Relentless Rhythm (Tempest #4) (35 page)

“What’s going on?” my mom asked, reading the concern on my face. She shut off the water and dried her hands on a dish towel.

“I’d tell you to sit down.” I cast a wistful glance at the kitchen table where we’d had so many heart to heart talks over the years. “But there’s not enough time for me to explain things properly.”

She reached for me, capturing my fluttering hands and grasping them firmly in her warm damp ones. “I’m here. Take a deep breath and then tell me what I need to know.”

I nodded slowly inhaling and exhaling. “Dizzy was right. About James, I mean.”

“I can’t believe it.” She shook her head, eyes filling, heart wanting to deny the truth no mother ever wants to hear about her daughter’s husband.

“It’s worse than that. He’s a bad man, Mom. A really bad one. He’s involved in organized crime. I think George suspected as much.”

I could see the dots connecting behind her eyes, her face becoming pale as realization dawned. “Do you think George’s injury might not have been an accident?” she whispered.

“Maybe. I’m not sure, I want to hope otherwise, but the kind of people James calls family, are capable of anything. That’s why I’ve tried to protect you and the boys from the truth about him.”

“Hey Mom,” John yelled. “Have you seen my Spiderman comic?” We both jumped apart, hands to our chests as he entered the kitchen. His eyes widened. “What’s wrong?” he asked, noting our pallid expressions.

“Something’s happened.” It was time for me to take charge and keep my promise to George to look out for them. “We’re in danger. We don’t have much time. We need to get ready to leave right away as soon as Dizzy gets here. Go get Michael. Tell him to grab his bear, but don’t bother with anything else.” When he didn’t move, I added more insistently, “Go! Now! Hurry!”

His eyes even wider, he spun around and dashed around the corner.

I turned back to my mom. “Dizzy is tying up some loose ends. Then he’s going to take us to a safe place. If we’re lucky we’ll be there before James notices we’re gone.”

“Ok.” She straightened her shoulders. “I’ll go get my purse.”

While everyone scrambled around preparing for flight, I went to the front door, praying Dizzy would come soon and wanting to make sure the door was secure in the meantime. Before I could set the deadbolt, a loud thump rattled the door on its hinges. I took a step back, my heart slamming against my ribs. A second blow immediately followed, splintering the wood off the hinges.

We hadn’t been fast enough.

Time had just run out.

King’s white grin flashed in the rearview mirror of his Hummer.

“Stop smiling,” Sager complained. “You’re freaking me out. In the dark with your brown skin all I can see is your teeth. It’s spooky, man.” Sager grunted. Our drummer had probably just elbowed his best friend in the ribs. King was pretty sensitive about his heritage. Sager was the only one who could get away with teasing him about it.

“Those
pendejos
didn’t know who they were dealing with. We took them out faster than those biker rednecks in Dallas.” Kings’ dark eyes met mine in the mirror. “It was a
toda madre
.”

I dipped my head in agreement. It had been totally awesome. We’d caught April’s two mob shadows off guard and taken them out of commission for a while. Hopefully they wouldn’t be missed any time soon, and we’d have enough time to get April and her family across the US border and to a
La Raca Prima
safe house in Southside.

“Those rings of yours are more than just a fashion statement,
esa
?” King was talking to War. He was squished between Bryan and me in the backseat. “You left a hell of a mark on that one
vatos
face, worked him over good. Not too bad for a scrawny front man.”

“Fuck you,” War replied without any real heat.

“What’d you say to him when he was on the floor?” King asked.

War grinned. “I told him his mom begged me for it.”

“
Orale
,” King said nodding his head approvingly while steering his H1 Alpha Wagon through the intersection just before the light turned red. “Isn’t that the same thing you said when Jorge got all up in your face about you sleeping with his sister Leticia.”

“Yeah, but it’s always classic,” War deadpanned.

“As I recall, Jorge busted your lip, but that didn’t stop you from popping off again. Told him his padre begged you for it, but…’”

“Cock only goes with pussy,” they finished together, eyes meeting in the mirror.

“You’re a crazy motherfucker, War.” King chuckled.

“That was totally badass,” Bryan added.

If I hadn’t been so freaking tense, it would’ve made me smile hearing them all reminiscing and getting along. A common purpose had united us. It felt like old times. The way we used to have each other’s backs before all the fame and War’s bullshit ego had ruined everything.

“He
used
to be a baddass rocker,” Sager swiveled around, raking his inky hair out of his eyes and smirking. “Now he’s got Hollywood friends and is pussy whipped like the rest of you backseat losers.”

