by C. M. Owens
“Looks like that fucker got him a blonde now. What the hell, Axle?” a guy with a long beard asks.
“Same girl. New hair,” he tells the beast of a man who winks at me, but not in a creepy way.
Drex walks up, three beers in his hand, and passes two off to Dash and Axle. I take it upon myself to lean over the bar and grab some tequila and shot glasses, while they discuss party central.
As I start taking a few shots, I feel Axle’s eyes on me, even as Drex speaks to him.
Eve saunters over with Colleen, and I nod at them in greeting, since Colleen did just make my hair awesome earlier. It makes me less inclined to slap her for the way she balked at Axle’s scars that day.
I lean into his side as I take my third shot, and his arm goes around my shoulders as the group talks about fun stories from the past. A lot of girls are here, and the other guys are all lounging around, watching them as they dance to the music that is pumping throughout.
I prefer skating to dancing, but with all these people here, it’s unlikely I can skate.
“You want to dance?” I ask Axle, nudging him with my elbow.
He looks at me like I just asked him to run through a row of hot coals.
“I don’t dance.”
“Don’t worry about looking stupid. It’s just fucking with your clothes on,” I say, patting his chest. “You can handle that.”
Dash turns his head, laughing into his hand.
“I said I don’t dance. Not that I couldn’t.” Axle returns his attention to Drex, resuming the conversation I apparently interrupted.
Obviously I don’t mention the sweet swaying we did at the hotel. I’m sure they’d take away his surly card if I did.
“I’ll dance,” Colleen says to me.
She’s been…nice lately. Maybe because she knows she pissed me off, and that I’m someone who just ordered a shit-ton of vehicles and that I run a crime family.
My bad. Next time I skate and rant, I’ll keep the music off so I can whisper-yell at them.
“Me too,” Eve chimes in.
Drex grabs Eve by the arm, but I note that the hold is gentle. “Stay close.”
She nods like she doesn’t mind being bossed around. Drex is freaking bossy.
Is Axle that bossy?
I don’t think so. I’d have a problem with a bossy guy. Though he does have his bossy moments. Maybe I only find it hot when it’s Axle. No other guy is allowed to be bossy because they’re not him. Totally not hypocritical of me at all.
“Shots first,” Colleen says, moving to my abandoned tequila.
As she pours three shots, I eye Eve’s tattoo. Property of Drex. No joke. That is tattooed on her shoulder.
“You let him put that on you, or you wanted it on you?” I ask her.
She tosses back a shot, and so do I. Colleen pours us another round as Eve answers me.
“You weren’t here when Herrin was. The guys were just as dangerous as they are now, but there were a lot of sickos, too. Some of them didn’t hear no for an answer. This kept me safe. The other girls have tats on their wrists to keep them safe from other clubs.”
Colleen’s wrist has a dark rose above a DC tat. Apparently the rose is to cover up the old DD tat. Or so I assume.
I glance over at Axle, wondering if he’d shit his pants if I got his name tattooed on me. Then I grin. I’m almost tempted to permanently slap his name on me just to watch him freak out a little.
I’d totally put it on my vagina for ultimate shock value.
CHAPTER 24
AXLE
Jude is drinking a beer, standing beside Dash and talking about the new girls who just came in from the strip club. I’m barely listening to any of it, because I’m on the verge of being drunk.
For the first time in a long damn time.
Hell, I forgot I could get drunk.
“How’d she like the final product?” Drex asks me, gesturing toward Maya when he sees me staring.
“Her panties are in his pocket, so I’d say she was impressed,” Dash says with a fuck-wad grin on his face.
Drex arches a questioning eyebrow at me as I shake my head. “She liked the haul,” I state dismissively, trying not to think about the fact she’s wearing a skirt with nothing under it as she dances with Eve and Colleen.
Fortunately, she’s not twirling. That damn skirt would fly up if she was twirling. I almost hauled her out of here when she leaned over the bar and I saw the bottom curve of her ass.
