Mason: #6 (Allen Securities) (7 page)

Mason stepped into the shop. The two men at his back closed and locked the door behind him before returning to their car.

He watched as they turned back in the direction of his place. He let out a small sigh. It was better for Tori to be protected.

Two older men sat at the back of the shop behind the counter. The resemblance between Ando and his daughters was clear at just a glance. The older man had more gray among his otherwise black hair and his complexion was sallow in comparison, but that was likely from the cancer slowly killing him.

“Thanks for coming,” Charlie said from his chair and nodded to the stool on the other side of the counter from them.

Mason sat down and nodded.

“Blitz is back, isn’t he?” Mason said. He fingers curled into fists.

Ando sighed. His chest rattled as he did so, and Mason wondered how much time the older man had left.

“He goes by Wolf now. Came to see me a few weeks back,” Ando said and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Wanted me to help him get some bike parts out of the city. Seems that one of his men double-crossed him and made a deal with Charlie.”

Mason leaned forward a little. Reed had been on to something. The bike part theft ring seemed to be a much bigger operation than they had ever suspected.

“I told him he was lucky I didn’t shoot him where he stood,” Ando said, his face contorting with anger. “Fucking prick thought he could ask me for a favor after what he did to my daughter. I’m regretting not shooting him, now.”

It wasn’t that much a surprise. Blitz/Wolf didn’t seem to care about family connections. He’d demonstrated he didn’t care about his own family connections. He’d had no trouble stealing from his brother Havoc.

“Then he came to see me,” Charlie continued. “When I refused to make a deal with him, he said he might have to pay Ando’s daughter a visit again if I couldn’t get something going for him.”

Mason gripped his hands hard in his lap. “That’s why you put a detail on her.”

Ando nodded. “She’s already been through so much. I won’t let her suffer more. We need to deal with this. Whatever it takes.”

Mason nodded. “I agree.”

Ando stared at him hard, likely trying to get a read on the man who he undoubtedly knew spent the night with his daughter. Whatever he was looking for, Ando seemed to find it and gave a short nod.

“She’ll stay with you,” Ando said. “I know your children aren’t at home, so you won’t have to worry about their safety, and you’ll keep her safe.”

Mason nodded again. He would protect her with everything he had.

“How many men does he have this time?” he asked.

Charlie shook his shaggy, gray hair. “Not many. Most of the Los Malos were picked up recently. Looks like this time he’s just using a few of his men from out west and trading on the Los Malos name. These nasty fuckers have been making their way around town causing trouble. As if we don’t have enough bullshit to deal with.”

It wasn’t great news, but it was good to know they wouldn’t be going up against the full gang.

“And the man who sold them out?”

Charlie frowned slightly and shook his head. “Never actually met the guy. Thought I was meeting him, but that was just a paid grunt.” Charlie gave a little chuckle. “I imagine that’s got to burn Wolf’s ass that one of his men stole his parts right out from under him, and he don’t know who done it.”

Mason thought about it. Maybe there was a challenge in the gang. Someone wasn’t happy with the way things were being run and was trying to usurp the leader’s power. It wasn’t an uncommon thing for gangs.

Still, Wolf wasn’t a man to fuck with. He’d more than proven he didn’t believe in the concept of innocent bystanders.

Charlie frowned when his cell phone chimed. He quickly answered.

“What do you mean the car is gone? Is she there or not?”

Mason grimaced and silently cursed himself for leaving Tori alone.

Charlie listened for a bit longer and then pulled the phone from his ear.

“Your car and Victoria are gone,” he said.

Chapter Twelve

Tori wheeled the cart out of the store and hummed happily to herself. She had bought a nice pork loin she planned on baking in the oven along with some rosemary, garlic and olive oil. Her vegetables would roast nicely as well.

It made her happy to cook for Mason. He always seemed to appreciate the effort she put into meals.

The sun was now in retreat, leaving the parking lot in the shadow of dusk. She laughed to herself. They’d managed to almost lose a day with their bedroom games. Not that she regretted them for a second.

