My eyes go to Drum. What exactly does he mean? Well, Prez is the prez for a reason, he’s cottoned on fast.
“You wish us to take out the men involved for you,” he states, his face still giving nothing away.
“We have come tonight to assure you, if these—men,” he spits out the word, “disappear, there will be no blowback on your club.”
One man, who in looks and age appears to be Leonardo’s brother, perhaps a year or so younger, adds, “We can have no part in this, we can’t be directly involved.”
Drum looks dubious. “You’re agreeing to factions of the Herreras being taken out. You’re a big fuckin’ family. How can you guarantee there won’t be retaliation?”
Herrera gives a chuckle, but it doesn’t sound like it’s in mirth. “It’s simple,” he tells us, “we point to the cartel. Your men do it clean and quick, no witnesses.” He shrugs. “Their contacts will know they’ve been dabbling in the wrong concerns. We’ll make it a warning.”
“And the cartel?” Peg can’t resist. He’ll be considering what danger it could bring to the club if Los Zetas think we’re setting them up.
“I’m sure you are clever men. You’ll have to do it without anyone knowing.”
“I don’t understand why you don’t want to tidy your own fuckin’ house?” Drum’s brow creases, his steely gaze never wavering.
“We can’t be seen disposing of family.”
Another of the men behind him coughs. As Herrera turns around, they have a silent conversation, which clearly ends up with the man being given permission to speak. “What these factions are doing is profitable. We, the heads of the family, have no desire to continue this trade. But some of our relations might be tempted to turn a blind eye as to the origin of the income. We wish to avoid argument. As Leonardo has said, all of us here are offended by the material you shared.” He actually gives a shudder. “And sickened. It’s not something the Herreras want or need to be associated with.”
Spurred by his companion, another speaks, “We cannot take the risk that it would be openly debated. At the moment what’s happening is under the radar, but if the cartel knew we’d broken our agreement…”
They’d be in deep shit. I finish his sentence in my head.
“The money,” Herrera decides to take over again, “may be sufficient that some elements of the family would want to take the risk and continue. We wish to give them no choice.”
“So the Satan’s Devils take out your dirty laundry and are first in line for any possible blowback.”
“I have faith in you, Drummer. I’m sure it won’t come to that. You’ll have what you want, an end to this despicable business, and we won’t be attracting the wrath of the cartel. A win all around, I’d say.”
“This puts a big fuckin’ risk on my members. I’ll have to take it to the table for a vote.” Unlike the Herreras, who’re obviously playing their cards close to their chests.
“Of course, Drummer. And to speed things along…” He nods behind him and one of the men very carefully pulls something out of his jacket pocket. Stepping forward, he hands it to the prez. It’s easy to see it’s a USB drive. As Drum takes it, holding it between finger and thumb with all the enthusiasm of picking up a poisonous snake, Herrera nods toward it. “The names are there. And their addresses.”
For the first time, something which resembles a flicker of regret crosses his face, and as he walks past me, heavily leaning on his cane, he seems to have aged in the last few minutes. Well, he has just signed a death warrant on members of his family.
The rest of his lieutenants follow him out.
Peg and I gather around Drum, all of us rendered speechless. Eventually Drum pockets the small device he’s still holding.
“Well, fuck me,” he says. “I did not expect that.”
I doubt any of us did.
“Seems like we’ve become assassins for the Herreras,” Peg observes. “And unpaid ones, too.”
“We do get our reward,” Drum comments sagely with a raised chin toward me. “Your girl’s sister will be safe.”
“And our streets will be cleaner.”
“That too, Slick. That too.”
“I still don’t fuckin’ like it,” Peg grumbles.
