Chapter Eight
Hatter
The clubhouse was shrouded in silence, heavier than the Tennessee fog clinging to the mountains outside. I leaned forward, elbows on the worn oak table.
“Spill it, Cheshire,” I said. He’d lured me in here with the promise of news I’d want to hear. Except he’d gone silent now that we’d left Jo, Mock, Knave, Carpenter, and Tweedle in the other room. Asshole.
Cheshire leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips, but his eyes were hard and cold. “Eddie Lewis,” he began, tossing a folder onto the table. It slid across the wood, stopping within my reach. “That rat bastard’s dug his claws in deeper than we thought.”
I flipped through the pages, each one a punch to the gut -- photos, dates, transactions. Eddie wasn’t just some punk with daddy’s connections; he was a damn viper in his own right. I’d known he wasn’t a fluffy bunny based on what he’d done to Jo, but this?
“Shit. We need more intel.” It had never occurred to me the bastard would be this damn evil.
“Already on it, boss.” Cheshire’s grin didn’t reach his eyes. “Going to grease some palms, get those politicians singing.”
“Good.” I nodded. “March, hit up your contacts. We need to know who Eddie’s got in his pocket. I don’t want this fucker blindsiding us. No way he’s letting Jo slip through his grasp. Once he knows she’s here, all bets are off.”
“Roger that.” March’s voice was a gravelly rumble.
“Absolem,” I continued, “dive into his finances. Follow the money.”
“Consider it done.” Absolem pushed up his glasses, already lost in thought.
“Rabbit.” I turned to the youngest, anxiety etched into his features. “Keep your eyes peeled. Any strange cars, faces, report back.”
“Y-yeah, Hatter.” Rabbit’s reply was quick. Even on the days he was an utter basket case, he still followed orders.
“Listen up, brothers.” I stood. “This isn’t just another scuffle. Eddie will be playing for keeps. If he gets his hands on Jo, I have no doubt he’ll toy with her until she prays for death. Everyone get to it.”
The air was electric with tension, the weight of what I feared would be an impending war clung to us. But Underland MC didn’t back down. Never had, never would.
The night felt oppressive as I slipped into a dimly lit corner of the garage. Fingers danced over my phone, the screen’s glow the only light in the shadowed space. A name scrolled across my contacts -- Ghost. The group he ran with didn’t exist in any official record. Ghosts indeed. Perfect for the task at hand. I dialed and waited for him to answer.
“Talk to me,” came the gravelly voice on the other end, all business. Man never did answer with a simple hello .
“Need intel on Eddie Lewis. His weak spots,” I said. “I’ll send you what we know so far.”
“No need. I’ve heard of him. Pricey target. He’s got connections.” Ghost’s reply was curt, and the simple fact he didn’t need more info scared the piss out of me. Eddie was a bigger fish than I’d realized.
“Name your price,” I shot back. “But keep it tight. No leaks.”
“Understood.”
I ended the call. Trusting outsiders was a gamble, but Ghost’s network was vast, his loyalty bought in cash, not blood. It would have to do. Back in our military days, we’d been assigned to the same mission. Fucker was downright lethal.
Footsteps approached, and I looked up to find Cheshire sauntering into the garage, a wolfish grin plastered across his face. Something about his look told me he’d hit paydirt.
“Got something juicy, Hatter,” he said, tossing a manila envelope onto the workbench. “Eddie isn’t just some punk, and his daddy is higher up than we thought. He’s the golden boy of Warren’s dirty elite.”
“Spill it,” I demanded, ripping open the envelope.
“Mayor’s right-hand man is Eddie’s daddy dearest. They’ve been covering for him. Drugs, money laundering… the works,” Cheshire recounted, leaning against a tool chest.
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, thumbing through the documents. Photographs, bank statements, all the sordid details laid bare. “They think they’re untouchable.”
“Seems so,” Cheshire agreed, “but every castle’s got its cracks. In this case, I paid someone they tend to step all over. They shouldn’t have done that. Not to someone who knew so much.”
My jaw clenched. This was bigger than we thought, more tangled and insidious. Eddie wasn’t just an enemy; he was a symptom of the rot festering in Warren. Once we’d settled here, I’d decided we’d tackle the filth around here sooner or later. But first, we’d been building our reputation with the townspeople.
“Spread the word,” I ordered, feeling the anger coil in my gut. “We’re going to rip that castle down, brick by filthy brick. No more waiting.”
“Will do, boss.” Cheshire’s nod was decisive.
The night air felt charged as I stepped outside, the darkness whispering secrets of violence yet to come. Underland MC had faced down hell before, but this… this was personal. War was on our doorstep, and we were ready to answer its call with fire and fury.
