Predators MC: Stand Off Part 10

Casey's hand tightened in a death grip before reluctantly handing it to him.

Ice stared down at the h.e.l.lo Kitty flash drive before giving it to Jackal. "Hide it where they can't find it."

Jackal left, going inside Ice's office.

"Brothers, if you have anything in your rooms that needs to be gotten rid of, you better get rid of it."

The clubroom cleared out in an instant.

"What are we going to do with her?" Max asked from behind her.

"Why was she here in the first place?"

"She was here with Stump, but when I came back from the strip club, she ended up in my bed. She must have sneaked out while I was sleeping." Max's voice was filled with disgust, making Casey lower her eyes to her lap.

"Get her out of here. Take her to the warehouse," Ice ordered.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Casey shook her head.

"You don't have a choice," Max said grimly, coming around to the front of her chair and lifting her to her feet.

Jackal came out of the office as Max was carrying her toward the back door.

"Wait! She took some pictures with her phone. It's in her back pocket."

Max paused with her, coming to a stop. Reaching out, he jerked her phone out of her pocket then tossed it to Jackal.

"Buzzard, go with Max," Ice commanded as he turned to look out the club door.

Casey fought against Max's grip as he went to the back door. Ignoring her protests, he picked her up off her feet, carrying her outside to where a large black SUV was parked. Buzzard opened the backdoor, and Max lifted her up, tossing her into the backseat before getting in next to her.

Buzzard climbed into the front seat and started the vehicle, driving away from the clubhouse.

They were halfway down the street when Casey looked out the window to see a large number of police cars going in the direction of the clubhouse. She laid her head on the gla.s.s as they pa.s.sed, knowing she stood no chance of them seeing her in the darkness.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" Max's voice was grim in the heavy silence.

"I know," she answered softly.

"Why'd you do it?"

Casey remained silent. That was the one question she would never answer. Max didn't ask again, and Casey kept looking out the window so that she could see where they were taking her. They drove back into the heavily populated city, going to an area Casey had stayed away from due the crime that was always reported there.

When Max reached over, pulling her closer to him then tying a black cloth around her eyes, she began gasping in fear.

"Calm down. It won't have to stay on long."

Inexplicably, Casey believed him.

Several minutes later, she felt the SUV slow then make a right turn. Then she heard the rattling of a gate and voices from the outside before the vehicle moved forward again.

Max took off the cloth around her eyes as Buzzard got out and opened her door. "Get out."

Shakily, Casey stepped down into a large parking garage. With both men beside her, she was led to a large freight elevator. Max opened the door, pus.h.i.+ng her inside, and she blinked back frightened tears as he closed the door and pushed a b.u.t.ton, taking them downward.

She had a terrible feeling she wasn't going to see daylight anytime soon.

Casey didn't try to fight against Max. There wasn't a chance of escape from them in the empty warehouse they led her through when they exited the elevator.

Finally, they stopped in front of a door, and Max unlocked it before motioning for her to go inside. Casey looked inside the small room, which only held a tiny bed. Although she didn't want to go inside, she refused to plead with a stone-faced Max. Entering the room, she came to a stop when she heard the door close behind her.

At least there's a light, and they aren't going to leave me in the dark, she consoled herself.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook as the silent tears of fear coursed down her cheeks. Tiredness gradually replaced the fear, forcing her to lie down and close her eyes in exhaustion.

The adrenaline that had been carrying her through the past two weeks had deserted her, leaving her only the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion.

She slept fitfully on the small mattress, her unconscious mind replaying getting caught by Jackal and facing Ice. She was unaware she was crying out in her sleep or of the door opening.

A hand s.h.i.+fted her, and Casey felt someone holding her close as she struggled to wake, but her mind was even more fearful of what was waiting. Ultimately, unconsciousness reigned until the soothing closeness of the body curled next to her allowed her to slip into an undisturbed sleep.

Casey woke with her a.s.s pressed into someone's stomach and her back against a chest. She tried to rise up, but an arm around her waist tightened.

"I need to use the restroom," she admitted, embarra.s.sed.

The arm disappeared, and the mattress shook as her head turned. She glanced up to see Max rising from the bed, reaching out his hand to help her up. He opened the door without saying a word, and then Casey followed him to the small room next door which had the bare necessities. After she was done, she washed her hands and threw some water on her face, using paper towels to dry off.

Casey stared into the mirror at her face, now devoid of makeup. Her tear-swollen green eyes filled her face, and the pallor of her skin made her fear apparent.

"Hurry up," Max spoke from the other side of the door.

Once Casey opened the door, both of them remained quiet as they went back to the room she had been locked inside. He was closing the door behind her when she pressed her palm against it, stopping him.

"Let me go, Max. You're going to get in so much trouble for this..."

"What do you care? You did your best to make sure that's where me and the rest of the brothers end up. You ready to tell me why?"

Casey's hand dropped from the door.

"Ice won't stop until he gets his answers, Casey, even if he has to drag Renee into it."

Casey sucked in a breath at his words. "Mugg won't let anyone hurt Renee."

