Chapter 12 #2
“Want a ride? You’ll have to sit next to a fucking jackass, but hop on in, guys,” Leo says, sounding like an enthusiastic tour guide, ready to show us all of the wonders of a new town.
Scott and Shorty get into the back seat, Shorty sitting closest to Keith while I climb in the front.
Leo drives us the short distance from the bar to the store we’d stowed our bikes away at.
We exit the truck just as quickly as we’d entered.
I give Leo the go-ahead to take off since we’ll likely catch him once we get on the road.
I unlock the saddlebag and dig out my leather jacket since the temperature has continued to drop and the night air will be cold on the bike.
Scott follows suit while Shorty stands there with his arms crossed.
“That’s not even funny. Ain’t no way in hell I’m going to fit in anything Clayton’s got. Dude’s twice my damn size!”
Scott laughs as he slips his arms inside his jacket. “Sorry ‘bout your luck.”
“I’ll make sure we give you a gold star at church,” I joke, latching my helmet before I slip my hands into my gloves.
“Screw you guys,” Shorty laughs through a sudden shiver. He’s straddling Clayton’s bike, ready and waiting on us.
I take off one of my gloves and tap Digger’s name on the call list.
“Hey, man. What’s up?” he asks, and I hear the chatter in the background fading.
“I need something from you. Our cleanup crew consisted of Old School and Snapper, and…well you see how well that’s going.
I need you to grab the Saints that are there and take them with you to clean up the sites.
I can have Snapper send you coordinates as men get back to the clubhouse and report to him. ”
“Yeah, no problem Prez. I’m on it.”
“Oh, and Dig?”
“Yeah?”
“Leave Gater out of the loop on this one.”
“You got it.”
The call ends and I set it in the cell phone holder on my handlebar.
I fire up first, the other two right behind me as I take off in the same direction as Leo.
I pull the throttle back, taking off as fast as I can.
Scott and Shorty are right there with me, trying to keep up.
I slow down as we approach the only red light between the bar and the clubhouse.
When it turns green, I’m on it again. Once I’ve gotten a small taste of the speed that always seems to level my head, I let off, slowing down as we enter a long curve.
It doesn’t take us long to get back to the clubhouse and from the looks of it, a lot of the guys are already back as well. I smile a proud smile, a proud accomplished smile. I park near the front entrance and walk in before the rest of the guys. I need to talk to Snapper first…alone.
Snapper is already in one of the rooms beneath the stairwell, likely beginning his methods of torture on his newest victim. I knock at the door and am met with a loud bang from something metal colliding with the wall near the door. “What?” he growls, unamused at the interruption.
“It’s me.” My declaration gets the door open for me and Snapper emerges.
“Look, you know I’m in the middle of something, right?” he asks, his eyes wild.
“Yeah, that’s why I’m here. I talked to Gater earlier. Something is off with him, and I don’t like it. I need you to find out who’s been feeding him information. He knew about the house.”
Snapper’s eyes widen, but he doesn’t comment on it.
“I’ll find out what this guy knows.” The sincerity in his voice assures me that he will do just that.
I leave Snapper to what he does best and head back into the bar area that is filling up with Hounds, Saints, and Sinners who had successfully completed the tasks they were given, or more-so, taken the life they were assigned to take.
I move through the crowded room, making my way to the office. I know Snapper would’ve delegated someone to take his place, ensuring every job that was given was completed. Snapper is thorough when it comes to shit like this, which is precisely why he is the one in charge of setting it up.
Mario sits at one of the three desks in the office. He is one of the newest members in Baton Rouge. Originally from Belize, he’s tanned and speaks with an accent. However, he is one of the most trustworthy men in the club. There was no question as to why Snapper put him in charge.
“What’s up, man?” I ask, greeting Mario. Mario has been out of town for work for the past few weeks, but when he got wind of what was going on back home, he did what he could to get back as soon as possible. From the looks of it, he showed up just in time.
“Hey, Prez.”
“You got here just in time.”
“I know. Snapper brought me up to speed when I got in.”
“I need something from you, but I need it to be between you and me.”
Mario eyes me suspiciously, but doesn’t question me. “Okay,” he says hesitantly.
