by Leah Wilde
As he walked away from me, trusting me to be here when he came back for me, I couldn’t help but feel a certain measure of satisfaction that I’d completed my task. I sat down on the bed behind me and let the small sense of closure wash over me. I had finished my job for him, and I would be rewarded handsomely if the information checked out. I would be able to pay off some of my mother’s medical debt and start moving forward with my life, instead of always trying to live in the shadow of her dementia.
As long as she suffered, there would be new bills, but paying off the old ones would help immensely. I hadn’t said anything to Gage about it. Giving myself time to think about it, I realized we didn’t know each other all that well. It had been one hell of a whirlwind romance, but I hadn’t really let him that far into my life. He’d been in my body, and I couldn’t help wanting him back in there every time I saw him. Dear Lord, there was something so incredibly sexy about that man. He was everything I had never wanted, but with him, it was right. Gage Noll made the undesirable irresistible.
Even sitting on the bed, staring at the perfect opportunity to leave without being noticed, I wasn’t sure if I could. I wasn’t sure if I should. I wondered if the insatiable desire I felt for this underground crime boss could be transformed into something more, something deeper. I felt myself already growing worried for his safety as things moved forward. I knew that he would soon be making the move he’d been waiting to make, and I knew that he would be putting himself and his men in danger.
That probably meant I would be in danger too if I stayed around.
“Come on, Julia. Get it together. You know what you need to do,” I told myself out loud on his bed.
Chapter 21
Gage
When Julia turned me down and told me I had work to do, I realized I’d been getting soft around the edges for her. I had to toughen up for the road ahead if I expected to take Ivan down. I focused on hardening my resolve as I walked down to the pit to get Juarez and Chase.
“What did she say?” they asked in unison when they saw me.
“We know at least one person who’s going to be involved in an upcoming deal Ivan has planned. Let’s get everyone together in the boardroom. We’re going to see the mayor,” I told them.
“What about Dimitri?” Juarez asked.
“Don’t worry about him. He’ll be fine,” I said, dismissing any concerns about leaving the Russian unattended.
A few minutes later, I sat in the boardroom with Juarez, Chase, Angelo, and Ricky, the heads of the MC. We were the kings to the princes beneath us. A few of the other guys crept in and stood along the back wall, waiting to hear what the news was and what my plans were.
The round boardroom table had our logo carved into it—a grim reaper with horns, a crown, and two smoking revolvers—with a plate of glass set over the carving to create a flat surface. The walls of our boardroom had photos of prominent members of the Kings of Hell from the early days of the MC up to the current roster. Our current club didn’t use the boardroom nearly enough, I thought. It felt good to walk in and get a sense of history, to see the founding Kings standing together in a framed photo behind the president’s throne.
“Brothers, I called this meeting today because we are about to embark on the next chapter of the Kings of Hell legacy,” I started, standing in front of my throne. “We are about to eliminate one of our biggest rivals.”
A murmur of anticipation and restrained excitement flowed through the room. I could feel the energy being held back by almost every member present. It was no secret that something big was about to go down.
“As everyone knows by now, we captured Ivan’s muscle, a Russian bear who goes by Dimitri.”
Juarez and Chase beamed at their success in taking him down.
“This fucker’s so damn Russian that we had to get someone to translate for us. He doesn’t speak a lick of English, but thanks to Juarez and Chase, we were able to get through to him in our own language.”
The boys chuckled, obviously remembering the fun they had beating the man nearly to death.
“Now, we know that Ivan has a large drug deal coming up in a few days, but we have some information as to where the drugs are going, who is buying them. It may be enough information for us to finally take his ass down and take over his operation,” I told the room.
Eyes shifted side to side as members looked at their neighbors, sharing the realization that we were about to finally eliminate this cock sucker.
“The Kings of Hell will be on top again. We will own Chicago and all of the surrounding areas once again. We won’t just be dealing with the street rats or the yuppies who want to relive their youth. We’re going to be on top. We’re going to have the city in our pocket once more. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to go to a fucking bar without getting picked up by the cops?”
Everyone cheered.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to reclaim some of our lost business and keep members from having to spend nights in this hell hole?”
The Kings at the table pounded their fists in support.
“What do we have to do?” Angelo asked. Angelo was our field operative. He monitored chapter operations outside of our home here in downtown Chicago. We rarely saw him unless we held a meeting or there was an emergency.
“We are going to see the mayor. According to Dimitri, he’s one of Ivan’s guests for this little deal he’s got going down. Apparently, he’s not the only heavyweight in attendance, but he’s all we’ve got to work with.” I eyed the rest of the room. “The rest of you princes can go. I’m only taking the kings with me.”
