by Vera Quinn
“What’s going on?” I ask them both.
“Tito is signing himself out. He’s anxious to get back to the clubhouse to get a look at that memory card. Oz came and picked it up and our prospect has a lot to answer for.” Cowboy says. Devil walks up beside us.
“Keep your voices down. We’ll discuss this back at the clubhouse. I’m calling church as soon as Tito has his paperwork. We need to take a vote on how to proceed. Rome, what did Tara have to say?” I look around and there are only brothers in here but I keep my voice low.
“By the time I got back to see Tara she was feeling no pain from the drugs. She was choked, has a concussion, and has some staples in the back of her head but they think that is the worst of it. She wasn’t making much sense but she said Liam was coming after you, me, and the Feral Steel. She’s back out now. I think it would be better to talk to her tomorrow when her head is clear. Tara said he is not working alone and that Lena and Sheila had something to do with it. She thought she had to warn us.” Devil is taking it all in. “What about Tito?”
“He didn’t know much more. Oz and Hacksaw finished with the fire department. Hacksaw is with Thrasher and they are keeping an eye on all our properties. Oz is back at the clubhouse looking at that camera card. The camera the guy had this in was a cheap one and he had it sitting in the wrong position and distance to get a good look but Oz thinks he can work on the images to make them clearer. Tito is determined to get out of here. They take much longer and he is going to walk. I am having Creole come over with a prospect to keep an eye on Tara until we vote on what to do. You need to start thinking about that, Rome.”
I don’t know what Devil is talking about but then I remember the talk that we had earlier when Hacksaw said that Tara was not club. I don’t know what he wants from me. “Rome, you will be expected at church.” I nod my head at him. I don’t know what he wants me to say about the rest. I go over and take a seat. My hip is bothering me. It has been one long ass day. I see Bud come running up the hall. I am on my feet. Did something happen to Tara? Bud doesn’t come over to me. He stops by Devil and I can hear him from where I am. I hear phones going off, including mine.
“You need to do something! This band of thugs are taking out our businesses!” Devil’s phone is still ringing. He looks at it and starts to answer it. “There’s no need to answer it. Your people should be informing you that my diner just blew up. Someone blew my diner up and it took out the buildings on each side of mine. You must help us. You have the men to do it.” Devil doesn’t say anything at first.
“We will investigate what happened. We can’t go off half-cocked and go all vigilante. We need to make sure who is doing it first.” Devil is too calm.
“The hard-working, honest business people are going to have nothing left by the time you help. Is that it? Are you working with these damn punks? The Feral Steel MC is the ones who have been buying up all the businesses around town? Is that your angle? Well, bring it on, asshole. My diner may be gone but I will not sell my property to you damn vultures making a damn buck off our losses.” Bud needs to calm down. He doesn’t realize he has every Feral Steel’s eyes on him.
“Calm down, old man. You’re going to have a damn coronary.” Devil tells him. I approach and grab Bud’s arm.
“Use your head, Bud. This is what Liam wants us to be doing, arguing between us. We bought properties in the thick of town so it would bring customers in, we are not your enemy.” I calmly tell him. Bud is upset, as he should be, but at the wrong people.
“Time will tell, won’t it?” Bud says. “Are you staying with Tara? I need to go and see the damage and try to contact insurance people at this hour of the night. Mildred is on the way here, should be here any time.”
“Someone will be with her shortly. Go. Is Tara still sleeping?” Bud nods his head.
“Yeah, she is.” Bud looks like he doesn’t want to leave. “Don’t let anything happen to that girl. She just lost everything she owns along with getting the hell beat out of her today. Tara doesn’t deserve this shit. Neither do any of the rest of us but it is ours to deal with.” Bud goes out the emergency room sliding doors to the parking lot he must have parked in when they brought Tara in today. Bud looks defeated. I know that look because I see it every day when I look in the mirror when I wake up from my nightmares. We can’t let this happen to these people.
