by K E Osborn
Chapter Twenty-Two
It’s nearly lunch time and I’m hanging out for something to eat. Skye’s chatting to Aimie about something, leaving me to fend for myself. Which normally is fine, but today, after last night with Papi, I’m feeling a bit deflated. I’m wondering where I actually sit in all of this. I feel like stepping into the bad guy role is turning out to be a little harder than I thought it’d be. Watching an innocent self-destruct in front of my eyes. is not something I’m used to especially when it’s my doing.
I’m sitting at the bar waiting for Acid to come over and take my order for Boiler, when my phone alerts me to a message. It’s a particular message tone, so I know it’s from Hudson, my best friend and handler. Pulling out my phone, I swipe the screen typing in the four digit pin code and open up the text casually glancing around to make sure no one is nearby to oversee.
Hudson: Adam, it’s been ages since you reported in. I’m worried. I haven’t heard from you at all. Please tell me you’re okay? I want to meet at the usual place? 12:30?
Looking up at the clock above the bar, I see it’s now quarter past twelve. He’s basically telling me to leave now. Taking a long breath, I crack my neck to the side. I’ve been doing this whole biker thing for a while now, I was starting to forget I was actually working. I type in a reply.
Me: I’m fine. Sorry just been caught up in the club. I’ll be at the usual place in fifteen.
Hitting send as my stomach growls, I meander outside forgoing my bloody burger to meet with Hudson. It’s not that I don’t want to see my best friend, it’s just that the lines are blurred for me, and Hudson is the one person who can always see right through me. If he can spot I’m having doubts about turning on the club, he’ll pull me from the sting and I’m not ready to leave my brothers yet.
I figure I better let Sentinel in on what’s going down, he’s been so out of the loop lately he doesn’t even feel like he’s in my life anymore. Which is strange, considering he was my partner in the field for six years before we came in here. I spent more time with him than I did with Hannah and the kids, and now I hardly see him. No wonder he’s so wound up about this whole situation.
Making my way to the gate, I get to the post and climb the lookout steps to the top to see Sentinel glancing over at me, then back out to the road like he doesn’t give two shits about me even being here. Like I said, he’s wound up.
“Now, don’t be like that. I know I’m not around you much—”
“At all!” Sentinel Interrupts.
“Okay, I know we’re apart a lot and it’s hard for you, but I’m getting a lot of intel being on the inside.”
“Yeah? And just how inside are you Adam? Aren’t you a little too invested in these arseholes?”
Furrowing my brows, I jerk my head back in shock. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
It means you’re in too deep, you’re a cop first Adam. You’re not even a real biker! You’d do well to remember that!”
Huffing, I clench my jaw tight. “Well, I have a meet with Hudson in fifteen. I’m leaving now, that’s what I came here to tell you. Not to get a fucking lecture.”
“Well, it’s about time you reported in. You’re slacking off on this Adam. Remember who you are, and remember why you’re doing this.”
My mind flicks to Hannah and my three kids, and a stab permeates my chest so sharply it takes my breath away.
“I know,” I whisper and turn to start the climb down from the post to get away from him as quickly as possible.
My chest is aching and my head’s a mess. After Papi last night, and seeing Sentinel so annoyed, I wonder if I am getting in too deep. Making my way over to my Hog, I slam my lid onto my head and climb on. Starting the engine the vibration between my legs calms my nerves slightly, but the eerie sensation of being watched washes over me. Glancing all over the compound, I can’t see anyone so I shrug it off and pull out toward the gate. Sentinel opens it up for me, and I peer up at him and he doesn’t even look at me as I ride through.
Taking a deep breath, I hammer down and make my way to Amor, my cousin Noah’s bar.
Sitting down on a stool, Noah slides over a stein of beer, just as the phone rings. He rushes off to the back room to answer it. Swiveling on the stool, I turn to see Hudson pull up on his Harley. Standing up, I swallow hard, trying to calm my nerves. Why I’m nervous, I’m not sure. My head is all over the place as he walks in with a giant smile and pulls me to him in a man hug.
