Chapter 66: Blame Game

When they came around, Jax and his men were passed out on the floor after those grenades went off. Covered in dust others in debris, turned out it wasn’t one. More of them were strategically planted there to ensure maximum damage. It was a statement that was sent in bold ink. It was either they shaped up or shaped out. Some of his and Axel’s men were dead. He was lucky to get away with bruises.

“Make sure everyone is accounted for"

Once again Knox had beaten him at his own game. It was his plan to take the widow, when saw Catherine he was a bit shaken but he knew he could take her. That was until Axel’s men ruined his plan and gave them a window to be crafty.

“Drag them all outside. And prepare to take them to hospital”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to be possible”

“Why?”

“Come see for yourself”

He struggled to climb over the debris to where their cars were parked, all of them were reduced to burning scrap.

“Fuck!”

“We can call for back up and go after them they couldn’t have gone far”

“No! Get me a ride out of here I need to see Axel”

While his guard called in for another car to come and pick them Jax ran inside to help the others carry the injured and the dead to safety. Three were down and two were Axel’s. He could only imagine how the bastard was going to react after fucking up his whole plan. Minutes later two SUV’s arrived followed by a van that was carrying medics, while they tend to the injured and covered the dead Jax took one SUV and sped off to find his partner. It was not that hard to know where he was for times like those he would be at his club swimming in alcohol and women while his men were dropping dead due to his fuck up.

When Jax got to the club he was steaming with rage so much that he dropped the guards with two quick jabs, they sounded the alarm and more came in wielding guns.

“Get the Fuck out of my way!” He bellowed even though he was outnumbered.

“Guys, please that’s not how we welcome out friends” Axel said coming from behind, he was in a pair of silky blue robes and sandals, two half-naked girls by his side. The guards dropped their guns but remained alert in case he felt like throwing more punches.

“You piece of shit”

“Don’t forget who you’re talking to Jax. I understand you’re pissed am pissed too. So this is what’s gonna happen, we are going  upstairs to my office am gonna serve you a drink and you will calm down then we can’t talk. Deal?

Jax just groaned staring through him.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Ladies off you go I got some business to take care of stay warm for me” he spanked them off and led Jax upstairs.

The anger and tension made his muscles stiff but he knew better than to start a war in Axel’s tuff. No matter how angry he was in uncharted territory Jax knew he had to keep his cool. Even when his former boss and best friend just tried to kill him. The two men sat silently sipping on their drinks, Axel added in a cigar, they were standing  in front of the window looking at the darkness as it creeped on the city engulfing it. Neon and argon lights were starting to flicker and the street lights helped fight away the dark.

“How many dead?”

“Three, two of yours one of mine”

“Shit. This is a problem I’ve been avoiding our tall friends calls it’s just a matter of time before he finds out what’s going on”

“You fucked this up I had a plan to capture her”

“No you lied to me. You met the widow?” He looked at Jax’s angry face.

His facial muscles were stiff but not from held back tears. They were due to anger and regret of not getting the job done.

“Let’s just say our enemies are out for revenge”

“Our?”

“It was Catherine. I fuckin saw her get buried, shot her myself. Twice in the abdomen before we got hit in a warehouse you provided”

“I had nothing to do with that ambush Jax. What do you mean Catherine is alive?”

“Yes and that’s not even the worst part”

“What could be worse than the bitch you tried to murder and missed coming back from the dead with the intention to kick us out of a  business we have created?”

He ignored Axel’s rant and took a sip of his whiskey. Then he exhaled slowly and lazily even Axel pitied him.

“She was not alone”

“Of course she was not”

“It was Knox”

Axel’s reaction to Knox showing up on  the radar was exactly what Jax expected. He sent the glass smashing on the wall and went back to his couch. Jax followed him and the two of them sat there looking devastated. They had a problem if Knox and Catherine had teamed up then Eleanor was involved too and that was disaster.

“And Eleanor?”

“I’m not sure but she is somewhere in that mix. I just don’t know where she fits in”

“She might be running the entire operation we have to find them before they find us. We look weak right now”

“Where do we even start looking?”

Eleanor

I was glad to see Catherine and Knox return safely to the island. Not that I didn’t trust him to keep her safe but Jax was a ruthless guy and well calculated, a worthy adversary if he got enough time to prep. When they got out of the vehicle I hugged them both in a  warm embrace like a mother hugging her children who had just returned safely from war.

“Tell me everything”

“It was a set up”

“I knew it!”

Of course Jax was not planning on a meet and greet with someone who was threatening to kick him out of business that’s why I was adamant about Catherine going.

“Jokes on them though”

“What did you do?”

“Scared them a little with grenades. It was either that or we were dead, Axels men swarmed in and we were cornered

“So they are not working together?”

“Just not on the same page” Knox said proudly.

For him I had only one question and it was not my intention to question his loyalty in front of everyone else so I dragged him away with me as Anita and the others proceeded to the house.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing”

“You have that look of doubt” he cupped my face, with nothing to hide from him anymore- nothing of importance that is-I didn’t have to slide out of a conversation with a kiss or sex.

“Did you have a chance to end him?”

He froze and that told me all I wanted to hear. I knew how much Jax meant to him, how long they had been together and what they had been through over the years. It was not easy to kill a friend, in fact the death of my old friend was still haunting my soul but it was necessary. For the greater good he had to die. The man had tried to kill me twice and I wasn’t sure if the third time he was going to miss, I just couldn’t wait to find out.

“I threw a fuckin grenade at him”

“You did but he isn’t dead isn’t he?”

“Was that part of the plan? Are you….”

“I’m not questioning your loyalty. Am just saying next time he will kill you since you couldn’t do it when you had a chance. Jax is your weakness here and we can’t have a general with such a weakness not when we are trying to pull off the impossible”

He scratched the nape of his neck. It was probably harsh but he needed to know like God I was a jealous bitch. It was either me or me no one else.

“Are you talking to me like a Boss or my girlfriend.?”

“None of those. I’m talking to you like someone who deeply cares about you”

“Okay. I won’t let him slip out next time it’s just not a good idea to start a war right now”

“The first part of your statement is all I needed to hear. Let’s go”

He was still hesitant. Looked as though I had to kill Jax myself but before then there was a heist that needed to be pulled as our enemies were struggling to come to terms with what hit them. The New founders bank was about to be robbed for the first time in history.