by Aden Lowe
"Well, this morning, Li'l Man calls me. He'd gone to sweep the lot at the Speedy Shop like every morning. But when he got there, instead of the morning chick being there to open up, she was locked in her car, out cold, and the front door stood wide open. The store had been ransacked, shit dumped off the shelves, coolers busted."
Kellen's gut dropped. "Tell me."
"He got the girl awake. When she got there, three strangers jumped her. They took her keys and beat the piss out of her. Li'l Man thinks she might have been raped, but she denied it."
"Shit." So the Russians had brought the war to them, and involved civilians. It showed their lack of honor, loud and clear.
"That's not all." Trip's quiet voice held a world of bad news. "Somebody beat Miss Bea to death."
Kellen's fist slammed down on the table, reminding him how hard he'd hit the heavy bag the night before. "Do we know who exactly?" Rage burned in his chest. Anybody that would beat a defenseless old woman to death deserved to be put down like a mad dog, only without mercy. When he got his hands on that man, he would have no mercy. Stags Leap wouldn't be the same without the old lady at the grocery store deli to keep everyone up on the gossip.
"Not for sure." Badger thumped his coffee cup to the table. "Stella is getting the footage from the surveillance camera. Hopefully we can find out something from that."
"We need the same from the Speedy Shop, too. I have no intention of letting a bunch of lowlifes come into our town and hurt our people like that." Kellen managed to pull his rage under some form of control. Going off with no plan would accomplish nothing, except put more of their civilians at risk.
"You want some of the guys in town ready to react to them?"
Kellen considered carefully. His instincts gave a resounding yes. In his violent life, taking the fight to the enemy and crushing them usually provided the solution to just about any problem. In this case however, logic warned him against aggression, at least for the moment.
"No. I want them there, without colors, to watch. I want to know every move they make, but we don't touch them right now. Except to stop anyone being seriously hurt. Make sure you get that across. I don't want any moves against them yet. We have to have reinforcements. These guys have serious resources."
As bad as he hated to admit it, he needed to tap some of his own resources on this one. The Raiders alone simply did not have the manpower. As the National President of the Brothers Of Sin, a coalition of small MCs working together to protect all their interests, he could pull in any number of their affiliate clubs to help out.
Kellen looked up, decision made. "It's time some of the Brothers meet our new VP. I'm calling in the Diablos and the Nasty Boyz. With them on hand, we should be able to meet any force the Russians can pull in."
The others nodded, expressions grim. Calling in affiliate clubs was a major event, and it couldn't be done lightly. It meant promising favors that might hurt to make good on. But Kellen still felt there was no real choice. He couldn't give up his responsibility to the town, or the club, and he sure as hell couldn't give up Vicki. So he would owe two other clubs, ones with ruthless Presidents who relished a good fight almost as much as they enjoyed getting one up on another club.
"Anything else?" When no one had anything further, Kellen banged the table again to close the meeting. He wasted no time leaving the room.
He caught a glimpse of Vicki disappearing into the kitchen, and followed. At the counter, she poured coffee, and he waited for her to sit it down so he could wrap his arms around her from behind.
"Hey, little girl. You sleep okay?" He inhaled the scent of her hair, ready to drag her back to bed.
She turned in his arms and rewarded him with a small kiss. "I did, after you finally let me sleep. But I think you missed your calling."
"Oh yeah? In what way?" Already he wanted more and more and more.
"You're not an outlaw biker. You're a damn vampire. Look at my neck." She let her head drop back to display fresh, livid, marks on her pale skin.
Grinning, he ducked down to nuzzle her neck, gently licking each mark, soothing the skin. "Beautiful. You should have hickeys all the time."
She laughed. "No, I shouldn't. But I don't mind right now." She wound her arms around his neck and drew him down for a deeper kiss. "Busy day already?"
He gave a mock sigh. "You had to mention that just when I was ready to carry you off to somewhere private and ravish you again."
She laughed again, a little deeper. "Have to keep you on track."
