by Jessie Cooke
The other woman sighed loudly. “The fact that you’ve been a part of this for so long, and you still refuse to get it, is what frustrates me and everyone else so badly. This is the way the club operates. It’s the way they have always operated. What happens here, stays here. They tell us, their wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, and old ladies, as much as they need to tell us to keep us safe. We don’t talk to outsiders and we don’t talk to the cops. It’s the way it has always been and will always be, and if you can’t get that then maybe you do need to go somewhere far away and take that man with you before he gets a patch of his own, because I guarantee you that once he does, his loyalty will be to this club first.” She paused for a second and then said, “Don’t look at me like that, you’re the one that said it in the first place. You’re obviously not going to be happy with a man that puts club first because you can’t seem to understand that club first means family first…and family means you.”
“They just make it so hard. Other men go to work and come home and their women don’t have to worry about what they did, who they hurt, or who is looking to hurt them while they’re gone. I’ve seen way too many young women made into widows and kids made into orphans because their man was loyal to this or some other club; because he put this club first.”
Mona! That’s the voice. “His family,” Mona said. “This club is his family and that includes the widow and the orphan for life. Putting club first means putting family first.”
“Can I ask you a personal question, Mona?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s put aside the secrecy for a minute. How do you live with what you know Swinger is capable of? They might not tell us everything, but we both know from what we see and hear around here that they are capable of some really bad stuff. And when that bad stuff is all over for the night, they’ll come back here and celebrate by drinking, smoking, and fucking. I don’t know how they can simply put aside torture and murder, and act like nothing ever happened. How do you make love to a man at night knowing he’s probably alive because someone else is dead?”
“Like I said, I trust him. I trust him to do whatever he has to do, to come home to me in one piece. I guess where you and I differ is that I genuinely don’t care what that is, as long as in the end he’s here with me and we’re all safe. Listen, Tammy, I’ve said this before: if you had grown up here, your views would probably be different, but you grew up in an entirely different world so understandably, you’re confused. We are all capable of doing bad things if our family or our lifestyle is threatened. Swinger is a good man and so was my son.”
Tammy sighed. “Mona, please don’t make this about Zack…”
“You never made anything about Zack. That’s why he left.”
Tammy laughed. “Zack’s leaving didn’t have a thing to do with me and you know it. That was all on Swinger.”
“He loved you, and a woman who loves her man keeps him satisfied so that he doesn’t need to stray. His issues with Swinger could have been resolved if he would have stayed. He left because of you.”
“I’m not going to…” Her next words were cut off as Gunner was grabbed from behind. The arm around his throat was huge and he knew right away that it belonged to 8Ball before the man spoke:
“Eavesdropping, you little rat?”
Gunner swung back with his elbow and connected with the big SOB’s ribs. 8Ball let go of his throat as he doubled over and Gunner turned around swinging. His fist connected with the side of 8Ball’s face, and blood flew from his nose and sprayed the wall.
“What’s going on?” Tamara pulled open the door, and she and Mona stood gaping. 8Ball didn’t stay doubled over long and he came back at Gunner, who met him with an uppercut that snapped his head back. Gunner was moving in for the knockout punch when 8Ball reached into his vest and pulled out his gun.
“8Ball, what the fuck are you doing?” Mona yelled. “Put that away.”
With blood streaming out of his nose, and down the side of his mouth, he looked at Gunner with dark, feral eyes and said, “I’m going to kill you, you little fuck.”
“Go ahead,” Gunner said with more bravado than he was feeling. “You can’t fight me like a fucking man so go ahead and shoot me like the pussy you are.”
8Ball slid the safety off the gun. “Stop this!” Tamara screamed. “Have you lost your mind? You’re going to just murder him in cold blood right in front of us?”
“Stay out of it, Tammy,” 8Ball told her. “You don’t know what’s been going on around here. We have a fucking rat in this club and the smell of it right now is making me sick. You, boy, are going to turn around and walk down that hall and outside, or I’ll shoot your rat bastard ass right here.”
