I rise up all of a sudden, walk over to the Bluetooth radio Inc has on his dresser and turn it on. There’s a touch screen on the front so I tap it and A Few Things by Charlotte Lawrence and JP Saxe comes through the radio. The sweet melody pumps through the speakers and I truly listen to the lyrics like I never have before. Closing my eyes, I weave with the beat of the music until I’m dancing alone in this room. Listening to Charlotte who sings to her lover about him being one of the only things she’s certain of.
I keep my eyes closed, throw my hands up in the air like I’m in a speakeasy drifting with the music, getting high off the environment and breathe. “O’?” Inc’s voice makes me jump and I ram the back of my hip into the dresser.
“Shit,” I hiss, turning the music down a bit lower.
“What’re you doing here?” He asks, and I realize Chains didn’t tell him I was up here. Bet Chains knew he’d run and my good friend wanted me to have a chance.
“I came here to talk to you,” I start off.
Inc’s eyes search over me and he shakes his head from side to side slowly. “No, you need to go. You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’m not leaving until you and I talk.” I hope I’m making myself clear. There are far too many things left unsaid between the two of us, and I won’t ever make the choice to live my life filled with regrets. If we don’t talk, I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life.
“You shouldn’t be here, O’. You have a fiancé. You’re in a relationship.” Inc argues, trying to convince me I’m doing something wrong.
“Zane knows I’m here. He actually encouraged me to come have a chat with you. I’ve . . . I’ve been having dreams about you, Inc.”
Inc sucks in a breath and shuts the door to his bedroom, taking a few steps closer to me, but we still have about six feet between us. “Are you sleeping?” His question is full of concern. The only concern I’ve felt from him in months.
I shrug, “For the most part, but it’s choppy.”
“Have you tried melatonin? I hear that shit works wonders.”
“Inc,” I mutter, drifting my eyes down to the floor. “I keep dreaming about you. It varies from walking by you on the street with a sinking feeling in my stomach, to me . . . starting out in a sexual situation with Zane and then your face appears.” I have the courage to glance up at him, needing to know what he’s thinking about this. He looks to be disgusted, sickened even.
“Why did you come here? To tell me you’re having sex dreams about him fucking you and then it turns into me? Is that the problem, he turns to me?” He asks, showing his obvious irritation. I can see the way he grits his teeth, shaking his head in growing anger.
“No, I came here because you and I didn’t get closure. Everything happened so fast between us and I think we need to talk it out. I . . . I was so caught off-guard by everything that transpired. Inc, I . . . maybe I’m stupid for thinking this, but at the end of the day I thought it was us who was going to get married.”
Inc heads over to his tan leather armchair and takes a seat, rubbing his hand against his mouth in a defeating manner. I wait for him to say something. Anything really, but he doesn’t. He stays quiet.
“I don’t understand how we went from ridiculously happy to barely communicating with each other. You broke my heart, Inc. Don’t you see that? You broke my fucking heart. We were everything and on the same day my sisters died, you decided we were nothing.”
He tears his hand from his mouth, stands up and comes charging at me. I’m about fully convinced he’s going to slam me up against the brick when he stops. Fists clenched so tightly his knuckles are white. Nostrils flaring relentlessly. “I didn’t decide shit, O’. Your dad did, all those fuckin’ years ago. That night we both knew we couldn’t be together anymore. We both knew it and you weren’t pullin’ the band-aid off. You left me no choice, O’. Fuck! I didn’t wanna do it. I didn’t wanna fuckin’ lose the best thing that ever happened to me, but guess what, I didn’t have a fuckin’ choice . . . ‘cause you know if we had tried to run off, to escape all this madness, we would’ve been caught. You know what would’ve happened then, right? I wouldn’t have just lost you. I would’ve lost the only family I still have. O’, the only reason I’m still alive is because of you. If you hadn’t of walked by me in the back alley of that club that night . . . I would’ve blown my head off. I was a stranger, someone you shouldn’t have given a damn about, but you did. You took me to your home. You brought me here for a drink, and we talked . . . and talked and . . . you showed me how family doesn’t have to be blood.”
