Property of Drex (Death Chasers MC 2)

I start to crank my bike, but Drake’s conversation comes back to me.

“After my place got shot up, Drake said the Hell Breathers were asking questions about us. You and Rush worked Gator over, yet he swears they don’t give a fuck about our business. Even said Benny would fucking kill us when he found out we had him and making up bullshit.”

“Yeah. And?”

“Drake wouldn’t have lied,” I say more to myself than him. “What if the Hell Breathers are splitting into factions? What if a mutiny is being plotted? It’d explain why Larry has a place in this. If they’re trying to start a war to take Benny out—”

“Then they’d be able to step in and take over once their own club lost its president and his loyalists. But who would be leading a mutiny?”

A sick feeling assaults me quickly, and I want to slam my head against a wall for being so fucking stupid. Juggling my phone out, I dial Sarah immediately.

“Anything?” she asks.

Rush drives up, but I cover my free ear so I can hear her over the loud ride.

“Look into Ben Highland. Tell me if he owns a house off books. Can you do that?”

“If you give me a few minutes, I can probably come up with something. I’m not a hacker, Drex. I’m just good with computers.”

“Send me anything you find. We’ll go track down this last lead.”

As soon as I hang up, Axle pounces. “Ben? The fucking weasel you punched out that didn’t even take a swing at you?”

“He told Eve we killed her father. He got rough with her in that diner. And I passed it all off as petty jealousy. I didn’t even think of the fact it might have been him stirring shit up.”

The bike comes to life between my legs, but before I can pull out, I feel my phone vibrating against my side. I shut my bike off when I see it’s Sarah.

“We’re about—”

“I called in a favor from a friend who is actually a hacker,” she interrupts. “He already hacked Ben’s bank accounts, but nothing was found. So he hacked the Hell Breathers’ main account, and a reasonable sum of money was taken out and transferred to purchase a house not too far from where Drake lives. It was only bought a few weeks ago. It’s under the name Harold Whitman, who happens to be a retired pilot living in Florida. Doubtful it’s actually good ol’ Harold there.”

“Sounds like your friend is faster and much better than our own guy.”

“He is. No, I’m not telling you who he is. I’m sending you the address now.”

I look over at Axle as I put my phone away. “Go check out that other house,” I tell him. “Rush, come with me. Ben may be using one of his Dad’s houses. The Hell Breathers made a new purchase not long ago.”

“Which means it probably doesn’t have all of Benny’s equipment set up yet,” Rush points out.

Thinking of the equipment Benny uses to torture guys who owe his employers money… That never even crossed my mind. But Rush is right. Benny isn’t prompt. If it’s a fairly new purchase, it’s doubtful he has the shit set up.

“Then you need both of us,” Axle says.

“Drive like hell and then catch up with us,” I tell him. “I’m about to cut a two hour drive into less than an hour.”

The roar of another bike has me looking over my shoulder to see Axle didn’t follow orders. I’m not stopping to deal with him. I just hope this is the right lead, or I’m going to fucking lose it.

Chapter 21

EVE

Twinkle twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are. Up above the… the… Hmm. I can’t remember the rest of the words.

Maybe it’s because the loud music is interrupting my focus. At least the siren isn’t wailing.

B I N G O and Bingo was his name, oh. There was a—

Something crashing outside can barely be heard. Was it real? Glass breaking. That sounds like glass breaking.

Gunshots. Definitely gunshots. The door has to be open if I can hear gunshots and glass breaking. I can’t hear the outside or the upstairs unless the door is open. It’s always closed. Is it open? The music is really loud. Maybe it’s the music with gunshots and glass breaking. How else could I hear it?

I whimper but can’t cry, because I don’t have anything left to form tears with. I feel like I’m going insane.

More gunshots and a loud scream, but is it real?

The light comes on. When was it off? Who turned it off?

Something drops and rolls around on the ground, but I can’t lift my head enough to see what it is other than a blur of motion from my peripheral. Is that a ball? Fetch, Fido! Fido… B I N G O and Bingo was his—