Havoc

Chapter 8

Kenna

“This is the main bar.” I pointed out various things in the massive room so Sasha could envision what it would look like. “Mr. Gates just signed DJ Clay, who’ll be on stage there.” I tried to sound upbeat, but I hated the way Sonny kept watching me.

Jesse kept a close eye on me. I was glad Grim sent him. He was in a meeting, but I knew he would be here in a flash if Jesse so much as texted. Two security guys walked the perimeter of the newly built walls of the hotel and watched for anything out of place. I noticed Jesse was extra edgy and made motions for the guards to keep their eyes peeled. I wondered if it was just my situation or if something else was going on.

“I love the fabric he chose for the dining room chairs.” I ran my fingers over the dark velvet swirls embedded into the deep red fabric. “It’s rich but carries a hint of darkness, don’t you think?” I let my mouth go to try to hide my nerves.

“Kind of like your dress.” Sonny gave me a smile that was more like a leer and moved next to me. “I have to wonder what kind of secrets you have underneath this.” He pressed his hand into my lower back. I shrugged out of his reach and made a show of describing the custom taps that Grim had brought in from Italy.

“And this,” I went on, “is one of the kitchens.” I moved through the doors so Sasha could admire what I was sure would be one of the busiest kitchens on the strip. I saw Jesse take a call, and he pulled back.

Sasha nodded. “Impressive.” He’d been rather quiet during the tour but seemed interested in the kitchen. He moved to get a better look at the walk-in fridge. “What will this be?” He popped his head out and pointed at something inside.

“Let’s see.” I stepped inside, and he suddenly pushed me back against the wall, one hand slapped over my mouth, as he pressed an arm hard against my chest.

“Where’s Hanna?” he hissed at me, and I shook my head in confusion. He pushed harder on my chest, and I struggled to think straight. “I know she knows something. What does she know? What did she see?” I fought to breathe against his hold. Finally, he let my mouth go, and I sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t lie to me, Kenna. She’s your friend. I know she called you!” His arm eased a little.

“She did, but we got interrupted by Leo. She never told me anything.”

“Call her.” Saliva pooled in the corner of his mouth. His behavior shook me; I couldn’t believe I’d once been intimate with this man. I thought I at least knew who he was as a person. I couldn’t get my head around the fact that I felt threatened by him. He couldn’t possibly be as scary as my mind was now playing him up to be. I straightened my back and raised my chin as I felt my fight kick in. It was either that, or I was just a little insane in that moment.

“No.” I stared him straight in the eye.

“Kenna,” he blinked a few times, “call her, now.”

Was that desperation I saw in his eyes? “What is it that you think she knows, Sasha?”

“This goes way deeper than you think. Shit’s getting real.” He shoved me back into the wall, and suddenly Jesse stepped through the door with his gun drawn. Sasha ignored his gun and ran past him. Jesse grabbed my arm and pulled me with him out the door. The security guards stood in the kitchen; both had their guns on Sasha.

“Did he hurt you?” Jesse quickly gave me a onceover.

“I swear to God, Kenna, if you so much as—” Sasha sputtered as Jesse cracked his face with the butt of his gun. Sasha’s hands flew to his face as he yelped in pain.

“Get ’im out of here.” Jesse shoved Sasha to get him moving then turned back to look at me. “Kenna, what the hell happened?”

“I don’t know. One second, he was asking me a question, and the next he just snapped. Something’s got him majorly worried. He caught me off guard. I guess the tour’s over.” I looked at Jesse. “Where’d Sonny go?”

“Said he had to leave.” Jesse walked with me toward the door. “Convenient timing.” He gave me a look. “Sorry I left you alone. Grim called.”

“Not your fault, Jesse.” It wasn’t; it was mine. I should have been smarter. “Everything okay with Grim?”

“Just business as usual.” I could see the lie written on his face, but I didn’t push.

“He was pissed you didn’t join him last night.”

“When’s Grim not pissed off?”

