Primal Heat

by Piper Davenport

  “He’s going to want to talk to them.”

  “And he’ll get his chance,” Stoney said. “After we do.”

  “I won’t say anything for the moment. But I can’t keep it from him forever.”

  Stoney nodded. “Aero’s got someone coming to board up your window and we’ll get a new window for you tomorrow.”

  “I can make some calls tomorrow. You don’t need to do that.”

  “We got contacts, Breezy. We’ll take care of it.”

  “Oh, okay. I’ll pay you back. Thank you.”

  He crossed his arms and studied me. “You got somewhere you can stay for a few nights?”

  “My parents’.”

  He shook his head. “They’ll ask questions.”

  “Yeah, parents tend to do that. And my brother’s even worse.”

  He dragged his hands down his face. “Pack a bag. You’re comin’ with me.”

  “Where?”

  “Compound.”

  I shook my head. “I’ll get a hotel.”

  “No.”

  “Stoney, I’m not going to your biker lair alone. I don’t know you and I sure as hell don’t know your friends,” I said. “It’s not happening. I’ll call Viviana.” I started back toward my room and my phone.

  “Who’s Viviana?”

  “My best friend,” I answered before coming to my senses and realizing it wasn’t actually any of his business.

  “Where does she live?”

  He followed me into my room. “That, buddy, is none of your business.”

  “Don’t like this.”

  I turned and found him close. “Oh,” I squeaked.

  He stepped back. “I think you should come with me.”

  I met his eyes and sighed. “Look. I appreciate you coming to help me, and looking for Felix, but I really want to go somewhere I’m familiar.”

  “Yeah, babe, I get it.”

  I nodded. “I’m gonna call her real quick then pack a bag.”

  “Sabrina Milana Moretti, where the fuck are you?”

  “Well, shit,” I hissed. “My brother’s here.” I pushed away from Stoney and headed for the stairs. “I’m here, Luca.”

  “Freeze!” my brother bellowed, and I saw his gun pointed at Stoney.

  “Luca, put your gun away. He’s a friendly.”

  “Jesus Christ, Bree, the Primal Howlers are not friendlies.”

  “You seem to have me at a disadvantage,” Stoney said.

  “Stop poking the bear,” I warned, then focused on my brother who still had his gun pointed at Stoney. “Luca, put the fucking gun away. I’m serious.”

  My brother frowned, but slid the gun back into his holster.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “Some asshole breaks into your house and you’re asking me what I’m doing here?” he growled. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

  “Since he’s Fox’s biological father, I thought he might be able to help.”

  “If he wanted to help with his kid he shoulda done it earlier,” Luca snapped. “Fucking deadbeat.”

  “Luca!” I admonished, turning to Stoney. “No offense. Luca’s still processing.”

  “Offense completely taken,” Stoney retorted. “And I’m startin’ to get pissed off. But first, I’d rather we not refer to me as the biological father until I get some scientific proof.”

  I nodded.

  “You can get the fuck out now,” Luca said, rudely. “I’ll take care of my sister.”

  “Yeah, you did a great job of that,” Stoney sneered. “Your man didn’t even notice mine dealing with the shithead who broke in.”

  “And where is this said shithead?” Luca challenged.

  “How the hell should I know?”

  “If you know something or you’re harboring a fugitive—”

  “The only thing I’m harborin’ is a deep, intense desire to beat the living shi—”

  “Stop,” I ordered. “Both of you.”

  “Pack a bag, you’re coming to my place,” Luca said, and I felt Stoney bristle beside me.

  “I was going to call Viv.”

  “You’re not going to Viviana’s after a night like this, Bree. You’ll be safe with me.”

  “Will she?” Stoney challenged.

  “Man, who the fuck are you other than some scumbag who fucked my sister once?”

  “Now I’m done bein’ nice,” Stoney growled. “And don’t think that gun and badge can save you from an ass whipping forever.”

  “Are you threatening an officer of the law?”

  “No, just tryin’ to teach an asshole a little respect. Somethin’ they obviously don’t teach at the Academy.”

