Sly (Dragon Riders MC Book 5) Page 12

  Now to wait for a stoplight.

  My eyes studied the locking system for the car and it almost made me chuckle at how stupid it was. Just a regular locking system that wouldn’t take me much time to undo at all. Some police cruisers and cars like this had systems that didn’t engage in the back seat. As in, the only unlock button was upfront. And even if the car was unlocked, some cruisers and SUVs only opened from the outside. Like a child safety lock or something.

  “Here’s to hoping,” I murmured.

  “What did you say?” the agent asked.

  The SUV came to a stop at a light and I grinned wildly.

  “You know, as fun as this party’s been, I think I’m going to head on home,” I said.

  The agent turned around, growling at me. “You even think about running, you’re going to be bleeding from holes in your back.”

  I smiled. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to make promises you can’t keep?”

  As quickly as the agent blinked at me, I reached for the door handle. And just like I thought, that agent drew his gun and started shooting. Inside the fucking car. His partner behind the wheel covered his head and cursed as loudly as he could, and me? Well, I hunkered down while that dumbass passenger-seat agent’s bullets flew right by me.

  And shattered the glass of the window I sat next to.

  “What the fuck are you doing!?” one of the agents roared.

  I moved as quickly as I could, shoving my arm out the window and opening the door from the outside. And when it flew open, the light at the intersection turned green. Cars honked as the agent fumbled with another magazine clip, giving me just enough time to weave all around the cars lined up behind that SUV.

  Making it hard for any person to take a shot without wounding someone other than me in the process.

  “The guys will kill me over this,” I hissed.

  I covered my head and ran as quickly as I could. I made a break for the woods as footsteps quickly fell behind me, hot on my trail. They shouted warnings before they discharged their weapon, and I zigzagged in order to stay out of the line of fire.

  After all, even cops only carried so much ammunition on them.

  If I can just force them to run out…

  My nostrils flared with every lungful of air I drew. My chest heaved with the need for rest as my legs pumped as quickly as I’d ever pumped them before. Branches connected against my face. Thorns tore at my bare arms. My entire body stung and burned as I leapt over rotting stumps and avoided ditches at all costs.

  Until the officers’ footsteps were so far behind me that I had time to look around.

  “Come on, come on. There has to be something,” I growled.

  Then, I spotted it. A small embankment covered in leaves. I sprinted over to the small hill and slid down it before tucking myself underneath some brush. I tossed dead leaves and dirt over myself to mask my sweaty scent and anything else they could possibly use to identify me. And as worms wiggled all over my bare back, I steadied my breathing.

  Before silencing it altogether.

  “Where did he go!?”

  “How the hell did you lose him? What the fuck were you thinking?”

  “He was moving for something. I know he was about to draw a knife on us.”

  “He didn’t have a fucking weapon on his person when we arrested him, you dumbass!”

  “Hey, I saved your life back there.”

  “Yeah, and now you’re going to be the one to save our asses with the boss.”

  “That jerk-off has to be here somewhere. Keep looking.”

  The agents bickered and walked around me as I held my breath. My lungs burned and my eyes watered, but I forced myself to lay low. I forced myself not to hop out and break their necks with my own two hands. All I needed was for them to canvas the area and leave.

  Then, I could emerge and get my ass back to the bar.

  I wasn’t sure how long I laid there or how many fucking bugs crawled all over my body in the process, but eventually the agents backtracked. They cursed at one another and talked into radios as they backtracked through the woods, headed for their SUV no doubt. But even ten minutes after I couldn't hear them any longer, I still forced myself to wait.

  Until I was absolutely sure the coast was clear.

  “Holy fuck!” I exclaimed.

  I shot up from the dirt and the leaves and shook myself off. I ran my hand through my hair and felt a beetle crawling around, trying to make a small home for itself. I bent forward and shook out my hair before taking my pants off and fluffing them out. Watching as dirt and ants and all sorts of debris scattered into the wind.

  Then, with the howling of the wind through the trees masking my footsteps, I tried to walk my ass out of the woods.

  “I’m gonna die out here,” I murmured to myself.

  Somehow, I managed to get back to the main road. Then, it was simply a matter of flagging down a cab. We didn’t have many of those in upstate New York. Especially in the smaller towns like the one we lived in. But I managed to come across an off-duty cab driver that was more than willing to take me back to my place so I could snatch up my bike.

  For three times the usual cost of travel.

  Still, it struck me as odd that no one was at my apartment. And I mean, no one. No officers collecting evidence. No outside workers hauling my shit out of my apartment to use to collect DNA or something like that. There was no one there as my apartment door sat wide open for the world.

  As if my shit didn’t matter to anyone.

  “Tara?” I asked.

  I knew better than to think she was here. But it was worth a shot.

  “I’m coming for you, beautiful. Just hang tight,” I whispered.

  When I walked into my apartment, the damn thing looked like it had been tossed by looters. Shit was everywhere, and when my eyes fell onto Tara’s clothes, my blood boiled. They didn’t even let her put her fucking clothes on!? Was she just in the back of some cop cruiser-SUV-thing butt-ass naked!?

  Wait, my sheet is missing.

