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“What you don’t understand Carpenter,” Red explained, his voice thankfully holding everyone’s attention. “We have a lot of land and have been looking to buy butchering equipment. I don’t like to break the law, but I also have my own set of laws. As do my men.”
Topaz peered around the van to see the man’s hand trembling with the gun still pointed at Onyx’s head.
“About the only way you’ll live is if you drop the weapon and walk away,” Red advised him. “Find a new place to spew your hatred. I’m sure you won’t have a hard time, but if you see the patch that says Steel, walk away. Yeah, you’re everywhere, but so—are—we.”
Topaz’s hands trembled and she centered herself. Calling on Dell to get her mind right as she summoned a memory of Dell banging a pot and singingThe Devil Went Down to Georgiaat the top of her lungs while Topaz was trying to assemble a fuse. Topaz now understood why Dell did what she did. Why she was asked to come to New Mexico, she’d been trained to fight, set munitions, and handle high stress.
For years, she believed her dancing was the only reason Roxy and Dell approached her. Now, she understood. They trusted her to protect the men as much as they were protected themselves. Using theLeathermanin the backpack, she stripped the end of the wires and quickly set a charge into a sliver of C4. No reason to take out the whole road, she only needed a distraction. Assessing the situation, she moved toward the SUV with four flat tires, disabled in the middle of the road, but away from the action, and stuck the C4 dead center as far as her hand could reach under the vehicle. A little flash boom and the explosion of the ass end of the vehicle would it distract everyone enough, so the gun would no longer be pointed at Onyx’s head. Would they get the upper hand if she was able to do this?
Most of the Steels had been in combat. For those who hadn’t, Brick made them a bit immune to the sound of random blasts in the way those in town didn’t notice the emergency siren that goes off three times a day. Still set on the schedule from days when you were to work at seven, take lunch at noon and stop at six. All by the sound of a siren, most only heard the first Wednesday of the month.
Right now, in her heart she was Onyx’s only hope to roll away from the man who saw nothing at the end of his gun. No one should get hurt with the explosion. She made sure everyone was far enough away the debris from the vehicle wouldn’t reach any of the MC members. It should go straight up and back down on the pavement.
A quick flick of a lighter the end of the charge, she stepped back and thankfully, caught Cass’ eye, sending a signal to him about what she had done.
He nodded and pushed the ones by him back and even further away.
The loud boom, followed, but the aerial performed by the midsized SUV made her a bit worried the sliver of C4 was larger than she thought as doors flew open. Fire burst from the bottom as if the damn thing was a rocket before it flipped a bit and crashed to the ground.
While still in mid-air Cass lunged, tackling Carpenter around the waist and slamming him to the ground with a tackle Hollywood might be a bit jealous of. The gun sliding across the pavement, wet with dew as the sun began to rise and landing at Cream’s booted foot.
Onyx rolled, snatching his leg and her fear spiked. He couldn’t just run away. Although reattaching the limb could be quick when necessary, like any man who rolled an ankle or had his knee taken out in the fight Onyx wouldn’t be unsteady until he could trust it again.
The fear, frustration and shame as he reattached the bottom limb. Tore at her heart and had her running to protect him. Her body blocking any as he stood. Pulling her into his arms, he forced her away from any action.
“Give me that,” Bounty spat, snatching away the gun from Cream like she was a six-year-old diabetic that snuck the last donut and not a woman more than capable of firing off a few rounds. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Topaz winced a bit, but understood the man and instead, watched as the rest of the MC members brought all the members of ACT UP together and wrapped them neatly for the cops.
Hollywood was already on the phone calling in the men who had been blocking off the road. “That doesn’t look good,” Hollywood said as he approached her, but was glancing over at Cream and Bounty fighting it out. Cream of course was winning. That wasn’t going to stop Bounty from getting his point across.
“It’ll be fine,” Topaz said, pulling in closer to Onyx.
“Topaz,” Brick said as he approached, his eyes had been ones she normally would have taken a cue from and offered a dance. “You sure you want this man? Because if I’d have known about your skill set—”
Onyx moved her slightly behind him like some brute alpha she would have sit down and set some rules with. “You would have asked her to help clear a spot for a pool?”
“You got yourself a good woman there Onyx,” Brick said with a sigh. “Hate that I didn’t—”
“Because you’re fucking pregnant that’s why!” Bounty yelled loud enough for everyone to stop what they were doing.
The sound of men pushing disabled cars to the side of the road, the small fire she started being put out with Red and Hollywood directing things—all fell silent. Clapping took off as every man and woman from the MC applauded the new life created.
Bounty held his arms wide and accepted his victory. “That’s right, my woman’s having a baby.” The proud to be papa beamed, then knelt before the bound Carpenter and pointed to Cream. “My woman, bet the thought you’d never have a chance is why you have your little panties in a bunch.”
“Don’t torture the future inmates,” Hollywood said placing his hand on Bounty’s shoulder. “Good on you, papa.”
“You’re the ones who will be going to jail!” Carpenter spat. “We were protecting our property if you think—”
“Not after you travelled nearly ten miles,” Hollywood said resting his hands on his duty belt. “Blew past my men trying to stop the erratic driving. And those social media posts…” Hollywood tsked and pulled up his phone. “We’ve already saved the ones following the kidnapping of two people, but your members do love to do videos don’t they?” The hate played loudly from men, boys in a way, now tied up gave their immature battle cry saying what they were going to do as they went live on their chase. “It’s a good thing Red called to let me know his friends were being threatened.”
Carpenter narrowed his eyes and turned away as squad cars pulled up and men were thrown three at a time into the back.
Once again, Topaz would be asked to testify and there would be no fear when she told how this group had orchestrated the kidnapping and torture of Onyx and ultimately, her. How they were going to explain the bombs they had set was another thing though, but with Cream as their lawyer and right on her side, she hoped any time behind bars would be minimal.
A part of her hoped having Hollywood and the entire Sherriff’s department at their back would help them. Besides, unless the ding-a-lings caught her on their livestream it was all circumstantial at this point.
Weaving her fingers with Onyx’s, she wrapped her hand around his bicep and rested her head on his shoulder. Softly she said the only words that made sense in the moment, “Take me home.”