  “Respect is earned, motherfucker, and you haven’t earned shit,” Luca snapped. “Case in point, you didn’t care enough about Ria to take care of your responsibilities, so there’s no way in hell you’re getting anywhere near Sabrina.”

  “Oh my god, Luca, knock it off. You don’t have any say in who gets near me.” I groaned. “That sounded all kinds of wrong. Stop. Both of you just stop. I’ll grab a couple of things and come with you, Luca. Just don’t tell Mom and Dad. They don’t need to worry.”

  “Agreed,” Luca said, his eyes still glaring at Stoney.

  “Can I trust you not to kill each other while I pack a bag?”

  “Think it’s time for you to go,” Luca told Stoney. “Unless, you want me to arrest you for B&E.”

  “That’s a no,” I grumbled, and laid my hand on my brother’s arm. “Luca. Will you please wait downstairs while I talk to Stoney real quick?”

  “No,” he growled.

  “How about you do it or I’ll knee you in the nads?”

  “Bree—”

  “I’m asking you nicely,” I warned. “Don’t be a dick.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’ve got five minutes.”

  “I’ve got as long as it takes to pack,” I countered.

  He sighed, but left me and Stoney, walking back the way he came.

  “Thank you for everything,” I said, and turned to Stoney. “My brother’s going to take care of me, but I appreciate you coming when I called.”

  “If something changes, you let me know.”

  I nodded. “Have you heard anything about Fox?”

  “No. But we’re close.”

  I bit my lip. “We’re running out of time.”

  “We’re gonna find him,” he promised, and when he reached to stroke my cheek, I couldn’t stop myself from leaning into his hand.

  “Okay.”

  “I’m gonna head out, but you call me if you need me.”

  I nodded again and he left me. I packed a bag really quick and my brother loaded me into his car and drove me to his home.

  * * *

  Stoney

  I parked my bike and made my way to the shop bay where Sundance and Moses were waiting with the scumbag who’d come after Sabrina. They had him tied to a chair in the exact same spot where we’d thrown Snowcone’s patch-out party. Snowcone’s blood still stained the concrete floors, and I had a feeling they were about to get a fresh coat.

  Unless the asshole talked.

  “He tell you anything?” I asked, motioning to the man in the chair. I’d kept my leather riding gloves on.

  “We waited for you,” Sundance replied.

  “I appreciate that, but we don’t have any time to waste,” I replied. “He give you anything about Felix?”

  “Just a few curse words in Spanish,” Moses said. “He’s covered in Los Psychos ink.”

  I nodded and turned my full attention to our guest. “¿Hablas inglés, fuckwad?”

  He said nothing.

  “No hay problema,” I replied. “Tomé clases de español por tres años en la escuela secundaria.”

  Sundance and Moses looked at each other, then snapped back to me.

  “Three years of high school Spanish,” I interpreted, before turning back to the man in the chair. “¿Como te llamas?”

>   Nada.

  “Here’s what silence is gonna get you,” I said and delivered a short, sharp, blow to his left eye, causing his head to snap back. I held his head by the hair and loaded up for another shot.

  “¿Dónde está el niño?” I demanded in Spanish, the repeated in English, “Where’s the boy?”

  “Chinga tu madre,” he said, and spat at me.

  “I think I understood that,” Moses said.

  A huge lump had already formed over our guest’s left eye, so I made it my next target, hitting him twice as hard this time. A massive gash formed where the bump had been, and blood poured from the cut as he struggled in vain to free himself from his constraints.

  “Tell me where Felix is right now or I’ll fucking beat you to a pulp.”

  “Hold up. You’re gonna break your hand,” Moses said, stepping forward holding a Louisville Slugger.

  “You look a little young,” Sundance said addressing the man in the chair. “So, this is probably before your time, but the Howlers had a run-in with Los Psychos some years back. One of your guys decided to throw one of our new patches what you called a ‘piñata party,’ after he accidentally hit on his woman at a bar.”