“It’s the perks of his job.” He went to his defense, and I had to admire that. Jesse and Grim were obviously close.

We walked to the car, and I let my shoulders relax when he shut the door. It felt safe there.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked once we hit the main road.

“Sure.” He sent a quick text then looked up at me.

“When did you start working for Grim?”

“Um,” his squinted as he thought, “it’s going on nine years now.”

“How’d you meet?”

“Long story short, I was working security for a high-powered client. I saw they were into some pretty shady shit. They made a bad deal, and when they went to pull a fast one, I turned the tables and went to bat for the other guy.”

“Grim?” He smiled, and his eyes widened and seemed to glow. Jesse and Grim only smiled like that when shit got crazy. I figured their dark sides had connected that day.

“I was hired on the spot.” He laughed.

I chuckled. “I’m sorry I missed that. Sounds like it would’ve been a good show.”

“It was.” He looked out the window and thought for second. “Can I ask you something?”

“Only seems fair.”

“You seem incredibly resilient, given all that’s happened to you. But I have to know, are you really okay?” My smile faded, and I knew the truth showed on my face. I had just exposed how scared I really was.

“Sometimes I am.” My voice was barely a whisper.

“That’s fair.” He nodded then went back to his phone. When we arrived at the hotel, I looked around.

“Jesse? Where’d they take Sasha?”

“They just kicked him off the premises. I’ll fill Grim in now.”

So, he’s still out there. Great.

* * *

“I don’t know, Min.”I pulled out my suitcase and slammed the trunk. Morgan grabbed it before it hit the ground. “I’m a shit magnet these days. You sure I should come?”

“You hang out with a biker gang.” She slipped her arm through mine. “We’re always in shit. And why are you questioning me? You know I’m always right.” She laughed and sounded so carefree I envied her. “Besides, Morgan could use the company on the drive, and Tess has been dying to hang out with you.”

“I miss her, too.” I couldn’t help but smile as she tugged me along.

“After the last few weeks, you need a break,” she grinned, “and not the kind where you fly out to see your mom in some dusty museum. I love the woman, but you need to let loose, live a little. You need a few drinks so you can relax and open up that lunch box of yours. You know, offer up a snack to someone.”

“Yeah,” I snorted, “booze and sex does sound like the perfect recipe.”

“Great. That’s settled, then.” She steered me to Morgan’s van. It looked to be loaded with everything from suitcases, to ammo, to high-end liquor. It wasn’t the first time I’d been invited to Trigger’s annual party in the desert. It was held about an hour and a half outside Vegas in some remote place. Every member of Devil’s Reach and their friends were invited from all over. They brought their women and, in some cases, even their kids.

“I can’t believe you’ve never come to one of these.” Minnie shook her head at me.

I shrugged. “I guess I was just too focused on work.” I’d been so focused on getting clients for the hotel that I’d forgotten how to live. I realized I needed to change that, especially now that I was waist deep and up Shit Creek.

“Now,” she stepped back to take in my outfit, “though you don’t have a man to keep in check, you’ll be up against a trailer park full of hoes. So,” she pulled out a little black bag, and I smirked at the logo, “I brought you a little welcome to the fun gift.” I peeked inside.

“Oh, Minnie, you shouldn’t have.” Morgan grabbed the bag from me and looked inside.

“What the fuck is this?” He pulled out the small scrap of fabric. “That won’t even cover one tit, Kenna.”

“That’s the point,” Minnie huffed at him and tossed it back in the bag when Trigger gave a whistle for us to get a move on. “Change when we get there.” She blew me a kiss and hopped on the back of Brick’s bike.

“I got room over here, Kenna!” Rail called as a blonde in high black boots and a short leather skirt climbed awkwardly on behind him. “Still room right here.” He patted the front of his seat, and I laughed and got in the front of the van with Morgan.

He went quiet, and we listened to music for the first thirty minutes until whatever bothered him got the better of him. He stabbed the volume button and cut the music off. I waited. He sucked on a joint then handed it to me.

