Breaker (Riders of Apollo #4)

Chapter Thirty: Adrian Calder

I head up to the clubhouse and the guys greet me enthusiastically, all of them desperate to figure out why I started talking again. Romeo sequesters me away in his office and I drop down on to the couch next to Ollie who is building something out of magnetic strips and bars. He's gonna be a smart kid, probably take over on the computers for Romeo, though he could be the Armourer if he turns out anything like Runner.

"So, you've opened your mouth. Knew it was gonna happen soon as I saw her."

"Yeah, me too."

"I still can't believe Rubble pulled that shit, literally everyone here knew she was yours after Mac told us how you acted."

"Apparently not everyone got the message. I still wanna pummel his face until all the bones shatter just for fucking touching her."

"He touched her?" Romeo looks just as pissed at that statement. Everyone knows about Aurora's aversion to touch so try to accommodate for it in whatever way they can. They move slower or extend their arms instead of open hands and always make sure they know where I am in case she gets overwhelmed or upset.

"Grabbed her wrist after I told him to get away. She froze, I've never been so livid in my life."

"Until you found out about the claim." I nod in agreement. Just thinking about it makes me angry, angry enough to storm out of the this room and attack Rubble with nothing but my bare fucking hands.

"Breaker, need you!" Is all I hear through the door and I groan, I don't want to be called to action. I just wanna sit here and chat with my best friend but no, of course not. I find Bear in the lounge with Boulder at his side and I know that we're about to go somewhere dangerous. "We're headed into one of our enemy places, gonna try and negotiate."

I nod, I can't argue. I'm a loyal soldier to the Prez and I do as he demands. Unfortunately, he has chosen the worst place we could go, especially with only the three of us. I know he thinks it's safer that we don't show a sign of force as it's supposed to be peace talks but without back up, we're in the shit.

Boulder and I walk behind Prez as he enters the warehouse. It's empty of stuff, just has five men and the leader sat behind a massive mahogany desk that doesn't belong in a building like this. Neither does he, he's wearing a suit that probably cost more than my bike and his men are relatively tiny but I've learned not to underestimate people.

"Mr Titus." Bear greets and takes the offered seat while the two of us stay standing so we're ready to move with no hesitation. My gun is reachable as is my knife, I would rather use a gun than get close enough for them to shoot me, I have someone to go home to now and I don't want to take any extra risks.

"Bear. I believe you're here to make a deal." He sparks up a cigar and swirls his glass of whiskey while he surveys our Prez with an unimpressed look on his face.

"Yeah, I don't want you pimping in my territory. I have my own escorts, I don't need yours too."

"What could you offer me in the way of returns?"

"I have spoken with the Mexicans. They have agreed to peace with you if you fuck off out of my territory and never come back." Now the bloke looks intrigued, he's sat up in his chair with his hands now clasped in front of his and his cigar resting in the ashtray.

"You have spoken with the Mexicans, they are friends of yours, no?" He's American, born and bred with a strong New York accent accompanied with a strong sense of arrogance. I don't particularly like him but he doesn't seem like much of a threat.

"Something like that, do you agree to the terms or not? I do have a club to run and I don't particularly want to shut down your business as well but I will."

"I doubt you could." Bear scoffs and lights his own cigarette, relaxing back into his seat with a smirk.

"My club has dismantled mafias, destroyed fighting rings and obliterated MCs state wide. Your business is weak, your headquarters is on 59th street and you have 103 men under your command. Most of them are under twenty and aren't well trained, my men could find and kill all of yours in a week. Take down your headquarters in an hour. Don't fucking test me."

"I would just rebuild."

"What makes you think you'd make it out alive? And even if you did, my enforcers would track you to the end of the Earth and bring you back to me. I would carve your heart out myself and use you as another example in a long line of them. You are nothing but a nuisance to me with lower prices and terrible management. Make the deal and fuck off, it would be better for you."

"You're threatening me."

"I think I made that rather clear, Mr Titus. You leave or you will die by my hand."

"Very well, you have the paperwork." Boulder hands Bear the papers and they are thrown at Mr Titus. He signs them with an expensive looking pen with a rather depressed look on his face. I would feel sorry for him but I don't have it in me.

I hear a soft puff and immediately recognise it as a sniper rifle. I throw myself in front of Bear and feel the bullet pierce my side. Fuck, haven't felt that in awhile. Boulder moves to kill everyone in the room but Bear stops him. "It wasn't him. He doesn't have any snipers and he knows the consequences."

Mr Titus nods his head in agreement, hiding behind his pack of bodyguards while I glare up at where the bullet came from. They definitely pegged it by now, knowing they've missed their target and not willing to stick around for the consequences. "Breaker, can you get back to the clubhouse?"

I grit my teeth and breathe out heavily, keeping pressure on the wound with a nod. "Saviour, get Doc, Breaker's been shot. Someone's gonna need to get Cassidy as well, she's gonna wanna be here for this." Bear shouts down the phone as we hurry to my bike.

Bear grabs the first aid kit and wraps me in like three hundred layers of pressure bandage to keep the blood on the inside where it's supposed to be. "Are you sure you're alright to ride, Breaker?"

"I've had worse, Prez. Let's head back so my woman can kill me." He smiles and claps my shoulder, thanking me for taking the bullet meant for him. I ride one handed for the short trip back to the clubhouse, keeping my other hand on the bandages as I try and stop the dizziness.

Jesus, this is uncomfortable.

As soon as we arrive, Saviour throws me back on the table and stabs me with needles. We've all realised that her bedside manner is absolutely shit and won't warn you when she's about to do something. Her excuse is it hurts less when you don't know it's coming.

Doc, however, gently cuts through the layers of bandage and assesses the wound. "It's a through and through, just gotta do some patchwork. Was this short range or long range?"

"Sniper rifle, bullet was meant for me." Bear explains and I wince as Saviour stabs me again.

"Sorry, love, just some antibiotics so you don't get infected." She gives me a bright smile like she didn't just stab me and disappears from my eyesight as she helps Doc with the wound.