  “Greenie was a good kid,” Moses said, unable to hide the anger and sadness in his voice.

  “About a dozen Los Psychos members beat Greenie to death with pool cues in a parking lot... over nothing. He was in a coma for five days before finally dying in front of his mother and baby sister.” Sundance leaned in within an inch of his face. “So, if you think we’re gonna show you an ounce of mercy, you’re dead wrong.”

  Moses handed me the bat and stepped back.

  “Tell me where the boy is right now,” I said, raising the bat.

  Once again, he said nothing. He just sneered.

  The sound of the bat breaking his right tibia wasn’t unlike the crack of a home run. However, the wail of agony that followed was nothing like the roar of an afternoon crowd.

  After a few moments, I asked again. “Where is the boy?”

  This time I got an answer.

  “I...I don’t know,” he said in between gasps and sobs.

  “Not the answer I’m looking for,” I said, raising the bat.

  “I swear—” was all he got out before my next blow. This time to his right fibula. His lower leg was now completely shattered.

  I leveled the bat to his knee. “I’m gonna turn the bones in your right leg to powder if you don’t tell me where Felix is, right now.”

  “Bullwinkle,” was all he could manage to say.

  “Who the fuck is Bullwinkle and what’s his real name?” I demanded.

  “I don’t know, man...Bull...fuckin’ Bullwinkle or some shit like that.”

  I frowned. “Is he one of your crew?”

  “No, man. We s...sold him...to B...Bullwinkle.”

  “You sold him?” I shouted as an anger I’d never felt before reached the boiling point. My bat came down on his knee over and over. I’m not even sure how many times I hit him before Sundance and Moses pulled me away.

  “Jesus, Stoney. You’re gonna kill him,” Sundance yelled, taking the bat from me.

  Our guest was now in and out of consciousness, vomiting and delirious from the pain of my beating.

  “Who is Bullwinkle and where can we find him?” Sundance asked the battered man.

  “Please. I only...know...his name...and that...he’s Russian,” he whimpered.

  “Russian?” I asked.

  He nodded slightly. “A Russian...who buys...k... kids.”

  “Bullwinkle,” Sundance said softly, as if trying to place the name. “Bulykin? Do you mean Uri Bulykin?”

  “M...Maybe. I swear...that’s all I know.”

  “Isn’t Uri Bulykin in prison?” Moses asked.

  Sundance nodded. “Last I heard, but he’s got brothers. Lots of ’em. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of them is now in charge of the family trafficking business.”

  “You sold a kid to a Russian to pay off a drug debt?” I seethed.

  “She borrowed, man. She...owed,” he stuttered out. “Not just... for dope.”

  “So, you sold her child after your club’s poison killed her?” Sundance asked.

  “Where can we find Bulykin?” I asked the psycho.

  “We don’t need him for that. That part’s easy,” Sundance said. “I only hope we’re not too late. Felix could be locked in a shipping container out in the middle of the Bering Sea right now.”

  “If one hair on that kid’s head is out of place. I’m coming back for your left leg,” I said, before taking the bat back from Sundance and delivering one last blow. This time I came straight down on this thigh, snapping his femur in two.

  “Jesus, Stoney,” Sundance said before turning to Moses. “Get Needles, and make sure this asshole stays alive. I’m taking Ty Cobb here to the track so we can find Bulykin, but first we have to swing by the ATM.”

  Needles was our resident medical expert. A doctor who decided to focus on acupuncture, rather than traditional western medicine... although, he kept up on his licensing and stepped in when it was required.

  “On second thought,” Sundance said, and ran his hand down his face. “Wait on Needles.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “There’s one more thing we’ve gotta do before we go,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Let’s just say our friend in the chair’s day isn’t about to improve.”

  Sabrina

  “I still don’t understand why the hell you went to the Howlers?” my brother snapped as we walked into his kitchen.

  “Because they can do more than you can.”

  “Jesus Christ, Sabrina. You put yourself in danger because you hoped they might help you?”

