by Wilder, L.
It wasn’t the first time she’d gotten threats, but this time it was different. This time, it was Keshawn Lewis. He was known by the name “Slayer” and was the leader of the Inner Disciples’ gang. When he threatened Kenadee’s life, Blaze was understandably troubled that he’d make good on his promise. Because of that concern, Blaze brought Kenadee and his son, Kevin, to stay at the clubhouse. He knew we’d do everything in our power to ensure her safety.
Before he ended the call, he told her, “Love you, too, babe. I’ll be there at six when you get off.”
Blaze shoved his phone in his back pocket, then turned his attention back to the stack of paperwork on his desk. He was in charge of the garage and took his job very seriously, always making sure everything ran smoothly. After several minutes, he stepped out into the main garage and shouted, “Hey, Murph? How much longer on the Chief?”
“I’ll be done on my end in an hour or so,” he answered from the back of the garage. “I’ve got everything broken down. Just need to finish prepping for paint.”
“Good. Maybe we can have it all wrapped up by the end of the week.”
“You know, it’d go a lot faster if we were able to get the painting done here,” Murphy complained.
“I know. I’m working on it. Hope to know something this afternoon.”
“What happens this afternoon?”
“Riggs is doing a background check on that girl T-Bone suggested hiring. If everything checks out, I’m going over to see if she’s interested in taking the position.”
“We could really use the help around here,” Murphy complained. “Do what you gotta do to get her ass over here.”
“You know I will.” Blaze assured him. “Just let me know when you’re done, and I’ll get everything across town.”
“You taking the Honda, too?”
“I would, but Rider just started on it two days ago. No way he’s done with her yet.”
“Actually, she’s ready when you are,” I told him.
“What?” Blaze looked over at me, surprised. “You’re done?”
“Yep.” I nodded. “Finished everything up last night.”
“Damn, brother. You didn’t have to go and do that.”
“I know. I just wanted to do what I could to help out.”
When I started prospecting for the club, I quickly realized I’d been given a second chance. It wasn’t something I thought I deserved, not after all I’d done, but Gus, the president of Satan’s Fury, didn’t agree. He saw something in me that no one else did. Without even asking anything in return, he and the brothers helped me turn my life around. That in itself was enough to make me forever grateful, so I always tried to do more than what was expected. It was the only way I knew how to show my appreciation. I motioned my hand over to the Ford pickup I’d been working. “A few more minutes, I’ll have Mr. Pruitt’s water pump sorted.”
“You trying to make the rest of us look bad or something?” T-Bone taunted.
Before I could answer, Gunner looked over to him and snickered. “Not like you make that too hard for him.”
“He’s right,” Blaze added. “Hell, we’ve been waiting on you to finish that fucking gas tank for two days.”
“Hold up. I can’t help it that the damn thing had a fucking leak,” T-Bone complained. “With all this damn humidity, it took forever for the fucking epoxy to cure.”
Gunner chuckled as he mumbled, “Excuses. Excuses.”
T-Bone was about to argue further when Blaze cut him off. “Look, we don’t have time to be fucking around here, guys. We have a lot of shit to finish up, and Gus wants us over at the clubhouse at seven for church.”
“You got any idea why?” I asked. “Is something up?”
“Got no idea. Guess we’ll all find out together.”
I nodded, then got back to work installing the water pump on Pruitt’s truck. After I finished, I went over and helped Tank finish with the gas tank and rear fender. By the time we had everything sandblasted and ready for paint, it was almost five and time to close up shop. We had just enough time to grab a hot shower and a bite to eat before we had to meet up with Gus for church. Once we’d locked up the garage, I followed T-Bone and Gunner back to the clubhouse, while Blaze and Murphy took the bike parts over to the paint shop and picked up Kenadee from the hospital. As soon as I got back to the clubhouse, I went to my room and took a shower. Once I threw on some fresh clothes, I headed down the hall to the kitchen to find something to eat. Several of the hang-arounds were busy making lasagna with all the fixings. Gunner, and Shadow, the club’s enforcer, were already sitting at the table eating with our VP, Moose, and his ol’ lady, Louise. I was about to make myself a plate when Jasmine, one of the hang-arounds, came up to me. “Hey there, good lookin’. You want me to make you a plate?”
I wasn’t one to let others do for me what I could do myself, so I shook my head. “No. I’ll get it, but thanks.”
“You sure? I don’t mind.”
“I’m sure.”
I made my way over to the stove, and after I fixed myself a plate of lasagna and garlic bread, I went over and sat down at the table next to Gunner. Just as I was about to start eating, he looked over to me and said, “You should’ve told me you were going back to the garage to work last night. I would’ve given you a hand.”
“I know. That’s why I didn’t mention it.” Gunner was a good guy—one of the best. He’d have to be, otherwise Gus would’ve raised all kinds of hell when he found out about Gunner and his daughter, August. After she showed up at the clubhouse looking for help with finding her daughter, Harper, Gus ordered Gunner to watch after her and keep her safe. Gunner did what he could to fight the pull he felt towards her, but from early on, he knew she was the one for him. Once Harper was returned and the issues with August’s ex were resolved, Gunner and August started planning their future together. After all they’d been through, I knew he needed to be spending time with them, not helping me at the garage. “With the move and all, I’m sure August and Harper want you home with them.”
