The motorcycles came to a stop. A second later, the doors to the restaurant opened and out walked the two big guys from before. They were in tank top shirts, muscles galore, one of them with a bloody bandage on his shoulder.
“Stay here,” Jett said to Lena and he climbed off his motorcycle.
“Gentlemen,” Miller said. “Good to see you again.”
The two guys took out guns.
Miller put his hands up but Jett kept charging forward.
“You don’t come into this town,” Jett yelled. “You don’t fucking do this…”
Lena wasn’t sure what Jett’s intentions were, running at the big guys like he was. He didn’t stop until he was just a few inches away. One of the big guys swung his gun and smashed Jett in the mouth. He spun around. Lena gasped and climbed off the motorcycle.
Blaine grabbed her by the wrist. “Take it easy.”
“They want me,” Lena said. “I’ll go. This isn’t…”
“It’s not only about you. Hang tight.”
Jett turned and spit blood at the guy that just hit him. Both big guys then set their sights on Jett, hitting him until he dropped to his knees.
Lena didn’t know what the fuck was going on.
Was this punishment for Jett? For helping her?
Her question was answered a second later when she watched as one of the big guy’s heads exploded. Literally exploded. There was no sound from a gun… but it had to have been a bullet.
Lena lost her stomach and legs and started to fall. Blaine caught her and held her.
“It’s just us,” Blaine whispered. “We have someone taking shots. Relax.”
The other big guy quickly jumped away from Jett and let out a scream. Jett picked himself up and took a swing at the guy. One punch to the face sent the guy stumbling back into the door. He reached for the handle, fell forward, opened the door to the restaurant, and then finally collapsed to his knees.
Jett came forward again and lifted his knee to the guy’s face. He repeated the motion over and over, holding the guy’s hair. He kept going until Miller screamed his name, and then Jett stopped. He backed up and turned, giving Lena a sight that was kind of familiar to her.
A man with blood on him.
Jett looked right at her. There was fire in his eyes. An angry, raging fire. Rightfully so. Victor had come into Frelen to cause hell. And the guys in Back Down Devil MC were going to be the ones offering a dose of hell.
Miller gave a wave and Lena felt Blaine tighten his grip around her arm.
“Come with us,” he said. “Time to go inside.”
“I want Jett,” Lena said. “I…”
“You don’t get a fucking say,” Blaine said.
Lena made it a couple steps and then broke away from Blaine and ran toward Jett. Jett waited and wrapped his arms around her. He smelled of sweat and blood.
“Are you okay?” Lena asked.
“You need to listen to us,” Jett said.
“Enough of this shit,” Miller said. “We have to do this right now.”
Jett opened the door to the restaurant and led the way inside.
Lena trailed him and the rest of the MC guys followed. To Lena, there didn’t seem to be enough guys to do this. Like they weren’t taking Victor completely serious. It scared her. Unless there were other motives in mind.
The empty restaurant had a horror movie feel to it. The tables were all in place except for two that were near the kitchen doors. They were both tipped over, small broken vases on the ground, a container of salt broken, spilled across the floor like a small pile of snow.
As they walked toward the kitchen door, Jett stayed in the lead. “Angelo has his personal office in the back. It’s like a mini-apartment. That’s where he has to be.”
“If he fucking killed him…,” Miller growled. “I’m going to string that fucking punk up by his ankles.”
Lena flickered a smile. She’d love to see Victor hanging by his ankles.
“Miller, you should hang back,” Jett said. “You don’t need heat over this.”
“And you do? We do?” Miller asked.
Jett squeezed Lena’s hand tighter. “I know what this is like, Miller. What it means. I’ll take my cut off right now if it’s against…”
“Jesus Christ,” Gaige snapped. “We’re in this together, bro. Until the end. No matter what happens. Got it?”
Jett nodded. “Then we bust into the off-”
There was a sound behind the counter. A utensil hitting the floor.
Lena watched as everyone turned, lifting their weapons, all ready to blast the hell out of whatever was behind the counter.
