Chapter Eleven
Over the next week, Kim was predictable. She made sure Tanya was introduced to every member that entered the diner of the Satan’s Death Riders MC.
By the end of the week, when the girls’ night was supposed to happen, Tanya had declined. She said it was her and Leanna’s night together, and she was never swapping her daughter for anyone. Kim admired her for that, but it didn’t mean Petal would get out of it. She didn’t have a daughter or an excuse not to be there.
With her blonde hair curled, minimal makeup on, and a black dress, she was at the bar in town. The same one they had gone to for Rosalie’s bachelorette party, which had ended with her taking her best friend home.
Colt and the guys had invaded, some strangers had hit on her and Rosalie, and well, from what she could remember, Colt blamed Rosalie. He’d been under the impression that her friend was used to male attention. The truth was, she and Rosalie had only been interested in their friendship and not men. Rosalie’s father had changed all of that. Petal didn’t know if she should thank him or hate him for introducing them to the Satan’s Death Riders.
“That better be orange juice,”
Petal said.
Her friend was starting to show, and her cute baby bump was so adorable. Petal had to stop herself from constantly reaching out to touch her.
Rosalie laughed. “Trust me, I wasn’t much of a drinker before the baby, and I am not going to be now. Besides, this is just a way to loosen up and have a good time together. You should try it.”
Kim was already on the dance floor with a couple of women from the club. She asked Petal to join her, but she opted for drinking an orange juice with her buddy.
After Dirty’s declaration, she didn’t know what to think now. The following day, flowers had arrived at her door from Dirty—roses, which were her favorite. The next day, baked cinnamon rolls from one of the bakeries she loved. She couldn’t bring herself to toss the flowers or the rolls out. The flowers were in a vase in the hallway, and the cinnamon rolls lasted as long as breakfast did. They tasted amazing.
She was not getting used to the gifts, but Dirty was always at her door, waiting with his bike, to ride her to the diner. At first, she tried to decline, but it turned out all four of her wheels had been slashed. Dirty said the club was investigating. She didn’t know if the security cameras would be able to pick up anyone who was lurking beside her car. It had been a busy day, and anyone could have done it.
The shop needed to order her tires, and once that was done, they’d change them and she’d have her car back. Until then, her ride was Dirty. She had a feeling he was the one who had asked to take her home. He didn’t try to kiss her or prolong their time together. He was, in fact, a perfect gentleman, even more than when they were on that cruise together. She had yet to tell Myth and Rosalie what Dirty had said.
“There’s nothing to stop you from enjoying a little vodka mixed with that drink,”
Rosalie said. “Help you loosen up and enjoy yourself.”
Petal laughed. “Are you telling me the only way to enjoy myself is to get drunk?”
Rosalie shrugged. “I don’t know, you tell me, is it?”
She glared at her friend, and taking the final swig of her drink, she pulled Rosalie onto the dance floor.
There was a time she didn’t need anything to help her have fun. Life had gotten in the way, as always. Work and life, making tough decisions, and falling in love with a man who broke her heart. That same man now confusing her again, and it didn’t seem to end. It was an endless cycle of drama, or so it felt. But she allowed it to happen, and she wasn’t going to do it tonight. Tonight was about the girls, having fun and partying, and she grabbed Rosalie’s hands, shoving them up in the air to the beat of the music.
She and Rosalie were no dancers, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun trying. This time, whenever a man tried to get between them, they shoved him off. One song led to another, and she didn’t know when the Satan’s Death Riders MC had turned up, but one by one, they began to filter into the club. Petal watched them.
“Uh, Rosalie, I don’t mean to be a damper on this little party, but do you recognize any of them from the club?”
Before Rosalie got a chance to turn around, Petal knew something was bad.
“Rosalie, go out back. Go, run, I mean it!”
She shoved Rosalie away from her, as she saw one of them reach for Kim.
One of them fired a gun and shot one of the club women. She didn’t know her name.
This could not be the Satan’s Death riders MC.
The sound of the gun going off created a panic, and she had a feeling that was what they were hoping for.