“Yeah, but they’d understand if you needed me,” he pushed.
“Maybe so, but it wasn’t a big deal.” Before I took a bite of my lasagna, I added, “Besides, I managed fine on my own.”
“You know, you’re gonna have to stop doing that at some point.”
“Doing what?”
“That thing where you keep trying to prove yourself.” He smacked my shoulder. “You’ve already done that, brother. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be sportin’ that patch.”
“Not about that,” I started. “I’m just trying to do my part.”
“We both know it’s more than that.”
He was right. It was so much more than that, but I found it doubtful that he’d understand. Hell, there were times when I didn’t understand the shit that was going through my head, so there was no sense talking about it. Thankfully, Blaze came over and sat down next to us, drawing Gunner’s attention away from me and over to him. “Kenadee make it okay today?”
“Yeah. No sign of any trouble.”
“Good. Maybe this thing with the Disciples will just blow over, and Kenadee can put this shit behind her.”
“Damn, I hope so, but I got a feeling that ain’t gonna happen.” Before Blaze took a bite of lasagna, he said, “But on a good note, I think we’ve got ourselves a new painter for the garage.”
“That chick from Thompson’s garage?” Gunner questioned.
“Yeah. Everything checked out on the background check Riggs did on her. Grew up in Oakland, and since she left there, she keeps pretty much to herself. No boyfriend or husband to speak of, just a couple of brothers who give her shit from time to time, so I offered her the job.” Blaze was clearly pleased as he said, “She’s agreed to come down to the shop tomorrow and look things over, which is great cause this chick’s got real talent. Since she started working with Thompson, his business has almost doubled. If she takes us up on our offer, Thompson’s gonna be pissed.”
>
I didn’t have to ask who they were talking about. I already knew it was Darcy Harrington. I could still remember the day T-Bone suggested that the club offer her the job; I shouldn’t have been surprised that her name came up though. Darcy was extremely talented. In fact, she was one of the best custom painters around, but it didn’t change the fact that I hoped they wouldn’t hire her. It wasn’t her fault that I felt the way I did. She was simply a part of my past, and any time I thought about her, the memories of that morning and the months thereafter would come flooding back. I’d spent the last couple of years trying to forget them, but I was slowly learning that I could no more avoid them than the beating of my own heart.
Blaze looked over to me as he asked, “You grew up in Oakland, right?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“So, did you know her?”
“I did,” I admitted. “It was a small town. We all knew each other, but that was a long time ago.” Without even realizing it, I’d started rubbing my right arm, trying to ease the dull ache that had started to throb deep within the muscles and old scar tissue. Concerned, Gunner leaned towards me and asked, “You all right, brother?”
“Yeah,” I lied. “My arm’s just acting up.”
“You should see if Doc can give you something for it,” Blaze suggested.
Unfortunately, there was no drug and no amount of alcohol on this earth that could ease the pain I was feeling. I’d already tried. Damn near killed myself searching for something to numb the ache. It wasn’t until I started prospecting for Fury that I discovered something that’d give me any relief and that was riding my Harley. My bike gave me an even greater rush than I’d felt when I was playing ball. I needed that distraction right now, but it would have to wait. We had church in a few minutes, so I released the hold on my arm and replied, “No need for that. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
When I turned my attention back to my food, Gunner did the same, and by the time we were all done, it was time for church. I followed Gunner and Blaze into the conference room, and we joined the others at the table. As soon as we were all seated, Gus turned to us and said, “You all know, the leader of the Inner Disciples made a threat against Kenadee a couple of weeks ago. Riggs has been doing what he can to monitor the situation, watching the security feed at all their hangouts, and we both have our concerns about Lewis’s current behavior.”
“Why? What the fuck is he doing?” Blaze asked.
“Lewis doesn’t run his crew like most of the gangs around here. He’s been a loose cannon, driven by the ownership of his turf and vengeance, but for the most part, he’s stayed clean. Recently, he’s been cracked out on coke, involved in shootouts with neighboring gangs, and the other night, a few of his boys robbed a downtown pawnshop. They got a pretty damn good take on AR15s and Glocks. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were making preparations.”
Murphy leaned forward and asked, “Preparations for what?”
“No way to know for sure. Just be on high alert,” Gus warned. “If this guy tries to make good on his threats, I want you ready.”
“Understood,” we all replied.
“Good. Church is dismissed.”
We all stood and started to disperse. Like most nights, some of the brothers went to the bar to toss back a few beers, while others went home to their ol’ ladies. I didn’t have a woman and wasn’t in the mood for drinking, so I started towards the parking lot. I was just about to walk out the back door when I overheard Blaze talking to Gus. I could hear the mix of relief and excitement in his voice as Blaze told him, “We’ll have to see how it goes. She’s coming first thing tomorrow morning to check it out and see if she’s interested in working with us.”
