Heart of a Rebel: Rebel Aces MC Part 1

by K. D. Latronico

  "Alright, I can definitely handle that. I'll make a list of everyone that is coming, see how much room we need, and go from there."

  Looking up from her list, Rita grins. "Fantastic! You got this."

  CHAPTER 36

  LEAH

  THE NEXT DAY IS pure chaos from early on in the morning. Most of us had been up late taking care of things around the clubhouse. Luckily for us, most of the Aces are giant, hulking men so it made it a lot easier to drag cots up to the second and third floors and set them up in various rooms and apartments. Supplies were restocked. The industrial sized refrigerators and freezers in the kitchen were filled to the brim with food, shelves in and out of the pantry were completely packed, and the floors were lined with cases of water, soda, and beer as well as paper products.

  And so, so much toilet paper.

  The lounge rooms were set up with video games and toys for the kids, and anything that could be harmful to the little ones was hidden and put away. Extra tables and chairs were set out in the main dining room, making it look more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. The clubhouse looked different, but at the same time, it didn’t. It just looked more family-friendly, which, to me, fits what the Aces are more than anything else.

  Yes, the Rebel Aces were criminals, but they keep our little home safe and typically had the best of intentions...in their own ways. But I’ve had a messed up view of morality and lawfulness since my parents were murdered right down the hallway from where my siblings and I were sleeping, so everything is a little bit skewed for me.

  As I headed down the stairs from showing a few of our older members to their rooms, I can hear the high pitched voices of kids filling the main area of the ground floor. Grinning, I hop down the last few steps and walk down the hall, following the noise. There I find Kim and her sons with Ronnie and her kids, still holding their bags, indicating that they had just gotten in.

  "Hi, guys!" I call happily, waving my hands at them.

  The kids all look up quickly, and the little ones faces light up. "Miss Leah!" they chorus, running at me with such speed that I have barely enough time to crouch down and catch them in a bunch of hugs. I envelop Sammy, Ronnie and Hawkeye's youngest daughter, and Noah, Kim's youngest son, in my arms and hold them close.

  "Hey you two! How have you been?"

  "Good!" Sammy replies, her long brown hair falling in her eyes, while Noah jumps up and down. "We're having a big sleepover!"

  Grinning wide, I nod at Ward's youngest nephew. "We are! It's going to be so much fun!" I move over to greet the other kids - Kim's eldest son Liam, and Ronnie's older two, Mackenzie and Bryan Jr. they run off to one of the lounges, both of their mothers calling after them to behave.

  Kim steps towards me to greet me with a hug. "Hey, beautiful. I hear congratulations are in order?"

  Ronnie beams at me. "Yes! Welcome to the Old Lady club!" She rushes me, hugging me tight as I laugh.

  "Yeah, he chose a great time to make it official," I tease, though I'm not at all bothered by it. Wrangling everything and being on top of the organization for the lockdown had been surprisingly easy once I got into it.

  Kim has a knowing grin on her face when she puts her arm around me. "Well, it's about damn time. We all knew it was going to happen eventually,"

  Ronnie laughs. "Yeah. I wonder how long it'll be until you two are sisters-in-law?"

  My face must have been hilarious to them because they started laughing as I stood there shaking my head. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay?"

  Kim snorted, rolling her eyes. "He made you his old lady. That's basically biker for married. I'd put money on it happening within the next year."

  The next year? Lord, I still am getting used to us being together and his sister wants to talk about us getting married? I haven't even given it any thought yet.

  Okay. That's a lie. I've thought about it plenty, but not recently!

  Alright, another lie.

  Waving them off, I change the subject by swooping down and grabbing a few of her bags. "Come on, harpies, I'll show you to your room."

  As I'm walking towards the stairs I hear Ronnie say to her best friend loudly, "she's head bitch in charge for a day and she's already ordering us around.

  I snorted my own laugh. "Don't let Rita hear you say that!" I call over my shoulder. "No matter what, she's still the head bitch."