We pull apart and he looks down at my cut and smirks. “How’s it going at the club?”
“Fine, it really isn’t as bad as we thought it would be.”
Hudson shakes his head and sighs.
“How’s it going with Cassie?” I ask trying to change the conversation.
“She’s still trying to get us back together, it’s a nightmare really.”
“Sorry to hear that, brother.”
Hudson jolts his head back and winces. “Brother? You’re talking like them now?”
I huff and slump my body. “You have to speak like them to fit in, Hudson.”
“Okay, sorry, this is hard for me, you know that. Watching my best mate acting like one of them—”
“You make them sound like they’re a different species, Hudson. Honestly, they’re not all bad guys.”
He nods and huffs. “Are you okay to continue in this sting, Donovan?”
Tensing up, anger surges through me. “I’m fine, Stone, just let me do my damn job.”
“Then how ‘bout you do your fucking job? Give me something to work with Adam? The last lot of intel you gave us led to stings that didn’t eventuate. We showed up… twice, to empty warehouses.”
I slump my body. “I know. I don’t know why, but once we were on the road to go to the meets, Mad Dog changed direction and the meet location was changed. I had no idea until I was on my way riding to the meet. There was no way to inform you guys of the change in locay.”
He furrows his brows. “Why did he change the locay?”
“Because of the Ingratos. Who they’ve wiped out by the way—”
“What!”
“Hey! It’s one less gang on the streets, right?”
Hudson opens his eyes wide and scoffs. “Are you hearing yourself?”
Rolling my eyes, I swallow hard. “Let me finish. Mad Dog was changing the locations because of them. He thought they were keeping tabs on us, somehow finding the locations of our meets. So Mad Dog changed the locay to stop them from showing up. He had a prospect stay at the original site, where you and Chief Thomas turned up, and he took photos of you all.”
Hudson rubs his mouth and nods as I continue, “Mad Dog knows the cops were there… at both meets… but he thinks the Ingratos called you, not that it’s an inside leak.”
“Are you sure you and Barringer aren’t compromised?”
I shake my head. “No, we’re fine.”
“Good, keep it that way. Anything else?”
“Yes, the Cartel are hitting on the Savages. So Mad Dog is looking into civilians to store and distribute their E tablets. They have two guys onboard so far. One called Jonah, that’s all I know about him. But the other… his name is Carlos, goes by Papi, and works at Cupiditas on the esplanade. Watch him.”
Hudson nods and smiles. “Okay, this is much better info. Thank you, Adam.”
“Yeah, well it’s my job, right?”
“Yeah… right!”
Rubbing the back of my neck, I tense up slightly at the thought of my next question. “Hey… ah… have you seen Hannah and the kids?”
Hudson winces and nods.
“Yeah, I check in on her from time to time. Told her you’re deep undercover, but you’ll contact her when it’s safe.”
Pain radiates through my chest at the thought of my family—I miss them.
“I want to, I miss her. She’s always been my light, you know? But I don’t want to put her in danger, and I need her to move on. I… think… I am...”
Hudson raises an eyebrow and smirks. “You’ve met someone?”
I nod. “Yeah, she’s great. Just what I need right now.”
Hudson opens his eyes wide and exhales. “Wow man! I really thought you only had eyes for Hannah. I gotta say I’m a little shocked.”
“You and me both, brother.”
Hudson winces and I frown. “Sorry, force of habit.”
“Mmm… I just want to see you happy and, to be honest Adam, you look like shit. If the Savages are shifting their distribution methods, we need to move with them. We have to get thorough intel to bring every brother down.”
“Right, well, hopefully, it won’t take too much longer. I don’t know how long I can keep this double life up for.”
“It will come together soon, just keep giving us the inside intel and we’ll bring them down Adam, you and me.”
