by KJ Dahlen
Dani took a deep breath and added, “But now, we know he lied all those years ago and I think Hellspawn knew it too, even back then.”
“Well now, we know his secret and he isn’t going to like that one little bit,” Boone stated.
Dani looked a bit afraid as she stared at Thor. “He knows you’re still alive and by now, he knows you found me. He’ll figure one of us has to be holding what he lost. He won’t stop coming for us until he finds that box.”
“Let the bastard come then.” Gunner growled. “He’ll need more than the army he thinks he’s got at his back. Once his men know what he was planning, they will turn on him.”
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.” Dani rolled her eyes. “His men will tear him apart.” She again stared up at Thor. “When Digger finds out what his uncle planned, he’s going to go apeshit, you know that don’t you? He and Hellspawn have been fighting in public about how his dad died. And how the club is now. Hellspawn really is a lousy leader.”
“I’m sure we’ll know soon enough.” Gunner growled. “I don’t imagine it will be too long before he figures out where you two are.”
Cobra gave a nod. “And we’ll be ready for that fucker.”
Chapter Six
“Incoming!” they all heard one of the brothers yell out as the alarms on the front gate sounded. The men all scrambled and rushed to the main room.
Winona and DeeDee came rushing out of the kitchen and Ivy Blue came from Cobra’s bedroom. Ivy already had her weapon in her hand and she carried an extra of Cobra’s. She passed it to him and took her place at one of the windows.
DeeDee went over to the gun cabinet and unlocked it. She took out a shotgun then Winona took it from her and grabbing a box of shells, she began to load it. DeeDee did the same with a second shotgun.
The men were lined up at the windows and they all watched as the six bikers at the gate kept pushing on the barrier between them and the compound.
“Hey inside the compound!” one of the bikers at the gate yelled out.
“What the fuck do you want here?” Gunner yelled back. “You don’t belong here.”
“You got something that doesn’t belong to you and we want it back.”
“We don’t have anything here that belongs to you!” Gunner shouted.
“The hell you don’t!” screamed another of the men. “You took my woman from Trinity this morning and I want her back.”
“I swear I don’t belong to him,” Dani called out softly from the hall. “Never have, never wanted to.” Shaking her head, she reminded them, “I was leaving town to get the hell away from them. Tank always told me after he broke me he'd let his friends enjoy using me and there wasn’t a damn thing I would be able to do about it. I would become club property.”
Thor snapped his head around and saw her standing in the entrance.
She was leaning against the wall. “I’d rather die in a hail of bullets than belong to that man or that lousy club. I don’t care if I have to run the rest of my natural life but I won’t be a slave of any kind, not to the likes of that bastard. Hellspawn still thinks I know where his ill-gotten gains are, that’s the only reason Tank claimed me. Maybe he thought I would give it up to him instead of Hellspawn. I don’t know and right now, I don’t fucking care.” She walked over to the gun cabinet and reached for a shotgun. Loading it with shells, she marched over to a window and stuck the end of the gun outside.
The men in the room all turned to glance at her in the window as she stood there with pure hatred in her eyes.
“Tank, you lousy bastard,” Dani called out from the window where she’d taken her stand. “I don’t want you or your fucking club. I told you that a million times already and no means no dammit. You got no claim on me, never have, never will. And...Hellspawn, you fucker!” She screamed. “If my mother had something that belonged to you, you lost it when you fucking snapped her neck four months ago. Bonecrusher lied to you for seventeen years. He never had whatever it was he stole from the club after that ambush. Molly had it hidden the whole time. Why do you think he beat her to death?”
“I don’t fucking believe you bitch!” Hellspawn yelled back. “Bonecrusher knew better than to lie to me.”
“He shot your brother and the others in the back though didn’t he?” Thor called out. “He admitted as much the night he killed my mom. He said he knew that cargo was valuable and he wanted it for himself. That he wasn’t going to wait any longer to get the hell away from the club, away from my mom and me. He said he was going to live like a king and to hell with you fuckers and the club. He told my mom he was leaving us behind like the garbage we were and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. He played you for seventeen years. He was never going to give the cargo to you.”
“I don’t fucking believe a word you’re saying Nicky!” Hellspawn screamed in denial.
“Oh, yeah?” Thor called out. “You might have missed his last words then. I know you couldn’t hear them, the warden cut your mic but just before he breathed his last he told the warden, to tell you he won after all. You never got the cargo and now, it's gone forever.”
“It’s not gone!” Hellspawn shrieked. “It can’t be gone. Those jewels are mine. They belong to me.”
“What fucking jewels? What are you talking about Hellspawn?” Tank demanded.
A few of the other brothers around him were looking around like they had no clue.
“You gonna tell them or should I?” Thor called out.
“I thought you didn’t know what the cargo was, you bastard!” Hellspawn yelled.
“I may not know what it was but it must have been big,” Thor stated. “Before he killed my mom Bonecrusher told us, he was never going to work again and he was going to live like a king without her or me. What does that tell you boys?”
“He never would have left the club. You’re lying.”
