Chapter 7
“Just who I was hoping to see,” Gizmo said as soon as Demon stepped through the clubhouse door.
“Get something to drink, and food if you need it, and meet me in the office in fifteen minutes. I’ve got some things you need to hear, but I need to call Jill first.” He slapped Demon on the back as he continued past him and out the door.
Demon frowned as he watched the tech sergeant’s back disappear through the door and the door swing shut.
He couldn’t help but wonder if needing to talk to his ol lady had to do with why he wanted to talk to Demon or if it was something else entirely.
Knowing he’d find out soon enough, he headed into the kitchen.
He wanted to warm up something to eat and he had a limited amount of time to get it done.
Fifteen minutes later, he sat at the table in the back room where they had their meetings, a plate of reheated red chili enchiladas in front of him along with an ice cold beer.
He loved his grandmother, but after nearly four hours with her, he needed a drink.
And she’d fed him, but that had been when he first arrived.
She would have fed him again if he’d told her he was hungry, but he knew she was on a limited budget and she refused to let him, or any of the rest of the family, give her money to help her live a little better.
Gizmo came in and closed the door behind him. Demon didn’t think much of it until he heard the click of the lock, letting him know that whatever Giz had to tell him, it was serious and sensitive.
He was okay with that. Maybe it would be enough info that he could get Jim Bob out of his hair and from causing more trouble for him and the rest of their family.
“Everything good with the ol’ lady?” Demon asked as Gizmo circled the table and went to the chair in front of the laptop that sat open on the table.
“Mostly. She’s been nauseated for the last few days, I think she’s come down with some stomach bug, but since she hasn’t actually thrown up, she’s refusing to go see a doctor.” Demon shook his head. “And women say we’re stubborn.”
Gizmo tilted his head to one side, but didn’t say anything. Demon wasn’t sure if he was agreeing or not, but it didn’t matter.
“Anyway, I’m glad you caught me at the door. I was coming in looking for you. I’ve got some more info on my cousin.”
“Also, just so you’re aware, I’m running a check on the bounty hunter too. I don’t have much back on her yet, but I’ve got some info on your cousin.”
Gizmo met his gaze and held it for a moment, as if he found that he had more information interesting, but wasn’t ready to tell Demon why.
“What was it you were going to tell me?” Gizmo said as he pulled out his chair and sat.
“Nan told me that he’s been hiding out at his mom’s.
She didn’t have Aunt Chastity’s current address, but it’s over off Craycroft and Pima, somewhere in that area.
But that wasn’t the best part.” He hoped the sarcasm in his tone carried.
“She was riding me about the Souls, asking how I could get mixed up with a bunch of hoodlums, how could we both get mixed up with hoodlums.”
Demon saw as soon as Gizmo registered his words and what they meant.
“He’s part of another MC?” Gizmo’s eyes had gone wide.
Demon gave the other man a grim smile.
“He is. She didn’t know which one, and I couldn’t question her too hard without giving away that I was looking for him. I’m trying not to get too hopeful. He may be part of a recreational club. If we’re lucky he’s just a weekend warrior.”
Gizmo didn’t say anything for a moment, just stared at him with one brow lifted. He didn’t need to say it for Demon to know he was silently asking if Demon was really that naive. He knew it was a long shot at best, but didn’t say so. Instead, he turned it back on the tech sergeant.
“What was it that had you sending me in here as soon as I walked in?” Demon cut off a chunk of the enchilada on his plate and took a bite. He could listen and eat at the same time.
Gizmo watched him for several seconds. Demon wasn’t sure what he was looking for, so he said nothing and just continued eating. Gizmo would tell him what was going on when he was ready and there was no point in rushing him.
“I had some information that was…” Gizmo paused, “concerning. I wasn’t sure what it meant, or if it was a coincidence.
With the information from your grandmother as confirmation, it tells me what I was afraid of.
This can be either really good or really bad, but since he’s your family, I’ll give you all the information and let you take it to Tuck and Sadist.” He met Demon’s gaze.
“This isn’t something that’s going away fast or easy.
And it’s likely to test loyalties and possibly burn some bridges, depending on what happens and how it goes down. ”
A sick feeling started low in Demon’s gut.
What was Jim Bob into that could make Gizmo give him this talk?
Was he into something that could blow back onto the family?
He didn’t want to know, but at the same time he had to.
He had to know what his little shithead of a younger cousin had done this time.
He let his head hang forward for a moment, then looked up and met Gizmo’s gaze once more.
“All right. Tell me. Which of our rivals is that stupid fucker mixed up with?”
“Well, until you told me what your grandmother said, it was just a suspicion, it could have been a coincidence that he was with the club, especially since there is no club affiliation in any of his records. Not even in all his tats, no colors, nothing to tie him to them.”
“So if he’s part of the club, and don’t think I haven’t noticed that you haven’t told me which one yet, then it’s either recent or they’re keeping it secret for some reason.”
“Looks like. It’s entirely possible that he’s newer to the lifestyle, like you.” Gizmo was tactful.
