8. Inferno
“We’ve got company.”
I lower the kickstand on my Harley and follow Reaper into the clubhouse. As we walk, I take in the bikes parked along the side of the building and know immediately who’s here.
“Why is the human world chapter here?” I demand.
Reaper shrugs. “Viking made them wait to state their business until you got here.”
While Valhalla Rising MC members, dead or alive, are all brothers, there’s no love lost between the two chapters. We’ll work together if we have to, but for the most part, we operate separately.
“‘Bout time you showed up,” Rave, my counterpart, grumbles.
Immediately, my anger spikes. It’s not like I was out partying or some shit… I was working. Which in and of itself is laughable considering I don’t have a heartbeat.
“Trooper, get your VP in line, or there won’t be a meeting,” Viking snarls to the other president in the room.
Trooper turns to Rave. “Keep your thoughts to yourself,” he instructs before facing me. “Sorry about that. It’s been a long couple of days. We’re in the middle of a turf war and didn’t really have the time to come here, but orders are orders.”
“Why don’t we go into the meeting room?” Viking suggests as he starts in that direction.
I stand back and wait for everyone else to follow him before I do the same. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna get caught by surprise twice.
Once we’re all situated in the room, I close the door behind me and move to stand next to Viking.
“What orders are you following?” I ask, wasting no time. “Or better yet, whose orders?”
Not that it’s that hard to figure out.
“You know as well as we do that Odin is the only one we take orders from,” Stoner, their Sergeant at Arms, bites out.
“What. Orders?” Acid enunciates.
Trooper glances from Acid to Viking to me. “We were to report any activity regarding Emmaline Daniels to you.”
My muscles tense. “Activity?”
“We’ve got access to sources you don’t,” Doom, their Road Captain states matter-of-factly.
“Like what?” I demand, annoyed that they might be better equipped than we are. Why the fuck would Odin send us here unprepared?
“Law enforcement databases,” Mummy, their Enforcer, says. “Social media, employment records or databases, traffic cams…” He shrugs. “Stuff like that.”
“What activity are you here to report?” Viking asks way more calmly than I feel.
“Seems Miss Daniels filed a police report tonight,” Mummy states, his shoulders tensing. “She thinks she has a stalker.”
“That’s gotta be it!” Reaper exclaims.
I whip my head in his direction. “What?”
“Why we’re here,” he explains. “What we’re supposed to protect her from.”
“Wow,” Rave drawls. “You hadn’t even figured out what the fuck you were keeping her safe from?”
Viking lunges forward, but before he can connect with Rave, Trooper grabs his arm and hauls him back.
Guns are drawn all around.
“Let him go,” I sneer, pointing my weapon at Trooper’s head.
Doom presses his pistol to my temple. “Drop it,” he commands.
“Have your guys lower their guns,” Viking growls at Trooper.
Trooper glances around the room, and then nods at his men. One by one they drop their arms, and when I do the same, my brothers follow suit. Finally, Trooper releases Viking, who takes a step back and straightens his cut.
“Talk shitty about my men or our methods again, and nothing will hold me back,” Viking sneers at Rave. “Got it?”
Rave glares but doesn’t speak. Trooper smacks him upside the head.
“Answer the man,” he orders. “I’m not in the mood to answer to Odin if we all can’t get along.”
Rave swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and takes a deep breath. “Got it.”
“Back to Emmy,” I urge. “You say she filed a police report?”
Mummy nods as he reaches into an inner pocket of his cut and pulls out a thin file. “It’s all here,” he says as he hands it to me. “Seems she had a note on her car not that long ago, and earlier tonight she received a letter in the mail. She reported that both are from the same person, but she has no clue who the person is.”
I look through the report and learn nothing beyond what Mummy just stated. Emmy clearly has no idea who’s behind either note, but they’ve scared her into thinking she has a stalker.
“There’s a copy of the letter she got tonight in there,” Trooper says.
I flip to the last page and skim the words. Rage burns beneath my skin, and flames begin to dance along my arms. Suddenly, the papers are ripped away from me, and Viking is gripping my shoulders.
“Inferno!” he shouts. “Get control of yourself.”
I lock eyes with my president and focus on the way his touch mimics the feel of
water.
“Breathe, brother,” he coaches. “In, out, in, out.”
Following his instructions, I’m able to calm myself enough that the fire dissipates. Once he’s sure I’m not going to combust again, he takes a step back.
“That never gets old,” Rave comments. “I can’t wait until I have the abil?—”
“You don’t want this,” I snap, staring daggers at him. “Trust me on that.”
“Anyway,” Trooper says, pulling all of our attention to him. “Thought you should know about the report, and now that you do, we’ll be on our way.”
Viking thrusts out his hand. “Thank you. If anything else comes up, please let us know.”
Trooper stares at Viking’s hand for a long moment before shaking it. “Will do.”
The living Valhalla Rising MC brothers make their way out of the room, and only when I hear the front door close behind them do I turn and face my crew.
“Now what?”
Reaper grins. “Sounds like things are about to get interesting.”
“How are we supposed to figure out who the stalker is?” I ask, ignoring Reaper’s excitement.
“You keep doing what you’re doing,” Viking replies. “Go to work, get close to Emmy, figure shit out.”
“You make it sound simple,” I bite out.
Viking chuckles. “Inferno, there’s nothing simple about it. Emmy’s a living female. Reaper might think things are gonna get interesting, but I know they’re only about to get fucking complicated. You better buckle up.”
“Buckle up? I ride a damn motorcycle.”
“Then put on your helmet,” he retorts. “Because something tells me you’re gonna need it.”
Groaning, I stride out of the room, and my brother’s laughter follows me all the way down the hall.
Great. Just fucking great.