Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
“The kind where I had to make a choice.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are we gettin’ ready to try to kill each other, Knuckles?”
“Depends on your answer.”
I held my arms out from my side slightly so he could see I wasn’t armed. “Gotta know the question first, man.”
“I was told there was a one-time opportunity for me to get myself or one person of my choosing out early. Call it a favor from someone in the position to make this happen.”
“What’s that got to do with me?”
“If you agree to do something for me, you get to go back to your life a couple years early.”
“I suppose it depends on what it is you want. There are things I won’t do. Even for my freedom. I take it me getting this early parole wasn’t my father’s doing.”
“Even for the man who kept you alive when you first got to the real prison outta Camp Hilton?”
There was nothing easy about the camp and the bastard knew it. He also knew I’d agree with him I was alive now because of him. “Yeah, Knuckles. Even for you. But I hope you know I’d never deny you something without a fuckin’ good reason.”
Knuckles studied me for several seconds before nodding his head slowly. “Yeah. I do know. It’s why I went ahead and pushed the order through. You’re a good man, Gunnar. Of all the people here, I believe you are the one man who has never been a danger to society. Anyone who fucks with your family isn’t considered society and is asking for whatever you dish out.” He snorted out a laugh. “You’re leaving whether you agree to help me or not.”
“What’s the ask, Knuckles?”
“My daughter,” he said. “She’s been taken. One of my enemies found out who she was and used her to get revenge on me.” Knuckles handed me a few photos of a young woman bound and gagged with an expression of abject terror on her face. The thing striking me most about her were her bright green eyes. They shimmered with tears, but there was something about them. A quiet acceptance of what was about to happen, maybe? Not in the sense that she’d given up, but like she’d accepted the experience wasn’t going to be pleasant, and was determined to make it through so the task was complete.
“Pippa?” Knuckles had told me of her often enough. He was so proud of his baby girl. He’d managed a fling with one of the nurses in the prison before I got here and the woman had kept in touch over the years, even going so far as to let the girl meet Knuckles. The visit had gone well, but Knuckles had come back to the cell angry and agitated, afraid his enemies might use her to get revenge. That had been about five years ago. I knew there was nothing in the Goddamned world Knuckles wouldn’t do for Pippa, whether it be killing or dying for her.
“Yeah. I’ve had some stuff sent to the Bones MC clubhouse for you. I can’t rescue Pippa on my own and I have no idea if my own club would back me after what happened. The fallout of killin’ those bastards put Kiss of Death in a pretty bad position.”
OK, the name of his club got my attention. “Kiss of Death? Motorcycle Club in Nashville?”
Knuckles nodded. “You know of us, then?”
“Yeah. You could say that.” I had to be careful here. I had no idea how I had managed to form a strong friendship with this man over the course of fifteen years and not realized he’d had ties to Kiss of Death.
“I was vice president before I got put in here. After I went away, things went to shit. Ain’t even sure at this point if they’ll still accept my patch. Damned sure ain’t vice president anymore. So my chances of gettin’ her back on my own are pretty Goddamned slim.”
“You think I have a better shot?”
“Know you do. The new prez of Kiss of Death came from Bones. Vice president too. I can tell by the look on your face you know this.”
“Yeah. What I don’t know is why you kept your ties to them a secret from me.”
“There’s a reason I hadn’t called in that favor before now, Gunnar. I set this in motion the day I found out Torpedo had taken over Kiss of Death. It took a few months for my guy to pull it off, so I used that time to gather as much information on the fuckers who took her.”
“I assume the information is in the package you sent back to Bones?”
“Yeah. Let whoever you need see it. Do whatever you have to. But get Pippa away from those bastards.”
I didn’t hesitate but stuck out my hand to Knuckles and he took it. “On my life, brother. I’ll bring Pippa home.”