Tess took a few deep breaths as she thought about what to do. Nitro was still in the meeting surrounded by a group of armed bikers. If she took the man with the gun to her back there now, it wouldn’t end well for any of them. If she could get Nitro to meet them somewhere though, there was less chance for collateral damage.
“Okay, just calm down,” she told him, keying the mic on her earpiece so that the crew could hear her from inside the clubhouse. “I’m gonna get him to meet us somewhere out of the compound, alright? You can even take me there, just put the gun away.”
“Central Park. The north entrance. There’s a fort there that some kids made in the tree house. Let’s meet him there.” His voice was still firm and commanding, and he didn’t remove his gun.
Tess heard voices in her earpiece asking if she was okay and where she was. “Alright, Central Park. North entrance. I’m gonna get out my phone and text him, okay? We’ll be alright.”
“Do it. Let’s walk.”
He led her out to the parking lot and to his bike. “Get on the bike with me.”
“Got it.” Tess texted Nitro and then put the phone back on her belt. She tried to stay calm as she got on the bike with him, knowing that the crew wouldn’t take long to find her.
Once they were out of the compound, Tess decided to get him talking. She was glad he had yet to notice the earpiece. “What’s this all about? And what should I call you?”
“Brad Spencer,” he stated as he raced through the city. She knew immediately who he was and clenched her arms tighter around his waist. “You know who I am then,” he observed.
“Yeah, you’re Kris’ brother.”
“You think he would’ve come talk to me if I hadn’t done something this drastic, like taking his girl?”
“Probably not,” she muttered. “You do your homework then. Would’ve been nice to meet you under better circumstances than this though.”
“Yeah well, those kinds of circumstances don’t really exist between me and my brother.”
They rode to Central Park and found the fort that was there as described. Brad led her up the ladder to the fort and shoved her onto a chair that was there. “Now we wait for him to get here.”
It didn’t take long before they heard a bike ride up and park. Footsteps were heard up the ladder and then Kris’ face came into view with an expression of both anger and relief. “What the hell, Brad? If you wanna talk, bloody call me! Don’t kidnap my girl!” He went over to Tess and knelt down in front of her. “Are you okay, sweetheart? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” she promised, looking into his eyes confidently, though inside she was shaking from the anxiety and relief of having him there now.
Kris stood and turned to his brother. “Gun. Now. Give it to me.”
Brad handed the weapon over and sighed. “There was no other way to get you to talk to me, bro. They sent me on a mission to take Tess… Said they’d have people at the concert waiting. If I did it, then they said I could take her wherever the hell I wanted and have fun with her. But I just…” He was pacing and then looked over at him. “I can’t do it anymore, Kris. I want out and I need your help.”