by Leslie Chase
As he looked around the lightening room, the shadows crept into his mood too. This was wonderful, but there was still tomorrow to face, and the Serpents. Cal had taken his beating, but that wasn’t going to keep him away for long, or his friends in the club. This was going to escalate things too quickly, and put Lisa right in the middle of his trouble.
I’ll kill them all before I let them harm a hair on her head, he promised himself, and then sighed. If only it were that simple. If violence were the answer, he’d have sorted things out as soon as he’d arrived and he and Lisa could be moving on with a shared life by now.
Okay, then. I’m going to have to move up my own timetable. I’ll go see the Serpents, and I see if I can get what I need to shut them down. Then it’s back to the important business, making Lisa happy.
He sighed again, loud enough to make Lisa stir in her sleep.
“Whussa?” she mumbled, and he stroked her hair gently.
“Nothing important,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head gently. “Go back to sleep.”
“’Kay,” she said, already slipping back into her slumber.
The truth was, he knew he should have finished his job before making a move with Lisa. There were too many complications here, too many variables to throw sand in the gears of his plan. But that didn’t matter to his bear, and now that they were lying together in Lisa’s bed, the animal inside him was finally sleeping peacefully, leaving him in a quiet he hadn’t known for years.
Lisa’s alarm finally roused the two of them together, and they got up reluctantly. Showered and dressed, they sat together at her kitchen table, eating breakfast and smiling at each other in silence.
“I really enjoyed last night,” she said at last, blushing.
“I noticed,” Marcus replied, grinning at her. “So did I, in case that wasn’t clear. I’m looking forward to doing that again.”
She blushed brighter and nodded, and he laughed, pushing back his plate. Then she sobered, looking at him. “I guess I am too.”
“You ‘guess’?” He frowned at her.
“Marcus, I’m serious about not wanting to have anything to do with the Serpents. They’re bad news, and they scare me! I don’t know if I can do this if you’re going to be in business with them, no matter how good it feels to, um, to be with you.”
She looked stricken, glancing up at him and then looking away, but her voice was firm. He grimaced, unhappy that he’d caused her pain.
“I know what they are, I promise. It’s just for a little while, and I’m keeping myself safe.”
“That’s not good enough, Marcus. I’m serious about this. They’re not just a regular gang of bikers, that would be bad enough, but you hear these awful things about them. Even if you’re safe, I won’t - I can’t - be involved with someone who is helping them out.”
Marcus looked at her, seeing fierce determination. Could he risk telling her the truth? One of the most important lessons he’d learned in the Special Forces was that even the smallest mistake could compromise security, and that could be really dangerous. Deadly. Not just for him, either - he’d take a chance with his own life, but risking hers was out of the question.
No, I can’t take the chance she’ll let something slip, he told himself, feeling awful about misleading her. But not living up to his cover story could get them both killed.
“What kind of stories?” he asked, buying time to think about what he was going to say.
Lisa didn’t look happy about answering that. Collecting the plates, she took them to the sink in silence and started to clean them. Only then did she answer.
“People go missing sometimes. You know how it is here, some people just up and leave and no one hears a thing, but sometimes - too often - they were seen near some Serpents just before they vanish.”
Damn it, that’s too close to the truth. Marcus felt himself tense up, anger bubbling to the surface and then ruthlessly pushed back down. This was not the time or the place for it and he didn’t want to scare Lisa any more than necessary.
“Some folks say they’ve seen some of the gang bring in strangers, too,” Lisa continued, busying herself with the washing up. “Only the strangers never come into town. They just pass through to the club’s compound out in the woods, and we never see them again. Maybe it’s nothing, maybe they’re just bringing in girlfriends in or something, but I don’t like it, Marcus. And you know how the police are around here.”
“Didn’t seem that bad when I left,” Marcus said, shaking his head. “But I heard it got worse since then.”