“
Callense el hocico
,” King hissed for everyone to shut up under his breath, noting my lack of amusement. After what had happened to Adrian, he more than any of the others understood the stakes involved. King cranked up the music. Cannibal Corpse blasted out the Monsoon sound system, and Sager swiveled back around. Everyone was quiet for a while. But the closer we got to Coquitlam the more apprehensive I became.

“Drive faster,” I said leaning forward to tap King’s shoulder.

“
Orale.
” King stomped so hard on the gas that I was pressed back into my leather seat. I glanced behind me. There was enough cargo space in the rear of the H1 to hide four people who didn’t want to be found under blankets, but we were going to have to be more than lucky at the border. And we were counting on
La Raca Prima
to come through for us. But I had my boys with me. I might need them
and
the bullet proof transmission if things got dicey.

When King pulled the Hummer into the driveway, I was the first one to climb out, but my brothers weren’t far behind. No one had hesitated when I asked them to help me out tonight. Growing up the way we all had looking out for each other in a place like Southside, we’d always been more a family than just a band. I suddenly realized that though I envied April the closeness of her family, I actually had one, too. The guys with me right now were just as much a source of strength for me as her family was for her. That’s the way the five of us had always rolled, and that’s why it’d cut so deep when things had gone so bad, and War had split us up at the end of the last tour.

The crew were pushing and shoving each other as we hurried up the walk so I didn’t see the busted in door at first. When I did, the blood in my veins turned to ice.

“
Chingada Madre
!” King exclaimed.

I agreed. This was all kinds of fucked up, but couldn’t speak as I stepped inside, staring at the overturned furniture and the busted lamps. I felt like I was going to vomit.

My cell rang. I answered it, my voice shaky.

“You fucked me over, asshole.” It was James. I heard April’s brothers sobbing in the background while she desperately tried to soothe them. “Come on down to the lobby, or I’m gonna fuck her up good.” He clicked off.

“He’s got April,” I said, my gaze sliding to King. I motioned to the guys, and we ran back out to the H1. “Fucking shit. He’s got all of them. We’ve got to get to the hotel. He thinks I’m upstairs. He sounded psychotic.”

“He won’t care about anything if he’s knows Campanella’s onto him.” War pointed out the obvious. I wished he hadn’t.

“Shit, brother,” Bryan said, and the guys silently closed ranks, moving in closer to me.

My cell rang again as we were pulling out.

“Diz.” Her voice was so soft I could barely even hear her,and I didn’t care to. Not right now. Not after what she’d done to April and me. “Don’t hang up,” she begged.

“I don’t have time for this.” She’d betrayed April. She’d lied to me. As far as I was concerned she’d ceased to exist. “Things are really bad right now. James has April and her family, and he’s threatening them.”

“I know.” I could hear the distinct sound of crying now.

“They’re here,” she said in a raw voice.

“Are you at the Sutton?” I was afraid maybe he’d found out I wasn’t upstairs and had moved them somewhere else.

“Yes. He just came in the lobby with them. He’s yelling and waving a gun. He says he’s going to kill you. She said he’d have to kill her first.” She started sobbing louder, and I hit King on the shoulder telling him to go faster while trying to keep from cracking apart under the fear. “Call the police. We’ll be right there.”

“They’re on the way. I’m sorry,” I heard her whisper before she hung up. “I didn’t know.”

We went up on two wheels a couple of times on the drive back into the city. King hit the straightaways at insane speed, well over the posted limits, but I didn’t care. I don’t think any of the guys did. We just held on, and I was pretty sure we were each saying silent prayers for a miracle.

We had to park on the street. The front driveway in front of the Sutton was already taped off in yellow and full of flashing lights when we arrived. I slipped through the crowd, ducking behind a group of EMT’s pushing a stretcher and followed them inside.

The lobby was complete chaos, swarming with Vancouver police, hotel staff, and witnesses. But the shock and horror I saw on all their faces was the same.

We were too late. I was standing in a crime scene. The room seemed to spin as I scanned the lobby for some kind of clue as to what had happened. I saw a broken vase and a pool of blood near it. I swayed feeling short of breath and then I saw a blood soaked sheet someone had draped over a body. My heart stopped as someone shook my shoulder. I couldn’t even process what they were saying. Motes of multicolored light were dancing at the edges of my vision. And then there were no colors anymore. My whole world was painted black.

I leaned against the doorframe and watched April as she talked to Mary and Beth. I was trying to act more cool. I’d lost a lot of cred after I nearly passed out.