Chapter 7
Tiny
M y laptop hasn’t left my lap once since this morning. Even sitting in that hard-as-fuck metal chair at the police station, I’ve done nothing but flip through screen after screen in an attempt to finally piece together all of this shit like the intricate puzzle that it is.
The only thing that’s pulled my attention away from the screen is the blonde bombshell that’s turned my world on its axis for a hot minute, and that’s something I am not used to. I feel like a teenager that’s never seen a pair of tits before.
Shit.
I’m a grown fucking man with quite a few notches on my damn bedpost, but that little knockout in her designer clothes came in and put me right on my ass. I feel like some fucking prepubescent boy that’s never known the warmth of a willing female before. Fuck.
Take now, for example, as I wait for the rest of the guys to fill the room, my cock getting harder by the second at the image of the blonde pulled up on my screen.
I’m currently situated in my usual spot at the table, reading an article about a bank robbery that Kourtney successfully got lowered to a misdemeanor right out of law school. How the fuck does someone, who was proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, get their charges lowered to a misdemeanor after a bank robbery that resulted in over two million dollars missing? How the fuck is that even possible?
I’ll tell you how– she’s a sorceress that seeps into people’s souls. I’m convinced. That’s the only way to explain how just the sight of her and a handful of simple sentences uttered from her perfect mouth has left me completely enraptured with her.
Sorceress. She fucking has to be.
“Shit,” Ghost grumbles as he enters the room, followed by Tex and the rest of the guys. “Trigger and Bull are on the way. We can start without ’em and fill in later.”
I plug the cords into the back of my laptop, quickly closing the page with Kourtney’s face plastered across it, and click on the arrest records of the two shit stains that were here last night. My computer screen mirrors to the large touch screen across the room.
“Who the hell are these two?” Reaper asks with a snarl.
I push up from my chair and grab my wireless remote. I click on the wall to enlarge the first page. “This is Robert Brown, a 25-year-old felon who has been arrested on multiple charges of grand larceny, arson, petty theft, breaking and entering, and, my personal favorite, being part of a group that runs a shitty chop shop.”
I can feel everyone’s skeptical eyes on the back of my head as I switch over to the other tab I have saved. “Now, meet Jake Davidson, a 26-year-old with arrests including all of the above, plus larceny that resulted in, you guessed it, running a chop shop. He did four years upstate in the same prison where you did your time, Ringer.”
Ringer’s brows furrow. “Zoom in on that picture.”
“I’ll do you one better.” I click through his arrests and select the one showing a mugshot from when he did time with Ringer.
When the mugshot enlarges on the screen, Ringer curses. “I’ll be fucking damned.”
“You know him?” Flame asks.
Ringer nods. “We were on laundry duty together. He stole a tool, and we went on lockdown. I never ratted on him, but when they found it on him, he was convinced I squealed since I was there when he stole it. If you ask me, it was his cellmate that ratted, probably because that’s who he was gonna fucking use it on. We got into it a few times in the courtyard, but he was too chicken shit to ever do anything.”
“That makes a little more sense. But once I discovered the connection, I still couldn’t figure out how these two fucking dropout idiots were able to outsmart my security or knew where we were going to be and when.”
“Get to it, Tiny. I’m fucking tired,” Ghost grumbles.
I wave him off, flipping to another screen. “This is Keith Davidson. Look familiar?”
“What the fuck?” a few of the guys spout in tandem.
“Hawk,” Ghost blurts.
I nod. “Hawk, president of the Dragon’s Ace and, most importantly, Jake Davidson’s older brother. But that’s not all.”
I click to the next image, which shows a young woman holding a small baby in her arms outside the Dragon’s clubhouse. “This is Sydney Carter. Look familiar?”
A few of the guys concentrate on the screen and try to figure out if there is any recognition of the pretty young girl. “Let me make it easier for ya.”
I flip to the next screen, and a chorus of curses from gaped mouths sounds from around the table.
“Motherfucker!” Bones shouts, slamming his fist on the wooden table.
The picture on the screen is one from this very clubhouse a few years back at a cookout. The girl in this picture is visibly younger, no older than sixteen at the time of the party. Sitting next to her, with his arm around her, is Beau.
“That’s Beau’s little sister,” Flame says quizzically.
Ringer lets out a growl and slams his fist on the table. “What do Beau and his sister have to do with this, Tiny?”
I click to the next screen, displaying a picture of the same girl just a few years older, looking miserable and way too skinny, with Hawk holding the same baby right next to her.
“Explain, Tiny,” Bones seethes.
“I did some digging, as I do best. Jake was moved to another prison south of here and was released a year ago, just a few months before Ringer. When he was released, he started prospecting for his brother’s club. Robert came in right after, and the two prospected together. Thanks to social media, I discovered that Sydney and Hawk started dating about a year and a half ago.”