“It has. The police won’t do anything if there’s a Serpent involved, and who else are we supposed to go to for help?”
Her shoulders tensed, and her movements were jerky as she rinsed the plates and put them down to dry. Marcus got up from his seat and walked around the table to her, putting his hands on her back gently, feeling her relax a little at his touch. The connection between them let him lend her his strength, but it wasn’t enough, he could feel that.
“I have to finish what I started,” he told her, feeling her tense up again. “But that’ll only take a couple of days, I promise. That’s all, and then I’m done with the Serpents.”
And they’re done for good, he finished silently. No more trouble for the town, or for anyone else, at least not from this chapter of the club.
“So you’re happy to do business with them? You can’t just stop?”
“I didn’t say that,” he rumbled unhappily. “I have to get this done, okay? If I back out now, they won’t be happy, and they’ll take it out on you. So unless you’re going to pack up and leave town with me today, I’ve got no choice here.”
She turned towards him, meeting his gaze with hurt and confusion. He couldn’t blame her, but he wasn’t going to put her more at risk by telling her something that could get her killed. The edited truth would have to do, for now.
“Why did you have to get mixed up with them?” she asked, plaintively.
“I have reasons. Good ones. I just can’t tell you, yet.”
She nodded, and he saw a decision crystallize in her eyes. “Then… I’m not sure we can be together until you are willing to be honest with me, Marcus. I’m sorry, I don’t think I can do this.”
There were tears in her eyes, and he felt a knife in his chest. Steeling himself, he nodded.
“If that’s how you want it, Lisa. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to. I’d never do that. And it will only be a few days, I promise.”
She hugged him tight, and he could feel her tears through his t-shirt. Feeling helpless, he put his arm around her and held her.
“You’d better be back, mister,” she said indistinctly into his chest. “I don’t want this to be the end of us, okay? Get whatever you’ve got to do done, quickly.”
“I promise,” he said, solemnly. He’d never meant anything more in his life. Lisa squeezed him fiercely and then let him go, pushing him away. Marcus took a couple of steps backward and turned, reaching for his jacket.
“I’d better get out of here then,” he said. “I’ve got a lot to do, and a hell of a good reason to get it done quickly.”
7
The Serpents’ compound was busier today. As Marcus rode up, he saw the glares and glowers from some of the men. Cal had clearly taken the chance to get his side of the story out, and it was obviously not one which flattered Marcus.
Some of them looked a little happier, though. Marcus wasn’t surprised - a slimeball like Cal wasn’t likely to be that popular with everyone. A few of the Serpents even shared a grin with him as he walked over to the main building.
“Hey man, you okay?” Lewis called over. He and another Serpent stood from where they’d been working on their bikes and ambled over. Marcus saw through their casual approach, and figured everyone else did too - there was a touch of hero-worship in their eyes.
He suppressed a sigh and forced a smile of his own. This was another distraction he didn’t need, but there w
as no point in making more enemies than he had to.
“I’m fine,” he answered with a wave. It was mostly true - aside from the cut on his arm, the few injuries he’d taken in the fight had healed up overnight. One of the advantages of being a bear shifter was the healing speed. “Nothing to worry about anyway.”
“Lewis was telling us you spent time in the Army,” the newcomer said. “That true?”
“Yeah, learned a few things there. Mostly to hit first and hit hardest,” he said. The Army had taught him a good deal more than that, but it would do for now.
He looked the younger biker up and down, taking in the skinny man in leathers and nodded. There was muscle there, and a determination to be tough. A lot like Lewis, he looked like someone who needed a cause.
Shame the Serpents got to him first, he mused, and decided to take a small chance.
“It’s a good place to learn to fight, you know. Couldn’t hurt to pick up a few tricks; the club’ll still be here when you get out, and you’ll have that much more to offer. Here, give me a call if you want to talk about it.”
He scribbled his number on a scrap of paper and handed it over. The kid might be salvageable, and a few years with Uncle Sam would give him something real to fight for. It might give him an out from the MC life, and if it didn’t, well, he’d tried.