  I had chosen a block of rooms across from one another at the end of one of the halls for Kim and Ronnie's families. Kim had been fine with taking just one room for her and the boys, stating that Noah would sleep with her and Liam would be fine with a cot. The single room was big enough and had its own private bathroom, so I at least felt okay putting her there. It wasn't like I was shoving her and her boys into a tiny closet. Hawkeye and Ronnie would be next door, and across the hall would be their kids, followed by Bear and his girls in a larger room. Bear, Ronnie, and Moose's parents would be next to them, and across the hall next to Kim's room would be Mary and Crow.

  We were in Ronnie's kid's room depositing their bags when she turned to me, a serious expression on her face. "I know we're all distracted by getting ready for the lockdown, but are you doing alright? Hawk vaguely told me about what happened at the club." Her eyes were discerning, and I could see on her face that she was genuinely concerned. Kim had stopped what she was doing and was looking towards me, waiting for a response.

  With how busy I’ve been since the night before, I really hadn't allowed myself to sit back and think about what had happened. I knew that it was the reason for the sudden lockdown, but I managed to keep my mind occupied instead of dwelling on it.

  In response, I shrug. "I'm keeping busy so I don't have time to let it take over," I answer honestly. "I'm honestly more pissed that we have to close the club and that everyone has to be uprooted because of it."

  Kim gives me a slightly concerned look. "You know none of this is your fault, right?"

  "Oh, I know," I reply with a wave of my hand. "Believe me, this is on whatever assholes are trying to fuck with my family. But at the same time, I can't help but feel a little guilt, you know? And I know," I add quickly, holding my hands up at the two women who were about to protest, "that I shouldn't feel guilty. But still. This is a fifteen-year mess that my father created and brought on the club."

  Kim crossed her arms against her chest, and I realized then that she was giving me her best stern mom look. "You guys are family. What's your problem is our problem. That's how it's been since you guys moved in next door and my parents decided to protect you all. Now, you're my brother's old lady, which really means that whatever comes your way, they take care of. End of story."

  "Yeah," Ronnie chimed in, "so tell that guilt to fuck off!"

  I can't help it. I burst into laughter, covering my face with one hand. "What a beautiful addition to that pep talk, Ronnie," I tease the taller blonde. "But, I know what you're saying. I do. I'll keep that in mind, okay?"

  Kim smiles and nods. "Okay."

  I return her nod. "I gotta get back downstairs and see what else needs to be done. Pretty sure more people have arrived, if the noise volume is any indication."

  Once we made it downstairs, my suspicions were confirmed. Rita had come out to greet the new arrivals already, which were the rest of the Gibson-Albright crew. Mary and Crow stood with Ronnie's parents, Janice and Duke, while Bear cradled his youngest daughter against his massive chest while the other two girls buzzed excitedly around his tree-trunk like legs.

  "Daddy, is Sammy here yet? Where are all the other kids?" Chloe, Bear's middle child chirped a mile a minute, tugging at her father's jeans.

  "Dad, which room are we gonna be in? Do you know yet? Can we bring our stuff up so I can read?" That was his older daughter, Amber, who was ten.

  "Guys, one thing at a time. Please." The large, aptly named man seemed exasperated, but by some miracle, he was keeping his cool. You really had to admire Bear. He was a single dad and had been since his youngest, Maisie, was only a f
ew months old. His ex-wife had decided she no longer wanted to be married or be a mom and had run off to California to be with whatever man chose her as his flavor of the month. He was better off, but it didn't make it easier to raise three little girls on his own.

  Luckily, though, he had a great support system, which was currently being put to the test.

  "Hey girls!" Ronnie said, causing the two little brunettes' heads to snap in the direction of their aunt's voice.

  "AUNT RONNIE!" came their squeals as they bounded towards her, diving into her waiting arms. I could hear Bear's sigh of relief.

  Rhonda had the situation under control in a matter of seconds. "Sammy is here, she's in the playroom with the others. I know where your room is, so let's go upstairs with your things and get settled. Then, Amber, you can find a place to read, and Chloe, I'll take you back down to find Sammy and the others. Deal?"

