Free Standing By (Road House) by Madison Stevens Page A

choice.”
    Pan was pretty certain she heard him mutter something about crazy bitches but let it go. They had some ass to go kick.
     
    ***
     
    Emilio pulled up at the warehouse. He couldn’t really figure out what Nic meant about the safe combination until he made his way up to the building. Four goons waited for him at the gate and waved him through. That meant two at the door and one inside with Nic. This was doable.
    The cold steel of the guns pressed into his back. He hoped he wouldn’t need to use them but knew Max wasn’t going to let this go. For one, they had to get out of there on foot since he was trading his bike.
    He climbed off the bike and walked to the doors.
    “Light load there. Hope you don’t piss the boss off,” goon number one said and laughed.
    “Quit fucking around. Boss wants to see him ASAP,” goon number two said.
    They led him inside the dark warehouse. One behind and one in front. Like he was going to take off at this point. Machines sat empty, cobwebs collecting in the corners. A thick layer of dust and grim covered everything.
    After traveling down a series of rows, they came to the back of the building.
    “Ah, Emilio. So good of you to drop by.” Max grinned at him from behind a desk. Nic sat to his side with tape over his mouth.
    “Cut the crap, and let’s get to it.” Emilio stopped in front of the desk and tried to make himself seem as large as possible.
    “So where’s my money?” Max glared at him. “You know I don’t like games.”
    “No game. Just a little assurance.”
    Max stood and slammed his hands on the table.
    “I don’t have time for this. Now where’s the God-damned money?” Little flecks of spit came out.
    Emilio tossed the keys to the bike on the table.
    “I tell you when Nic and I are safe outside the gate. Not until then.” Emilio crossed his arms across his chest.
    “Well it looks like we’ve got ourselves a problem.”
     
    ***
     
    “Now don’t get out of this car. The rest of the team will be here soon, and we’ll handle it.” Connor said as he stooped to the passenger’s side window.
    He’d parked the car just down the road. They had a clear view of the gate and from what Pan could see, there were only four men out front.
    “So what are you going to do?”
    This just did not sound like the plan she envisioned.
    “I’m going to sneak in and see what’s going on.”
    Three shots rang out in the night. Both froze.
    “Fuck this shit.” Pan slid over in the driver’s seat and revved the engine. “Get in, or I’m leaving your ass.”
    Pan shifted into gear just as Connor flung himself into the car.
    “This is not the right way to go about this,” Connor shouted over the squeal of the wheels.
    “That’s my man in there. For all I know he could be bleeding out.” Pan screeched around the corner. “Hold on!”
    They rounded the corner, two of the four guards flying over the roof. As the crashed through the gate, the others jumped out of the way to avoid the mangled fence.
    “You just hit those men!” Connor screamed at her.
    Pan gripped the wheel tighter. She’s hit those men and would run over others if it meant she got there in to save Emilio and Nic. They were Max’s thugs anyway. Guys who had no problem kidnapping and beating a kid, maybe even killing a kid.
    She could see his bike to her the right. No one else guarded the bike, so she could only assume they were inside. She debated what to do. Outside the car, they were helpless. To the left was the truck access door. The main door had been lifted, but a strong metal gate had been pulled across.
    “Don’t even think about it,” Connor said. “This thing would never drive again.”
    Pan slammed her foot the floor and raced up the ramp.
    “It doesn’t need to drive if we can get to them.”
    The battering ram on the front of the car did little to soften the impact of the gate. Unlike the chain, the gate strong had little room to bend. It was only with a little luck that