Clenching my jaw, I nod and take a long gulp of my beer. Hudson’s phone rings and he pulls it from his pocket then looks at the screen as I internally kick myself.
“It’s the Chief. I gotta report this in. Check in soon… I miss you, mate.”
“I miss you, too,” I admit.
Hudson leans in giving me a quick man hug and slap on the back then answers the phone and walks out of the bar. I swivel on the stool and place my head in my hands, as I think about what the hell I’m going to do. I don’t want to give up my brothers, but I don’t see a way out of this. If I stick by my brothers, I go down with them. If I rat on them, I lose all the brothers I’ve grown to love.
I’m fucked either way.
After downing my beer and catching up with Noah, I ride back to the clubhouse. All the way back I’ve had that same feeling. My hairs have been standing on end and my skin littered in goosebumps. That horrible feeling when you feel like someone’s been tailing you. So I pull into the gates and park my ride. Pulling off my lid, I sit and wait. If someone is tailing me, they’ll come in after me for sure.
My stomach is churning and my heart racing as something just feels off, but nothing is happening. Shaking my head, I hop off my beast and start to walk inside when the faint roar of a bike engine hums through the air. Turning back, I stop and wait to see Acid riding through the gate. Clenching my jaw tight, I ball my hands into fists and storm up to him as he duck walks his Hog into his prospect park.
He gets off and I glare at him grabbing his collar and shaking him roughly, getting right in his face. “Where have you been?”
He stiffens standing tall and bares his teeth at me in his usual stupid manner that he does. “Let. Me. Go!”
“Where have you been?” I shake him again for emphasis.
“Visiting my mother in the hospital. She’s sick with breast cancer, you arse.”
I relax slightly and flare my nostrils in annoyance. “You weren’t following me?”
Acid jerks his head back in surprise and shakes his head. “No, should I have been?”
“No. Forget this even happened.” I shove him free and he stumbles on the spot like the little weasel that he is, and he turns walking off mumbling to himself about me being crazy.
Shaking my head as I turn to walk inside, Sentinel steps up and looks at me raising an eyebrow. “What was that about?”
“I had a weird feeling while I was out like someone’s watching me.”
He shakes his head. “You’re getting paranoid.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Let’s hope so.” Turning, I walk off back toward the clubhouse.
Pulling back the heavy black door, my stomach is churning and I feel all out of sorts. My head is one fucked up mess right now. Maybe I am paranoid, maybe I’m not. Either way, things are feeling weird. I’m starting to think about things I haven’t in a while. Hannah is back on my mind after seeing Star and Papi together, and I can’t help but think of her and the kids right now. I wonder what they’re doing. How they are. Fuck, I miss them.
My feet thump like heavy bricks of concrete on the ground as I storm inside the clubhouse. I need another beer, I need something to help me unwind. Someone grabs hold of my arm and I flinch as I look up to see Skye smiling at me. She leans in pressing her lips to mine, and instead of feeling excited and my cock twitching like normal, I just feel weird after thinking about Hannah. So I pull back from her advances and turn slightly wrapping my arm around her shoulders, starting to walk us to sit down at a table.
“You okay?” she asks raising an eyebrow.
Taking a deep breath, I nod. “Yeah, just… having a strange day.” I sit down and she tries to sit on my lap, but instead, I shift her off to sit down next to me. She furrows her brows assessing me, as I run my hand over the back of my neck. She chews on her bottom lip taking a deep breath.
“Okay, so umm… my brother called me today.”
Turning to look at her, I fake a smile. “He did?”
She nods. “Yeah, he wants me to go and visit.”
My chest starts to ache again at the thought of her leaving for any amount of time.
What the hell.
I’m so fucked up.
“That would be good for you, I know you miss him.”
She smiles twirling some hair around her finger nervously. “Yeah, I do.”
Looking at her she’s so beautiful, and it makes me wonder why she’s chosen this life when there’s so much out there waiting for her. “Why are you here? Why are you a club girl? You could do so much more with your life. You’re smart and beautiful, you could be anything.”
