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The midnight black sky was an endless field of stars above them as the thirty Dark Sons sped down the highway, ready for war. Hannibal usually enjoyed being surrounded by his Brothers no matter what the mission was. Unfortunately, for his heart, it wasn’t possible to get behind their current objective.
The idea of forcibly dragging Jade back to be questioned and possibly tortured tied his stomach into knots. He was in love with her. It was fucked up in so many ways. But even knowing she had betrayed them, possibly from the start, didn’t change the fact that the woman had taken possession of his heart.
He’d suspected that was the case at breakfast that morning, but it had solidified into undeniable truth when his heart had shattered when she drove away crying. That didn’t change what he had to do. They needed to find out what information she had.
Every Brother had been issued a Bluetooth earpiece that allowed them to communicate even when riding. Normally there would be lots of chatter while they psyched themselves up for possible combat. But everyone remained silent, leaving him wrapped in his own thoughts and state of mind.
Ink rode in his usual spot at Hannibal’s side, his face grim. Trust wasn’t something his friend often allowed himself to indulge in. So when Jade betrayed them, the blow had been devastating.
Would his Brother forgive her? Hannibal wasn’t sure he would, no matter what her reasons. The man might appear easygoing to those who didn’t know him well, but his past had made him unwilling to let people in close. His temper was quick to ignite and slow to cool.
The anger simmering through the Brothers over what Jade had done was understandable. The dangerous games between the Club and the Russians had been going on for far too long. Most of them still harbored a barely contained rage over Max’s kidnapping, and supposed death two months ago.
Anyone who associated with the Russians, in any way, was seen as the enemy. But Hannibal believed Jade was their victim, not their ally. He had faith that once she told her side of the story, his Brothers would come around. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as sure about Ink.
If the frustrating woman had picked up a single one of his calls, they could have avoided this entire thing. Instead she had run, without any explanation except the stupid bag of listening devices she had thrown at him. If onlys were a waste of time.
“It looks like she’s heading into downtown Denver.” Tek’s voice was clear across his earpiece.
Acting as coordinator and recon for the mission, the man was secured inside the black van at the back of the procession of bikes. Several of the prospects were in there with him to act as driver and protection, allowing the man to focus on using his gear to track Jade.
Disappointment was a leaden weight on his shoulders. Jade lived outside the city in an apartment near her gym, so she wasn’t heading home. Why was she heading into downtown Denver at this time of night?
The Russians had control over several areas of downtown. Was she heading to one of their businesses? Would she be dumb enough to head right into the center of their territory and tell them she had failed?
They would kill her. If for no other reason than to remove the proof, they had been the ones to break the treaty. Or was this a trap?
When Hawk had first suggested she might be bait for them, Hannibal had dismissed the idea. But maybe the Russians had counted on her getting caught and leading them into the middle of the Russians territory.
He didn’t think that was the case. The pain and tears had been real. He would swear the impulse to give him the bag of devices had been a spur-of-the-moment choice.
Jade couldn’t fake that kind of emotion. She was an open and honest person, almost to a fault. Her mouth had given away her feelings on more than one occasion.
Highway turned into city streets as he circled in his own thoughts. He see-sawed between worry for her and wild theories on what she was doing in the city.
“Looks like she’s parked about two blocks away from Petrov’s headquarters. We’re about ten minutes out from her location.” Tek’s information killed the wild hope Hannibal had that she was only trying to find a bar to drown her sorrows.
“All right.” Hawk’s voice was deep, the static from his bike only slightly distorting his words. “We’re going to pull over at the civic center and strategize what we’re going to do. I’m not stumbling into a trap or kicking off the war tonight unless there is no other option. We’ll wait and see if she moves again.”
Hannibal wanted to protest, but the argument would be a waste of time. She wasn’t their Old Lady. So none of them would be willing to go in and risk their lives for her. He couldn’t ask them to when things were still so uncertain.
That meant he might be sitting nearby doing nothing while the Russians killed her. He didn’t think he would be able to live with that decision. He might have to go in alone.
A few months ago, he had cursed Max for doing something exactly like that. Hannibal hadn’t understood at the time why his Brother had been willing to risk his life and problems for the Club, for the sake of a woman. Now he got it.
They were parked in the location Hawk had chosen and Hannibal had shut down his bike. Tek’s voice came over the headset. “She’s moving at speed. She may have gotten back in her car.”
Everyone paused, waiting to see if they would be moving out. The silence of the city was unnerving after being in the middle of the loud noise of the procession for so long. Turning off the bikes meant they would be slower to respond, but lessened the possibility that locals would call in a noise complaint and they would have to deal with cops.
“Was she in the Russians’ headquarters?” Hawk asked.
“Not from what I could tell. I’m trying to make sense of the location, but she seems to have stopped again and settled at the Cathedral Basilica a few blocks away.”
“Does Petrov control the church?” Sharp’s question echoed Hannibal’s own thoughts.
“Not according to our Intel. It’s actually a Roman Catholic Cathedral. No ties in our system to anything criminal. Wait. I’ve got police reports coming in of gunfire in the area. They’re dispatching a unit to check it out.”
Every muscle in his body clenched with the urge to start up his bike. Jade might be in danger. He needed to do something. A heavy grip on his shoulder made him jump.
