“Conference room,” Miller said. “I want a full fucking table right now.”
Trev put an arm around Blaine and pulled at him. “Come on, man. Don’t piss off the President. Plus, I want to hear all about these tits. The two women I had last night weren’t all that great. Barely a handful on one and mosquito bites on the other.”
Miller gritted his teeth. He wanted to explode but knew he had to keep himself level. If anything, it was a little flattering. Blaine had a woman fucking him and he was thinking about Ella’s body.
“Give me a fucking shot of something,” Miller yelled.
The prospect served the shot. Miller turned and saw the conference room filling up. The last guy to enter was Landon. He let the door shut behind him.
Griffin was usually last and he’d stand there and hold the door for Miller. Then he’d pat Miller on the back and say something.
Miller threw the shot back and walked to the conference room. He tore open the door and everyone stood behind their seats.
“Everyone but Trev sit,” Miller ordered.
The table listened.
Miller walked his way to his seat and remained standing. He looked around at everyone. “We know why we’re here. And I know I skipped voting to fill Griffin’s chair. But there’s nobody better to sit right there than Trev. He’s seen it all, done it all, and will take a spot in his grave for anyone in the club. I trust him with my life. If anyone here is against this decision, take it up with a bottle and a reliever. I don’t want to hear it. Right now we focus on our plan of attack.”
Miller paused. He then nodded to Trev.
The room was in dead silence as Trev pulled the chair back from the table. Nobody was supposed to sit there but Griffin. Slowly, Trev sat down, a steel look on his face. His eyes were narrow like a rattlesnake ready to attack. He looked up and down the table, nodding.
“Trev,” Blaine said and raised his beer bottle up.
“Trev,” Jace said.
The table went down, member by member, all saluting the standin member of Back Down Devil MC.
“Thanks,” Trev said.
Everyone drank, smoked, whatever, and then Miller sat down, bringing the meeting right back on track.
“Now that we’re done there, let’s talk business. Let’s talk fucking murder.”
The table lit up with cheers.
Miller smiled.
He really loved the ruthless attitude of the club sometimes.
“We know what happened. We know what we have to do. The message has been sent to Coast Road MC to leave us alone. They’ll try to fight back eventually. We’ll worry about that when it happens. Right now, the focus is on Jerry. And how to kill him without bringing the entire MC down.”
“Let me do it,” Trev said. “I’ll fucking put a bullet between his eyes. Let the rest of the PD see it and take me down. I’m not wearing a Back Down Devil cut. What the fuck do I care?”
Miller was taken aback by Trev’s offer and boldness.
He stared, trying to find the right words.
“Is that how we want it?” Nate asked. “It’s an outside hire. The PD will light up Trev and then come after us. They’ll know about Trev and his connections to Frelen. It’ll still bring heat.”
“But nobody will go to jail,” Trev said.
“Hold up,” Miller said. “That’s quite the offer, Trev. It’s a very tempting offer. It’s the easiest offer. But I think Nate is right. It’s the pussy way out. I want Jerry to look into my eyes when he goes. I want him to see that I’m alive and he’s dying. I want to pull the trigger. I want you all to vote me on that. I’m asking you, as your President, to let me avenge Griffin’s death.”
The room fell silent again.
Voting on a kill shot was risky. It meant the window of opportunity had to be left for Miller and anyone else who had the chance would need to pass up on it.
“I’d vote aye,” Shay said. “But I want that fucker dead now.”
“We all do,” Miller said. “Trev makes the table whole. Which means we can raise some hell.”
“Meaning?” Gaige asked.
“What if we split ourselves up and create havoc in Frelen? Isolate Jerry from the rest of his men and women. I fucking hate the police but I’m not out to hurt anyone that doesn’t deserve it.”
“Got ideas?” Landon asked.
“What if Landon and Jace drop their motorcycles in traffic and need help?” Miller asked. “At the same time, Gaige and Blaine could start a bar fight. Then Trev and Nate could go stir up some break in trouble. Before you know it, Frelen PD is all broken up with calls and situations.”
