“Doing good, Macky. You?”
He sighed, “Been better, Blood, been better.”
I nodded even though he still had his back to me. I saw his eyes glance up into the mirror above the bar. He saw that I had acknowledged him.
“Hey, Ava. You didn't get your burger, so I thought I would bring you one out. Go on and take thirty minutes or so and eat it. I'll watch the bar,” Macky said to who I now knew was a chick named Ava.
As she reached out to grab the plate, I said, “Come sit with me, I'll grab my burger and we can chat.”
I saw a thoughtful expression cross her face and she hesitated for a moment. Before she had fully made up her mind, Macky stated, “Go eat with Blood, Ava. He's a good guy. Their whole MC is full of good men.”
With Macky's backing of the MC, it appeared she wasn't as concerned about me. Although the expression of relief didn't cross her face until after Macky said the MC was full of good men. It's almost like she was curious about our MC. She was a puzzle, one that I wanted all the pieces too.
“Okay,” she muttered, grabbed her water, then made her way out from behind the bar and over to a table that didn't have anyone sitting close.
“I'll be right back, I'm gonna go grab my burger,” I told her. I waited until she acknowledged me, before I left to get my food.
“Didn't take you long, Blood,” Ranger commented as he took a drink of his beer. “She's fucking stunning. Good luck with her.”
I nodded and smirked at him as I grabbed my plate and headed back to where Ava was sitting.
“So, Ava,” I said as I took a seat. “How long you been working here? I don't think I've ever seen you in here before, and trust me, I would have remembered seeing you.”
She smiled at me, “Two months now. So, I've been here a little bit. I don't think you've been here in all that time. Because trust me, I would have remembered seeing you,” she stated as she threw my words back at me.
Fuck, she was a little firecracker. I grinned devilishly at her. Two months, hell had it been that long since I had been here?
“Damn, you know, I guess I haven't been in the last two months. We've been so fucking busy that after work I've been crashing and burning.” I didn't mention that I had also been busy fucking the club girls. Didn't think that would go over too well with her.
Now she was the one grinning devilishly at me. It’s almost like she knew what I had left unspoken. Damn, I think I liked this chick, and not just for her rocking body either.
“You from around here?” I asked as I stuck a fry in my mouth.
She hesitated a moment like she was trying to figure out how to answer the question, that made me curious. I hated being curious.
“I lived here about seven years ago and moved away. Just moved back a few months ago,” she remarked and stared at the french fry she was swirling back and forth in the ketchup on her plate. Then she glanced up at me, “How about you?”
“I've lived here my whole life with the exception of a seven-year stretch.”
“Seven years? Military or prison?” she queried.
I was surprised. Most automatically assume prison first, at least she put the military first.
“What makes you think I was in the military?”
“The way you walk, the way you're constantly observing every situation. You're hyper aware.”
I was surprised she could tell all that about me. Most thought I had learned that in prison. I had tats pretty much over my entire body except from the neck up, and after seeing Viper's tats, was even thinking of having my neck tattooed.
“So, which was it?” she asked again.
“Military.”
“Thought so, let me guess which branch.”
I smiled at her, there was no fucking way she would even get remotely close to what my enlistment was for.
“Navy,” she stated.
I didn't react at all; lucky guess was all it was.
“I'm right, aren't I?” she queried as she stuck a fry in her mouth and chewed. “You were a SEAL.”
Every muscle in my body froze. This chick was more than she appeared to be. Maybe a cop, FBI, ATF, DEA, something.
“Hmm, you haven't said anything. I've freaked you out with my guess. I must have hit it spot on, huh?”
“You a cop of some sort?” I asked harshly.
She laughed. She fucking threw her head back and laughed. She laughed so hard she had to wipe tears out of her eyes. Once she managed to control her laughter, she answered me.
“Fuck no, I'm not any type of cop.” She snickered. “You'd probably shit your pants if you only knew what I was wanting though.”
I stared at her. I fucking knew this chick. Why couldn't I place her?
“Have we met before?”
“Possibly,” she shrugged.
“Possibly?”
She nodded, “Yeah, possibly.”
She looked down into her plate again and pushed another french fry around in the ketchup. She took a deep breath and let it out on a shudder. Then, she looked back up at me.
“I need to ask you something.”
I arched an eyebrow at her.
“Is there someone in your MC who is super tall, huge, bearded and bald headed?”
My fucking insides went solid. Why the fuck was this chick asking about the Prez? I didn't say a word.
“I see I struck a nerve. Well, do me a favor, okay? Tell whoever this guy is that I would like to talk to him. I'm not out to cause any of you any harm. But I really need to talk to him, it's important.” She got up and grabbed her plate and water.
She took a few steps away from the table, then turned back around and looked at me pleadingly, “Please, it's really important to me,” she whispered. Then she turned and walked back behind the bar and started filling orders again.
I slowly got up and made my way back to the table. Every nerve inside me was firing off like crazy. As I sat back down, I glanced back over at Ava. She was looking at me, she wasn't afraid of me at all, which was pretty stupid on her part. I knew ways of disposing a body after I killed a person to where not so much of a smidgen of remains would ever be found. So she was either crazy or desperate.
