Settings

Stand Off

Page 19

   


Biting her lip, she walked into the clubroom, giving a sigh of relief when she saw it was empty. She knew exactly where to go, so walking to the room the men used as their office, she slipped inside. During Mugg’s birthday party, she had figured out which room would hold the information she was searching for.
Slipping her phone out of her back pocket, she used it as a flashlight, not daring to turn on the overhead light. She slid into the chair behind the computer and turned it on.
The computer wasn’t hooked to the internet. The Predators wanted to make sure no hacker would get the club business accounts and private information.
It took twenty minutes to get past the password that had been set up. If Grace hadn’t told her their dogs’ names, she would have given up.
She practically jumped up and down in the chair as she sifted through the files. Hastily placing a flash drive into the computer, she also took a few pictures with her phone as backup, though she didn’t take many before putting the phone back into her pocket. She had exactly one hour before hell was going to descend on the clubhouse. As soon as the download to the flash drive was complete, she turned off the computer.
Pushing back the chair, she rose, turning to the doorway, and a small scream escaped her when she saw Jackal staring at her.
“Did you get what you wanted?”
Fear flooded through her bloodstream at his expression. Jackal was scary as shit when he wasn’t angry, but when he was, it was terrifying.
Casey decided to brazen it out. Maybe he hadn’t been there long enough to see what she had done. “I needed to check on a few things, but I didn’t realize it wasn’t connected to the internet.”
“Really? You’re going to stand there and lie about breaking into Ice’s computer?” he snarled. “Give me the fucking flash drive.”
Casey clutched the flash drive more tightly in her fist.
“What in the fuck is going on?” Max filled the doorway behind Jackal, his eyes going over her dressed body.
“I caught her at Ice’s computer. She has a flash drive in her hand.”
“How did she break the password?” he asked in confusion.
“That’s what I want to know,” Jackal said grimly, looking over his shoulder at Max.
“I didn’t fucking tell her!” he said angrily, glaring at her.
Casey swallowed hard at having the two men both furious at her.
Sounds were coming from the rest of the clubhouse as the other members came to investigate the raised voices.
“You didn’t tell her any shit you shouldn’t when you were fucking her?” Jackal asked, his scarred lip twitching. Casey didn’t think that was a good sign.

“Stump, call Ice and tell him to get his ass here,” Jackal ordered, turning back to stare at her.
Stump shot her an accusing look before pulling out his cell phone.
Casey knew she was in deep trouble from the glares she was being given.
When Jackal took her arm, she almost tried to jerk away from him, but terror held her back as he led her into the clubroom to a chair.
“Sit down before you pass out. We’re not going to hurt you, yet,” Jackal threatened.
As Max remained silent at Jackal’s words, Casey’s stomach sank. She hadn’t expected him to take up for her after having sex only one time, but she had counted on their parents’ marriage to save her from actual death. She might be proven wrong in that. All the men were eyeing her as if they wanted to strangle her.
“Ice is on his way. He said not to touch her until he gets here.”
While the room went silent as the rest of the men watched and waited, Max leaned against the wall next to the chair, watching her every move.
She started trembling when Jackal’s phone rang, and he stepped away, talking quietly. When he disconnected the call, he stared at her harshly.
“What in the fuck have you done?”
“I don’t…” He bent over her, grabbing her by the jaw.
“Do. Not. Lie. The cops are headed here.”
The door to the clubhouse opened, and Ice came inside. Jackal stood, taking his hand away.
“What’s going on?” Ice asked into the tension-filled room.
Jackal explained in a hard voice that he had caught Casey in his office on the computer. “She has a flash drive with all our shit on it, and Alex just called to give us a heads up. The cops are about to storm the clubhouse.”
If she had been terrified before, it was nothing compared to when Ice’s frozen expression turned on her.
“Destroy the computer. Thanks to her, we have a backup.” Ice walked toward her.
Casey cringed back into the large chair, waiting for him to strike her. Instead, he held his hand out.
“Give me the flash drive.”
Casey’s hand tightened in a death grip before reluctantly handing it to him.
Ice stared down at the Hello 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 glass as they passed, 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.