The members who had been lining the back wall left the room. I wondered if any of them would be ratting me out to the mayor or the police. I always wondered that. That was why I rarely allowed them in for meetings, but today was an exception. Today’s good news had to be shared with everyone, I felt.
“Are you suggesting we just waltz into the mayor’s mansion and question him?” Ricky asked.
“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting. But we’re going to keep this interaction with him professional. I don’t want anyone flying off the handle,” I explained.
“But won’t he hear us coming on the bikes?” Chase asked. “Won’t that give him a heads up so he can be ready for us?”
“That would, yes. That’s why we’re not taking the bikes. We’re going in the Suburban. He’ll probably see us coming either way, but he won’t recognize us as quickly that way,” I told the kings.
“When are we leaving?” Ricky asked.
“Why not right now?” Juarez chimed in.
“I’m with Juarez,” Chase said.
“So, it’s decided,” I said. “We’re going now.”
We pulled up to the mayor’s gated residence a few minutes later in the black Suburban. With the gates closed, we were unable to pull into his driveway, so we parked beside his property and climbed the wall surrounding his house. We approached from the front, trying to look as transparent as possible in our intentions to talk with the mayor.
He had obviously seen us approaching. He opened the door to greet us himself.
“Gentlemen! I’ve been expecting you,” he said with his trademark white smile.
I shot Angelo a look. He caught the expecting, too.
“Of course,” I said politely. “I think we have some important business to discuss, Mr. Mayor.”
“In private,” Angelo added.
“Certainly. Right this way.” The politician didn’t miss a beat. He ignored the implication of five bikers in t-shirts and fully decorated cuts standing on his stoop insisting on a private meeting with him. Seeing as how he was one of Ivan’s clients, he was probably accustomed to the risks that came from dealing with people like us.
He led us into what looked like a personal library. It was a large, mostly square room with floor to ceiling windows gazing out onto the front lawn. Across from the windows was a large, dark wooden desk immaculately clear of clutter. The walls were l
ined with bookshelves. I sincerely doubted he even knew what titles he had on those walls.
“So, are those real books, or just fakes to make you feel smarter?” I couldn’t resist the jab.
“Most of them are real,” he answered. “I don’t remember which ones.” I got the feeling he was playing along.
He motioned for two of us to sit in the two large leather chairs in front of his desk. Angelo and I took the seats. Angelo took seniority and rank over the other Kings, though he was rarely present. In fact, his field position came from the time he’d served under the president before me.
“I’m sorry I can’t accommodate more guests,” our gracious host apologized as the other three lined up behind us.
“That’s fine,” Chase said. “We don’t mind standing.”
Calm down, boy, I thought. I could hear the unspoken threat of violence in his voice. As he stood behind me, I was sure he was imagining jumping across that desk and handling this conversation with his fists.
“So, how can I help you gentlemen?” The sleaze ball politician sat down in the chair behind his desk and leaned back. He wore a slate gray suit with a red tie. His salt and pepper hair was slicked back. He looked like he should have held a cigar in his mouth when he spoke, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he offered us a car while we were there.
“We understand you have a meeting coming up soon with Ivan Danilovich, the Russian drug lord operating here on our streets,” I said, trying my best to get right to it. I felt the air thicken with silent tension at my use of Ivan’s full name.
“I know who Ivan is,” our mayor said.
“And?” Angelo asked.
“And what?”
“And answer the question,” he finished.
“I’m sorry, but do I look like I have time to deal with that kind of scum on my streets?” he asked.
“Yes, you do.” I looked around his study. “In fact, I’m willing to bet you make more money off of Ivan than you do at work.”
“Listen, punk,” he said, sitting forward suddenly in his chair, “I’ve got a city swamped in crime, poverty, and drugs. Why would you assume I would be buying drugs to further pollute my streets with?”
“A little birdy named Dimitri told us,” I answered.
His face when pale white.
“That’s what I thought.” I stood up. “So, here’s how the rest of our little meeting is going to go, Mr. Mayor. You’re going to tell us when the deal is going down, and where you’re meeting your boy, Ivan. If you don’t, my boys Chase and Juarez will be more than happy to persuade you.”
“I…I don’t know when or where. He’s supposed to call me,” our host protested.
“Guys,” I said, ordering Juarez and Chase in position. They stepped around the desk and stood on either side.
I cocked an eyebrow. “Again, Mr. Mayor. When and where?”
His eyes darted back and forth. He didn’t look the least bit worried. In fact, he seemed to be weighing options he didn’t really have.
