by Jayna King
"You sure you can handle this?"
"No, but I'm gonna try. I think it'll be okay." I set aside my clippers, and I took my gloves off. "Hey, I need to hit the road. If you need help, I can come back tomorrow."
"Don't worry about it," she said. "I can get Johnson in here. He knows how to handle his tool."
Wow. Nothing like having your mother make a penis joke.
"On that note, I'm outta here."
I walked out to the Jeep and checked my phone. Sure enough, Tanner had called. She'd been up my ass all week, worried that something would go wrong, and that they'd miss their chance to arrest the courier. She knew where to find Joker, but they wanted the guy moving the dope, too, and if he headed back down south, the odds of finding him were lousy. I contemplated not calling her back, but decided that it would be best just to get it over with.
"Tanner," she answered.
"It's Luke. What's up?" I didn't like her, but I figured there was no reason to be rude.
"We're on for three p.m.? Still at the clubhouse?"
Jesus. I'd have told her if anything had changed. I wanted Joker picked up at least as much as she did. "Yes. No changes," I answered civilly.
"And you're certain that outside is the place to do it?"
I'd told Tanner that if they came barging in, guns drawn, that there was a chance they'd start a firestorm. Although Singer had told me they didn't want me wearing a wire, I'd suggested that I put a wireless transmitter in the clubhouse so that they'd have the evidence they'd need to convict Joker. The plan was for them to apprehend him in the parking lot as he left.
"Yes. Outside's safest. If it looks like Joker's settling in for the long haul inside, I'll tell him I need to speak with him privately and I'll take him outside. You can do it then."
"Got it."
"Tanner, I want your word — once again — that you're only picking up Joker. I know the rest of the guys are involved in the decision and the deal, but it's a one-shot thing. They want to go straight, and they will if Joker's out of the picture."
"I'll tell you what I did before, Luke. I'll do my best. As long as none of your boys pull guns on my agents, we'll be fine."
"And I'm going to do my best on my end."
"We'll see you this afternoon, Luke. Hope your word is good."
God, she was an arrogant bitch. There was something about her that just stuck in my craw — something that screamed that she wasn't exactly as she appeared to be. I hoped I was wrong, because my life depended on her.
I started the Jeep and headed home to pick up Krystal. I'd gone back and forth all week about whether she should be close by during the delivery, but given the possibilities for things to go wrong, I decided that having her where I could get to her quickly and where she'd know that I was okay was best for both of us.
"So how'd I do?" she asked when she climbed into the Jeep.
"You were right," I muttered, acting like I was pissed. "Tanner only called once."
"Ha! Guess who's getting oral tonight?" she said triumphantly.
"Like you have to win a bet for me to eat your delicious pussy," I said, trying to sound offended.
"Whatever," she said, dismissing my grumbling. "Seriously, though, everything okay?"
We were both on edge, and we both hoped that things would settle down after today.
"I think we're fine. Sable was trying to get more information out of me about Mexico, and I just put her off. It'll all come out soon enough. I can't afford to let Joker get wind that something's up, and I don't think Sable would tell him, but I can't be sure. It's best to keep her in the dark."
We got to the clubhouse, and since we only had a few minutes before the courier was supposed to arrive, I told Krystal to go into the other side of the club — the one that people who weren't members could use. She wasn't happy about it, but I think she understood my reasons. I promised that I'd come get her as soon as it was all over, and she also made me promise to tell Zeno where she was so that he could find her if anything went wrong.
"I love you," I said, as I kissed her quickly. "This will all be over soon, and we'll be able to move on."
"Love you, too," she said as she hurried inside.
I looked around the parking lot, trying to see if I could spot any sign of federal agents, but they were either well-concealed or further away. I had to trust Tanner to do her part, and do it well. I didn't like having to trust her, but I really had no other options.
I walked into the clubhouse and was surprised to see Sable just inside the door. "Mom, what're you doing here? I thought you'd be over at Nate's harvesting more stuff."
"Oh, I just figured I'd come work here and keep an eye on you boys," she said, taking a bottle of water from the new girl tending bar. "Have you met Billie?" she asked.
Now, I couldn't care less about some new hang-around piece of trash behind the bar, but I realized that that's exactly how people used to look at Krystal, so I decided to be polite, even though I was preoccupied with the delivery that was about to happen. "Nice to meet you. I'm Luke."
I offered my hand and she looked at me, eyelashes fluttering. "The pleasure's all mine," she answered, and I figured I'd let Krystal show her how taken I was later on.
Today, I'd just be civil and ignore the obvious invitation in her voice. My immediate concern was for Sable and her safety. If things went bad, I didn't want her in the line of fire. I knew she was armed and was a tough chick, but tough doesn't stop bullets. I made a decision on the spot. "Mom, I need you to go next door into the other side of the club. Krystal's there, and I need you to stay with her until the deal's done."
"What the hell, Luke?" she asked, instantly suspicious. "What's going on?"
"You have to trust me. I have a bad feeling that something may go wrong, and I need to know that both of the women I love are safe. Promise me you'll stay there until Zeno or I come to get you."
She studied me. "Okay. I'll go, but you take care of yourself. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you so soon after I've finally gotten to know you." She put her hand on the side of my face. "See you soon."
I'd expected to have a harder time convincing her that she needed to be out of the building, but it was nice that at least something had gone easily.
Joker walked up, beer and cigarette in hand. "Where's your mother going?"
He was clearly irritated with me, and I didn't really care. "Next door. Krystal's over there and Sable wanted to talk to her. Girl stuff, I guess."
"Luke, when this is over, we're gonna need to sort some shit out. I love you, son, but I can't have you challenging my authority in front of the boys. It don't work that way in an MC." He finished his beer and waved at Billie for another. "Nice new piece of snatch, huh?" he said, winking at me. "Wonder how she'll match up when the senoritas come to town."
And just like that, I knew all over again why I had to turn on Joker. Why I had to set him up. He might seem affable for a while, but at the root of it, he wasn't a good guy. He didn't care about the empty hole inside the women that was created when men took possession of them and sold their bodies. He didn't care about what innocent children saw, as long as he got what he wanted. He was a slave to his impulses, and he didn't care who he hurt. As long as you gave in, you were fine, but Joker didn't take kindly to people standing in his way. He was evil, and I was going to stop him from hurting any more innocent people.
"Yeah, Joker," I said, realizing that I might be saying the very last words I'd ever say to my father. "I wonder how her mother and father would feel about you referring to their daughter as a 'nice piece of snatch.'" I walked away from the bar and didn't look back. My conscience was clean. Joker had to go.
Johnson appeared at the door. "He's here," he yelled, before turning back around to keep an eye on the lot.
"Game time, boys," Joker yelled, my comment forgotten in the thrill of another deal.
It took a minute or two for the Mexican man to enter the clubhouse. He carried two duffel bags and a backpack, and he w
alked into the bar like he owned the place.
"Amigo," Joker said, putting out his hand.
The man looked around and set both duffel bags on one of the pool tables, took the backpack off, and set it on top. "Joker?" he asked, taking the man's hand.
"Si, señor," Joker answered. "What's your name, amigo?"
"I am Tomas, and I have a message for you from my father. You know him as Zeta."
Zeta. I hadn't thought about the man who'd saved my ass in jail, keeping me from killing the man who'd assaulted me. It hadn't occurred to me to wonder if he was somehow connected to Don Roberto's cartel. I felt sick to my stomach, dread and alarm washing over me. Something was about to go very wrong.
Tomas leaned over and spoke quietly to Joker, low enough that no one else could hear.
Fuck. If I knew what he was saying, I could do something — come up with some sort of damage control — but all I could do was stand there — an onlooker powerless to alter events beyond my control.
"What?" Joker said, clearly furious. He leaned over and spoke quietly to Tomas, putting his hand on the man's arm to keep him close by. He stood up straight. "Mother. Fucker," he yelled, turning wild, angry eyes on everyone in the room. "Which one of you did this?"