“Smooth.” I let the smoke out and enjoyed the hit that rushed through my body. “Strong, too.”

“It’s called Better Days.” He stroked his beard and let out a huff.

“Okay, what’s eating your ass?”

“I’m worried about ya. You’re holding on to some shit. You got jumped in a parking lot, and again at Grim’s hotel.” Two times at Secrets, but I didn’t correct him. “I don’t know, maybe you should take up that offer that Hong guy offered you.”

“How did you know about the offer?”

“I hear stuff. As much as it would kill me to see you go, I don’t like seein’ you get hurt.”

“I love that you care about me, Morgan,” I squeezed his hand on the steering wheel, “but I’m not gonna let someone like Sasha Landry or Sonny Conti drive me out of my job. Jerks are everywhere and aren’t you forgetting about the biggest jerk I deal with every single day?” I sighed as the drugs took hold. “My father’s made my life hell since I was fifteen. I’ve hung on this long. I can deal with these guys, too.”

“You act tough, sweetheart, but you don’t know who’s really pulling your strings. Sasha and Sonny are assholes, but they’re probably low on the food chain. I don’t want anything happenin’ to you.”

“I’ll live. I always do.” I looked over at him. “Can this be a free pass weekend? No drama.” I paused. “Well, other than the sheer entertainment Rail brings to every party. I just need some time with the spotlight off me.”

“Yeah,” he smirked, “just for this weekend.”

“Good.” I reached back, opened the cooler, and pulled out two chilled energy drinks. I opened one and gave it to him then sat back and looked out the window. We were on a side road, driving straight toward some smoke in the distance.

“Party’s already started.” Morgan chin-pointed at the smoke.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“When did Grim join the DR? And why haven’t I run into him with you guys before?”

“Mmm,” he nodded like he was remembering it, “Grim met Trigger and Elio after Trigger took over the Lost Lives tournament in LA. It’s an underground fighting competition. The best of the best go there to compete. Grim made a name for himself there. He could finish a guy off in under five seconds. They nicknamed him the Vegas Reaper.”

“Damn.” I could only imagine how fitting that name was.

“Elio tested him to see if he’d take a fall. Grim’s got integrity, wouldn’t cheat. Trigger started mentoring him, and three years later he asked Grim to join the club. He and Trig and Elio are good friends, and now it’s more a partnership.”

“What do you mean?”

“The three of them have slowly been takin’ over Vegas.” He paused as if to choose his words carefully. “They’re a force to be reckoned with, to say the least.” He grinned proudly. “So, the fact that shit is happening means something pretty fucking huge is coming or is already here. Either way, it’s gonna be ugly.” I nodded. That was a road I didn’t want to even think about.

“I’ve worked with Jim for a while now. If they’re all so close, I still can’t figure out why I never heard his son was in the DR.”

“We kept his membership low-key while he was away in Mexico. He got pulled into some shit down there. He had to disassociate with us as he got deeper in with some drug lord.”

“Castillo?”

“Yeah.” He studied me for a moment, probably shocked I knew the name. “He even did some dealings with the Stripe Backs, but he always made sure Trigger knew exactly what was goin’ on.”

“He’s loyal.”

“Very.” He nodded. “He always kept that he was part of our club quiet. We don’t exactly fit the mold for his business. Not that it’s ever stopped Grim from making sure we feel comfortable at the hotel. There’s always been two sides to Grim, the high-powered businessman who makes million-dollar deals over breakfast, and the man who would snap your neck if you so much as looked at him the wrong way. He’s my favorite.” He chuckled darkly then shrugged. “Minnie’s been good at keeping you out of shit that’s associated with us, but you coming to this party will suck you in deeper. You sure you’re ready for that?”

“I think I’m more afraid of the shit I’m bringing to you,” I answered honestly.

“In that case,” he nodded toward the windshield, “welcome to the party, Kenna.”

