Maverick (Devil’s Deviants Book 1)

by C. M. Allen

  Unknown: if you want to know who is stealing your product off the boats meet me out on Old Grants Pass Hwy. There’s an abandoned airstrip. Be there tonight at 8pm sharp! Only you and your VP. I won’t deal with anyone else.

  Me: how do I know this isn’t a setup?

  Unknown: you don’t.

  When I went to send another text, it bounced back as an invalid number and couldn’t be sent.

  What the fuck?

  While I sat in my office thinking about what I was going to do about this text, a knock sounded at my door. “Come in!”

  Hatchet strode in and sat down across from me. “So, what’s this I hear Rooster received a text from some unknown number today on Maverick and that bitch’s location?”

  “It’s true. Seems we got ourselves a real-life mother fuckin՛ guardian angel on our side.” The look on Hatchet’s face morphed into a confused one. “In fact, I just got this message from what I think is the same unknown number.”

  Taking the phone from me, he read it over. “Ah fuck. This has to be some kind of fuckin՛ setup. You’re not actually thinkin՛ about goin՛, are you?”

  “I am. And you’re goin՛ with me.”

  “Fuck,” he wiped his hand down his face. “You know we’re goin՛ to be sittin՛ ducks out there, don’t you?”

  “I do. Which is why we’ll be takin՛ a couple of the guys to watch over us just in case shit goes south.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t have to like it. Just get Crow and Frog ready to leave. I want to get there first, so they can find some high ground to perch on.” When he let out a heavy breath getting up, I told him. “We need to find out who’s jackin՛ our shipments Hatch. While we might think it’s the Deviants, we need to be fuckin՛ sure it is before we go startin՛ a war. Besides, not many assholes out there are dumb enough to fuck with us. Our reputation speaks for itself.”

  “Fine. But I’m puttin՛ two slugs in that fuckers head the second I feel shits goin՛ wrong.”

  “Agreed.”

  Five hours later we were on our bikes, armed to the teeth as we headed out to the airstrip. About a mile away from it, I signaled Crow and Frog to break off and go to higher ground. I wanted them to have a clear shot at this fucker’s head if he so much as blinked at me the wrong way.

  We arrived at the meet up spot at seven fifteen, and then we just waited. “What the fuck is the deal with this asshole? It’s fuckin՛ ten minutes after eight. I told you this was bullshi—.”

  Cutting Hatchet’s words off, A black SUV off in the distance kicked up dust as it headed straight towards us. We both got off our bikes and positioned our guns ready for easy access as the black SUV came to a stop about twenty feet out. The windows were tinted so we weren’t able to see inside of it. I’m not going to lie; I was ready to pull my gun and end this shit right now with how shady this fucker had acted already. But then the passenger’s side door opened and a tall man in a black suit emerged. With a large duffel bag in his hands, he made his way over to us.

  He looked like some sort of piece of shit CEO who was out here trying to play bad boy. His hair and short beard were a salt and pepper color, and he looked to be around late 40’s. When he came to a stop in front of us, he dropped the duffel bag to the ground and it hit with a heavy thud, telling me it was full of something. Removing his sunglasses, he just stared at us with his steely gray eyes for a moment before he finally extended his hand out to me. “Names Dekes.”

  Looking at his hand, I just smirked. “Don’t give a shit what your name is asshole, this isn’t some kind of fuckin՛ meet and greet we’re havin՛ here. Just give me the information you said you would and beat it back to your privileged little pencil neck world before I lose my patience with this cloak and dagger bullshit show of yours.”

  Chuckling at my words, he stopped and drew a deep breath in through his nose, looking around for a few seconds before he looked back at us. “And here I thought you and I were going to become friends Mr. Alvarez.”

  “Friends? What the fuck made you—.”

  My words end the moment he moved his jacket to the side. The shiny badge hanging on his belt was one I had become all too familiar with over the years and I moved to pull my gun as Hatchet followed suit. “You’re a fuckin՛ DEA pig?”

