Wraith (Sin City MC New Orleans Chapter)

1. Wraith

Wraith

I brushed a hand over my face before letting out a heavy sigh. The creak of the leather chair filled the room as I leaned back in it. It’d been a long fucking morning, and it was only a quarter after nine a.m. At this rate, it was going to be an even longer day. I was exhausted. Sleep hasn’t been kind to me lately. When I finally crashed on my bed and closed my eyes, the nightmares haunted me for the third night in a row. Instead of lying there, I got up and got dressed and took Phantom out. I had hoped the late night ride would help clear my head some, but somehow, I ended up here at The Grotto. And my twisted thoughts were no better one way or the other.

The long ride had my mind reminiscing about when I moved back home to New Orleans from Miami. Couldn’t say I really missed home, but there was something about this city and its people that would have you coming back no matter what or how much you despised the place when you originally left. It was one of those love-hate types of relationships that could be toxic as fuck, but could also be sweet as good pussy. When I left here many years ago, I vowed I would never step foot back in the state of Louisiana. Yeah… that proved to be a lie.

The main reason I came back was because of my brother, René. He owned a few nightclubs around the city and he was big into real estate. He had an idea after spotting some land and called me. At first, I turned him down, but after thinking it over, I knew an excellent opportunity when I saw one. Now, five years later, I looked around at The Grotto, proud of what that bare piece of land turned into. My brother had his ways and moments, but this was one of his better ideas that he had come up with.

Being up before the crack of dawn had my instincts on high. True reason I couldn’t sleep was the nightmares. It’s been a while since I’ve had them, and they only surfaced when trouble was looming. I don’t know why or even how, but I call them my bullshit radar. Trust me, it was a fucked up way to find out that some shit was about to pop off.

I cruised the highways before I made my way to The Grotto. I’d been here at the bar for the last two hours, going over the books, when I found a few discrepancies. As I looked further back over the last year, I realized there were quite a few discrepancies. Initially small, the amounts grew significantly in the last couple of months. He hid them very well. Too well to just be some kid off the street needing a job.

“FUCK!” I slammed my fist down hard against my desk when I realized what I was going to have to do. My mood had gotten darker in a matter of seconds. I actually liked that motherfucker, too. Now he was going to be a dead bitch. There was a slight knock on the door. “Come in,” I grumbled loud enough for whoever was on the other side to hear me.

“Everything alright in here?” Kade popped his head in through the door. I waved him in. He was a prospect with the club for the last year. I had sponsored him. He was a good kid, if a little misguided sometimes. Thought he would be a good fit and I was right. Soon enough, we would patch him in as a member. He plopped down in the chair in front of my desk and grinned. “I heard some grumbling and cursing on my way out. Imagine my surprise to see you up and at it so early.”

I gave him a look. “What are you doing here this early?”

Kade laughed. “To you it’s early. To me, my night is just ending.”

I canted my head to the side. “You mean to tell me you were here all night?”

“Oh yeah. Me and a new little honey bunny I met last night.” He mimicked with his hands a curvy woman. “She was a fine piece of ass. We chilled at the pool all night talking and fucking. She was…” He put his fingers to his lips and pretended to kiss it. “Chef’s kiss!”

“You weren’t fucking in my pool, were ya? It’s not due to be cleaned until Monday. I’d hate to shut it down for the weekend. Especially this weekend when we have that new band playing here. It’s going to be a full house.”

“Naw, I wouldn’t do you like that Wraith. I fucked her on the ground. On one of those beach lounger things. Next to a tree. Up against a wall. Everywhere but your pool. I’m not that stupid.”

“See, I knew you were smart. I hope you cleaned the lounger.”

“I did.”

“Good…say… are you tired? I got a job that needs handling.”

Kade sat up straight. His attention focused, and I watched as he became hyperaware of his surroundings. Made me kind of proud seeing the transformation. Not only was Kade a prospect for the club, but I’ve been teaching him the ways from before I was part of the club, too. Ways of my true self. A master assassin. He had skills and was sharp as a steel, but I was the steel that would sharpen him even more. It was always good to have a backup that you could trust. In the time before I became a bar and grill owner, I had another protégé. She was my greatest student yet. Mac was what I never could be, and I wasn’t ashamed to admit it either. I think she would like Kade. He reminds me of her.

“Club business?” he asked.

I shook my head. I pointed to the papers on my desk. “No, not really, but yeah. Grotto business. But Grotto business is technically club business, too. It seems my evening manager has sticky fingers. For the last year, soon after he made night manager, he’s been stealing from me. Business has been so good that it somehow got buried deeply. But something kept niggling at the back of my mind and I could tell things were off. I’ve been at it the last few hours figuring it out. Now, it’s time we have a chat and show him why that wasn’t a good idea.”

A slow grin spread across Kade’s face. “I never liked him, anyway. I could never figure out why you did. He always seemed shady.”