“Swear to god, boys. He was going to book out, in fact he couldn’t wait. He went as far as to have his clothes packed and he emptied the bank account. He was all set to leave mom and me high and dry. But what can I say? He was a hell of a man. You all knew him, what stopped him was when he went to get the cargo and it wasn’t where he left it. My mom moved it earlier. She knew it would cost her but she moved it anyway.”
“So it's gone?” Hellspawn asked. “It's really gone?”
“What was the cargo that day, Hellspawn?” Tank shouted wanting to know. “My brother, my actual blood brother was one of the three men that died that day, along with Torch, your own fucking brother. What did they all die for? Was it worth their lives?”
“And whatever that cargo was would it have been part of the club or just for you?” one of the other men around him asked.
Thor looked at Gunner and grinned.
“Hey Hellspawn,” Dani suddenly called out. “Did you know Digger was going to replace you as leader of your crew? He’s gathering his own men and can’t wait to take over.”
“That punk?” Hellspawn chortled. “He wouldn’t make it a week doing what I do. A leader he is not.”
“Oh, I don’t think his men would have accepted him for long. You wouldn’t have even been cold by the time he joined you,” she assured him.
“He was going to order my death?” Hellspawn growled. “That fucking little bastard.”
“Your days were numbered, old man,” she called out. “Still are. He made promises to his men he’ll never be able to keep. Wonder where he learned that?”
“And you know this how?” Hellspawn demanded.
“Because he’s been up my ass for weeks now on Tank’s orders. He’s been bugging me about trying to find the cargo you lost seventeen years ago. He seemed to think my mom had it too. Told him the same thing I told you. If she did have it, the whereabouts died with her. He didn’t believe me either but it's true.”
“You sure know how to lie girl, don’t you?” Hellspawn called out. “Your mom could lie too. I should have remembered that. I don’t believe a word yo
u’re saying. I want that cargo. I’ve waited seventeen years for it and it’s mine.”
“You mean it belongs to the club don’t you?” A brother next to him snarled.
“What did you have to do for all those jewels Hellspawn?” Thor called out. “Nobody just up and gave them to you.”
“Why don’t you tell us Pres, just what did you do to get all those jewels?” His VP Expo asked. “Remember guys this was seventeen years ago. Do any of you remember what we went through back then? I do. We were sold out. He sold our MC to the cartel. We lost a lot of good brothers bringing their shit across the border for the first ten years. That’s how long the cartel ran us ragged. He put the blame on Bonecrusher but I’ll bet you ten to one it was him that did it. The very reason for that particular run was never made clear, not to any of us, only to the four brothers that went on it. He trusted Torch to take what he was selling, but what was it he gave Torch to carry on the trip? And what was Torch bringing back?”
“Bonecrusher knew,” Tank reminded them. “Like Elise said, he shot the others in the back didn’t he?”
“My fucking name is Dani, you piece of shit!” Dani screamed.
“Well Dani,” Hellspawn sneered. “What exactly did your mama know about all this then?”
“Why should I tell you that now?” Dani called out. “You made her life a living hell for most of my life, why should I tell you anything?”
“Because the game is up bitch,” Hellspawn yelled back. “The club knows everything now, you better tell them something.”
“Maybe I’ll wait until you're cold in the ground before I say anything.”
“And maybe we’ll burn this club out while we’re waiting!” Tank shouted.
Dani called back, “Then you’ll lose whatever it was Hellspawn waited for all those years won’t you? What it was he betrayed you all for.”
“You do have my jewels then.” Hellspawn snarled. “I knew you were lying.”
“Maybe and maybe it's buried.” Dani taunted him. “You burn us out you’ll never find out will you?Am I lying now or was I lying before? You choose what you want to believe.”
“Tell me something Dani,” Expo called out to her. “What was it, what was the cargo Hellspawn sold us out for?”
Dani looked over at Thor to see what he wanted her to do. When he leaned back against the wall and shrugged, she decided to tell them. “Torch carried back a small package that Molly put in a small box. No bigger than 9 inches by 3 inches. It’s been locked all these years, so we never knew what was in it. But my mom never bothered to look. As long as she had it, she kept it safe. Thor figured he might know what the combination was and when the box was opened, we found a shitload of diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Figure it’s worth a couple million dollars by this time.”
“You lying bitch.” Hellspawn growled. “Those jewels were mine. You had no right to them.”
“Those jewels have the blood of the three bikers who brought it back along with Molly and my mom’s staining them. I sure as hell don’t want anything to do with them. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to just give them back to you. I’d rather dump them in the river. Or maybe I’ll just flush them down the fucking toilet. You gonna tear up the sewer lines to get em... you rat? You lost out old man, either way you lost the stones.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Hellspawn growled. “Not even you would throw away that kind of money. Just one of those stones would keep you the rest of your life.”
“I really would flush them you bastard. My mom and Thor’s mother paid for it with their blood. Those stones have too much blood on them for me. I don’t need money that bad, nor would I want it. They don’t mean shit to me.”
“They belong to the MC,” Expo yelled. “You won’t flush them anywhere. Just hand them over to us and we’ll let you live. You and the men who live here.”