  But before Hatchet or I even got a chance to get our guns out, he shook his head. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you Mr. Alvarez.” And that’s when I heard several guns being cocked behind us.

  Turning around, we found four men dressed in black fatigues and masks with AK-47’s pointed straight at our heads. Looking back at Dekes, he just stood there with his hands clasped in front of him and a shit eating grin on his face, waiting for his point to sink in. “What the fuck is this? Some sort of shake down or some shit?”

  He cleared his throat. “First, I think it would be very wise of you to slowly take your hands away from your weapons and keep them where I can see them. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee one of my boys here won’t get trigger happy.” Nodding to Hatchet, we both moved our hands away from our guns. “Now, that’s better. So, you know who I work for, but this is no shake down Mr. Alvarez. I assure you.”

  The fact that he was using my legally given name really pissed me off. “Then what the fuck is it? You some dirty cop or somethin՛, tryin՛ to make some money on the side or some shit? What, your pension not goin՛ to pay you enough when you retire from being a fuckin՛ pig?”

  Chuckling again as he paced back and forth, he stopped to move closer. “Who or what I am Mr. Alvarez is a good question really. I’m actually a lot of things. I’m whatever I need to be when I need to be. A bit of a chameleon, if you will. But that’s neither here nor there, so let’s get back to the business at hand, shall we. I told you that I would give you the names of the individuals stealing your loads, did I not?” Nodding my head, I waited. “Well, it’s a simple answer really. It’s The Devil’s Deviants of course. Mr. Reed and Mr. Walker to be more precise, but something tells me you already had that little thought buzzing around in that tiny brain of yours, didn’t you?”

  “I fuckin՛ knew it!” Hatchet shouted.

  “So why you tellin՛ me this? What’s in it for you?”

  Nudging the duffel bag with his foot closer to ours, he motioned for me to open it. “A gift.”

  Cautiously crouching down, I pulled the zipper back to reveal all the drugs that were taken off the last shipment they jacked from me. “How the fuck you get this?” I barked out, standing back up.

  “Let’s just say… I have a few connections.”

  “So, you’re just gonna give this back to me?”

  Chuckling yet again, he shook his head. “Now come on, I know you of all people understand that nothing comes that easily Mr. Alvarez. No, there will be a price. Twenty percent of all your sales will go to me and you will continue to allow Mr. Reed and Mr. Walker to believe they are stealing your shipments.”

  “Why the fuck would I want to do either of those things?” I asked, sneaking my hand into my pocket and hitting the send button on my phone for Crow and Frog to take these assholes out.

  Shaking his head again, his eyes glanced behind us before coming back to me. “I was really hoping you were a lot smarter than that Mr. Alvarez, but, I can see you’re going to need to be taught a lesson about how I do things.”

  Hearing grunting noises, both Hatchet and I turned to see two more men in black fatigues and masks, dragging Crow and Frog’s limp bodies across the dirt before dropping them with a hard thud to the ground. “Let this be a lesson to you gentlemen. You can keep bringing uninvited guests to our little meetings, but I wouldn’t advise it.” Just as the words are out of his mouth the two masked men put two bullets each into the backs of Frog and Crow’s heads, causing brain matter to spray out all over the ground around us. “I’m sure you can’t keep affording lives to be lost from your little club, now can you. So, when I tell you to come alone next time, you had better fucking do it! Am. I. Clear. Mr.
Alvarez?!” He shouted, changing instantly from the calm demeanor he’d worn this whole time into a more violent bordering on psychotic one.

  “Fuck.” Hatchet uttered in a low voice.

  Growling at the fact that he just killed two of my best men, I swung my attention back to him. Taking two large strides, we were nose to nose. “You’re goin՛ to fuckin՛ pay for that, you hear me?”

  “Are we going to sit here and play my dick is bigger than yours? Or are you going to play ball like good boys? Because I have no fucking problem ripping your little club apart piece by fucking piece until there’s nothing left of it while I dig your graves at the same time. One call from me and your clubhouse will be raided before you can even make it back to witness it happen Mr. Alvarez.”