“Send Digger the coordinates for every completed job with a fatality.”
Mario nods, pulling his phone from his pocket and begins going through the stack of paperwork that lines his desk.
“Thanks, brother,” I say before closing the door behind me.
While everything is being taken care of here, all I can do is wait. Wait? I don’t wait. I make shit happen. Fuck this.
I search the clubhouse for Scott. As big as he is, somehow he is always the most well-hidden fucker in the building. It takes me a good twenty minutes to find him. He’s sitting down in a corner from which he can see everything around him. Eyes on all entrances, no one would be sneaking up on him.
“I’m going to the house. Got some unfinished business to take care of there.”
“You want me to ride with you?” Scott asks.
“Yeah, come on.”
Lilly
Four in the morning. It’s four in the morning and I’m the last ol’ lady awake aside from Ryan.
She’s curled up on the couch with Gater and they’re in their own little world, oblivious to my presence in the kitchen.
The other guys are outside somewhere, guarding the house like it houses the most precious gems. I sit quietly at the bar.
Seeing as our dining room table isn’t here yet, the bar is all I have for furniture.
I can hear Gater and Ryan’s conversation from where I sit.
“What have you really been doing all this time? I know that the club isn’t where you’ve been getting all this money.” Ryan’s voice was quiet, yet clear.
“I told you I’ve been working more at the shop to help cover for Cass while he’s been gone.”
“All night long, too? The shop closes at five, Gater!”
“No, at night I’m out doing club shit.”
“What kinda club shit?” I can tell by her tone she is growing more annoyed with each passing minute.
“Ryan, I’m not having this conversation with you right now,” he sighs, then everything is quiet.
The sound of motorcycles approaching has the hair on the back of my neck standing up.
Stirring outside the windows at the front eases my mind, if only a little.
The guys would protect us. I walk over to the kitchen window, peeking out to see if I can spot anything from where I am.
Two motorcycles pull into the driveway, straight back under the carport.
I’ve never been so happy in my life to see a chrome helmet.
Cass steps off his bike, Scott right behind him.
I’m yanking the back door open before Cass can grab the handle to walk in. Without warning, I barrel into his arms, nearly knocking him to the ground. He finds his footing though before we tumble over.
“Hey to you too, beautiful.” He squeezes me tightly as I cover his face in kisses.
“Hi,” I whisper, resting my forehead on his. My eyes are closed and I’m soaking up his presence.
“I’m gonna put you down now so we can go inside.
” He sets me on my feet, and I walk through the door, allowing him and Scott to enter along with me.
Linc and the strawberry blond prospect are now in the living room, sitting across from Gater and Ryan.
Brock is nowhere to be found, figuring he found somewhere to get a cat nap in.
I know he’s going to update his brothers and the rest of the guys on what is going on and what has already happened, but I can’t deny that I’m a little bit jealous.
I’ve been missing him something fierce and want nothing more than to be selfish.
Tell all these people to leave. Take Cass to bed.
Curl up with him and talk for hours. Hear everything he has to say.
Then rip his clothes off. Take my time pleasing him. Loving him.
I curl my hand around his arm, and he jolts. My fingers graze over something thick and wet. When the light from the kitchen shines on us, I see the blood. “I cut it. Easy, it hurts.”
“You need to clean it before it gets infected.”
“I will. In a little bit. First, I need to chat with some of these guys.”
I nod and head upstairs, giving him privacy.
I know what that means. When he has something to say, it’s usually done in private.
I respect that, for the most part. I especially respect it when he’s no longer in danger and I can breathe easily knowing that he isn’t plotting to go put himself in danger again. Today, anyway.
The other ol’ ladies are asleep in our master bed and I don’t want to disturb them.
Besides, I have a craft room upstairs that we put a few things in yesterday, including a futon.
It has a black cushion and is put together with black painted metal.
I curl up on it, telling myself I won’t get comfortable but I know better.
I knew as soon as my head hits that soft cushion that I’d be dead to the world.
Exhaustion from not sleeping is finally starting to kick in.
Cass is here and safe and I am free of worry for the moment.
Free of worry long enough to drift off into a peaceful slumber.