He stepped away from Tomas into the center of the room. "Which one of you pussy motherfuckers is responsible for this?" He pulled his gun from the back of his jeans. "Get ready, boys. Someone tipped off the feds, and shit's about to go down."
No fucking way. Somehow, Tomas knew, and he'd warned Joker. I though briefly about Krystal and Sable, glad they were safe in the other side of the building, and I realized that I had to get ready to defend myself should things go wrong.
I touched my Glock, making sure that I could get to it quickly if I needed to. I didn't want to pull it, afraid that if things went to shit, that I'd be shot just for carrying. Since the wireless transmitter was near the bar, I knew that I only had seconds before the feds burst in to break this little party up. I watched as men scattered to the edges of the room, positioning themselves behind pool tables, the bar … anything they could put between themselves and the front door. Everyone was turned to face the door, and when I scanned the room again, I realized that Joker was gone.
I figured that he was hiding in one of the back rooms, but it occurred to me that he could have gone out the back door. I couldn't let him get next door, because that could put Sable and Krystal in danger. I heard the sound of cars pulling up outside, wheels squealing as the lot was covered by agents ready to charge in. I heard a speaker with Singer's voice warning us that federal agents were coming in, and I didn't even stop to consider the consequences of my action as I ran for the back of the building, determined to find Joker and make damn sure he didn't get away or put my women in harm's way.
I ran through the rooms heading toward the exit. Nothing. When I got to the back exit, the door was hanging wide open, and I could hear the sounds of federal agents coming in the front door, yelling at people to lay down their weapons, insisting that everyone there get down on the floor. I hoped my brothers would comply, but I had my priorities. As I ran out the door, I hit the chest of an agent, his bulletproof vest covered by a jacket that identified him as a DEA agent.
"He's gotten out," I yelled, knowing that I probably looked as guilty as anyone in the room.
"Get down on the ground," the agent yelled, covering me with his gun, while his partner reached out to force me to the ground.
The partner found and removed my Glock, and I lay prone on the ground, desperate.
"The man you want ran out this door. He's in the other side of the building. You have to find him. It's Joker you want." I felt my hands being pulled behind my back, and I felt the metal of handcuffs circle my wrists. "I'm not going anywhere, but you have to go get him."
"Callahan."
I heard my name and lifted my head enough to see Tanner, who'd just come out the door. "Tanner, tell them to let me go. Joker's gone. He's probably next door in the bar, and Krystal's there, too. You have to go get him."
"Jesus fucking Christ, Luke. This is completely fucked up."
"I know, but you've gotta go get Joker."
"What the hell happened in there?" she asked.
I couldn't contain my fury. "Tanner," I yelled. "Go get him. We can do the play-by-play later, but go fucking get him."
She looked at me, wide-eyed, and nodded. "You two," she said, pointing to the agents who'd subdued me. "Go next door. Call two more agents as backup. Go get Joker — Daniel Hall. He'll be armed and dangerous. He's our target."
They complied, and I relaxed just a little, letting my forehead rest on the rough concrete before raising my eyes to Tanner again. "Any chance I can get out of these handcuffs?"
She bent and unlocked the cuffs. "Sorry about that. They saw you running out the back and must have thought you were trying to get away. What the hell happened in there?"
I rubbed my wrists. "The courier knew that you were here. He clued Joker in, and Joker took off. He's gotta be next door."
Tanner put her hand on my arm. "Luke, let our agents handle it. If you go running in there it will only confuse things, and someone could end up getting hurt." She looked at me, and I could only imagine that I was a mess, filthy from the ground and looking like a crazy person. "You okay?" she asked.
"No, I'm not okay. My fiancee is over there in a room full of guys with guns. Tanner, she trusts you. Will you go make sure she's safe? Either you go or I will."
She looked and me, nodded, and took off, jogging for the other side of the building. "Stay put, Luke. This will be over in no time," she yelled over her shoulder before she disappeared inside.
I stood still, and trusted Tanner, though all of my instincts told me to go next door.
