Chapter 17 #2
I didn’t even notice Josie had slipped a hoodie and some sweats into the pile until we went to pay. I’d been eyeing the hoodie when I hadn’t thought she’d been watching.
She somehow convinced me to get my hair trimmed on our way back to the car too, which it had desperately needed. The dead ends were so bad.
“There’s a cafe I like that makes these really yummy cakes. Can we stop there on the way home?” Josie asked me once back at the car and the driver started loading our bags.
“Can we get another coffee?”
“Absolutely.”
“Sold then,” I grinned, slight guilt hitting me in the chest when I realized how many things she’d bought for me. “But I’m paying for the cake and coffee.”
She pursed her lips in disagreement, but she sighed and motioned for me to get in the car.
“Do I want to know how you have money?”
“No. I’m not stealing your shit to sell if that’s what you’re worried about,” I said honestly, her brow creasing.
“I wasn’t at all thinking that. You’re not involved with—”
“I’m not selling my body or drugs,” I interrupted as I got into the car, letting her slide in after me.
“Good. Please use the card I gave you. There’s no strings attached to it.”
“I know. I like figuring my own shit out,” I replied, hesitating before reaching out to take her hand and give it a squeeze. “Thank you for today though, and for not making me buy fancy girly shit.”
She smiled, squeezing my hand back. “Anytime.”
The cafe was only around the corner, so we were there in no time. It was on the main road opposite the gas station with a flower shop next door and a cute little boutique on the other side.
We sat by the window and ordered coffee and cake, deciding with the taste tester plate so we could try multiple types, and I’d just finished a delicious piece of red velvet cake when I glanced over the road and almost choked on my next sip of coffee.
There were a few cars pumping gas, multiple men wandering around and talking, but it was the crew jackets that caught my attention.
The Satan’s Soldier’s crew being in town was bad news.
“Rory? Are you okay?” Josie asked as she noticed me staring, glancing out the window. “Oh my.”
“Must be some kind of crew convention in town,” I said lightly, and she gave me a look that said she wasn’t falling for my bullshit.
“If things are getting dangerous, then I really think you shouldn’t—”
“If it’s dangerous, Skeet won’t let me near his place. Trust me,” I said quickly, shoveling the last piece of cake into my mouth.
It was lemon, and it would’ve been a lot better if the sour taste of fear wasn’t in my mouth with it. I couldn't exactly just call someone and announce it in a room full of people. Drawing attention to it was stupid, not to mention one of them could be in here without their jacket on.
I downed my coffee as Josie took her merry time, and I knew she was doing it on purpose.
The Soldiers were gone by the time we made our way out to the car, and I had to keep my emotions off my face to stop Josie from panicking too.
I’d have to sneak out once we got home or she’d try and stop me from leaving.
“Aurora,” she called after me when I went to head into the house, thinking I was keeping my plans off my face. I knew she was serious since she never called me that. “Please be careful.”
“I promise,” I answered, changing my mind about sneaking out and heading inside to grab my keys, letting the staff take my things to my room so I could leave.
My eyes scanned my surroundings as I drove, hoping I wasn’t walking into a crew war at the Shed. I was going to get in so much trouble, but I had to make sure the Psychos knew about it.
For a moment, I considered finding Hunter to warn him too, but I shook that thought away. I wasn’t doing him any favors.
The Shed was quiet when I practically ran in, a few Psychos mingling by the bar. There were no fighters training, no yelling, and it seemed most members were out on jobs.
“Where’s Slash or Skeet?” I asked as I jogged towards the bar, finding Samuel there scowling at me.
“Busy.”
“It’s really important!” I bit out, laughter coming from a few of the others.
“I’m sure it is. Lost one of your boyfriends? Pussy lonely? It can wait,” Matteo said bluntly, grabbing my arm and dragging me back towards the door. “Go. Now.”
“Where are they?” I barked, trying to pull away from his grip. “Let me go, you piece of shit! It’s fucking important!”
I was a little bit startled when a door banged open and a shirtless Skeeter stepped out of the room, covered from head to toe in blood. He looked menacing, his monster on full display.
“Hands off or you’ll lose them,” he snapped, glaring at me next. “What are you—”
“Did you know the Soldiers were in town?” I said quickly, knowing something was happening here and I didn’t have time to explain it properly before I’d get kicked out.
He frowned, coming closer until the metallic smell of blood filled my senses.
“They’re in Ashburn?”