  Until I could figure out just what this motherfucker’s game was, I shifted the conversation in a direction to get as much information as I could from him, knowing that DEA badge was real and he probably could follow through with his threats. “What’s your deal man? Why you want me to let the Deviants jack my loads? Is this so they can give it to you to return to me and then you can have your cut? Seems like a lot of fuckin՛ trouble to go through to me, just to get a cut.” I asked, trying to understand what he was getting out of this whole situation.

  “Don’t worry about things that don’t concern you Mr. Alvarez. My reasons for what I’m doing are my own. So, do we have a deal?” he held his hand out to me once again with his calm demeanor firmly in place, just like he did in the beginning of this shit show.

  This time I shook it just to get the fuck out of here so we could regroup and figure out just what the hell this asshole was really up to. “Deal.”

  “Good. Do have a nice night Mr. Alvarez, and I’ll be in touch soon,” he turned to walk away, but then stopped to face us once again. “I do have a bit of advice for you though Mr. Alvarez. Actually more of a warning I’d say. When I call, it would be in your best interest to pick up. I can get a little… out of sorts when I’m ignored. And well, when that happens, sometimes I even surprise myself with what I’m capable of. Kind of like what you saw today when I gave you Maverick’s location. He didn’t answer my calls.” Chuckling, he continued. “I couldn’t have planned that whole thing better if I tried. See Mr. Alvarez, I know men like you, and I know just how to pull your strings and make you dance to the tune of my choice.” With those parting words, we watched as Dekes and all of his men made their way back to the black SUV and drove away.

  Looking over at Crow and Frog’s lifeless bodies on the ground, my blood started to boil over with rage. “Call Rooster. Tell him to bring the van with the trailer hooked up to the back of it so we can pick up their bikes and clean up this mess.”

  “This is some fucked up shit man,” Hatchet grumbled, taking out his phone.

  As he made the call, the wheels in my head started to spin with how I was going to deal with this whole fucking Dekes mess.

  CHAPTER

  21

  Maverick

  When I saw the text from Axle warning me that two Slayer members were headed our way, I had only a split second to get to Harper and cover her body with mine before the gunshots rang out. As we listened to them pull away, my mother’s image in my father’s arms stabbed its way like a dull knife into my brain, and before I knew it, I was frantically running my hands over Harper’s body, looking for any injuries. She tried to assure me that she was fine, but all I saw was the blood on her arm from the cuts the raining glass and splintered wood made. Taking in a deep breath, I tried my best to hold the beast inside of me, that demanded to be set free, at bay and stay calm, for her. But I knew the moment I lost the battle to contain him any longer, and he took over.

  After yelling at Axle and Roman to find out how and who, I reigned the darkness I felt flooding my veins back in as I walked Harper to the bathroom to look at her injuries. No matter how many times she tried to assure me that she was fine, all that invaded my mind was images of my father holding my mother’s mutilated body on that kitchen floor. And then the one of me holding her. That could be me again next time, or worse, Harper. I knew I hadn’t known her very long, but this woman had me from the moment I saw her that day at the gas station. Something told me our paths would cross again and I knew I should have avoided it at all costs. Not just for my sake, but for hers. Now it was too late. I acted like a selfish bastard and she’d became a target because of me. I knew the right thing that needed to be done now. But when I heard those pleading words for me to stay it fucked with my head and I so desperately wanted to remain the selfish bastard who brought her into this dark world of mine right now.

  Pressing my forehead to hers, I knew the right thing to do was tell this woman goodbye, but the words never came. Instead, I simply turned and walked away from her with only the need to keep her safe now.

  When I walked back out into the living room and looked around, I barely heard what Axle was telling me.

