I looked over at the same kids throwing the Frisbee around. “Remember those carefree days, Prez?”
Mason leaned against the tree trunk with me and watched the kids scream and run around. “When I was a kid, my father put me to work everyday at the construction site. I don't think I've ever experienced a carefree day. That's actually why I need to talk to you.”
I shifted towards him and tuned out all the other noise. “What's up, Mason?”
The wrinkles on his face showed off his age. Mason had seen a lot as President of the Black Widow MC. As Vice-President, it was my duty to second-guess him and offer alternative solutions. But that didn't happen often with Mason. He always made the right decision.
Mason stared off into the distance. “I've been doing this a long time, Caleb. Way too long. I started the Black Widow MC with my friends to escape my father. Now all those friends are either dead or moved on. I'm the only one left of the originals.”
I didn't like where he was heading. The somber tone of his voice and the sadness in his eyes. He had been thinking about this for a long time.
“It's time I hang up my hat, Caleb. I want to know what a carefree day is like. I can't be the Black Widow President anymore.”
All the blood drained from my face. Everything was going to fall apart without him. The end of an era. How could we go on? “But you can't quit, Mason. Black Widow is in your blood.”
“And it always will be.” Mason grit his teeth and took a deep breath to keep from crying. “I'm recommending you become the new President.”
My jaw dropped to the floor. I never even dreamed of becoming President. I always pictured Mason leading us into battle and us coming home victorious. There was no way I could do his job. “I don't know if I'm ready for that, Mason.”
Mason put both hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. “You're ready. You've been ready for years. The MC needs someone who is smart and strong. Someone who can carry them through the tough times. That someone is you, Caleb.”
I gulped and nodded. I couldn't believe this was happening. My whole life was about to change. Could I really lead the Black Widows?
Mason wiped off my leather cut. “We can make the transition official later. Enjoy the day and I'll see you back at the clubhouse.”
I grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. “Thank you so much.” There was so much more I wanted to tell him. How he was my hero and a father to me. But I couldn't get the words out.
Slade walked up to us. “Sorry to interrupt but we have a small problem.”
Mason winked at me. “Good luck,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets and strolling away, whistling a tune.
Slade looked confused. “Where's he going?”
“What's the small problem?” I asked.
Slade turned my head and pointed off to the far edge of the park at a gaunt man dressed in rags, smoking on a cigarette. He didn't even have to tell me who it was—Lil' Johnny was unforgettable. He was never supposed to set foot back in Sacks County.
“Let's go take care of this,” I said.
Slade smiled and cracked his knuckles.
“But quietly,” I added.
Slade nodded and we walked a wide arc around the park until we came up behind Lil' Johnny.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him.
Lil' Johnny spun around and almost swallowed his cigarette when he saw me. “Oh Caleb, I've been looking all over for you.”
Slade came between us and drove his fist into Johnny's stomach. The frail man doubled over and coughed up a lung. We carried him to the men's bathroom and Slade punched him one more time while I checked that all the stalls were clear.
I grabbed Johnny's hair and pulled his head back. “What are you doing here, Johnny? We told you if you ever set foot in Sacks County again, we'd put your head on a pike.”
Lil' Johnny continued to cough, trying to catch his breath.
I pulled my G20 Glock from behind my waistband and waved it in front of Johnny's face. “I'm not a very patient man, Johnny.” Slade nodded in agreement.
“I have some information for you,” he choked out, whimpering at the sight of the gun.
“What could you possibly know?”
Lil' Johnny's eyes darted left and right. “I heard something about The Death Merchants MC.”
My curiosity was piqued. The Death Merchants MC were the Mexicans who ran the east side of town. The Blacks owned the middle and acted like a barrier to the Mexicans. We rarely had to deal with them. “Tell us what you know or else I'll let Slade loose.”
Slade lifted Johnny to his feet and let him go. He held his side and began, “I was minding my own business when I heard two Mexicans talking about arming up. I followed them and listened in on their conversation. They're arming up to finally take out the Black Widow MC so they can rule the west.”
I kicked Lil' Johnny in the shin and he fell to the ground, groaning and holding his leg. “Why should we believe a bullshit story like that? Especially when it's coming from you.” I put the tip of my pistol against his temple. “Give me one good reason I shouldn't pull the trigger.”
Johnny was pissing himself and tears streamed down his face. This happened way too often. At least we were in a bathroom already. “I'm telling the truth, Caleb. I swear it.”
Lil' Johnny was the scum of the earth but he wouldn't be able to come up with a lie like that on his own. I pulled the gun away and holstered it back behind my back. “Slade, try and contact our Black brothers and see if his story checks out.”
Johnny got on his knees, his pants soaking in piss. “Does this mean I can stay in Sacks County?”
“For now. But if we find out you're lying. There's worse things we could do than killing you.”
