Near the doorway, the doctor stood talking to a biker who towered over him. The guy wore a vest with a back patch that marked him as a member of Rebels & Rogues. This biker was so tall he’d have to duck to get through the door. Tattoos snaked over his heavily muscled arms, and his square jaw was peppered with dark stubble. His hair was short and dark brown, but strands fell over his piercing, ocean blue eyes. He had a prominent nose, which he looked down when he glared in Haden’s direction. The guy would’ve been hot if he wasn’t raging with anger.
“Thanks for fixing him up, Doc,” the big man said, shaking the hand of the smaller blond gent.
“No problem. I owed Tessa and Bear a favor. There’s a bottle of Tylenol 3s on the night table. Don’t let him take too much.”
The two men left the bedroom together, and Haden focused on Tessa once more. “Where am I?”
“You’re at Tag’s place.” At his confused look, she added, “He brought you here with Mickey J after Lucifer’s Chosen and Rebels & Rogues took out the lab.”
“How’d we do?” Haden was afraid to ask, but he had to know.
“Lucifer’s Chosen lost three members. Nighthawks lost a lot more after Rebels & Rogues showed up.”
He had conflicting emotions over that, but he stayed blank faced in front of Tessa. He was glad Lucifer’s Chosen and Rebels & Rogues took on minimal damage, glad they destroyed the Nighthawks’ lab, but the lives lost, including the one he’d taken, haunted him.
“Keep him awake.” The gravelly voiced guy stalked up to the bed.
Tessa gave a small grin. “Haden, this is Tag.”
“Kid, you’re lucky,” the big man growled and glared. “Mickey J should’ve iced your ass for this.”
“I didn’t rat him out to the Nighthawks,” Haden’s shout came out a rasp. “I don’t know how they found out about the raid.”
Tag grunted and grabbed a chair. He swung it around beside the bed and straddled it. “No, but we do.” He held up Haden’s cell. “We use disposable phones for a reason.” The giant biker threw it on the bed. “Never keep one over a week. Got it?”
Haden nodded. Pain bloomed through his shoulder and pounded his brain.
“You remember Bruce McFadden?” Tag said.
“Yeah, he’s a prospect with the Nighthawks.” Bewilderment mixed with Haden’s misery.
Tag gave a disgusted scoff. “He bugged your phone. He’s been watching you, following you. He’s the one who ratted you out to the Nighthawks, how they found out about the raid.”
Haden’s stomach did sick flips, and it had nothing to do with pain this time.
Tag scooped the phone off the bed and stomped toward the entrance. “I’m destroying this now. We’ll get you a new one when you deserve it.”
“My sister,” Haden blurted, and the giant stopped at the door, throwing another glare his way when he turned around. “I need to call her… What about my money?”
Another disgusted scoff from the big biker. He removed an envelope from his back jeans pocket and tossed it on the bed. “There’s your cash. Good thing Mickey J is generous. He deducted $400 for the shit you caused.”
He went to leave again, but Haden wasn’t through talking. “I need to get this to Lisa, my sister.”
Tag’s frown deepened, creating wrinkles above the bridge of his nose. “I’ll get it to her. You aren’t going anywhere.”
Haden discovered one wrist was handcuffed to the bed post.
***
Chapter 3
The kid had some balls asking about money after such a colossal screw up.
Tag took Haden’s cell phone outside and smashed it with his splitting axe, then he threw it in the trash. The obliteration hadn’t been necessary, but it felt good.
He sat on a stump close by his cabin after pulling his own phone out of his pocket. He’d promised Mickey J an update once the kid was awake and Doc Gibson had looked him over.
Mickey answered after the phone purred its second ring. “Hey, how’s the kid?”
“He’ll live. Doc Gibson thinks he’s got a concussion. Shoulder’s broken, but it looks like a clean break. Missing a few teeth from the fight.”
A sigh of relief filtered through from Mickey’s end. “Thanks for watching him, man. Big C called a vote a few hours ago. The club rejected Haden as a prospect.”
Tag snorted. “Big surprise. The kid would be meeting the Reaper if it were up to me.” Lucifer’s Chosen wouldn’t let in a screw up they couldn’t trust. It’d be a long time before Haden would re-earn the respect of them or Rebels & Rogues.