“I know, Rome, but there’s too many security cameras around here to be stating our intentions. I may not like what Bud said about us but it will be what all the good people of our town will be saying. Before we cleaned up the Feral Steel we were biker scum and now they either want us to go vigilante to help them or we must be part of the bastards doing this shit. We can’t win either way. We need to sit down and have a club vote.” I know Devil is right. We’ve fought too hard to clean this club up but we are still Feral Steel and no one fucks with us. Tito walks up to us.
“Let’s blow this joint. They keep fucking around and I am not waiting any longer.” Devil nods his agreement.
“Sir, you need to wait until your paperwork is finished and you get your dismissal instructions.” All the Feral Steel are leaving to get on their bikes. I see Rix pull up in a cage by our bikes. The last thing I hear is the nurse swearing. I see Cricket and Slick ride in on their bikes right behind the cage. Devil stops beside Slick.
“Slick, you need to go in the room with Tara Blount until the other waitress gets here. Then let her know you will be in the waiting room if you are needed. Keep your eyes open until you hear from me. What was the other waitress’ name, Rome?” Devil ask me.
“Mildred.” I tell him.
“You got that, Slick?” Slick nods.
“Got it.” Slick replies. We mount our bikes and get out of there. I try to clear my head on the ride but the ride isn’t long enough.
Chapter 16
Kane/Rome
Most of the Feral Steel MC are sitting around the table waiting for Devil to start this meeting. He is off with Tito and Oz going over the photo card pictures. We’ve been waiting about fifteen minutes when the three of them walk in. None look very happy. Devil takes his chair at the end of the table but he doesn’t stay seated. He grabs his gavel and brings the meeting to order.
“Everyone has been updated on the destruction going on in our town. We need to vote on how we are going to proceed. I’m going to let Tito tell you what the memory card held.” Devil sits down but he doesn’t sit back and relax. He’s on the edge of his seat. For some reason, this puts me on edge. Tito stands from his seat and throws a folder of pictures on the table.
“Everyone needs to look at these pictures and see if you recognize anyone. We’ve gotten names on a couple of the men but nothing is coming back on any of them that stands out. The two we identified are young and no rap sheets. Petty shit on their records like speeding tickets. Nothing that would connect them to the Feral Steel MC or give them a reason to want to do us harm. The damage that was done is not some kid’s vandalism and it is very evident that our prospect, Tig, helped them. Tig has been prospecting for us close to nine months and there are absolutely no red flags or history lapses in his background search.” Tito looks frustrated.
“What are the names of the two?” Cowboy asks.
“Brent Lapin age twenty-three and no ties to the community and Gaston Brown age eighteen and has no record. His dad is Phillip Brown, and on the city council. Tig and Gaston attended high school together but Tig is a year older.” Oz reads off his notes. “Gaston and Brent have been associated with Brothers Bonded by Business and Liam Davis.”
“Was Liam Davis in any of the pictures?” Cowboy asks.
“Not that we could tell. All the other photos were out of focus and we couldn’t fix them with computer recognition or the programs we have. The camera was cheap and we were lucky to be able to get anything with the distance and positioning of the camera. The camera wasn’t even a security camera, it was one of those cameras hunters use to get photos of game. It wasn’t
meant to get detail but more to get photos in motion. You can get them at any sporting goods store for a hundred bucks.” Tito tells us.
“Bud, the owner of the diner, texted me and his kitchen was destroyed along with his office and the apartment above the kitchen. The fire chief is thinking a gas leak. The front of the diner is still standing but damaged and he won’t know the extent until the investigation is finished so he can get an inspector in there, at the least, there is some fire, water, and smoke damage. The building next to the diner on the kitchen side was damaged also but it was vacant.” Oz tells us.
