Finn pounded on Stryker, taking as many punches as he was delivering.
I stepped toward Viper. We were then nose to nose again. I wasn’t backing down. I wasn’t afraid of him. I wasn’t afraid of the Mountain Killers. I knew what they thought they had on me. On the MC.
I grinned.
“What’s so funny?”
“I actually came here to bring you a present.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Why don’t we call off our men and have a chat?”
“Fair enough.”
Viper reached back and pulled out a gun. He pointed it up and shot twice.
All the fights stopped.
Slowly, Viper turned his hand and put the gun to my temple.
“You better plan on pulling that trigger,” I warned. “You don’t want to make another mistake.”
“You’re not going to last more than a month around here,” Viper said. “We control it all. From here north. I don’t give a shit where you came from. Our woods, mountains, states. Nobody can stand in our way.”
I turned and pointed to Ransom. “Back the car up here.”
“Car?” Viper asked.
“Yeah,” I said, looking at Viper again. “I told you I brought you something. It couldn’t fit on one of our motorcycles.”
“The fuck is this about?” he growled.
I stood defiant, making sure to make eye contact with all the Mountain Killer MC guys.
“Devil Call MC is in control,” I said. “Oakville up to the Canadian border. You want to fight over it? Make your next move. Don’t send warnings. Don’t underestimate who we are and what we can do.” I pointed to the dead guy on the ground. “That’s my warning right there. Stay the fuck in your little shit area.”
“You know,” Viper said, “the thing about freedom and being an outlaw… everything you say is just words. Just like the law. It’s all words. You don’t want to end up…” Viper pointed.
I looked and it was quite the sight. There was an Oakville PD cruiser sitting in the rubble.
These guys were for real. They killed without remorse.
Which meant I had to stand toe to toe with them.
We all moved out of the way as Ransom backed the car completely up. He then pulled the latch and the trunk popped but didn’t open. I stood next to the car. I waited for Ransom to get out. We then formed a line, facing off with the Mountain Killers.
“I get it,” I said. “What you guys are doing. What makes sense to you. A promise of this glorious life. You’re smart. But we’re smarter. We’re stronger. I’m here and in control. If you want to pursue this war, it will be the end of your MC. If you stay the fuck away from us… actually… either way, you’re going to die. You’re going to be shut down. You can’t win.”
I opened the trunk and looked down at Bain’s slain body. He was shirtless, curled up, dead.
“This was your guy,” I said. “Your contact. How you knew it all about us. You think we’re fucking stupid, Viper?”
Viper’s eyes were a little wide. He hadn’t expected this.
“Alan is dead too,” Finn said.
“Fucking Christ,” Stryker muttered. “Fucking Christ.”
Viper then started to nod.
I knocked on the open trunk. “I’ll just leave this with you. Our gift. Our reminder. Our last warning.”
I turned and signaled to the guys.
We all walked from the shithole compound to our motorcycles. I almost felt bad for ransom, needing to sit on the back of Rylan’s motorcycle. It was a funny sight to see; two tough bikers sitting like that.
Our rides came to life with a beautiful thundering sound.
Up ahead, Viper closed the trunk of the car. He then jumped up on it, climbing to the roof. He just stood there.
They looked fucking menacing, that was for sure. But we’d have to fight. We’d always have to fight. It’s what we did. We were Devil Call MC. It was our purpose. To survive.
15.
(Layne)
Metal to the pavement, the sick sound of crashing. Engines were rumbling, dying out. My right leg and shoulder were torn apart by the ground. I rolled and rolled, seeing the same sight over and over. Motorcycles crashed, black cars controlling the entire scene.
It all happened so fast.
I put my hands to the ground and started to push, determined to fight through the pain and get to my gun. The time to kill… was now…
The back door to the car opened.
Then the trunk.
I sat a black shoe, black pants.
Then something hit the back of my head, smashing my face into the pavement.