“Isolate the chief,” Trev said. “You’ll need help. At least some kind of backup in case he comes with men or guns. Or both.”
“I won’t be alone,” Miller said. “But I want the final pull of a trigger. Unless shit really hits the fan.”
“I’ll vote yay on that,” Erik said. “Griffin was your best friend. You should get the kill.”
“He was all our friend,” Gaige said.
“True,” Miller said. “So let’s put some feet on this thing.” Miller reached back and grabbed a piece of paper and pen. “We need to come up with places to be able to make this work. Spread the PD out across Frelen. I’ll have to tell Jerry I want to meet him.”
“You have the reasons,” Blaine said. “In your room.”
Miller made a fist and slammed it on the table. “I don’t want them involved.”
“You think he doesn’t know where she is?” Trev asked, boldly. “Come on, brother.”
“I know,” Miller bellowed. “I just don’t want her in danger.”
“She’s in danger,” Gaige said. “With us. In this life. It’s constant danger.”
Miller rubbed his face. “Yeah, I know. I’ll have to use her. Not the kid though. I don’t even think Jerry wanted a baby. I think it was all a…” Miller looked around the table. “Ah, fuck. Sorry. Fuck. Back on topic. So we put two guys at a bar and start a fight. We put two guys at one of the old warehouses. Start a fire. Have two guys drop their rides.”
“Use the prospects,” Blaine said. “Have them block a road near the southern border. Something crazy.”
“Have them naked,” Shay said. “Protesting something.”
“That’s not bad,” Miller said. “Keep the PD busy. So we can go after Jerry and end it. Bury him…”
“Toss him off a cliff,” Shay said. “Park his ride and put a shotgun with fired shells and bottles of whiskey. Make it look like he went bat shit.”
“The department has to know he’s unstable,” Landon said. “Make it look like he went up a mountain or off a cliff. That an animal grabbed him.”
“Yeah,” Miller said. “Christ, we’re all sick fuckers here.”
“Hell yes,” Blaine said. “You fuck with us and we fuck back.”
There was a knock on the door.
“What?” Miller yelled.
The door opened. It was a prospect. “I’m sorry, sir. There’s a man on the phone. Named Lenny. Demanding to speak to you.”
“Coast Road,” Blaine said.
“Gaige, take the call,” Miller said.
Gaige rushed out of the room.
“Maybe he’s looking for the rest of his guy,” Shay said and laughed.
Everyone chuckled.
Miller took some more notes, trying to logistically figure out how this would all work. It wasn’t the only way to make it happen, but it was the only way they had right now. Unless a better situation showed itself.
“Okay, here’s what we’ve got,” Miller said.
The door blasted open. It was Gaige. “Miller. We gotta ride, bro.”
“What?”
“Lenny.”
“Fuck him.”
“No. Jerry… turned on their MC.”
“Why do I care?”
“He wants a face to face,” Gaige said. “Call a truce so you can kill Jerry.”
“Might be a set up,” B
laine said.
“Sounds like a good way to introduce our stand in member,” Miller said. He stood up. “Gaige, Blaine, Nate, Trev. Let’s ride. The rest of you stand guard outside in case it’s a diversion. We can’t sit on our fucking hands anymore. Time to fight.”
“Aye,” Shay yelled.
The rest of the table cheered and started to move.
Blaine touched Miller’s arm. “Hey. Your girl okay?”
“Stop thinking about Ella,” Miller said.
“I’m not, bro. Not like that. I don’t want anything to happen to her or that kid.”
“Prospects are on guard,” Miller said. “We can’t hide and wait.”
“Okay,” Blaine said. “Let’s ride then.”
The gates were opened and Miller led the charge. He should have been better protected but he refused to hide himself from Frelen. The second he did that, the enemies won. Miller didn’t believe for a second Jerry would be dumb enough to pursue an attack in the open. What Jerry wanted was to cash out, as he had clearly stated before. He wanted a deal with Coast Road to move drugs, take a cut, and disappear. Of course, Miller taking in Ella and Beck put a little kink in that smooth chain, but that’s just what Miller liked to do.