8Ball thought he was a rat? At least that made more sense than still being pissed about him fucking his skank of a girlfriend, Gunner supposed. “I’m not going anywhere with you as long as you have that gun pointed at me. You can either walk outside and fight me like a fucking man, or you can shoot me right here.”
“Gunner…”
“I’m sorry Tammy, but he and I need to finish this once and for all, one way or the other.” Gunner was banking on the fact that he didn’t believe 8Ball would shoot him there in the clubhouse with the women watching and the old ladies and kids in the next room. If he was a praying man, he might have said a prayer that he was right. 8Ball kept the gun pointed at him long enough for Gunner to realize he’d probably made a mistake. 8Ball looked like he wouldn’t have any qualms about dropping him where he stood. Gunner would never know for sure, thankfully, because Swinger came around the corner just in time.
“What the fuck is going on?” 8Ball was the one with the gun, yet Swinger’s eyes were focused on Gunner’s face.
“8Ball was thinking about blowing my head off in front of the ladies here. Whoever gave him his road name obviously wasn’t aware that he has no balls at all.”
Swinger narrowed his eyes at Gunner and then finally turned his attention on 8Ball. “Put the gun away.”
“Swinger, he’s your rat. Think about it. After he showed up Malcolm ended up dead and Tamara was taken. Then he knows right where to go and find her when the rest of the club is tearing up the city looking. Then he saves her and acts like the fucking hero. What better way to get a woman to want you, huh? Save her life and she’s yours forever. Especially if you’re feeding information to club enemies that gets her brother shot and her father almost run down. Hell, maybe he’s thinking he’ll get a spot on your executive board after it’s all over.”
“My father? What happened to my father? What the hell are you talking about?” Tammy was confused.
Swinger was still staring at 8Ball, who finally lowered the gun, before he turned to Tammy and said, “Your father and his enforcers were leaving the hospital last night when a black Mercedes barreled up, took out his bike, and just narrowly missed taking him out.”
“Oh my God. He’s okay though?”
“He got a little road burn, but he’s fine. He refused to be seen in the ER and cleared out before the law showed up. He still went along on the ride last night. He’s only interested in finding the man that shot Tommy, or Eddie Martini, or both.”
Before Tamara could say anything else 8Ball said, “Don’t you see? This ‘war’ is supposed to be between Eddie and the club yet the only people being targeted here is your family. You ever known the club to be in a war when you weren’t patching up one gunshot wound after the other? They’re not even aiming for the rest of us, just your dad and Tommy.”
“You’re off base about Gunner,” Tammy said softly. Gunner got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. She didn’t really sound like she believed that.
“8Ball might be off base, blaming your boyfriend…” Swinger started.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Tammy interrupted him.
She might as well have punched Gunner in the gut. For her to protest that strongly in the middle of the conversation that he wasn’t her boyfriend said a lot. “Wh
atever,” Swinger said, making it obvious he didn’t give a shit. “As I was saying, off base or not, I can understand his concern. That ambush on Tommy was carried out with precision. They knew when our boys would be at the front gates and they knew what position Tommy would be riding in. The same thing with the attempt to run Randall down. That car was ready to roll the very second he stepped outside, and you, Tamara, your dad told me that the day they snatched you was the first time you’d been alone in that house in over a week.” He looked back at 8Ball. “You know this isn’t the way to handle it. If this is the way your chapter in Brownsville handles shit, then you can just get your stuff together and ride on home today. If you suspect him, you bring it to the table…to me. This is my club. Nobody makes a decision to take anyone out without going through me first.”
8Ball actually looked remorseful. “I’m sorry, Swinger. He just really pisses me off, especially when I see Tammy falling for his bullshit.”
“Who or what I ‘fall for’ is none of your business, 8Ball.”