She pulled out her phone and checked her messages as she walked and frowned at the surprising number of voice messages. Yesterday she’d turned off the sound and just never thought about it until that point.

Victoria put the phone to her ear.

“Tori,” Mason said on the other end. His voice was strained. “Why the hell aren’t you picking up? Look, wherever you are, you need to get back to the house.”

Her heart pumped hard in her chest at the panic in his voice.

“No, better yet, just meet me over at Charlie’s pawn shop.”

The message clicked off, and she was about to listen to the next when the phone rang. She swiped on the picture of Mason.

“I just got your—”

“Thank God!” he said on the other end of the phone. “I thought…” The words drifted off on the other end as he composed himself.

“I just went to the store,” she said quietly.

The cart caught on some broken glass on the ground. She frowned as she stared down at the darkened pavement. She didn’t remember glass by the car before.

Victoria glanced up. The light on the pole near her car was broken.

“Blitz is in town,” Mason said.

She froze. She hadn’t been seeing things. It had been him at the bar. She glanced back to the store. The light might not have been a coincidence.

Victoria let go of the cart and turned to run but slammed full force into a solid chest.

“Woah there.” The rough chuckle that followed sent a shiver down her spine.

“He’s here,” she managed to shout into the phone before falling backwards on the pavement.

Victoria held out a hand to brace her fall. She could feel the glass cutting into her palm as she did and cried out from the pain.

The phone clattered away from her. A hauntingly familiar man stepped out of the shadows.

She tried to stand, to do something, anything, but her leg couldn’t seem to find the strength. She watched in horror as Blitz man picked up the phone.

“Ando?” he said casually.

She could hear Mason shouting on the other end.

“Oh, it’s the boyfriend,” Blitz said and gave her a toothy grin. “Well, listen, boyfriend. You tell Ando that he better be ready to make the parts drop tonight at eleven at pier twenty-three, or I’m afraid I’ll have to do very bad things to his daughter.”

His gaze cut to her, and her stomach heaved at the look he was giving her. Blitz was serious about the threat, and she was fairly certain rape would be the mildest thing on his list.

She glanced around, hoping someone, anyone was around to help her, but the parking lot was empty of other people.

He tossed the phone to the ground, and his boot crushed it to nothing. Her chances of escaping faded away.

* * *

Mason shook as he pulled the phone away from his ear.

“He’s got her,” he said. His stomach rolled as he thought about what that psycho might do to Tori.

“Fuck,” Ando shouted and stood somewhat unsteadily.

Charlie held out a hand to steady his friend.

“He’s not going to hurt her if he wants the parts,” Charlie said. “Especially if these parts mean the difference between keeping his crew and getting overthrown.”

Mason took in deep breaths. He knew that it was likely true, but thinking of her alone with a man like that made his skin crawl.

Ando leaned his palms on the glass display case and stared at the guns below.

“We need a plan,” he said solemnly. “One that ends with her safe and that fucker dead.”

The two older men turned to Mason and raised a brow. He and his cousins tried to avoid bloodshed if they could, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t above taking someone out if need be.

Mason held up his hands in surrender. “I’ll do whatever I have to in order to make sure she ends up safe. Blitz made his bed. I don’t give a shit if I force him to lie in it.”

Charlie nodded firmly.

“Good,” he said. “I’m going to make some calls. I think it might be best if we keep the Allens out of this. Jessica is in no position to be dealing with this. The baby is due any day, and the last thing she needs to worry about is what’s happening with her sister.”

Mason nodded. No one wanted her to go into labor early, and it was hard to tell one of the Allens without them all finding out.

Charlie walked into the back room to make his calls in private, leaving Mason alone with Ando.

“I’m dying,” Ando said quietly. “Doc says I’m lucky if I get a few more months.”

Mason opened his mouth to say something, but somehow sorry didn’t seem like the right response.

Ando turned his gray eyes his way and gave a sad smile.

“I wasted so many years,” he said. “Didn’t really know how to be a father, and now all I seem to do is put my girls in danger.”

