Chapter Eighteen
Hatch
WARLOCK TEED UP for another kick to my ribs, but this time I caught his foot as it slammed into me. Fighting through the pain of the blow, I managed to keep a firm grasp on his foot, twisting his ankle in a “gator roll” until he had no choice but to join me down in the mud.
I summoned every ounce of strength I had, lunging at Warlock, fighting for position until I was once again on top.
“I told you not to talk about my wife, but you didn’t listen.”
“Fuck you and fuck her,” were the last words uttered by Warlock while all his teeth were still in his head. After that, dialogue between us was a little rocky.
I beat Warlock’s face until he was unrecognizable.
When I finally stopped, he was barely conscious, but he was still breathing.
I slowly made it to my feet and with my last bit of strength, rolled Warlock’s limp body over, face down in the ever, deepening mud.
But, before I could continue, the sound of a gunshot stopped me dead in my tracks.
At first, I thought I’d been shot by one of the Spiders, which as it turned out, was the plan. Trunk, Warlock’s asshole VP, pulled a gun and had a bead on me, but was shot dead in the heart before he could get a round off.
Trunk’s lifeless body hit the mud with a heavy thud, and I was shocked to turn around to see a Spider named Hendo holding a smoking .38 revolver.
“He shouldn’t have pulled on you,” Hendo shouted. “The code’s the code. It is what it is,” he said, before laying his gun down in front of me.
I turned my attention to the Spiders.
“I gave Warlock every chance I could to back off, but he came after my wife,” I shouted. “Your club came after my wife. My club. My family. Over and over, the Spiders have tried to take from the Dogs of Fire. Well, that ends tonight.”
I stepped on Warlock’s head, pushing what was left of his face deep into the mud. Causing his body to convulse.
“I tried to show mercy, but Warlock isn’t a man who can be reasoned with. He’s an animal. An animal who needs to be put down.”
I put the heel of my left foot on the base of Warlock’s skull, before I putting my full weight down, breaking his neck as I did.
“I promise this is what will happen to anyone that comes after my family or my club. Mark my words. Before you even think of fucking with the Dogs of Fire, you’d better have dug your own grave first. You hear me?”
Nods and mumbles rippled through the Spiders’ ranks.
I turned to Irish Frank. “Now the fuckin’ fight’s over.”
“You heard the man,” Frank said through his bullhorn. “The fight’s fuckin’ over. You know what that means,” he said, addressing the Spiders.
Mack, Razor, and Booker rushed over to keep me upright, followed by the rest of the Dogs, who were going absolutely apeshit. They formed a circle around me, celebrating and cheering and chanting my name like I’d just caught the Super Bowl winning catch after landing on the moon.
Then, one by one, the once proud Gresham Spiders Motorcycle Club members took off their cuts and placed them in a pile in front of me.
Some of them did it with respect, adding a nod or even the occasional slight bow, and some spit or cursed as they did.
I took note of each one of them in my mind should we ever cross paths again.
As the Spiders began to disperse, I limped over to Hendo, the Spider who’d saved my ass from Trunk’s bullet.
“Thanks again for what you did,” I said. “I owe you one.”
“You mean that?”
I nodded.
“Being as you just killed my boss, I’m kind of out of a job, ya know?” he pointed out.
“This mean, the Spiders are closing shop?” I asked.
“That was the deal,” Hendo said.
“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t trust a Spider’s word.”
Hendo chuckled. “Truth is, the Spiders have been over for a while. After the Burning Saints took out Wolf, and everything that went down with the Beast, the club has been running on fumes for way too long. That’s why Warlock was able to take the President patch so easily.”
“Any loyalists I gotta worry about?” I asked.
“No one’s gonna avenge Warlock’s death if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I nodded. “And him?” I asked, pointing to Trunk’s body.
“Everyone fuckin’ hated Trunk. Plus, after what you did for my kid, the least I could do was shoot him for you.”
I cocked my head. “Your kid?”
“Kieran.”
The light finally dawned. “The kid who was tailing us? Fuck, seriously?”
Hendo nodded. “He was tryin’ to help his mother. Warlock was paying him to do jobs behind my back. Shit, I would have never let him do any o’ that had I known. Shit like tailing a rival club member. Anyway, I appreciate you not blowin’ his head off.”
“You can thank my woman for that,” I said. “Besides, my guys said he’s a good kid. And he helped them out of a jam.”
“He told me about that, too. Said your guys clipped Ripper and Ratcatcher because they tried to kidnap one of your old ladies.”
“That’s how I heard it.”
“Two more that won’t be missed,” Hendo said.