“Axle?”
Drex’s voice has me snapping out of my trance as I turn to face him again, my movements sluggish. I’m pretty sure that grin of his is mocking me, but…well, what was I saying?
“I don’t think he heard the question,” Dash says, snickering lightly.
“I asked if Maya is going to be sticking around for a while,” Drex tells me.
“Yeah,” I say, looking back at her. “She is.”
I’ve decided it’s the safest, even if it’s also for my own selfish reasons.
“How’re the hits on Herrin doing?” Dash directs that question toward me.
“Good so far. Most of the surrounding clubs had no idea what went down, although there were several rumors floating around. So planting the seed that it was because Herrin turned and started informing the FBI was easy enough. It’s starting to take root. Drug bust downtown worked out in our favor, since Herrin’s guys were going to run the drugs for those junkies. Junkies are the easiest to convince, because they’re already overly paranoid,” I state flatly. “Just a matter of time before more people start believing it.”
“Which means someone will eventually take him out for us or turn him over to us,” Jude says, joining the conversation. “Especially since part of the equation is adding in Benny’s son. People believe Ben and Herrin are linked, since it all went down at the same time, which is why Herrin is probably working so hard to remind people there’s an alliance between his crew and the Hell Breathers.”
Like a lightbulb went off in his head, Drex’s slow smile spreads. “What if we could convince Benny Pop was working with his fuckwit son during all that shit?”
I start to speak, to tell them we already have too many rumors in the mix and this is just drunk talk, when Sledge walks over, interrupting us, a broad smile on his face.
“Just got word from a friend of mine that the Bloodhounds are out for Herrin’s blood. Please ignore the accidental pun in there,” Sledge tells us.
Bloodhounds are a fairly new, but completely ruthless gang in Dallas.
“Herrin was supposed to make a run for them,” Sledge goes on, “and distribute their drugs to their dealers along the west coast. Two days after their meeting, the feds showed up and did a raid—confiscated close to three million just in heroine. Either someone is helping our little rumor gain some merit, or our rumor is true, and Herrin really is giving the feds some info to keep the heat off his back.”
Maya crashes against my side, just as Eve returns to Drex, and that ends the conversation. As Maya smiles up at me, Jude says something about getting a lap dance from any brave strippers.
They have to be brave because…well, his ex is someone they know will slit their throats. But a couple of new girls don’t know Sarah, so he might have a little luck.
I lose all interest in everything surrounding us as I lift Maya, dropping her ass on the bar and stepping in between her legs. With the bar being so high, her head is a little above mine, and she gets the higher angle on the kiss for once.
She grins against my lips like I just did something right, and I tug her closer, making sure no one can see past my body to where her skirt has her exposed. Her nails softly graze my scalp as she wraps her ankles around my waist.
“I think I like you drunk,” she murmurs against my lips.
“Not drunk. Just getting there.” I tug her bottom lip between my teeth, but before I can take things farther, Drake’s voice is busting up the moment.
“It’s not a purse,” he’s telling
someone as I turn my head to the group, staying put between Maya’s legs. “It’s a satchel. You cumstains try to carry shit when you’re working with crutches. You get inventive.”
“You mean you get a purse,” Drex deadpans, amusement dancing in his eyes as Drake glares at him, reaching his hand into the green bag that does look suspiciously like a purse.
“You fuckheads probably need to deal with this pronto. It’s never a good thing when someone drops a package on my doorstep and tells me to deliver it to you.”
Drex reaches out, taking a manila envelope from Drake and ripping it open, pulling out a thumb drive.
“I’ll grab a fucking laptop,” Dash says on a sigh as he puts his drink down.
I glance over, seeing Drex tear Tiffany—the newest girl to join the ranks—off Jude before leaning down to his ear. Tiffany tries to step into Jude before he walks off, but he just lifts her and drops her ass to the chair he vacated, before following Drex back to us.