  “Well, no. I had a letter I promised Maria I’d send if anything ever happened to her. I didn’t because I didn’t want someone to take Fox away. It was selfish and totally not cool, so I took the letter to Stoney. Maria never told him he was Felix’s father.”

  He sighed and I studied him.

  “You knew, didn’t you?” He nodded and I threw my hands in the air. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  “Ria made me promise,” he said. “You were in the middle of finals and she didn’t want your focus interrupted.”

  “Okay, but that was six years ago! You didn’t think to say something, oh, I don’t know, when she died?” I bellowed. “Or in my kitchen after Stoney left earlier?”

  “Well, had I known you were going to do something as colossally idiotic as walking into the Howlers’ fuckin’ compound, I would have!” he yelled back. “Jesus, Bree, they’re criminals. Murderers, among other things. You could have been raped right there on the spot.”

  “No one there even attempted anything untoward, and if they are murderers, which I find hard to believe, then they’re obviously good at hiding bodies because none of them are in jail.”

  He scowled. “We might not have evidence on them right now, but we will.”

  “Well, for the love of god, wait until Felix is home safe. Outside of you and the police, they’re the only ones willing to step in and help.”

  Luca shook his head. “I’m not letting some law-breaking assholes deal with this, Bree.”

  “Why do you have to be so stubborn?” I was so angry with him I burst into tears.

  “Fuck,” he whispered, pulling me against him.

  I wrapped my arms around his waist and shook my head. “We have to find him, LuLu.”

  “We will, sissy. Swear to god, I’m doing everything I can.”

  “I know. It’s just been almost twenty-four hours and the clock’s ticking. I don’t know if he’s scared, or hungry, or hurt.” I sniffed. “And I don’t know how the hell I let this happen.”

  He gave me a squeeze. “You didn’t let this happen, Bree. Some asshole took him, and I promise you, he or they will be dealt with.”

  I pulled away and slid onto one of his kitchen stool
s. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “No. I need to find out why you were targeted, then I’m hoping we’ll have more to go on. Can you skip work for a couple of days?”

  “I can work from home. Ellie knows what’s going on, so she can take on the new client intakes this week.”

  “Good. I want you here until Felix is home.”

  “Ah, no,” I said. “I’ll stay until my window’s fixed, but then I’m going home.”

  “Bree, why do you always have to argue with everything?”

  “Because I can,” I retorted. “Now, do I have to change the sheets on your spare bed, or are they clean.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Cleaner came on Monday, you’re good to go.”

  “Thank you.” I grabbed my bag, hauling it upstairs and into the guest room.

  “Night, Bree,” Luca called as he passed the room.

  “Night, LuLu. Thank you.”

  “Anytime.”

  I heard his door close and then I went about trying to find sleep.

  * * *

  Stoney

  “I thought you said we were going to the track?” I asked as we pulled up to Norman’s Chop House. Sundance parked and killed the engine.

  “We are,” he said, unzipping the black duffel back in the back seat and removing a ten-thousand-dollar stack of bills. “Grab the bag,” he said, and I did as I was told, exiting the car and shouldering the duffel.

  We’d picked up the bag and its contents from the most secret of all the club’s locations. Since our stock-in-trade was weed, and weed still wasn’t federally legal, we couldn’t keep all our money in a federal bank. Most of our liquid assets were kept at a secure location we called the ATM.

  Norman’s Chop House was damn near a historical landmark in Monument. It was the place where everyone’s grandparents got engaged, served a decent steak, and was a total dump. Norman’s was far from hip and located in one of the less desirable neighborhoods in Monument, so I was surprised to see how full the parking lot was.

  “It’s Thursday, so Bulykin should be here,” Sundance said as we made our way to the entrance.

  “What the fuck is this?” I asked.

  “Follow me and keep your mouth shut. Don’t say or do shit unless I give the word. Got it?” he demanded.

  “Roger,” I replied as we reached the front door. Stepping inside, I was surprised to see how few patrons were in the dining room. Given how packed the lot was, I expected to see the same inside.