“I can personally assure no further blowback from tonight. Like I said, the soldiers we lost won’t be missed, and we’re in no position as a club to make any kind of real move against you anyway.
Warlock thought he could intimidate and run your club.
He thought he could be the new Beast. I tried to tell him he was wrong, but he wouldn’t listen. ”
“You ever do time?” I asked.
Hendo nodded. “Twice. Once here and once back in Nevada where I’m from.”
“What for?”
“Grand theft auto and outstanding warrants.”
“Warrants for what?”
“Moving violations.”
“That’s it? You ever run girls?”
“Shit, no way man. I’ve got nieces.” he replied. “Besides, the Spiders never used me for that shit anyway. I’ve slung meth. Run guns a couple of times. Shit I’m not proud of, but my old lady is really sick and I gotta earn.”
“Your club is holding a mother and daughter somewhere. You know where?”
Hendo nodded.
“Call whoever has them and tell them to drop them both off at Legacy hospital, unharmed. Do you understand?”
Hendo pulled out his cell phone and did as I instructed.
“Good. Now, I’ll tell you what. I want you to pick five guys in your club that you trust. Members without records for trafficking or drugs.”
“For what?” he asked.
“To prospect for my club. We’re growing and I need some guys who know these streets. Not every member of your club is a complete degenerate. I know that. But if you think you and a handful of your guys could hack it, I’m willing to look at patching in some new blood.”
Hendo held out his hand and I shook it. “As for the rest?”
“As of now, the rest of your club are civilians. I don’t give a rat’s ass if any of them patch in someplace else, as long as it’s not in the Pacific Northwest. I mean it. If I see Spiders’ colors in my back yard, I’ll hold you personally responsible.”
“Fair enough,” Hendo said. “And thanks for the invitation. I’ll find some guys for you.”
“And you?” I asked.
He grinned. “You’ll see me around.”
I nodded.
* * *
Rooster
While my brothers were celebrating, I’d stepped off to the side and called Katie. I knew Hatch was fucked up and he was gonna need medical attention. What I didn’t expect was how quickly it would all unfold.
“Where are you?” Katie demanded immediately.
“I can’t tell you that just yet. I need you to listen. Hatch is kind of fucked up.”
“Fucked up, how?”
“Not entirely sure the extent of it, but he’s gonna need medical attention, so we’re gonna bring him back to the club. Can you meet us?”
“Fucking hell, what did you do?”
“Can. You. Meet. Us?” I hissed.
“Kam—”
“Baby, please don’t give me shit right now. I promise I’ll explain everything as soon as I see you. Will you meet us at the club?”
“No.” She let out a long, worried, but irritated sigh. “Bring him to the clinic. I’ll call Gina.”
I hung up and walked back into the fray just as I watched my president and mentor go down.
Hard.
“Hatch!” Flea bellowed catching him before his head hit the mud.
I rushed to help, and between Flea, Mack, Train, and I, we gingerly carried Hatch to one of the club vans, setting him gently across one of the bench seats.
Ace climbed in the back with him since he’d had some medical training back in his armed forces days. While Flea drove, Mack rode shotgun, and Train and I planned to follow on our bikes.
“Katie will meet us at the clinic,” I bellowed over the roar of the pipes. “She’s calling Gina.”
After climbing onto my bike, I waited for Train to do the same, then we followed the van toward the clinic.
* * *
Maisie
I awoke to find myself alone in my room. It wasn’t long, however, before my phone buzzed, and I reached over and grabbed it. It was Dani calling. “Hey, are they okay?”
“They’re not here,” she snapped.
“What do you mean they’re not there?”
“The motherfuckers left their rings and their phones sitting in the middle of the pool table. The place is totally deserted, not even Buzz is here.”
“I knew it!” I hissed, then gasped. “You’re not there alone, are you?”
“No, I brought Daisy with me.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“I’m aware of that,” she bit out. “But considering the fact there is no one here, and Huck’s wherever the hell my kids, our men, and the rest of the club is, I brought Ducky.”
“Translation, you slipped your tail.”
“Well, duh.”
“Jesus, Dani, that wasn’t smart,” I said with a sigh. “We’re at war.”
“I’m fine,” she countered. “I figure I have about ten minutes before Brian figures out where I am, so what do you want me to do, first lady?”
“Meet me here and we’ll make a plan.”
“Honey, you’re healing from major surgery, we are not making any kind of plans that don’t involve you keeping your ass in a bed.”
“Just come to the hospital, Dani. At least I’ll know you’re safe.”
“Fine,” she said. “We’ll see you in a few.”
I hung up, then dialed Hatch’s number, wishing Dani was wrong, but getting his voicemail again, so stupidly, I texted him, and still got nothing back.