“You trying to poach my recruits, Marcus?” Big Jack boomed jovially, appearing through a doorway, a wide grin stretched across his face. He looked genuinely happy for the first time since Marcus had met him. “Didn’t know the Army sent you out to bring back our pledges.”
Lewis and his friend shrank back from the big man’s approach, but Marcus just grinned. “Hey, there’s a recruiting shortage just now, we need every good man we can get.”
Big Jack’s laughter boomed loud across the yard, and everyone turned to him. “Well, if a couple of years in the service’ll take Danny here and teach him how to put Cal on his ass like you did, it might be worth a shot.”
Cal’s supporters glowered at that and turned away. Big Jack shook his head, clapped Marcus on the shoulder, and steered him towards the door.
“You boys can get your sign-up papers from our friend here later,” he said to Lewis and Danny. “Right now, Marcus is late for a meeting.”
“I didn’t know I was expected,” Marcus said as he stepped inside, feeling a little on edge as Big Jack followed him in.
The bar room beyond was dark, and with the big man between him and the way out, he kept a careful eye out for an ambush. But there was no one inside, and Jack simply guided him through to the back of the building, and a small door there.
“Well, you might have made a bit of an impression on the boss,” Big Jack said, sounding amused. He picked up a hand-held metal detector from the bar and gestured to Marcus, who pulled out his phone and dropped it in a basket. Spreading his arms, he let Jack check him for wires and weapons.
“Cal’s a pretty tough customer, so beating him pushed up the meeting,” Jack continued, waving the wand cautiously over Marcus. He was careful and thorough, which Marcus had to respect. The Serpents weren’t taking any chances of this conversation being recorded. “And I figured, hey, you’ll roll up here today sometime, see how we’re taking that.
“Either that, or you’d have fucked off and we’d never see you again. Lots of folk would figure that the smart move, if they’d kicked a Serpent’s ass. We look after our own.”
“So would that have been the smart move, Jack?” Marcus said, letting a little menace into his voice.
“Don’t ask me, ask the boss,” Jack replied, throwing open the door with a theatrical flourish.
Inside, the Serpents’ meeting room was surprisingly neat, the walls lined with posters and banners celebrating the club. In the center of the floor was wooden table with a long coiling snake carved down the center. Its eyes looked disconcertingly alive, and Marcus almost thought it was watching him as he entered.
“Marcus! Welcome, come in.” The man at the head of the table called out, standing and offering his hand. His grip was strong, punishingly tight, enough to make most men wince.
Marcus wasn’t most men. Smiling, he squeezed back, and was rewarded with a surprised look in the eyes of the other man.
“Pleased to meet you,” he growled.
His host was a tall man, nearly as tall as Marcus, and almost as broad too. Older, hair going gray to match his cold, piercing eyes. There was a nasty intelligence to his gaze, a cunning Marcus didn’t trust one bit. Looking into his eyes, he let his bear taste the air again. The man stank of the darkness, of corruption and sin, but still not strong enough to be the source.
He’s closer to it than the rest, though. Careful.
“Name’s Vance,” the big man said, taking back his hand and smiling what almost looked like a friendly smile. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Come on in and take a seat. We’ve got business to discuss.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Marcus agreed easily, sitting down with a casual slouch. The door was behind him, he noticed, and Big Jack hadn’t gone far. Vance wasn’t taking any chances.
Of course, that wouldn’t matter a bit if he decided to make a move. However prepared the Serpents thought they were, they’d have a hard time facing down a sudden bear attack in their midst. But that wouldn’t help with the real problem he was here to face, even if he did break everyone in the damned clubhouse.
There were things he needed to know first.
And that meant that he needed to keep his cover up, which meant passing for a useful business associate here.