  Chloe's response was to screech, "DEAL!", while her older sister nodded eagerly with a grin. Ronnie was up, had their bags in her hands, and led them to the steps to get to their room. Bear headed that way but stopped by me to say hi.

  "Hey, lady. Working hard?" he asked once he greeted me with a kiss to my cheek.

  I laughed. "You know it." Tilting my head, I look at Maisie, the four-year-old tuckered out on her dad's shoulder. "Nap time?"

  "Yeah. She was all kinds of cranky this morning but passed out on the drive here. Hoping she stays down for a while and wakes up in a better mood." Despite his words, there is a hint of a smile on his lips, which aren't fully covered by the dark beard he’d had the entire time I’ve known him. I never had a single doubt in my mind that he loved his girls more than anything else in the world, and even on their difficult days, wouldn't trade it at all.

  "Well, I've got you guys in a big room by the rest of your family, and it'll be quiet for her to nap now. Do you need help bringing stuff upstairs?"

  "Nah," he says as he looks over at where their things had been laid out, which was now moved. "I think my parents got it taken care of. My mom probably wrangled prospects to help set everything up." With a playful roll of his eyes, there was still a grin on his face as he started to walk down the hall. "Catch you later, Leah."

  I barely have time to turn around before Mary is wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. "My sweet girl! I wish we could have gotten here last night but we had the boys and Kim was trying to get work done before having to come here. I heard you've done a great job, though!" Pulling back, she places her hands on my shoulders, incandescent with joy. "My boy's Old Lady. I couldn't have picked a better woman."

  "I should have put money on it," came Crow's grumbling voice, his one hand coming to envelop the side of my head as he pulled me to place a kiss on my hair. "How are you doing, princess?"

  Tilting my head up to look up, I feel my eyes shining as I gazed up at him. His use of the nickname he had given my sister and me when we first moved into the house next to his brought back bittersweet memories.

  "Keeping busy," I answer honestly.

  Mary clucks her tongue. "There's nothing to be worried about now. You guys are gonna be safe, and the boys will take care of it."

  Her confidence was inspiring, but it still didn’t do much to quell my worry. If this were just about me, maybe it wouldn't be bothering me as much, but my family was involved. How could I not be worried?

  "Where is Ward? I need to speak with him," Crow said, interrupting my thoughts.

  "He should be in his office." Crow nodded and headed in that direction, his heavy boots echoing off the flooring.

  "Come on, sweetheart," Mary said, wrapping her arm around my shoulders, "I've got a few tricks to teach you, from the former President's Old Lady to the one taking my crown." Her grin was teasing and amused as she laughed, pulling me back towards the kitchen.

  CHAPTER 37

  WARD

  I LOOKED UP FROM my laptop after there was a knock at my office door. "Come in."

  My father opened the door and stepped inside. "Son," he offered with a nod.

  "Dad." I stood, reaching my hand out to shake his.

  Once he released my grasp, he took a step back, crossing his arms against his chest. It was often overlooked how much I resembled my father because of how much I had changed my appearance over the years. After covering every inch of my body (other than my face) with black and gray ink, our similarities could be missed, but at one point I was nearly his clone. Now, you could see it in our facial features, our matching light blue eyes, and our long dark hair and beards.

  "What's the current situation with the threat at the club?"

  Right down to business, which I didn't have a problem with. My father may not be a fully patched member anymore, after stepping down as president for a few different reasons, but he was still allowed to know about club business. We no longer had to run things by him, and it was my decision that was now final, but the man truly knew his shit so I valued his opinion.

  "We still have no clue how they got in or out, undetected, and how they managed to manipulate the feed. Joker brushed for fingerprints in both rooms and there were none. Which just tells me they used gloves because they already went through all the trouble to hide who they are. My issue is, if it’s Los Chingados, why would they hide that it was them? They're all about sending messages." I pause for a moment, not hesitating to let my father in on my train of thought, but choosing my words carefully. "What if they're not hiding that it's linked to the group, but their identity, specifically? That can mean one of two things."