Tears slide down my cheeks as every memory goes back in my mind like a movie. Inc is short for Incognito. The road name is an ode to the sacrifices he made for our country. He’s the recipient of not only a purple heart, but a medal of honor. His entire squadron was fired on when he was in Iraq, and he went back for every body, even though their lives were already lost . . . he refused to leave his brothers and sisters behind. When I found him that night all those years ago . . . he was about two seconds from pulling the trigger, from joining his brothers and sisters in death as well.
I didn’t know everything about him that day, but I grew to learn not only who he was, but what he did until I knew every little detail about him. It’s now I’m realizing what losing the club would do to him, how he’d be just as bad as the first night I met him.
Tears continue down my cheeks and I struggle to find the right words to say. That’s when something is being tossed to me and I catch it. “Open it,” He orders.
“W-what is it?” I question.
“Fuckin’ open it, O’!” He roars. I take notice how he’s visibly shaking.
I place my finger over the gold clasp and unlock the beautiful box, open it and stare at . . . my God. The tears come down quicker, faster than they ever have. This doesn’t even compare to the night Xia and Yara died in front of me.
“I was gonna propose to you. I’ve had that fuckin’ ring for over a year. Was waiting for the right moment, the perfect time to show you what you mean to me. When Yara and Xia died . . . I hated myself for not proposing to you, for not gettin’ hitched . . . ‘cause at least then I could have you. I could still fuckin’ have you in my life. Y-you can’t imagine what it’s like to know the woman you cherish more than anythin’ else in this world is movin’ on with some other man. It’s like needles constantly bein’ pushed in my chest.”
I don’t know what happens, but my knees go weak and the next thing I know I’m on the wooden floor. Kneeling and staring at the box. At the way our life could’ve been . . . and the heartache settles in even more, destroying me in a way it never has before.
I look at the box but speak to him. “There’s a way you can have me.”
He scoffs, “Stop playin’ games, O’. If there was a way out of this, I would’ve figured it out by now.”
“The way you can have me doesn’t involve getting out of this. I still have to marry Zane, per the agreement. But, there’s still a way we can be together.” I look up to Inc, needing him to understand we can still be happy. I just don’t know if he’d be willing to explore what he’ll have to do.
“I don’t understand what you’re gettin’ at, O’.” He admits. I take in a deep breath, look into his eyes, and start to explain what I can without compromising what Zane’s told me in confidence. I’ll simply elude to it. I only pray that after I’m done talking, Inc will agree to meet us at our hotel tonight.
Chapter Twenty-Five
They thought she was crazy. When in reality she was a hurricane trapped in skin, stitched together by a raging force, of a wild heart and tortured soul, longing to be loved and understood.
~ Victoria Lozada
Zane
Breaker wasn’t lyin’ when he said this was in the back of the woods. We went up Route 2 for quite a while until Chains made a left hand turn after one of the popular trails. On our drive he’s been acting as a tour guide too.
The cabin they have isn’t
anythin’ fancy, more of a shack lookin’ thing. They have a guy posted on the outside of the building. Chains introduced me to the man, whose name is Ops. It’s an interesting road name, but I’ll put my money on it that some of these guys are ex-military, Marines, Navy, etc.
This Ops dude. He’s one of those average pretty guys. Kinda reminds me of Mouser in a way. They look hot as shit and know it. You think it’s gonna go to their heads, but hopefully like Mouser, this guy uses it to his advantage.
Not even gonna lie. If Inc doesn’t come over to the hotel later, I may have to ask Octavia about Ops. I sure wouldn’t mind watchin’ this guy choke on my cock.
The three of us stand outside for a few minutes and hash over some shit. They tell me everythin’ they know, which isn’t much. Apparently, this guy is pretty well known, but what he’s well known for is the issue. He’s got a rap sheet a mile long for armed robbery, theft, that sorta shit. So, this begs the question. What would cause a man to go from stealin’ shit to shootin’ women?
