18 Grip
Grip
The blaring ring of my phone cut through the nice dream I was having. It was a shame I forgot what it was about the moment I opened my eyes. All I was left with was some warm, almost fuzzy, feeling deep in my gut.
Through bleary eyes, I saw it was VP callin’ me. I also saw that it wasn’t the kind of hour you wanted to receive a call from the VP at. Or anyone, really. With my heart in my throat, I sat up and answered the call.
“Yeah?” My voice was rough. I cleared my throat.
“Well, your boy made a mess,” he said. He sounded a mix of amused and proud. “He’s got D.P. and Jack. He also got himself stabbed…”
His words faded out as the whooshing in my ears blared like a damn siren.
Vike was stabbed?
My head swam, and I was frozen in place.
Cool fingers slid up my back and around my shoulder. Ivy’s touch snapped me back into reality.
“You listenin’?” Bones barked.
“Yeah, sorry. Vike?”
Bones forced out a harsh breath, telling me he was about to repeat all the shit I’d missed, and he wasn’t happy about it.
“He’s bleedin’ pretty bad, but he should be fine. Slice is about to patch him up. Rusty’s escorting our guest to the mechanic shop right now. Ice says you need to get your ass out there.” I heard his bike rev to life in the background.
My breath caught. I needed to be there for Viking. But I also needed to be there for my club. Fuck!
I didn’t know what shape Viking was in. He could be calm or he could lose his shit the moment Slice touched him.
We’d been through this shit before, and they damn well knew I was the only one who could get him calm.
I didn’t fuckin’ understand why Ice wouldn’t let me get Vike settled.
All they had to do was string Drain Pipe up, then he could wait until I was ready.
“Garage. Now,” Bones said. His tone left no room to argue.
“On my way,” I shot back, pushing the panic and annoyance down.
The call ended without another word, and I tossed my phone on the bed beside me.
“Everything okay?” Ivy asked. Her voice was too fuckin’ sweet for the things I was about to do. No, shit wasn’t alright, but it wasn’t like I could or would tell her anything.
Then, like light coming down from the sky and makin’ me see shit clearly, an idea popped into my head.
Was it the best one? Given that I didn’t know what shape Vike was in, I’d have said probably not. But it was the best I could do in this situation. The only way I could walk outta this room and do what I needed to do without having half of my mind worryin’ about my brother.
“Get dressed,” I told her as I shot out of bed. I couldn’t look at her as I clicked on the light and reached for my pants at the same time.
I heard her scurrying around behind me with the same kind of haste I had in my movements.
I nodded for her to follow me before I headed out of the room, only taking one quick glance at her to make sure she was decent.
The urgency in VP’s tone was still ringin’ in my ears.
I didn’t have time to take Ivy to Slice’s room and then get my ass all the way out to the garage, even if I tore outta here on my bike and pushed her to her limits.
Any second now, Bones would already be out at the garage, probably lookin’ at his damn watch and tappin’ his foot as he counted the seconds.
Okay, not really, but I still had to go.
“Prospect!” I hollered as I saw one of them cuttin’ across the space, headed for the bar. He stopped, turned my way, and stood there waiting for my command. Good puppy. He just might make it yet. “Take Ivy to the patch room.”
His gaze slid from me to Ivy, then back again.
There was a hint of ‘are you sure?’ on his face when he looked back at me.
“I ain’t askin’, Probie. Make sure she gets there. She’s to stay with Vike. Anyone gives you shit, you tell ’em I said so.”
He gave a nod and spun on his heel.
“Wait,” I called out as Ivy started to follow him. Both of them turned back to face me. I ignored the Prospect. My mouth opened and closed a few times. I knew I wanted to say somethin’ but I didn’t know what the fuck that was.
“I’ll take care of him,” she told me as she reached out and gave my hand a quick squeeze.
There was somethin’ in her eyes. It stopped my heart for a damn second.
And I wasn’t talking about the weird shit I’d been feelin’ lately when it came to her.
This was… hell, I didn’t know. Where I’d expected to see a terrified girl or even eyes full of questions, I saw…
understanding and something that looked a lot like knowing.
“Yeah,” I croaked out, thrown by the whole thing.
I turned, leaving them behind, keeping my thoughts to myself.
As much as I wanted to figure out what the fuck that was, I couldn’t let it in. Couldn’t let it mess with my head. I had a job to do, and it was gonna take all of me.
Had to get my damn head in the game.
“Hey,” Kneecap caught me just as I’d stepped outside. He was mounting his bike, lookin’ like he was ready to tear off. Part of my paranoid brain told me he’d waited behind to make sure I was comin’. I heard rumbling in the distance, tellin’ me we we’re behind everyone else. “You good?”
“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “Let’s just get this done.”
