Her stomach lurched again and it felt like someone poured ice water down her spine. “What happened?”
That cold blank Horsemen mask settled over his features. “Shep said Pretty Boy’s in the hospital. After he lit up your still, Beauregard went after the prospect. Burned down his trailer, and then beat the shit out of him.”
He’d told her he’d go after her loved ones, not her. Beauregard had evidently figured out Pretty Boy had been helping her. “Oh, my God. Is he…is he okay?”
“Shep said it’s bad.”
Eddie went to the closet to grab a pair of jeans. “We should go see him!”
Captain shook his head. “There’s nothing we can do tonight and visiting hours are over, but we’ll stop by and see him tomorrow.”
She sat down on the edge of the bed, placed her head in her hands. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have mouthed off to Beauregard. I should have accepted his offer in the first place and saved us all this trouble.”
He knelt at her feet, pried her fingers apart, and made her look at him. “Don’t let him do that. You put the blame where it belongs. On Beauregard.”
Easier said than done. Pretty Boy had paid the price for her defiance and she’d never forgive herself. He was a good kid and he didn’t deserve this. “How the hell are we gonna get out of this?” she asked. “We can’t work with Beauregard. He’s not like us. He’s an animal.”
“I know,” he said grimly. “That’s why he needs to be put down.”
Oh, God. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse. If the club went after Beauregard, it would be a bloodbath.
Captain stood up, pulled her to her feet, and then wrapped his arms tightly around her. She clung to him, staring over his shoulder, watching as Hell burned down around them.
Chapter Fifteen
“Pretty Boy is in the hospital, in stable condition,” Shep announced at the club meeting the next morning.
Captain glanced at his VP. If it was possible, he looked even shittier than usual. He knew Shep took a special interest in the prospect, was protective of him. It must be hard to see the kid suffer such a beat down. The doctors were keeping Pretty Boy for observation and another round of tests. They worried he might have internal bleeding. And the fuckers had torched his trailer. Apparently, Shep was going to let him stay at his house until they figured out a more permanent solution.
“Thank God for that.” Captain glanced around the table. “Once he’s released, we’re gonna take care of him—food, medicine, whatever he needs. We take care of our own.”
The brothers all nodded. It was another club commandment, the expectation to help each other.
“Eddie bought a warehouse on Devil Run Rd. for her moonshine business under a dummy LLC a way’s back, so it can’t be traced back to her or us. I called the lawyer and she’s gonna poke around a bit, discreetly, and see what the feds know. The building is a complete loss,” Captain announced. “As far as I can tell. I only got a glimpse of it from a distance. We’ll have to wait until the heat dies down, to get a better look.”
It had been a long night. Eddie hadn’t slept a wink, she just stood staring out the window, nose pressed against the glass. He’d never felt so useless in his life. Nothing he said comforted her. She’d been devastated by the loss.
Thank God Beauregard hadn't put his hands on her, too. Today, he had a decision to put before the club, but he might have made it for them, if the bootlegger had harmed her.
“What about Beauregard?” Steele asked. “We can’t let this shit slide.”
“That’s what we’re here to talk about today. I want to hear from the group,” Captain said. He’d been leaning towards a scorched earth approach to dealing with Beauregard and he wanted a consensus before they committed to such a deadly action.
“We can’t take him on,” Axel said. “If we go after Beauregard, we’ll come up against the Dixie Mafia too and those guys are stone cold. They’d come after us, our old ladies, the kids. No one would be safe.”
Just thinking about Lex and Eddie in their crosshairs made Captain’s blood curdle. Though, he couldn’t see a peaceful way out of this.
There was a long moment of silence as the brothers took this all in... They’d already taken on the Raptors. Could they handle two assaults on the club at the same time?
Hell would turn into the fuckin’ O.K. Corral.
“There is another solution,” Captain said. “Beauregard wants a partnership. In exchange, and in exchange he’ll help us take on the Raptors.”
A hush settled over the room.
“Fuck it,” Shep said. “I say we go after the dickhead instead, make him sorry he laid hands on our people.”
