It was nine o’clock when he pulled up to the SSMC compound. It was late for somebody to be manning the gate, but there was a prospect ready to let him in. He supposed that was what Brant had meant by, ‘keep the light on for you’.
Inside all the SSMC members were gathered. They’d apparently been waiting for him. The giant screen TV was turned to news of the Waco motorcycle gang shootout.
Brant came forward and held a glass of whiskey. “Told ‘em where you been, what you’ve been doin’, and what I promised you. We’re all here to deliver on that promise.”
Win took the whiskey, eyes going to the screen. “What’s the outcome?”
“Three dead. Eleven wounded.”
“Who?”
Brant motioned to Arnold. “You got details?”
Arnold typed something into his phone. After a few seconds, he got a ping and read what was there. “Three members of the Stars & Bars motorcycle gang are dead, six wounded.” He looked at Win. “You care about the names?” Win shook his head. “Members of the Marauders motorcycle gang who were wounded. Chapel Roagsen, Paul Smith, Brendon Cravet, Marshall Polosek, and Travers Allender. The five are hospitalized and being held for questioning. Also held for questioning are Bolivar Greer, Stephen Queens, Mack Tripoli, and Travers Catch.”
Win handed the whiskey back to Brant. “I have to make a call.”
Win walked outside while club members exchanged looks.
“Win!” R.C. was sniffling like she’d been crying. “Thank God you’re okay. What happened? They’ve arrested Pop and half the MC. When you didn’t call, I thought maybe…”
“I know. I’m fine and everything else is gonna be okay. Cue took a bullet for Boss. Your dad is fine. They won’t be in jail long. I was there. Saw the whole thing.”
“Where are you?”
“Not in jail. Can you hold on for a couple of hours? If you can, I’ll be there.”
“You’re coming tonight?”
“Yeah. If you want me.”
“I do.”
“I’ll be there before midnight.”
“I’ll be waiting in the lobby downstairs. And, Win, I…”
“Yeah?”
“See you soon.”
“Okay.”
Win sat down at the bar with his whiskey snifter and told the gathering the entire story from beginning to end.
When he was finished, no one spoke except for Brant who, predictably, said, “Jesus.”
“Can’t say I got out clean.”
“How’s that?”
“Well, this girl…”
“R.C.,” they all said almost in unison.
He grinned. “Yeah. Arcy. So much for the plan to just sneak away and never have it found out I was a mole. The prez’s daughter…”
“We get it,” Brant said. “I’ll get in touch with this Bolivar Greer, when he’s outta jail, and come to an understanding with him.”
Win looked hopeful. “Yeah? You can do that?”
“Not much he can’t do,” Arnold said.
“Good to know. Now I…”
Again everyone spoke, almost in unison, “Want to go see R.C.” They all laughed.
Win smiled boyishly, almost like he was embarrassed about it. “Yeah. Wanna go see Arcy. I’m gonna take a shower first.”
“Good plan. How much you want to spend to get your new friends outta jail?” Brant asked.
“Whatever it takes,” Win said without hesitation.
Brant pulled him aside. “You sure you got that kind of scratch? We could be talkin’…”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure I got it.”
Brant cocked his head to the side. “Okay. We’ll get to work on it tonight.”
Win happened to glance up at the big screen in time to see the camera zoom in on Catcher’s face. He was sitting down against a wall with his hands cuffed behind his back, but he winked and grinned at the camera.
Win blinked a few times, not being able to believe he’d done that.
CHAPTER Fourteen
R.C. was pacing in the lobby, as she’d said she would be, when he arrived at eleven forty-five. The night man let him in and he walked straight into her arms. She squeezed him so tight he thought she was trying to crawl inside him. He let her take her time, gave her what she needed.
Upstairs in her place he reassured her that her dad and his friends wouldn’t be in jail long. That was the easy part.
The hard part was telling her that he was playing at being a Marauders recruit to pay off a debt for the Austin SSMC.
“You live here?” Sitting cross-legged on the sofa with a tissue in her hand, she looked around like she might mean there as in her apartment.
“In town, yes. Recently.”
It took a while for her to process the deception and come to terms with the fact that his club status was fake, but his feelings were real.
“What do you do for the club?” she asked.
“Investments.”
“You mean like stocks?”