"We all took oaths. No one comes before a Predator."

"Mugg loves Renee."

"He's a Predator. You know I'm telling the truth."

"You would let them hurt Renee?" she asked in disbelief.

"I like Renee, but not enough to die for her. You betrayed the club."

Casey shook her head. "I didn't betray them. I don't belong to the Predators."

Max took a step forward with lethal intent, and Casey backed up until she was pressed against the wall in the small room.

"You belonged to the Predators the second Mugg married Renee."

Casey shook her head in denial.

"Do you know how we deal with anyone who betrays us?"

"Stop, Max," Casey whispered fearfully.

"They die. Betrayal in the club is a deadly sin. What you need to decide is if your reasons for betraying us are worth dying for."

Casey turned her head to the side. Unable to bear the disgust on his face, her anger took over.

"I f.u.c.ked you for the information I needed, didn't I? So, yes, if dying is a penalty I'm going to have to pay, bring it on, Max, because I'm not going to let you threaten to use Renee against me. If she gets hurt, that's on you and Mugg, not me. She didn't even know I was at the clubhouse last night. If she had any idea what I was doing, she would have turned me in herself, and we both know that's the truth."

When his fist slammed into the wall next to her head, Casey jumped, but Max didn't touch her. Instead, he stormed from the room and locked the door behind him.

Casey's weak legs gave out and she sank to the floor, staring at the closed door. Her arms circled her knees, pulling them to her chest as her head lowered to press against them.

One of her hands went to her throat, gripping the starfish tightly in her hand. She had to remain strong. She had no choice.

Chapter 12.

"You win." Max threw his cards down on the table.

"If you took your mind off that b.i.t.c.h, you might win a hand." Buzzard raked up the small amount of cash that Max had left.

"Go buy us some burgers." Max didn't deny his attention hadn't been on the game.

Buzzard's chair sc.r.a.ped back from the table. "Be back in ten."

Max looked down at his watch, checking the time again. It had been twelve hours since the cops had raided the clubhouse, and they hadn't heard any news yet. He was already steaming with anger from Casey's duplicity; as a result, worry about the brothers only escalated his already frayed temper. He had stayed away from her other than to let her out to go to the bathroom and feed her some lunch.

The sound of the freight elevator opening had him raising his eyes. It was too soon for Buzzard to be back.

The brothers filed out of the elevator with grim faces.

"What happened?" Max stood from the table, ready to face Ice's recriminations for giving Casey the opportunity to snitch on them.

"We managed to get through by the skin of our teeth," Ice told him, his frostbitten gaze meeting Max's head-on. "The clubhouse is wrecked, but the cops didn't find anything. Bring her out."

Max went to the room Casey was being held in. Opening the door, he saw her sitting dejectedly on the bed.

"Ice wants to talk to you." He hardened himself against the flash of fear she showed before she was able to smooth out her features and pretend to be calm.

She stood then walked outside the room and sat in the chair Ice motioned for her to take. The brothers surrounded her. Max was familiar with the tactic of trying to intimidate before they even began.

Casey stared at Ice in trepidation, and Max sensed she was more frightened of Ice than Jackal. She was smart. Jackal didn't make a move unless it was directed by Ice.

"You ready to tell me why you decided to take a s.h.i.+t on our club?"

Casey remained silent.

Ice arched a brow at her before turning to Jackal. "Give me her phone."

Jackal handed him the phone. "It takes her thumbprint to open it."

"She has two; take your pick." Ice tossed him the phone.

Max lifted one of Casey's hands, expecting her to fight, but she didn't. He pressed her thumb against the b.u.t.ton, and the phone immediately opened. He handed it back to Ice who scrolled through it.

"It's clean. The only things on it are the pictures she took from the computer. She didn't even put a contact list of numbers." Ice stared down at Casey. "We found the stash of information you had on us at your apartment. There isn't much you found out from your snooping. The check Max gave you opened all the doors you needed, didn't it?"

"How?" Max asked, his hands clenching into fists.

"She used the number of the account on the check you gave her to trace other accounts that made deposits to that account, which led to other accounts. Once she had yours, she had it all, didn't you?"

"Yes," Casey admitted.

"She wasn't working at the Quik and Go for the extra money, either, were you?"

"No, everyone in Queen City knows he sells drugs out of the back room. I figured if he was selling the drugs, he was giving you a share of the money."

Max kicked one of the empty chairs across the floor. "I f.u.c.king watched her every night so she wouldn't get robbed, and she was f.u.c.king putting us away!"

"She's smart. She accomplished what the police and the FBI couldn't do-search the club without probable cause-which is why they went after her, isn't it?"

Casey nodded.

"The thing I'm curious about is, why now? You could have done this anytime, so what made you decide to help them?"

"Maybe I was bored. Maybe I was sick and tired of your club running the city." Casey's sarcastic reply only brought a tight smile to Ice's lips.

"No, I don't think that's it. I don't think that's it at all, Casey. I think something set this whole thing off. You get p.i.s.sed when Mugg left Renee like every man she had?"