CHAPTER EIGHT
Apparently, Juan is taking lessons from the kids. He asked the guys in the shop today, why do you park in a driveway and drive on a parkway? He’s a grown-up. I told his ass to Google that shit himself.
~Text from Ben to Kimbra~
Ben
Sitting at the clubhouse waiting for church to start, I’m anxious to find out if we think it’s pieces of the same person as the last delivery. I want to know if we’re any closer to getting Taz and taking care of him once and for all.
Grant is sitting next to me, and he looks upset, more so than I’ve seen him lately, which is saying something.
“You okay, brother?” Erik sits down on Grant’s other side.
He scoffs and answers me before Grant speaks up.
“He’s just being a grumpy ass today because he went all overprotective dad on his grown adult daughter, and today she’s sent him to voicemail and not answering his texts.
” I think Grant actually pouts like a child for a moment and starts to speak, but Erik puts his hand up to quiet him.
He looks at him and points at him. “You know she’s grown up and smart.
You have to let her make her own choices in life.
She will talk to you about things when she’s ready.
You going all Papa Bear on her again won’t help things.
I swear you wonder where Saxon and Samson get their shit from? It’s totally from you.”
Jon comes out and calls church before Grant can say anything, but as we go into church, I’d have to say Erik is right because I swear I’ve seen that scowl on both Samson and Saxon’s faces before.
We all get into church and sit down quickly, all eager to hear what Jon and Jonah found out. Jon calls church to order and looks over at Jonah. “Why don’t you tell them what you found out?”
Jonah nods. “Well, yesterday’s conversation was interesting, to say the least. I spoke with Riff-or Noah, as most of you knew him as a kid.
Anyway, I spoke with Riff for a while, and then I spoke with his president as well, a man named Maine.
They’ve known about the Sangre Devils for years, and in fact, they used to have a cordial relationship with them.
” He looks over at Mike, Tripp, and me. “Timeline-wise, it was back when you guys were still in the club with the previous president. Maine’s dad was their original president, and he remembers his dad mentioning that although they weren’t buddy-buddy, they always had a good relationship and never had issues when you were in the club.
” Jonah takes a sip of his drink and continues.
“Current day is another story. Turns out the Sangre Devils bought an abandoned building in their area, and they’re pretty damn sure they’re using it for some of their trafficking.
” Samson, who must have been doing some research online, asks him a question.
“Don’t the Norse Rebels do some trafficking themselves?
” Jonah nods but clarifies our assumption.
“They used to run drugs, but now mostly run a legal dispensary and have facilities for growing, which is now all on the up and up. They occasionally handle some guns, though from what I gather, it’s not as often as it used to be.
However, they have never and will never be in the skin-running business.
It would appear that Taz and his minions are working hard to break into the sex trafficking business.
” Growls go around the table. Fucking Taz.
He has only greed running through him without an ounce of human decency.
Jon speaks up. “Needless to say, the Norse Rebels don’t want any part of that in their territory and don’t appreciate them coming into their area unannounced and uninvited.
He did say that the building they bought has been unoccupied for the last bit.
Sounds like Taz probably hasn’t been back since everything happened up the mountain. ” Shit.
Jonah adds, “They are more than happy to help keep an eye out for them, and they’ve got a couple guys who they’re gonna send over to the area of the Sangre Devil’s clubhouse in the next couple of days.
One of them has an older aunt who lives in that area, and the last time he went and saw her, he noticed that the clubhouse looked like it was falling apart.
He even remembered thinking that all their money must go in their arms or up their noses ‘cause everything looked so rundown. He also mentioned he had a couple contacts he was going to reach out to just to see if they’ve got more information.
It sounds like Taz has burned bridges with almost all the clubs that your old president had good standing with.
However, that might work in our favor because not any of them that Riff or Maine know of would be willing to help him hideout. ”
Erik says out loud, probably without thought, “It’s not like he’s got much money to pay anyone for anything.”
He’s got a point.
Jon tells us that he got their IT guy’s info and wants Samson and Juan to get in touch with him and see what he’s found.
We make a plan to continue putting our feelers out and to wait to hear back from the Norse Rebels.
This waiting around fucking sucks, but he’s a smarmy bastard and can’t hide forever.
Church seems like it’s about to break up, but I need to know something first. “Did we compare the package that came yesterday with the one we got before?” Jon nods, but Erik speaks up again.
“Yeah, pretty sure it’s more of my ex, Celeste.
It’s her, or someone got all her jewelry and put it on a corpse.
No one’s heard from her since I saw her that night up on the mountain.
” He doesn’t seem too bothered about it, and neither do his boys.