“Yes. Like that.”
“Shut up.”
“Seriously.”
“Well, that explains why you look so good in a sports coat.”
He laughed. “It explains that, does it?”
“My Pop’s gonna be pissed at you,” she said.
“Not if I’m responsible for gettin’ this cleared up.”
“You’ve got a point.” She looked at him. “It’s really gonna be okay?”
He smiled. “It really is.”
EPILOGUE
With tugs on the right network strings, enough money greasing enough palms, and the help of Ranger Russell, the Marauders were charged with no crimes. Those who were injured recovered fully with the exception of Cowpie, who might have a slight limp. Forever.
Boss made a trip to Austin to meet with Brant at the SSMC clubhouse. He brought his V.P., Zipper, and Cue, who didn’t have an official title. The three of them met with Brant, Brand, and Brash. Win waited impatiently for the treaty talk. When Brash stepped to the door and called him in.
Win’s eyes met Boss’s. He’d half expected Boss to pull a pistol, but after a few uncomfortable seconds, Boss started laughing. After looking at each other for hints of a clue, they all decided to wait.
When Boss stopped laughing, he said, “You didn’t really think I believed that cockamamie story about transferring from the Huns.”
Win looked uncertain, but eventually found his voice. “Uh, yeah. I did.”
Boss shook his head and tsked. “How many times did I tell you I’m always a step ahead.” He put his palms flat on the table in front of him. “Gut told me you meant my club no harm and gut’s never wrong. So I decided to let it play out. Let you have the run of the place. Didn’t hold anything back except for how I planned to handle S&B. Even took you to the meeting as part of my inner circle. From what Catcher told me, was a good thing I did. ‘Cause of you, he’s alive. Least that’s how I heard it.”
Win didn’t deny that, which was confirmation of a sort. He’d been given full immunity by one of the Rangers’ living legends before he’d ever pointed his gun. So at least he hadn’t had the hassle of legal wrangling for himself.
At that point, it wasn’t in Win’s best interest to be dubious, but he felt like his spy skills were being disparaged. “And I suppose you knew I was in love with your daughter.”
“Son,” Boss said. “You wouldn’t have to be me to figure that one out. Shit. Even Cowpie knew and that’s sayin’ somethin’. Why do you think I made her take you shoppin’ the day after she fucked up your face? Knew you were the one for her right away.”
“That is bullshit,” Win was shaking his head, looking from Boss to Zipper, who shrugged, and Cue, who smiled at Win indulgently like he thought Win was an idiot.
“Look here, recruit,” Brant decided to step in. “It’s not like you’re after a career with the C.I.A. All’s well that ends well and all that.”
Win took a moment to review and realized that he was losi
ng sight of his goal, which was to come to an amicable understanding with Boss so that R.C. would have one less reason to object to a future with Win.
“So you’re sayin’ we’re good?” Win ventured.
Boss smiled that smile that said, “You’re on my good side, I’m the best friend you could have. You’re on my bad side, start the countdown to a reality you’re not going to like. At all.”
When the conference room door opened, Boss said, “Good heavenly days, what is that smell?”
“That’s May’s cinnamon rolls. Go on over to the kitchen there. She’ll be glad to let you take some right outta the pan.”
Brant winked at Brash and Win over his shoulder knowing that May would give a verbal blistering to anyone, resident or guest, who touched the rolls while they were still cooling.
Boss watched May with fascination as she lectured him up, down, and sideways about venturing into the kitchen of a club where he didn’t belong and having the balls to touch SSMC cinnamon rolls. By the time her tirade was done, Boss had decided he might be making frequent trips to Austin. To see his daughter, of course.
The Marauders’ president and his entourage agreed to stay overnight at the clubhouse and be treated like the MC version of princes. Boss agreed to share his security technology with the SSMC. Catcher had moved on, but not before teaching Bo everything he knew about systems design and operation.
When R.C. and Win visited the courthouse to pick up their marriage license, she decided he was never going to stop surprising her.
“Your name is Winston?” She was incredulous. “But I thought…”
He chuckled. “Yeah. That’s what everybody thinks. And I let ‘em. If I was gonna have an actual road name, Win would be a good one. Yeah?”
“Definitely.”
“So there you go. Get to keep my own name and be considered cool while doing it. Win. Win.”