“I need to get a hold of Powers,” Razor says, running his fingers through his fohawk, referencing his military friend who just happens to be a part of the Dragon’s Ace MC.
“Already done. He’s going to be here in thirty minutes.”
Razor’s eyes widen. Ghost frowns at me. “Keep going.”
“This is all speculation until we figure it out for sure, but I figure Beau wants in their club, so how else would he get an in other than helping them with insider information about our club? I mean, think about it. He works in our garage and dated Lilah for however long, so he knows some details about us whether we want him to or not.”
Ringer growls at the mention of Beau having dated his wife.
I fucking get it, dude.
“That doesn’t explain how they fucked with your security, Tiny,” Texas offers with a drawl.
I nod and click into another screen. “That brings me back to this little miss.” On the screen is a mugshot of Sydney, where she looks so beaten down that I truly feel sorry for her.
The screen reads ‘Computer Crime’ in large letters under her picture.
“That’s a reason for arrest?”
“It is when you are hacking into major security networks and disabling alarms to give people access to steal very important and expensive things.”
A soft knock comes from the thick door in the corner. Ghost nods at me, and I quickly minimize the screen, leaving only my Desert Security background on the screen.
“Come in,” Ghost calls out.
Powers steps through the door in a plain white T-shirt and jeans, nodding at the group. I slap a palm over his back and thank him for coming. Fresh bruises litter his face, and his left lip and right eyebrow, once split clean, are closed with crusted scabs.
“Powers, no cut?” Ghost asks and nods at his bare back.
“Not anymore, boss.”
“No?”
“Turned it in yesterday. I’m waiting for a Nomad cut. This branch is a fucking joke.”
Ghost nods, running his finger along his bottom lip. “Sorry ’bout your face.”
Powers waves him off. I offer him a seat, and he takes it without question.
“We need you to answer some questions for us, Powers.”
“Call me Noah, man. I hated that fucking name, but you know how that goes.”
“Noah. Alright, man. Think you can help us out?”
He nods.
I open the picture of Sydney and Hawk again. “Mind telling us about these two?”
“Hawk’s the president, as I’m sure you know.” He forces a chuckle and rolls his eyes. “Syd was a good kid. She was a baby when he started bringing her around. Barely legal I’m pretty sure, and I’m honestly not even sure how she came about. But one second, she wasn’t there, and the next, she was. Then in the blink of an eye, she was pregnant. I honestly think he got her pregnant before she was even 18, but that’s beside the point. Anyway, Syd’s a computer genius. She does all their shit for them– hacking, transfers, everything.”
“So, would she be able to hack into and dismantle cameras around town?”
“With her eyes closed.”
I nod, waiting for him to continue.
“I don’t know what Hawk holds over her. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t hit her, but he must have something because she’s miserable. He treats her like shit. Threatens to take the kid away, kick her out on her ass, and everything in between. He controls everything about her life, so she doesn’t have a choice.”
“Why is she hacking our shit?” Ghost grumbles.
“He’s making her.”
“Why?”
“I think that answer is obvious, Ghost. He wants control of Desert Rose and the surrounding area.”
Ghost slashes the air before bringing his fist down hard on the table. “Not fucking happening.”
I click on the other screen with Robert and Jake’s pictures. “Where do these two come in?”
“When Hawk brought up bringing drugs through, he knew you guys would immediately shut it down, so he decided on taking you guys out. Hawk assigned jobs for his brother to do to show his loyalty. His first job was to run one of you off the road, and the goal was the unlucky bastard wouldn’t make it out alive.”
“Horse,” Bones grunts.
Powers nods. “I didn’t know. I’ve been so distanced from the club lately, busy taking care of my own damn family. I didn’t even fucking realize what was going on. Hawk only involved a certain amount of people in the plans. I wasn’t one of them.
Jake’s a fucking idiot. He can barely get til noon before he’s passed out somewhere in the clubhouse, fucking off on some sort of shit. Who knows. Before you guys shoot me in my seat, know that I didn’t know about the majority of this until yesterday, which is why I turned my cut in.”
Powers takes a shaky breath before continuing. “Then, somehow, a kid named Beau starts hanging around. He’s Syd’s older brother. Jake and Robert knew him from their chop shop days. I think Beau used to paint for them or something. I knew he worked for you guys, and he’s Syd’s brother, but I never questioned it. I guess with Syd dating Hawk, Jake and Robert figured Beau could join the club. To earn his way, my guess is Beau was feeding them information about you guys. They knew everything you guys were doing. Whatever gets said at your garage, Beau is feeding Hawk and his minions,” he says, looking directly at Bones and Tank.
“Shit,” Bones says, scratching his bushy beard.
“The bakery?” Ringer asks. “Was that meant for Lilah?”
Powers nods gingerly.
