Tyrant Chapter 3
A week had come and gone since Arturo and his men had betrayed us.
Still, we had no clue if the Jacquot family had ordered it.
It wasn’t because Crypto wasn’t working on it.
He barely slept when he wasn’t helping Howler with the protection business.
Crypto mainly kept up on the books for Howler, and our SAA had relieved him of most of that to give our technophile more time.
It was because Crypto hadn’t found anything to discredit the Jacquots. I knew that sometimes research like this could take weeks or months to determine. However, until we did, it meant we wouldn’t be able to risk buying more guns from them in case they were guilty and tried to set us up again.
Luckily, I had other resources because I didn’t believe in putting our livelihood in one person’s hands.
We were due to pass through our pipeline next week, the shipment we should’ve received from Arturo.
We didn’t believe in cutting it close when it was our time to send another through.
This time, the outgoing was flying out on Friday of next week. We’d get the cargo on Tuesday.
Everyone had gone home from the garage hours ago.
I’d stayed. I wanted to finish up the bike I was working on, plus I wasn’t in the mood to be alone at my place or to hang out in the clubhouse with the others.
When I felt this way, it was better for me to work.
I was finished, and the bike would be ready early for the guy who’d brought it in to be upgraded with better parts.
That should make him happy. I’d have him called in the morning.
After putting away my tools and washing my hands, I checked the clock.
It was nine. One more thing to do, then I’d be on the road.
I gathered the trash bags I had made the guys leave for me and went out the back door to put them in the dumpster.
Behind the garage was the parking lot where we kept vehicles to be worked on that wouldn’t fit inside, plus our overflow parking and the dumpster.
When the garage was closed, the entire area was enclosed by a fence and padlocked.
After opening the door, I stepped outside and moved toward the big metal bin.
As I did so, I heard a thumping sound. It came from the dumpster and sounded too large to be a cat or dog.
I quietly dropped the bags and eased toward it, taking out my gun.
I was almost there when a head and upper body popped up out of it.
There was enough light back here that we could vaguely see each other.
I heard a loud gasp. The guy tried to scramble out of the metal container.
I knew he planned to run. Not wanting that to happen, I pointed my gun at him and snarled.
“Hold it right there. If you run, I’ll put a bullet in you.”
He froze with his hands raised.
“I-I’m sorry,” he stuttered.
“Mind telling me what the fuck you’re doing in my trash? We don’t tolerate thieves,” I snapped.
“I’m not a thief! I swear. I didn’t think anyone would care or consider it stealing if it was in the trash. I’ll leave. You won’t see me again,” he said.
“Put your hands on the side of the bin, but keep them there and climb out slowly. If you try to run, I’ll shoot,” I ordered before threatening again.
The man pushed up and cautiously swung one leg over the edge, then the other. He then dropped to his feet and stood up from the crouch, which he did carefully. When fully erect, I noted that the guy was a teenager, not a grown man, even though his voice was deep.
“Walk toward me,” I demanded.
Again, he did it, but as he got closer, I saw he was terrified and shaking.
“Stop right there,” I told him. He did.
“If you weren’t stealing, mind telling me what you were looking for in there?”
His head hung down. I thought he wasn’t going to answer, but he did. His reply came out soft, and I heard the underlying shame.
“I was looking for food, sir. That’s all.”
His answer made me jolt. I fought not to let his reply throw me.
“You were looking for food? Why would you think there would be any behind a garage? A grocery store or restaurant would have that. Maybe even a regular store that carries foodstuffs. A garage has things you can steal and sell. I bet you were waiting for me to leave so you could sneak inside and rip off tools or a car.”
He shook his head emphatically. “No! No, sir, I wasn’t going inside to do either. I wanted food. If I couldn’t find any, I hoped there might be some cans I could recycle for money. If they’re in the trash, it’s not stealing, right?”
His answer made my free hand clench. I forced it open. I wasn’t ready to believe him, though he sounded sincere, or let my thoughts go in another direction.
Making a decision, I gestured to the door. “Come with me. We’ll go inside where we can talk.”
“I’ll just get out of your hair,” he offered hopefully.
“No, you’ll come inside, or I’ll have to call the cops or shoot you.”
He didn’t know the cops would be the last people I’d call.
It was enough to scare him to do as I instructed.
As he walked ahead of me into the light, I saw how worn his clothes were.
He was tall, but his clothes hung on him, telling me he hadn’t been getting enough to eat for a while. My stomach churned.
“Go into the first room on your right.”
He did. It was the office Handler and I shared. I pointed my finger at the chair in front of my desk. “Sit.”
He scrambled to do it. Once he was seated, I put away my gun. I doubted he had a weapon on him. I leaned against the corner of my desk and crossed my arms.
“Okay, let’s try this again. First, tell me your name.”
He swallowed before he said faintly, “It’s River.”