“Funny.” She tried to sound snarky, but couldn’t help a small giggle.
On their wedding night, Win pulled out an extraordinarily pretty wrapped package.
“Here,” he said.
“What’s this?”
“Wedding gift.”
“You got me a wedding gift? Shit. I didn’t get you one.”
“No?” He looked disappointed. Then his face cleared into a grin. “Just kidding. I wasn’t expecting anything from you. Except maybe that thing we talked about with the chair…”
“Yeah. Yeah. We’ll get to that.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Just hold on. I’ve got a gorgeous wedding present to open. From my husband,” she added with a half squeal, like being married to him was a dream come true.
“Go ahead.” He leaned against the wall of their suite at the Driskill, crossed his arms over his chest, crossed his foot over his ankle and waited.
She pulled the blue tulle ribbon with satin edges and silver bells, ripped off the paper and opened the box. Inside was a cashier’s check made out to her in the amount of three million dollars.
She laughed her sexy deep-throated laugh. “Very funny.”
He smiled. “It might be a great joke. But it’s not a joke. You wanted three million dollars to feel safe and secure. And I want you to feel safe and secure.”
She looked at the check again, carried it over to the light and studied it. Her eyes opened wide. “Oh my God, Garrett. This is real. How did you…? How are you…? You’re a real investment guy?”
He chuckled. “Yeah.”
“And you’re good at it!”
“Yeah,” he repeated.
“Holy shit.” She pretended to fan herself with the check. “Wait a minute. You said you own nothin’ more than a motorcycle and a leather vest.”
He shook his head. “No. You said that. If I recall, I said I do own those things. I could have said ‘I own those things and a lot more’, but then I wouldn’t know for sure that you love me for me.”
He rushed her, grabbed her, and licked the skin at the base of her ear lobe, delighting in the sound of her squeal. When he pulled back with a sardonic grin that made her ovaries quiver, she decided she was the luckiest girl in the world.
Win. Win.
There’s just one more thing to add.
As a result of the shootout Catcher became a celebrity. Apparently the combination of looks, attitude, and the fact that he was a bad boy outlaw biker had YouTube racking up phenomenal views while he trended on Twitter and became the subject of countless Instagram memes.
In a twist of fate sure to remind everybody that life is strange, it turned out that Catcher could sing. And play guitar. Within weeks he’d been hired by a rising star band who’d lost their singer to vocal nodes and was on his way to becoming a rock star.
FULL COVER REVEAL August 2017
Catche r COMING NOVEMBER 30, 2017
ALSO BY VICTORIA DANANN:
Click any active title to go directly to the Amazon page.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Sons of Sanctuary MC, Book 1. Two Princes
Sons of Sanctuary MC, Book 2 The Biker’s Brother
Sons of Sanctuary MC, Book 3 Nomad
Sons of Sanctuary MC, Book 4 Devil’s Marker
Music Man Series, Book 1 Catcher
THE KNIGHTS OF BLACK SWAN
Knights of Black Swan 1. My Familiar Stranger
Knights of Black Swan 2, The Witch’s Dream
Knights of Black Swan 3, A Summoner’s Tale
Knights of Black Swan 4, Moonlight
Knights of Black Swan 5, Gathering Storm
Knights of Black Swan 6, A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Knights of Black Swan 7, Solomon’s Sieve
An Order of the Black Swan Novel Prince of Demons
Knights of Black Swan 8, Vampire Hunter
Knights of Black Swan 9, Journey Man
BLACK SWAN, NEXT GENERATION
KBS, Next Generation 1 FALCON
KBS, Next Generation 2. JAX
THE HYBRIDS
Exiled 1. CARNAL
Exiled 2. CRAVE
Exiled 3, CHARMING
THE WEREWOLVES
New Scotia Pack 1, Shield Wolf: Liulf
New Scotia Pack 2, Wolf Lover: Konochur
New Scotia Pack 3, Fire Wolf: Cinaed
The Witches of Wimberley
Witches of Wimberley 1; Willem
Links to all Victoria’s books can be found here…
www.VictoriaDanann.com
I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading Devil’s Marker.
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Victoria Danann
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
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Devil's Marker (Sons of Sanctuary MC, Austin, Texas Book 4) Page 17