Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Two Days Later
DEUCE
“Could’ve been a lot worse.” I stare up at the charred wood, small areas still smoldering under the blazing morning sun.
“Still can’t believe you and Sammie made it out alive.” Ace shakes his head.“Fire department said they only found two incendiary devices.”
“Fuckin’ Dogs can’t even do a torch job right.”
“Sneaky bastards. They pulled up in a beat-to-shit Toyota. Shady and me got a few shots off, but they already threw the bombs.”
Explained the popping sounds Sammie and I heard.
Miraculously, the right side of the building is still pretty much intact. Some smoke and water damage but nothing that can’t be salvaged. It’s like they targeted the back and the second floor.
“Typical Viper. Probably more interested in killing us in our sleep than getting the job done right.”
“Looks like we’re gonna have to rebuild everything from the storeroom back, then the whole second floor.”
“We were gonna redo the second floor anyway.” I face Ace. “You make contact with Viper?”
“Bullet contacted me. Said they were ready for a sit-down.”
“Sit-down? More like we take their asses out once and for all. First we gotta come up with a foolproof plan with no blowback.”
“It looks like their prospect is on our side too,” Ace says.
My brow furrows.
“Seems Shady dragged the kid outta the basement just in time. I let the prospect listen in, and he wasn’t too pleased to hear his VP and prez didn’t give a shit if he went up in flames too.”
“Nothing says commitment like hate.”
“Church tonight. Pass the word.”
Ace nods, then asks, “How’s Sammie doin’?”
“She’s shook, but acting like she’s fine. Too fuckin’ tough for her own good.” I zero in on the blackened, twisted metal hanging off the side of the building. “If it wasn’t for her remembering that fire escape, we would’ve been toast.”
“So, is she gonna be permanent?”
I shrug ‘cause I don’t have an answer for my VP. So much shit went down between us. Lack of trust on both sides. Then we fucked each other like the world was ending.
“Hard to say.”
Ace stays quiet. Probably shocked I’m even considering anything permanent.
Fifteen minutes later, I pull my Harley over the shell driveway of a rental on Atlantic Avenue in Margate. Since it’s still early May, I was able to grab it up before the summer rush. I’m not sure when The End will be redone, so I need somewhere to crash, and so does Sammie.
Between the fire department’s and the insurance company’s investigations, it would be a few weeks before the claim is settled. The security cameras clearly showed the Dogs doing a drive-by, so there is no shade on the Kings.
I drop my kickstand, suck in the ocean air and head for the back door.
The amazing smell of garlic surrounds me.
I sneak a peek into the pot simmering on the stove, and my stomach growls, then I head down the side hall and into the bedroom.
The black garbage bag full of money sits in the corner taunting me.
I didn’t question her about it after the fire, but it eats at my gut. Another thing she kept from me.
“Hey.” Sammie’s perched on the edge of the tub painting her toenails. “Never felt like doing this when I had that damn monitor on.”
Since she only had another week left with the monitor, her P.O. cut her a break and took it off early. Hard to stay under house arrest when your house has been firebombed.
“Must be a good feeling to get that fuckin’ thing off.”
“Absolutely. At least I don’t have to worry about tan lines.”
She tries to sell the joke with a smile, but I see right through her. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Do what? Paint my toes?”
“Act like you’re fine when I know you’re not.”
She falls silent, and I take the polish from her hand and set it on the bathroom counter. Then I flip down the seat on the toilet and sit, our knees touching.
“I’m fine.” She’s been saying the same thing for the last two days.
“You’re not. And if you were, I’d be really worried about you.”
She sucks in a shuddering breath and looks away from me.
“Forty-eight hours ago, you were trapped in a burning building and worried about your father’s future.”
“Right, and we made it out alive.” She pushes off the tub and heads for the bedroom like she can’t get away from me fast enough.
I also put out the word to some of my contacts in Rikers to keep eyes on her father, but when I told her, it almost made her more uneasy. Keeping all this shit bottled up ain’t healthy, but I don’t know what else to do.
My phone vibrates with a familiar number. I close the bathroom door, then swipe at the screen.
“You got a lot of balls calling me,” I growl into the phone.
“You are one lucky fucker,” Viper barks. “Still can’t believe you and that bitch made it out alive.”