Now, I just had to figure out which she was. And for the life of me, it was gonna drive me nuts until I figured out where I knew this chick from. And come hell or high water, I was going to find out.
~*~
Ava
I had freaked Blood out. He hardly said a word in the last couple minutes of our conversation. Now I just had to wait. As soon as I asked about my biker hero, I could tell his insides had frozen up. Oh, he had tried to hide his reaction, but I had been looking for it. I just prayed they would give me a chance to explain and ask for the help I was searching for. If not, I was probably a dead man walking, or in my case, woman. I fucking hoped it wouldn't take them long to approach me. I had been waiting for seven years, I could wait longer. But it was closer now, I could feel it.
Where are you, biker hero?
Can you help me?
More importantly, will you help me?
~***~
Chapter 4
Try to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud.
~Maya Angelou~
Blood
May 29th, 1998
We had been late getting back last night, so I hadn't woken up the Prez to tell him about this chick wanting to speak to him. And as luck would have it, when I got up this morning, he was out with Hoss bidding on some jobs. I knew it wasn't life or death important, at least I fucking hoped not, so I decided to wait until he was back instead of calling him and tell him over the phone. I'd rather do this in person.
We had Church at six tonight, and since I was supposed to be there twenty minutes early for whatever the Prez was wanting to talk to the committee about, I decided to try to catch him a little earlier than that and give him my info.
Luck ended up not on my side this evening as the Prez just barely got back in time for our committee meeting. Now,
I had to decide if I wanted to tell him with Seer and Viper in the room or wait until after Church. But the way my gut was talking to me, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to wait until after Church.
~*~
Mad Dog
Fuck, this day had been long. Hoss and I had bid on three big jobs which would bring in good money if we won the bids. I barely had enough time to grab a shower before I was to meet with Seer, Blood and Viper. I stripped fast, jumped into the shower, letting the massaging shower heads relax my body as I washed off. I stepped out of the shower and dried off, thankful that I didn't have to worry about messing with hair.
Not long after Beth died, I started shaving my head. She’d used to love running her fingers through my hair and I had loved lying with my head in her lap while she did it. The first month after she died, every time I’d put my hands in my hair it brought Beth to mind any time I did anything with it, whether it was washing it or drying it. The pain of her being gone would hit me deep in the gut again and throw me right back to the day I was told she was gone. Several years ago, I had thought briefly about letting it grow out, but while the pain of losing her was gone, it had been our thing and I couldn’t bring myself to let it grow.
After I got dressed, I made my way downstairs. I went behind the bar and grabbed a beer, ran into the kitchen and found a sandwich in the fridge, grabbed it and made my way down the hall to my office. Hoss and I hadn't had time to stop for lunch and I was fucking hungry. This would tide me over until after Church. When I walked into my office, I saw that I was the last one in, so I shut the door behind me.
Once I was in my seat, I opened the beer, took a long drink then unwrapped my sandwich and took a big bite. I glanced at the guys to see them all grinning at me. Whatever. I was starving so they could wait two minutes for me to scarf down the food.
“Hungry there, Prez?” Seer murmured.
I glared at him as I stuffed another bite into my mouth.
“Apparently so,” said Blood.
I cut my eyes at him and glowered.
After I swallowed my bite, I asked, “You motherfuckers get to eat lunch?” Then shoved another bite in my mouth.
Three heads nodded at me. Yeah, so they weren't fucking hungry. They could wait for my ass to get through. I took a long drink, then shoved the last bite into my mouth. They all watched me like I was the most entertaining thing they had ever seen. Assholes. After I swallowed, I chugged down the rest of my beer and belched because I had eaten so damn fast. Snickers floated on the air from the three men who thought I was amusing.
“Well, I haven't had anything since six this morning and I was fucking starving.”
As they all tilted their heads at me, I settled into my chair and got comfortable.
“I don’t really have much to say, I mainly wanted to ask Viper if he is really okay with being on this committee.”
Viper nodded, “Yeah, I’m good, Dog. Happy to help. Not sure Cueball was right about what all he said, but I'm here for whatever is needed.”
Damn, he was a humble man. The world could use more men like him.
“Brother, every word Cue spoke is true,” I replied.
“Agreed,” Seer said. “Don't sell yourself short, Viper. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were those things. I don't think it took Blood long to realize it either.”
Blood lifted his chin, silently agreeing with Seer. He wasn't the real talkative type. He's always been quiet and observative, even as a kid.
“How do you usually vet girls here?” Viper asked.
“Well, we'll bring them in one at a time and basically interview them like they are applying for a job, which in a way they are. So, whatever questions you may have, I want you to ask. You might think of something that we forget.
“We also do a background check on them. I don't want any girls with trouble at their door coming into the club. That's all we would need is for a junkie, prostitute, girl with a boyfriend, irate parents, whatever it may be, to end up being a club girl. We don't need that shit here.”
Viper inclined his head and acted like he was going to speak, then didn't.
“Come on, Brother. What did I tell you about that shit? If you have a question, ask. You're not gonna offend anyone here,” I commented as I gazed at him.
“Is that all you do when deciding who will make it or who won't?”
