Chapter 16
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Haze
I stare across at my brother-in-law, not exactly sure where this is going.
“Don’t you have to go back to the Hellions?” I say, folding my arms across my chest. “Not exactly your territory here.”
“Nice to see you too, brother.”
I always did like Max. I can’t fault that he’s had Willow’s back, and that’s cool with me. But he’s also not as dumb as he looks, and I swear to fucking god he uses that to his advantage.
“You wanted to talk,” I gruff. “So fuckin’ talk. Cut City Boys?”
“Yeah, I heard all about that when Willow was undercover. Some pretty shady shit.”
“We eradicated them and sent the Skeletons back to the hole they crawled out of with a little help from the Hellions, your point?”
He scoffs. “A little help?”
“Those assholes gettin’ into our territory ultimately secured their own demise, one we’re very proud of.”
“And I’m supportive of that goal, but the real Cut City Boys originated in Chicago. I had a couple of buddies in the joint that had ties to the Chicago mafia back in the day, the very ones your buddy Riot brought down if I’m not mistaken.”
I pique a brow. “Okay, you’ve got my attention.”
“Then some gun-wielding psycho called Shade came to bring the club down in retaliation for her lover being murdered, and nearly succeeded,” he says, stunning me for a split second.
How does he know so much?
Riot used to be a sniper, but he gave that up a long time ago after he took out the head of the Mancini family back in Chicago. That’s all water under the bridge, so I don’t know why this is all coming up.
“For the record, he took out a crime lord on behalf of the Russians. Dimitri Minkoff paid very well, and let’s just say the Russians have a lot more control over the city than the Mancini clan ever did.”
Dimitri Minkoff runs the city now, keeping it mainly under some sort of civilized order, not that I keep tabs on what’s going on in Chicago. I don’t fucking care.
“That’s where the Minkoffs fell short,” he goes on. “And you’re wonderin’ what all of that has to do with us, right? I’ll get to that.”
I wave a finger at him. “There is no us, pal. Or we. You’re an ally, and my brother-in-law, but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to shit, you got me?”
He grins that famous grin that I wanna knock it off his face. “Oh, but you will if it concerns my sister. I know you two never really gave up on one another.”
“I guess you know all about Shade and her takin’ out politicians, a Chicago senator, then she came after the Rebels, nothin’ new there.”
“I know it’s not a hard timeline to keep track of. I’ve got friends in low places. Even in the joint, I kept up with everythin’.”
I sigh. “Cut to the chase. What exactly did you come here to tell me?”
“The real Cut City Boys run out of Chicago and have expanded to Minnesota, and Michigan—-”
“All places I have no interest in or plan to visit,” I interrupt. “Get to the point, pretty boy.”
“When Willow was undercover investigating that gang, they took the name Cut City Boys right around the time Chicago were expanding their wings.” He holds up a hand when I go to interrupt him, and I hold my tongue.
“They were never real Cut City Boys, ever. My guess is they were plannin’ on bringin’ down the whole network, then takin’ the new reins when Chicago went down.
That’s a whole other story, and let’s just say the leverage changed for the better. ”
“What does it matter now, they’re all dead, and the real Cut City gang are in Chicago. Who gives a fuck?”
“It was a ploy. They wanted to start anarchy. Enlisting the help of the Skeletons meant a fresh beef with the Hellions. In any case, are you sure you got every one of those meatheads for sure?”
I stare at him. “The cops arrested everyone they could get their hands on, we took care of the rest. It’s been years. Nobody was left standin’, mark my words on that. City Boys are bad fuckin’ news.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, they’re actually kinda vigilantes, a lot like us, but a little more ruthless.”
I snort. “I doubt that, and there’s that word again. I still don’t get what this has to do with New Orleans and Willow. So what if the fuckin’ gang was obliterated and Cut City Chicago is left standin’. Who really cares? It’s up to the Russians to take them out if they want.”
“Except they don’t because their leader, Xander Miles, is some kind of goddamn anti-hero.
I know his best friend, Ethan James, we were inside together,” Max goes on.
“They were plannin’ a surprise attack in New Orleans because they found out what was goin’ on with the gang takin’ their name.
They were gonna deal with it. You guys took out the trash before they got here. ”
“Convenient. But what do we care, that’s water under the bridge now. Dead and gone.” Where the fuck is Max going with this when I need to be over at the police station where I can keep an eye on his fucking sister.
“One of the dudes inside when Willow was undercover, his name was Bolt, not the main man in charge, but one of the associates, a real nasty piece of work.”
“He got away?”
“Not sayin’ he did or didn’t, but later, when the Chicago boys came to mop up, that’s how they found out who he was.”
