“For fuck’s sake,” Jack growls, slamming the mallet against the wood. “All right, before these two bitches claw each other’s eyes out over my fucking gavel, let’s get down to business.”
“That is not a gavel,” Rocco points out.
“He will shoot you, man, and there’s a whole lot more leather than there is silk sitting around this table,” Blackie warns.
If he doesn’t I will.
“Look, we don’t have time to sit here and argue over shit. Call it what you want, it’s fucking ridiculous. Period. The fucking end. Now do you fucks want to listen to me? We need to get our asses moving,” Rocco grunts.
Turning his beady eyes toward me, Wolf juts his chin.
“Go on, boy,” Wolf urges. “What’d you find out?”
What didn’t I find is more like it, but I don’t say that, knowing no one is in the mood for my sarcasm.
“First off, that motherfucker Rush is as crazy as the day is long,” I offer, pointing my thumb toward Jack. “No offense, Prez, but this guy runs circles around you. Even on your worst trip to crazyville you couldn’t be more fucked than he is,” I reveal, running my fingers through my hair as I mentally go down the list of disasters I bared witness to over the last week.
“Rush is digging a hole for that chapter. It won’t be long before the Satan’s Knights of Albany is buried. The only reason they’re hanging on is because of the vice president.”
That’s a fucking fact. Bas may have been a thorn in my side, but he’s the only hope that club has. I can recognize his devotion and I can even respect it. Don’t get me wrong, he’s an asshole but a respectable asshole.
“He’s a cautious guy and you can tell he’s trying to salvage the mess Rush is making. However, I’m not too sure he knows how deeply fucked they all are. He’s the only one who was skeptical of my intentions. Felt his eyes on me the whole fucking time I was there,” I add.
“What’s his name?” Riggs asks as he types some shit into his phone.
“Bas,” I retort, playing along.
Right, like he doesn’t know his name. He probably has every Knights social security number memorized.
“Great, now send him a Christmas card and get on with the story,” Rocco orders.
Turning my gaze to him, I clench my jaw and glare at him.
“I’m going to lay this motherfucker out,” I grunt, turning to Jack. “With or without your fucking permission.”
“After we’re done with him, you can hang him from the flagpole out front for all I care, but right now I need you to continue.”
Now that’s an idea.
“Anyway, there were a couple of times I walked in on Rush talking in hushed tones, but it wasn’t to Bas or the treasury. Any conversation I caught him having was with his prospects or the fucking girl he’s obsessed with.”
Those fucking blue eyes flash in front of me again, toying with my conscience.
Riggs quickly lifts his head from the screen he’s been staring at and narrows his eyes at me.
“Rush has an old lady,” he points out.
See, the motherfucker knows everything.
“Sorry, buddy, I hate to burst your bubble, but I’ve been to a lot of chapters and they don’t all operate like Brooklyn. I’ve never had to work for pussy as hard as I do here. They keep that shit flowing in other joints. Albany has plenty to go around,” I reply, realizing it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been laid.
“I take it you sampled some of that,” Wolf taunts.
I force a smile as the lie flies off my tongue.
“Damn straight I did. Perks of the job, man.”
“You know when I picked up Stryker, he told me about Albany when I asked him about why he went nomad. He had some issues with his old man, but he couldn’t stand being around Rush anymore. Hated what he was doing to one of the girls there. I bet you it’s the same chick,” Wolf says.
“Maybe. Did he describe her to you?”
Did he tell you how her fucking eyes stick to your soul?
“Not that I recall,” Wolf says.
“Or that you’d remember,” Cobra points out.
Wolf might not remember but Stryker wouldn’t forget those eyes and they’d likely be the first thing he’d describe. Shaking away the thoughts of Ally, I continue.
“I don’t know what the deal is with the girl, but if this mission winds up putting us at war with Albany, she’s your golden ticket. Aside from drugs, she’s Rush’s weakness. The problem with that is she’s fucked too, she thinks that guy is a god or some shit, probably because he feeds her habit.”
