Chapter 21
Cricket
After the meeting between Duke and Mikhail to finalize the alliance between the Russians and the Crows, we’d left Savage Delights and gone straight back to the clubhouse so we could go over our plan to hit the Raiders.
It had been too long since I’d let my darker side out to play, and quite frankly, I was itching for the chance to kick the shit out of some arsehole.
I was usually a pretty laid-back guy, but every once in a while, I had to bleed the anger out of my system.
Fucking up an enemy club was exactly what the doctor ordered.
While the Iron Raiders were a regional club like Los Cuervos, that was where the similarities ended between our MCs.
They ran guns, drugs, and people through our northern and southern borders, laundered money, ran protection details, and were looking to expand their influence with help from the Callahans.
I knew that none of us were saints, but there were some lines I believe you just couldn’t cross without compromising your soul.
The Raiders had no problem obliterating any line standing between them and their greed for money and power.
Rook clicked something on his laptop and projected a map onto the wall behind him.
“The red dots are clubhouses, and the smaller blue dots indicate MC businesses.” The Iron Raider territory featured bars, strip clubs, pawn shops, and used car dealerships.
“They are in business with the Barrera Cartel south of the border, and the Turkish Mafia outfit from Vancouver,” Bear detailed.
“Murat Demir, the Turkish boss, is a relatively new ally, and rumor has it he’s not thrilled with the way the Raiders do business.
” Rook clicked again, and new images spread across the wall.
“These are the Iron Raider chapter presidents.” He gestured to the eight largest photographs.
“And the rest are high-ranking Raiders.” Four of the smaller pictures already had bold red X’s across their faces.
Two of them belonged to the bastards that Indigo and Bones had killed the night our home was attacked.
I’d had to help Tank get their bodies ready for Georgia, and I’d never forget their ugly faces.
The other two must have belonged to the men Indigo had left dead in Dante’s Dairy Queen, as she called it.
Rook had found a way to access tons of personal information for us on the Raiders' numbers, feuds, allies, and potential weaknesses.
I never noticed that the guy was a complete data dork.
Although Rook was a few years younger than the rest of us, he always projected a very chill, relaxed attitude.
Right now, Rook seemed like another person, deeply entrenched in his element.
If left alone long enough, he would probably compile a cost-risk analysis of our attack on the Iron Raiders and likely indulge himself while examining a bar graph or something.
Curious if anyone else noticed the shift in our new brother, I scanned the room and caught Bones eyeing Rook warily while Duke and Priest lifted identically shaped brows over equally bright blue eyes.
We four definitely noticed, but the rest of my brothers didn’t seem to.
Duke and Rook would be discussing any other marketable skills that Rook might be hiding, but now wasn’t the time for modesty.
We needed to have every weapon at our disposal and ready to protect what was ours.
Rook and Bear finished going over their recon, and a hush came over the room as Duke leaned forward on his elbows, hands clasped and fingers laced together.
“I spoke with the other presidents and Petrov. Given our history with the Raiders and the loss of civilian lives that occurred in the last war between our MCs, we’ve decided to launch a coordinated strike.
We’re gonna hit every single Raider clubhouse and business at the same time, and wipe ’em off the map once and for all.
” Duke’s blue eyes took on a steely quality as he continued.
“In two days, we’ll strike with men from each of our chapters, Petrov’s soldiers, and reinforcements from the Frozen Furies MC.
Hopefully, we won't let them know about our alliance with the Petrovs yet. No one ever told Pyro about our FFMC connection, so hopefully, he didn’t weasel it out somehow before betraying us.
If we strike fast and hard, we can end this war before it escalates.
Riot seems to want Indigo above all else, but it’s only a matter of time before he shifts from trying to take her to doing something drastic to draw her out.
” Duke sighed and sat back in his chair.
Priest took the reins from his father seamlessly.
“Clover's research shows that Petrov has vast numbers and operates a tiered system, with his vory managing their own territories and sectors of the business and Mikhail at the helm. A different vory oversees each territory in the country. They’re like…mini-pakhans…or brigadier generals to Mikhail’s commander-in-chief.
Regardless, with the snap of his fingers, Petrov could summon every member of the Russian organized crime syndicate in America.
Don’t ever tell that prick Riordan I said this, but we’re lucky that they want to be our allies in this.
He’s calling up his men near each of the Iron Raiders’ clubhouses so they can join forces with our men and the Frozen Furies. ”
“If Petrov’s people can bolster our ranks, why are we even involving the Furies?
” I ask, wondering why Duke would bother our MC allies.
We generally only worked together when we were busting trafficking rings.
Our club’s Colorado and Utah chapters were the only ones who bordered Frozen Furies MC territory, but they’d always had an amicable, if distant, relationship.
They didn’t fuck with us, and we didn’t fuck with them, but every once in a while, we came together to fuck with someone else.
“I made a promise to Tisi that if we ever went after Riot and the Raiders, I’d send word.
” Tisi was the prez of the Wyoming chapter of the Furies and had met Duke during the Salt Lake City incident.
The crucible of that bloody night had forged an alliance between the Crows and the FFMC.
“Tisi and Riot have…history. The Furies are more than willing to back us up on this.”
Idly, I wondered what their history was, but I pushed the thought away as Bones piped up from my side.
His arm was still in a sling, but I could see a small bone pinched between his thumb and middle finger of his left hand as he used it like a worry stone.
“Who’s going to protect the clubhouses during the attack?
We can’t leave the women and families vulnerable while we all roll out to Raiders territory. ”
“Each prez will leave behind a small group of Crows to protect the compounds, and Petrov has pledged some of his men at each location to guard the perimeter. Plus, our ole ladies will have shit locked down,” Duke said with a dark smile.
“I don’t envy anyone who thinks they can fuck with our women and walk away from it.
Clover will also be covering the compound’s security systems so she can raise the alarm and direct reinforcements to any chapter house should they need it.
” This answer seemed to satisfy Bones until Duke added, “You’ll be here if there’s any trouble, Bones.
” Bones glowered at our prez, not that his dark look did any good.
“Don’t give me any shit on this,” Duke growled.
“Your arm is still healing. You’ll stay, and that’s final.
Knuckles, Blaze, and Thor will also stay behind to keep an eye on our interests in Sagebrush. ”
“What about Indigo?” I asked, taking the attention off my brother.
“What about her?” Duke asked with a sigh.
“You know she’ll want to come,” I say with a roll of my eyes. “Not only did they attack her twice but they also hurt her friend and almost rear-ended her van. The girl is practically baying for blood.”
“Well, she ain’t invited. Indigo can either stay here with the ole ladies or spend some time at The Goldfinch with the Petrovs. Either way, this ride is for Crows only,” Duke replied shortly.
“Have fun telling her that,” I mumbled to myself.
“What was that, Cricket?” Duke asked sharply.
“Not a damn thing, Prez,” I said with a smirk.
“That’s what I fuckin’ thought. Now, if the Q&A portion of the meeting is over, get the hell out.
We leave in two days, so whatever you need to do to prepare, get it done.
” Duke turned to speak to Rook and Bear while the rest of the Crows made their way from the room, either to prepare for the upcoming attack or to make arrangements to keep things running smoothly here while the rest of us were off hunting Raiders.
Thor had helped me at Crow’s Landing before, so I was confident my bar would be just fine.
He and Shiloh could handle a night or two without me, and with Indi’s help, they’d be fine.
Just in case, I might text Archer and have him drop by to keep an eye on the bar.
His tattoo parlor, Dark Star Studios, was only a block away from Crow’s Landing, and I knew he wouldn’t mind.