“Breaker told me you didn’t have shit on this guy. Never mentioned his criminal history to me,” I mutter, lookin’ back at the man who’s bound to a metal chair with electrical tape.
“That’s all we have on him. No gang affiliations. No ties to other potential MCs who could be impeding on our territory. We’ve got nothin’ else.” Ops informs me.
“It’s enough for me to start on. You have a set of jumpers in the truck?” I ask Chains, who nods.
“Yep. I’ll go grab ‘em.”
“Perfect. You have water supply in this joint?” I ask Ops.
“We sure as fuck do. What’re you plannin’ to do?”
“Besides provin’ a point? I’m gonna make this fucker talk.” I state, pushin’ open the door. I walk in and the wood creaks underneath me. Who knows how old this floor is. I walk around the guy, whose name is Luis Montego. He’s an average criminal. The type of man we see up in Billings hooked on meth, just tryin’ to support his habit.
“Luis, tsk. You should’ve spoken to them when you had the chance, ese.” Luis reacts at my knowledge of street slang. It’s only one word, but I know far more than that. It’s one of the many things people don’t know about me. Then again, I’m not the type of man who puts all my cards on the table.
Nothing.
“I bet they didn’t tell you I’d be here, did they? They never do.” He doesn’t know I’m bullshitting him, but I’ll do whatever I need to get answers. “You see, I’m not a Raider, Luis. I’m a Reaper. You know why they call us that? Because we bring them to death’s doorstep and we wait to see if the Reaper will collect. I told their Prez that’s what I was going to do today,” I kneel down to where my face is a mere inch away from his. “I said I was going to bring you to death’s doorstep and see if he takes you but . . . I’ll push you over the edge, even if he doesn’t want to drag you to hell. You see, I’m going to kill you. I won’t even lie and say I won’t if you give me the information they’ve been asking you for. You’ll still die, but the way you die depends on you.”
A vibration comes from my pocket, informing me I have a text. I pull it out and see Blackjack’s sent a text through.
From: Blackjack
Dunno how they didn’t find this shit, but, he’s the guardian for his kids, two boys. Miguel is 8. Angelo is 12. The mom is in the slammer right now. Getting out in a week from the looks of it. If you need anything else just lemme know.
Shit. I hate using kids against their parents, but I’ll do what I have to. I won’t actually hurt them, but their parents don’t know that. Sucks that both of their parents are no good pieces of shit. “Lemme make shit real clear for you, ese. If you don’t tell me what I wanna know I’ll just go to your family. Your two boys. Angelo and Miguel, is it?” Luis’ eyes widen, proving I’m on the right path.
The door opens and closes. I turn to see Chains bringing the jumper unit up to me. He sets it on the ground beside me and goes to the far side of the wall, crosses his arms and watches. “I’ll just go after them. Kids are the best.” Kids are the best, fuckin’ light of the worlds, but Luis can think I mean best to torture. Fuck, if I ever run across someone who tortures kids the way I’m blatantly lyin’ about I’ll rip them apart like shredded pork and not even give it a second thought.
Luis opens his mouth but shuts it. Ah, I’m striking a nerve with him. “Luis, it’s best to tell me what you know. I’m debating right now on whether to kill you first or drag your kids here and slowly kill them in front of you.”
“You stupid motherfucker! If you touch them, I will burn you all down!” He thrashes against the chair, his fury clearly showing.
“My, my. You seem to be a bit hot-headed. Ops, mind coolin’ him down?” I ask, callin’ out to the back where Ops had gone a few minutes earlier. Ops comes from the back of the cabin with a bucket and pours it over our lovely prisoner here.
I bend down and turn on the unit, meeting the two ends together, sparking when they unite. “I want answers, Luis. Who hired you?” I pull the ends apart and bring them together again.
“I’m not telling you anything, you sick fucker!” He hisses in a thick Mexican accent.