“The shipment,” Rocco interrupts. “Did you get any intel on the shipment?”
“Or Yankovich,” Rick adds.
“I’m getting there,” I grind out.
“Well get there quicker,” Rocco orders.
“Come on, Deuce,” Cobra urges.
My eyes flicker over him and I see how desperate he is for the information. I can’t say I blame him. If some prick took my sister and forced me to leave the only person I loved to become Satan’s soldier, I’d be hunting for information too. I’d be looking to bury the cocksucker who threw my life upside down, especially now when everything’s right in his life. He’s finally reunited with his girl, Celeste and their daughter Skylar. That sweet little girl is too innocent, too special to lose her daddy to the devil.
“There were a bunch of parties going on,” I begin, watching as he hangs on my every word. “One night Bas and the treasury went on a run and while everyone else was snorting shit and fucking their brains out, I snuck into Rush’s office.” I pause, remembering Ally. For reasons unbeknownst to me, I decide to leave her out of my story and continue.
“I found a bunch of documents in a lockbox under his desk. The lease with Triton was one of them. Like Captain Guinea over here said…” I point to Rocco for emphasis. “Yankovich has a boat leaving the harbor tomorrow. There are three contacts listed on that lease, Boris Majestki, Dmitri Puttinksi, and Issak Bgvort. There were three of them, weren’t there? Those are your guys,” I tell Rocco.
“Are we sure?” Blackie asks.
“The lease says they’re transporting household goods. I don’t know about you but I don’t think these motherfuckers are looking to move toasters through the Hudson,” I sneer, tearing my gaze from Blackie to Rick. “You said he’s going to lead us to the men who raped Gina. Wouldn’t this fit that?”
“If we’re going by past experience, it only works if there is another shipment scheduled. Like I said before, he wants us to do his dirty work. He made it easy for Rocco to find out the intel on the shipment going down tomorrow. He wants us there, and he wants us to take down those three names, but there has to be something we’re missing,” Rick informs us.
“There is another shipment scheduled, but it isn’t the same day. There was another lease in the lockbox. He’s got a container leaving in six days from Red Hook,” I supply, watching him contemplate my words.
“Rick?” Cobra questions anxiously.
The two of them are grasping at straws, taking all their past experiences with Yankovich and merging it to what we know now—which isn’t much. One thing is for certain though, Yankovich has tipped the scales, he’s changed the game and is keeping us all guessing. We’re running around in circles like a bunch of animals.
“Look, maybe the way we can’t be in two places at once, neither can he,” I suggest.
“I don’t know, man,” Rick says after a long pause. “I don’t know anything anymore. Every time I think I’ve got this motherfucker figured out he switches the game.”
“Look, none of Rush’s guys seem to know about the transfer you were talking about. If he’s taking their money they don’t know yet. Nor do they know about the shipment going down tomorrow which leads me to believe they don’t know jack shit about Yankovich or his men. He’s using Rush for the leasing agreement. Yankovich knows Rocco was looking to intercept the shipment, they had no idea I was there. Now thos
e three guys are the men who played Stryker’s girl dirty. I’d bet my fucking life on it.”
Rocco slams the heel of his hand against the table and leans forward.
“Enough,” he shouts. “I don’t give a fuck about where Vlad is or what the fuck he is planning on transporting. If he’s giving me the guys that attacked my sister, which according to this guy…” he points to Rick, “…he is, then that’s enough for me right now. Now time’s running out. If you assholes want to sit here and play Sherlock by all means go the fuck ahead. But me and my men are hitting that dock tomorrow with or without the Satan’s Knights.”
Look who grew a pair.
Bravo, gangster, bravo.
Straightening his tie, he stares down the table at Jack.
“Now what’s it going to be Jack? I have no problem finishing these filthy cocksuckers off myself, but it seems like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
“Watch yourself, Spinelli,” Jack hisses. “I’m not stuck anywhere. I gave my word to my brother, promised I’d deliver the men who harmed his girl, and that’s what I’ll do,” he vows, turning his gaze to all of us.