“You sure it’s a good idea to bring a woman into the garage?”
“This Darcy chick has real talent, Gus, and Thompson hasn’t had any problems with her working at his place.”
Gus’s tone grew harsh as he replied, “Yeah, well…Thompson isn’t using his garage as a front for his club.”
Blaze ran his hand over his beard. “I don’t know what to tell you, Prez. There’s a lot I don’t know about this chick, but I’ve got a good feeling about her.”
“We’ll have Riggs look into her and make sure she’s not someone we’ll need to be concerned about.”
Damn. From the sounds of it, Blaze had his mind set on hiring Darcy Harrington. The thought didn’t set well with me as I headed out to the parking lot. I got on my bike, turned the ignition, and seconds later, I was pulling out of the gate. As soon as I hit the open road, I turned back the throttle and disappeared into the night. It’s hard to explain how alive I felt at that moment, like I was completely in tune with the world around me. When I was on my bike, I could see things more clearly, smell every scent, feel the wind against my skin, and hear the sounds of the city echoing around me. As I leaned my bike into a winding turn, it was just me and the road ahead. I wasn’t thinking about Darcy Harrington or my past, and in no time, the tension I’d been carrying all night started to fade. I rode for several hours, and when exhaustion started to set in, I went back to the clubhouse to crash for the night. By the time I walked into my room, I could barely keep my eyes open. I thought for sure I’d go straight to sleep, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Instead, I spent the entire night tossing and turning as I thought about coming face to face with Darcy Harrington again. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be a happy reunion for either of us.
Darcy
I’d been working overtime for days and was exhausted, so I’d gone to bed early in hopes of actually getting a decent night’s rest. I’d been sleeping for several hours when I heard a jangling noise coming from across the room. I didn’t have to get up and look to know that it was Scout, my sweet, but pain-in-the-ass cat, who was making all the racket. Whenever she got bored, she’d start fiddling with Lenny’s cage. She loved pestering that silly rabbit, but no more than he loved pestering her. I tried ignoring them, but their horsing around caused the entire cage to rattle and it just kept getting louder and louder. I reached for a pillow and placed it over my head, hoping to muffle the irritating sound. Unfortunately, that didn’t work either. Frustrated, I took the pillow and tossed it across the room as I fussed, “Come on, guys! I’m trying to sleep over here!”
The noise quickly stopped, and I was relieved that the room fell silent. I curled back into my pillow and closed my eyes. I could feel myself sinking into the mattress and was just starting to doze back off when Scout started walking up my leg. She stopped after she reached my hip, then started pawing at the comforter while trying to make herself a spot to lay down. I lifted my head and glared at her. “Really?”
Ignoring me, she continued about her business. I gave her a little nudge, forcing her off of me, and tried once more to go back to sleep. As I lay there with my eyes closed for several minutes, I quickly realized that it was a lost cause. Wide awake and frustrated, I tossed back the covers and started towards my tiny kitchen. My house trailer wasn’t anything fancy. In fact, it was pretty run down with a hodgepodge of furniture I’d collected from yard sales and Goodwill, but it was mine. Even though it wasn’t much, I’d worked hard to piece it together, and I was proud of it. As I started making my coffee, I noticed the sunlight began to trickle through the cheap mini-blinds and decided that getting up was probably for the best. It wouldn’t be long before I’d have to head over to meet with Blaze at the Satan’s Fury garage. I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he’d offered me a chance to come work for them. I’d heard the rumors about Satan’s Fury. I knew they weren’t your regular MC. These men were dangerous, and it was hard to believe that such a powerful group of men had asked me, a woman, into their den of wolves.
I wanted to make sure I was ready in plenty of time, so I finished off my coffee then headed into the bathroom for a quick shower. Scout sat on the end of the bed, watching as I got dressed and pulled my hair back in
to a ponytail. Once I was done, I walked over and ran my hand down her head and back. “Hold down the fort. I’ll be back when I can.”
After I checked myself in the mirror once last time, I grabbed my keys and wallet, then headed outside to my motorcycle. My 2015 Kawasaki H2R was one of my most prized possessions. While my so-called crotch-rocket wasn’t for everyone, I loved everything about it, especially the way she could hug a turn at eighty miles an hour. I slipped on my helmet, and seconds later I was on my way into town. It was a thirty-minute drive, but I didn’t mind. It gave me a chance to clear my head and prepare myself for the day ahead. I’d hoped that it would do the same for me today, but as I got closer to the city, I could feel my nerves starting to set in. I wasn’t exactly sure what had me so worked up. It wasn’t like I’d never been around men like those in Satan’s Fury. Hell, I’d grown up with criminals and neighborhood thugs, so I knew how to handle myself. As I pulled up into their garage’s parking lot, I tried to convince myself that I had nothing to be nervous about, but it didn’t work. My stomach was in knots as I got off my bike, and I silently cursed myself for being such a damn girl as I removed my helmet.
I inhaled a deep breath and was doing my best to pull my shit together when I heard someone call out to me. “Hey, Darcy! Come around to the back.”