Chapter 17
We got back on the road and drove through the night until we came to another random motel along the highway. As much as I loved riding on the back of German’s bike, it was going to be a long time until I wanted to do it again. My ass hurt and my legs were numb from the constant thrum of the motor. And don’t get me started on how tired my arms were! After holding on to his waist for hours on end, my wrists and fingers were cramped and achy. Who would have thought riding a bike was so much work!
Getting some sleep, we got up early the next morning and headed for the Devil’s Riders Compound. Since the drive to Buse was still over ten hours away, we stopped and borrowed a pickup from a guy along our route who owed Hammer a favor. Loading the bike into the back of the beat-up old Ford, we covered it with a tarp and continued on our way.
Arriving in Buse at around ten the next evening, I was absolutely spent. Wanting nothing more than a shower and bed, I stumbled alongside German through the door of the Compound. Looking like half-warmed over roadkill wasn’t exactly the first impression I would have chosen to make with the Devils.
Thankfully, we didn’t bump into anyone as German ushered me up the stairs and into his room. Showing me around, he told me to go ahead and get cleaned up while he went to speak to his Brothers.
Like a robot, I nodded and walked to the bathroom where I stripped down and showered as quickly as possible. Practically crawling to the bed with exhaustion, I spotted a stack of clean laundry on German’s dresser and grabbed an oversized T-shirt. Not even bothering to root through my bag for a clean pair of underwear, I yanked back the covers, crawled inside, and promptly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
* * *
Buse, Nevada
German
“It’s good to see you, German,” Reaper greeted, as I walked into the large conference room. Beside him were my VP Hawk, our tech Brother Pipe, our Club Enforcer Ox, and Hammer, the Club Mechanic.
Tossing the keys to the pickup back to Hammer, I said, “Thank your friend for letting me borrow his truck. Let him know second gear sticks a little and needs to be checked out before it gets worse.”
“I’ll fix it before I get it back to him,” Hammer said, pocketing the keys.
“Any problems on the road?” Hawk asked, his ever-watchful gaze as perceptive as the animal he was named for.
Taking a seat, Ox tossed me a beer and I cracked it open. “Nope, but to play it safe, we only stopped twice for gas and food breaks.”
“That’s good. It’s about the only news that is,” Reaper prefaced, accepting a beer himself.
Christ! What did that mean? Pipe must have found something in his informational search that didn’t bode well for either Maddy or her father.
Turning toward Pipe, I said, “What did you find?”
Pipe’s brow hiked. “It’s more like, what didn’t I find?”
“Let’s hear it,” I said, thinking I should have asked for something stronger than beer.
“For starters, Framingham’s business partner, Ken Mitchem, has had his hands in all sorts of pies over the years. Many, of which, were of the illegal variety,” Pipe explained.
I wasn’t surprised. If the man had led a clean life, I doubted he would have ended up in pieces in the trunk of his car. “Just give me the highlights.”
“Fraud, computer hacking, software theft,” Pipe listed. “And, the thing that most likely got him killed, money laundering.”
“Who for?” I asked.
“The Russian mob,” he provided.
That would do it. “Was he skimming from them too?”
Pipe nodded. “Yup. Bastard thought he could double dip by getting paid to hide their illegal transactions, then taking an unapproved five-finger discount on top of that.”
“Guess that blew up in his face,” Reaper added, shaking his head in disgust. “Greedy bastard!”
“So why is he dragging Framingham’s daughter into this shit?” The thought that Maddy could be on the radar of the Russian Mob made me sick to my stomach.
“We think it’s probably just revenge against her father for firing Ken last year,” Pipe concluded. “His goal was probably to kidnap the girl, use her as leverage against the father for the software he helped to create but won’t benefit from, all the while destroying the company he helped build and was forced out of. It all tracks.”
It did. I just hoped that was all there was. If not, our lack of foresight might put Maddy in further danger. “You think that’s why the cops are so involved? Because the Russians are in on the deal?”
“Probably,” Hawk said, having dealt with his fair share of law enforcement after his Old Lady was stalked by one this time last year. “Those dicks never miss an opportunity to stick their noses in something that doesn’t involve them and make it a thousand times worse.”