“So? Who the fuck is he?”
“Aaron Bolt: his father was a serial killer.”
My eyes widen. “No shit.”
“He haunted Baton Rouge for the majority of the new millennium until he was caught over a decade ago.”
“What’s this got to do with Willow?”
“Dad told me about the threats, not that he ever really had a choice. I knew he was up to somethin’, and I’d find out eventually. He may not like any MC, but he’s not dumb. He knows that we have numbers and men at the ready.”
“Your dad is a piece of work,” I mutter. “But for him to involve the MC, that doesn’t sit well. I take it you’re tellin’ me about Bolt for a reason?”
“I looked into him a little more closely after Ethan and Xander told me some messed up shit. His pops had a similar MO as the shit that’s been sent to Wills.
A coincidence? Maybe. But there’s no record of him bein’ detained by the police.
Maybe you gutted him already, but it’s worth lookin’ into.
I can only go so far, but you’ve got the resources to expand further. ”
I raise a brow. “Thanks, but why are you tellin’ me this and not your pops?”
“He has a list of suspects a mile long, and we both know what he thinks of my opinions on any subject. Could be nothin’, but it didn’t sit right not saying somethin’.”
For a split second, I feel for the dude. Nobody is ever gonna be higher than Cameron’s ego, that much is for sure, but kids don’t deserve to feel less than. No matter how old they get.
“Appreciate it, any lead is worth checkin’ out. These Chicago boys stayin’ away from here?”
He nods. “They have no plans to expand. If Ethan wasn’t in jail, and Xander caught wind earlier what was goin’ on, I have no doubt they would’ve stepped in.”
“When you say vigilantes?”
“You’d approve. Unfortunately, what happened here gave them all a bad name.
Unlike Bolt, they keep the city clean and deal with the trash.
The Russians don’t care, as long as they’re at the top of the food chain,” he goes on.
“They didn’t like what happened here, so if you get any trouble, I’m sure they’d cooperate. ”
It’s no different from motorcycle clubs all being labeled as 1% clubs who just do bad shit, but we’re used to that.
I give him a chin lift. “Appreciate it, but we can deal with our own backyard, kid. I’ll check it out. In the meantime, if you wanna make yourself useful, make sure you’re around when I’ve got to get to the office. I have prospects on the case, but we all know how easily distracted they get.”
“That’s why I’m here,” Max declares. “Until this shit blows over.”
I go to stand, knowing I’ll have to let Cash know about what he told me. The so-called NOLA Cut City Boys are well and truly over in this city, but in case there’s any backlash later on, it’s better that he knows. “Nothin’ is gonna happen. It’s just some crazy asshole.”
“I hope you’re right. Wills is the only person in my life who ever believed in me,” he says.
I glance up at him, my brow furrowed. “That’s because she’s an exceptional person.”
He smirks. “When are you makin’ it official?”
I roll my eyes. “Shut up, asshole. I’m workin’ on it. You hear anythin’ else, big or small, let me know first.”
“Got it.”
“Bane knows you’re takin’ extended leave?” I ask before I go.
The Hellions may be our friends, but we also don’t wanna take advantage when Max doesn’t belong here or to our club.
“He said to take as long as I need. Family is important to him.”
“Like I’ve been sayin’ your whole life, hotshot. Keep your ass outta trouble. The last thing Willow needs is to be worryin’ about you bein’ in town,” I warn, pointing a finger at him.
“I’ve changed. In fact, I’m reformed. Landin’ in jail may have been the best thing that happened to me. I’ve got a second chance and I’m not gonna blow it. It’s my turn to look out for Willow, just as she’s looked out for me.”
I grunt. I don’t doubt jail was probably the best thing to straighten his ass out, but we don’t have to flaunt it. “Where you stayin’?”
“Motel six. I didn’t wanna intrude at Willow’s.”
“I’ll be spendin’ most of my nights out, if you need a place to crash, let me know.”
His face brightens. “Really? You’d do that for me?”
“If you feed my rabbit, yeah.”
“Rabbit? Holy shit, you went and got a white picket fence, didn’t you?”
I shove him in the shoulder as he stands. “Fuck off. If you cause any kinda trouble, asswipe, goin’ back to jail will be the least of your worries.”
“Told you, I’m not a troublemaker, not anymore.”
That remains to be seen, but the uneasy feeling in my gut now won’t go away.
Did we really get Bolt? Is he behind this? Or is Max clutching at straws and complicating things even more?
“Gotta get back. Check in with me later,” I say.
“Hey, bro?” he calls. I turn around. “We’re buddies now, right?”
I flip him the bird. “Don’t push it, sunshine.”