“Stand up!” Jett bellowed. “Right the fuck now!”
“Please…” a voice said.
“Stand up!”
Lena watched as a woman slowly stood from behind the counter. She had her hands up, shaking. Her hair was black, messy, her face looking worn and terrified.
“Shit,” Jett said. “That’s Stacey. Angelo’s daughter.”
“Are you here to save Papa?” Stacey cried out.
They all approached the counter, guns still out, making sure there wasn’t an ambush in the making.
Jett went to the counter and put his hands out for Stacey.
A shot of jealousy went through Lena’s body as she watched Jett lift the woman up and over the counter. He put her down and Stacey kept her hands to Jett’s shoulders.
“I knew you’d come,” she said. “Please save Papa. I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Is someone back there with him?” Jett asked.
“Yes. Victor. He’s so… angry…”
Lena saw the calmness in Stacey’s voice when she spoke Victor’s name.
“You know him?” Lena asked. She started to push through. “Tell me…”
Stacey looked at Lena. “Yes. I know Victor. He’s my… well, my boyfriend.”
Boyfriend?
All the guys let out a groaning sound.
Lena looked at Jett. Then she looked at Stacey.
“What?” Lena asked.
“Well, I guess he is… he told me he loves me…”
Jett put a hand out and touched Lena’s belly. For whatever reason, that was the trigger for Lena. She knew in her heart any anger should have been for Victor. But Stacey was closer, she was a woman, and she was as dumb as Lena to fall for Victor’s bullshit.
Lena dove at Stacey and grabbed her by the hair. She pulled, twisted, and Stacey let out a cry. Jett was right there to grab Lena and pull her back. He turned as Blaine grabbed Stacey to keep her away.
“Fuck,” Jett growled. “What is wrong with you?”
Lena looked at him. “I don’t know. I knew he had… it doesn’t matter…” Lena looked at Stacey. “I’m so sorry. It’s not your fault…”
“He was with you too?” Stacey asked.
“Lots of others, honey,” Lena said.
“What did he say to you?” Jett asked.
“That he was investing in the restaurant,” Stacey said. “That he was going to take care of Papa. Take care of me. We were going to move to a big apartment together. That he had been ring shopping to make me the most beautiful bride ever.”
“Christ,” Jett said. “And you bought that shit?”
“Look at this place!” Stacey cried out. “Papa has ruined it… and Victor… he’s been the one taking…” Stacey lowered her head and started to cry.
Blaine put an arm around her. “Come here, sweetie. It’s okay. If you get really angry, you can hold my cock, okay? It’s big and can take a pounding.”
“Blaine,” Miller said. “Time and place, man. Stop.”
“What else happened?” Jett asked. “Where is Victor right now?”
“He’s in the office with Papa. Victor showed up hurt. Said you guys were attacking. That you were going to take the restaurant down. I’m hurt and confused…”
“Hurt?” Lena asked.
“He slapped me,” Stacey said. She
gently touched her cheek. “He called me a whore and slapped me. So I ran. And his guys came after me. I’ve been behind the counter for hours. Waiting. Praying. Wondering…”
“We’ve got it,” Jett said. “Okay?”
“I’ll take her out,” Blaine said. “Keep her safe.”
“Keep your pants on,” Jett said.
“Can’t guarantee that,” Blaine said with a grin.
“What’s the plan?” Miller asked.
“I’m going to kick in the office door and kill him,” Jett said.
“No,” Lena said. “Let me do it. If he knows it’s you… let me knock on the door…”
Jett shook his head. “No.”
“Yes,” Miller said.
“Yes,” Lena said.
“He’ll kill you,” Jett said.
“Fine then,” Lena said. “If that’s my fate in all this. I brought this…”
She backed up and put her hands out. Jett came at her. She touched his rock hard chest and curled her fingers a little. As she stared into his eyes, she saw something there she maybe had never seen before.
Care. Life. Hope.