Good-fucking-night.
*PART TWO*
1.
(Layne)
I heard my breathing, which meant I was alive. Everything else around me, dark and cold, left me wondering how long I would remain alive. Good news was that I didn’t think I was buried alive. That was relief. That was a real shit way to go, alone with your thoughts, air running out, then death.
I moved my neck. Yeah, it fucking hurt, but at least I could move my neck.
“Hey, hey, look. He’s moving again.”
The voice was rich, thick, deep.
I turned my head in the direction of the voice.
“Wait a second,” a second voice said. This one a little more high pitched. “It’s my turn. Remember? We’re keeping score, boss. We’re keeping score.”
Keeping score?
A second later there was a thud, pain, and I started to fall.
Without being able to see, the intense sensation of falling off a cliff rippled through my body. I shook, tried to scream, but then hit cold concrete a moment later.
I heard laughing.
Then I heard nothing.
Back to fucking nothing.
2.
(Shelby)
There was a dead body on the pool table and bar full of guys. I stood in limbo, my eyes half looking and waiting to see Layne come through the door. But he hadn’t come through the door and there was no sign of him.
Someone had ambushed the MC on their ride back from meeting with the Mountain Killers. Black cars (like the one that rolled up and killed Jack) sped at the guys, making them all drop their rides. Then they took Layne.
Just thinking it made me shiver with fear.
They took Layne.
Who?
Finn came barreling at the bar with a map in his hand. He opened it and spread it across the bar, knocking drinks over and out of the way. Alcohol seeped into the corners of the map, actually making it stick to the bar.
“We don’t fucking need this right now,” Finn growled. “There’s too much shit all around Oakville. This is a goddamn message to the rest of us.”
“What do we do?” Brett asked. “Just sit around and wait?”
“Maybe doing nothing is the best,” Ax said, his deep voice almost shaking the bar. “If they want us to come fight for our new President…”
“But who?” Hawke asked.
“Where’s Mack?” Rylan asked. “Still on the gate?”
“Yeah,” Finn said. “That’s where he belongs.”
“Jesus,” Ransom said. “That’s risky. He’ll be trigger happy.”
“He doesn’t have a gun,” Finn said. He ran his finger along the map.
“Wait a second,” Brett said. “You have a prospect guarding the compound without a gun? After his best friend was just killed?”
Finn made a fist and slammed it to the bar. It ripped the map at the top center fold.
That’s when Finn set his eyes on me. “And where were you.”
“I took a break,” I said. “I went to check on the dogs.”
“Who told you to do that?”
“Nobody. I just wanted to see them.”
Finn shook his head. “What else?”
“A black car pulled up and started to turn. Then it stopped. There was a gun, shots, and I dropped down to protect myself. By the time I got up, t
he car was speeding away.”
“You didn’t get the plates? You didn’t see anything?”
“No. I wasn’t… I…”
“Fucking hell,” Finn growled. “What good is anyone around here? That’s the President of this MC out there. Fucking missing. Fucking taken.”
“Why didn’t you shoot at whoever stole him?” I asked, instantly regretting it.
“Jesus,” Hawke whispered. He reached for Finn but then pulled back.
“Easy now,” Ax said and put a hand to Finn’s shoulder.
Finn just stared at me. His nostrils flared. “You think just because you suck his cock you can talk to me like that? Remember who the fuck you are. Remember your fucking position in this clubhouse.” Finn took out his gun and placed it on the bar. “I feel like making you swallow this. I’ll fucking fill your mouth, Shelby.”
“Okay,” Brett said. “Let’s all just take a second here. Take a breath, okay? Just…”
“Shut up, Brett,” Finn said. He took his gun back. His eyes were still locked to mine. “How are we going to find him?”
“You’re asking me?” I asked. “I don’t know. I don’t know how to do any of this.”
“Then your opinion means shit.”
I backed away from the bar.