Steele nodded. “We can’t trust him. What happens when he turns on us and decides to throw in with another MC? And what kind of partnership does he want? That could be anything. Drug running, murder for hire. All kinds of fucked up crap.”
“We’re fucked either way,” Duke said. “Ain’t no way out of this that ends well for the club. So, the decision comes down to which decision lowers the body count. I say we throw in with the Beauregards and eliminate the Raptors. Then, we’ll worry about the Dixie Mafia.”
“I gotta disagree,” Cowboy put in. “We’re settin’ ourselves up for trouble down the road a piece. The Beauregards can’t be trusted.”
Coyote clapped Steele on the shoulder. “I’m with Steele and Cowboy. I say a big no to Voldemort. I ain’t gettin’ the Dark Mark.”
“Whatever the fuck that means,” Steele said.
“It means, maybe you should read a book now and then,” Coyote said dryly.
“Enough!” Captain said, breaking it up. Jesus. Those two were fucking Laurel and Hardy over there. Nothing about this was fucking funny. “I ain’t makin’ a decision today. Let’s all think about it. We’ll meet later in the week to figure it out. Nothin’ we can do until the feds leave anyway.” He banged the gavel, signaling the end of the meeting and they all filed out.
Fuck being president. Whatever decision he made, someone was going to die. The question was, who would he sacrifice?
***
Later that week, Eddie met up with the club’s lawyer for breakfast at Hades to discuss damage control.
Ryker had stepped up and was running Perdition by himself for the next couple of weeks. So far, the ATF and FBI hadn’t come knockin’ on the door, so she’d taken it as a good sign. Looked like she might get out of this without a jail sentence.
Pretty Boy had been released from the hospital, though he was still wounded and weak. She’d stopped by with a stockpile of food and apologized profusely, but he’d said he didn’t blame her for the attack.
But Eddie still blamed herself.
Hades was pretty empty. No townies, just Steele, Voo, and Fetch at the counter. Steele eyed the pretty lawyer, who sipped her coffee while tapping on her tablet.
“I’ve put out a few feelers about the warehouse,” Jane said.
Eddie had barely reached the booth when she started the meeting. She’d expected some preliminaries about the weather, some pleasant greeting at least. But no, the lady lawyer was all business.
“Well, hello to you, too, Ms. Hunter,” she said, holding out a hand. “I’m Eddie Rollins.”
Jane stared at her hand, but didn’t take it. After an uncomfortable moment, she lowered her hand. “I know who you are. Eddie Rollins, the late wife of Joker Rollins. What I don’t know is why you were engaging in illegal behavior while the FBI has been looking for a reason to charge anyone in or associated with the club.”
Under her breath, she counted to ten and reminded herself the lawyer was here to help. “I haven’t gone near the warehouse, since the feds showed up.”
“That’s good news. They’ve been looking for CCTV feeds, talking with locals, searching through records, but they haven’t made any connection to you.”
“The townies don’t want to make an enemy of the club. Even if one of them saw me, they woul
dn’t report it to the authorities.”
“And what about Beauregard?” Her face grew very still. “Is your club is involved with the mafia? Captain denied it, but I need confirmation. Because I should have known up front.”
“No,” Eddie denied. “But they’d like us to be.”
Just then, Steele walked up to the table and he eyed the lawyer up and down like she was a particularly tasty treat. “Mind if I sit down?”
She was about to wave him off, when Jane spoke up.
“Yes, I do. Go away.” She waved her hand in a shooing motion, like she batted away a pesky insect.
Steele stood there in his jeans so tight she could see his religion, scratchin’ at his jaw, mouth agape. He glanced at Eddie as if to say What the fuck?
Women never turned him down. Steele helped himself to heapin’ handfuls of hellions, screwing more than one a night in some cases.
She smothered a laugh. Then, schooled her features into a polite smile. “Honey, we’re in the middle of something, okay?”
“Yeah, okay. No problem.” He ambled over to the counter and Voo burst out laughing.
“Isn’t Beauregard concerned about the feds?” she asked.
“He’s really not,” Eddie said, shaking her head.
“I’d advise you against getting involved with them.”
“Good tip, but he doesn’t seem to be taking no for an answer.”
Jane’s phone rang and she picked it up. “Hunter speaking.” She nodded. “Yes, I understand. Good. Well, actually, that’s great, though not for him, I suppose. For me, it's wonderful. I’ll get started right away, sir.”
“What’s going on?” she asked, unable to help her curiosity.
“I just caught a new case.” She smirked. “Serial killer. You know, the one who’s been killing women in El Paso.”
She couldn’t stop her jaw from hitting the floor. “Yeah, I’ve seen the news reports. He’s killed dozens of women.”
Jane stared at her, studying her features. “You’re…disgusted? Surprised?”
“A bit of both. How can you defend someone like that?”
“This isn’t about guilt or innocence. Not from my perspective. A capital case is a big deal. It’s a career milestone.”
She understood the ambition piece, but Eddie couldn’t help a killer, even if it was her job. Assholes like him made her skin crawl. The way she saw it, there was a right and wrong.
“I’m going to wrap up this case, before I start that one. Don’t worry, I won’t leave the club hanging.”
“Didn’t think you would, honey.” She placed a hand on Jane’s, who flinched, pulling back as though she’d been burned. Jane was a bit of an odd duck, but Eddie thought she was basically good people. “You be careful now. You hear me?”
“Always,” she promised as she grabbed the phone. “I’m gonna give the office a call and see if they can pull together a few files for me. When I get back, we’ll talk about what sort of statement you’ll make to the FBI if they do end up pulling you in for questioning, okay?”
She nodded. “Sounds good.” Jane seemed to be a good lawyer, and she’d haul their asses out of the FBI fire, but she couldn’t protect them from everything. Certainly not Beauregard. Definitely not the Raptors.
Things were going to get ugly. Eddie could feel it.
***
That night, Eddie had snuck away from the house while Captain slept and stood staring at the charred remains of her moonshine business from a safe distance at the end of Devil Run Rd. The scene was still cordoned off with police caution tape.
According to the news, the fire department hadn’t been able to stop the blaze. Parts of the roof had caved in, causing the scorched and pitted concrete walls to buckle. The warehouse was a lost cause, but at least it hadn’t spread to the surrounding area. The fire department had contained it with a dirt barrier and a lot of water.
The wind turned and blew the scent of charred wood mixed with sulfur from the springs. Hellfire and brimstone. She snuggled down in her hoodie, zipping it up against the chill in the air.
Thank God for little miracles.
Just then, flashing headlights down the road came into view. A big rumbling black SUV. Beauregard’s Escalade. Shit. She thought about running, but there was nowhere to go. Beauregard would track her down, anyway, maybe abduct her once more. She might as well face him. Besides, she had a thing or two she’d like to say.
He jumped out of the SUV, wearing another fitted black suit. He looked like he’d stepped off the cover of GQ. Fashionable bastard. “Good evenin’, Eddie.”
“Is it?”
He chuckled. “Well, for me it.” He stood beside her, staring at the wreckage. Byron gave a low whistle. “Damn, that was some fire.” He turned to face her. “I’m so glad you weren’t inside. No telling what could have happened.”
Her nails bit into her palms. “Pretty Boy wasn’t so lucky.”
“I heard about that,” he said airily. “Such a shame. How’s he doing?”
“Fine,” she grated out. He was lucky to be alive, according to the doctors. This man had cost her thousands of dollars, injured one of her own, and threatened her family. And what if he’d gone after her boys? Elizabeth?
“If you touch any of us again, I'll—“
“You'll what?” he asked. “Scold me? I've been polite. Up until now. I’ve made you very generous offers, which you’ve turned down despite my warnings. This all could have been prevented if you had cooperated.”
“Fuck you,” she whispered. Her steel backbone refused to relax. Eddie wouldn’t give in now, she couldn’t. He’d use the connection with her as leverage to force the club into an agreement.