I pulled my cigarettes from my pocket and lit one, inhaling deeply. The nicotine settled in my veins, and I closed my eyes. I wanted to put Jo somewhere safe, but I didn’t have anywhere to send her. Besides that, I wanted to keep her within reach. I wasn’t sure who to trust these days.
I stayed outside in the cool air, lost in my thoughts, until the last of my cigarette had burned out. I tossed the butt into the flowerpot full of sand near the garage doorway and went back into the clubhouse.
March waved at me, and I headed toward him. The look on his face said this wasn’t something I could brush off.
“Got something you’ll want to hear,” March said.
“Spit it out,” I said.
“Eddie’s not just playing with local boys. He’s got ties to the mob. Real heavy hitters.” March’s words were measured.
“Mob? How deep?” We hadn’t had to tangle with anyone like that around here, and I wasn’t all that eager to start now.
“Deep as the damn Marianas Trench. We’re talking families with reach from here to the boardwalks of Atlantic City, and some of those even have West Coast ties.” March’s jaw tightened. Yeah, this wasn’t good. Cleaning out our town was one thing… but not if it brought even nastier people around.
“Jesus Christ.” My hands clenched into fists. Mob meant resources. We were no longer just dealing with some punk-ass rich kid. This was the big leagues.
“Means if we hit Eddie, we hit the hornet’s nest. They’ll come swarming,” I muttered.
“Then we better be ready to hit back hard.”
I nodded. If anyone could keep their head when the bullets started flying, it would be March. But if we were outgunned, we’d all end up dead no matter how good we were. This club wasn’t big enough to take down these kinds of forces.
“Absolem’s got something too,” March added, nodding toward the corner where Absolem sat, surrounded by screens that flickered with lines of code.
“Talk to me, Absolem,” I said after I crossed the room.
He didn’t look up, his fingers dancing over the keyboard. “Eddie’s been busy. Money flowing like a river, and all the streams lead back to him.”
“Blackmail? Bribes?” I prodded.
“Both,” he replied succinctly. “He’s got his hands in every pocket in Warren, mostly through his dad. Politicians, cops… You name it, he owns it.”
“Son of a bitch.” The picture was coming clear now.
“Your tech wizardry get us this gold?” I asked, impressed despite the grim news.
“Firewalls are child’s play.” Absolem finally looked up, a sly grin spreading across his face. “Nothing’s safe from me.”
“Good.” I straightened, staring down at the spider web of corruption Eddie had woven. “We need every bit of dirt we can get.”
“Got plenty of shovels,” March quipped, arms folded across his chest.
“Better dig fast, brothers.” I locked eyes with each of them. “If not, we may not make it out of this unscathed.”
I saw Rabbit from the corner of my eye, doing his anxious pacing and glancing my way here and there.
“Got something to say, Rabbit?”
He nodded, quick and jerky. “Town’s got more eyes than a freak show, Hatter. Been seeing the same cars, circling like vultures.”
“License plates?” I pressed.
“Out of state. And they aren’t tourists,” he added with certainty. “Two have passed by our clubhouse a little too frequently for it to be a coincidence, which means either Eddie knows Jo is here, or he’s watching us to see if we can be bought.”
“Shit. All right, listen up. We’re on lockdown. No one rides solo and keep your heads on a swivel.”
“We need a Church,” March said. “Like other clubs. Somewhere we can talk without worrying about prying ears. Officers only for the most part.”
“Point taken.” I scanned the room and saw Jo playing a game of pool with Knave. “We’ll sort it out. But first, we strategize. Eddie’s reach is long. Rabbit, you’re our eyes. Keep tracking those vehicles.” I turned to March. “You got the muscle. Make sure everyone’s ready for whatever’s coming. Even if that means calling in reinforcements.”
“I’m always ready,” March replied.
“Absolem,” I continued, “dig deeper. Any dirt you find on Eddie, we use it. Hell, see what you can find on his closest people. Maybe we can find something to turn them against each other.”
“Can do, boss.”
“Meeting’s over. Get to work.” They each nodded, and both Rabbit and March walked off.
We weren’t set up for this sort of thing. Partly my fault. I’d been so focused on building a relationship with the people in town, and letting them know we were here to help, that I hadn’t focused on turning this place into a fortress. That should have been my first step. I’d fucked up, and I hoped we weren’t all going to pay for that mistake.
Even when we’d heard whispers of other clubs wanting to move into this area, we’d handled it without much issue. But this time, things were different. This was on a much bigger scale than anything we’d seen since moving to Warren.
We needed to know every move Eddie made, as well as anyone tied to him. I also wanted to know if he was suspicious about Jo’s location. The man hadn’t tried to bribe us before now, so I didn’t think that’s why he was watching this place. No, it had to be because of Jo.
