by Sam Crescent
“We need the pimp,” Vincent said.
“Yeah, we fucking do.”
“I can’t tell you. He’ll kill me.”
Since Devil had been with Lexie, he’d been more lethal but also considerate to women who stripped. There was a time he’d seen them all as whores and easy women. Seeing as Lexie got dumped with Simon from her sister, she’d had no choice but to strip to make some decent cash to take care of him.
They all adored Lexie. It took a special and strong kind of woman to not only love a child that wasn’t your own but to make those kinds of sacrifices. They were all sworn to secrecy. Simon would never find out the truth about any of what happened. Devil asked it of all of them to forget the truth.
Lexie’s commitment to Devil and the club was one of the reasons why Butler got clean. He wanted to protect the club and their women at all costs.
Any compassion Devil had was wiped out with Louise. He pulled out his gun, and grabbed her head, pulling it back and pressing the tip against her temple. “Do you really fucking think right now you need to worry about your piece of shit pimp? You think you’re going to walk away free of all this?”
“You don’t hurt women,” Louise said. “He said so. My man said so.”
Devil smiled. “You really think that? I’ve killed women who have done less wrong than you.”
There was only one woman that Devil allowed to get away with hurting him, and that had been Kayla. The woman who gave birth to Simon, the woman who was Lexie’s sister. She had been killed by one of the club’s enemies.
He put his gun away, and Sexy passed him the knife. “I think we’ll start first with fucking up this face. No one will want to pay you shit with a face that shrivels their dick.”
Butler waited for the woman to crack, and within seconds she did, screaming the name and location of the pimp. It was a surprise to learn that the pimp in question lived a few houses away from Devil.
“Excellent. Call him,” Devil said. “We need to have a little chat.”
They waited as Louise grabbed her cell phone. The threat was still there, so she asked for her pimp to come down. She even made up a lie about one of the girls needing a hit.
Ripper and Dick were watching the girls in the back. The ones that hadn’t succumbed to the drugs had been allowed to leave. Of course, they all had to piss in a cup for the test to be complete, and Jessica hadn’t loved being involved in that.
She was taking her maternity leave really seriously and didn’t like being pulled away from her daughter.
Butler’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket, but he didn’t want to be distracted even as he wanted to see if Mandy was okay.
Devil walked over to them as Sexy and Guts guarded Louise.
“I can’t kill her, but there’s no way I’m allowing her to leave her without any consequences,” Devil said. “Neither can her pimp.”
“What do you want to do?”
“We need Lola on this pronto. Whizz is away, and he tends to work faster in situations like this. She needs to find out everything she can about them. I want to know every single detail before I hand them over. Michael can deal with them, but I want to know everything first.”
Sinner was already there, putting the call through to his wife.
“You okay?” Butler asked.
“No, I’m not. I knew something was off, but I didn’t know what. The fact we hired a whore with a pimp wanting access pisses me off. What happened to each person being checked on?” Devil asked.
“We made a few mistakes,” Vincent said. “I wouldn’t worry too much.”
“With our track record, I’m not going to let this slide.”
If they did, it could mean bad news for the club. They had a bad reputation, which kept a lot of people off their turf and they liked that, needed it even. The last thing they wanted was someone trying to ruin the club or take over in Piston County. It would mean an all-out war, and, seeing as they acted as a form of safe house for people in need of help, that wouldn’t work.
“I’m going to have to make an example of this situation. I’m going to make sure that Michael completely wipes out this entire fucking problem so they know that Chaos Bleeds is not to be messed with.”
“We can’t kill her?” Butler asked. “It has been a long time since I actually dug a grave.” He stared at his hands. “They’ll blister, but they’ll heal.”
“I can’t. New rules state that dead bodies can’t just magically disappear or start piling up.”
“You sure you really need to call Michael? A couple dead bodies won’t be a problem.”
Michael Granito was the man responsible for approaching The Skulls and asking for their help. Chaos Bleeds had also taken on the deal as well and would act as a backup to The Skulls.
“Yes, I gave my word, and this is not just a slight against the club. This is drugs,” Devil said.
“Anyone remember when we could just kill and be done with it?” Curse asked. “You know, the good old days.”
“Yeah, well, these are the sacrifices we have to make in order to get this shit to work.” Devil sighed. “I hate talking to Michael.”
He didn’t like having to deal with anyone else.
“It’s your call,” Butler said. “We’re all happy for you to put them in the ground. No one here will talk.”
Devil glanced back at the woman then looked around the club. “Drugs.”
“What?” Vincent asked.
“The drugs. Take the pimp and the whore out of the equation, we’ve got a drug problem.”
Butler frowned. “So?”
“I’ve got to call Michael. He can identify the drugs and find the source. This pimp may not be a supplier but a distributor. Our girls are hooked, but I want to know where it’s coming from. Naked Fantasies needs to be closed until further notice. The women that didn’t use, we’re going to have to put them on half pay until we can get enough women to strip.”