Chapter Thirty
Ella…
The way Jayden’s been behaving this morning is making me rethink the idea of having children of my own. First, she was bemoaning that she wasn’t allowed to go to the funeral yesterday, though fuck knows why, she didn’t even know Crystal. Next, she was complaining that I’d pulled her away from the wake too early and, of course, that I hadn’t let her go to the afterparty, which I’d been certain would have turned X-rated pretty damn fast. Then it was that she’d been left on her own, which was rubbish, as I’ve been here the whole time, but I, apparently, am a nobody and don’t count. While I was out yesterday afternoon, Road had been assigned to keep her company as well as to keep her safe. Then she’s going on about why isn’t she allowed to see Paladin? Then she starts with why was he such a bastard to go off with a whore? Honestly.
She wants out of the compound, and while I have every sympathy with her wishes, I try to explain again why she needs to stay hidden for now. But apparently, even being captured and possibly tortured would be “better than this”. I know she’s been through a terrible ordeal, one that’s the root cause of her being so temperamental, but nevertheless, my patience is fast running out. By the time Slick returned late last night, I was at my wits’ end. I’m afraid he bore the brunt of it. We still slept together but didn’t make love. This morning he left before I was awake.
Now I’m both worried about Jayden, and that I took it out on my man.
When I tell my sister I’m going to the clubhouse to get something to eat, she sullenly replies she’s staying in bed. Throwing up my hands, realising the new morning’s brought no better mood, I open the door to leave the suite, bumping into Paladin, who’s got his hand raised in the air to knock.
My eyes immediately narrow. What does he want?
Without me voicing my question, he answers it. “Ella, I’ve come to see Jayden. There are some things I’d like to get straight. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought.”
He’s not seeing her on his own. “I don’t want you talking to Jayden without me there.”
“Fair enough.” He nods. “I know I’ve gone about this all wrong. Can I speak to her?”
I consider his request. As long as I’m there to chaperone there shouldn’t be an issue, and seeing him might just cheer her up. I’d try just about anything at this point. “Alright.”
Paladin follows me back into the suite, and I call out to make sure Jayden’s decent.
“Paladin!” Twin expressions of delight and dismay alternate across her face, but she sits up in bed and starts taking an interest.
Stepping inside, the young biker smiles. “I’ve come to talk to you, Jayden.”
She gives him a ‘duh’ look, and then her eyes flick to me.
“I’m staying here,” I tell her.
She’s about to protest when Paladin pulls up a chair to the side of the bed and takes hold of her hand, effectively switching her attention from me to him. “Jayden,” he starts, then swallows a few times. “I like you, girl, you know that.”
She gives a little nod and gives an eager encouraging smile. What he says next makes me warm to him.
“What happened to you, Jayden, that was… Fuck it. You were taken advantage of, and whatever they made you believe, you were plied with alcohol and drugs and didn’t have a clear head.” As she goes to speak, he covers her mouth with his hand. “Shush. Hear me out, okay?” When she dips her, head he continues, “Jayden, as far as I’m concerned, you’re a virgin. No one’s ever made love to you the way you deserve.”
My eyes fill with tears as I listen to his words. It’s exactly the right thing to say.
She frowns, and says with a pout, “But I’m not a virgin. I know what sex is. I want what you said,
to find out what it should be like.” Her face goes red, obviously embarrassed he’s being so frank.
“You’ve got to put it behind you, babe. You can’t pretend it never happened, but you need to move on and get back the time and innocence that was stolen from you. You’ve got a few years yet before you need to worry about being with a man.”
It’s clear she sees what he says as rejection. Quickly she pulls her hand away from his and covers her eyes. “You don’t want me. You want that whore—”
“Not what I’m saying at all, babe. Please listen to me. Hear me out, okay?”
Lowering her fingers, she watches him.
“What I’m saying is I can’t want you. Not legally. It wouldn’t be right. When you’re ready you should meet boys your own age, go out on dates, hold hands, kiss.”
She says with a snarl, “I think I’ve gone past that.”
As I smother a gasp, he continues to be patient with her. “You might think you have, but you haven’t, Jayden. You can get your life back. Ella here will help you, and so will I.”
“You?”
“Yeah, by being your friend. But that’s all I can be for another few years.”