Lil' Johnny's eyes widened and he bent down and kissed my boots. “Thank you so much, Caleb.”
I kicked him away and left the bathroom with Slade. “You really think he's telling the truth?” Slade asked.
“Probably not but we need to know for sure. If the Mexicans want war, we'll give em' one.”
Chapter Two
Emily
The video cameras and a room full of reporters made me nervous as I stood on stage next to Sheriff Mendoza. I'd never done a press conference before and I had a true fear of public speaking. My palms always got sweaty and my hands would shake uncontrollably. The moment I opened my mouth, everyone would laugh me straight out of town.
Sheriff Mendoza continued his speech as the cameras flashed. “It's with a heavy heart that I retire today as Sheriff of Sacks County. I have put in over twenty years trying to make this town safe. I hope I did enough to make a difference.” The crowd clapped and cheered. “I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect replacement and I finally found her. I want to introduce you to your new Sheriff, Emily White.”
I put on my best fake smile and shook Mendoza's hand. His face twitched for a microsecond as he felt all the sweat on my palm. I took the podium and the crowd silenced. I unfolded a piece of paper that had my speech written on it. “Good afternoon,” I announced to the crowd.
I looked over my writing and realized that nobody wanted to hear about my ten-point agenda for cleaning up this town. That would come later. For now, I needed to keep it short and sweet. “I think Sheriff Mendoza deserves one more round of applause for all his service.” I waited for the clapping to cease. My heart was beating at a mile a minute, my ankles trembling in my boots. I took a deep breath and continued, “I hope I could be half as good as Sheriff Mendoza was. If you can give me a chance, I know it in my heart that I can make this city safe. Thank you and I hope to meet all of you soon.”
The applause was sparse and quiet. I exited the stage and almost felt like I was going to collapse. Hopefully I'd never have to do that again.
“You did great up there, Sheriff White,” Mendoza said.
Sheriff White. I liked the sound of that. “So what now?” I asked him.
“Let's get you settled at the stat
ion and you can meet everyone. I'd like to get everything squared away as soon as possible. My wife and I have a trip planned to Maui.”
“That sounds very relaxing.”
“It better be. I'm going to lay on the beach and drink for two weeks straight.”
I chuckled and followed Mendoza to a black-and-white police car. We drove down Main Street, passing by rows of family-owned businesses. This town had a lot of charm and was exactly what I needed after working with the LAPD for so long. Some would say that a Sheriff of a small town was a demotion but I thought it was much needed after the horrors of Los Angeles.
A serial killer of children was loose on the streets and we were hunting him for months without any luck. Finding pieces of these kids was hard to live with. The last kidnapping was the worst. We knew we only had twenty-four hours before the kid was dead. With the help of the FBI we were finally able to track the killer to a shipping container on the docks. We thought we had made it in time. But the kid was already dead, his throat slit just ten minutes before we got there. If only we were sooner...
Mendoza and I arrived at the station and he introduced me to a lot of the officers. The station was made up entirely of men and they didn't look too keen on a woman becoming their new boss. Tough shit. They'd have to deal with my wrath if they couldn't handle it.
“And here's your office,” Mendoza announced, opening the door to what looked like a broom closet. My new office was small and narrow with a tiny window on the far wall overlooking the parking lot. The desk looked like it barely fit and there was only room for one chair. “I know it's not much but you wont be spending much time in here anyways.”
Mendoza was probably right. I set my box of stuff on the desk and began unpacking. Framed pictures of my mom and dad and my lucky pen was all I really brought. And I'm glad I packed light because I wouldn't be able to fit anymore in here.
“Can I give you some advice?” Mendoza asked, sitting down in the chair opposite of the desk.
“Of course,” I replied taking my seat. The chair was comfy and I leaned back, enjoying the thought of being in charge of this town.
Mendoza scratched his dark bushy mustache. “I don't know how things were run in Los Angeles but here in Sacks, things are a little different.” I nodded and waited for him to continue. “We like to say that we control this town but in reality it's the MC's.”
“You let the motorcycle clubs do whatever they want?”
Mendoza shook his head. “Not exactly. It's just that over the years the one thing I learned was not to fight them and instead, work with them. The less blood on our streets the better. There are rumors flying that the Mexicans are prepping for a war. That could be really bad for Sacks County and the surrounding areas.”
“You don't have to worry. I'll set up meetings with the heads of the MC's and get it all sorted out. In LA, I worked alongside gangs all the time. I know how to play the game.”
Mendoza stood up and I copied him. “Then I chose the right woman for the job. Good luck with everything Sheriff White.” I shook his hand. “I left my number for you on the desk. If you ever need help, you can call me night or day.”
I smiled. “I really appreciate it and I won't let you down.” Mendoza closed the door behind him and I sunk back into my seat. I looked out the window and watched as the cop cars drove in and out. I pulled my brown hair out of a ponytail and brushed it.