I’d need to call in some favors to get this done right. I flipped open the burner phone I kept in case of emergency, punching in a sequence of numbers I had memorized long ago. The line rang twice before a voice answered -- a voice that brought back memories of hell on earth.
“What is it?”
“Nicky, it’s Hatter. I need to call in that favor.”
There was a pause on the other end. “What’s the ask?”
“Reinforcements. Eddie Lewis has Warren in his pocket, as well as mob ties, and I think he’s coming for us. Or more specifically, he’s coming for his ex, who I have here at the clubhouse.”
“Resources are tight.” Nicky’s reply was terse, code for “This isn’t charity.”
“Name your price,” I said.
“Will do. Stand by for confirmation.”
The call ended with a click. I stared at the device in my hand, knowing that whatever help they could send wouldn’t come without a steep cost. But this was about survival -- ours, and Jo’s. And you couldn’t put a price on that.
* * *
A couple of days later, things were tenser than ever. The whole place was humming like a live wire, everyone on edge. I watched Rabbit nervously tapping his fingers on the table, eyes darting to the windows every few seconds.
“Stop it,” March said, his hand slamming onto the table as he turned to Rabbit. “You’re making everyone jittery.”
Rabbit didn’t even have time to respond. The scrape of chairs and the surge of movement made my adrenaline spike, and I was on my feet in an instant, ready for combat.
But it wasn’t an attack.
The sound of motorcycles drowned out everything else and I stepped outside just in time to see a line of bikes pull up in front of our clubhouse.
“Reinforcements?” Cheshire asked, coming to stand beside me. His eyes were narrowed as he studied the newcomers.
“Expecting anyone?” March called from the doorway behind us.
“Yeah,” I muttered as I recognized the leader of the group pulling off his helmet. “Nicky came through.”
“I don’t like it,” March grumbled. He didn’t trust outsiders easily -- a trait that had often served us well. He hadn’t been on the same mission as me when I’d first met Nicky. Otherwise, he’d have known this was the right call.
Regardless of his feelings, we didn’t have a choice now -- not if we wanted to survive what Eddie was about to throw at us. From the intel we’d gleaned the last few days, he was about ready to make his move, and we were firmly in his crosshairs.
I strode forward, arms outstretched in a sign of welcome, and to let them know I wasn’t planning to pull a weapon. “Appreciate you coming.”
“Don’t thank us yet.” The leader flicked his cigarette away, the ember glowed briefly before it sputtered out on the gravelly surface. “We haven’t done anything but show up.”
Their grim faces told me everything I needed to know. They were ready for a fight. They didn’t care about making friends, or even small talk. These men were all business.
“What kind of club are you from?” March asked.
“Not one. My name’s Shake. We only brought the bikes so we’d blend in.”
Shake took a moment to introduce the others, and each had a hardened look in their eyes. These guys didn’t only have military training. No, I’d be willing to bet they were mercenaries. Men like these didn’t do well as civilians. Hell, none of us had either until we’d decided to form this club. But Shake and his crew were on another level.
“We need to inspect your property,” Shake said. “See what the easiest spots would be to fortify. No time to waste.”
Jo took one look at the men as we went inside, and she disappeared to her room. I’d noticed the frightened look on her face, and knew I’d have to go explain things. Which meant I’d have to come clean about what we’d been doing lately. I only hoped it didn’t piss her off.
“Shake, I have something to take care of, but March and Cheshire can help with anything you need,” I said. Without giving either of my brothers a chance to protest, I took off to Jo’s room.
“You okay?” I asked, stepping into her room. She turned to look at me, her eyes welling up with unshed tears.
“We’re fighting a war, aren’t we?” she whispered. “And it’s all because of me. Eddie wants me back, doesn’t he?”
I stepped closer, my heart clenching at the weariness in her voice. “No,” I assured her. “This is about much more than you, Jo. Eddie is a threat to everyone. Yeah, he may be targeting the club because he knows you’re here, but we’d have to take him down regardless.”
“But if I hadn’t come here --”
I cut her off before she could finish that thought. “You are safe here. We’ll do everything we can to keep it that way. And not just you. We need to take Eddie out of the picture so everyone in Warren won’t have to deal with his cruelty.”
Her eyes searched mine for a long moment before she nodded. “Thank you, Hatter.”
Before I could second-guess myself, I pulled Jo into my arms and kissed her. Her breath caught, and she gripped my shoulders tight. If she’d tried to push me away, I’d have let her. Instead, she clung to me.
My lips devoured hers as I let all my pent-up frustration and passion free. I’d wanted her since the first night I brought her here. And now she was in my arms, and I didn’t plan to let her go.
“When this is over, we’re going to talk,” I said.
She lightly touched her lips and nodded.