Finn went right back to work. He was mean, an asshole, but he was smart. Within a minute, he had a search perimeter. The location where they had been attacked had no surrounding area for Layne to be taken. Going ten or so miles east was a part of Oakville that had been abandoned. A large logging company had shut its doors during the last economic collapse. The factories, equipment, everything had just been left as-is. The mayor of Oakville, along with the PD, let it rot as a dirty little secret of the town. The so-called officials in town were more focused on the southern part of Oakville. Where they were - and could continue - developing residential living, along with commercial and retail locations. It was more lucrative because of the location to the highways that could take residents down into California for business travel and leisure.
It was all business and politics.
Hell, even right here at the bar with the MC was the same damn things. Except instead of using handshakes and fake smiles, Devil Call MC used handguns and hard punches.
“If we go too far north or too far east,” Finn said, “we’ll bump into the Mountain Killers. They’re definitely upset right now. Probably planning a way to come after us.”
“Fuck,” Hawke said. “If we run into them without Layne…”
“Not going to happen,” Finn said.
“What’s the plan then?” Ax said. “We’re wasting time.”
“Says the guy who wants to leave Layne hanging,” Brett said.
Ax lifted a left fist and swung forward. The smack off Brett’s face sent him flying to the floor.
“Whoa!” Hawke yelled. He grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it off the edge of the bar. He faced Ax and nodded. “Come on, you big fuck. Come on.”
Ax went after Hawke. Hawke swiped the broken bottle left to right, slashing the air.
“Are you going to stop this?” I asked Finn.
He shook his head. “Not my problem. I’m not the President.” He looked up from the map at me. “He still hasn’t picked a VP. So I’m just a patched in member.”
“Finn,” I said. “We all need him. Alive. Well.”
“Why? You need a cock, baby? I’ve got one. We’ve had our fun… right?”
Hence my one rule to not fuck a biker… even though I broke it for you, Finn. And for Layne.
“The last President was taken and killed,” I said. “And now Layne is missing. What do you think is going to happen next?”
“You’re talking like a member, Shelby.”
“I’ve been around long enough. I’ve seen enough.” I leaned closer to Finn. “I know enough.”
“Is that a threat? Going to run to Daddy on us?” Finn then grinned. “Hey, does Layne know…”
“Stop,” I said. “Stop.”
“No, no. He doesn’t know, does he? About your Daddy…”
“Shut up.”
Finn’s hand came flying across the bar at me. I don’t know what he was going for but I jumped back. Not far enough though; Finn grabbed my wrist and twisted.
“First, you don’t talk to me that way,” Finn growled. “You want to earn that privilege, get on your knees and make your mouth of use. Second, you have to tell Layne about who you are. You don’t want me to do it first. And third…” Finn stood up. “I’ll fucking find him. I’ll bring him back here safely. I’ll make sure he can bend you over and fill you with whatever you need.”
Finn then pushed my wrist away. I jumped back and grabbed my wrist. I watched as Finn took the map and tossed it aside. He looked at the pool table, where Jack lay, dead.
“Ax,” Finn yelled.
Ax had Hawke on the ground, holding him by his shirt. Hawke was slicing up Ax’s arm pretty good with the broken beer bottle.
The fight ended with Finn’s words. Ax stood up. I leaned over the bar to see what Hawke looked like. A little blood on his face but nothing too bad. He got lucky. Ax could have easily killed him.
“Take Jack’s body somewhere,” Finn said. “Then everyone gear up for a ride. We’re just going to hit the streets and go. We don’t stop until we find Layne.”
“Hey,” Ransom said. “We keep talking about black cars, right? You don’t think… I mean, they usually stay away. Right?”
The clubhouse started to fall silent.
Finn looked around. He looked back at me. Then he was lost in thought. “Christ. Anyone here have debts that need to be paid?”
Everyone started to glare at each other, waiting to see who was going to admit something.
“Why would that matter?” I asked.