"True." He leaned in for another kiss, wishing he could snap his fingers and make all the rest of the world go away. "We've had some trouble in town." He filled her in on the news, and what he intended to do.
"There are people I could call in, but the issue is, since we don't know who's behind all this, I could be inviting the enemy right in and handing over my head on a silver platter."
"Yeah, you don't want to reach out to any of your contacts. Never know where people's loyalties sit." The very thought of asking the enemy for help made his skin crawl. That had to be prevented. "And one thing we can count on. They're all loyal to their pockets. If the guys after you have actually put out a bounty on you, anyone could turn you over for the reward. Absolutely no contact. And make sure your people know the risk. Can't have them giving you up." Even as they spoke, Trip had someone tearing through her people's backgrounds, searching for any security risk.
She nodded. "Okay. I hadn't thought it through that far, but yes, it makes sense."
Her acceptance relieved him a little. He'd worried she might balk at the idea. The ease with which she agreed made him a little nervous when he thought about it. He kissed her again. "I suppose I should get busy, as much as I'd rather carry you off."
"Yes, you should." She gave him one of those genuine smiles. "I have things to do, too. I'm searching through all my father's notes, trying to find a way to crack the code in the ledgers. If I can do that, we'll know who's behind this."
"I have a couple of guys who are pretty good with that kind of thing. You want a little help?"
She shrugged. "If they can figure it out, absolutely. So far, I'm getting nowhere."
"Okay. I'll buzz Crank. He and Fabio have some background in that stuff. They can show you a place where you can spread everything out to work, too. We have a place in the basement with big tables." Her down in the isolated basement with two men, even brothers, proved more than he could bear to think about. "Or, even better, just have someone clear the table over there. Someone else might come along that could help."
"Don't want me alone with them?"
Damn, she was too perceptive. "Doesn't matter. They're my brothers and I trust them with my life. They know I've claimed you, and they won't be anything less than perfect gentlemen." Sure, he trusted them with his life. But Raiders tended to blur the lines when it came to possessions.
Chapter Twenty
Phone calls took the whole damn morning. Kellen hated calling in favors, and promising others in return. In his position as National President of the Brothers Of Sin, he preferred not to owe anyone anything. The seat was precarious at best, with someone else always trying to topple him and take over. So far, he'd held it only because he had some powerful outside connections the Brothers wanted to keep, and because people owed him shit. Otherwise, he'd have lost it as quickly as his predecessor. Pagel had held the chair only a few hours before Kellen made his move.
So the calls to the Presidents of the Diablos and the Nasty Boyz required careful negotiation. Kellen had to be sure he didn't promise away something he couldn't afford to fulfill. Going back on his word to another President would seal his coffin up tight. By lunch time, he was ready to punch a hole through the wall, but restrained the impulse. It wouldn't do any good.
Finally, he got off the phone and left the little private office in the attic. About damn time. He couldn't breathe in that damn closet. But if he wanted to be sure no one overheard, it was the best place. Locking every
thing up tight, he headed to the first floor. A tall glass of iced sweet tea and a few moments with Vicki would make him feel a lot better.
In the kitchen, he found her seated on one side of the table, with Crank and Fabio on the other side, and a ton of papers and old ledgers and notebooks spread out between them. They occupied one end, and a couple of Vicki's ladies sat at the other end, talking quietly.
Kellen came up behind Vicki and put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing gently, trying to ease the visible tension in her muscles.
She groaned and dropped her head forward. "God, don't stop. That's perfect."
Fabio grinned at Crank and the pair lost it.
"What the hell? You two turn into fourteen year old girls? Stop giggling. It isn't good for the Raiders' image." Kellen tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to keep his voice harsh and threatening.
The men only laughed harder and Fabio wiped tears from his eyes, struggling mightily to bring himself under control. Finally, they settled down, and Vicki stretched back in her chair to pull him down for a kiss.
