by Sam Crescent
“What are you doing?”
He gritted his teeth and stared at her. “What?”
“You’ve got that look in your eye that says you’re onto something and me being the nosy kind of author that I am, I want to know what it is.” She wouldn’t let him go, and before Rage knew what was happening, Penny was in his arms, and they were dancing.
“I’ve got something to do, babe.”
“I know you do, and I guess it’s important, and has something to do with Saint going inside that house.” Penny’s brow was raised as she stared at him.
“Something like that.”
“Rage, there shouldn’t be any fighting here.”
“There won’t be.”
“You can guarantee that?”
“You know I can’t.”
“Thought so, which is why I don’t think you should do this,” Penny said.
“I have to do what Saint says.”
“Do you agree with him?”
“You know I do.”
She paused for a second, and her gaze was on him.
“Yes, I do.”
“Really? Like, really, really?” she asked.
“All of those words in your precious vocabulary and you speak like that?”
She tutted. “I know you don’t trust why we’re here. This could just be a place for us all to hang out. It’s nice to meet other old ladies and not just club whores, hanging around for a good time. They’re nice.”
“You know you can’t have much to do with them when we all leave,” Rage said.
“I can keep in touch.”
“No. That’s not going to happen. You need to understand that.” He cupped her cheek. “This is a one-time deal. Depending on what the Billionaires want, we’re not coming back, Penny.”
She pulled away from him, and he hated it when she did that.
“This isn’t fair.” He watched as she pulled away.
Melissa looked toward him, and her gaze said it clearly. She wasn’t happy with him. It didn’t matter. He had a job to do, and he wasn’t going to sit on his ass and wait to be surprised.
Making his way over toward the Dirty Fuckers MC members that were talking with Russ, Rage listened for a few minutes as one of them told a dirty joke.
His natural instinct was to hold a gun, but seeing as he couldn’t have one here, he kept his hands clenched the entire time. Whatever happened, he wanted to be prepared. The men here were all thinking the same.
“Russ, can I have a word?” he said after the joke had ended.
Russ, still laughing, turned to him and shook his head. “Not going to happen.”
“Excuse me?”
“Look, you can try and lure me in to see Saint all you want. I’m not interested in being threatened, and it’s not going to happen.”
“Just want a word is all.”
All of the MCs had gone quiet as Russ turned toward him.
“No, what you want to do is threaten me. You think I didn’t see Saint heading inside? You think I don’t know what you’re all planning?” Russ asked. He looked past Rage’s shoulder, and against his better judgment, Rage turned to see Whizz, Lash, and Devil standing together. “Your girl is good. With more practice she’ll be amazing. She’s getting through many of the firewalls quite quickly. Those computers don’t have many walls in place. She won’t get anything that I don’t want her to see. She’ll have the information I’ve left for her.” His gaze returned to him. “I’m not a fool, and I won’t be treated like one. As far as I’m concerned, you and your club can leave.”
****
Whizz looked at Lash, who held his arms out. “I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about. I sent Anthony in there to go and get some clues.”
Whizz cursed. Daisy was a loose cannon at the moment, and he didn’t like it. To him it seemed like she’d gone from being a sweet girl to nothing but attitude.
“What are we talking about?” Crow, part of the Chaos Bleeds: Nomad chapter, asked.
“They’ll fill you in. I’ve got to go and deal with my daughter.” Whizz moved away from the group and spotted Lacey on her own near the food table. With the height of summer beaming down on them, all of her glorious ink was on full display for everyone to see. He fucking loved her body, her mind as well.
Actually, he loved everything about her. Even her inability to cook, and to burn everything.
“Babe, what’s up?” she asked, as he came near.
“Daisy’s inside hacking the computers.”
Lacey went pale.
“It’ll be fine. I’m heading inside. I just want you to know.”
“You’re not going to be pissed, are you?”
“The Billionaire Bikers aren’t. They just told the Saints and Sinners to leave. I’ve got to head in though. I don’t want Daisy to push her luck. He’s happy with what she’s broken into so far, but I’m not willing to risk her going deeper.”
“What do you think is wrong with her?”
“She’s turning into a teenager. It’s that time when she wants to be difficult. Don’t all children go through it? Besides, we know she’s had contact with her real family.”
Lacey winced. This, right now was just another reason why he had to control his anger. All he wanted to do was go and fucking kill Daisy’s real parents. They hadn’t given a shit about her in the first place. Far from it. They often left her, and before Lacey and he adopted her, The Skulls were taking care of her.
He loved Daisy like his own. As far as he was concerned, she didn’t have another father, and he would get to the bottom of whatever happened for Daisy to lash out like this.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No. I can handle this.” He cupped Lacey’s cheek. “Try not to burn anything.”
“I’m not in a kitchen, ass.” She smiled as she said it.
Staring into her eyes, Whizz once again was reminded of why he’d fallen in love with her. She had so much fire and passion inside her. Even after everything she’d been through, she still found a reason to love even though hate would have been so much easier for her.