We rode off together. I was hot on his tail as we cut across the compound to the garage.
The club owned a lot of land. Most of it was fenced off, leaving a fuck off vibe to anyone who might be curious on the outside.
One end held houses, where a lot of club families lived.
The other end held the clubhouse and its surroundings.
And at a triangle point to both of those things was the garage.
We parked side-by-side next to the other bikes.
Looked like I was tenth in line, and since I didn’t hear anyone else coming, I assumed I was last. Fuck.
Ice had been first, which was clear by the black and frost white hog at the start of the line of bikes, not that I expected anything less.
One glance was all it took for me to see who was here and who wasn’t.
Rusty’s old, early-nineties truck was sitting next to the door right under the bright light that shone down on the lot in front of the building.
Mole was climbing in behind the wheel, and that was when I noticed the back was full of our shipment.
That explained why Mole’s ugly ass bike was out here.
I could only assume that Rusty would be riding it back to the clubhouse when it was all over.
The Chaplain was the only one other than Dweller that Mole trusted his piece of shit with.
Damn. It looked like Vike and Rusty did it. They got Drain Pipe and our stolen shipment back. Hell yeah! One less thing to worry about.
It tore me up that I didn’t know what happened or if Vike was okay.
Ice stepped out before I could get pissed any more than I already was. Screams followed him out, which did make me feel a little better. Nothing like the terrors of someone who’d wronged us being called out to the night sky. Damn near made me smile.
“Grip. Kneecap,” he greeted with a jerk of his chin.
Bones stepped out, followed by Two Lanes, Whiplash, and Rusty.
Leavin’ me to think that Pumpkin Patch, Lance-A-Lot, and Cougar had the pleasure of watchin’ over tonight’s entertainment.
“Rusty and Viking got our shit back. We owe them a few drinks. Vike got sliced up during the altercation with Drain Pipe, but I’ve been assured he’s gonna be okay.
” He looked pointedly at me for a long second.
“Rusty said they caught Drain Pipe sneaking out to an underground bunker. They followed him.” Now Rusty was getting the glare, but the brother just shrugged as if to say it wasn’t his idea.
I had to hold back a chuckle because I knew full well that Vike had been worked up before heading out tonight.
He would have jumped at any little chance to end it, and it looked like he got that opportunity.
He did not do well sometimes when it came to waitin’.
Normally, I’d say he was smart about shit, but I couldn’t say that this time since he’s gone and gotten himself hurt.
Fuckin’ asshole. I was gonna yell at him later, that was for damn sure.
“Jack was also down there,” Prez went on. Now this was the good stuff. I’d been dyin’ to know what the fuck had happened to him. “Seems D.P. had him locked up in a cell.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or gasp. That shit had to suck. Played by your own VP. Your own club. Hell, if that were me, I’d probably run for the hills before trying to get my place back. That shit was fucked up and embarrassing. I almost felt sorry for him.
“Don’t know the whole story,” I said, his tone low, “but Slice is gonna look him over when he’s done with Vike. We’ll know more in the morning.”
“Don’t think it’s a good idea keepin’ him on club property,” Whiplash said, eyes sharp and serious.
“He’s in rough shape. He can’t even stand right now,” Rusty said. There was somethin’ about the expression on his face that turned my gut. I almost wished I’d been there tonight because I was suddenly feelin’ like I’d missed a lot. “I’m not even sure he knows where he is at this point.”
Whiplash’s brow remained furrowed in a scowl, but he didn’t say another word.
“They also found something else down there,” Ice said.
My eyes shifted back over to Rusty. I’d never seen the Chaplain look so dark.
Never seen the Devil come out of his eyes like that, and holy shit, it was scary.
Damn near had me pissin’ in my pants. Whatever it was they found…
shit, it had to be fuckin’ bad. “He also had a girl locked up. Don’t know much right now, but Slice was thinking she’d feel a lot more comfortable with a female looking her over, so he called in Trish.
Once she gives the okay, we’ll try to get the story outta the girl. ”
Wait, what?! The fuck?! A girl? What the fuck did he have a girl locked up in a bunker for?!
As if Rusty could read my thoughts, he sent me a look tellin’ me I was probably right with the things I was tryin’ very hard not to think about.
I was gonna rip Drain Pipe limb from limb. That sick son of a bitch.
“I’m going to excuse myself, if you don’t mind, Prez,” Rusty said. “I’m afraid if I stay, I’ll take a step over that line.”
Ice nodded, cold eyes holding a hint of concern as Rusty headed for Mole’s bike and rode away.
“Grip. Whiplash. You’re up on this one,” Ice said, turning before I had a chance to celebrate bein’ picked.
This fucker was going to pay. Even if I didn’t know all the details, he’d fucked up enough to warrant a death from us. And one way or another, I knew he’d be getting it soon.