  I’m at the bottom of those stairs again, looking around at all the carnage that littered the floor as the growing pools of blood around their bodies grow even bigger by the second. And then I hear that final gunshot and now I was outside the club looking at Nicole’s car. I didn’t even know she had arrived when I ran out here earlier to get my father and the guys. Maybe if I had, she would still be alive right now. The first thing I noticed was that her little white Honda was riddled with bullet holes and the windows were all shattered. The next thing I noticed was her raven colored hair hanging out of the opened driver’s side door with a pool of blood blooming beneath it in the dirt. Her name clawed its way out of my throat in a voice that I didn’t even recognize as my own. She was my girl, my future, and now she was gone, and I was on my knees just like my father begging for it to not be true. For it to be some sick, twisted nightmare as my already broken heart cracked open even wider. It died that day too.

  “Mav!”

  Snapping back to the present, my mind picked up right where it left off. “Call Chainsaw, tell him that I need his old lady to come out here with Vulture. Then call Vulture and tell him to bring my truck to Harper’s neighbor’s house behind us and park it. I want him and Emma to go through the back gate to her yard. Tell him I will meet them out back.” When they both gave me puzzled looks, I simply shouted. “Do it now!”

  A few minutes later, Harper walked out into the living room, and by the look in her eyes, she knew where my thoughts went when we were in there alone. “Mav—.”

  The way she said my name came out like a sob. “Roman, take Harper into her room and have her pack a bag,” I coldly cut her off without even looking her way.

  “Come on little lady.” Roman said, his voice full of sympathy, knowing what I had to do right now was what needed to be done.

  “But—.” I heard Harper start to say with a tear-filled voice as Roman guided her back to her room.

  A half hour later, Roman had Harper packed up and Vultch and Emma were standing here with us in the living room.

  Looking over at Harper, I fought to keep the emotions in check that she unchained inside of me every time I looked into those beautiful eyes of hers.

  Welcoming the darkness that was always there, just waiting to consume me, I became the cold-hearted monster I loathed. Looking around at everyone that awaited my words, I began to dole out orders. “Emma, you will ride with me back to the clubhouse, that way anyone who might be watchin՛ us will think it’s Harper on the back of my bike. Axle and Roman, you’re with me. I want you to make sure and stay close, so if these assholes try anythin՛ again you can both cover Emma. Vultch, I want you to take Harper out to my truck and wait until we are all gone, then head out in the opposite direction to the safe house and wait for me to contact you.”

  “No!” I turned to look at Harper as she yelled the pleading word.

  With no emotion making its way to the surface, I nodded to Vulture. When he stuck the needle in Harper’s neck, the last thing I saw flashing back at me in those beautiful eyes of hers wa
s hurt and betrayal.

  It had to be done. For her. For her safety.

  I tried like hell to tell myself this over and over again as I watched her body go limp in Vulture’s arms. “You had better guard her with your fuckin՛ life, you hear me? Anythin՛ happens to her and you and me—.”

  “I’ve got this Mav. I swear to you nothin՛ and no one will touch her.” He said, doing his best to assure me.

  Staring down at her limp body in Vulture’s arms for a moment longer, all I wanted to do was just sweep her up in my own and take her somewhere far away from all of this bullshit. Some place where I didn’t live the life I did. Some place she deserved. A better place. Keeping my head on straight, I shook the thoughts away.

  A few minutes later Axle, Roman, and I were all on our bikes and headed back to the clubhouse with Emma on the back of my mine. Once I’d dropped Emma off safely to a fire spitting, mad as hell Chainsaw, I was in the SUV with Roman and headed back into enemy territory.

  But this enemy was much deadlier than the Slayers.

  When we pull up to the diner, both Roman and I were sure to look around for any signs of Slayer members in the area. Shutting the engine off, I drew in a deep breath before opening the door to get out, knowing just how pissed Ava was about to be when I told her that she wouldn’t be seeing Harper anytime soon.

  “Are your balls ready for this?” Roman asked.

  “No.” Was all I said before entering the diner. It only took us a second to find Ava, who looked like she was just on her way out. “Got a minute?” The glare in her eyes told me that this wasn’t going to be easy, not that I’d ever thought it would be.