  My father's expression is contemplative as he mulls over everything I said. "Either that specific person has more planned, or they're close to the club."

  "Exactly." I still hadn't brought up exactly what my concern was to the rest of my men, but I had just known that my father would think the same thing. "I'm afraid we might have a rat."

  The older man's bushy eyebrows raised. "In the club?"

  I shook my head. "No. Unless it's one of the prospects, which I doubt, I honestly don't think it's any of the men. I trust every single one of them, and they have to know that if they're fucking with the club, with family, my family; they’re dead before they can make their next move." Even saying it out loud makes my skin heat up, thinking of one of my men betraying me in any sort of way.

  "So who are you thinking, then?"

  I take a deep breath. "My only thought is someone on security. We do thorough background checks, but there's a chance that a connection to Los Chingados wouldn't come up."

  My father nods. "It doesn't necessarily have to be someone with priors, either. Criminals have to start somewhere..." His jaw clenches, matching mine as we both consider the idea of someone hired to protect being a threat to us.

  "I have Jekyll and Hyde double and triple checking every guy on the payroll. Until then, both Darlings and Velvet are closed to keep everyone safe. We're gonna take a hit, but it's better to keep everyone safe."

  He nods his head again. "You made the right choice. The money can be made back. We can't risk lives when we don't know what we're dealing with." My father waited a moment before speaking again. "Where are you with the warehouse bombing?"

  With this new threat, the bombing hadn’t taken the precedence it should have. It had only been just over twenty-four hours since I had gotten the new information from Carrington, but after the incident at Darlings, we've had to split our attention. That, I knew, was unacceptable, but at the same time, we also don't have any choice.

  "Met with Carrington yesterday. He says that a source heard some asshole bragging about being apart of the bombing. Confirmed that it was a member of The Forgotten. Had the ink."

  My father curses, unfolding his arms so he can wring his hands together - a tick he has when he's getting frustrated. "What the fuck do they think they're doing starting a goddamn war?"

  "I don't know, but it's fucked up and a little too coincidental to me. About a month ago, we had a guy interview with us for security that was a new member. In
k was fresh. We turned him away immediately, but I don't think they'd be stupid enough to bomb us for that. And how would they know where to bomb?"

  Shaking his head, I can see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to make sense of it all. "You're right, there's gotta be more. These assholes are reckless, but they can't be that stupid."

  I shrug. "You never know."

  "What's the next step?"

  I sigh heavily. "We all agree that we need to hit ‘em back twice as hard, so we're doing everything we can to get any and all information on them. Member information, who's in charge, hideouts, businesses. We need to not only hit 'em where it hurts, but crush them before they have a chance to retaliate. The problem is..."

  "You're worried that going after them will leave an opening for those fuckfaces that threatened Eddie and the girls to make their next move."

  "Exactly."

  Rubbing his beard, my father comes up with a plan right on the spot. "Get every piece of information you can on The Forgotten. Don't make a move yet. It'll make them think we're weak, but be ready. Take care of this immediate threat first before blasting them when their guard is down."

  "That's exactly what I was planning to do."

  There's a faint smile on my father's lips now. "Good job, son. And look at it this way--"

  His statement is interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Arching an eyebrow, I look over my father's shoulder as if I can see through the door. "Yes?"

  The soft voice on the other side matches the knock. "Ward? It's Quinn. Can I talk to you?"

  I look to my father who nods. "Take care of business. I'm gonna see if your mother or the girls need any help." He turns and steps towards the door then, opening it to reveal the petite brunette on the other side. Quinn is looking nervous and pale, which immediately puts me on edge.

  "Quinn, are you alright?"

  She looks from me to my father, her hazel eyes wide. "Uh, yeah. I just need to talk to you about something." It's clear she's intimidated by my father, who is more than twice her size and gruff looking.