Ringer throws himself back out of his chair and slams his fist into the wall behind him. Too bad Ringer hits a fucking stud. The bone-crunching sound that follows makes me cringe. That hand’s definitely broken.
“Fuck! I’m going to fucking kill that piece of shit!” Ringer’s losing his cool and pacing behind his chair.
“Trigger’s car? Maria’s car?” Flame asks.
“Those were meant as warnings. Not meant to hurt anyone.”
“How do you know all of this now?” Ghost asks through clenched teeth.
“Last night, Jake and Robert were supposed to come here and do something. I still didn’t get the full story on that, but I was at the clubhouse giving one of the pregnant ol’ ladies an IV infusion when Jake and Robert came limping through the doors. They both had gunshots, and I had to fix them up.”
Powers was a medic in the Marines with Razor, so it’s no surprise he’d have to help.
“Weak men spout a lot of shit when you give them the right pain meds,” Powers continues. “Said they used a burner phone to call it in and gave Ringer’s name as the shooter before they ditched the phone.”
Ghost nods with a scowl. “So all of this is because Hawk wants to bring drugs in?”
“Yeah. And get you out of his way. He knows you wouldn’t let it happen. For Jake, Robert, and Beau, I think it’s all personal because of you,” Powers says as he points at Ringer. “Those three are focusing on their personal connection to Ringer. And Hawk’s sitting back while they all do the dirty work, even if it’s sloppy as fuck.”
“It may be sloppy, but people are still getting hurt. My fucking family!” Ghost barks.
Powers nods, his face softened into an understanding sympathy. “My family is outside in the car. I’m leaving town and getting the fuck away from them.”
Ghost presses his lips together in thought. “Are you safe?”
Powers forces a laugh and shakes his head. “I can handle myself. Besides, Hawk won't leave this fucking state. I’ll be fine until I get to our mother chapter in Reno. Got a feeling the Pres doesn’t have a clue what Hawk is up to.”
“Well, I appreciate you coming by tonight,” Ghost says.
“If it helps, as far as Jake and Robert said, they don’t have anything else planned yet. And Syd’s down right now since Hawk smashed her computer last night after the guys got back. So until he gets her a new one, I think you have time to figure shit out.”
I nod. “That does help. I can secure our network like Area 51. I just need a few days.”
“Thanks, Noah. You’re always welcome here,” Ghost offers as the man stands up to head out the door.
Razor meets his friend at the door for a brotherly hug and a few pats on the back. I wouldn’t doubt if this is the last time they see each other.
“Shit,” Flame grunts once the door is closed again.
Ringer’s sitting in his seat again, carefully cradling his hand. The rest of the group looks lost in thought as we all ponder the new information we’ve just learned. I unplug my laptop and settle back in my own seat, clicking over to the web page I now have favorited and pinned to the top of my bookmarks tab. Kourtney’s social media page opens up, and I take a moment to fixate on the view of her bright smile and get lost in her clear blue eyes.
Two hours after Trigger and Bull are filled in on all the new information we learned. The majority of us are sitting in the common area, shooting the shit with bottles of beer in our hands.
Razor bet on a game of pool, so Tex and I sit at the high-top table next to the pool table while Razor and Patch play a tight game.
“This shit is fucking nuts. I can’t get the picture of that girl out of my head,” Patch says while chalking up his cue as Razor takes a shot.
“What girl?” Tex grunts, taking a pull of his beer.
“Beau’s sister. She looks around my age, I think.”
“She used to come around here when she was a kid. Fifteen or so, maybe. She’s gotta be around 19 or 20,” Razor says, pointing to the far corner pocket before shooting and hitting the eight ball just right, sinking it into the exact pocket he called. “Game,” he grins at Patch.
“Fucker,” Patch rolls his eyes and holds his fist out for a tap before pulling a crisp hundred out of his pocket. “Good game.”
“You’re up, Tiny,” Razor calls as he waggles his brows at me, knowing I’m too fucking distracted that this is going to be an easy hundred bucks in his pocket.
I put the balls in order and am just about to pull the rack off when Razor opens his mouth again. “That lawyer Lilah hired is hot as fuck, huh?”
My glare flies up to him, and the fucker has the biggest smirk on his face. He points at me and laughs. “I knew it. You couldn’t hide your fucking hard-on for her all damn day, dude.”
“Fuck off,” I scoff, hanging the rack on the nail on the wall with a little more force than necessary. Razor leans down to break. I smirk at him when he doesn't sink a single ball.
“Ha. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of her. I’m surprised your laptop didn’t short-circuit from all the drool leaking on it.”
I shove him out of my way before taking my shot. I sink two stripes in before focusing on my next shot.
Over the next thirty minutes, Razor continues to rag on me about all the attention I aimed toward Kourtney today. I shut his loudmouth up by winning the first game before he hits me with a double or nothing.