Gentleman Wanted 14

Gentleman Wanted 14
Gemma

The sound of a gunshot echoed from the darkness, making me jump. In my arms, Bobby let out a wail. I clutched him closer to my chest. My hands reached up to cover his tiny little ears.

“It’s ok, it’s ok.” I wasn’t sure who I was speaking to. Him or me. But it was a mantra I kept mumbling in the back of Young Blood’s car.

I had expected him to take us out of town and fast when he forced us from my tiny flat. So it was a surprise when he pulled up in front of the Black Aces compound.

The man on the gate, someone I didn’t recognise, had seen the cut on Young Blood’s back and waved him forward with a friendly smile. Just one brother welcoming another. He didn’t see the gun until too late. 

Young Blood shot him without warning. There was no other sound but that loud boom. It echoed in the empty road. 

But it gave me hope. Surely someone in the clubhouse would have heard it. They would have realised that something was happening and they would be ready. They would help Bobby and me. 

“Can you stop that brat crying?” Young Blood swung himself back into the car, and even in the darkness, I could see the blood on his face and hands. 

I clutched Bobby a little tighter, holding his face against my chest. Like it would somehow protect him from the monster in the front seat.

“He’s hungry. And scared from the gunshot. Did you really have to shoot that man? He thought you were a friend.” I scooted back against the locked door as he turned to me with a snarl. 

“I thought you were a friend.”

For a second, something flickered across his handsome young features. But just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. “It doesn’t matter, Gemma. If you had stayed gone, you wouldn’t have been involved. But Gent had to bring you back. And do you know why he did that?” He didn’t wait for my answer. “Because you and the kid aren’t enough for him. He will always choose the Aces over you. That’s why you are here.” He gave a shrug. “You can blame me if you like, but it’s his fault, really. If he cared about you, either of you, he would have kept you far away from here, from them. But he chose murderers over you and your son. That’s how much you mean to him.”

I turned my face away. I knew he was trying to get me to doubt Gent. To blame him. It was all just one big mind game to Young Blood. I hated to admit it, but he did have a point. Not about any of this being Gent’s fault. But about the Black Aces being his life. 

“They aren’t all murderers, Young Blood. They are good men. Men who fucking loved you.”

He slammed the brakes on so hard that I slammed forward into the front seat. Only my arms around Bobby saved him from slamming into it.  

“They are murderers, Gem. All of them. They killed my mum. My mum...”

“It was an accident, Young Blood. One that Fender-”

He cut me off. “Do not mention that monster to me. He took her away from me.”

“And you took his life. Call it quits and move on. Don’t do this. Please,” I pleaded. 

“You know I can’t do that, Gem.” He sighed. “Get out of the car. It’s time to get this show on the road.” 

My jaw clenched as I ground my teeth together. “They are going to kill you. You do realise that don’t you? Someone would have heard the shot. They will put you down before you even take a step inside the building.”

Why wouldn’t he listen to me? Couldn’t he tell I was telling the truth? That I was trying to help him?

His laugh took me by surprise. “Everyone rode out to check on you and Bobby. It will be a while before the fire brigade tell them that you aren’t in the building. By then, it will be too late.”

My heart sank. “You set fire to my building?”

He didn’t answer. “Get out the car, Gem, or the next person I’ll shoot will be your baby.”

“I hope Gent kills you. I hope he peels the skin from your fucking bones.”

Young Blood chuckled. “So do I Gem, so do I.”

It hit me then. Young Blood wanted to die. This wasn’t just a revenge spree. It was his suicide. He never expected to get out of this alive, which made him even more dangerous because he had nothing to lose.

“It’s a shame you won’t be around to see it.”



He pushed open the door and paused. “You go in first.”

“Me?” My hands were shaking so hard it was a miracle I didn’t drop Bobby. I hated the fact that I was scared. 

I froze in my tracks. And that’s when it hit me. For all of his bravado, Young Blood wasn’t ready to die yet. If at all. He might not think any of the Aces were left here but he wasn’t about to risk a bullet to the head if he was wrong.

He didn’t mind risking me, though. 

Cowardly asshole. 

Straightening my shoulders, I pushed past him. “Fucking pussy.” I didn’t even try to keep my voice quiet. 

Young Blood’s hand closed around my upper arm. “Watch your mouth, Gem. I mean it…”

Shaking my arm from his grasp, I spat in his face. “Fuck you, Young Blood. You are a coward.”

My head rocked back as his closed fist landed on my cheek. Pain blossomed across my cheekbone, but I didn’t go down. And I didn’t cry. 

So, one point for me.

“Next time, I will make sure you go down, Gem. Don’t make me hurt you.” 

I ignored his warning. “Fuck you, you’re going to kill us anyway, so do your fucking worse.” Even as I said it. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut. 

Pure evil filtered into his eyes. “There’s plenty I could do to you before you die, Gem. Plenty I’ve watched you do with other guys.”