“Enough,” Swinger said. “Both of you.” He looked at Gunner and said, “Randall and the men are on their way back in now. When they get here I’ll send for you. Stay in your room until then.” Gunner’s first impulse was to try to defend himself. Their accusations were ridiculous. He looked at Tammy and she almost imperceptibly shook her head. She knew what he was thinking, but she obviously knew Swinger well enough to know he’d just be making matters worse. He kept his mouth shut and shoved past 8Ball on his way to his room. He was almost there when Swinger said, “Hey!” Gunner stopped and turned around. “I need your phone.”
“My phone? Why?”
Swinger didn’t answer him. He didn’t even change his expression. Gunner knew why. If he was ratting on them and they’d found out, he’d want his phone to make arrangements to get away from the clubhouse. They were probably also hoping to find evidence on his phone that he had called someone that worked for Eddie. They could look. There was nothing for them to find. Gunner was handing the phone to Swinger before he remembered the call to the detective. Swinger pulled it out of his hand before he could do or say anything else. He swallowed the lump in his throat, looked at Tammy one more time, and went back into his own room. As soon as he closed the door he said, “Fuck!” out loud.
34
“Swinger, if someone is ratting out this club it’s not Gunner.”
“Tammy, you already know more about club business than I think is appropriate. Randall and I have had more than one talk about that. You need to remember your place. I will handle my club’s business.” Tammy almost had to bite her tongue to keep from retorting. How fucking dare he? She hated this shit, and she was letting herself fall for a guy that wanted to suck her into it for life. Before she met Gunner, she was determined to get away from the lifestyle. Now she was just fucking confused. She looked at Mona, who was obviously not going to be any help, before stepping around Swinger, glaring at 8Ball, and heading toward the great room. “Tammy, stay away from him until I tell you otherwise, okay?” Her first impulse had been to go to Gunner but she knew Swinger would have something to say about it, and that pissed her off. Now that he’d said it out loud, it pissed her off even more. She squared her shoulders and continued on her way.
The great room was crowded. Even with all the other places to hang out on the compound it seemed like everyone wanted to be in the common area. Tammy saw Billy sitting up at the bar. One of the club girls named Joy was practically in his lap. She walked over and made eye contact with Joy first.
“Beat it,” she said. Joy sucked in an indignant breath and Tammy suddenly felt bad. Her emotions were all over the place, and it wasn’t this girl’s fault. Mona’s bringing up Zack had something to do with her rudeness. Zack had been her first love and even though he professed to love her too, he’d had a weakness for club girls he couldn’t shake. That wasn’t Joy’s fault either. She was glad Mona had brought him up, however, because it gave her an idea. “I’m sorry, that was rude. I’m just having a bad day.” Joy looked surprised at the apology but she smiled and said:
“It’s okay, Tammy. How’s your brother?”
Tammy forced a smile. Joy’s being gracious only made her feel worse. “He’s stable, thank you. I just need to talk to Billy for a minute and then you can have him back.” That wasn’t exactly true, as long as Billy agreed to do what she was about to ask of him.
Joy smiled at Tammy and then at Billy before heading over toward the pool tables. Tammy knew that most of the club girls did what they did in the hopes that one of these assholes would make them an old lady someday. She also knew that rarely happened. Most of the guys didn’t care who they fucked, but they damned sure cared who had fucked their old lady. It was another ridiculous double standard that she didn’t want to mull over at the moment.
“I’m sorry about that, Billy.”
“It’s okay. What’s up?”
“Step outside with me?”
“Sure.” They got a few looks as they walked outside but nobody said anything. As they started walking, Tammy talked.
“Gunner’s in trouble.” She told Billy what had happened in the hallway. Billy listened with a crease drawn between his eyebrows, and when she finished talking he stopped walking and said:
“He would never rat. I’ve known him most of his life and even if he can’t stand someone, or the asshole has it coming, he won’t rat.”
“I know. I believe that,” she said. “I hate to say this and you can’t repeat it to anyone…but, I think maybe 8Ball already knows who the snitch is and he wants to pin it on Gunner. If that’s the case, then Gunner needs to get the hell out of here before he finds a way to do that.”