“Hey, come on, Tag. You know I owe this kid. Old Man Bear does, too.”
“No, we owed his father. Danny was a good man. This kid is nothing like him. Can’t believe they share DNA.”
“Danny Probst saved my life. I repay my debts. Danny and Teresa might be gone, but their kids need help. And Lisa can’t stand bikers, so she won’t take anything from us. I tried. Told her we’re her family. She told me to fuck off. Jesse left her paranoid about us.”
“I don’t know why you and Old Man Bear put up with it,” Tag grumbled.
“Just told you. We owe it to Danny and Teresa. Those kids are family.”
“Does the kid know his father was with Lucifer’s Chosen?” Tag got up from the stump, craving a spliff as he walked toward the house, but he’d wait until later, when business was done. “Why’d he hook up with the Nighthawks in the first place?”
“Yeah, he knows now. He started hanging around with Bruce and ended up a prospect. I wanted to get him into LC and away from those assholes, but, well, looks like the guys need some time to cool down before they’ll consider letting Haden in.”
“Like I said, can’t blame them.”
Mickey changed the subject. “Did you give the kid the cash?”
“Yeah. Told him about the deduction.”
“Good. Look, since I can’t get him into the club anytime soon, could you hook him up with some work? His sister has a little kid to take care of and she won’t take any cash from me. I know they’re hurting for money. I’d appreciate it, man.”
Tag gave a frustrated grunt. “I’ll see what I can do. Shit, Mickey, when did you go all soft?”
“It’s not just me who wants the kid protected. Old Man Bear asked you to keep him safe.”
“Yeah.” Tag let out a slow breath. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Mickey promised to update him on the Nighthawks situation when he heard anything, then Tag hung up. While they’d beaten the rival MC and destroyed the meth lab, Nighthawks would want retribution. Lucifer’s Chosen and Rebels & Rogues would have to keep their ears and eyes open for any signs of trouble or whispers of planned revenge.
Ruefully, he headed back inside the cabin. He was pissed he had to babysit a whelp because of some old loyalties held to a dead biker.
Danny Probst had been a good man. The first to introduce the idea of getting into legit businesses to Lucifer’s Chosen and Rebels & Rogues. Before Mickey J became the LCs president, he’d been Danny’s vice president, and he’d looked up to the guy as a older brother. It had been Danny who’d strengthened the allegiance between Rebels & Rogues and Lucifer’s Chosen, when he’d helped Old Man Bear bring down Tessa’s ex-husband. A cocaine dealer who beat her and left her for dead when he’d found out she had an affair with Old Man Bear.
While he’d respected Danny as much as anyone in the two MCs, Tag didn’t feel they owed his kids anything. Especially when one hated bikers and the other screwed up big time. But Old Man Bear was the closest thing he had to a father, and Mickey J was his best friend since childhood, so he’d honor their wishes.
He went back into the bedroom to check on the kid.
“Tessa, you should head home.” Tag knew she’d done a double shift in the ER at Parker Ridge Regional, where she worked as a nurse. Then he’d called her to come patch Haden up. Her eyes were glassy and ringed with dark circles. “Go get some shuteye. I’ll watch him.”
“Thanks, Tag.” She stood and gave his arm a squeeze. “I’ll call later to see how you two are doing.” After saying goodbye to Haden, she left.
Without all the bruises and swelling, the kid would be cute, Tag thought. He had a sharp face that was almost fae-like. His short, walnut brown hair stood up in wild spikes. Almond shaped hazel eyes gave him a mischievous and curious appearance. A sleeve of tats decorated his left arm. The work scrolled over his left pectoral and ended halfway up his neck. Under different circumstances, he’d fuck the attitude out of this sinewy twink.
“How old are you, kid?”
Haden’s gaze settled on him. “Twenty-one.”
Tag shook his head. “Just a baby.”
The kid’s puffy eyes narrowed. “Can we lose this?” He rattled his handcuff.
“Nope. I need you to stay right where you are. Besides, I like my pretty boys in chains.”
Haden’s face reddened and he coughed. Tag chuckled at his embarrassment.
“Who did Lucifer’s Chosen lose?” Worry and regret laced the kid’s voice. “Is Big C okay?”
Tag rattled off some names as he settled in the chair Tessa had just vacated. “Big C is fine. He called a vote to keep you outta Lucifer’s Chosen. Looks like the guys agreed with him.”
The kid’s face pinched up in disappointment. His head sagged and his chin touched his chest. Tag felt a twinge of guilt for delivering the bad news. But better the kid hear the truth now than later. No sense in waiting.
“Bruce…?” Haden whispered, and tentatively raised his head to meet Tag’s eyes.
“What do you think happened to Bruce?” Tag crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Mickey J made sure that little bastard went to meet the Reaper.”
The kid appeared upset by this. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears and his mouth twisted up, as if he held back emotions.
“What?” Tag snapped. “Were you two lovers, or something? Maybe that’s why he sold you out. Was he pissed you dumped his ass?”
Haden’s eyes blazed with anger. His cheeks flamed red with rage. “Yeah, we did fuck for a while. What’s it to you? And, no, he ended it. Not me.”
Tag shrugged. “Nothing to me. I like cock as much as you do, pretty boy. But I wouldn’t waste tears on an asshole who double crossed you.”
The kid’s eyes went wide. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
“What? You’re surprised I like cock or something?”
Homophobia still ran rampant through the biker community, but that didn’t mean there weren’t gay bikers. And many of the straight guys did accept them. As long as you were tough and proved you could hold your own, not too many guys in the clubs Tag was affiliated with cared who you fucked. Old Man Bear knew he was gay. Mickey J did, too. When he came out to Old Man Bear, he’d told him, “Son, I don’t give a shit what hole you stick it in. A piece of ass is a piece of ass.” But there were others he didn’t reveal his sexuality to. Tag knew who to trust. He also knew if anyone ever challenged him on it, not only would he kick their ass, Old Man Bear would be right beside him to help with the whooping.
The kid shrugged. “Guess you didn’t look the type.”
Smirking, Tag got up from the chair. “Guess you have a lot to learn.”
***
Chapter 4
As Tag got up, Haden noticed the bloodstained bandage across his neck. A strange chill danced up his spine and he remembered the white bear from last night. The imaginary creature had taken a shot to the neck from the Nighthawk’s president.
“You got wounded.”
“Just a nick. Bullet barely grazed me.”
A vision of the man he’d killed flashed through Haden’s mind. “A lot of people died last night.”
“I’ve seen worse.” Tag lingered near the bed. It seemed he could sense Haden’s struggle with the prior night’s death toll. “We got lucky, considering.”
“I killed someone. First time.” Haden’s voice cracked. He tried to keep it together and sniff back his tears.
Tag put a hand on Haden’s leg and his warmth seeped through the quilt. It comforted and electrified.
“Get used to it, kid. Part of the biker life.” His words were rough, but his voice was soft.
Tag went to leave again, but Haden blurted, “I had the weirdest hallucination last night. I thought this massive white bear attacked the Nighthawks. It saved my life. Looked like a polar bear.”
Tag’s intense eyes pierced Haden when he turned back to look at him. The big man’s jaw clenched and unclenched. Then he gave a nervous laugh. “There’s no polar bears in Parker Ridge, kid. Pain makes you see crazy things.”
***
Tag promised Haden he’d get Lisa the money she needed to pay the mortgage. He wasn’t letting the kid go anywhere until the heat from the Nighthawks died down, and he left him tied up to the bed, just in case. He wasn’t heartless, though. The kid found temporary freedom when he had to go to the bathroom or eat. And he’d extended the chain attached to the cuff, so Haden could move around the room a bit.
Tag cut the engine on his Harley, parking it near the side of the gravel driveway. As he approached the open front porch of the tiny house, a quick scan told him it needed work. The porch could use a coat of paint and some of the railings needed replacing. It looked like the roof required some new shingles, too.
His boot touched the bottom stair as Lisa emerged through the front entrance. She let the ripped screen door bang shut behind her. Tag looked up to find the petite brunette brandishing a baseball bat. She stood sentry at the top of the stairs, her chocolate eyes wide and her lips set in a grim line. Tag could see the resemblance to Haden right away.
He held up his hands in a gesture of peace. “Whoa, hey, little girl. I’m not here to bring trouble.”
Lisa rested the bat on her shoulder, but she didn’t drop her guard. “I’m not a little girl. What do you want?” She nodded toward his bike. “Where’s my brother? He’s been missing for two days.”
She really did have a chip on her shoulder when it came to men in leather. “Your brother is safe. I promise. I came here to deliver something for him.” Slowly, he took the envelope of cash out of his leather jacket and placed it on the stairs. His eyes never left hers as he did so, just in case she took a swipe.
Cautiously, Lisa bent down and scooped up the envelope. Cradling the bat in the crook of her elbow, she peeked inside and thumbed through the money. Her eyes grew wider, but when she looked at Tag, suspicion drew her face tight once again.
“Haden said you needed the cash to pay your mortgage. That you only had a few days left.”
She nodded. “You know where he is. You have to bring him home.”
Tag shook his head and edged up onto the first stair. “I can’t do that, sweetie. Your brother needs to lay low for a while. Some guys are looking for him.” Another stair, and she took a swipe with her bat. “Whoa, hey! Look, can I come in and talk?”
“I don’t let bikers in this house. And don’t call me sweetie.”
Tag grew annoyed at her prickly attitude. “You might be in danger too. You and your son. These men looking for Haden could come after you to get revenge on your brother.” Her face fell and grew pale with fear, so Tag went for the gentle approach once more. “I could have some of our guys watch the place. House looks like it could use some work.” He pointed to the shingles hanging from the roof. “They could fix it up while they’re here.”
“More bikers, right?” She sneered, but there was less aggression in her stance now. The bat slipped from her shoulder to rest against her leg. “I want to talk to my brother. Prove to me he’s all right.”
Tag walked up the final step and she moved back. “Let me come in. I’ll make a call.”
Lisa moved back toward the house. Tag followed her inside.
The interior needed some repairs as well. The house was open concept, and the living room sat right next to the kitchen. A couple cupboard doors were missing, but that would be an e
asy fix. A hole in the kitchen wall needed patching, and a narrow staircase leading up to the second floor looked like it could use work. Some of the members of Rebels & Rogues and Lucifer’s Chosen worked as carpenters, so fixing the little home up wouldn’t take them long at all.
Tag took a seat at the round kitchen table and Lisa begrudgingly offered him coffee. He accepted and pulled out his cell phone to call Tessa.
“Hello?” Tessa voice came through rushed.
“Hey, Tessa.” Tag hoped he hadn’t interrupted her at work. “You busy right now? I could use a favor.”
“I’m just getting off work. What’d you need?”
“Could you head out to my place and get the kid on the phone? His sister wants to talk to him.”
“Give me thirty minutes.”
“Thanks, doll. Appreciate it.”
“Anytime.”
Tag hung up and relayed the message to Lisa. They sat in uncomfortable silence, her with arms crossed over her chest and him intently focused on the black coffee in his cup.
A small cry brought reprieve, and Lisa hopped up from her seat. She headed up the rickety stairs, which creaked under her flimsy weight as she climbed. Tag wondered how safe it was to keep a baby up there, and decided he’d talk to the boys about getting this place repaired soon. Danny wouldn’t want his daughter living like this. No doubt Jesse, that deadbeat bastard, had a lot to do with the state Lisa lived in. Tag could almost understand why she wasn’t so fond of his kind.
Thirty minutes later, his cell phone blared out its ringtone—AC/DC’s Highway to Hell—and Lisa descended with a little blond boy clutched in her arms. She sat opposite Tag, watching him in obvious anticipation as he answered.
“Hey, Tessa. Put the kid on.”
“Hello?” Haden sounded groggy, as if he’d just woken up.
“Sorry to spoil your beauty sleep. Your sister wants to know you’re all right. Talk to her.”
Tag handed the phone to the young woman and she took it, trying to juggle the baby in one arm as she put it to her ear. She gave him a desperate look. “Could you?”
Before he could answer, she plopped a chubby toddler in his lap. Tag blinked down at the kid and tentatively wrapped a hand around the boy’s waist so he wouldn’t tumble from his knee. He flashed a disgruntled glance at the mother as she got up from her seat and started to pace while she talked to Haden. The boy pointed at his stubbled chin and shouted something that sounded like “Gahgroo,” then laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.
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