Something that maybe resembled a future. To have fun. To fuck. To enjoy life.
“I have to,” Lena said. “I don’t want anyone else hurt.”
“Then let’s move,” Jett said. “I don’t have anymore fucking time to waste.”
“No, you don’t,” a voice said.
Everyone turned and everything changed in an instant.
There was a group of men in suits pouring into the restaurant, weapons drawn. They had everything from handguns, to shotguns, to machine guns.
The click of the weapons were like small cracks of thunder.
“Now let’s figure out what’s happening here,” the same voice said.
Lena knew the voice.
The scene ended with a gun placed to the head of each member of Back Down Devil. And then someone came forward.
The head of the family.
Georgie.
He was in a black suit worth more than the restaurant.
“What the fuck is this?” Jett asked.
“This is how we solve the problems,” Georgie said.
Lena backed up to the counter and knew how this was finally going to end.
Georgie didn’t make an appearance just to talk… he came to kill.
eleven.
Jett sat in a chair like a fucking bitch. He wanted to jump up and end this once and for all. But if he did that, he’d be filled with bullets. He’d be dead before he hit the ground. Of all the things for the MC to get tied up into right now, connected guys were not something they needed. Not with the intense heat on the club already.
The gun to Jett’s head hadn’t moved. Digging right into the back of his skull, it was a constant reminder that his life could end within a second. Miller, Gaige, Blaine, and Stacey were all in chairs too. And in front of them stood Lena and Victor. To the left was Angelo. His face beat up and bloody, on his knees, leaning against a wall, looking worn. Looking ready to just give up and die.
The head of it all was the guy named Georgie. Jett had heard the name many times in his life. This guy ran it all, from Vegas to the coast. Anyone connected had to go through Georgie. He spoke and people listened. When he lifted his gun, people died.
So far, Georgie hadn’t lifted his gun.
“This ends,” Victor said. He was livid. His face red. His white shirt with a blood stain on it. “She fucking stabbed me. Tried to take me out. So I had to come here and settle things up. There were police all around. We were traveling through.”
Georgie nodded and crossed his arms. “You know, we’ve had previous run-ins with Back Down Devil MC. More like casual encounters.”
“We’ve been trying to meet with you for years,” Miller said.
“Fuck him,” Jett spat. “Let’s see you get bloody, Georgie.”
Georgie grinned. He nodded.
A second later Jett felt a hot pain to the back of his head. He fell forward from his chair to the floor. He blinked fast and let the world stop spinning. He looked up and saw Georgie standing over him.
“I know you,” he said. “Thought you would have ended up on my crew.”
“Nope,” Jett said. “I have pride. You let pieces of shit like Victor in your crew.”
Jett saw Victor come at him. Victor started to kick and Jett grabbed his foot. He twisted it, his ankle making a popping sound, and then he fell back and cried out.
Georgie reached down and grabbed Jett by the back of his neck and squeezed. The old man had some strong damn hands. He brought Jett to his knees.
“Hey Victor,” Jett said. “I fucked her. So hard. I made her scream and come, like you couldn’t.”
“Good Christ,” Georgie said. “Victor… stay…”
Victor charged at Jett. He tried to punch Jett but ended up slapping him in the face. He then stepped back and started to shake, eyes wide.
“You slapped me,” Jett said. “I don’t have a set of tits. You fucking pussy.”
Jett kicked himself to his feet.
“Don’t make me kill you,” Georgie said to Jett.
Jett looked at Georgie. “If you wanted me dead, I’d already be dead. I know how this works. Make your fucking call, man. We don’t have time for this.”
Georgie nodded.
“You don’t get it,” Victor said. “We were here on business. Official business. And this whore tried to take me out and then ran into the arms of Back Down Devil. It’s a set up. They wanted to fucking…”
Georgie put a hand up and Victor closed his mouth.
The tension in the room was like a thick fog with the smell of sweat, blood, whatever rough cologne Georgie wore, and a hint of fear.