Okay, now I won’t keep playing Mr. Nice Guy. I step closer to Luis and press the wired electricity against his skin, leaving it there for ten seconds. I count slowly in my head, so it’s actually more like fifteen. His screams fill the room even after I’m done. “You have a choice, Luis. You speak, or you scream. I might even give the same choices to your boys, so tell me. Who the fuck hired you to kill Yara and Xia.”
Luis glares at me, fury running through his entire body. Good, this is what I need from him. “I will only ask you one more time, and then I go fetch your boys. I have your address on my phone here and I know who’s watching them since your ol’ lady is in jail. She doesn’t get out for another week, right?” I chuckle at the end, already knowing I have every bit of information I need.
I meet the metal against Luis’ skin again, this time counting until thirty. I might’ve killed him because he thrashes insanely, so I pull the metal away. He’s breathing in and out so he’s still alive, interesting.
“Alright, I’ll see you later. I’ve given it a lot of thought and I’m actually gonna start with Miguel, and then go to Angelo. I’ll kill you after I’m done with them . . . but I won’t bring them back here now. Nah, I’ll do it out in the desert and let the wildlife eat their bodies after they’ve decayed in the sun for a while.”
Shit, as I say it the visual comes to my mind and I genuinely almost vomit. Hopefully I’m fakin’ this pretty damn good. We should know in a few minutes. I turn off the unit, grab the cables and head out the door, stopping in the frame. “Luis, you might be able to save your boys if you tell me what I want to know. It all depends on you. Chains, you ready?”
“Sure,” Chains responds, heading to the door.
The two of us exit the cabin, walk to the truck and Chains hops in beside me. Yet he fails to turn it on. “Turn the truck on and start drivin’ like a jackass. I want him thinkin’ we’re speedin’ off to kill his kids. But only go about a mile and pull over to the side. I guarantee Ops will be callin’ you in a few with an answer of who hired him.”
Chains nods, doing as I say and we pull off beside a small stream. We wait ten minutes and I see Chains pull his cell from his pocket, press it to his ear and answer. “Hey. He said what? Are you sure? You’re fuckin’ sure, right? Jesus Christ . . . I’m callin’ Breaker right now. This can’t wait.”
Chains hangs up the phone and looks to me for a split second, “You get the answer you were lookin’ for?”
“Yes and no. Wasn’t expectin’ this answer. One of Ice’s clubwhores is behind this. Her name’s Dusty. She’d been with the club for a while but disappeared a few years back. Fuck, motherfucker!” Chains slams his hand down on the dash in blind rage.
“Brother, calm down. There’s nothin’ you could’ve done to prevent this.” I state, rememberin’ Octavia told me he
was with her sister, Xia.
“There’s somethin’ I could’ve done. Things shouldn’t have ever gotten this far.” He says.
“No, it still would’ve happened, just in another way. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Now, get us back to your club so we can figure out a way to deal with this Dusty character.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
She is everything a man will desire and need, as well as everything a boy will not understand, value and take for granted.
~ Pierre Alex Jeanty
Octavia
It’s been over an hour since my conversation with Inc ended, and I’m not sure what was going on in his head. I invited him over for drinks tonight at the hotel, hoping he’ll accept it . . . but it sucks how I won’t know for a bit. My stomach keeps turning at every given moment. Fear, nerves and anxiety. They’re becoming so normal in my body that they might as well call it home.
“Is that a joke?” Fury glances down to his phone, his eyes widened a good bit. He must’ve been caught by some sort of surprise.
Chains and Zane went out to go handle something and in the meantime I’ve been told to stay here. Not that I want to leave. I may act stupid sometimes, but I’m not an idiot. The person or persons who murdered my sisters are still on the loose and until we know who’s behind their deaths, I won’t be going out by myself. It’s far too risky.
“What’s up?” I inquire, sitting on a barstool across from him.
“Breaker just sent a text out. Apparently, your man got some words outta that piece of shit. Breaker’s callin’ church in a few minutes to go over a game plan on how to get Dusty, what we’re gonna do and all that.”
Mayhem: A Reapers MC Boxset Page 27