Holy shit…

Nestled up against a mountain that horseshoed around a massive area was one huge-ass party. Trailers, tents, trucks, and bikes were littered everywhere. At least two hundred people partied like it was spring break. Fire pits burned beside tables, barbecues glowed, even blown-up pools and misting machines could be seen. I couldn’t begin to fathom organizing a party like this out in the middle of the desert.

Minnie banged on the door before we even came to a full stop then nearly hauled my arm off as she pulled me from the van. Morgan parked by a line of trailers that looked like they came straight out of a showroom.

“Let’s get you changed before anyone sees you in jeans.” I laughed as she pushed me through the door and shoved the bag into my hand. “Strip.” I didn’t waste any time and slipped into the tiny black dress. It was a skimpy bra on the top and an extremely short skirt for the bottoms. “Eight years ago, Tess convinced Trigger to clear the area of rocks and whatnot because we were killing ourselves in our heels.”

“Heels!” She held up a couple pairs of matching heels, and I thought she was nuts. Though I lived in heels, this was the desert, after all.

“Remember, we need to dress to keep the guys’ eyes on us. There’s a lot of tits and ass out there.”

“Min, Brick loves you and only has eyes for you. Why go through all of this when you’re practically married?”

“How do you think I’ve kept his eyes from wandering?” She started to change, but I caught a glimpse of tears. Minnie was a strong woman, but Brick was her kryptonite. Maybe she needed more from this weekend than I realized.

“Remind me again why I’m dressing up?” I turned and glanced over my shoulder at the back of my outfit. “Not that I’m complaining, because I look fucking good in this.”

“Yes, you do.” She chuckled and pulled her cream dress up over her hips. It crisscrossed in the front and dipped low in the back. Minnie didn’t have much for boobs, but she had a killer ass.

“You look good yourself, girl!” I waved a finger over her outfit, and she wiggled for me.

“Okay, Kenna, you need to stand out and give that snatch of yours a chance to clear the cobwebs.”

“Well, if you insist.” We grabbed a bottle of champagne each and headed out to meet with the others. Tess looked amazing in her booty shorts and tube top, though she’d look good in a brown paper bag. As soon as she spotted us, she headed over.

“And why is this not popped?” She took the bottle from Minnie and pressed her thumbs into the cork, and it popped loudly and sent a spray into the air. We laughed together as we held out our glasses.

By the time the sun set, we all had a good buzz on, and the music was loud but not to the point where we couldn’t hear each other. We sat around the fire pit near the trailers with the guys and laughed until we hurt at Rail’s antics. He’d had way too much to drink and couldn’t do up his pants after taking a leak.

“Brick, Brick, Brick,” Rail thrust his crotch in his face, “you need to finish what ya started.” A girl who had been trying to get Brick’s attention moved over to Rail to help him out.

“Wingman.” Minnie winked at me but kept her eye on Brick. She frowned, and I felt it too. He seemed distant from everyone. “Speaking of wingman.” She put her hand to her mouth. “Hey, Dillon, come here.”

“Yes, yes,” Tess hooted, “Dillon would be a good match.” Tess grinned at Minnie then at me. “He’s from the Texas chapter, and he’s the VP. Got no little sperms walkin’ around, and he’s clean.” She pointed to her crotch.

“Hey, Min.” He approached. He wore a bandana around his neck and a cowboy hat dipped low on his head. “How’s your night going?”

“Fabulous.” Minnie pointed at me, and we all stood. “This here’s my girl Kenna. She works in Vegas.”

“Vegas.” His dark eyes moved to mine, and he grinned a boyish grin. “I guess they don’t lie when they say Vegas has the prettiest gals.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine, beautiful.” He kissed the back of my hand. “Maybe you and I could talk more and get to know one another.”

“Sure.” I inwardly sighed, though I played along. I could already see he was way too tame for me. I caught Minnie press her lips together and make an oh, shit, we may have made a mistake faceat Tess.