  Why the fuck was my sheet missing?

  “Fuck!” I roared.

  I marched into my bathroom and stripped myself down. I took the quickest shower of my life before throwing on the first clothes I pulled out of my drawers and searched around for my shit. I grabbed my go bag that I always kept packed and made sure I had my wallet and keys. Then, I looked over at my phone and snatched it up.

  Before taking the battery pack out.

  I dipped down and reached my arm beneath my bed, pulling out a small fire-proof, water-proof lock box. I rotated the small dials until the numbers popped up in the right order, then the top flew open. I dug everything out and shoved it in all of my remaining pockets. My fake passport, wads of cash, my fake identification. Even the burner phone I kept in here for emergency purposes. It was pre-programmed with all of the numbers of the guys. And in the event of a raid just like this one, we were all supposed to get to our phones and send out a mass message to everyone to let the guys know we were all right.

  However, once I turned the phone on and sent off my own message, I only got two back.

  One from Bowser, and one from Ash.

  “Fuck,” I hissed.

  After gathering everything I needed, I charged out the front door. I didn’t bother closing it or locking it, because I knew it didn’t matter anymore, especially since the door was shattered and fucking useless. I charged toward the direction of my bike, setting my sights for the Iron Horse.

  I needed to gather what was left of the guys before we figured out our next move.

  No, no, no, not the guys. Ben.

  I paused as my mind tore my plan to shreds. Yes, I needed to find Ben. I needed to find that fucker and figure out where the hell they’d taken Tara. And once I had Tara again at my side, preferably with some fucking clothes on, we could go find the guys together.

  But there was something off about this raid.

  Something that felt… not right.
>
  I threw my leg over my bike and cranked the engine. Then, I sped off toward Tara and Chains’ apartment. I had to make quick work of things and stay in the shadows because I knew people would be looking for me. Especially Ash and Bowser. So, I had to make sure I played this right.

  I had to make sure no one else got caught up in this shit.

  “Bingo,” I murmured.

  When I pulled into Tara’s apartment complex, I saw a blacked-out SUV. No doubt, it was Chains’ car. Or whatever the fuck his name was. I didn't hear any sirens or see any lookouts, so I temporarily deemed it safe enough to get off my bike and make my way for that fucker’s front door.

  But the door ripped itself open before I could even knock.

  “Please tell me Tara’s with you,” Chains said.

  I blinked. “I don't know. You tell me.”

  “Fuck.”

  I furrowed my brow tightly. “What the hell’s going on?”

  And before he gave me an answer, Chains grabbed my arm and pulled me inside.

  “What the fuck?” I asked as I stumbled into his living room.

  Chains slammed the door closed, then turned to face me. “We have a problem.”

  I glared at him. “Yeah. We do. Where the fuck are your cronies taking Tara?”

  He sighed. “I didn’t order this, Sly. I only found out about the raids because I was at the office when everyone came in to assemble.”

  I paused. “What?”

  He walked toward me. “I hadn’t even filed paperwork yet, Sly. My boss had no fucking clue about things that were going on. He had no idea that I’d been made, and he still has no idea about Skeleton and that bullshit crew or whatever.”

  “So, if you didn’t order the raid with your findings, then who did?”

  Chains’ face turned red with anger. “I don’t know. But whoever it was? They’ve got my fucking sister, and that’s not okay.”

  “If I tell you something, you have to promise not to put a bullet in my brain.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “Tara was at my place, in bed with me, when they raided my apartment. They didn’t even let her put clothes on.”

  His eyes bulged. “What!?”

  “I’m pretty sure she’s wrapped up in a sheet of some sort from my bed. But I can’t be certain. All I know is that someone hauled your sister out of my place without even letting her get herself situated.”

  He raked his hand through his hair. “This isn’t right. Something isn’t right about any of this.”

  “Ya think?”

  He closed his eyes. “Ben.”

  “Who’s that?” I asked already knowing the answer.

  His eyes opened. “Me. My name is Ben.”

  I nodded slowly. “Nice. My name is still Sly.”

  He snickered. “Right. Noted.”

  “Is any of this protocol for you guys?”

  He shook his head slowly. “Some of it? But a lot of it doesn’t make any sense. We had nothing on you guys until I decided to go undercover. I hadn’t even been undercover enough to start filling out regular paperwork. I’ve got no fucking clue what they had on you guys that would’ve warranted a raid of this magnitude.”

  “So, I take it the bar’s been raided?”

  He nodded. “We have to assume everything you guys own or dwell in at some point in time is currently being raided.”

  “Shit!” I exclaimed.

  Ben lunged toward me with his finger to his lips. “We have to play this quietly, all right?”

  I lowered my voice. “Since they’re taking Tara in, where the hell do you think they’d take her?”

  “There are a few places, but you’re going to have to ride with me. There’s no taking your bike and getting within a mile of those places.”

  “So, there are multiple ones.”

  “Yes, but I’m pretty sure I know where they’d be taking her. Especially if she’s in such a vulnerable… state of dress.”

  My blood boiled. “You know damn good and well we’re not the traffickers. I know you do.”