“Maybe I was just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Either way, keep your phone nearby. I’ll text you the time and location to meet.”

Kade stood up. “Sure thing, boss.”

I watched as Kade left my office, then picked up my phone and sent Ray a message asking him to come in early.

Once he replied with a “yeah,” I mentally took a step inwards and prepared myself for what I had to do.

**

The sun had sunk below the horizon, coloring it shades of crimson red. Kade was already at the spot where I told him to meet us. I had Jester meet up with us at the bar. When Ray came in, he pretended to tag along at the last minute, then hopped into the backseat, letting my little night manager ride shotgun.

Ray put his seatbelt on, then glanced my way. “Where are we going?”

“Making a run outside the city. Picking up some items for the bar. Think of it as a work field trip,” I lied. It was a small white lie, but it would be worth it in the end.

We had talked most of the way. I asked Ray about his family, his life, but it all sounded like bullshit to me. It was easy to let him think I was a fool enough to believe him. I’ve been in this life long enough and trained longer to recognize when I’m being lied to. The man was hiding something. I was going to find out what it was. After an almost an hour long drive, Ray still didn’t seem worried or acted nervous about anything. Gotta give it to him—the man had balls of steel type of nerves.

“What are we getting from this place?” Ray asked, breaking the momentary silence in the car.

I caught Jester’s gaze in the rearview mirror, and he grinned from ear to ear. Sometimes I didn’t think he ever took anything seriously, but then I remembered those times when he was at my side, just as ruthless as I was. Don’t let his looks or his demeanor fool you.

“I had some custom wood barstools made for the restaurant. Wanted your opinion since you’re my best manager and I value what you think.” I glanced his way, taking my eyes off the road for a second. His gaze met mine. Ray’s eyes narrowed before plastering a fake smile on his face. “If we like them… then I am going to order enough for The Grotto.”

“I’d love to help. I like to think my decorating skills are decent enough. See, I learned from my mama. She was the best at it and said, ‘there’s no reason my boys shouldn’t know how to fix up their home. ‘Specially if they want to impress a woman’ .”

“Hell yeah,” I said before extending a fist to him, meeting Ray’s knuckles with a solid bump. With a quick glance in the mirror again, Jester knew it was time. I continued chatting my night manager up. If he suspected anything, he didn’t suspect my joker card in the backseat. Jester slowly eased up, careful not to make any sound. With quick precision, he pricked the back of Ray's neck, then sat back like nothing ever happened.

“Ouch! What the hell,” Ray shouted. His hand flew to his neck. “Something bit me!”

I pressed the button to let the windows up. “It's probably a mosquito or some shit. I'll turn the air on. It's getting a little muggy outside anyway.”

“Yeah, probably,” Ray said, his words already beginning to slur. “Mosquitos have been bad this summer.”

“Sure have. To be honest, man, I’m ready for the cooler weather myself.”

The concoction Jester hit him with worked super-fast. Three minutes later, Ray was out cold. I exited the highway and took the gravel dirt road for another twenty minutes. Passing lush greenery, old moss covered bald cypresses, and many other hardwoods and willow trees that’s been here long before any of us was ever thought about. If you looked hard enough, you’d catch glimpses of the murky swamp water. These were wetlands, and there was no telling what lurked in those depths. I led us deep into the bayou, onto family land that my brother and I owned. He refused to come to the old house. René didn’t ask about what I did out here, and I didn’t offer any explanations.

Slowing down, I pulled up to an old shack of a house. More moss covered cypress and willow trees surrounded the house. Found a spot and parked next to Kade’s Harley. The old house was well hidden and difficult to find unless you knew exactly where you were going. We got out of the SUV. Kade was sitting on the porch, smoking a joint. Probably one of the club’s special strains: Bayou Bliss or Voodoo Dreams. The orange tip of his blunt grew brighter before he put it out and stood up.

“Sup Boss.”

“I hate it when you call me that. Anyway, come help Jester get this fool out of my ride. Is the house prepared like I asked?”

“Yes, sir it is.”

“Good.” I stretched, getting the kinks out, before going inside, knowing they would soon follow.

Inside, everything was covered with plastic. Just in case things got a little messy. The only piece of furniture in the entire home was a single chair. I went back to the door and held it open when I heard trouble one and two coming to the house with a heavy load.

They were quick about their business and tied Ray to the chair. I noticed his fingers making small, involuntary movements. They were twitchy little fuckers. I knew what it meant. Still, with the crap Jester put in the syringe, I didn’t know if he was really waking or not. If he was, it would be perfect timing.

Leaning against the wall, I turned to Jester. “How much longer will he be out?”

“A couple of minutes. If that long. His eyes are moving fast behind his lids,” Jester said.