“Your name is River. Look me in the eyes. When someone talks to you, you make eye contact. Is River your real name?”
His gaze, though wary, was steady as he nodded. “Yes, sir, it is.”
“Alright, then, River, tell me again. What were you doing on private property in my dumpster?”
“It’s like I said. I was looking for food or cans to recycle. If taking the cans is wrong, then I’m sorry. I didn’t see that as stealing, which means I lied, but it wasn’t on purpose.”
He was nervous, yet I could tell he wasn’t lying. I knew it the first time he told me. I’d made him come inside so I could see him clearly and find out what his deal was.
“Where are your parents?”
“I don’t have parents. They’re dead.” His voice had underlying tension, but I couldn’t tell if there was grief.
“What about other family members? Surely you have someone,” I said.
He hesitated, then shook his head. “No, I don’t have any family.”
That was his first lie. I didn’t want to acknowledge why it mattered whether he was lying or not, or why I needed to know. I tried again.
“Are you sure? Or did you run away from home? Or from a foster home?” I fired back.
“No, I haven’t run away from a foster home or my parents’ house. I’m alone.”
The first two things were true, but the last one was a lie again.
“Boy, let me tell you something. You don’t lie to a man like me.
See this?” I paused to point to my colors before continuing.
“This is a cut. I’m a biker, and this here is my rank.
I’m the president of my club, the Kings of Anarchy.
My name is Tyrant. I’ve killed men for lying to me.
You don’t want to do that. I know you’re lying about not having other family.
Tell me the TRUTH.” I boomed out the last word.
He jerked, and fear entered his expression. “I-I’m sorry. I can’t tell you that. Please, don’t ask me again. If you have to kill me, then do it, but I’m not saying another word.” He crossed his arms.
I roared and was about to grab and shake sense into him, even though he impressed me with his grit.
Grown men twice his size wouldn’t dare do what he’d just done.
What stopped me was a woman’s voice screaming his name.
I swung to face the door. River came bounding to his feet.
I saw his mouth opening. Before he could yell, a woman came running into the room. He placed himself between her and me.
“Run!” he shouted at her.
I knew if I let them get away, I’d never see them again, so I latched a hold of his arm as he tried to escape. The woman had turned to flee, but when she glanced back and saw I had a hold of him, she froze.
“Leave me. Run,” he pleaded with her.
“No, I’m not leaving you here with him. Mister, I don’t know why you were yelling at my brother, but if you don’t let go of him, I’ll make you,” she snapped.
I couldn’t help but be amazed by the amusement her threat caused, as if someone her size would scare me.
She was above average in height, about five feet seven.
She was curvy, though not overly voluptuous.
It was her weight that told the difference between us.
I had nearly eighty to a hundred pounds on her. It was all muscle.
“I’d like to see you try. I’m not letting go of him. If you want to leave, by all means, go ahead,” I taunted her to see what she’d do.
“Go,” he begged her. Instead, she walked around him to face me.
“Why were you growling like some demented bear?” she demanded.
“He was lying after I told him not to do it.”
“What did he lie about? And what is he doing in here?”
“He told me he had no family, which is an obvious lie. And I made him come in here after I found him digging through the dumpster out back. I wanted to make sure he wasn’t planning to steal something.”
She gasped as if outraged. “Well, of course, he wasn’t planning to steal. He’s a good kid. He wouldn’t do that.”
“Oh, so he was casing the place so you could both come back and steal from me,” I tossed out. The look of outrage made me want to smile and laugh. What the hell? I didn’t do either of those, especially with strangers.
“Hell, no, we wouldn’t do either. Listen, we’ve upset you, which wasn’t our intention. If you’ll let go of him, we’ll leave, and I promise we won’t come near here again.”
Just as it was with River, I heard the truth. However, I wasn’t about to let them leave.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“What difference does it make?” she countered.
“Because I like to know who I’m talking to. My name is Tyrant.”
She snorted. “Tyrant? What kind of name is that?” she muttered.
“He’s the president of a motorcycle club called the Kings of Anarchy,” River hissed.
This news made her stiffen, and her gaze fell to my cut. I guess she hadn’t noticed that I was wearing it until then. She gulped, and fear entered her eyes. I found I hated the idea that she feared me.
“What’s your name? Why is your brother looking for food or cans in the garbage?” I asked.
She hesitated momentarily, then said, “My name is Lakelyn.”
Her name made me want to smile. Lakelyn was unusual but beautiful, and it suited her.
Their parents had a sense of humor when naming their kids, basically, River and Lake.
I had to fight not to grin. They were both watching me intently.
Tension came off them in waves. What should I do with them?
They’d told the truth about not intending to steal anything.
Digging in the trash wasn’t a crime. I should let them go with a warning to stay away, but I couldn’t.
River had triggered me, and his sister was ensnaring me in a different way.
Christ, I needed to stop this before it went further, but I didn’t. I made my decision.