“That’s what happens when you send a boy to do a man’s job.”
“Fuckin’ prospect,” Viper grumbles.
“I was talking about you.”
Deadly silence on the other end.
“This isn’t over,” I hiss into the phone.
“Is that a threat?” Viper asks.
“No, it’s a fuckin’ promise.” My brain ticks with all the ways I wanna see this bastard suffer, and then it hits me. “Unless you take the deal I offer.”
“I’m listening.” I can almost feel Viper’s brain working through the phone.
“I give you the flash drive, plus five hundred grand, and you keep your Dogs in Philly.”
“And when we make the exchange you ambush me,” Viper barks out a laugh.
“Unless your prospect makes the exchange.”
Silence.
“You don’t trust your own prospect?” I ask.
“Stupid fucker couldn’t even get a flash drive without getting his ass caught.”
“Yeah, I get it. Bad idea.” Then I wait.
“I’ll do the deal, but it goes down between you and me.”
Bait taken. Stupid fucker.
“Whatever you say,” I choke out the words.
“Where?”
“Tonight, under the Steel Pier at midnight.”
“Just you and me. No tricks.”
“I don’t need tricks, fucker,” I sneer into the phone. “Just make sure you show, ‘cause after this, I don’t wanna see you or your Dogs in AC or any part of Jersey.”
“Don’t worry, for the flash drive and five hundred thou, I’d almost suck your dick.” Viper cackles around his words.
I grip the phone tighter. “See you at midnight.”
I swipe away the call, and Sammie flings open the door. Eyes narrowed. Hands on hips. “There’s no fuckin’ way I’m giving the money or the flash drive to that fucker.”
“Give me some credit.”
“Then what’s the plan? And don’t give me any bullshit about not telling me ‘cause it’s club business.”
I heave out a sigh. “I’m using the money as bait, and that’s as much as I’m telling you.”
At eleven fifty-five p.m. in the early days of May, the Steel Pier stands in the shadows.
The stinging salt air whips around the pylons, bringing the chill of the still, cold water.
In another month, the pier will be alive and vibrating, but before Memorial Day, only the security lights shine over the dormant rides and empty concession stands.
The full moon illuminates the water and the wet, hard sand like concrete under my boots.
Waiting. Not my favorite thing.
I flick my eyes to the left only for a second. Having the meet here is somewhat symbolic since the AC boards are the oldest in the country. They’ve withstood time, violent storms, and are still standing, just like the Kings of Anarchy.
The shadows move, and Viper appears out of the darkness. He steps forward, and a minute later, the shadows shift again. Bullet and Crank, eyes pinned and shining in the moonlight. Probably jacked on something synthetic.
“You really came alone,” Viper sneers.
“‘Cause I honor a deal.”
“Or just stupid.”
My fingers itch for the trigger of my .45, but I have to play this out. “Thing is,” I keep my tone low, “we could’ve avoided all this if you just stayed outta Jersey.”
“You try to be a tough guy, but you’re nothing but a punk who lost his club and is ready to lose his life for a used-up piece of snatch.”
I grit my teeth. “That’s where you’re wrong, ‘cause you got no heart. For you, it’s all about the show. All about puffing out your chest.” I tap my one-percent patch. “But you got nothing on the inside, and in the end, that’s what makes you weak.”
“Quit spitting bullshit,” Viper blusters.
I step forward, my boots crunching over the packed sand.
Viper’s eyes run over me. “Where’s the flash drive and the money?”
I reach into my cut, and Viper’s eyes widen just enough to let me know he’s on edge.
“First the flash drive.” I pull it out and hold it between my thumb and forefinger. “Very valuable to your future.” I toss it to him, and he catches it in his fist.
“Now the money.”
“You can’t be stupid enough to think I’d come here carrying five hundred grand on me.” I reach into the other side of my cut, pull out two banded stacks of hundreds, and hold them up. “The rest will be transferred after I walk away and you and your Dogs are back in Philly.”
“That wasn’t the fuckin’ deal,” Viper barks as Bullet and Crank take two steps forward.
“I said you’d get the drive and the money; I just didn’t say when.” My back stiffens, and my eyes dart to the underside of the boardwalk.