“Not sure what you are meaning. Once we decide on a girl, we give her a trial period to see if she is going to fit in. To make sure she isn't just trying to get an Old Man. She also has to prove she will fuck any of the men. If she doesn't want to fuck, say Seer or Tater, then she's shown the door.”
I could tell this hadn't completely answered his question.
“What else you wondering, Vip?”
He grimaced, then began, “At SoS, they usually made a girl pull a train in order to be a club girl. Wasn't ever real fond of that approach, and needless to say, I never participated in it.”
“Damn, sounds like half that MC was full of the scum of the earth,” Seer spit out.
“You have no idea, Brother. None. Most could barely be classified as men,” he uttered.
I shook my head. The more I learned about the man, the more I admired him. How he had lived with that shit for over twenty years and not become like them was a testament to his strength of character.
“No way in hell do we do that,” Blood spoke up. “That's fucking degrading and inhumane to a woman. I'd like to catch some of those motherfuckers out somewhere and relieve the world of a few of them.”
“You'd definitely be doing the world a favor, for sure,” Viper muttered.
“So, that answer your questions, Vip?” I inquired.
“Yeah, sounds good. When do you think we'll start interviewing girls?”
“Well, hopefully tomorrow if you can spare the time. I think names will be brought up in Church. The Brothers will have told the girls to be prepared to be interviewed tomorrow if at all possible. Once we have the names, I'll have Doom give KJ a call and have him run a background check. I try to keep Doom out of shit like that unless we feel what we are doing needs to bypass the law. Even then, I keep KJ updated on what we are doing.”
“KJ? Not sure who that is,” Viper spoke out.
“Fuck, Brother. I swear I forget at times that you haven't always been here and don't know all there is to know of the people associated with the MC. KJ is the sheriff here.”
I saw surprise cross Viper's face and I laughed softly, as did Seer and Blood.
“KJ is my cousin, he's also a secret member of the club. Not everyone knows that. The Brothers know, but we try to keep everything about him on the down low. Usually he comes to Church, but he’s been dealing with some personal problems, those and work have kept him busy lately. However, you need to know this information and one day soon I'll introduce you to him. We have him run background checks so that Doom doesn't have to illegally go into the law enforcement’s system. No one will question KJ doing the checks.”
“And he's trustworthy? Sorry, I know he's related, but for me the only time we used a cop was when we had something on him and, even then, that shit was unreliable. I always hated doing that.”
I tilted my head toward him. I could understand where he was coming from.
“Yeah, he's totally trustworthy. He talked to Sarge about it and joined the club first. Sarge figured it would be better to have someone we could trust one hundred percent in the department, so he told KJ to apply. After being on the job for a few years, he ran for sheriff and he’s pretty much gone unchallenged in every election since he won the first time.
“It’s never been made known that he is a member of the club. He didn't prospect like normal guys do. Sarge knew what KJ always wanted to do, so Sarge had him do his prospecting a little differently.” I told Viper. “So, yeah. Don't ever worry about KJ not having your back. He puts the MC first in all things.”
Viper was shaking his head in disbelief, “Fuck, just when I think
it can't get better around here, it does. I think this MC is probably the cream of the crop. Not sure there are any others with the setup you guys have.”
I smiled, “Yeah, we've been fucking fortunate for sure, Vip.”
“That we have,” Seer commented. “But we've been real careful since we first formed ARMC on who we allow to prospect and join. We’ve also always tried to make sure the women we invite to become club girls are as trustworthy as possible. There’s been a couple times a bitch or two has slipped through our process, but it didn’t take long to correct the matter.”
“Yeah, can’t handle that drama bullshit, nor could Sarge, so any of the girls start that shit and they’re gone,” I said.
“We almost made the mistake of not keeping enough members,” Seer added. “You guys have helped with that. I still think we could do with a few more guys. Some of us old timers won't live forever.”
I glared at Seer, “Don't you fucking even think that, old man. Your ass has to be around forever. You hear me?”
He chuckled at me, “Well, I have no plans at the moment of going anywhere, Prez. But you of all people know how life can change in a heartbeat.”
And sadly, I did. I nodded at him. Wasn't anything I could say to that, he was right. I glanced at the clock on the wall to see that it was ten till six.
“Well, I think that's it, we can go grab a beer before Church starts, or not.” I said as I glanced at Blood. He looked like he wanted to say something.
“What's up, Blood?”
He glanced at Seer and Viper, then at me.
“Go ahead, Brother. You know I trust these guys. Sure, Viper hasn't been here long, but I would trust him with anything,” I said looking at Blood curiously. It wasn’t often he brought something up to me. For the most part, trouble didn’t usually disturb our MC.
“Came across an interesting situation last night.” He began. “Some Brothers and I went to The Watering Hole for a few drinks. They have a new female bartender. She kept staring at us, so I went to have a chat with her. She seemed okay. Then Macky encouraged her to sit and eat a burger with me, so we did. I wanted to question her a little anyway, only I ended up the one answering some questions, then she spooked the shit out of me.”
Mad Dog (Angel’s Rebellion MC: #2) (Angel's Rebellion MC) Page 8