She winces and looks at me furrowing her brows. “Are you okay?”
I exhale and nod reaching out grabbing her and pulling her to me. “Yeah, fine gorgeous, just like I said, having a weird day.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
I chuckle. “Nope.”
She giggles and nods. “Okay, beer it is.”
Mad Dog walks in huffing, his face bright red and his posture stiff as he picks up a chair and flings it across the room narrowly missing Crash. “Fucking Cartel getting to Jonah, fucking motherfuckers!”
Jonah is another lackey that Techie had found yesterday, I don’t know much about him.
“Motherfuckers killed him, and took all our eccy he was storing!” Mad Dog says picking up a beer stein and smashing it against the concrete floor, the glass splinters into tiny fragments and beer splatters all over the floor.
Mad Dog storms up to Techie and stands an inch in front of his face staring him straight in the eyes. “Why wasn’t your guy secure?”
Techie shrugs. “It’s not my fault the Cartel found him.”
Mad Dog balls his fists at his sides and leans forward headbutting Techie right in the forehead making his glasses fall to the floor. He steps backward hunching over and Mad Dog rushes forward punching him in the stomach. Techie falls to his knees as Mad Dog moves back and brings his leg up to the side, kicking Techie in the stomach, making him jolt back falling flat on his back on the floor. Techie groans out in pain. As I rush over to help him, Jigsaw pulls Mad Dog back even though he’s still trying to get at Techie.
“You’re useless, Techie. Can’t send a useless boy to do a fucking man’s job can I?”
Techie breathes harshly out of his mouth. As I grab his arm and help him to his feet, he holds onto his stomach with his other hand breathing loudly out of his nose. I pat his back and glance at his pale face. “You okay, brother?”
He nods, flinching and pulling away from my grip on him, bends down picking up his glasses and goes to walk off. “I’ve had just about enough of this shit.”
He storms off down the hall as I turn back to see Jigsaw dragging Mad Dog into the assembly room.
Tensions are high in the club.
The Cartel are making things difficult
And Mad Dog is melting down.
Maybe it is a good thing to be bringing the club to its knees soon?
Everyone starts to go about their business and I take a seat at the bar. Acid glares at me, but pours a beer and slides it over. I start drinking when Mad Dog storms
out yet again.
“I want eyes on Papi. We need him kept alive. I want him followed to and from work. I want details on the place he works? Their profit margins, and who owns the whorehouse? My bet is Papi will store the drugs there, so we need to know everything about Cupiditas.”
“Um, Techie is probably the guy for that,” Crash responds.
“Then get him on it, Crash, or do I need to knock some sense into you, too?” Mad Dog yells.
Crash shakes his head and swallows hard. “No Prez, I’ll go tell him now.”
Crash walks off down the hall toward Techie’s room, and in a way, I feel better knowing we’ll be tailing Papi. It means he’ll be safe from the Cartel. Let’s just hope he’s safe from Mad Dog.
Chapter Twenty-Three
It’s getting close to me hitting the hay after yesterday’s kerfuffle with Mad Dog and Techie. The club seems to be on tenterhooks with everyone keeping to themselves today, and the whole place seemingly more quiet than usual. Something is brewing in this club, things are changing, and stuff’s going on behind the scenes. I have no idea what’s bubbling away on the surface, but Mad Dog is certainly not taking any crap and definitely not going to lie down on this Cartel business without a fight.
Walking down from my room to the clubroom to grab a bottle of water, I notice Lookout, Techie, Crash, Behemoth and Jigsaw are all sitting around talking in hushed voices. Wondering what the fuck is going on, I meander over to them and they all stop talking and look up as I approach.
Techie nods at me and tilts his head to the free seat to his left. “Sit down, Stealth. I’m glad you’re here we wanted to include you in on this.”
They all look very serious and I furrow my brows taking the seat and sitting forward joining their conversation. “What’s going on?”