Predators MC: Stand Off Part 11

Casey leaned back in her seat. "If you want to think that, then go ahead. I told you why."

"You haven't told us a f.u.c.king thing," Max burst out, getting tired of the bulls.h.i.+t.

"You want me to tell you something? Use better pa.s.swords. Don't pick ones named after your dogs. You've become so arrogant, thinking no one can touch your little club, that you became sloppy."

Max was surprised Ice wasn't flipping out on her when he only nodded.

"You're right. All the information you had is useless now, though. Everything has been wiped clean. We have all the papers you had at your apartment, even the ones you hid in your safe deposit at the bank."

Casey hadn't seemed concerned until Ice mentioned the safe-deposit box. "How did you...?"

"That would be my secret, now wouldn't it? And, since you're not sharing, I see no need to." Ice pulled a set of keys out of his pocket, handing them to Max.

"Take her home."

Max didn't know who was more surprised by Ice's order: him or Casey.

"That's it? You're letting me go?"

"That's it. You don't have anything else on us, so I see no need to keep you any longer."

Casey stood, obviously wise enough to leave before Ice changed his mind, then took a step forward.

"Oh, by the way, if you try to bring any kidnapping charges against us, I have five brothers prepared to swear that you've spent the last day f.u.c.king their brains out." Ice pulled his own phone out of his pocket. Pus.h.i.+ng a few b.u.t.tons, he turned the phone to face Casey. It showed her plastered against the wall with Stump all over her. "I don't have to prove it, just place doubt on any of your claims of kidnapping, and I think this little piece of video proves that, don't you?"

Her face paled as she watched herself on the video. "Yes."

Her strangled reply contented Ice enough to put the phone back in his pocket.

"Are we done? Can I go home now?" she asked.

"Go. And, Casey, if you think you're going to cause any more trouble for the club, think again. I don't like hurting women, but I have no compunction about hurting another man." Ice held his hand out to Jackal, who removed something from his jacket, raising it for Casey to see.

"Don't you touch my brother." Casey lunged for the photograph in Jackal's hand. He handed Ice the picture before he grabbed Casey's arms, pinning them to her sides.

"Max told me you didn't give a s.h.i.+t about any repercussions for Renee. From the look on your face in this picture, I don't think you want to see your pretty brother's face destroyed, do you?"

"Stay away from Cole!" Casey screamed.

Ice dropped the picture onto the floor and smashed it with his boot. "Then don't make me. Stay the f.u.c.k out of club business and away from the cops, or I'm going to go looking for him, and I will find him."

Casey jerked away from Jackal, going to her knees to pick up the mangled picture and shaking off the broken gla.s.s before regaining her feet.

"You win. Cole has nothing to do with this."

"Good. Then I see we understand each other. I'm willing to let bygones be bygones this time. Don't make me regret my generosity."

Once she gave a sharp nod, Max took her to the elevator. Neither one talked as they went outside to his motorcycle and Max sat on his bike.

"Get on."

She climbed on behind him, still holding the picture in her hand as they rode out of the warehouse. Max didn't bother with the blindfold. It was obvious Casey would do what it took to keep the Predators away from Cole.

He drove her to her apartment. When she climbed off and started to walk away, he stopped her.

"Casey, Ice wasn't bluffing." Max refused to feel any sympathy for the woman who had f.u.c.ked him and betrayed him in the same night.

"I know he wasn't," she said before running to the steps that led to her apartment.

Max backed out of the parking spot, riding back toward the clubhouse. He dreaded walking through the clubhouse doors for the first time since he had become a member. It was because of his screw-ups that Casey had managed to find out about the club's private accounts. Ice wasn't going to let either him or Casey off the hook as easily as he had pretended.

There was always h.e.l.l to pay when you betrayed a Predator.

Max found the brothers waiting for him inside the clubhouse.

"Ice, I'm sorry, brother. I f.u.c.ked up."

The president of the Predators set his beer down on the counter. The impa.s.sive face Ice had presented to Casey was gone.

"I want you to find out exactly why that b.i.t.c.h did what she did."

Max nodded, not about to argue with a furious Ice.

"I want you to use her the way she used you and the club. When you're done with her, toss her a.s.s to the other brothers to use. Our a.s.ses would all be sitting in jail if Jackal hadn't rigged that silent alarm to the office door."

"I know."

"I don't give a f.u.c.k how you do it, but I want that b.i.t.c.h paid back for what she did!"

"I'll take care of it, Ice. I swear on my oath that I'll make her my b.i.t.c.h, and she'll regret betraying us."

"See that you do, Max. She made fools of us. We were too complacent, and that's on us all. If she does it again, it's all on you."

Chapter 13.

Casey entered her apartment, closing the door behind her before leaning back against it. She was still in disbelief over being released without being hurt.

"It's a relief to see they let you go."

She jumped when the man stood from her living room couch.

"No thanks to you or the police!" Her panicked gaze watched as Fisk Delaney's eyes ran over her. She a.s.sumed he was looking for bruises or marks.

