walk over, noting the same kill style here, too. That’s when my gaze swings up, and I see a blonde sitting on top of a SUV, her head banging as the song plays on.

Her eyes collide with us, and a slow smile spreads over her face.

Sarah. Or AJ. Or whatever.

Life has gotten confusing with all the motherfucking name changes lately.

She lifts a remote, and the music goes silent instantly.

The warehouse is massive, so I have no idea how many more bodies we’ll find or why Sarah decided to go on a killing spree.

“What the hell?” Rush bites out.

Sarah slides down the windshield to the hood of the SUV before scooting off it altogether. Rush draws his gun, aiming it at her, and she lazily moves her finger to the trigger of the gun she’s holding beside her leg.

One hand is clutching her side as she limps toward us, blood seeping through her fingers. “There’s only one guy I’ll let hold a gun on me for longer than a few seconds without me killing him for pissing me off.” She levels Rush with a crazy-looking stare. “You’re not that guy.”

Slowly, Rush lowers his gun.

“What the hell, AJ?” Drex asks, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

“You’re welcome,” she answers with a cold smile. “Your daddy set you up. Evidence is recorded. I wired the place a few days ago when I found out you’d be meeting here. But only found out this was the plan in time to get here before you and save all your lives.”

My lips twitch as she stares down Drex, waiting on some appreciation.

He blows out a breath, his hands going to his hips as he looks around. “You could have just called me and gave me a head’s up.”