When he dropped a kiss to her lips, she moaned.
“I’ll go and deal with our little girl.”
She chuckled. “Off you go.”
Lacey slapped his ass, but he didn’t stop.
He made his way inside the house, and Russ was there, waiting for him. “You want to send The Skulls off as well?”
“No. I think you’ve got a little star in the making up there, actually. She’s fearless.”
“She’s my daughter, and I won’t let her have anything to do with this.”
“That’s a good answer. The Skulls, you’re known for being all about family, having friendships, building bridges.”
“Your point being?”
“I know there was a time when your club and Chaos Bleeds had no choice but to traffic women. You brought them in, put them in a place to stay, sold them off at auction.”
“We were working for someone else at the time.” It was a time Whizz didn’t wish to remember. It was when both clubs were held down, trapped, manipulated, unable to break free.
“My point is that you didn’t stay held down for long. You didn’t continue to do that kind of work. Not only did you take care of the people responsible for those girls, you hunted down the girls that had been sold, traced them all across the world, and made deals to bring them back.”
“Again, your point?” Whizz asked.
“To many, The Billionaire Bikers MC is a joke. To a lot of men who would like to exploit the vulnerable and weak, we’re a nightmare. Breathing down their neck, constantly waiting for us to strike.” Russ stepped forward. “I know the Saints and Sinners didn’t last our little test, but I want you to know we’re not here for a war, or to start anything. We’re here for a cause.”
With that Russ brushed past him, and Whizz wanted to follow him, but first he had an annoying little girl to take care of. Daisy had to tell him what was bothering her event
ually. Whatever it was, he would find out the truth.
Making his way down the main hall, he ignored everything but the door that Russ had told him to use. He didn’t even knock as he entered the room, and there Daisy was, typing away at a computer. Tabitha, Anthony, and Simon were behind her, watching. The awe on their faces filled him with pride.
Daisy had spent many hours being taught computers by him, and seeing that all that time had paid off, made him happy.
“Tabitha, Simon, Anthony, leave!” He made sure that he didn’t allow his emotions to show. Right now, Daisy didn’t need to see how proud he was.
She needed the stern parent, and as much as he hated being it, that was what she’d get.
****
Daisy had no intention of breaking Whizz’s computer and technology ban. It had been a relief to have an excuse not to use them, and now he stared at her as if she was a stranger. She hated that. She watched her friends leave the room. Whizz closed the door, and she placed her hands within her lap so she wasn’t tempted to keep on typing. The only reason she’d done this was because Anthony couldn’t do it, and Tabitha was right. She’d been doing this longer especially as she’d been learning from Whizz, the best. Besides, as she was working through the Billionaire Bikers’ system, she realized it wasn’t that hard, so whatever they wanted her to see had been left there with ease.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Lash asked Anthony to find something out. He needed my help, and I wanted to help. Not that it was hard to do. They clearly expected someone to do this.”
Whizz stared at her and shook his head. “You should have come to me.”
“Why? I could do this. It’s only a small network, and like I said, they left it easily for anyone to get through.”
“Damn it, Daisy. I don’t care that it was easy or that it was left for you to find. This is not something that can be done overnight, okay? Do you even understand the ramifications of what could happen?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re on another club’s turf. Even if they don’t own this house, we’ve been invited onto their patch of soil. What you’re doing, it’s not right. Not by a long shot.” Whizz paced up and down. “We don’t know the full impact of what the Billionaires can do. Being a hacker and computer whizz comes with a great deal of respect. A respect to know what the fuck you’re doing.”
“You said they were all a joke.”
“Because they’re not a real club but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own methods. Just because they’re not traditional doesn’t mean they don’t know how to deal with a threat. You’re on someone else’s land. They’ve got money, more than you or I can dream about. What if they press charges? What if you end up in a youth detention facility? Stealing money is an offense. Hacking computer files is an offense. There are real consequences for what you do, Daisy. Not everything can be pushed aside.”
She felt tears fill her eyes.
Part of her had hoped that they would take care of the man who had called himself her father. It was moments like these that she really wished she was Whizz and Lacey’s little girl.
Wiping at her eyes, she looked at Whizz. She kept brushing away her tears, not wanting Whizz to think she was using them to try to get out of being punished or stop him from shouting at her; far from it.
“I wanted to help. I thought I was helping.” She bit her lip and shook her head.
“What’s going on with you, Daisy? I don’t get it. You don’t want me or Lacey to be your parents, is that it?”
“No.” She shook her head. “No, that’s not it.”
“Then you’re going to have to start talking to me because I’m drawing a blank. Why would you steal money for a man you claim is not your father? Why?”
Daisy stared at him.
If you tell anyone I will hurt them.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Yes, you can.”
“He’ll hurt you, Whizz. He said that he’ll hurt you all, and I don’t want any of you to be hurt.” She hated feeling weak.
Even at school, Tabitha took care of the bullies as Daisy hated confrontation. Just the sight of someone spewing anger and hatred made her sick to her stomach.