Already shit was hitting the fan, and as he watched Devil, Butler knew he had to come clean. Drugs were a problem, and no matter how much he hated it, he had to tell him.
Thinking about the packet of white powder in his room, Butler called to Devil.
“I told you, we’ll talk as soon as we handle it.”
“No, I need to talk now.” Part of the deal with Michael was that they all stayed clean. He was clean, but right now he had evidence to suggest otherwise.
“I’ve got a bigger problem than you banging the cleaning lady.”
“I’ve got drugs at the clubhouse,” Butler said. He’d not wanted to come out like this in front of most of the men.
He felt their gazes on him as Devil stopped and turned to look at him.
Sick to his stomach, he stared at his club Prez, who stepped close to him.
“What the fuck are you saying?” Devil asked.
“I didn’t take it. It’s all there, but … I wanted to. Mandy can tell you. She was there.”
Devil ran a hand down his face. “Get the fuck out of my face.”
“Devil—”
“I am trying to make everything fucking work in this new world we’re living in. One where we stay the fuck out of trouble and our men don’t die. You’re telling me that life has gotten a bit too cushy for you and that you can’t handle it?”
Guilt filled him as he stared at his club Prez.
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, you fucking weren’t, which is the problem with all addicts. They’re selfish little cunts who only see themselves. Get the fuck out of my club right now. I swear, Butler, right now. I had you taking care of my kids, looking after my woman. Get out of my fucking sight.”
Butler didn’t argue. When Devil spoke, everyone had no choice but to listen, and leaving the bar, he went to his bike.
He held onto the seat, clenching his hands into fists, and yelled as he shoved his bike over.
Angry at himself at his weakness he just erupted, growling in rage. He slammed his fist against the bri
ck wall. The pain did nothing to lessen his disgust at himself.
He slammed both of his fists against the wall, and suddenly he stopped. Blood on his knuckles, pain across his hands and up his arms, he leaned forward, and panted.
“You okay?” Dick asked.
Butler looked up, surprised to see Dick there. He was one of the people who had gone to rehab, who’d fought it with him.
“You here to gloat?”
“Nope. If you’re hoping to take out that wall, you don’t have super strength.”
“I’m not interested in listening to this shit right now, Dick.” Butler panted, trying to get himself back under control.
“I know what it’s like.”
He stopped and looked up at his club brother. “When everything settles down and you take a moment, you think about what you’ve done and you realize that you need it. You crave that high more than anything else in the world because part of you is afraid to enjoy this peace, this silence.”
“You ever go back?” Butler asked. “You ever been tempted?”
“Tempted, yes. I’ve never gone and bought it though. I’ve got my kid, my woman. I can’t go back to that life. I do that, I want Devil to put a bullet through my head. He’s agreed to do it as well.”
“You won’t fight it?”
“I’m fighting it now, but I won’t put my woman through that shit. She had to with her sister.” Dick stepped forward. “That’s how I met her, you know. Martha. At the rehab center. She was there with her sister. The drugs kept her sister down to the point that Martha was in an accident and because she was impaled by a fucking tree, she had to listen to her sister choke on her own vomit.”
Butler liked Martha. Anyone who could put up with Dick’s dickish ways was a good woman as far as Butler was concerned.
“Which is why if I touch any of it, I’m a dead man. Devil promised me, and we all know he keeps them fuckers.”
Butler smiled. “What are you trying to say to me?”
“Simple. You don’t want to start up again. I know you don’t because you’re like me. This club is your life. Hang onto that feeling and while you’re at it, why don’t you focus all that obsession on your woman? You’ll be surprised how little the drugs mean to you then.”
****
Mandy sat curled up on her sofa. Her cell phone lay on the table, and she kept on waiting for it to go off. It was nearly seven now, and she was going out of her mind. Biting her thumb, she jumped as there was a knock on the door.
Rushing toward the door, she saw it was Devil, and she frowned. He was alone, and her heart started to race.
“I know you’re in there, Mandy. Don’t even think to try and push me right now. I’m not in the fucking mood.”
Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the door, and seeing no other alternative, she opened it.
He looked … pissed.
Moving away from the door, she went back to sitting on the sofa, waiting as Devil closed the door, and entered the room.
“I take it you know why I’m here?”
“I don’t really know why you’re here, and I don’t want to try to guess,” she said.
“Butler, a nice white little bag of powder. Ring any bells?”
“Is he alive?” she asked.
“Of course he’s alive. I’m about to go and see him, but before I beat the fucking living shit out of him, I figured I’d come and talk to you, seeing as you saw him.”
She ran fingers through her hair. “He was staring at it. I know I should have shouted for you, but he looked so lost and I didn’t want to get him into trouble.”
“You should have shouted for me.” Devil leaned back in his seat. “You know you were supposed to help matters, not make them worse.”
“What?”
“I saw the way he looked at you. I knew he wanted you. I knew you liked him even though you hid it. It was the covert looks you gave him. Every time he came into a room, you’d always turn toward him, watching him.”