“Another few years isn’t going to make my hymen grow back!” Her cheeks glow red. “I’m not an innocent teenager, Paladin. I shouldn’t have to wait!”
At the crudeness of her attack, I go to open my mouth, but again he gets in before me. “The years will go fast, Jayden, love. This will be in your rearview, and you can start all over again. Discover what it should be like with a man of your choice, and one who cares just for you.” He gives her an intense look. “If I’m lucky enough, when you’re eighteen, I’d be honoured to be your first.”
Will he? I might have something to say about that. But I’ll keep my mouth shut for now.
“In the meantime, you’ll fuck the whores?” This she spits out.
He shakes his head. “Didn’t fuck one the other evening.”
“You walked off with that girl!”
He looks down at his hands. “Fuck knows what I was doing, Jayden. Nothing happened, I swear. Prez told me to make it look like I did. He thought I was getting too close to you. But hell, I don’t think that’s the right way about it.” He pauses, and then looks straight at my sister. “That’s why I’m here explaining things. Look, Jayden, I don’t know if I can be faithful, hell, you might find you prefer someone else. But for now, I ain’t particularly interested in what the whores have to offer.” His face twists. “I’m a man, babe. All I can promise is, if I can’t shake the urge, I won’t rub it in your face.”
“You won’t wait for me.” Of course she latches onto that.
He continues to be patient. “Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it will be you that moves on. But anything else would be wrong, Jayden. We can’t go there, alright?”
Once more her hands cover her face as she digests what he’s said. We both give her some time, and then she lowers her hands and stares in his face. “You think I’m a virgin?”
“I know that you are. Not in the technical sense, but in every other way.”
When she sits up and swings her legs off the bed, I’m relieved to see she’s in a perfectly respectable tank and shorts. Resting her elbows on her knees, she interlocks her fingers and rests her chin on her hands. We give her a moment. I see Paladin’s hands clench and unclench; his jaw is tightened but he’s holding himself in check. I’m biting my tongue so I don’t say the wrong thing. Paladin’s getting through to her, where I had failed.
“I was flattered in the beginning, you know? Stupid looking back.” She bites back a sob. “Then I couldn’t get out, not with them threatening my mom and Ella.”
Paladin reaches out and places his fingers gently under her chin. “He was a monster, Jayden, preying on young girls.”
She thinks for a bit longer. “I’ve never had a ‘first time’, have I? Not in the right way.”
“That’s my point. But you will, Jayden, when the time’s right.”
“With you?” she asks, hopefully.
“I’ll be hanging onto that idea. Four years ain’t that long a time.”
“Three years and eight months.”
He grins at her correction. “In the meantime, we’ll be friends?” He holds out his bunched hand and waits. After a brief hesitation, she bumps it with her small fist.
“Friends.”
Paladin glances up at me. I feel like giving him, them both, a hug, but refrain. Already Jayden looks more content and relaxed. Perhaps I will consider having children after all.
Jayden jumps to her feet, showing more enthusiasm than she had earlier. “I’m hungry. Can you give me a minute to change and then we’ll go have something to eat?”
I just about manage to not roll my eyes. “Sure, Jayden.”
“I’ll meet you down there.” Paladin gets up, leans over, and places a chaste kiss to her forehead. “See you in a few, babe.” With that parting shot, and a nod toward me, he leaves.
As I wait for my sister to do her stuff in the bathroom, my stomach growls, and I wish she’d hurry up. I swear she takes longer than I do. When I’m on the verge of banging on the door and asking what the hell she’s doing in there, she comes out. She looks brighter than she has in days. That talk with Paladin seems to have lifted a weight off her shoulders.
Arm in arm, we walk down to the clubhouse. Apart from a prospect tidying up, no men are around, but in the kitchen Carmen’s standing, peering into the fridge.
She glances around as we walk in. “Why, aren’t you the sight for sore eyes?” She smiles at Jayden, seeming to notice the change in her too. “You two hungry? I’m just getting a sandwich for myself.
“Sure, that sounds great.” I go over to help.
Our stomachs filled, I hear the men wandering out, realising they must have been in one of their meetings. As the voices grow louder, I realise I’m still feeling relaxed, when once the sound would have had my heart racing. I’m getting used to this place.
Paladin is the first to appear. He crosses over to Jayden, who’s leaning on the counter next to the sink. “You’re looking better.”
The fact it’s down to him makes me beam. They start up an innocent conversation about new music they’ve heard, and I let their discussion wash over me as I drink my second cup of coffee. I’m at one end of the room, so have my eyes on the youngsters and able to see through the doorway. I can’t miss Drummer as he approaches, his face going thunderous as he’s just in time to see them bump hips to celebrate a band or something they have a liking for in common.
Rage beams out of his steely eyes and his fists are clenching.
Oh no.
I jump to my feet and rush over to him. When I’m close enough, I put my hand on his chest to stop his forward momentum, feeling his hard muscles flexing through the thin material of his t-shirt.
What am I doing? I’m trying to stop a huge biker who’s vibrating with anger.
He looks down at my hand, and then at me. His eyes look as cold as ice. “Got something to say, Ella?”
From somewhere I summon the courage. “Yes,” I hiss, tapping his chest to indicate I want him to move backward. I jerk my head at the pair behind me. “This isn’t what it seems.”
He could push past me so easily, but one side of his mouth turns up. It’s ridiculous to think I could stop him doing anything, but my desire to prevent my sister being upset overcomes my fear. When he gives me a quick nod and steps back into the clubroom, I sigh with relief. When I’ve got his attention, I give him a rundown of what’s gone on today.
“You trust Paladin?”
“Yeah. Out of everyone, he’s gotten through to her, Drummer. The things he said… He showed he’s got an old head on those young shoulders. Let them be friends, Jayden needs that.”
He brushes his hair back with both hands, staring into my face. “Well, fuck me. Thought I was gonna have to give him a beatdown. Boy’s done good it seems. I’ll lay off him for now. But Ella, the moment
he crosses the line…”
“I’ll be killing him myself.”
A laugh bursts out of him, and my mouth quirks as I realise what I’ve just said.
“Everything alright over here?”
“Yeah, Slick. Ella’s got everything under control.” The corners of his mouth turn up and I realise Drummer’s giving his approximation of a smile. “You’ve got a damn fine woman here, Brother.”
Slick pulls me into his side. “Know that, Drum.”
As I lean into his comfort, my adrenaline rush fading, I notice the door to the clubhouse opening, and Sandy and Sam are coming in.
“Drum wants to talk to you women,” Slick tells me.
“What? Why?” The prez is polite enough but doesn’t usually go out of his way to talk to us old ladies.
But Slick doesn’t enlighten me, just takes my hand and starts leading me into their meeting room.
“You’re letting us in here?” My eyes open wide as I see the large table and comfortable chairs where the brothers would sit. There’re pictures on the walls of members I don’t recognise, and when I see Adam’s, I realise they must be the ones who have passed.
Slick leads me to a seat and sits down beside me. The other old ladies filter in, Sandy’s accompanied by Viper, and Carmen with Bullet. Sam takes a place next to her old man. Lastly, Wraith comes in leading Sophie by the hand.
“To what do we owe this honour, Drum?” Sam relaxes back in her chair and raises an eyebrow. Her easy manner helps ease some of the tension in the room. This isn’t normal, and looking around, I’m not the only one to feel confused and decidedly out of place in this male-oriented room.
“We’ve just agreed to something in our meeting that concerns you ladies…” Drum pauses, and his gaze lands on each of us in turn. “You were at the funeral so already know. Yesterday the fuckin’ heat tried to serve me with a custody order for Amy.”
We nod. Carmen swears. “Fucking cops interfering. Anyone could see that woman’s not fit to raise a child.”
Sam’s face has gone tense. It’s easy to see how much she cares for Amy. She couldn’t be doing more for her if she was her own flesh and blood. “She’s not taking her, Drum.”
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