Leif, who just got his patch, speaks up.
“Her doctor boss and fuck buddy came by the office to see if I heard from her yesterday. I think he wants the car since he’s been paying for it.
He didn’t seem upset that he hasn’t heard from her, but more that he’s paying for something that’s gone missing.
I told him I hadn’t heard from her and wasn’t that upset about it and that if the car is actually in his name, he should report it stolen.
I thought it was in her name, and he was just paying it because he looked annoyed when I didn’t help him any. ”
Jon calls church, but before everyone can leave, I call out, “I’m gonna need some help.
” Everyone looks at me and waits. “I’m gonna propose to Kimbra, but I want to involve the kids and I need some help with that.
I also need some musical help.” Congratulations are declared all around the table.
Jon nods at me. “Well, what can we do to help?”
After spending the next half hour going over the details, the guys say they will get with the women and have everything ready for next weekend.
We all start filing out of the room and back into the main room, some to grab a beer and others probably to head home.
Logan stops me. “I’m really happy you’ve found your person.
I know we weren’t close when I was growing up, but even in the time I’ve known you, I can definitely see you’re happier.
Not that you were unhappy before, but I get what finding your person does, and I’m glad you found yours.
” I rest my hand on his shoulder. “I have, and I couldn’t be happier that you all have welcomed her and our kids so easily.
” Logan grins at me. “Hey, you’re giving me and Jane something we’ve never had before-cousins!
I mean, they’re a lot younger, but they’re a blast. Even Asher likes them, and he can be grumpy on a good day.
” Asher must have been waiting for Logan because he heard that comment and has a glare directed at his husband on his face.
“Hey! I’m not a grump.” Logan just gives him a look back, and it’s comical to watch the big man scolded.
“Fine, I’m not as grumpy as I used to be.
” Knowing this may turn into something an uncle definitely doesn’t need to witness, I head over to the bar to talk to Mike and the guys, who are all having a beer.
Mike gives me a chin lift. “So you’re gonna do it, huh?
” I take a sip of the beer he just handed me.
“Yeah. I love her, and I want to do it.” I’m not sure where he’s going with this, so I wait him out.
He looks at me in that way he does when he’s trying to decide exactly how he wants to say something.
The faces you know of someone who you've known for most of your life are probably more extensive than a person realizes. “I know I questioned you before about her and taking on three very young kids, but I see the happiness on your face, brother. Hell, I see it on her’s and the kids’, too.
I get it. I also see a peace in you that I can’t remember seeing.
I’m happy you’ve found yours.” He truly looks happy, but I also see a longing there too.
I know he won’t talk about it, but I know he would love to find the love of his life.
He’s the best friend a man could ask for, and I can only hope he gets as lucky as me.
“Well, I’m glad you approve. It would be pretty tense if the best man didn’t agree with the wedding.
” Mike actually looks surprised, which frankly surprises me.
“You want me to be your best man?” I shake my head at him, surprised he’s actually surprised.
That’s a sentence that I couldn’t say fast if I tried.
“Of course, jackass. Who else do you think it would be? You’ve been my best friend since we were barely out of high school.
” He shrugs his shoulders. “I dunno if you’d have anyone or Tripp or one of our newer brothers.
” I must give him the same look that Jane gives him when he’s being ridiculous because he bursts out laughing.
“Okay, okay. Consider myself corrected, and you know I’ll be happy to be there for you, brother.
” I bump my shoulder against his and say one last thing before letting the subject drop.
“It had to be you, especially after that one night with Goldschlager.” Mike looks like he might be sick to his stomach.
“Dude. It’s been almost thirty years since that night, and I still can’t think of that shit. ” He’s not wrong at all.
Taz
These fuckers think they’ve bested me. Sure, I lost a few of my guys, but that’s not going to stop me.
I will get what I’m due. I wasn’t contacting my crazy as fuck uncle for the last few years to be family .
I want what was promised to me, and I’ll be damned if some do-good wannabe bikers and questionable paperwork will stop me.
Having to take care of that crazy bitch when she didn’t have the money she promised was a slight setback, but at least thanks to Brander and letting him have his fun, we have bits of her to freak those fuckers out. Time to take things to the next level since I need that money now.
I need to make some of my former brothers pay for daring to not stay quiet after we kindly retired them instead of dispatching them like Brander suggested.
I think back to a conversation I remember overhearing between an ex-boyfriend of my mom and his buddy.
He told his buddy, “You ever need your woman to get in line or do what you want? Threaten to hurt one of her crotch goblins. Even just an okay mom will come to heel if you do that.” Thinking it’s time to go after a kid or two.
Then they won’t have any choice but to give me the money I deserve.