“Please,” Angelo whined with his back against a wall. “Please… I always did as told. I always paid on time. Just don’t hurt my daughter…”
Georgie looked at Stacey. “This is your daughter, Mr. Angelo?”
“Yes,” Angelo said. “I never did wrong…”
“Beautiful young woman,” Georgie said. He touched Stacey’s cheek. “Very beautiful. You married?”
“No,” Stacey said.
“You will be. Maybe you can come marry me.” Georgie snickered then turned and looked at Jett, then Victor. “Let’s make this all right. Then we can all move on with life.”
Georgie took out a knife and held it up. He then put it out to Victor and gave a nod.
Victor came forward with a smile on his face. “Thank you, Georgie. I need this. They need this. To see. To learn. To understand.”
Georgie folded his arms.
Jett pushed forward and someone grabbed him by the back of his leather cut.
Victor circled around Lena. Like an animal to prey. Hungry. Desperate.
“What should I do?” Victor asked. “Slit your throat and let you bleed out? Stab you and make you suffer?”
“I hate you,” Lena said. “I’ve always hated you. You’re a scum piece of shit.”
“Good,” Victor said. “Keep it coming.” Victor stood to the side of Lena. “Maybe I just start stabbing and not stop until she’s dead…”
Victor stared at Jett. Jett felt the fire inside him. If Victor was going to do it, then Jett was going to take his own beating. He wasn’t going to stand there and watch a woman die.
“Oh, Victor?” Lena said. “Jett’s cock is massive. I mean, compared to that little twig between your legs… I actually think you’re more of a woman…”
Miller, Gaige, and Blaine started to laugh.
Victor’s eyes went wide.
As the knife came down at Lena, it was all Jett could witness. He kicked his chair back and felt the hand on him release his leather cut. He dove forward and hit Victor just as the knife was supposed to hit Lena. Instead, the knife sliced into Jett’s shoulder. It was a fiery pain that stole his breath, but he had saved Lena.
For now.
He rolled and pulled Victor on top of
him, wanting to beat the fucking life out of the guy. He looked Victor in the eyes and then saw Georgie appear, standing over both of them. Georgie grabbed Victor by the hair and pulled him. Victor moved to his knees and before anyone could speak a word, Georgie took out a gun and put it to Victor’s head.
Jett hurried to get the knife off the ground and slammed it into Victor’s gut as Georgie pulled the trigger. And just like that, Victor was finally fucking dead.
Jett kicked back and reached for Lena. She collapsed into his arms and started to cry.
“Please,” Angelo kept crying. “Oh, please…”
“That was a long time coming,” Georgie said.
Jett held the knife out in Georgie’s direction. “You do what you have to do, Georgie. But we’re not going down without a fight.”
“I know that,” Georgie said. “That’s why I came today. Victor called me about all this. He was not given my blessing for any of this. And I came to solve the problem. And then rightfully apologize on my behalf and the behalf of the family. He’s gone now. There’s no worry. I’ll make sure it’s taken care of. Angelo will get his money back.”
“Then you fucking go,” Jett said. “You stay fucking gone unless we need you.”
Miller stood from his chair. He threw an elbow and hit the guy behind him in the face. Gaige and Blaine did the same thing. And now Back Down Devil was in complete control of the situation.
Jett got to his feet, his arms tight around Lena.
“You know,” Georgie said. “We can take her if we want. She’s part…”
“Of this family,” Miller said. “You want her? You take us out.”
Jett grinned and nodded. “That’s right. She did this, Georgie. She helped all this. She was brave enough to take on Victor, alone. And you know what he did to her? He had one of his goons knock her out and left her for dead.”
Georgie nodded. “Then I guess we’ve had some common interests in this.”
Miller stepped forward. “From one leader to another…” Miller offered his hand. “Shake my hand and take that piece of shit dead body out of here.”
It was a bold statement to make, ordering Georgie around.
EMPTY SECRETS (A Back Down Devil MC Novella) Page 8