Whizz stepped up toward her, crouching down. “No one, and I mean no one, is ever going to hurt you again, I promise you that. No one.” He tucked some hair behind her ear. “Now, tell me, Daisy. What did he say?”
She took a deep breath and told him everything. That he claimed to have files on all of them. That he had evidence that would put them all in prison. How she’d been afraid that it would happen, and she didn’t want anything like that. She loved both Lacey and Whizz and still called them Mom and Dad.
Afterward, she felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and as Whizz pulled her into his arms, she breathed just a little easier.
“I’m going to take care of him. Lash and I will deal with him. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“You should have a little more faith in your old man, Daisy. Whatever he’s got on us, we’ll handle. Don’t ever do anything like that for him again. He comes near you—he won’t by the time I’m finished with him—but if he does, come back to me. Walk away. It’s not worth being blackmailed. Now, get out of here. Go and enjoy the party. You deserve it.”
“I really am sorry, Dad.”
“I know. Go on, honey.”
Leaving the room, she was surprised to see Anthony standing outside the door. He always seemed to be waiting for her.
“You didn’t join the party?”
“I came with you, I’ll leave with you. You look happier. Whizz didn’t do anything, did he?”
“What? You mean like put me over his knee and spank me?” she asked.
Tabitha burst out laughing, and Daisy smiled to see her best friend and Simon sitting on of the chairs. Simon was sitting on the chair, Tabitha perched on his knee. “If he won’t spank Lacey and she is, like, in trouble all the time, I think it’s safe to say you’re never going to get a spank.”
“I don’t want to think about Mom and Dad spanking each other,” Daisy said.
Anthony took her hand. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. Honestly, I’m fine.” She tucked some hair behind her ear, feeling more herself than she had in a long time. Maybe this trip was a good thing. At least to her it had been. She wasn’t sure about everyone else. It had become a rather tense event. “How much did you hear?”
“Nothing. Whizz shut the door, and we couldn’t hear a word of it.”
“That’s good. Everything is fine. Let’s go out and enjoy the party, or what’s left of it.”
Anthony kept hold of her, and she didn’t try to pull away.
It would all be all right. She was sure of it.
Chapter Eight
“You think that was a wise move sending the Saints and Sinners MC off?” Lewis Cox asked.
He’d been watching the garden and each of the MCs to see what would happen. The Saints and Sinners had been the only club to pose a threat so far. Lewis wasn’t an idiot though. He knew without a doubt that one of the clubs would try something. Putting all of these men in one place was a high risk, no matter what.
“They won’t be back,” Russ said.
They stood at the front of the house watching the bikes as they took off.
Lewis wasn’t upset to have lost that club. They didn’t have the best reputation for their cause, and he’d not wanted to extend the invitation either, but that was why Russ was the leader, and he wasn’t.
“You’re not worried about retaliation?”
“Why would they retaliate?” Russ asked. “I’ve just deposited a million into their club’s main account as a thank-you for participating today. This was part of our agreement, remember? Any club that doesn’t agree to our terms or our deal, we’ll pay them. It’ll stop any kind of revenge or anger.”
&n
bsp; “Money doesn’t pay for everything, Russ. What if they want more?”
“They won’t. You think I sent just anyone an invitation?”
“It certainly seems that way.”
“Lewis, there are a lot of MCs around. All over the States, England, Europe, everywhere. They are not just in one place. I could have had over a thousand groups here. Six, seven, maybe even twenty thousand men all here, all willing to listen. It wouldn’t have even put a dent in my fortune to pay them all. I have five clubs. Each of them brought six or seven men apiece. I only contacted the clubs that I knew would be willing to listen. Saints and Sinners, they were always a risk. I didn’t know if they had changed enough for what we were hoping for. Clearly, they hadn’t.”
“All of these clubs went through a selection process?” Lewis asked, pointing at the mix of bikes and cars.
“Yes. I made sure that anyone here today would be willing to listen, to think about, to even consider what we want and need.”
Lewis nodded. “Okay.”
“I would never put anyone in any danger. I hope you’re aware of that.”
“I know what you’re capable of, Russ. I know you wouldn’t hurt someone.” Lewis ran fingers through his hair. It had been a couple of months since they had found any new solid lead. He wanted to assume that they had stopped the trade of female flesh, but he knew there was no chance of ever stopping it.
The only problem with taking out leads was they eventually dried up, and it could go weeks, months, or even years before a new one started up. But he knew a new one would start up.
Traffickers were like a disease. No matter how much he changed the conditions they always found a way of cropping up, multiplying, and he hated the bastards that did it. To Lewis, they were scum, as bad as rapists and child abusers. Anyone who controlled those with power and fear, he despised.
He made his way back through the main house. All of the members of the Billionaire Bikers MC had paid a small fortune to rent this place for the entire summer. Their own places were in secure locations, and because they were reaching out to potential threats and risked exposure, renting a place seemed the most logical. The cost was all pocket change in the scheme of things.