Finn’s eyes locked with mine again. “Because, Shelby, if it’s who I think it is… we’re in big trouble. This isn’t some fucking group of bikers. This isn’t even the fucking authorities. It’s deeper. It’s connected. It’s the goddamn mafia…”
3.
(Layne)
I was pretty sure they were stomping on my head. Just for the hell of it, too. Nothing quite like taking a beating without a fucking clue why it was happening. A lot of guys would try and fight back. I knew better. If I just took it, they’d get tired. Then I could get my revenge. I wasn’t going to die without a fight. Hell, I could die on my first day as President of Devil Call MC, but I wasn’t going to do it without defending myself and my club.
“Hey, hey, hey, Tommy, come on.”
“What?”
“Just get him up. Nicolas is coming soon. We can’t kill him. He’s worth more alive.”
Thanks.
I was then picked back up.
They never tied my legs. Just my hands behind my back. Even then, I could have found a way to wrestle my way out of this if I really wanted to. Hell, another head stomp and I would have to do something.
“Take the shit off his eyes.”
Being able to see for the first time in a while, my eyes needed a few seconds to adjust. Plus, my head spun from being beaten up.
I blinked fast and saw two men in front of me. They were wearing suits - really nice suits - with black ties. They had gold rings on their pinkies, expensive watches on their wrists, and looked nothing like I had expected. Then again, sniffing their cologne for the past how fucking long had hinted that maybe they were well connected with money or power.
Their faces were off though. They had scars, mean yet weak eyes.
In other words, they were grunts. They were the equivalent of prospects, but they would never get bumped up. My mind raced with what I stared at, almost in disbelief that guys who were connected were in Oakville and that they wanted me.
“Got something to say?” the one said. He was shorter, thicker, grinning with big white teeth.
“Were you the one punching me?” I asked.
“No, that wasn’t me. That was Tommy here.” He p
atted Tommy on the back. “Tommy loves to fight. Real good at it.”
“I can see that,” I said. “Especially when the other guy is tied up.”
“Hey, fuck you,” Tommy said.
“Stay calm,” the other guy said, putting his hand in front of Tommy. “He’s just trying to fuck with us. Wait until Nicolas is here. You’re going to wish we killed you.”
“And who are you?” I asked.
“Fucking disrespect. You stupid leather fucks. That’s all you are. Motorcycles and ugly women. Such a goddamn shame.”
“So you have no name?”
The guy rubbed his chin and then spit on the floor. “You look at me. You listen once and close. Paul. I’m with the Reinitelli family. Everything you know and believe is about to burn down.”
“I’d love to know what I did to deserve this gracious treatment,” I said. “Considering I just came to town.”
Paul laughed. He smacked Tommy’s arm and Tommy started to laugh.
“Glad I could be funny,” I said. “I really fucking am.”
“Us too,” Paul said. “Really sorry about your friends. Your… what do you call them? Brothers? Right? Is that what you call them?”
I shook in the chair a little. “Fuck you. Both of you. Untie me and let’s see how fair this is then?”
“Whoa,” Paul said putting his hands up. “Whoa. We’re not here to fight or kill. No.”
“I couldn’t tell,” I said. “Not with this asshole stepping on me.”
“Oh, that’s just Tommy. He’s having a bad day. His girl was fucking the pool guy. You believe that?” Paul approached me. He put a hand on my shoulder. His eyes were a dark brown. His hair black, slicked back. He was straight up connected. Not good. “And the thing is… they didn’t fight back.”
“Who didn’t fight back?” I asked.
“Both of them,” Tommy said.
“What the fuck does that have to do with me?”
“Nothing,” Paul said. “But when me and Tommy went to check on his girl, we found her taking it from the pool guy. Edge of the bed, the guy behind her. I mean, just real… fuck.”
SAVAGE ROAD (A Devil Call MC Book) (Layne & Shelby Book One) Page 8