“If this is all connected, the destruction is escalating. First, there was vandalism and graffiti, the break ins, the fire at the gym, and then an explosion at the diner. Then there was the attack on Tara if that is even related. I hate to ask what is next but I do need to ask what are we going to do about it. The Feral Steel MC will always protect ours so the gym we will find out who did it and why. Then we will put a stop to it even if we need to put people to ground.” Devil is watching how he words everything. “We have worked hard at cleaning this club up but no one or any group of people fuck with the Feral Steel.”
“I agree but are we going to take on the towns problems on as ours? Most of the damn people in this town are still afraid of us and will cross the street to avoid us but they are damn quick to expect us to step in and find out what the hell is going on. I’m not feeling real helpful to people that look at us like we are dirt.” Cowboy states.
“What’s to say if we do find and take care of whoever is doing these things the good people of the community will go right back to hating us after their businesses are safe again?” Creole asks.
“I agree to an extent but how is the town supposed to accept us as business owners doing business in this town if we don’t help the town?” Hacksaw looks at everyone as he asks. I never thought Hacksaw would think this way. He’s not usually so levelheaded. A thought pops in my head.
“Say we only take care of what happened to us. We find them and make them pay by either going to jail or showing them club justice. Who is to say the ones that didn’t have anything to do with what happened at the gym won’t get stronger and then come after us? Then they will have time to plan and hit us when we relax and they have the upper hand. When you are fighting with a snake you find the head and cut it off, not the tail.” I know why we should mind our own business most times but this is not one of those times. My mind keeps going back to seeing Tara in that hospital bed and I want to find and hurt Liam.
“Anyone else have an opinion they want to put in?” Devil asks.
“There is a tie from the THC Hempcan Incorporated and Brothers Bonded by Business. This may be THC coming at us from another angle. If the Feral Steel go bankrupt in our new businesses then that leaves the THC with an upper hand and they can come back at us again. If these new businesses go belly up, then our cash flow will be strained at best. Maybe they are attacking the other businesses and think we will be too ignorant to figure out they are after us. We’re legal now, so maybe they think we will wait for the law to figure this out and that could take forever in our small town.” Tito is right. I know Devil had already thought along these lines.
“Maybe we should reach out to the Troubled Fathoms MC in Colorado or the BlackPath MC in Texas and find out if they have had any problems or if their contacts have heard anything.” Oz puts in and that is not a bad idea.
“The Rebellions 4 Blood MC has contacts that might help.” Crockett tries to help but I see the look on Devil’s face. Devil may not hate Sarge now but he is not his favorite person, either. I need to get that story one day.
“Before we get off track let’s go over everything we know as facts.” Bowie says.
“Tara told me that Liam was coming after Devil, the Feral Steel, and me. That is a threat but that is all that was straight in her head. She was high on the drugs and close to being out and couldn’t focus. I will talk to her tomorrow to try and get a better account of what happened. Tara also said Sheila and Lena are somehow involved.” I try to give the brothers everything Tara told me.
“I understand the other businesses in town may be tied to everything happening but besides this Tara woman working at the gym before how does what happened to her tie into all this?” Cowboy asks. I look at him and then the other brothers, they all look like they agree except for Devil. He has an amused look on his face.
“Liam attacked Tara. In front of the diner. The day before Hacksaw, Oz, and I had words with Liam at the same diner and then someone threw mud on Hacksaw’s bike.” I try to make Cowboy see the connection.
“I find the little shit that touched my bike and there will be hell to pay.” Hacksaw booms out.
“I get that brother but this Tara woman has nothing to do with us or the businesses in town. She may have information to help us but that don’t mean that we take on her problems. It sounds like a family issue to me with her mom and sister involved.” Cowboy puts in.
“She’s a good girl. I know her brother Joey. He’s away serving in the army. Good kid.” Oz says.
“Still, not our problem.” Creole says this time.