Riding down into Coast Road MC territory wasn’t the greatest thing to do when a war was brewing. Truthfully, Miller knew he should have been arriving with more riders. The entire table for starters. Backup behind that. Prospects flanking, just in case shit went down. Hell, if anything, he should have made a call by now to other charters, bringing in hundreds of patched in members. To show numbers and force.
Not yet. Not yet.
Miller wanted this to be what it was really meant to be - himself against Jerry. A decade of old rivalry of good versus bad. Right now, Miller wasn’t sure who was good and who was bad. Not that it fucking mattered. The only thing that did matter was that this would all end with Jerry dead and gone. Then Miller could make it all right with Ella. Give her that damn ring he was supposed to all those years ago.
In Coast Road MC territory, the MC was quickly picked up by a few guys on motorcycles. Long motorcycles with high handlebars, guys thick with muscle and nothing but leather cuts. Right next to the beach, the crashing waves, some kind of beautiful scene that brought people to California for vacation.
The motorcycles closed in on Blaine as he rode last. The guys then took out shotguns and made sure they had control and power. They then throttled forward and closed in on Miller. He gritted his teeth, hating that he was being threatened with shotguns. But he kept his cool and rode down into the Coast Road MC compound. They made a right turn and came to a stop off the road, where pavement and dirt started to meet sand. There was a building there and that’s where two more men waited with shotguns.
Miller climbed off his motorcycle and quickly went for one of the riders next to him. He grabbed the shotgun, twisted it out of the guy’s hands, and pointed it at the guy’s chest.
“Don’t ever put a fucking gun near me unless you’re going to kill me,” Miller said.
“I’ll blow your head off!” the other guy shouted.
Miller looked back. A second later Blaine lunged forward and punched the guy in the jaw, sending him to the ground, out cold. Blaine groaned and shook his hand.
“Fucking bitch!” he yelled.
“Jesus Christ,” the first guy whispered as he put his hands up.
Miller opened the shotgun chamber and dumped the shells out. He popped the chamber shut and then swung the butt of the gun, smacking the Coast Road MC member in the jaw, sending him back and over his own motorcycle, dumping that on the ground too.
“We can show ourselves to the door,” Miller said.
Miller walked forward a few steps and the door to the building opened.
Out walked Lenny, the President of Coast Road MC. Trailing behind him was Cres, third in command. He was the weapons guy and a major part of the drug operation.
The tension with Nate was instantly intense. Coast Road MC had attacked Nate and left him for dead. That was when Nate saw Chief Jerry and that crooked judge working with Coast Road. That’s what opened this entire thing wide open.
“Stay calm,” Miller growled over his shoulder, eyeing Nate.
“It’s good, brother,” Blaine said and put a hand to Nate’s chest. “It’s all good.”
“There they are,” Lenny said. He peeled sunglasses off his red face. His head was as thick as the rest of his body. “The devil boys.”
Miller put his hands out and touched Lenny’s inflated triceps. “I don’t know, man, these are looking a little uneven. You shoot a little too much in your right arm?”
“No, no,” Blaine said. “His right arm is his jerking off arm. That’s why that arm is bigger. You know these guys can’t get pussy.”
“Blaine,” Lenny said. “Someday I’m going to eat your heart.”
“Good luck,” Blaine said. “I have no heart.”
Lenny snorted.
“This ain’t a war talk,” Cres said. He looked like he was in a foul mood.
“Then why are we here?” Miller asked. “You made an emergency call and I can’t help but wonder if it’s serious or a set up.”
“We’re not setting you up,” Lenny said. “Funny thing though… one of our guys is missing his body.”
Miller grinned. “Really? You know, I think someone mentioned a guy snooping around the back of our lot. It’s dangerous there, you know? Lots of old cars, parts, that kind of thing.”
Lenny’s nostrils flared. “I ought to slit your throat right now, Miller.”
Miller stepped forward. “I want to put a bullet in your throat, asshole. You know you don’t step onto our lot and not expect hell. You decided to pour gas on the fire, Lenny. Not me.”