“Yes! I was in town with Josie at a cafe and they were filling up their cars at the gas station across the road. I know they’re bad news, so—”
“You did good, baby girl,” he murmured, his eyes flashing to Samuel. “Get hold of Slash.”
Samuel looked pissed as he pulled his phone out, his voice flat. “You’re just going to believe her and call off the job?”
“Why the fuck would she lie about a crew being in town?” Brick asked, surprisingly coming to my defense.
“If the Soldiers are in town, we have men out there who will end up outnumbered. Until we know why they’re here, we need to be careful.
You should be grateful she even came to us after the way you’ve treated her. ”
“She’s a fucking—”
“Shut the fuck up and tell them to get back here,” Skeeter ordered, his sharp gaze returning to me. “I’ll escort you home once I’m cleaned up. You can’t leave here by yourself in case they’re watching. Go wait in the office. Shut and lock the door.”
“Is that necessary?” I asked slowly, and the look he gave me had me shutting my mouth and heading in the direction of the office, my eyes drifting to the open door he’d come out of.
There was a man tied to a chair, a pool of blood under him as his head hung forward.
My steps faltered as he raised his head to look at me, pleading in his eyes. Blood coated his mouth, and when he tried talking, I noticed his teeth and tongue were missing.
I sensed Skeeter behind me before he spoke, a line of warning in his tone. “Office, Aurora. Now.”
After a second, I started moving towards the office again, eyeing Skeeter as I closed the door and he waited to make sure I locked it, then I heard the other door close.
I had no idea what the man had done to deserve that, but one thing I’d learned was no one made a mess like that for no reason. It concerned me slightly that the sight of it didn’t make me nauseous, and I wondered if I was becoming numb to all the violence around me.
I sat at Skeeter’s desk, nerves making my leg bounce. A cigarette helped, but until I knew the Psychos weren’t about to be attacked, I’d worry.
There was eventually a knock on the door and Diesel’s voice came through, so I got up and opened it to let him in.
“You saw them?” he asked as he closed the door behind him, making me nod.
“There were loads of them.”
“Did they see you?”
“No. I was with Josie in a cafe. I didn’t have the Corvette or anything.”
He blew out a breath, relief filling his face. “Good. It might be nothing, but usually when it comes to them, there’s always a reason they’re here. If the Devils knew about you, then the Soldiers might. I hate to freak you out but—”
“I’ll keep my head on a swivel and my gun on me,” I promised, and he relaxed a little.
“Good. Call one of us if you think something’s up. Even if it’s something small.”
“I already do.”
He gave me a wry smile. “No, you don’t.”
“Hey, I called Slash to handle the Devils, didn’t I?” I argued as the door opened and Slash stepped in, his eyes instantly on me.
“You good?”
“I’m fine. What’s going to happen now?” I asked, wincing slightly. “And what did the guy in the other room do?”
Slash cursed, and Diesel glared out the door, most likely at Skeet. “He let you see that?”
“I wouldn’t say he let me. It was a bit hard to hide when he ran out of there covered in blood to stop Samuel and Matteo from manhandling me,” I deadpanned. “I know he did something bad, so what was it?”
“None of your business,” Slash said bluntly.
“Why can’t you just—”
“For fuck’s sake, Donovan. You don’t need to know. Focus on the current issue of a potential crew war. I’ll take you home. Skeet’s going to take forever to clean up,” Slash growled.
“Or I could go with her and one of you guys could pick me up later?” Diesel said dryly. “Both you and Skeet need to be here.”
As much as Slash looked ready to strangle him for it, he was right.
“Don’t worry, bossman. I’ll keep him safe again,” I grinned, my face faltering slightly when Slash spoke.
“You’ve got your gun?”
“Uh, no. I was shopping with—”
“No excuses. As of today, you carry that gun on you at all times. Always within reach,” he said sharply, roughly taking my wrist and smacking his gun down into my palm. “Take mine.”
“I don’t want your gun. We’ll be fine,” I bit out as I tried to hand it back, but he grabbed my throat and hauled me closer until his nose was almost pressed against mine.
“You’ll take it because you can’t guarantee you won't be targeted once you leave. Don’t fight me on this.”
“Won’t you need it?” I asked carefully.
“We have lots of guns. I’ll be okay today,” he replied before letting me go and turning to Diesel. “Text Skeet when you get to her place so his head is on straight. If he’s worried, he’ll fuck things up.”
“I’ve got it,” Diesel muttered, motioning for me to follow him from the office.
He walked out first, and Slash snagged my hand before I could leave too, his voice low.