He leered. “Don’t mind if I do, but it won’t solve your problem.” He held out his hand. “Shake on it. Be my partner and I’ll make all of this go away.”
She turned away from him.
“Unfortunately, the terms have changed. I won’t give you a percentage anymore, but I will pay you a generous amount for your recipes. Hell, as a gesture of good will, I’ll even pay for the prospect’s medical bills.”
“The prospect’s name is Pretty Boy,” she said, glaring at him. “He’s a good kid and he didn’t deserve a beating.”
“You’ve got this whole mother lion thing going, don’t you? I appreciate your devotion. But I want you to think on this. What would you do if somethin’ happened to Axel or Ryker?” he asked.
She didn’t mistake the threat in his tone. “Trust me, you don’t want to know. Leave them the hell alone.” Eddie got closer, standing toe to toe with him, not breaking eye contact.
A grin tugged at his lips. “Or what?”
“I’ll kill you, or die trying.” She promised. It wasn’t an idle threat. Eddie had never been particularly bloodthirsty, but it when it came to her sons, all bets were off.
Something like respect sparked in his eyes. “No, the story won’t end like this. I was hopin’ you’d be more cooperative. But if it won’t be? You aren’t much use to me.”
“So what? You’re gonna kill me?”
“I told you. I don’t hurt women. But the ATF might get a real helpful anonymous tip.”
And she’d end up spending her golden years in prison. She’d never see her sons get married, wouldn’t be there to watch her future grandchildren grow up. And Captain. She’d never get to see how far the relationship would go. Somehow, she bet it would go all the way, they might even spend the rest of their lives together, if given the chance.
Eddie had to choose between what was good for the club, or herself. They all put the club’s needs before their own. She might not be a member, but she was invested in the Horsemen. She’d sank both her time and treasure into the club, and she couldn’t let it go without a fight. Yet she couldn’t go to them for help. They’d try to take down Beauregard and then all of her boys would end up in jail or lined up beside Joker at Jackson Cemetery. It was a classic no-win situation.
He smirked. “I can see
your mind is goin’ a mile a minute. But I think you need a bit more time to let soak in. You have a day to make your choice and if you don’t, I’ll make it for you,” he informed her.
Her decision had already been made. But she had twenty-four hours of freedom and she intended to use it. Eddie turned on her heel and walked back to her ride, head held high.
***
The next morning, after receiving an anxious text from Coyote, Captain pulled into the Inferno Firearms parking lot, just in time to see FBI agents hauling computers out the door and shoving them into federal SUVs. Looks like they got everything – laptops, PCs, and even his tablet.
Jane Hunter stood by her car, phone pressed to her ear, probably communicating with her firm. Coyote and Steele were face down on the parking lot with an FBI agent standing over them. Thankfully, they hadn’t pulled that shit with Daisy. She was sitting on a bench outside with an FBI escort. Captain imagined Cowboy going ape shit on the agents if they tried to rough her up, too.
“Are you sure you want to play this game?” Agent Warner asked as he strolled up beside Captain. “I love a good pissing match, but it’s a waste of my time and yours.” The agent pulled out a slip of paper and shoved it in his hands. “Here’s the search warrant for Inferno and all the employees. Or you could save me the trouble and tell me what I want to know.”
“Nah, I’ll let you do this the hard way. Be my guest.” He gestured to the door.
“The cyber division is going to rip apart those hard drives looking for evidence.”
“Oh yeah?” Captain said. “Good luck with that. Let me guess, agent. You’re trying to move up the ranks at the FBI and it’s more difficult than you thought. I mean, this isn’t the FBI’s heyday. You don’t have many high profile successes, with terrorism your successes stay secret and your failures are public.”
The agent scrutinized him with angry blue eyes, arms crossed over his chest.
“That’s why you’re so obsessed,” Captain said. “You want to move up a notch or two and there’s nothing like a RICO case to prove your worth.”
Devil May Care (Four Horsemen MC Book 4) Page 16