It was all true from what Mason understood. The old man had been a criminal and then got popped by the police. Nearly ten years in prison had about ruined his relationship with his children. It was only recently they were able to reconnect, only to have his life ending with cancer.

“You love her?” Ando said.

The question hung in the air between them.

Love. It wasn’t something Mason had even thought about since Sarah left him, and if he were being honest, he wasn’t even sure he knew what it meant with her. She had always been selfish, and maybe what he thought was love was just her accepting his love.

Things weren’t like that with Tori. She cared for him. Took care of him even when he refused to take care of himself. Even more than that, she loved his children. He saw it every time they were together and even more so when they were apart.

She was as much a part of their lives as he was.

“Yes,” he said quietly.

Ando nodded and held his eyes for a moment.

“Don’t waste your time like I did,” he said. “Things can happen outside of your control. Don’t look back on your life and wish you’d done things differently.”

Mason gave a small nod. Regret was something he’d already become accustomed to, but he vowed to have no regrets after today.

Charlie strolled into the room with a giant grin on his face.

“Good news, I got my hands on a couple of sniper rifles.”

Chapter Thirteen

Victoria glared across the warehouse. This time it wasn’t at Blitz, but at the other man she’d encountered at the bar, the nasty one who tried to have his way with her. At this point, she wasn’t even surprised he was one of Blitz’s lackeys.

The man grinned and gave her a little wink, only pissing her off more. At least his swollen and discolored nose gave her a little satisfaction. Mason had beaten him down with no effort. The asshole would have to live with that.

She was so tired of being chased by bad men. The next man who laid his hands on her was going to be in for a big surprise. She was so over all of this.

They weren’t just putting her in danger but now Mason as well. And if she had to guess, likely Charlie and her father as well. These men had no trouble messing with her family and for what? A few motorcycle parts?

Victoria gave a little laugh as she watched Blitz pace back and forth along the length of the warehouse door.

He stopped to scowl at her. “Wanna tell me what’s so funny, bitch?”

Victoria snorted. “You all are a pretty shitty gang if you have to come all the way here for bike parts. What’s the matter, they fresh out of motorcycles in Arizona?”

His face contorted in rage, Blitz stopped in front of her and pointed a finger at her face.

“You shut your fucking mouth,” he said. “Or I’ll shut it.”

It seemed like her little poke had gotten to him. Things weren’t so sweet for Blitz, and he was having to reach well outside of his normal network to get what he needed. That was never a good sign for a gang. The realization gave her another small bit of satisfaction.

A loud honk came from outside the large bay doors.

She watched anxiously as the other man hit the button to open the door, revealing Mason standing in front of a truck with a trailer attached. Tension and relief warred in her. She didn’t know what she’d do if Mason were hurt.

Mason stood on the other side of the door, his arms held up so they could see he wasn’t carrying. Charlie stood just outside the car.

“Where’s the old man?” Blitz shouted. “Where’s Ando?”

Charlie shook his head. “He’s not up for this shit.”

Blitz gave a harsh laugh. “Old man couldn’t even make it here to save his daughter.”

Victoria ignored them. Her attention was fixed on Mason who kept looking in her direction.

“Let her go,” Mason said firmly. “Otherwise you don’t get shit from us.”

Blitz strolled over to her and lifted her easily to her feet. Her leg burned from the fall earlier, and her hands were still cut up, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.

“Did you bring the parts?” Blitz asked.

Mason nodded to the trailer behind the truck. “Send her over first. Then we’ll give you the keys to the truck.”

Blitz pressed her hard against his body and nestled his face into her neck. The man from the bar gave a laugh.

Victoria watched as Mason locked his gaze on the man and recognition dawned in his eyes. His face contorted in hatred.

“Maybe I got you bitches right where I want you,” Blitz laughed.

Mason nodded to the rafters. “And maybe we got you right where we want you.”

She frowned as a red dot appeared on Blitz’s chest as he looked toward the dark ceiling.