“How did you know?”
“I know everything, Mandy. It’s why I accepted you back, and why I made sure there was a thorough background check on you. I know my men. I know what they need, and you’ll be good for Butler. You’ll keep him focused.” Devil leaned forward. “I always knew it was a risk with the men who used. Addicts aren’t the most reliable, you know.”
“I don’t.”
“Well, the ones willing to stick around, I knew I’d do whatever I could to help them.”
“And those that didn’t?”
“They’re not around anymore, Mandy. I need to know that you’re in this.”
“What?”
“Don’t even pretend to not understand what I fucking mean about this. You know what I mean and what I want. Are you serious about Butler or are you just playing him?”
“If you’re asking for forever I don’t know. You can’t know that he wants that.”
“I know that you’re the first woman to get through to him, and that means something to me. He tries around you, and that’s what I need. What I want to know from you is if you’re ready for that kind of commitment. I need to know.”
She licked her dry lips. “I’m … yes.” She pushed all of her fear aside and focused on the man in front of her.
“I know this is asking for a lot and that you don’t have a good track record with all of this.”
“When it comes to Butler, I want to help. I want to do whatever you need me to do in order to make this work.”
“Good.”
Devil got up, and she frowned, looking toward him.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to deal with Butler. No, I’m not going to kill him. At the moment my need to kill has been pushed to one side, all for the matter of business.” Devil stood, and he looked at her.
The look scared the shit out of her.
“My men mean the world to me, Mandy. I don’t take them being hurt lightly.”
“I won’t hurt him.”
“Good. He should be back to you in one piece.”
She watched him leave.
The threat was clearly there. She didn’t have a clue what she’d just done or what she’d signed up for.
****
Devil slammed his office door closed and Butler stood, watching his Prez.
“Dick told me what you did to your hands.”
He stared down at them. They were cut up and swelling.
“Did you break anything?” Devil asked.
“No. Devil, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want to hear you’re sorry. I want the drugs now.”
Butler pointed at the desk. “I already got it. I figured you’d want it.”
Devil picked up the bag and sighed. “This looks like the same stuff the girls had in the club.”
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“Yeah, well, it just so happens that Michael knows the team that is currently hunting the pipeline of this drug. The girls at the club have been lucky. A lot of people have died from taking this. It’s bad stuff.”
“Shit,” Butler said.
“Yeah, they’re mixing it with poisons and shit.”
“What happened to the pimp?”
“He’s now in the tender loving care of the Feds, and I don’t give a shit.” Devil sat back in his office chair. “Until further notice the club is closed. The miserable men of Piston County won’t have any bare tits to drool over.”
“Can’t you keep it open?”
“Not with half the girls fired and heading to rehab. Michael is questioning them all. You were to come to me with this.”
“I know.”
“I need to know when you’re about to fall off the wagon, or if you’re having doubts about your place in the club.”
“I don’t have doubts.”
Devil sat forward. “This new era within the club, it’s going to have its problems. Ups and downs, left and right. That kind of thing. I want you to take some time.”
“Yeah, I do. I want your patch, and I want you to take some time away from the club.”
“Devil?”
“Hear me the fuck out. Nothing serious is going down right now. The club is closed for the time being, but I want it dealt with pronto. I’m dealing with Michael. He’s an asshole, but he gets it, okay? We’re not in a bad place, but I need to know you’re serious about this. I can’t have this. Dick took some time. Men take time, Butler, and you haven’t. We’ve dealt with shit after shit, and still you’ve come back fighting. This, though, this is the final straw.” He held up the white packet. “This club is not just about the men riding for kicks. It’s about a lot more than that, and I need to know you’re with it. We’re all changing, and as much as I’d love to hand you in to Michael, I know I owe you more than that. The club owes you this chance. It’ll be the only one you get.”
“I’m here. I swear.” Giving up his patch was like tearing out a part of his soul. “I can’t…”
“This is not me asking you, Butler. This is me telling you. Give me your fucking patch now.” Devil spoke slowly, calmly, and as Butler removed his leather cut, he held it hard in his fist.
This was fucking cutting him to the core, killing him inside.
He reached out and placed it in Devil’s hand.
“Now, I want you to take some time. A week or two, or even longer if you need it.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to think about the club, your place in it, and what we’re going to be doing. Take a good, long think about it because this is not happening. Not anymore. We don’t have time for error or falling off the wagon to get back up. We’re not a bunch of men riding around causing fights and having fun. Piston County is our home. It’s our turf. I’ve got a wife and kids. We have a lot more to protect now than we ever have before. You all voted for this, but I understand if it’s too much, and you can go.” Devil folded up his leather cut, and Butler watched as it was placed in the safe. “You call me and we’ll talk whenever you want. Just take some time. Find who you are, and know that I need the Butler that came to me after rehab. That’s who I need in my club. Not someone who is going to fall.”
Butler nodded and got up.
He didn’t need Devil to tell him the conversation was terminated.