Chapter 27 -- Krystal
I felt ridiculous being in the bar with no one to talk to and no reason to be there except Luke's worry. I stirred the ice in my water with a straw and looked at my phone. Three whole minutes had passed. I felt anxious, and I wished there were something I could do, but I figured that staying out of the way and letting Luke focus on the delivery was best. I'd polished off my first water and signaled for another when Sable walked inside.
"Luke is worked up about something," she said, looking concerned. "He told me he had a bad feeling about the delivery, and he sent me over here with you. Said he was worried about something happening to us."
I held up my empty water glass. "Join the party."
"Do you know what's going on?" she asked.
What a quandary. I didn't want to lie to the woman who would someday become my motherin-law, but neither did I want to screw things up. I decided to hedge my bets. "Sable, I don't know all the details, but I'm sure that Luke had a good reason for what he said to you. I'm sure he'll be over to get us soon."
"Joker didn't say anything about being worried about the delivery. In fact, he seemed pretty excited about it."
"Well, I'm trying to get used to not knowing exactly what's going on. Old ladies are just supposed to look pretty and fetch beer, right?"
Sable laughed and seemed to relax a little. "Sounds like you're getting the hang of it, my dear." She sat down on the stool next to mine. "Guess I might as well have a drink, huh?"
She ordered a rum and Diet Coke, and I would have joined her, but I was too worried about what was going on next door.
"So how are the plants coming?" I asked, so nervous that I had to pass the time somehow.
Sable brightened up. "They're doing great. So far, only a couple of plants have failed to thrive, and the stuff we're starting to harvest looks really good." She laughed and squeezed a lime wedge into her drink. "I don't think Luke likes the agricultural side of the business as much as he likes the financial side."
"Yeah," I agreed. "I was talking about planting some bulbs this fall, and his eyes kinda glazed over."
Sable looked at me, and I felt like she was sizing me up. "It sounds like you and Luke are really settling i
n well. If you'd like some help getting bulbs in, I'd be happy to give you a hand."
I was really touched. "Thanks, Sable. I could use your expertise." Maybe she'd work out as a motherin-law after all.
We were talking about colors and kinds of bulbs, when the back door of the bar flew open and Joker ran inside, looking frantic and scared to death. He held a gun, and he rushed over to Sable. As he approached, I heard the sound of a bunch of cars squealing wheels into the parking lot and the sound of someone talking over a loudspeaker. Joker's voice kept me from understanding what the man on the speaker was saying.
"Sable, we gotta get the fuck outta here. The feds are coming in, and they're gonna bust us. Let's roll." He grabbed her arm and headed for the door, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Mark Singer's voice over the speaker.
"Daniel Hall, come out with your hands up."
He looked around, wide-eyed. He ran to the back door, and looked outside. "Fuck. They're out there, too."
Sable was standing, not sure what to do. "Joker, honey, you have to go out there. Someone's gonna get hurt if you don't."
"The fuck I'm giving up. Some pussy motherfucker ratted us out and I'll die before I let them get away with it."
Joker's eyes fell on me, and I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I stood up and backed away, afraid of him, worried that he was going to drag me into the mess he'd created.
The rest of the patrons in the bar had scattered, clearly scared of being caught in the crossfire that they knew could erupt. We heard a kick at the back door, and Joker lunged for me, grabbing and missing my arm.
I took several steps back, took a deep breath, and reached for my gun. I pointed it toward Joker's chest. "Don't even think about it."
"I need someone to get me out of here. They won't hurt you, and Sable and I can get out."
Sable looked from me to her husband and back again. "What's going on?" she asked, breathless and rattled.
"Sable, we have to get out of here, and we have to take her with us." He pointed at me, clearly ignoring my gun.
I guess he thought I wouldn't use it, but he was wrong. I didn't want to have to do it, but if he took a single step toward me, I'd prove to him just how wrong he was. I stood my ground, gun in front of me, level and steady, pointing straight at Joker's chest. The back door swung open and two agents came in.