Chapter 27
Full Driving Miss Daisy Treatment
Ryan
Ivy hiked her purse strap up on her shoulder as we walked out to the driveway in front of the clubhouse. “This seems like overkill, honey.”
I stopped at the edge of the drive and turned to her. “Safety first, Ivy.”
She took a deep breath. “Yeah, that goes triple for you.” She went up on tiptoes to give me a peck. “Please stay safe.”
I wrapped my arms around her waist. “We have them outnumbered, sweetheart. It’ll be fine.”
“Right,” she breathed.
“You need to kiss me, Trouble.”
She smirked and I leaned down to kiss her.
Her lips parted and I slid my tongue into her mouth.
She tasted like hazelnut coffee and woman.
Her hands glided along my shoulders, one of them sliding into the hair at the back of my head.
What should have been a single kiss turned into a make-out session until I heard the crunch of gravel and a car engine approaching.
We broke apart, and I saw Bluff driving Alexandra’s Honda Accord with Alexandra in the passenger seat.
The moment the car stopped, Alexandra got out of the car and pointed at Ivy. “This may not penetrate the fog of your lip lock but learn now. These brothers give overbearing not just a new definition, but a whole other dimension to the definition.”
Ivy chuckled. “And you had to get out of the car to tell me that?”
Alexandra shook her head. “No. I got out of the car because, if Rafferty’s so insistent about driving, then I’m gonna sit in the back with you and get the full Driving Miss Daisy treatment.”
I shot Alexandra a dry look. “Lex, you might not want to play it this way.”
“I’m not going to make Ivy feel like a third wheel,” Alexandra said.
Bluff leaned toward the open passenger side door. “Can y’all hurry this up? We need to get moving so I can get my bike and come back here.”
Alexandra grinned at Ivy. “You’re shorter than me, so you’re sitting behind Rafferty.”
While Alexandra got back in the car, Ivy looked up at me. “I’ll see you…around noon, you think?”
“With any luck, sooner.”
She went up on her toes again and kissed my cheek. “Bye, honey. I love you.”
My eyes widened and my mouth went dry as thoughts whirled in my head about how to respond. Except she didn’t even wait for a response, she’d scurried around the front of the Honda and climbed into the backseat.
Shit.
As they pulled away, Ivy waved at me and I waved back.
How the hell had I earned her love?
“You better not do her wrong,” Lark said, trudging out from the side of the clubhouse.
“Fucking hell, how long were you hiding over there?” I asked.
He gave me a wry look. “I was out here first, for a smoke. Surprised one of you didn’t smell it.”
“It’s not even seven o’clock, man.”
“Yeah,” he said coming closer to me. “Heard her say she loves you.”
My jaw shifted. “Yeah. She hadn’t done that before.”
“That why you stood there like a dumb dope?” Lark asked.
I huffed out a chuckle and shook my head. “You could say that. It took me by surprise that’s for damn sure.”
“Women are good at that.”
I looked into Lark’s brilliant green eyes. “Yeah. I’m not gonna do her wrong… Though come to think of it, you should follow your own advice where she’s concerned.”
Lark’s lips turned down, but it wasn’t a full-on frown. “Yeah, I guess that’s fair.”
The sound of a motorcycle engine approaching could be heard, and moments later Volt rode through the open gates.
“You got your gun with you?” Lark asked.
“No, I’ll run up to my room and take care of that right now.”
I hadn’t been back to Platinum’s since I earned my place in the club. Even though the cleaning crew had been through this morning, the room felt heavy with the scent of smoke, hairspray, perfume, and booze. Yak led us to a back room where private parties were held.
A table and six chairs were set up, and Volt gestured for Lark and I to take a seat on one side.
“When they get here, me and Turk will pat them down the bring them in. Tundra and Punc are sticking around at the door to make sure nobody else tries to get in here. The back door’s locked, but we’ve got Beast and Liar out there to prevent any attempted ambush,” Yak said.
Volt nodded. “Good.”