“Fuckin’ bullshit.” Bullet reaches into his cut.
“I wouldn’t do that if you ever wanna see the rest of this money.” I toss the stacks to Viper’s feet.
Crank scrambles to pick them up, and I lock eyes with Viper. “That’s the deal. My only deal and insurance I make it off this beach.”
I’m counting on Viper’s greed.
Viper’s lips twist, his feet shift, then . . . footsteps. Even and deliberate.
My head snaps over my shoulder, then my eyes widen.
Sammie steps into the moonlight. Tight jeans, low boots, and a hoodie wrapped tight around her. Her eyes burn bright with purpose.
“Fuck,” I hiss into the night air.
Viper freezes then smiles slow. “Well,” he says softly. “Would you look at that?”
I move to her side. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Sammie’s eyes are focused on Viper and only Viper. “You’ve taken too much from too many people,” she says. Calm. Deadly.
Then she pulls a gun from the pocket of her hoodie. It’s a .38 Special snub-nose. Easy to stash, easy to handle. No drama, just efficient. Shit.
Viper lifts his hands slightly. Bullet and Crank take a step back.
The ocean roars louder, then quiets, like it’s waiting too.
“Sammie. Don’t.” I move closer, almost crowding her.
She finally turns to me. “I’m not ruining your plan,” she says quietly. “I’m finally giving him what he deserves.”
She raises the gun, and Viper’s smile cracks.
“All your threats.” She whips the gun between Viper and Bullet. “And because of both of you, it all fell apart. My father could’ve been a hero, but instead, he ended up doing time, and you two walked away clear.”
“Your old man was a loser,” Viper sneers.
“You only say that ‘cause you don’t think I'll use this.” She cocks the trigger.
“You pull that trigger,” Viper says, “and everything collapses.”
Sammie grips the gun with both hands. “You can’t take anything away from me, ‘cause I’ve got nothing left to give.”
Her eyes are dead—her choice already made. Not reckless. Not emotional.
Resolved.
I shift my gaze and slightly nod. In another second, dark shadows emerge from under the boards.
Viper doesn’t notice at first. His main focus remains on the barrel of Sammie’s gun. He realizes too late that Sammie didn’t break the plan. She changed the endgame.
Bullet flinches, then nudges Viper as Ace, Shady, Fist, Speed, and Scratch surround them.
Viper jerks his chin at Sammie. “You having a bitch do your dirty work now, Deuce?”
“Nah, we had the drop on you from the beginning. Did you really think I was gonna let you walk away with valuable evidence and a fuck-load of money?”
Viper’s eyes flash, and I get my answer. He’s so in his own head that, yeah, he really thought he was gonna come out on top.
Ace snatches the flash drive out of Viper’s hand, then the money out of Crank’s cut.
Viper squares his shoulders. “Then call your bitch off.”
I shake my head. “Thing is, she was never part of the plan. Matter of fact, I’m fuckin’ pissed she showed up, but if you know anything about this woman, you know she don’t take orders well.”
Sammie steps closer to Viper. “He’s right. I hate to take fuckin’ orders.”
“Do it,” Viper sneers. “Prove you’re just another stupid—”
The gunshot is deafening. Then Viper’s howling scream pierces the quiet night as he collapses.
Sammie put the bullet clean through Viper’s knee.
Viper clutches his leg, black blood seeping into the sand under the moonlight.
Sammie steps forward without flinching, gun steady. “I could end you, but that would make me no better than you.”
Viper looks up at them, face twisted with hatred. “This isn’t over,” he spits.
I lean down and warn, “It is if you wanna keep breathing.” Then I nod to Bullet. “Get him outta here, before I let her finish the job.”
Bullet and Crank grip Viper under the shoulders, hoist him up, and when he screams out in pain, I’m vindicated.
I get up in Viper’s face. “This is your one and only chance ‘cause if I ever see any of you in AC or Jersey again, this job will be finished.”
Shady and Fist keep their guns trained on the Dogs until they’re swallowed up by the darkness.
I’m at Sammie’s side in seconds, gripping her wrist. “You could’ve been killed,” I growl into her ear.
She shivers, and I wrap my arm around her, then ease the gun out of her hand and pass it off to Ace. “It’s over, babe. It’s finally all over.”