"Thank you. That felt great." She directed a dirty look at the outlaws across the table. "I can't believe you two. I had no idea you could actually smile, let alone giggle like schoolgirls."
Crank grinned. "Glad we could entertain. You want to take a break? We'll keep looking."
Vicki shrugged and looked up at Kellen. "You have time?"
"A few minutes, yes. Hell, you know I'd make time." Kellen drew her to her feet and lifted a hand to Crank and Fabio. "Come on. Let's go for a little walk. Fresh air will do you good." It would also let them have a few minutes alone.
Outside, he led her toward the barn, and then around the side to the back. A low bank led to a nice fishing pond and camping area. The pond had initially been a stock pond, and Kellen had all the muck and cow shit cleaned out and stocked it with bass and various other species of fish. It made a nice little amenity for visiting clubs. And since they were about to have company, he needed to check that things were ready.
Plank benches spaced around the pond provided decent seating for anglers. Off to the left, the old pasture, several acres, had been transformed into a camp ground. Fire pits, porta potties, firewood, even grill racks to go over the fire pits, all made visitor comfortable.
The nearest bench seemed a likely place, so he headed for it, and sat straddle the plank, and pulled Vicki down in front of him. He pulled her back close and let one palm rest on her belly, while the other hand stroked her hair.
"This is more like it." The quiet and peacefulness of the scene struck him. That atmosphere would soon be in tatters as outlaw bikers moved in for the duration. "We better take advantage of it now. I've got people coming." He filled her in on their reinforcements.
"Good, I think. You trust them?" She leaned her head back on his shoulder.
"Not in the slightest." He gave a short laugh. "But they're solid for this."
"At least you don't have any illusions about them." One hand came up and slipped along the back of his neck, stroking and soothing some of the tightness away.
"True." Unable to resist the temptation her neck offered, he leaned down to skim his lips across her sensitive skin.
Vicki shuddered a little in his arms. "You really have a thing for my neck, don't you?"
He smiled against the silken skin. "Yeah, I guess I do. It's delicious." A few nibbles carried him down to tease the little curve into her shoulder. "I could spend all day doing this."
"Well, for your information, I could handle that too."
Her words sent a little thrill along his spine. She liked what he did to her, beyond the physical response. She genuinely enjoyed it. "I'll take you up on that when we have this little international issue settled."
"Good." She turned a little to deliver a small nip to the side of his neck. "I'm looking forward to it."
Heart pounding with the need to have her, he turned her around to sit sideways in his lap. He took her mouth roughly, making promises with his tongue, ones he intended to fulfill over and over.
She turned a little more, melting under his kiss, and tugged at his belt.
"Not yet, little girl. Anyone could come along here, and I don't intend for anyone else to see what's mine." Damn, where did that stuff come from? Surely not from him, the guy who didn't care to take a woman in the midst of a party, in full sight of anyone who happened to care to look.
"Oh, baby, you misunderstand. I'm not taking anything off." She freed him from his jeans and slid her fingers over his perpetual erection. Turning further, she bent to take him into her mouth.
Kellen put one hand back on the bench to hold himself up while the other sank hard into her hair. That hot mouth was going to haunt his dreams forever. He groaned as she took him deeper.
"Lie back so I can reach better."
He nearly broke his back complying and brought his other hand to her head. She already had him balanced on the edge of paradise and when she deliberately lowered her head further, taking all of him, he lost it. She scraped her nails over his tight balls, setting off his orgasm as surely as if she'd pushed a button. She drained him and left him a gasping, heaving mess.
The satisfied smile she wore when he finally came back to earth spoke volumes. "Ready to get on with the day?"
He sat up and got his jeans back in order. "Hell no. I want to do that all day."
She laughed. "I know, I do too. But we have shit to do."
As if on cue, someone called out from the top of the bank. "Hey, Kellen?" Badger came into view.
"Yeah, man. What is it?"
"Sorry to bother you, boss, but we've got more action in town. Thought you'd want to know right away." Badger lifted a hand. "Uh, I'll be on the porch when you're ready to talk."