“Hey, it’s called opportunity. When you’ve got guys on the inside and judge offers a deal to get them out, you take it.”
“Some deal,” Miller said.
“And when the chief comes knocking with warrants… finds drugs… but wants in on it…”
Miller shook his head. “You’re in too deep.”
“You’ve been swimming in it for years, Miller.”
“Not like that, Lenny. We worked with Jerry for the better of Frelen. Not our goddamn pockets.”
Lenny nodded. He stepped back.
“Look, this isn’t about that shit,” Cres said. “We’re not shaking a truce either. We’re just pulling away from this entire thing. Our operation is ours again. Jerry is your problem. We’re out.”
“You’re out?” Gaige asked. “What the hell does that even mean?”
“Our arrangement is done,” Cres said. “With Jake suddenly gone…”
Miller smiled. “Damn shame about that judge. Wonder where he ended up?”
“Wonder where you buried him?” Lenny asked.
“You told Jerry to fuck off?” Nate asked.
“Not quite,” Lenny said. He looked at Cres and nodded.
“You guys come with us,” Cres said.
They turned and went to the building.
Inside, it was a wide open floor. No surprise that there were weight benches, machines, free weights, and mirrors all around. A giant private gym for Coast Road MC to shoot up and lift. A large MC banner hung from the back wall.
Miller had never been inside this place before. He kept his eyes moving, waiting for something to go down. Maybe an ambush. If Jerry was here, Miller had the ammo.
His wife and kid.
It pained Miller to address Ella and Beck as that. Maybe in Ella’s heart and mind Jerry was her ex, but Jerry still needed to sign the papers and make it all official.
Lenny stopped walking near the middle of the floor. He turned. “I’d offer you into our other room, but that’s for patches only.”
“So then why are we here?” Miller asked.
“Jerry turned on us,” Cres said. “That’s why.”
“What?” Gaige asked.
“He decided we were no long
er viable,” Cres said. “Our deal was no longer lucrative enough.”
Miller grinned. “So he fucked you, huh?”
“You could say that,” Lenny said.
“Again,” Gaige said, “what the fuck does that have to do with us? I really don’t give a shit what happens to you assholes. You wanted to get into bed with Jerry, this is what you get.”
“We’re telling you this so you know we’re out of it,” Lenny said. “Look, I know what you guys are going to do to him. What you have to do. I just want to make it known we’re not involved.”
“And we trust you why?” Nate asked.
“You don’t,” Lenny said. “You have no reason to. We’ve lied to you. We’ve fought. We’ve tried to kill you. But with that all in the past, we know what’s at stake. If Jerry succeeds at hurting your club, he’ll hurt our club. He’ll use the drug deal as a way to cut into us deep.”
“You’re afraid,” Blaine said. “Big motherfuckers like you and you’re afraid.”
“Yeah, we are,” Cres said. “Want to know why?”
“We know why,” Miller said with a grin.
“No,” Lenny said.
He nodded to Cres again.
Cres rushed to a door and opened it. “Wheel him out!”
Miller slowly reached for his gun, just in case.
Two other Coast Road MC guys wheeled out Mutty, the VP of the MC. He was sitting on a weight bench, pale, his eyes bloodshot, a purple ring around them. He was shaking and looked more than half dead. There was blood all over his shirt, his hands, his feet just dragging on the floor.
“This is what Jerry did,” Lenny said.
“What?” Miller asked.
“He got Mutty alone. He met us to find out if we were able to bomb your compound. That’s why our guy was there. You caught him, killed him. Fair enough. Jerry lost his mind when we told him the operation went south. He called the deal off. Then he left. We got a call a little bit later he needed help. He wanted Mutty to meet because he was with Gaige. We were going to kill Gaige.”
“Thanks,” Gaige said.
“Fuckers,” Nate growled and pushed forward.
“Hey, hey,” Blaine said, grabbing Nate. “Calm, breathe. Think about Mia’s sweet pussy in your mouth…”
“There was nobody there,” Lenny said.
SAVAGE LOVE (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) Page 14