Yak turned to leave then looked over his shoulder at us. “If you want anything to drink, hit the bar for some soda. There’s half a pot of coffee up there, too.”
Twenty minutes later, Yak came back with a member of Corrupt Chrome. His cut indicated his road name was Bridge, and he was the president of the chapter. He came into the room and Yak shot Volt a concerned look.
“Just you?” Volt asked.
Bridge nodded while he took a seat across from us. “Yeah.”
Lark heaved a sigh. “With all due respect, the issue Sig has with me is between him and his woman. If I’d known she wore a property patch, I wouldn’t have given her the time of day.”
Bridge’s head moved in a couple of small nods, then he jerked his head toward me. “Why is he here?”
Volt cleared his throat. “He’s the brother who tried to stop an abduction ordered by Rusty – he claims to be connected to your club and knew about Sig’s woman being with Lark.”
Bridge frowned. “Don’t have any members named Rusty – road name or legal name.”
“He had his cousins carry it out. Boyd and…” Volt trailed off looking at me.
“Campbell,” I said.
Bridge’s face moved a miniscule amount – I almost missed it.
We waited him out. After a long, tense moment, he said, “Two wanna-be prospects go by those names.”
Volt’s brows drew together. “So, they’re hang-arounds.”
Bridge shook his head. “No, if they’d bought bikes they’d have been prospects. Only thing holding them back, so they’re a step up from hang-arounds.”
“Not in most clubs,” Lark muttered.
“Different club, different rules,” Volt said.
“Right. They’re both Sig’s nephews,” Bridge said.
I kept a stony face. Deep down I hated that we had three beefs with Sig.
“Be good if Sig were here,” Volt said.
“Yeah,” Bridge leaned to the side. I went tense at the movement until I saw him pull out his cell phone from his pocket.
While Bridge unlocked his phone, Volt said, “Did you or Sig know those two had come out here? They were here four months ago and came back this past Monday. If Rusty’s their cousin, wouldn’t Rusty be Sig’s nephew too?”
“Not to my knowledge. Asked about that in my text. Along with an order to get his ass over here.”
Something about this felt wrong. My gut expected Bridge to brush this off as a misunderstanding. On the surface that would work, but I couldn’t see any biker letting all three issues go.
If anything it would make us more vulnerable. What better way to fuck with Lark than to frame him for a double homicide.
Lark shook his head. “Is Sig that close?”
Bridge shrugged one shoulder. “He isn’t too far.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes.
The door opened and Yak stuck his head inside. “Biker named Sig is at the door.”
“Pat him down and send him back,” Volt said.
“Always so cautious,” Bridge muttered.
“Caution prevents an ambush – most of the time,” Volt said.
Sig entered the room reeking of cigarette smoke. His dark hair hung down past his shoulders and looked unhealthy and greasy. His eyes narrowed on Lark. “You’re the motherfucker who fucked my woman.”
“He didn’t know. Sit down, Sig,” Bridge said in a firm tone.
Sig took a seat next to Bridge.
Once Sig settled, Bridge spoke, “You and Tori have had problems off and on for years.”
“Yeah because she steps out on me, but he should have—”
“She wasn’t wearing a property cut,” Lark said.
“So you say,” Sig retorted.
“She caught you cheating back in April,” Bridge said.
“That don’t—”
Bridge hit the table with his fist. “It’s a problem between you and her. The club isn’t taking on the Riot MC because you got problems with Tori.”
Sig tipped his head toward me. “That asshole killed my nephews who were set to be Chrome prospects.”
Bridge turned his eyes to Sig. “They acted on their own. Or did you know they were targeting that bar?”
Sig frowned and it deepened the wrinkles lining his face. “I knew they’d gone looking for the asshole Tori cheated with, but I didn’t know they’d found him.”
I struggled to keep my reactions in check. The conversation I’d overheard on Monday wasn’t something I’d forget.
“Boyd said they’d get money no matter who they took. Why would he be so certain of that if he hadn’t told you his plans?” I asked.
Sig leaned forward over the table. “I said I didn’t know they found anybody.”