The door to my office opened and an officer with almost no hair left on top came in. “So the rumors are true, Mendoza hired a woman to become Sheriff.”
The rage boiled in my veins. Just ignore him, Emily, he's small-town potatoes. I put my hair back into a ponytail. “I don't believe we've met, I'm Sheriff White.” I outstretched my hand and he ignored it. The name Johnson was engraved on the nameplate on his left breast.
He eyed me up and down like a piece of meat, staring at my breasts for way too long.“You really think you have what it takes to become Sheriff here?”
I cocked my head to the side. “Why? You think just because I'm a woman, I can't be a leader.” This wasn't new to me. I'd seen plenty of his type back at the LAPD. Men didn't think women were good enough to be cops. I had proved them wrong in Los Angeles and I'd prove them wrong here.
“Oh I know a woman can't be Sheriff. All your good for is bending over and taking it from a man. I bet you've never been fucked a day in your life.” Johnson licked his lips. “I can show you a really—”
“I'm going to stop you right there,” I interrupted. “Give me your badge and gun. You're suspended.”
Johnson's eyes lit up with defiance. “What the fuck! Who the hell do you think you are? You can't suspend me for hitting on you. You should be glad I gave you a compliment.”
I stood up and steeled myself. I wasn't going to let anyone push me around—especially a womanizing prick like Johnson. “Put your badge and gun on the desk now before I fire your ass.”
Johnson stared at me with a fiery expression. If he was hoping that his anger would change my mind, he was about to be sorely disappointed.
“Fucking bitch,” he murmured, unholstering his pistol and setting it down along with his badge.
I sighed and sat back down. “You can return to duty when you apologize to me.”
Johnson stormed out of my office, cursing to nobody. I'd do the same to anyone else that crossed me. I had to show the precinct that I didn't play games. If you treated me fairly, I'd return the same. But if you disrespected me, I'd bite back like a king cobra.
First things first—making contact with the two major MC's. I pulled out a folder from my briefcase that detailed the three motorcycle clubs from Sacks County. The Black Widows and Death Merchants were the ones to be worried about. The Blacks in the Fires of Hell weren't big enough to worry about. I needed to meet the leaders and somehow get them to form a truce. If what Mendoza said was true, a war could devastate this town.
I ducked my head out of my office and pulled in the closest officer. “What's your name?” I asked him.
He shivered in his boots as I sat back down on my desk. The skinny and frail man saluted me. His uniform immaculate and straight. “Moore, sir.” He quickly shook his head, sweat pouring down his forehead. “I mean miss.”
A tiny laugh escaped my lips. “At ease soldier, this isn't the army.”
Moore removed his hand from his head and rested it at his side. He still stood at attention though. Moore was the exact opposite of Johnson. What was he so scared of?
I looked over the files of the MC's. “Moore, you seem like a trustworthy guy.”
He nodded and grinned. “Yes, ma'am.”
“You can just call me, Sheriff.”
“Yes, Miss Sheriff.”
It was going to be a lot harder than I thought to get everyone on board for a female sheriff. “Moore, I have a big job for you to do. Do you think you can handle it?”
Moore gulped. “Well Sheriff Mendoza mostly kept me inside the station. Told me I'd do more harm out there than good.”
“Well there's a new sheriff in town and I need you to go out and set a meeting with the heads of the Black Widow MC and The Death Merchants MC for tomorrow morning. Do you think you can get that done?”
The blood drained from his face. Moore swayed back and forth, ready to pass out. Maybe I picked the wrong officer. Moore took a deep breath. “It would be my honor, Miss Sheriff.”
Moore saluted me again and I couldn't help but salute him back. “Dismissed, soldier.”
Time to rock the boat in Sacks County.
Chapter Three
Caleb
The morning air smelled of fresh brewed coffee and booze. My head was pounding and the pressure behind my eyes was building. My whole body felt sore like I ran a marathon during the night. Hangovers were a daily occurrence for me. Nothing that a shot of whiskey couldn't cure.
With my eyes closed, I took a deep breath and shielded my face from the burning sun. I just needed a few more hours of sleep. I rolled over t
o get more comfortable and pulled the sheet over my head.
A soft voice whispered next to me, “You're one hell of a fuck, Caleb. I can barely move my legs.”
My eyes shot open to find a blonde under the sheets next to me—Sadie. I'd slept with her once before but told myself that it would never happen again. Fuck and forget, Caleb. It's not that hard. Apparently my drunk alter-ego had a mind of its own. Sadie was one of the MC groupies, meaning she'd fuck anyone with a patch and some ink. She gave one hell of a blowjob but she was a pretty lousy fuck. Over the years she had been passed around from member to member like a used bike. Her long fake eyelashes batted at me and I wanted to sink further into the covers.
Mason: A Black Widow MC Romance Page 17