Chapter 6
Six
Light
I've always thought I could smell trouble before it hits.
Something in the air that warns the internal chemistry that shit is about to go down.
By the time I make it back to the clubhouse, that familiar feeling is rattling around in my bones.
I figured it was because of Melissa but I'm wrong. It's fucking Semi.
The moment I push open the front door of the clubhouse I'm witness to all hell breaking loose.
"Fucking stop! Get off him!" Torch and Hook are yanking back on Semi, who is in a rage. His massive frame pulling forward and his fist cocked back.
"What the hell is your problem?" Vinny wipes a hand across his face, swiping the blood from his lip.
"What the shit is this?" I rush to get in the mix standing between Semi and our prospect Vinny.
"I'm going to knock your fucking head off!" Semi roars and continues trying to get to Vinny.
"You're not going to do shit, old man." Vinny shouts back.
My head snaps in his direction. I don't know what the hell is going on between him and Semi but whatever it is stops now.
Vinny is a prospect, he'll behave as such or he'll be kicked out. That means ultimate respect for all patched members. Semi included.
"You're going to watch your fucking mouth. If Semi has reason to beat your ass, you'll stand there and take it. Ask for more when he's done." I glare at Vinny waiting for him to go against my word.
"I didn't... He just lost it... I wasn't..." He sighs hard and lets his arms flop down to his side. Obviously realizing that there's nothing he can say that's going to make him right in this situation. "You're right. My bad." Nothing but that.
I turn to look at Semi who is still nearly frothing at the mouth to get to Vinny but at least he's not throwing elbows anymore. Both Torch and Hook are out of breath trying to hold him back.
My eyes scan the area and I see in the background near the rooms Brick is standing observing the situation. Luna is right by his side with a wide eyed expression on her face. She's no stranger to violence.
"Semi!" Brick finally barks out and Semi turns his head in that direction. "We need to kill his ride?"
Everyone looks at Semi waiting for his answer.
Torch is the most nervous I can tell. He's the one who sponsored Vinny, so having his prospect ride cut short would look bad on him.
Unfortunately it's one of the many rules that make up this club.
Any patch member can keep a prospect from completing their prospect run for any reason.
If whatever Vinny did to piss Semi off was enough to prevent him from getting his top rocker all Semi has to do is say yes.
There's a heavy silence in the room as we all wait for Semi's answer.
"Nah, just keep him the fuck away from me." Semi shrugs Hook and Torch off his arms and storms out of the clubhouse.
"What the hell happened?" I look between Torch and Hook, both of them shaking their heads equally as confused as I am.
"Light," Brick shouts to me but his gaze is still locked on Vinny. I don't know what kind of punishment the poor guy is going to endure but I'm sure he isn't going to like it.
"Yeah, Prez?"
"Go check on Semi."
I nod once and rush out the door trying to catch up with Semi. By the time I make it outside, Semi is already halfway across the courtyard and on his way to his shop.
"Semi! Hold up!" I yell for him but he doesn't even slow down.
Semi isn't the type of person to get angry.
Hook and Brick, absolutely. A person could look at them the wrong way and they'd be ready to slice them from ear to ear.
Semi isn't like that. He's a jerk but his baseline is calm and collected.
I follow Semi across the courtyard, my boots kicking up dust with every step. He reaches the wide steel door to his shop and throws it open so hard it bounces off the stopper and rattles back into place. Without looking at me, he marches inside.
Semi’s place smells like grease, gasoline, and something sharper, something electric.
It’s a wide-open workspace, with three separate bays big enough to house full-size rigs.
His pride and joy, a gleaming black Peterbilt, is tucked into the farthest bay.
The second bay holds a battered red Kenworth he’s been rebuilding for months.
The third is empty, stripped down to bare concrete and oil stains.
There’s a cluttered desk shoved against one wall, loaded down with paperwork, cheap coffee cups, and a few ratty flyers for custom jobs.
An old vending machine hums in the corner.
Hand tools are stacked on pegboards. A few Brutal Chains MC T-shirts and hats hang on a rack near the door, the kind of cheap merch we sling at local events.
This is Semi's kingdom. Organized chaos, built tough and stubborn, just like the man himself.
I step inside, letting the door close behind me.
"Semi," I call out, softer now.
He heads straight for the workbench, gripping the edge so hard his knuckles turn white. His shoulders are heaving like he’s trying to wrestle himself under control.
"Just fucking drop it, Light," he growls without turning around.
I walk farther in, planting myself about ten feet back. I know better than to push Semi when he’s like this... but damn if my curiosity isn’t eating me alive.
"Look, you don't lose your shit unless there's a damn good reason. So either tell me, or I'm gonna stand here annoying the hell out of you until you do."
For a second, I think he’s going to keep stonewalling me. Then he exhales hard through his nose and shoves away from the bench.
"It’s Vinny," he mutters. "He found some shit when he was cleaning out my rig."
I frown. "What shit?"
Semi glares at me like I’m the idiot. "Pictures."
I cross my arms over my chest. "Pictures of what?"