Kim was screaming and fighting, but they held onto her. Petal didn’t think, she just reacted and charged at them. Kneeing one of the men in the shin, she moved between them, grabbing one of the stools to hit another. It was a lot harder than it looked, but it got their attention.
“Let her go!”
she yelled.
She was about to hit someone else, when someone grabbed her from behind and placed a hand against her mouth, cutting off her oxygen. Panic flooded her. This was supposed to be a girls’ night. Maybe girls’ night was cursed, because once again, for different reasons, it was ending in disaster.
The world went black.
****
Patrice was dead. She’d been a club butt for nearly four years. She never made waves. As far as Dirty could tell, the brothers liked her, and if there was anyone they would trust with the club, it was Patrice. She was never interested in long-term. Her loyalty was to the club, because they were also putting her through college, beauty school to be exact.
Everyone had liked her and seeing as she made the brothers’ lives more comfortable, everyone was more than happy to help pay for her dream. College was not a hard expense to fund, however, her love of beauty supplies had come at a steep cost.
But now she was gone. Killed by the Evil Fuckers MC.
Dirty watched the security footage, not for the first time, as it played the bastards entering the bar where Petal, Kim, Rosalie, and several of the women had gone. Skull and Crow were in the hospital. They had been attacked and never saw it coming. Both had gunshot wounds and would recover. Whoever shot them had been a bad shot, although they had been aiming for the heart. He couldn’t believe how close they had come to losing their men.
Warden was not going to allow Kim to go out alone. Not with the threat hanging over their heads. The plan was simple: Crow and Skull would be the lookout until Warden, himself, Colt, and several of the guys made it to the bar to party with the women.
Dirty had been looking forward to finally having Petal in his arms. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Petal hated making scenes.
The Evil Fuckers MC had been after Kim. Patrice tried to stop them. She fought and got shot in the head.
Dirty hated seeing it, but then he watched as Petal pushed Rosalie out of the way, making her friend run for it while she rushed at the men. Compared to the men she faced, she was so fucking small. She didn’t see the attack coming from behind.
They didn’t kill her, because if they had, they wouldn’t have taken her. Dirty watched and felt that burning need in his gut as it began to build. The need to hunt, to kill, to make them pay.
There were no calls. Fritz was doing everything he could to locate them, but they went out of town. He could only follow so long, and then it would require him to hack other networks.
“Stop, please,”
Rosalie said.
“You need to lie down,”
Colt said.
“No. Petal was not supposed … I thought she was following me.”
Rosalie shook her head. “I’m so stupid. I should have known, but I didn’t see Kim get taken. I … it all happened so fast. I don’t…”
Rosalie burst into tears. “I’m so sorry, I know this is not helping. Stupid hormones, but I can’t help it.”
Warden hadn’t said a word.
Dirty looked toward him and knew they were feeling exactly the same way. Their women had been taken.
“Someone knew,”
Warden said. “Someone is working for them.”
The whole room went silent.
The movements of their women were never guaranteed. Kim was always doing different things. He knew it was one of the many reasons Warden adored her, she didn’t just do one thing. She didn’t like to be confined to a simple life of nine-to-five.
This made it hard for Warden and the club to keep track of them, and it played to their strengths. This also meant someone knew.
“But the only person outside the club who knew was Tanya,”
Rosalie said.
“No,”
Myth said. “She has a kid, and she’s not tied to them.”
“You don’t know that,”
Colt said. “None of us know anything about this. She used to work for Al. He was tied to the club.”
“Tanya wouldn’t do that,”
Rosalie said. “I trust Tanya, and she has never steered us wrong, and … no, I refuse to believe it.”
Myth got to his feet. “No.”
“I don’t recall asking for your opinion,”
Warden said.
“Look, I see that look in your eye, and I get it. You’re angry, you’re hurt, and you want someone to take it out on, and that is fine, but you’re talking about a civilian here.”
“The Evil Fuckers MC has used civilians before. They don’t have a problem with hurting a child to get what they want. She will do anything for her kid. What about selling information on the local whereabouts of the club president ?”
Colt said.