Fortunately, his cover was good, and his introduction from Lewis helped. Setting up a pipeline for drug sales into Canada gave him plenty to discuss with Vance, and a big payday for the club would keep him safe while dealing with them. Right up until they found out that the gang he was representing had never heard of him. But that would take a few more days. Karl, Marcus’s partner and fellow bear shifter who’d set up this fake ID for him, was good at his work.
Just another good thing that had come out of his time with the Bear Squad in the Army.
“Well then, let’s get to it. We’ve got the merchandise you need, and you’ve got something we want too.”
That was a little surprise, and not a welcome one. “Cash on the table, I thought.”
“Oh, your money’s good, friend. Don’t doubt that. But you can get a bargain if you can give us something else in return.” Vance’s smile hadn’t wavered, superficially friendly but hiding a darkness and a hunger.
“What do you have in mind?” Marcus asked, warily.
“You and your friends trade us a few warm bodies, and we’ll give you a big discount on your order, okay?” Vance nodded quickly, leaning forward. “Just need a few women no one’s going to miss.”
Marcus thought back to what Lisa had said that morning about people going missing, and suppressed his angry reaction, not letting any of it show on his face as he shrugged. “I don’t see an issue, if the price is right.”
“Good, good,” Vance said, seeming satisfied with that. Marcus clenched his teeth to hold back a snarl as the man continued. “Business is good when we help each other, see? So, how quick can you make that happen?”
“Let me make a few phone calls and we can have something sorted in three-four days,” Marcus offered. “Once I’ve seen your merchandise, of course.”
“No problem, friend,” Vance said, offering his hand again. “We can have a shipment ready then, and I can show you what we’ve got today.”
They shook on the deal, each smiling in fake friendship at the other. Don’t think Vance has any more intention of honoring this deal than I do, Marcus thought.
“One other thing,” Vance said, still holding Marcus’s hand tight. “I hear you had a bit of trouble with one of my boys last night.”
Marcus did snarl at that. Behind him, he heard Big Jack step back into the doorway, and felt his bear waking as he was surrounded.
Not yet, he tho
ught, pressing down his instinct to fight.
“He got between me and a girl,” he said instead, casually. “No big deal.”
“Cal’s been after that girl for a while now,” Vance said, meeting Marcus’s eyes. “And this is our town, so yeah, it could be a big deal if you make it one.”
Marcus shrugged. “She isn’t his girl, though. I’d back off if she was his, he can do the same for me.”
Their eyes met, and he saw the cold angry darkness coiled inside Vance. The man hadn’t gotten to the top of the club by ignoring the needs of its members, and he clearly didn’t like the idea of an outsider taking something from a Serpent. The two of them stared fixedly, neither willing to give in.
“Tell you what,” Marcus offered after a long breath. “If we’re sending you some girls anyway, I’ll throw in an extra to make it up to Cal. That fair?”
That would have been a fair concession if he’d had any intention of actually selling people to the gang. And he had an idea that the trade in human flesh was a lot more important to Vance than Cal’s hurt feelings were.
Vance nodded after a brief, measuring pause. “Sounds like a deal. That gets you off the hook there, then - Big Jack’ll let the boys know.”
“Right away, boss,” Big Jack said, sounding amused. “No problem. But what should I say when the boys ask about it? She’s not Cal’s, but she’s not Marcus’s either. She’s not wearing his jacket.”
The corner of Vance’s mouth twitched, and he glanced over Marcus’s shoulder at Jack.
“The man’s got a point,” he said. “You’re a guest, and if she’s your girl, I’ll make sure the boys keep their hands off. We’re hospitable like that. But if she doesn’t pick you either, she’s still fair game, you understand.”
Marcus couldn’t hold back the snarl at that. It gave away more of his emotions than he wanted, but hearing this scum talk about Lisa like she was just some piece of property was too much. Of course, by their standards, the gang was giving him a chance to make her his property, which was more than they’d do for most outsiders - but that didn’t make him any happier about it.