“If you wish to call my bluff, Mr. Mayor, I’m sure my guys will be happy to prove you wrong,” I said.
I nodded to Chase and Juarez, and they closed in on the mayor and took turns slugging him once each right in his gut. He started to double over, but they grabbed him and held him back against his chair so that his wincing face stared at mine.
“As you see, we’re not afraid to get our hands dirty, not even with you,” I said, leaning across the desk. “Now, when and where?”
He looked at me and groaned from the pain in his stomach. “What does it matter to you?” he asked.
“We’re shutting Ivan down,” I said. “We’re going to take over his supply chain, and we’re going to take this city back. It belongs in the hands of people from here. He’s not invested in this place. It’s just another market to him. He doesn’t care beyond his clients.”
The mayor sat and thought for a minute. “So, you’re not planning to interrupt the flow; you just want to take it over?”
I yawned dramatically. “I’m growing bored with our conversation, Mr. Mayor. Just understand that you don’t need to know what my intentions are. You just need to know that if you don’t comply with our wishes, you’re going to be a dead man.”
I nodded at Chase and Juarez again, and they slugged him once again, planting their fists deep into his gut and letting him double over. I nodded again, letting them plant a few more punches into the crooked politician.
Finally, he held up a hand. “Alright, stop. I’ll tell you.”
My boys held him back in his chair.
“I’m meeting up with him in two days on a yacht on Lake Michigan,” he said desperately.
“Who else is supposed to be there?” I asked him.
“I don’t know. I swear. All I know is I’m showing up with my people, and we’re making a large purchase,” he answered.
Chase clocked him in the mouth.
I shared a look with Angelo. We had the information we needed. We knew where Ivan was going to be and had a rough idea of when. This was our chance to take Chicago back from these commie bastards.
“Thank you for supporting local businesses, Mr. Mayor. Boys, make sure he doesn’t tell anyone we were here,” I said as Angelo, Rick, and I turned to leave.
“Wait, what?” the mayor asked right before a few punches landed on him.
“I want you to remember that if you talk, we will be back, and you won’t walk away.” We turned and left him sitting in his chair while Chase and Juarez worked him over for me.
Chapter 22
Julia
While Gage and the leadership of the Kings of Hell MC were out talking to the mayor, I ran downstairs to see Dimitri again. I wasn’t sure what I expected to gain by going to see him, but I felt like visiting him was necessary. I felt trapped by Gage and the MC, and I knew Dimitri was literally in the same position I was in. Sure, I wasn’t tied to a chair, but I might as well have been. I had tried to leave once, only to be drawn back in, as much by my attraction to Gage as by anything he’d done to persuade me.
“I’m surprised to see you again,” he said when I entered the room. “I figured you would have been long gone by now. I gave you what you needed. Why are you back?”
“I don’t know,” I confessed to him. “I just felt like I needed to come down here.” I really couldn’t explain what had driven me to come back to see him. I felt responsible for him for some reason, like he was my prisoner as much as he was Gage’s or the MC’s. I’d spent so much time working with him that he had become my personal project by that point.
“You seem confused,” he said. “Have a seat.” He nodded at the chair in front of me. His voice was still rough sounding.
“How are you feeling?” I asked him as I took the chair in front of him.
He shook his head. “They beat the hell out of me to get me to talk to you,” he told me. “I can’t believe I gave in, but they were very persuasive with their fists. How did you get mixed up with these guys?”
“Gage offered to pay me a large sum of money to come down here and talk to you. I had no idea this was what I’d be doing,” I opened up to him. I needed someone to talk to, and I knew that if I had reached out to anyone in my life outside the Kings of Hell, it would have been nothing but questions about where I had been and what I had been up to. Dimitri was the best option I had right now.
“Easy money, huh?” He shook his head and smiled at my foolishness. “You should know better. There’s no such thing as easy money, Dr. Danvers.”
“Please, call me Julia.” I put a hand on his knee and recoiled immediately from my tender gesture.
He heaved a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry you had to witness all of this. This isn’t the place for someone like you. I’m going to assume you’re a very successful professional outside of here.” He narrowed his blue eyes as he talked.
“I wouldn’t say very successful. Moderately, maybe. But, yes, I’m a professor of Russian history and culture, but
I thought you already knew that,” I told him with a smile.
“You might have told me,” he said thoughtfully. “It sounds familiar. Still, you definitely carry yourself more like a professional than one of their girlfriends. You don’t seem like the type to hang around thugs like Gage and his men.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re right. I’m definitely not.”
“Well, look, let’s get out of here,” he said nonchalantly.
“I don’t know, Dimitri. There are a lot of guys still here. What if they see us?”