"And as predicted, we hit a bit of rain once we were done, so we had to stay. Mickey will make sure to cover the motel rooms. It went on Buck's card."
"Already done," Mickey confirmed. "But you're on your own for the cost of the pussy you all bought."
There were chuckles from Fritter, Knuckles and Tiny.
"Let's keep it with the funds," Jayce suggested, sitting up straight. "Dues paid up, Mick?"
Tank shifted. They were making him sweat here.
Mickey nodded. "Everyone but Knuckles."
"What? Bullshit!"
Mickey's look could have peeled paint. "You haven't paid this month's dues."
"I just paid up!" Knuckles hands were palms-up on the table, looking flabbergasted.
"There are four weeks in a month, Knuck. You last paid me seven weeks ago."
There was a tense moment then Knuckles broke into a grin. "Shit, that's right. I had the cash one day. I can't remember where it went."
"Just pay up," Jayce suggested with a laugh. Then he cleared his throat, rubbed a hand down his face again and leaned forward with both elbows on the table. "Now for the big topic of the day. We've all been apprised of what happened the night we were gone. Our VP was left to take care of business, and it would appear he did. The table is open for discussion on that."
Tank shifted his weight to his other ass cheek in his seat. There was still no one looking him in the face, and the quiet was going to give him a rash.
"Shoulda called us to tell us what was up," Mickey put it out there after a long minute, finally looking up. "We could have been back sooner."
Tank nodded. "Weather was shit. I knew you guys would head out right away, no matter if it was raining or snowing. And you wouldn't have been able to help, anyway."
Mickey nodded and looked away again.
"What the fuck happened to this Bark guy?" Knuckles spat out next, cracking his namesake body parts. "Where'd he go?"
Jayce motioned Tank's way. He supposed that meant he should answer. "Technically, he never made it out of the firefight. I added one to the total of men that were here, and after the smoke and the cops cleared, he was gone."
Buck was next. "He warned us again what was coming. Not a lot of lead time, but he could have just headed out. He didn't have to come to us."
Jayce nodded. "He did us a solid, yet again. Makes me hope he got what he wanted out of having us wait." Now the Prez did look at Tank. "You didn't just defend the compound, though. You sent Guido to the Gypsys' clubhouse."
Tank nodded, more reluctant this time. "Yeah. With half them in Markham, I knew they'd be easy picking. And by hitting both halves at the same time it leaves a bit of a void. No retribution."
"And they killed everyone."
Tank was still nodding with what Jayce was saying. "Yeah, the news said there were ten bodies inside. Two women left alive, no memory of what the gunmen looked like." Now he looked at Jayce straight on. "They didn't kill everyone, though."
Jayce frowned. "No?"
Tank shook his head. "Nope. Nomads brought us a present. After the women were clear, they kept our guest at the dance studio for a little while, then when the cops cleared this place for us again, Tims and I brought him back here."
Jayce was comically stunned. "Where is he?"
"In The Stall. He's gagged so he's quiet, and Tims has been making sure it's been on the DL until we could meet."
Tims nodded with a smile.
Jayce looked totally stunned. It would have made Tank laugh if he still wasn't clenched in anticipation of an ass-kicking.
"He got a bit dinged up during transport, but he's still healthy enough for payback." Now Tank looked to Buck. "However you two want to sort that out."
The two men most hurt by the Gypsy offensive of just over a year ago stared at each other while the rest of them waited. Knuckles was still cracking his knuckles, his jaw clenched and his shoulders rolling. He would have loved to get at the asshole in the back room, too.
"It's yours, Prez," Buck said, the words not coming from his jaw smoothly. "I had my three. You take this one for Trinny and the baby."
Jayce swallowed hard, then looked at Tank, and now he cracked a grin. "You fucking prick. We were going to make you sweat a bit, then let you off the hook. You just wrecked it."
His relief came anyway, and he laughed with the rest of them, Knuckles smacking his shoulder as Jayce got to his feet and spread his arms. Tank stood into the hug, back-slapping mandatory so no one got all misty. There were shouts and applause, then Buck was there to hug him, too. Then Mickey.
