Ink's Second Chance - Carol Dawn Page 0,43

and that he took her to that damn compound.”

Slim turns back to his computer screens. “I’ve been hacking into a few different systems that are associated with the compound. I have access to any appointments made with their lawyer, doctor, hitman, grocery delivery service. You name it, I’m safely hidden inside their systems. All I have to do is monitor and look for our best chance.”

Slim turns back around and looks me in the eyes.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Ink,” he tells me. “This could take a very long time. I’m talking weeks or even months. We have to be careful. Any wrong move will alert someone to what I’m doing and our only chance at contacting Rachel will be gone.”

Months? My beautiful woman could be a captive for months? There’s no telling what they will do to her in that time. The thought alone makes me sick.

“I’ll have someone watching the compound at a safe distance every single day and night, brother,” Bear says. “We will always have eyes on the entrance. If for some reason, she leaves the compound we will take that opportunity and grab her.”

“Bear’s right,” Chains adds, walking into the room with a handful of beers. “If we come upon a situation where we can get her back with a simple grab, then we’ll do it. Fuck the compound. Family comes first, revenge second.”

“Until then,” Bear continues. “We’ll stick with Slim’s plan. I think it’s safe to remove the lockdown. Roman Hernández was the one targeting our family and now he’s dead. Tell everyone to go home, but not to let their guards down.”

I accept the beer Chains holds out.

“Why don’t you stay with us?” Chains says. “My house is closer to the clubhouse than yours and we could keep each other company.”

I know what he really means. He wants to keep an eye on me to make sure my head stays on straight. I appreciate it, but it’s really unnecessary.

“Thanks, man,” I say. “But I think I’ll either be here or over at the shop.”

“Alright, brother. The offer stands in case you change your mind.”

I take my beer and head upstairs to my room. The first thing I see when I open the door is Rachel’s chair sitting on her side of the bed. Wolf most likely brought it up here. I flop down on the bed and try to get some shut eye.

But sleep never comes. Every time I close my eyes all I see is Rachel being beaten or raped.

I can’t just sit around here doing nothing. I’m telling Bear that I’m going to be one of the eyes on the Hernández compound. That way I’m right there ready to move in the very first chance we get.

Even if it takes months.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rachel

Carlos comes waltzing through the trailer door a few hours later.

The first thing he does is walk over and toss me a bottle of water.

“Did they touch you?” he asks me.

I can’t wrap my head around why he sounds so concerned. He threatened me in the car. He told me that I was going to be used as a sex slave. Now, he’s all concerned if I’ve been touched or not?

“No,” I answer, opening the water and drinking.

Drugged or not, my lips are cracked, and my throat is dry. I need to drink the water.

“Good.”

“Is it true, tío?” Frankie asks. “Did you really kill Roman?”

Carlos looks at me with raised brows.

“Oops,” I shrug, causing him to laugh.

What a strange man.

“Roman stopped being my son the second he let the Infernal Sons rescue the woman I chose to be his,” Carlos says. “Not to mention he tried to fool me into thinking he actually killed an Infernal Son. He got what he rightly deserved.”

Frankie and Antonio stare at their uncle with shocked expressions.

“The biker gang can’t seem to let go of things,” Carlos continues. “Which is why I’ve decided to take mi Reina and bunker down at the compound. No place better to protect someone you love.”

Wait, what? Did he say, love? Doesn’t Reina mean princess? No, that isn’t right.

“Queen?” I ask. “I’m not your queen and if the past day tells me anything, it’s that I wouldn’t want to be someone you think you love.”

Carlos simply laughs.

“Fantastic, isn’t she?” he asks his nephews. “Absolute perfection.”

Antonio finally snaps out of his shock-induced state and walks towards me.

“I wouldn’t trust her, tío,” he tells Carlos. “It looks like she’s planning something.”

“I would be disappointed if she weren’t,” Carlos grins. “We’ll