Vicki's cheeks flushed as Badger disappeared back toward the barn. "He saw."
Kellen grinned. "Probably." He stole a quick kiss. "Don't worry, you weren't showing anything."
One elegant brow arched in what was becoming a familiar expression. "Still. It's embarrassing." She stood. "You should go see what he wanted. And I need to get back to that damn ledger."
He stood and adjusted his jeans, getting everything back to its normal position. "Yeah, I should. As much as I hate to."
The smile that always sent a blast furnace straight through his bloodstream distracted him for a moment. "Baby, I'm going to miss you when you decide you're done with me."
Her words filled him with dread. Already, she seemed to be trying to bring the end closer. "Just so you know, little girl, that might take a little bit." Ignoring her widened eyes, he took her hand and led her back up to the barn and toward the house.
At the edge of the porch he pulled her in for a short, hard kiss. The taste of him in her mouth brought memories back to pull a groan from him. "Go take care of your business. We'll take this up later, little girl."
"Yes, we certainly will. In more ways than one." She headed inside, leaving him to watch her perfect little ass as she disappeared into the house.
Up on the porch, in his favorite chair, Badger laughed a little. "I hate to tell you, Kellen, but that chick has you wrapped pretty damn tight."
Kellen scowled. Badger was right, but damned if he would admit it out loud. "What'd you need?"
"First, more trouble in town. Half a dozen of them went into the Rattlesnake and tried to get shit started. They couldn't finish it. Them girls got the drop on them and put them out of there right quick."
Having been on the receiving end of the Rattlesnake's defenses, Kellen couldn't help but grin. The mostly female staff was formidable. And that little Georgie girl Dix was all gah-gah over, she was a one-woman army. "I'd pay to see that."
"Yeah, me too. I guess Georgie tuned one of them up pretty good." His broad grin of admiration faded. "But they also pulled over that little historic log cabin on the courthouse lawn. And Old Cecil was riding his bicycle, collecting his cans like always, and they roughed him up pretty bad." Badger shook his head. "Kellen, th
at's fucked up. Old Cecil had never hurt anybody. Almost eighty years old, and they hurt him." Anger burned in the dark eyes. "It's time to do something about them."
Kellen nodded, that same anger rolling through him. "Yeah it is. Okay, tell the boys to meet up on the porch, ready to roll, colors on full display, one hour."
"I'll make sure they know."
Finished with that part of things, Kellen went inside to start the next phase. Those fuckers wouldn't know what hit them by the time he was done.
Trip raised a hand and called him over. "Thought you'd want to know, the Nasty Boyz are about an hour out, Diablos right on their tails.
Kellen grinned. "Perfect timing."
Chapter Twenty-One
Kellen despised preparing for another club to visit. His nerves couldn't take the stress. Putting that many strong personalities in one place was asking for disaster. And in this case, three clubs, nearly a hundred men who carried guns and were ready to fight over the color of the grass, if everyone came out alive, it would be a miracle. And who knew how many would bring ol' ladies or girlfriends, and that made trouble even more likely.
Standing behind the barn, he looked over the camp field critically. A shallow overflow ditch from the pond created a sort of natural division, which generally worked in his favor. This time, though, the damn thing would create conflict. The more desirable side of the field, with a handful of shade trees, was also significantly smaller. Either way, at least one of the clubs would be offended. A coin toss seemed like the only solution for that issue. Now if only the other couple dozen potential problems could be settled so easily. Well, it would just have to take care of itself. He had more important shit to do.
At the house, his officers were gathered on the porch, ready to implement his next orders. Kellen hopped up to sit on the rail where he could see all their faces. "Hell Raiders ready to go to war?"
"Hell, yeah." The rumble or replies acted as a Yay vote for each man.
"You all know the deal. Nasty Boyz and Diablos are meeting up with us at the Rattlesnake. We're going to send the mob bastards packing all the way home." He spent a few minutes outlining his plan for any who might not have understood completely. "Questions?"