“What’s going on?” Maya asks, biting on her lip.
“Stay with Eve.” I jerk my gaze to Drake and point at him. “You stay right here. Anyone fucks with her—”
“I can handle babysitting detail. I have Eve with me almost daily,” Drake interrupts.
“I work there. You don’t babysit,” Eve drawls.
I get what Drake is saying even if she doesn’t, and I turn and follow the others into the meeting room as Dash finishes setting up the screen, linking it to the laptop.
Drex hands him the drive as I shut the doors, sealing everyone else out.
Sledge props up next to Jude on the wall, and we all wait really impatiently as Dash takes forever. “Sorry,” he grumbles, finally getting it to play. “Little fucking too drunk for this.”
“At least you’re not—”
Drex’s words die as a scream rips through the room, coming from the screen. My stomach roils as I stare at Liza being held down on a table, fighting and struggling as Herrin’s laughter comes through the speakers.
My eyes dart to Sledge to see his eyes wide, his face pale, and his knees wobbling.
Liza screams again, and I realize Hershel—Herrin’s right hand—is fucking her as Herrin ducks his head into the screen, grinning at the camera.
“If you can’t keep your women safe, then it’s just a matter of time before I finally get my hands on you.” Another scream interrupts him, as Liza begs for them to stop. I swallow down the bile as Herrin chuckles, his eyes returning to the camera. “One down. More to come, son. Keep telling people I’m a fucking rat, and there will be far worse than this.”
The screen goes blank, and Sledge darts to the screen, ripping it off the wall and smashing it against the ground. Dash leaps back to avoid the flying debris, and I lean against the table, feeling my heartbeat drone in my ears.
Jude slams his fist into the wall. Drex is shouting something, barely reining in his own temper. Dash is on the phone, trying to get a beat on Herrin.
“Someone thinks Herrin is hiding out two towns over at the old factory we used to own,” Dash says. But he’s wrong. That’s probably a fake lead planted by Herrin himself.
He wants us to go to that old factory, because that’s a lot farther away than he is.
“He’s at the Royal Inn right outside of town,” I say, silently seething as I straighten. The buzz from the alcohol is gone. All that’s left is that never-ending rage that loves to come out and play.
“What?” Drex snaps.
“I’ve been to all sorts of motels around town for business meets. That peacock paper in the background; it’s only at the Royal Inn. They shut down six months ago and the place is set for demolition. That’s where Herrin is.”
“I’m getting a message from a guy swearing he’s holed up at the factory. They saw him ride in there today,” Jude is arguing.
Sledge looks at me, his body tense and tight, ready to break. “You sure it’s the Royal Inn?” he asks, eyes on me.
I nod. “I’m positive. The factory is a smoke screen and probably a trap. That paper is, without a doubt, that hotel.”
Sledge slams his foot into the monitor one last time before sprinting out the door. We all follow, and Drex barks out orders to the others that have every man tossing away a beer or a girl and rushing to the hangar.
Maya is looking at me questioningly as I stalk to her, shakily taking in a breath, and doing all I fucking can not to lose it. Sledge and Liza have been on and off for over fifteen years. I can’t even fucking imagine right now.
“What’s going—”
“Stay here,” I say to Drake, cutting Maya off. “Stay with her, Eve, and the other girls. Keep everyone inside, and lock the place down. Do not take your eyes off the security cam until we return. Got it?”
He nods slowly, eyes wide as he swallows. “Yeah. Got it.”
“You got a gun in that purse?” I ask him.
“It’s a fucking satchel,” he bites out. “And yes. There’s a gun.”
Maya says something, but I can’t hear it right now. All I can see is Liza on repeat, the way her eyes teared up as she stared into the camera.
That could have been Maya. And that’s the most selfish fucking worry. I’ve known Liza for years, and my first thought is that I’m so fucking relieved it’s not Maya.
She doesn’t follow, knowing this isn’t the time, and I load up, hurrying the motions of revving my bike as Dash passes out guns.