Shit, that felt better. He had honestly been worried they'd be pissed. Maybe Guido keeping Thor alive for the mother chapter to deal with made up for the secrecy. It was less of a choice and more due to time constraints, but he knew he'd have to answer for it. They could hate the answer or believe they'd have handled it differently, but there was no doubt it had been an effective plan. Thank God for Knuckles and his love of big booms, and for Bark's knowledge of explosives as well.
That guy had saved Trinny indirectly by letting Gertie escape, then handed them three of the guys that had hurt her, and saved four Red Rebels. Sure it was partly to serve his own ends, but he hadn't needed to go to all that trouble. In exchange, they'd play along that he had died. It was his only out and a small lie to tell.
He'd also set them up to wipe out the Mad Gypsys. Clean, no petty back and forth. And now the final bonus was tied to the cinderblock wall with a sweat sock in his mouth.
“One last thing,” Jayce said, bringing them all back to their seats. He had the self-control of a saint. “Mazaris are still out there, let’s not forget. They beat up Gertie, they threw acid at Rose. And let’s not forget the kiddie peddling, the part that’s the worst for me, all respect to your old ladies,” he added quickly with a nod to Buck and Tank. “We have an address for whoever’s leasing that trailer. Downey’s still processing what was out there. But I say we move on whoever is helping set a place like that up.”
There were nods around the table.
“I know the Nomads will be willing to help with that, too. And as far as the address of the would-be kiddie courier. Knuckles, anything to report on that?”
Knuckles nodded, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. He’d hung back on the last run, taking an extra day to return. “Yeah. He’s a well-to-do bastard. Not so tough with grown-ups. He’s got a lot to lose, but I couldn’t get him to give up any names within their organization.”
“Left him breathing?”
Knuckles nodded. “Didn’t want to. He was a pathetic piece of shit, swore he was done but that’s worth nothing to me. Told him I’d be back so he should consider helping me. I promised I’d be back to see if he’d changed his mind. He couldn’t do much, though. He just had a phone number and it was disconnected. They likely cut it once the trailer got hit.”
Jayce was nodding with him. “As long as he doesn’t run.”
Knuckles shook his head. “He’s got a big house, making money at his job. He’s got a lot to walk away from and the guy screams status from his car to his fucking shoes. In my guess he’s calling in sick and praying his bruises go away. I think we might be able to use him in the future.”
“All right. Next step on the Mazari front is finding that couple that leased the trailer.”
“Later,” Knuckles cut in, his grin getting cold. “We got business to attend to in The Stall, boss.”
It was Tank’s pleasure to lead the way through the clubhouse to the kitchen, past the stainless steel fixtures and through another door to the room in question.
Thor was a huge bastard, but he was bleeding now, and he likely had a few broken ribs. Breathing seemed to be giving him trouble, his nose had dried blood trailing from it into the sock in his mouth, and he had a resigned air the second he saw them that meant this wouldn't likely be as fun as Jayce and Buck wanted it to be.
He didn't have to be screaming, though. Tank had found it perfectly satisfy
ing to beat the guy that had hurt Rose, and he hadn't made a peep.
"I'll get my tools," Knuckles muttered, heading to a steel shelving unit in a far corner. It was stocked with latex gloves, garbage bags, drop cloths, and a tool box that was very much the property of Knuckles O'Shay.
Fritter went with him to start assembling the mess-control goods. Tank hung back. He'd watch, but this was for Buck and Jayce.
Jayce was standing in front of the Gypsys' president, face blank. Thor was looking up at him, greasy hair flat on his forehead and hanging out of the way of his gaze. He was breathing heavily, but then after a moment he started to chuckle.
It was a soft sound, only really obvious because his body was shaking with it. Then the noises got louder, and while he might have been maniacally hysterical he was mistaken if he thought it would make Jayce mad enough to lose his temper and end him quick.
Knuckles set the tool box down and flipped open the lid. "Hmm," he hummed, hands running over the stainless steel tools. "Something dull."
"Get the bolt cutters," Jayce suggested. "I think I know where Buck would like to start."
Knuckles looked up in surprised, still crouched over his goodies, then turned to look at Buck over one shoulder. "Ooh. He's sharing."
Buck smiled at Jayce, then Knuckles slapped the cutters in his hand. "I got his cock," Knuckles offered. "Get him upright."
Tiny and Fritter wrestled Thor to his feet. He had six inches on both of them but he wasn't struggling. They raised his arms over his head, attaching the cuffs already on his hands to a length of chain fed through a ring sunk into the concrete blocks.
"Let me plug in the iron," Knuckles was saying, crossing to the most odd object in the room. And old-school electric iron. No steam. Just a metal plate that heated up enough to cauterize wounds.
"We got time," Buck noted. "Maybe we could take his ink. He's the last Gypsy. Seems extra cruel if he doesn't even die as one."
Thor stopped laughing, his eyes flashing at that. He was saying something but the sock made it angry mumbling. Tiny took a utility knife to his kutte and shirt, tossing them both to the ground. He made sure to step on the kutte before kicking it to the center of the room.
Thor saw that too. Yep, that was pissing him off. Good.
"Thank Christ," Fritter mumbled, heading to the kutte. "I really need to piss." He was undoing his belt as he spoke, and the stream of urine hit the leather before he was done talking.
Now Thor was pissed, pulling at his restraints and trying to yell at them.
"It would have been possible to just coexist," Jayce pointed out, bringing Thor's attention around. "We're far enough away that we never would have had to cross streams in any way. But you guys seemed to look for ways to fuck with us. Maybe you wanted our turf, our earnings. I don't know. Either way, there was enough for us both to make a living. But you're an asshole, Thor. So you gotta go."
Thor was breathing heavily, wincing from his internal damage, but Tank knew he wasn't absorbing this. He was going to die, so he was furiously terrified. Personally Tank wouldn't want to meet his own end like this, but there was no doubt this guy deserved worse.
"Found the blow torch," Mickey sang out, the canister held high as he shook it. "Let's get rid of that fucking ugly ink."
Jayce took the torch, cracking the knob, then holding it to Mickey's lighter as he sparked it. The flame caught and Jayce dialed it up.
Made sense that their Prez would do this part. A more official disbanding of a club.
Thor had Gypsy ink on his arms, chest and back. A lot of skin. Tank had to turn away when they turned Thor to face the wall. The smell of the roasted flesh was already too much, the screaming was awful, and the sight of skin bubbling up was making him sick.
When the hiss of the torch stopped, Tank went back to the kitchen, grabbed a couple water bottles and brought them back. He gave one to Jayce, noting that his Prez was shaking, sweat making his face shine.
"Doing okay, Prez?"
Jayce nodded, eyes on the flambéed man on the wall as Tiny twisted him to face front again.
"You got this," Tank assured him. He wished he could speak better, but he wanted to offer some support. "I remember Trinny in the hospital. I see how you are with her and the kids gone. This is all on him."
Jayce was nodding with him as he drank more water.
"No one thinks this is wrong."
"Not you?"
Tank shook his head. "No. We saved him for you. He didn't deserve a round to the head and a fast out."
Jayce handed the water back with a shaky smile and headed back to his project.
Knuckles was undoing Thor's jeans. The man was flagging now, but he was a tough asshole, and he wasn't near passing out yet.
"Wake up, you piece of shit," Knuckles shouted, slapping his face. Thor's eyes opened, his respiration damn near haggard. "This is the part I've been waiting for. You like to gang rape women? I wish I could hand you over to a few guys to make good use of your asshole. But no one wants it. So I'm taking that cock off because if you can't use it nice, you don't deserve to have one."
"Knuckles, shut up." Jayce was smirking, but he still looked pale.
"What?" Knuckles asked, not taking his eyes off Thor's face.
"This is Buck's right."
"He gets to do the deed. But I'm doing the talking." Knuckles was still staring at Thor. It had to be uncomfortable attention.
"She's Buck's old lady."
"And my friend." Now Knuckles nodded at Jayce. "She's better than all of us. Buck's old lady. I know that. He gets to bleed him. Let me have this."
After a pause Jayce nodded. And Knuckles punched Thor in his naked, flaccid dick.
It hurt. The man tried to bring his legs up so he could curl up and get his breath back but he was too big for such acrobatics. All he could do was wheeze around the sock in his mouth.
Now Knuckles grabbed Thor's cock and held it out, giving it a hard yank. Buck, without hesitation, used the bolt cutters to slowly sever that appendage, snip by snip.
Now that screaming was bad. Tank closed his eyes and started humming Johnny Cash tunes.
All in all, it was bloody and drawn out. They cauterized the amputation with the iron, then Jayce had Thor released so he could beat him.
It was a decent plan. Jayce grew furious, and with a set of brass knuckles he was lethal. He used the steel toes of his riding boots too, then ended Thor by beating his head on the concrete ground. He was covered in blood when it was done.
Thor had been tough; no one was surprised by that. He whimpered when pain was inflicted, screamed when expected, but he took the beating without much noise and he was too weak to defend himself or fight back with any real effort. Plus he was naked and had lost a lot of blood.
The room was very quiet. The tap over the washtub was dripping, but other than that there was only Jayce's ragged breathing. Nothing could make anything feel any better; Trinny had lost their baby. She'd had to get out of Markham to get space from what happened here. Plus, she wasn't having any more kids at all. The damage had been too severe. And the indignities and humiliation Gertie had suffered would never be made right. She had to heal, deal, and move on. Which she was, but this had been for Jayce and Buck. Not just for their women. This was to get right with what they hadn’t been able to prevent.
"We got cleanup, Prez," Knuckles said, holding his hand out. Jayce handed over the brass knuckles with a heavy sigh, then headed out of The Stall. Buck was right behind him.
"Where you putting him?" Tank asked as Knuckles and Fritter hefted the body towards a plastic sheet. Technically, they had to roll him. He was fucking huge.
"We thought the Hazeldale town limits," Knuckles grunted out. "Out in the open. Let everyone know there's no MC in residence anymore."
"Good idea." Tank squinted as Fritter tucked the plastic around Thor like a big, gory burrito. "You need help loading him up?"
"Probably."
Together they rolled him towards the
overhead door. Tank circled the building to the club van, backed it up to the door and waited. The door opened, and between him, Fritter, Knuckles, Tiny and Mickey they got the big fucker into the back. Richey and Tims set to cleaning up the mess on the floor and wall, with the pressure washer, and Rusty took Knuckles' tools to the sink to wash them up. Fritter and Knuckles were taking care of the drop-off, so the others headed to the clubhouse.
Tank went to his dorm, undressed and climbed into bed next to Rose. With a shifting of clean-smelling sheets she rolled to rest along his side, her hand on his chest.
It was hours before he fell asleep, but he knew peace that entire time.
Chapter Forty-Seven
"I feel like we're stealing your spotlight," Rose mumbled, smiling bashfully at Gertie.
The redhead scoffed. "Don't be silly. In two months I get my ink, and it'll be worth the wait. But I want to see this!" Her hands smoothed her top over her belly, which was definitely noticeable. And she was walking different now, too. But overall she was glowing and more radiant than ever. Certainly one of those people who were even prettier when they were expecting.
Tank's hands were heavy on Rose's shoulders. "Just get the ink, English. This guy charges by the hour."
Brady chuckled at that, turned to Rose with the stencil. "No pressure, Rose. If you want to wait you can."
Her heart was racing, and she was terrified this tattoo was going to hurt, but she wasn't putting it off. No way. "Okay," she breathed out, straightening her spine and squaring her shoulders. "Let's do this."
She plopped her left arm on the table, palm up, and Brady leaned over it. He wet her skin then pressed the template in place. Smoothly the paper was removed, and she leaned in to see it. The lines were incomplete, and she was amazed that he'd be able to piece it into something beautiful, but she knew he could. She'd seen the serpent Brady had already put on Tiny's bicep, and it was breathtaking. This fist tattoo should be a piece of cake.
The fist was pointing upwards to the bend of her elbow, which she liked because it seemed as though that was how Tank could grasp her, keep her close, and she could hold him the same way. Equal partnership.
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