“Gas up, boys, we’re going to Albany. We’re going to get Stryker and do what our club does best. Then we’ll come back to this table and decide where we go from here. We got a week until his next shipment, seven days to find out if this fuck is playing us. Are you with me?” he asks everyone while he keeps his eyes firmly glued to Cobra.
Unspoken words pass between their steel gazes as the rest of us mentally prepare to take down the bastards who brutally attacked Stryker’s woman. There is no question, no fucking hesitation, there is only anger and the undeniable force to deliver justice for Gina.
“I’m with you,” Cobra finally says and we all follow suit. Rocco stands and offers Jack his hand and the two leaders shake, sealing their vow of retribution to one another.
Church is adjourned and I make my way back to the motel. I crash on my hard mattress and welcome sleep, knowing I’ll need to be sharp for the war we’re about to wage. When I open my eyes the next day, the wind changes and sweeps over me. It’s a sign, a warning; it’s time to slay some pigs.
Bring on the mayhem.
Let freedom ring.
The Satan’s Knights are coming, motherfuckers.
And justice will be served.
For Gina.
For every woman who ever found herself alone in an alley at the mercy of a pig.
-Six-
ALLY
“You fucking cunt!” a voice barks, waking me from my unconscious state. Before I can open my eyes and process who is yelling, two strong hands wrap tightly around my ankles and pull, dragging me off the bed.
“Where the fuck are the drugs, Ally?” Rush shouts as I fall to the floor. In one swift move he squeezes my ankles and flips me onto my back. The pain sears through me and for a moment I wonder if he’s broken my bones.
“Answer me, you filthy cunt,” he demands, releasing my ankles before taking a step closer. Hovering over me with a crazed look in his eyes, he reaches down and grabs a fist full of my hair.
“You took them, didn’t you?”
“No,” I sputter, finding my voice. He pulls my hair, snapping my head back and forces my eyes on his.
“You’re lying,” he accuses. “The boys told me you were looking to fuck anything for a fix,” he sneers. I feel the strands of my hair break away from my scalp as he tugs harder and harder. “Thought I made myself clear when I claimed you. You need a reminder that you’re mine? The only reason you’re still alive is to meet my needs and only mine,” he growls, leaning closer to me.
His free hand moves between my thighs and forcefully pushes them apart.
“This pussy belongs to me, bitch. Now, where the fuck are the drugs?”
Part of me wishes he’d kill me and finally put me out of my misery once and for all. The other part knows he won’t ever do it. He lives to own me and I live to be his possession. It doesn’t matter how much I piss him off he’ll never do it. He’ll never take me away from this nightmare.
However, he can make it worse for me.
He can take the drugs away and make me feel.
Make me remember.
He can bring back Alexandria and for me that is a far greater pain than having my hair ripped from my head. I can live with the bruises on my ankles, even the abuse to my body when he crawls between my legs, but I can’t live with the memory of the life I lost.
I close my eyes and I remember Deuce.
I remember the pity I found reflected in his dark eyes as he stared back at me.
I remember the warning he yielded before he fed me what I craved.
Releasing my hair, Rush turns over my arm and runs his finger along the track marks.
“These veins look hungry,” he purrs. “It’d be a shame to let them starve.”
And just like that he’s got me where he wants me.
At his mercy, the thoughts of Deuce fade from my mind and I meet Rush’s gaze.
“Deuce,” I whisper, watching as his eyes flicker with annoyance. “He stole your fucking drugs,” I hiss, tugging my arm free.
He morphs into a monster before my very eyes and jumps to his feet in a flash. Forgetting my drugs, he shouts obscenities and paces the room frantically. Panic boils inside of me as he reaches for the door.
“You promised to feed me,” I call, causing him to stop in his tracks. He looks over his shoulder and relief swallows me whole.