That was true. “So how much of this is Framingham aware of?”
Pipe cocked his head to the side. “He knows the broad strokes, but I’ve been keeping the finer details in-house.”
That was probably for the best. “Does he know Maddy’s at the Clubhouse now?”
Pipe laughed. “Do I look like an idiot to you? Tell the man his little princess is being shuttled around from MC to MC? Framingham might be my friend, but he’s still a father. He’d never go for it. I didn’t even tell him the whole story about her near abduction at the coffee shop. All he knows is we have her at one of our safe houses after a minor incident and that he needs to go no-contact for the time being so we can keep her whereabouts a secret. Ignorance is bliss. Know what I mean?”
Per usual, my Brother was right. “Has he had any issues at his conference?”
“Nothing more than the usual bullshit that goes down at those events. Otherwise, it’s been quiet,” Pipe returned.
Framingham was also being watched by bodyguards twenty-four-seven just to ensure his safety. They were a handful of trustworthy guys the Devils knew from the Marines who’d opened their own protection agency and were now operating in the Bay Area.
“While you were gone, I took the liberty of looking into that Ghost issue for you,” Ox said, taking a marathon sip of his beer. “Shit ain’t good, Brother.”
Nothing that had to deal with the Watchmen ever was. I took a moment and filled everyone in on what Maddy’s friend Kayla had told me about Ghost.
“He’s got a rap sheet about a mile long,” Pipe said. “He’s got the usual robbery, assault and battery, theft, type of shit. But, more troubling for that Kayla chick, he’s got a history of stalking. Young women in particular.”
“What’s the criteria for getting into the Watchmen Clubhouse?” Hammer asked then. “Being an asshole rapist?”
“No shit, right? Like their fuckwad President and Ace weren’t enough? They really needed to add to the list of offenders?” Hawk added with disgust.
“Anyone know what ever happened to that piece of shit, Ace? After Hawk stomped his ass into next Tuesday, the guy kind of fell off the grid.” Hammer shook his head with regret. “Boy, am I ever sorry I missed that fight! I would have loved to see that cunt eat pavement.”
Hawk just coldly smiled and shrugged. “Rumor has it he disappeared from his rat-hole apartment a week after the fight. Can’t imagine what happened to him.”
Reaper chuckled and shared a meaningful look with his VP. “Missing? You don’t say?”
I smiled. Served that dick right that Hawk and Reaper paid him a late-night visit. Like Hammer, I was only disappointed I hadn’t been there to witness the cocksucker’s pitiful end.
“German, why don’t you have Maddy reach out to Kayla and see if Ghost has backed off since I sent a little message to the Watchmen,” Reaper suggested. “If he hasn’t, Ox will personally pay the man a visit just like somebody did good old Ace.”
That worked for me. “Will do, Prez.”
“Where’s the girl now?” Hawk inquired. My Brother missed nothing with those perceptive dark eyes of his.
I shifted in my seat, not wanting to have to explain why I’d put Maddy in my room when she could have just stayed in one of the spares. “She’s asleep upstairs. It was a long ride,” I stated ambiguously.
“On your bike or your dick?” Reaper teased, reading me like a fucking book.
I flipped the man off. “You’re an asshole. You know that?”
“Notice he didn’t deny it,” Reaper said with a gleam in his eye. “I hear she’s a redhead, too. Just like German likes ‘em.”
Hammer snorted. “I wish somebody had told me that. That fucker has seen me naked on more than one occasion!”
Everyone erupted into laughter as I sat there looking bored. “Are you ladies done with this joke yet?” I glared at Ox, believing he was the source of the leak.
“Don’t look at me,” he said, hands held high. “I haven’t said a word about the girl.”
“It’s been a long night. I’m turning in,” I told them, eager to get upstairs and check in on Maddy.
The guys laughed harder as I stood. Ox walked to the bar and brought over a bottle of whiskey.
Pouring me a tall glass, he said, “Well, if you’re not pussy whipped like most of these assholes, stay a while and have a drink.”
Not wanting to be away from Maddy, but realizing she was probably unconscious and would be for the foreseeable future, I sat back down and let Ox hand me the whiskey.