  Ben licked his lips. “That’s what I was writing up in my paperwork tonight. That you guys weren’t the real targets, but this Skeleton guy and his asshat crew of misfits.”

  I grinned. “Asshat crew of misfits. I like it. What if we helped you take him down?”

  He paused. “What?”

  “If my guys helped you guys take Skeleton down, would that be enough to relinquish us?”

  “Are you trying to cut a deal with me?”

  “Yes. Yes, I am. We help you get Skeleton and round up his entire crew and help you assimilate these girls they’ve taken back into society, and I can not only hand over the names and addresses of another bike crew that’s helping them run drugs, but I can give you information we’ve tracked down that pinpoints where Skeleton’s hideouts are, where his next purchases are taking place, and the contractors he pays off to look the other way.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You’ll give us all of that information?”

  I held my hand out. “In exchange for giving us our homes back, our bars back, and our lives back. Oh, and Tara. You won’t stop me from seeing Tara. Only she’s going to be able to cut that off.”

  His eyes raked up and down my body for a while before he finally shook my hand. Sealing our deal, our fate, and our plan.

  “Now, let’s get moving,” Ben said as he dropped my hand, “we don’t have time to waste. We get my sister first, then we deal with everything else.”

  I grinned as I made my way for the door. “Took the words right out of my mouth.”

  18

  Tara

  “State your name and age for the record,” the agent said.

  The bright light blinding my eyes made me shiver in the cold, hard, metal seat. I swallowed hard as I tried shielding the light from my eyes, but every time I moved, the sheet slipped lower down my body. It was all I could do to keep from crying and spinning out of control. I just needed to buy myself some time.

  But for what, I wasn’t sure.

  “Name and age,” the agent said harshly.

  “I-I-I—uh, Tara. My brother is Ben, he works with you guys.”

  “Age?”

  I licked my lips. “Twenty-four.”

  “Favorite color?”

  I furrowed my brow. “I don’t know. Uh, red? Though, purple’s also kind of nice.”

  “Favorite shape?”

  He’s getting a read on you. “Does anyone really have a favorite shape?”

  The agent chuckled. “What were you doing at Harold Lymen’s place this evening, Miss Tara?”

  I blinked. “Who’s place?”

  “Mr. Lymen. The man you were found in bed with. What were you doing at his place this evening?”

  I snickered. “Oh, he’s going to kill you for telling me that.”

  “Is that a threat, Miss Tara?”

  I shook my head. “No, it’s not. But I’m pretty sure Sly goes to great lengths to make sure people don’t know his name is ‘Harold.’”

  “Miss Tara, I really need you to take this interview—”

  The door behind me burst open and it made me shriek. I jumped up to my feet and spun around, clutching my sheet tightly against my body. Someone gripped my arm to prevent me from running and I wanted to jam my knee into the cock of the man that thought he had a right to touch me.

  But the agent at the door kept his eyes on me the entire time.

  “Your brother’s here to get you,” the man said.

  I wrenched my arm away. “Thanks. And while I appreciate your hospitality, maybe don’t ever do it again. Yeah?”

  I looked up into the face of the agent that had put his hands on me all fucking evening, and he didn’t look too pleased about Ben being here to get me. Still, when my brother stepped into the room, I could have kissed the man. He took one look at me before holding a plastic bag out toward me, and I could tell by the protruding flats that he had brought me clothes.

  Wait
, how did he know I didn’t have clothes?

  Sly.

  Holy shit, he was with Sly.

  “Come on, Tara. There’s a bathroom down the hall that you can change in,” Ben said.

  I smiled with relief. “Thank you.”

  I walked up to him and kissed his cheek softly before taking the bag of clothes from him.

  “Really,” I whispered, “thank you so much.”

  He kissed my cheek, but his lips stayed close to my ear. “Make it quick. Something about this is all wrong.”

  He ushered me out of the interrogation room, and I felt all eyes on us as we walked down the hallway. Ben showed me to the bathroom where I quickly changed into my clothes with him keeping watch at the door. Then, we made our way out of a brick building that looked more like a worn-down old house than some nice and clean federal agent office.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  He opened the SUV side door for me. “An unmarked interrogation location. You never should’ve made it here. Get in; we have to get out of here.”

  “Why am I sitting in the back?”

  Sly’s voice emerged from the darkness. “Figured you want to cuddle.”

  I went to go yelp his name in excitement, but my brother quickly pressed the palm of his hand against my mouth. He glared at me before nodding his head back to the building, where agents stood at the windows watching us. I nodded quickly before scrambling into the backseat, throwing myself into Sly’s arms.

  And as I hunkered down against him, he peppered my cheeks and my head with kisses.

  “My God, I’m so happy to see you,” I whispered.

  He held me close. “I’m just glad you’re all right.”

  Ben’s voice came from up front. “It’s not safe to go back to Sly’s place tonight. You guys want to get a hotel room? Or stay with me?”

  Sly kissed my forehead. “The last place they’d expect us to go is back to my place. Keep to the backroads so you aren’t clocked on any of the cameras and pull into the back parking lot of my complex. We can sneak in without cameras catching us and no one will be the wiser.”

  I smiled. “You’re so sexy when you talk illegal, you know that?”