“Let me check with some people and I’ll hurry right back.” He tipped his hat to me, and once he was out of earshot, I looked at the girls and threw up my hands.

“Seriously?” I folded my arms. “Have you and Rail switched your book club nights to Nicholas Sparks?”

“Hey!” Rail peeled the girl off his lips. “You will not speak ill of Nicholas. He’s a very talented man.”

“You read?” the girl cooed at him.

“I do,” Rail gave her a drunken grin, “a lot. But it’s got to have angst.”

Trigger shook his head at us, and Brick closed his eyes and cursed.

“Anyway,” I chuckled, “thanks, but I think I got this. Let me see what I can find myself.” I moved around the firepit and went for a little walk. I scoped out the men. A few caught my eye, but as soon as they did, their woman caught wind and they moved in and did something slutty. I knew better and backed off. They’d staked their claim first. It was the rules, after all. I walked around a bit more, but I remembered Trigger’s warning not to stray too far. Though this was a DR party, that didn’t mean all were members. Tess had warned me as well, and I’d heard stories about her first time there. I wasn’t about to tempt fate.

“You’re new.” A guy’s voice made me spin around. “Name’s Tristen. I’m a good friend of Trigger’s.” He wasn’t bad looking and had a nice smile. “And Tess’s, if that helps my chances to talk to you.”

“It does,” I smiled. “I’m Kenna.” I read his patch. “And you’re from North Carolina.”

“Mmhmm.” His smile made me a little uneasy and I wasn’t sure why. “So, Kenna,” he tested out my name, “where are you from?”

“Originally from Los Angeles, but I work in Vegas.”

“Which means Minnie must have invited you?”

“That’s right.”

“First time here?”

“What gave me away?”

“Well, now,” he stroked his face, “pretty little woman like you out here walkin’ all alone.” He looked around. “I figure you aren’t here with a boyfriend unless he’s a fool. I know I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.”

“Oh, yeah?” Okay, he shows signs of an alpha. I could work with that.

“Yeah.” He stepped closer, and I felt a twinge of hope down below. “Why don’t we get you a drink and maybe we could —”

Something heavy pushed against my leg, and my mouth dropped open.

“Leal?” Grim’s dog looked up at me then at Tristen and started to growl. “What the hell?”

“And,” Tristan put his hands in the air and stepped back, “that’s my cue to exit.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I know better.” He cursed then turned and walked away. I folded my arms as my anger rose. Great. My own personal cock blocker.

“Where is he, Leal?” I huffed. The pup seemed to know exactly what I asked. He looked up at me, then trotted over to a group near a firepit. I followed him and saw Grim. He sat in a chair with a very attractive woman on his lap. His gaze fell on Leal as the dog took his place at his feet. His brother looked directly at me and whined.

“Was that fun for you?” I called over the chatter of the group. Grim’s face fell as he looked at my expression. He acted like he wasn’t expecting me. The woman instantly wrapped an arm around Grim’s neck, staking her claim.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He shifted the girl over onto the chair next to him. “Give me a minute, Kelly.” She made sure she kept one hand on him as he leaned forward as calmly as could be. I wanted to tear a strip off him. The fucking nerve of this man.

“Oh, please,” I rolled my eyes, “keep your dog on a leash.” Leal huffed, and Grim looked down at him.

“Jesse?” Grim called, and Jesse appeared.

“I had no idea.”

“Grim.” The Kelly woman leaned into him again as she pulled his hand onto her thigh. “Why don’t we go somewhere, and I’ll help you relax?” Her effort to pull his attention off me was pathetic. My temper flared. Little did she know, I could give a rat’s ass what they did.

“Go get a drink,” he ordered her.

“I still have mine,” she argued, but he shot her a look that made her stand.

“No,” I flicked my hand at her, “please, sweetheart, he’s all yours. Just make sure his dogs stay put.” With that, I left and hoped to hell he’d leave me alone for the rest of the weekend.