Semi scrubs a hand over his shaved head. "My ex. Claire."
The name drops heavy between us, heavier than anything he could have punched Vinny over.
"Thought you didn’t talk about her anymore," I say carefully.
"I don’t," he snaps. He sighs a second later, shoulders slumping a little. "I didn’t want to make it a club matter. Didn’t want to drag all this shit into Brutal Chains."
I take a slow step closer. "What happened?"
Semi looks around like he half expects someone else to be listening. Then he yanks open the bottom drawer of his desk and pulls out a wrinkled envelope. Tosses it on the bench like it burns.
"I’ve been getting shit in the mail," he says. "Threats. Pictures. Most of them of her... messed up."
I pick up the envelope, flip through a few of the photos. They’re grainy. Dark. A woman, blond, thin, eyes wide with terror. Her wrists tied together. A bruised cheek.
It’s not just messed up. It’s fucking sick.
My fists clench without me even realizing it.
"Who?" I rasp.
Semi shakes his head. "I think it’s someone from my old crew. From before I patched over with Brutal Chains. But I don’t know who exactly. And whoever it is... they’re not someone to play around with."
I set the envelope down carefully. My skin feels too tight.
"And Vinny?" I ask.
Semi’s mouth twists. "He was cleaning out my rig. Found a photo stuffed in the glove box. Thought it’d be funny to crack jokes about it. Called her a dime store discount. Said I musta been real desperate."
The veins in Semi’s neck pop as he fights the urge to slam his fist into something again.
"I lost it," he admits quietly. "I fucking lost it."
I nod slowly, understanding sinking deep in my bones.
Semi isn’t just pissed. He’s scared. For her. For himself. For whatever storm is brewing out there.
And if he’s scared, we all should be.
"All right," I say, voice low. "You’re not dealing with this alone."
Semi’s eyes flick to mine, and for once, he doesn’t argue.
My mind races with thoughts of what Semi just told me. "You not going to bring Brick in on this? I mean maybe he can help?"
"No...I don't know if the threat is real or not." Semi shakes his head and I furrow my eyebrows and point to the pictures he just showed me.
"How the hell can you say this might not be real. Don't you see the pictures?"
Semi sighs and runs a hand through his hair, "I do.
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've seen pictures of Claire in compromising positions.
She lies like it's her fucking job. I can't trust her.
It's one of the main reasons we split. The last time I was sent pictures like this it was all a fucking trick.
She needed money and thought a ransom was the fastest way for her to get it.
"God damn! Your ol' lady did that? And people wonder why I don't want those kind of problems." I scoff and cross my arms over my chest.
"Yeah, shit was a mess. I haven't been able to reach her or anyone from my old crew, but if these pictures are real that means someone from my past is here in town, fucking with me.
" Semi growls, his lip curling up at the end of his statement.
"They've probably been collecting intel on all of us.
That is if this shit is real. Fuck man, I don't know.
I just know I want to keep this shit to myself until I find out more. "
Gathering intel. Watching.
My heart sinks even further in my chest. "You think they'd only do recon on you or is this something that all of us have to worry about?"
Semi tilts his head and stares at me for a second, "If it's really them then it would be all of us. Why?"
"You think they'd go after the people we associate with? The Ol' ladies?" Of course I'm worried about Bea and Luna but all of us have special people in our lives that we need to protect.
"They'd get intel on everyone associated. My old crew was ruthless, not just against men either."
"Fuck!" I groan and start pacing in the small space.
"What's going on? I feel like you're not telling me something." Semi stands in front of me to keep me from moving.
"I don't know if it's connected or not but it could be." I look up at him, both of us with killer expressions on our faces.
"Speak on it."
"The woman I've been going to help...Melissa."
"Oh you mean that pretty little thing that keeps mysteriously having electrical difficulties?" Semi smirks.
"Yeah, I thought it was all just a ploy too but it's legit.
She refuses to tell me who is messing with her but her lines were cut through and the last couple of times I've been there I saw evidence of someone watching her through the windows.
Cigarette butts on the floor, hand prints on the siding.
I don't know when this started but she's only reached out to me recently.
You don't think this has anything to do with your old crew does it? "
It's far fetched. I'm reaching for a solution that might not even be real but the more I think about it the more it feels like something I need to rectify.
"I don't know man. They could have her in their sights. She's close enough in location to the club. They could be thinking she's connected to you. To us." Semi is at a loss too.
"I need to find out."
Semi nods his head quickly, "Yeah man, I get it. Look, don't bring this to Brick yet. Let me dig more, find out if this is real before we go on high alert. In the mean time, just make sure the little lady is protected."
"Hmm." I nod and put my hand out to clap Semi's shoulder. "We'll figure this shit out. Let me know the minute you figure something out. I'll go keep an eye on Melissa."
With that I turn and walk out of Semi's space.
My thoughts already running rampant with the information I just received.
Melissa may not have asked me for help but if what's going on has anything to do with BCMC then it's my duty to make sure she's good.
Truth or lie, this isn't just about Melissa anymore.