Myth shook his head. “I’m telling you guys, you’re wrong.”
“There is no one else that would do it,”
Warden said. “And I suggest if you want to keep breathing, you stay out of my way. Kim was taken, and until I get her back, there are no rules I’m not willing to break.”
With that, Warden left the room, and Dirty followed.
“Dirty, wait,”
Rosalie said.
He turned to look at Rosalie.
“I know Tanya, and she would not do anything to jeopardize the club, nor would Petal, not even with what happened with you.”
“I know Petal is a victim. She has been taken and I am going to do everything in my power to get her back. You have my word.”
He looked at Rosalie and then over to Colt.
For the tiniest hint of a second, he looked at Colt and he remembered that Kim was Colt’s mother. The Evil Fuckers MC had killed his little sister, and now they had his mother. It never ended well for women.
Dirty looked at Colt and nodded his head, letting him know he would do everything he could to bring her back. He made his way outside. Warden was already on his bike. Myth was as well, along with Vixen, Zen, Tito, and Loner.
Kim had been taken, as well as Petal. As far as he was concerned, two of their own had been taken. He didn’t know if the men were interested in getting Petal back. It didn’t matter. Dirty was going to get her back.
He rode toward the address where Tanya lived. They went to a small neighborhood. It wasn’t an expensive place, nor a dump. He got the sense it was a family neighborhood.
It was still early, and he doubted many people were even awake and getting ready for work.
Warden was not to be stopped. He parked his bike on Tanya’s front lawn. Dirty saw the little girl’s bicycle, and it brought another wash of reality to them. If Tanya was responsible, they were not going to let her live. They would not kill the child, but they would have no choice but to have her sent away. This was dark shit. He understood that. They were fucked no matter what.
Warden went up to the door and slammed his fist against it. If it wasn’t for the girl’s bicycle, he had a feeling he’d have broken down the door. The president with his wife in danger was not known for his patience.
Dirty stood behind, as Warden slammed his fist against the door, waiting for Tanya to answer. At the sound of a cry, Dirty clenched his hands into fists.
“Stop, okay, I’m coming, I’m coming.”
Tanya opened the door. She was in a dressing gown, her hair was messy, and she glared at them. “What is the meaning of this?”
Warden went to push his way through, but Tanya held onto the door. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you’re not entering my home until you tell me what you’re doing here.”
“Did you tell them?”
Warden asked.
“What?”
In her confusion, she released her grip on the door and that was all Warden needed. Within seconds he had his fingers wrapped around her throat, and he shoved her up against the wall.
“Mommy!”
the young scream came from upstairs.
“Go back to bed,”
Tanya called, but Warden had a grip on her neck a little too tightly.
“Mommy.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Vixen made his way upstairs and that was when Tanya began to thrash wildly.
She brought her knee up and tried to hit Warden in the balls, but she was no match for their president when he was fighting to get his wife back. This was a deadly man, no one wanted to cross him.
“You leave my daughter alone,”
Tanya said. “I have no idea what the hell is going on, but you get the fuck out of my house.”
“Did you sell the whereabouts of my wife to the Evil Fuckers MC?”
Tanya frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Did you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about or even who you are talking about. I’ve never heard of them before.”
She all but sneered.
Dirty saw the tears sliding down her face. Warden was hurting her.
“Kim invited me, but I already had a girls’ night planned with my daughter. I do not make it a habit of passing her over for strangers. I don’t know who you think I am, but I have no reason to sell anyone anything.”
“Warden,”
Myth said. “Fritz is on the phone, he figured out who did it.”
This made Warden pull away, and the moment he did, Tanya moved as far away from him as possible.
“Get out,”
Tanya said. “Get out of my house now, and you can tell Petal and Rosalie they can stick their job up their asses.”
Dirty turned toward Tanya. This woman was a fighter. With the men in the house that could kill her, she was still standing up to them, and he had to admire that.
“Petal’s been taken,”
Dirty said. “The men that took Kim also took Petal, and they’re not known for leaving anything but body bags.”
He left the house intent on learning who had betrayed them.