Kade stood behind the chair while Jester and I faced Ray. A couple of minutes later, his eyes snapped open. Panic hit him as he realized he couldn’t move. His face betrayed fear for a moment before a mask of control slid into place. Now we were getting somewhere, but I didn’t like it. Ray was more than he seemed, and I was pissed I hadn’t seen it earlier. Kade never trusted the motherfucker. I should’ve listened.

Ray nervously licked his lips. “What’s happening? What did you do to me?”

“You don’t have the right to be asking questions,” Jester said.

Ray’s gaze turned icy as he locked eyes with Jester. He sneered. “It was you. You pricked me with something. You fucking son of a bitch. I’m going to kill you.”

Jester laughed. “Not if he doesn’t kill you first. Man, don’t you know you seriously fucked up?”

Ray snarled, then tried to lunge forward, but couldn’t budge. The chair teetered, but Kade steadied him. “If I were you, I’d stay still,” Kade warned. “Next time, I’ll let you faceplant the floor.”

It was almost comical how Ray’s head whipped around to meet Kade’s gaze. But I didn’t want to be here all night. After this, I planned on getting my dick wet. It was the best way to relieve some stress, and I had a pretty little thing waiting for me at the clubhouse.

“I’m going to make this quick because I got other shit to be doing instead of this,” I said. Ray finally looked at me. “Why were you stealing my money?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“I think you do and you’re going to tell me the truth, Ray. Or do you want your brains splattered all over this cottage?”

He shook his head. “I swear, I don’t know what money you’re talking about.”

Jester shook his head. “That’s not the answer my brother wants to hear, Ray.”

Ray almost sounded convincing, but I was trained to listen for lies, and this asshole was lying. I pulled the gun from the back of my waist, cocked it, then pointed it at his right kneecap and popped one into it. Ray let out a high-pitched scream. Higher than any intact man should’ve been able to hit. “I won’t ask again, little bitch. Why were you stealing my money? Because stealing from The Grotto isn’t just stealing from me, you’re stealing from Sin City MC, too. So now, you got a Wraith problem and a Sinners problem.”

The color from Ray’s face drained away. He was pale as a ghost.

“I don’t think he understands the seriousness of the situation,” Jester said.

“I don’t think so either,” I replied and looked at Kade. “Show him.”

Kade circled the chair to stand directly in front of Ray. Without hesitation, he unleashed a barrage of punches, working him over until Ray’s face swelled and turned purple. Kade then tore open Ray’s shirt, pulled out a blade, and that’s when I noticed the tattoos on Ray’s chest. It was like ice-cold fingers gripping my spine.

“Stop,” I shouted. “Fuck!”

I rushed to Ray and saw the giant sunburst tattoo with a dagger through its center on his chest. Everything around me turned blood red. Kade and Jester both noticed the shift in my mood.

Jester hurried to my side. “What’s wrong?”

I pointed to the tattoo. Ray’s mouth and teeth were stained with blood as he grinned at me.

Pissed the hell off, I punched him in the gut. He groaned, then started laughing. “Who are you?” I shouted.

“Doesn’t matter who I am,” he said before coughing. He looked at me and our gazes met. “You’ve gone native. The old Wraith would’ve never let me get this close and for this long. Just know they’re coming for you, Wraith. You and your old friends will pay for what you all did. We will never forget, and it will be the death of you. That sonofabitch Roman, and that whore protégé of yours, Mac. It’ll be the death of you all, and when your crew arrives in hell, we can have a party.”

I wanted to punch him again for shits and giggles, but it would be a waste of energy. “He ain’t gonna talk,” I told the others and held the barrel of the gun to the center of Ray’s head. Ray was right about one thing. Before retirement, I never would’ve let it get this far. “His entire identity is a well-constructed lie. Guess I’ll see you in hell someday. Until then… find us a good partying spot.” I pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Jester looked at me, all concerned. “Who is this Roman and Mac guy he was talking about?”

Kade glanced at me but said nothing. His face was expressionless. He knew who they were but was smart enough to keep his trap shut. “Some people I need to get in contact with soon as I can.”

“Hmm… alright brother.” His face said it all. He knew I was keeping something from him. “You sure we couldn’t pull any information off him?”

“No. That tattoo is the symbol for the Veiled Society. An organization similar to the one I was with before coming back home. They were a rival of sorts. Ray wasn’t Ray and we would never find out who he is, was, or what he wanted. More than likely, he was here for more than just stealing my money. Probably biding his time to take me out. His sort does that type of thing. I need to find out if there’s a hit on me. If so, I don’t want to put the club in any danger. Let’s clean this mess up and get the hell out of here. I can assure you his organization knows he’s missing or dead.”

The unwelcome blast from my past wasn’t one I was ready to relish. It’s been a long ass time, but I was gonna have to make some phone calls. To Roman, friend and leader from my last organization, The Revenants. Then to the club Prez, Loki. What in the world was going on?