Sledge tears out, leading the way, and I ignore the fucked up feeling in my gut that tries to get me not to leave.
CHAPTER 25
MAYA
Eve immediately walks toward the room the guys ran out of and took every other person with a penis—besides Drake—with them. They’re acting irrationally, running out half-cocked, and I’m too curious to find out why.
I’ve learned this is their routine—strike back immediately. No forethought. No planning.
Someone could easily be using it against them.
Eve doesn’t bat an eye when I join her, and I hear Drake trying to calm the girls down as Colleen jogs into the room. “I’ll handle all the girls if you’ll tell me what the hell is going on,” Colleen tells Eve.
Eve is typing a password onto the laptop, waiting for it to start. I move in behind her, and Colleen does as well. The second the image pops up on screen, Colleen gags, the scream from a woman sending her to her knees.
Eve cuts her gaze away, choking back a gag of her own. But I’ve seen worse. I’ve seen a lot worse.
“Who is that?” I ask them flatly, wondering why this woman’s eyes are glued to the screen and who she is to them.
“That’s Liza,” Eve says through strain, still averting her eyes.
A man comes into view, making threats. Apparently that’s the notorious Herrin.
“How could they do that to her?” Colleen asks, but I’m more focused on the woman I’ve heard about a few times.
“Liza is Sledge’s girlfriend who runs the bar, right?” I ask.
Eve shuts the laptop, standing up and breathing in and out harshly as Colleen wipes her mouth and eyes.
“Yes,” Eve says quietly.
“Somewhere they launder the money,” I say to myself.
Outside of the box, I’m not attached to this woman the way they are. I’m also really paranoid, so I could be wrong about my suspicions, and know how bad this could turn out if I’m wrong.
“What are you doing?” Eve asks as I pull out my phone.
Axle’s phone goes to voicemail, so I start typing a text, hoping he reads it.
“Liza’s been with the club a long time, hasn’t she?” I ask Eve.
She wipes her eyes and clears her throat. “Over twenty-five years.”
Twenty-five years of loyalty.
Blowing out a heavy breath, I send Axle that text.
ME: I think you’re driving into a trap!
This could go really, really badly. I call Axle again, hearing it go to voicemail. “Call me. I think you’re riding int
o a trap!”
“What?!” Eve demands as her head lifts from where she’s telling Drake what’s going on. I didn’t even know he was in here yet.
There’s no telling what Sledge has told Liza. I know she’s unaware of my origins, but hell, she may know a lot of other things.
That thought alone has my stomach plummeting.
“Would Liza know about the cars for today?” I ask Eve quietly, crowding her space.
She gets a quizzical look on her face. “Yeah. We’re having a party because of the big order, because the guys always do that for a big order, and it’s a show to the rest that the club is still in business.”
I turn and walk out, texting Axle again. Herrin never gave any indication verbally as to where they were, and there was nothing too obvious in the image as a landmark. Something got them running out of here with a direction in mind.
ME: They’re setting a trap for you and coming here!
ME: Please hear this message dinging. Please!
“Why are you asking about Liza knowing about the cars?” she asks quietly.
I didn’t realize they celebrated business or I would have known the person who cleans the money wouldn’t need to ask where it was. They’d just need to know when the merchandise was ready—in order to stop the money from ever coming in, unaware of my arrangement with the club.
“Maya, please, answer me,” she says, following behind me as I send another desperate text to Axle.
“Axle said all the women get escorts to and from their businesses,” I say without looking at her. “Who were Liza’s?”
“It varies. Liza just picks a couple of guys out at the club to escort her home, since there’s always a group of them there. She closes most nights. Why do you keep asking questions about her?”
Telling her would be stupid. Because she’d tell Drex. And he’s going to want to kill me for issuing that level of disrespect toward someone of Liza’s stature within the club.
If we live to tell anything, that is.
“Of course she does,” I mutter to myself as I jog upstairs to Axle’s room.