“Is Rusty related to you?” Volt asked.
Sig sat back and ignored the question.
“Answer him,” Bridge ordered.
Sig’s eyes slid toward Bridge, then slid back to Volt. “No. He’s their cousin on their daddy’s side of the family.”
Volt’s eyes narrowed. “Then why would Rusty give a shit?”
Sig twisted his hands up. “Fuck if I know. I got a grieving sister and I have to help her bury both her boys.”
I took all my willpower to stay quiet.
“Does that mean Rusty found Campbell’s body?” Volt asked, as though he read my mind.
Sig stared at Volt.
“Answer him,” Bridge said.
“I suppose. Rusty had both bodies by the time he called me to tell me my nephews were dead,” Sig said, shooting me a glance like he wanted to tear me limb from limb.
“What’d you tell your sister?” Volt asked.
Sig rolled his eyes. “That her boys are dead.”
Volt sighed. “Your nephews wanted to be prospects. Did you tell her their deaths were club related? I can’t imagine any parents not reporting their kids being murdered. Are they calling the police?”
Bridge shot Sig a sidelong glance. “Sig, this is not the time to get cagey.”
“No. I told her not to go to the cops.”
Volt turned his attention to Bridge. “Does your club have an issue with us about Boyd and Campbell?”
“Yeah, we do,” Sig blurted.
Bridge closed his eyes for a beat then shot side-eye at Sig before focusing on Volt. “No. We don’t.” He turned to Sig. “You got that, brother? They went off half-cocked and didn’t even tell you or any club officer what the fuck they were doing.”
Sig’s brown eyes widened. “My nephews deserve—”
“Your nephews got what they deserved,” Volt said. “That’s harsh, but you know damn well if someone took you and your woman against your will, you’d end them in order to get free. That’s what Nickel did.”
Sig stayed silent.
“You convince your president to push this, it’s not going to go well.”
“Empty threats,” Sig said.
“Shut it, Sig,” Bridge said.
Sig turned to Bridge. “What? They’re totally empty.”
Bridge gave a beleaguered sigh. “There were three Devil Lancers at our hotel, and two different Devil Lancers followed me to the gas station before I got here. You can’t be that obtuse.”
If he came from the same gene pool as Campbell, there was every chance he was just that obtuse, but I kept that to myself.
“They weren’t real Devil Lancers,” Sig muttered.
Bridge jerked his head toward Volt. “His daughter married the president of the mother chapter. Our Augusta chapter fucked with them, and our brothers paid the price. I’m not putting the rest of our chapter through anything like that. Open your fuckin’ eyes.”
Sig stared at Volt, then shifted his gaze to Lark.
“Your issues with your woman are yours, Sig. I cut her loose months ago,” Lark said.
“Are you cool with the Riot MC?” Bridge asked.
Sig closed his eyes for a moment and let out a sigh. He opened his eyes and looked to Bridge. “Yeah. I’m cool.”
“You mean it?” Bridge asked.
“Mean it,” Sig said.
Bridge turned back to Volt. “I’ll have Sig introduce me to Rusty. I’ll make sure he backs off. None of this shit should have happened. Will that make us square?”
“Tell me if Rusty refuses to see logic. He comes around any of the brothers, he’s going to feel their wrath.”
“Understood,” Bridge said.
Bridge and Sig stood. Volt took to his feet, and Lark and I followed suit. Bridge shook hands with Volt, and the two men left.
Lark crossed to the door and shut it. He turned around. “I don’t trust that bastard.”
Volt tugged at his goatee. “I don’t either, but I’m gonna follow up with Bridge later. In the meantime, I’ve got someone looking into Sig and his sister. If she’s really going to bury her sons, then those bodies have to be at a funeral home or something.”
“You really think Rusty won’t be a loose cannon out there?” I asked.
Volt quirked his lips to the side with skepticism. “I can only take another club president at their word, but he and Sig know we aren’t going easy any longer.”
Lark’s lips tipped up. “Good.”