Give it to me.
Make me forget.
Reaching into his back pocket he pulls out a pair of handcuffs and stalks toward me.
“No,” I cry, writhing along the floor. “Rush, please…”
“It’s just for a little while,” he soothes, closing the metal around my wrist. “I always take care of you, don’t I?”
“Don’t do this,” I beg as he drags me across the wood floor and tightens the other cuff to the radiator.
“I’m sorry,” he mutters, giving me one final look before heading out the door. The lock slides into place securing my imprisonment.
I don’t know if it’s the lack of drugs or my imagination playing games with me, but dread churns in my gut as I hear the engines purr to life in the distance.
Life as I know it is about to change again.
Hell is about to break lose and Satan’s about to take hostages.
Closing my eyes, I dream of a new life.
A beautiful life.
I dream of Heaven.
And prepare for Hell.
-Seven-
DEUCE
I can still recall the sense of peace I felt when I pulled the trigger on King and his blood splattered back onto my face. It was as if a weight had been lifted. It was justice in its purest form, the only kind that exists in our world. An eye for an eye and all that shit. So when Stryker finished off those three fuckers that raped his woman and breathed a sigh of relief, I knew exactly what he was feeling. Still, watching it all unfold, hearing those pigs squeal as Stryker shoved a rusted pipe into their asses was a lot to digest. It was a reminder of what men like us are capable of and how truly fucked the world is.
Needing a reprieve from all this shit when we got back to Brooklyn, I offered to drive Cobra to the hospital so he could see his little girl. He needed to erase the ugly from his mind and get a dose of the innocence we keep fighting to preserve.
And me?
I was fine living vicariously through my brother.
Cobra didn’t seem to mind sharing his sliver of peace and normalcy with me and I latched onto his generosity. In the short time since Cobra found out Skylar was his, that little beauty managed to worm her way into her daddy’s heart. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t fond of the little princess myself. After all, she’s what make’s life worth living. She’s the good stuff that is rare. The beauty we take for granted. Some of us aren’t lucky enough to have that piece of greatness in our life and then there are some who forget t
o cherish it. They take advantage of the gifts they’re given. They forget having people love you isn’t a right but a privilege.
“You should invest in a sidecar,” I suggest, pulling the van out of Pipe’s garage. Once we arrived back from Albany, we parked our bikes and I grabbed the keys to the cage from Pipe’s office.
“I think Celeste might have a problem with Skylar riding a motorcycle just yet,” he says, laughing beside me. “I need a car.”
“Jesus, I’m gone a week and you’re talking crazy,” I joke, peering at him from the corner of my eye.
“She’s pregnant,” he reveals, meeting my gaze.
My eyes widen as I watch the smile creep across his face.
“No shit?”
“We haven’t told anyone yet. Man, I saw her. I fucking heard her. Beautiful. Just fucking beautiful,” he beams.
On top of the decade that Russian motherfucker stole from him, he also robbed him two years of beautiful. The poor guy never got to see any of that with Skylar. This prick we’re hunting ruined his life. Cobra missed Celeste’s pregnancy and he missed the birth of his daughter.
Justice will find him too.
There’s a time and a place and we’re closing in on that motherfucker.
“Her? You’re having another girl?” I ask, forcing myself to tame the beast inside of me.
“It’s too soon to tell but I’m going with another girl.”
“Congrats, dude,” I offer, reaching across the cab to pat him on the back. “If she’s anything like the first one you got, I’d say you’re one lucky bastard.”
I never thought much about kids myself. Responsibilities aren’t really my thing, especially when I’ve got people gunning for me. Taking purchase here in Brooklyn was a risk, tying myself to these men I call my brothers was another one…a bigger one, but that’s where it ends.
In some ways being here is selfish. I rationalize that they need me, but at what cost? I can’t escape Arlington forever. The same way Cobra’s past keeps bleeding into his present, mine will one day too, and when that day comes there is no guarantee that these men won’t be left unscarred.
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