“You mean he’s still prospecting. He has no colors because he’s not been patched in yet,” Demon, said, tilting his head to one side as he considered it. “Was the carjacking that he’s wanted for now part of his initiation?”
“If it was, that he didn’t give up anyone else or tell TPD why he’d done it will only help him.”
“If it’s that he’s prospecting. If he’s patched in, yet keeping it secret for some reason, that would be whole different kettle of fish, and I’m not sure if it would be good or bad right now.”
Demon continued eating. There was no point in letting his dinner get cold, and Gizmo would tell him what club they were talking about when he was ready to.
Pushing would only make him keep it to himself longer.
He’d just taken the last bite and pushed the plate out of his way to take care of when they were done here, when Gizmo finally spoke again.
“Are you familiar with the Devils?” Gizmo’s tone was calm, almost uninterested, but something made Demon take note. This was significant.
“I know they’re another club, and not a weekend warrior club. There’s some kind of beef between the Devils and the Souls, but I don’t know any of the details, only that they don’t get near anyone in the club and if they do, we run them off.”
Gizmo nodded.
“There’s a bit of history there, but long story short is that one of the Devil’s decided to get ambitious and kidnapped Krissi.
This was back a couple of years. It was shortly after she and Ruger started seeing each other.
We got her back, and she wasn’t hurt but before we could teach them better than to mess with one of the Souls, or anyone that’s ours, the fucker who took her was dumped outside our gate, dead. ”
“Oh shit.”
“Yeah. That’s about right but that’s not all. You know who Krissi’s dad is?”
Demon shook his head. “Only that they don’t have anything to do with him.
I don’t know why or who he is.” He’d overheard enough from different conversations around the clubhouse to know he wasn’t a good guy, but he’d never wanted to let whoever was talking know that he was paying attention, so he’d never asked who her father was.
Gizmo watched him for a long moment, then continued.
“I’ll come back to that part in a minute.
Anyway, Krissi’s dad got to him before we could.
He ended up being the VP of the Devils. Her father eliminated the president as well, and put one of his men in the position, effectively making the Devils his without the patch-over.
When we found out, we assumed it was so he had someone loyal to him in town.
Someone to keep an eye on Krissi, Ruger, and the rest of the Souls. ”
“All right. It makes sense as far as it goes, but you’re holding back what I think will end up being the key here. Or at least an important part of what’s going on. Who’s Krissi’s father?”
“Switchblade Montoya.”
“Son of a fucking bitch. Either I’m screwed or Jim Bob is.
” Demon closed his eyes and forced himself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Then another. After the fifth breath he’d calmed enough he wasn’t about to go hunt down his cousin and beat him to a pulp for being so stupid.
Not that he wasn’t angry, but he could at least control it now.
“We’ve been trying to get enough on Switchblade to put him away for years. Nothing sticks. You know that. Do you think it’s possible that your cousin could be flipped?”
“You mean get him to work for us, to keep going in and pretending to be one of them, but reporting to one of the alphabet agencies?” Demon shook his head before Gizmo even had a chance to respond.
“He’s not cool enough. He can’t even lie about where he parked his car, there’s no way he can be cool enough for something like that. ”
“Okay,” Gizmo drew the word out, as if he was lost in thought and just barely registering what was said.
The hand on his mouse moved in slow circles as he stared sightlessly at the wall somewhere to the left of Demon’s head.
“This may end up being more in depth than I thought. I’m sure it will be more complicated if we want to keep him free of it. ”
“Why would we want to keep him free of it?” Demon asked, tilting his head to one side as he watched Gizmo.
“I thought you would want to kick him clear, if we can.”
Demon shook his head.
“The stupid fucker got himself in hot water, he can get himself out or he can cook.” That sounded callous and he knew it. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking again.
“Look I’m not saying to just let him fry.
We can look at offering some kind of deal, he testifies or something, I don’t know.
But even though he’s blood, there’s only so far I’m willing to go.
” He bit his lip and stared at the ceiling a moment as he tried to find the words for what he needed to say.
“We all reach a point when someone has hit the limit of your tolerance. When they’ve gone too far and you can’t blindly support them anymore.
I’m not saying that Jim Bob has reached that point with me,” Demon said holding up one hand to keep Gizmo from arguing, “only that he’s close.
And if he’s done something or the people he’s associated with hurts my family, my grandmother, one more time, we may have reached that point.
” He pushed his chair away from the table, but looked up and met the other man’s gaze.
“You have anything else we need to discuss?”
Gizmo shook his head. “No, but you’ll need to let Tuck and Sadist know what’s brewing, and sooner rather than later.”
Demon nodded. He stood and put his chair back where it belonged before picking up his plate.
“Can I have twenty-four hours?”
Gizmo shrugged. “I don’t see why not. None of this is new and I don’t see any danger coming our way, just because we know about it now. But don’t wait too long. It won’t get easier with holding on to it.”
Demon nodded, went to the door, unlocked it and left, leaving it open behind him.