“You come through that gate and flushing them will be my final act on this earth,” she threatened. “Some of you might not live to get as far as the front door but you can bet those stones will be gone. I might die but you’ll end up with nothing.”
“You fucking little bitch!” Hellspawn swore. “I’ll end your miserable life myself. You won’t even hear the bullet that splits your head wide open.”
“And you’ll never even get to see the jewels you killed for,” Dani vowed from the window.
“I won’t stop coming for you girl,” Hellspawn promised. “I won’t give you one moment of peace until I get what’s mine.”
“I’ve never known peace old man and it was never yours to begin with.”
Expo glanced over at Hellspawn then he looked at the other men there. “I think we should go back and let the club know what we found out.”
Hellspawn growled. “I don’t have to explain myself to you or anyone. I am the fucking president of the Satan’s Fury for Christ’s sake!”
“You haven’t been our president for a very long time.” Expo sneered. “You let us run down so bad that even your own nephew is looking to take the club away from you. You betrayed your men and kept a lot of secrets over the years. I think it's about time the men knew exactly what you did and why you did it. It was after all, our blood you had no problem spilling to find those fucking stones.”
Hellspawn spit at Expo’s feet. “And I slept like a baby all these years too, didn’t I?”
“You guys head back.” Tank growled. "I’m gonna stay here and watch over my interests. That girl belongs to me and I’m gonna remind her of that.”
Expo snorted. “You take her and you’ll have them looking for blood and from what I hear, the Savaged Souls won’t stop until they get her back and you’re dead or dying. Are you really that much of a fool?”
“Yeah I guess I am," Tank admitted. “She’s mine and I will not be denied.”
“We’ll bury what’s left of you next to Bonecrusher then.” Expo nodded. “You’re both damn fucking fools.”
Chapter Seven
When five of the six bikers took off and rode away from the front gate outside, Dani knew who had stayed behind. The slime just wouldn’t leave. She leaned against the glass of the window and muttered, “Why can’t he just leave me the fuck alone?”
“He’s a man that doesn’t like to lose,” Cobra spoke from behind her.
Dani raised her head and turned to look at him. “The moment a man raises his hand and hits a woman whether in anger or not is the moment he loses his man card in my eyes. I don’t fucking care how big or strong, he is... he loses his man card and becomes nothing more than a coward. My mom taught me that.” She sneered. “And you know what? She was right. A real man is bigger and stronger than a woman could ever be and it's his job to care for and protect her, not only her body but also her heart. Tank only cares about his own pleasure, his own needs and desires. I don’t want or need a man like that. I want a man who will stand beside me, not walk ahead of me. A man who will hold me in the middle of the night, not turn his back to me the moment his needs are met. He will hold me while I cry, not be the one who caused my tears. I’m tired of being disappointed in the male population.”
Cobra nodded. “That’s a long list of expectations, what will the one man who can fill your list get in return?”
“He’ll get a woman who will be there for him through thick and thin, someone who will believe in him, someone to walk by his side not behind or ahead of him. Love him for who he is not what he can give her, work right along beside him rather than expect him to provide for her. Someone who will always ask how his day was and listen to what he has to say.”
“That sounds like some kind of woman.” Cobra nodded.
“I can’t and won’t settle for less,” she insisted. “I’ve seen too many women settle and they are miserable. They lose a little bit more of themselves every day until there’s nothing left to lose and I swore on my mom’s grave, I wouldn’t let that happen to me. My father tried to play my mom like that and she walked away from him rather than let him wear her down. She ma
de a good life for me and I will always be grateful to her for that. She taught me to be strong and I won’t let her down.”
Cobra nodded at the window. “That man out there thinks he has a claim on you and I don’t think he’s going to give up on it so easy.”
“That man out there isn’t a man at all. He’s a parasite.” She growled. “You saw the bruises on my back, didn’t you? He gave them to me when I wouldn’t let him run over me. That was him teaching me a lesson. I dared to tell him no and he was teaching me not to do that. I’m just supposed to let him tell me what to do and follow his rules? I would never give him the time of day but because he’s a member of the Fury MC and he thinks he can walk all over me.”
“What ever happened to your dad?” Cobra wanted to know.
Dani smiled faintly and shrugged. “My dad was a biker who thought he could get away with anything just because he wore a cut. When mom walked out on him, he didn’t even care. He always told her he could find another woman. He found out the hard way some women don’t like a heavy hand. He tried pulling his bullshit on another woman after my mom left him and she didn’t like it much either. She let him have it with both barrels and when she walked away from him, he was dead. She’s spending time in prison now, but she said it was well worth it.”
Cobra winced and shook his head.
When Gunner joined them he asked, “Would you really flush the stones down the toilet?”
Dani shrugged. “Those fucking stones mean nothing to me. They’ve brought nothing but death with them from the time Bonecrusher took them.”
Gunner looked over at Cobra and nodded. “That’s true enough and if their club has any say, they will continue to bring death to whoever has them. Her idea of flushing them might not be so far out there.”
Boone came over and asked, “What are we going to do with the boy toy out there?”
Dani huffed. “Ignore him? Run him off? Just plain shoot him and put all of us out of our misery?”