"I take it you were caught?"

"Yes, they found me when I was downloading the information from the computer. It's over. They have everything. I can't help you anymore. You need to get out and stay away from me in the future. You'll have to find someone else to help bring the Predators down. I'm out of it from now on."

"It's not that easy, Casey." Fisk took a step toward her.

"Yes, it is." Casey moved to the side, opening her door.

"I'll leave, but when you change your mind, call me."

She placed her hands on her hips. "Why would I call? You've proven that no one can help me. I should have done what I always do and taken care of the problem myself."

Fisk shook his head. "You can't handle this alone."

"Watch me."

"We will." Fisk stopped in the doorway. "I wish it could have gone down better for you."

"So do I." Casey turned her face from him, not wanting his sympathy.

The door closing allowed her to focus on the destruction that had taken place in her apartment since her absence. Every piece of furniture had been destroyed. Fisk had been sitting on the only salvageable couch cus.h.i.+on. The bedroom was even worse than the living room. She would have to get new furniture, which she couldn't afford.

"Jackal wanted to make sure he didn't leave anything behind, didn't he?" she asked her silent apartment.

Casey went into her kitchen to get trash bags. The second one was almost filled when she heard a knock on her door. Fear flew through her veins at the thought that the Predators had come back.

Straightening her shoulders, she went to her door, trying to remember if she had locked it after Fisk had left. The moment she looked through the peephole, she wished she hadn't bothered. Preparing herself mentally, she opened the door.

A sharp slap knocked her back a step before she was able to regain her balance.

"You stupid b.i.t.c.h! What were you thinking?" Renee stormed inside the apartment, her sweet perfume in stark contrast to the venom and coa.r.s.e language spewing from her as she railed against Casey.

"You left me no choice," Casey said, closing the door.

"Me? Don't blame this s.h.i.+t on me! This is all you, because you can't leave things alone."

At that moment, Casey hated her mother. She wanted to strike back at her so badly she had to gouge her nails into her palms to prevent herself from strangling the woman who had never cared about anyone but herself.

"If you're not going to help, you can leave."

"Why should I help you? This is all your mess," Renee snapped.

"My mess? This is all because you've never accepted responsibility for anything. What do you expect me to do?"

"I expect for you to straighten this s.h.i.+t out, or so help me G.o.d, I'll take the responsibility you want me to."

Casey paled. "You wouldn't."

"Then don't test me, Casey. I love Mugg, and I won't have another of my marriages ruined because of my selfish kids."

"We're done, Renee," Casey told her. The last hope she'd had that Renee at some point in life would realize the consequences of her actions and try to make reparations died a silent death.

"Yes, we are," Renee snapped, kicking a cus.h.i.+on out of the way as she went toward the door. She slung it open, only to barrel into a man who had been about to knock.

"What are you doing here? Ice send you over to make sure she keeps her mouth shut? I already took care of it. She'll behave from now on."

Max's eyes went back and forth between them. "Mugg know you're here?"

Renee's face paled. "I was leaving."

"That would be a good idea. Mugg told you to stay out of it, and I suggest you listen to him."

Renee gave a sharp look in her direction before turning back to Max, patting him on his cheek. "You're the perfect son." With that, her mother left her alone with Max.

Hurt blossomed in Casey's chest at Renee's words, not for herself, but for Cole. She had to blink back tears as she bent and continued to clean the mess.

"Need some help?" Max asked casually, as if he hadn't kidnapped her earlier in the day.

"No."

Max disregarded her answer, taking a trash bag from the box on the counter. Casey ignored him as they both began stuffing the fragments of her life into the bags. When the living room was straightened and the bags were sitting beside the door, Max picked up several to carry them outside and was gone for a while.

Casey went to the bedroom, disheartened, and was just beginning to feel relieved when he returned, walking in the door with a pizza.

"Come and sit down. We'll clean the bedroom after we eat," Max said, taking a chair at the table.

Casey took two beers from the refrigerator and sat across from him.

"Why are you here, Max?"

He swallowed the large bite he had taken before he answered. "I figured you could use some help, and I had nothing better to do tonight." He shrugged. "Renee left a mark on you."

"I'll cover it with makeup before I go to work tomorrow."

"She done that before?" Max stared at her harshly, demanding an answer.

"Only a couple times when we were kids. Renee doesn't like to discipline, but when she does, she gets her message across."

"I'll make sure she stays away until she calms down," Max promised.

"Why do you care? I'm not a fool, Max. You don't have to pretend to be nice. Ice has told you to keep an eye on me, so let's not make believe you're here for any other reason."

"Whatever trouble you're in, Casey, I can help if you just ask. You didn't suddenly decide to take on the Predators. Ice knows that-we all know that-so until we find out why, yeah, we're going to keep tabs on you."

"Then I guess we're at a stand-off, because I'm not going to explain why."

"Then get used to my company. You want another piece of pizza?"