“I think that we should watch our own backs but follow the leads between THC and the Brothers Bonded by Business. If we find concrete evidence, then we nip them in the bud. If we find any evidence in any of the other crimes, then we turn it over to the local PD. Put extra security on all our businesses and our family. There is only so many members and if we try to police the whole town we won’t be able to watch our own. If we are going to stay legit then we have to have income from our businesses.” Crockett states to all of us. I know this makes sense for us but I won’t leave Tara unprotected. That just doesn’t set right with me. Letting this group get a stronger hold on our community is not what we need.
“So, what I am getting from everyone is we take care of our own. Make sure our businesses are protected along with our family. We find and deal with the men that burned the gym on our own. Investigate the tie between THC and this new group. Turn over any information we find on the other crimes to the cops for them to deal with. We don’t help Tara with whatever is going on there. Did I cover everything?” Devil tries to tie everything together we have been going over. I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.
“I don’t agree with that.” I tell Devil.
“What do you have a problem with, Rome?” Devil asks me.
“Tara and Bud had no problems until the altercation with us and Liam at the diner. I feel responsible. I need to help them.” That’s the best I can explain it.
“Brother, Tara was the one that had the problem with Liam at the diner. He grabbed her and we stepped in. That had nothing to do with us but we tried to help and you see how that turned out. I ended up with mud on my bike for something that had nothing to do with me.” Hacksaw is saying it but I know exactly what to say.
“It didn’t matter what woman Liam would have grabbed we would have stepped in. It was the right thing to do. We may be a motorcycle club but we don’t let a spineless thug manhandle women or mistreat children.” Hacksaw can’t argue with me. Any of us sitting at this table would do the same damn thing every time but Hacksaw has a comeback.
“We did what needed to be done at the time but that doesn’t make Tara one of us. She’s not family, just a woman who needed a helping hand and we gave it to her.” Hacksaw still is not changing my mind.
“Devil wants Tara to work with us at the apartment complex.” I look to Devil for backup.
“Not if she is too much trouble.” Devil tells me with a smile on his face I want to knock off. He may be my brother and my president but those damn shitty smiles are grinding on my nerves. “We need to have a responsible, dependable person with a quiet life living on the premises. That is why I thought Tara would fit but with the things that have happened today I am rethinking that. We can’t have an apartment manager that has trouble hounding her. Think about it, Rome. We want dependable leasers and wor
king people do not like seeing cops around all the time.” Devil is not finished. “If we had a reason to protect Tara, we would, but she is not family and Crockett is right. We only have so many members.”
“I wouldn’t mind having a house mouse for a while, maybe I should claim Tara. She’s easy on the eyes and it has been some time since I had a regular piece around.” Hacksaw is looking straight at me when he says it. It’s not the first time he has mentioned it and it pisses me the fuck off.
“Stay the fuck away from Tara. She is too good for a biker. She’s trying to get her life together, so just stay away.” I warn Hacksaw but he doesn’t back down.
“Rome, now brother, would you rather Liam get to her again? I can offer Tara protection and she can keep my cock satisfied until I get tired of her.” I see red. I stand up and have my fist balled up. I want to take Hacksaw’s head off.
“Stay the fuck away from Tara. I will protect her. SHE IS MINE!” I yell at Hacksaw. I hear Devil laughing. I take my eyes off Hacksaw and look at Devil. “What the fuck is so funny?”
“Are saying that you are claiming Tara? You better be sure of this, Rome.” I give Devil a glare.
“Yes, Tara is mine. She has my protection.” I know I can put Tara under my protection but if I want her protected by the club if anything happens to me I need to claim her as my ol’ lady. I don’t know how she is going to react to this but at least then she will have a place to live and she can continue her education. I don’t know what I will do with an ol’ lady. I know I don’t deserve any more than Hacksaw does but there is something calming about the idea of claiming Tara. It’s like I have been battling myself and now it is settled and a load has been taken off my shoulders. “I’m claiming Tara as my ol’ lady.” I hear the disbelief of my brothers and the whispers among them.