Bile rose up in my throat. He was talking about rape. 

“Maybe I’ll even film it and send it to Gent to watch.”

The blood drained from my face. It sounded too similar to what had happened to Avery at the hands of her ex-husband. 

“I would rather slit my own throat than let you touch me.” I hissed. 

“You are going to wish it was that quick, Gem.” He poked me in the back. The metal of the gun cold through my dress. “Now, get moving.”

Reluctantly I started to move forward, one arm clutching Bobby to my chest and the other arm outstretched. My hand up in surrender.

“Don’t shoot; it’s Gem,” I repeated over and over again. I wanted to scream that they could shoot the man behind me, but I didn’t fancy a bullet to my head.  

There was no answer. The clubhouse was silent. Silent except for…the sound of shuffling skippered footsteps hit me, and I turned just as Young Blood aimed his gun at the lanky figure of Avery and Ruin’s teenage son. He had both his hands up and looked petrified. 

“It’s just me.” Parker’s voice shook. I tried to smile at him. To let him know that he shouldn’t be scared and failed. Of course, he was frightened. There was a gun pointed at him. 

“Stop pointing that thing at him.” Using my free arm, I pushed Young Blood's arm down. “He’s just a kid.”

“Who else is here?”

Parker paled. “No one.”

He was lying. I could tell, and so could Young Blood but he didn’t get to retaliate. A figure in leather launched himself out of the shadows, barrelling into him from the side. The gun went off as I scurried for cover. “Parker.” I reached for him, tucking him into my side. His thin arms clung to me, his face twisted with young anger. 

Any thought, any hope I had that this was my rescue vanished as I turned to look at the two men fighting. 

Young Blood was younger and much stronger than the old biker who had launched himself into harm’s way. The fight was over before it had even begun. Crouching over the prone bloody man, Young Blood’s fists rained down. The gun was still in his hand. It was a frenzied attack. Brutal.

The sound of bones snapping and the wet sound of a fist hitting flesh was abnormally loud.

“Don’t look.” I covered Parker’s ear with my hand as I pressed his face into my side. “Close your eyes and don’t look.”

Whatever else happened now, I didn’t want him to see Young Blood beat a man to death. I could spare him that, at least.



“Gemma?” Parker sounded muffled. His face was pressed so hard into me. He was trying so hard to be brave. To be the kind of man his dad Ruin was.

“It’s ok.” I smoothed back his hair. We were sat on one of the sofas in the basement games room, huddled together as Young Blood paced up and down in front of the door.

“Why is he doing this?” He shot a frightened look at the man covered in blood in front of us.

Young Blood was unravelling. And quickly. Madness overtaking him.

“I don’t know. He’s crazy. But you don’t have to worry, ok. Everything will be ok. I promise.” God, I hoped that was a promise I could keep. “Gent will come. With your dad and the others.”

“What if they don’t get to us in time?” There was real worry in his voice. 

“Then I will make sure you get out.” I lowered my voice until it was barely a whisper. Not that Young Blood was paying any attention to us. 

“When I attack. You take Bobby and run, ok?” I ruffled his hair before placing Bobby’s finally sleeping form into the young teenager’s arms. “Don’t stop and don’t look back. Just run.”

He shook his head. “I can’t do that. Ruin…”

“Ruin would want you to do as you are told, Parker, and he would want you safe. Promise me?”

“I promise you.”

“Good now, no more talking.” The words had barely left my mouth when Young Blood turned. His face troubled. Any hope that he hadn’t heard our conversation evaporated. “Do you know how my mum died, Parker?”

Mutely Parker shook his head. Unable or unwilling to speak. 

“She died because of a crash. And the man who caused it didn’t even try to help her as her car caught fire.” Young Blood sighed. “Can you imagine how scared she must have been? Stuck in that car as it blazed around her. How much pain she must have been in?”

He was crazy. And there was no reasoning with crazy. 

“I have nightmares, you know.” He continued to talk to himself. “I can see her screaming and burning. It never stops.” His breath rattled as he exhaled. “The Black Aces will have the same nightmares when they think of you. Chelsea, Ruin.. all of Fenders cronies will never forget the sounds you make as you die.”

He was going to burn us. I realised with a start. Burn us alive. 

“Young Blood. Please. The kids are innocent. Let them go.” I pleaded. It was useless. I knew that, but I had to try. 

“You know I can’t do that, Gemma. It was meant to be Chelsea, not you. I want you to know that.” 

It was only then that I noticed the silver lighter in his hand. It glinted and caught the light.

I moved without thinking. Launching myself from the sofa screaming, I ran towards the door. 

It was the distraction Parker needed. Even as Young Blood tackled me to the floor, he rushed past. Bobby clutched in his arms.

“What….”

From my position under him, I forced my knee up into Young Blood’s groin. It was the only thing I could think of doing. 

He doubled over, clutching himself.

Hopefully, it would give Parker enough time to get out. That’s all I could hope for. That they would get to safety.