“Okay…”
“You have your phone on you?”
“Yeah.” He pulled it out of his pocket and she started walking again as she rattled off an address in Tennessee and her phone number. “You want me to take Gunner there?”
“No. As soon as we get back inside, I want you to get together whatever you can’t live without. I’m going to get some cash.” No one other than Tommy knew Tammy had the combination to the safe in Randall’s office. Tommy had gotten into it in front of her one night years earlier, after having way too much to drink. Tammy had memorized the combination just in case. “I’ll give it to Louie and have him pass it on to Patty. He’s got the serious hots for her, so I know he’ll help me out to keep her safe. Send me a text right now so I have your number, and I will text you when it’s safe to go. When you get the text, go straight to your car and head out the back way. There’s only one guy at that gate because it’s way off the main road and well hidden. Let Patty drive and have her run the security arm. He’s not going to shoot a woman.”
Billy raised an eyebrow. “You’re sure?”
“Not positive, but I don’t think so. Just tell Patty I’m sure.”
He laughed nervously. “They going to come after us?”
“Not you and Patty, but Gunner and me, yes.”
“What about your family?”
“My brother’s being taken care of in the hospital and my dad is a master of rolling with the punches. When shit settles out here, I’ll come back. But I’m not going to sit by and watch these assholes railroad Gunner.”
“I’m glad to hear that. He means a lot to me.”
“He means a lot to me too, but don’t tell him I said that.”
Twelve hours later Gunner pulled his bike into the driveway of a small, out-of-the-way motel in Arkansas. Tammy pulled up next to him on hers. He could see Billy’s car parked a few spaces down. It was after one a.m. and Gunner’s eyes felt like they were on fire, not just from the long drive, but the long-ass day. He stepped off the bike, and while Tammy went in to register he started peeling off his riding gear and thinking back over the events of the day. He’d been accused by 8Ball, and then Swinger, of being some kind of rat. There was no fucking way he was a rat, especially if it involved hurting Tammy in any way, but when he’d gott
en back to his room he’d convinced himself they’d never take his word for it.
About an hour had passed when Billy knocked on his door and told him Tammy’s plan. He and Patty were going to take off as soon as they got the go-ahead from Tammy. Everything happened so fast after that, Gunner’s head was still spinning. Tammy knocked on his door less than an hour after Billy had, and told him the executives were all locked up in the meeting and they had to go. She took him out the back way and they ran to the shop. Tammy had Gunner wait by the back door of the shop while she flirted with the mechanics and lured them all into the office with cookies she’d brought with her. They ran out when they heard the bikes start but they couldn’t catch them. The guard at the back gate was waiting for them, and fired his gun. Gunner nearly pissed his pants when Tammy pulled out a gun and started shooting back. The man was aiming for Gunner, so she held him off until Gunner was out on the road. He’d never seen anything like her. He was both awed and afraid.
“Got it,” she said now, holding up the room key. “You ready?”
“Yeah, I’m exhausted.”
She smiled wickedly and said, “Really? All this Bonnie and Clyde shit has kind of made me horny.”
Gunner was shaking his head at her when they got to the room. He didn’t think she was serious until they got inside and she pressed her body up against his and licked her lips. He forgot how tired he was when she wrapped her arms up around his neck and pulled him down to her mouth. The second their lips met his brain scrambled, and nothing was going to penetrate it other than the feel of her body grinding against his. He pulled her in tighter; he felt like he couldn’t get close enough. She lit every nerve ending in his body on fire. They licked and sucked on each other’s mouths and tongues and she rubbed herself even harder against him. He groaned and reached down, cupping her jeans-clad ass in his hands and lifting her up off the floor. She wrapped her legs around him and he turned and pressed her back into the wall. She held on tightly with her thighs as they kissed, and he brought one of his hands up and searched underneath her t-shirt for her breasts. He found a nipple and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. She moaned against his mouth and he pulled back out of the kiss and said: