by Annie Buff
extremely prepared for a firefight because the bullets were flying fast.
Renegade had enough of fighting the curves of the road. “Hang on tight.” He told them as he slammed on the brakes and jerked the wheel so that when the truck came to a stop it slewed sideways in the road. This way they could use it as cover. He handed Reagan two Colts and enough extra ammo to hold them off until he returned, plus she had Red and Ajax for help.
“Keep shooting Doll, see that one over there with the old beat up bobber? He’s mine.” She watched as her man slipped away down the embankment without anyone noticing, Reagan was still shooting at the bikes. Ajax saw one stop to reload and that was his moment. His forty-five found its mark, right between the eyebrows of the shooter. He crumbled like a house of cards on the asphalt of the old highway. That left three and those odds were better considering they were running low on ammunition.
Renegade crept back up the
embankment right behind the shooter he was after, his Kukri blade in hand. The man never saw it coming. Renegade was quick and precise with the knife, slitting his throat and severing the jugular, coating himself in arterial spray but he didn’t care. He let the body drop, listening to the gurgle. One more down, two to go.
The remaining two must have known they were fighting a losing battle because they turned and sped over into the
canyon. They left their dead behind. Red came out from behind the truck to see who they had left. He knew them both, they rode with another MC from his area. Having to make the phone call and explain to the other President wasn’t on the list of things he wanted to do. But it had to be done.
Smoke and company arrived not long after, seeing Ren covered in dried blood. It wasn’t an unfamiliar sight, Renegade did love his blades. Smoke did ask if he had been injured, Ren tended to not say anything about being hurt.
“You cool VP? None of that is yours, is it?” He shook his head, indicating
everything was fine and pointed to the half-decapitated man lying on the road. Then he went to check on Reagan, making sure she wasn’t injured. He was fairly certain seeing him kill a man in front of her was going to scare the shit out of her and judging by the look in her eyes it had.
Reagan was in shock just looking at her man, he looked like something out of a Stephen King movie. She was still reeling from having to shoot at people and seeing Renegade slit a man’s throat. That one got to her a little, she knew and the guys had told her but seeing him in action was different. He pulled her in tight.
“I’m sorry you had to see that side of me, couldn’t be helped this time. Trust me Doll, I didn’t wanna have to show you how much of a ruthless bastard I can be. We okay?” Reagan nodded against his chest, she was shocked but it didn’t change anything; she loved him no matter what.
“Alright, so we know Snowman is alive and well, and after the Devil’s.” Smoke addressed the group. “Now we need a reason for him to come back after us, and I think I have one. Just need to talk to Poppy and Pretty Boy, they’d be the bait and that’s his call.”
Nobody asked and Smoke wasn ’t telling them anything yet. He had to talk to Pretty Boy even though Poppy would make the decision. She, like Peyton, ran the show for the Dawg Pound and its members.
Smoke sat down on the tailgate of the truck to smoke a cigarette, looking at the carnage. They needed someone to deal with this mess, he was just happy that Jace had gotten back earlier in the day. He pulled out his phone and made the call, knowing the police would eventually be called.
Jace listened to what had happened, letting his President know he would handle the scene and he was on his way. One problem down, and two big ones to go; Snowman and Raul. Dealing with the young Jefé was bad enough, now adding Snowman into the mix made things a pain in the ass.
The truck was drivable, it just looked like it had been on the front lines of a war zone so they piled back in and headed the rest of the way down. Smoke rode out front, Bones and Krispy behind the pickup.
Bones had come along in case there were any injuries, Krispy just needed to get back to his duties. He had been sidelined way too long and was itching for a fight. He had been for a while, there was some payback coming for shooting him. Nobody was sure who did the shooting, but in his mind it had to be Snowman. Raul and his cronies wouldn’t have sped off, they would have stayed and finished the job. Krispy still hurt and that pissed him off so a gunfight sounded like just the therapy he needed.
Homecoming
With everyone including Renegade and Reagan home, Peyton decided they should throw a party. Renegade wore a baseball cap to hide his identity and Reagan donned a shoulder length auburn wig which made him wonder if she shouldn’t try red hair. She looked incredible with her dark eyes and red hair.
“Doll, you shou ld think about going red, you look hot as hell in that color. Makes me think impure thoughts.” He gave her a very perverted grin and she smacked his arm laughing. Her Renegade constantly had those thoughts but she wasn’t complaining, she had them about him pretty much daily. Never did Reagan think she would find a man she would love so completely; even after she saw him do what he did it was still the same feeling.
Smoke sat at the head of the picnic tables which had all been pulled together, he had a few things to say:
“So now that we know Snowman is lurking it’s going to make dealing with Raul more of a pain. We gotta take Snowman out of the equation. I’ve got an idea on how but I need Poppy.”
Pretty Boy stood up, glaring at Smoke. The President knew this was going to be a hard sell considering Poppy was the love of Pretty Boy’s life but Smoke saw no other way to do this.
“No!” Pretty Boy was adamant.
“Whatever you’re thinking, no! Poppy is not going to be involved in anything that has to do with that son of a bitch!”
Renegade came up next to him, putting a calming hand in his shoulder. Pretty Boy looked at Ren and there were tears in his eyes that said he was terrified of losing Poppy.
“ Just hear him out, then talk with your woman. Trust me man, the Prez wouldn’t let her get hurt. We cherish our women, ain’t nobody gonna let anything get near her.”
Poppy approached her man, with baby Noelle in her arms and lay her head on his chest. “Darius, we need to hear what he has to say. I need this over and so do you.”
He knew she was right, Poppy was almost always right and even loving her the way he did; sometimes that stung. Pretty Boy nodded and waited for Smoke.
“ Snowman wants you dead” the President told them, “and he wants that baby, so I say we give her to him.”
Pretty Boy ’s eyes widened and you could see he was an inch away from flying over the table and killing Smoke.
“Now before you freak out,” the President continued, “I have a plan. We’re having a party and its going to be at Handlebars. Let’s call it Noelle’s baptism and we announce it, an advertisement in the paper, a sign on the marquee, the whole nine yards. It’s the perfect set up, he won’t be able to stay away. Now we won’t be alone; Baphomet’s Bloods and Stone Sinners will be there too, but they’ll be out of sight. It’s the perfect plan and we’ll get him, then you do whatever is you do man.” After some thought and a conversation with his fiancé, Pretty Boy agreed.
As the night wore on the talk turned to the young Jefé and Renegade knew Smoke would want to talk to Reagan. She had been to the island and that would be helpful.
“Honestly Wyatt , I have a better idea than storming the fortress. What if we weren’t dead, what if I called him asking for help. I could tell him you set the whole thing up and not even Smoke knew. That you’re holding me hostage up at the cabin and I managed to find a phone and I really need his help, that would work so much better.” Smoke sat pondering what Reagan had said, he gave her a nod then asked questions.
“So say we do that, what says it will work? I mean how do we know he’ll come?”
“All I have to do is tell him he was right and trust me, Raul will come running.
” The plan was set, Smoke called ‘Operation Bean Burrito’ a go and made a few calls. The first was to Magic,
President of the Stone Sinners, asking for his help with both issues. Magic loved a good fight and said yes right away, the next was to Dutch. He was part of the Dawg Pound and not very fond of Pretty Boy but when Smoke explained the whole situation he agreed, stating that he had a few more brothers that would take up the cause.
Smoke left the party planning to the women, he knew Rylee was the party girl. All four seemed to be enjoying themselves so he left them to it and hit the road with Slinger. They had to go to the cabin to work on security. The deadbolt on both doors had to be changed to key only from both sides, windows had to be nailed shut. This had to look as genuine as possible, Raul might be a bastard but he was not stupid.
The ride next to his brother was peaceful, they both needed that. There had been way too much chaos lately, and Smoke was about to blow. Even the herbal medication wasn’t cutting it, being on the bike was better than any drug out there. He was planning on taking the truck but Peyton said no, what he needed was the wind in his face and to let the iron horse run free. She knew him better than he knew himself.
The four hours it took to make the Red Barn had Smoke finally finding his Zen. The relaxing ride was exactly what he needed. The beer he just ordered didn’t hurt anything either.
“So boss man, we stopping for some refreshments at the market before we tackle this job?” Smoke just grinned, they were staying overnight so all the work would be done in the morning. Tonight would be a bonfire and bourbon.
Once they made their stop, the cabin was only a ten-minute ride and when they pulled up Smoke felt like he was home. The cabin held so many memories of him and Peyton, especially when she finally mastered the old Soft Tail.
Smoke and Slinger sat drinking, watching the embers and working out exactly how this needed to go.
“We need him to kick the door in Smoke, I hate to wreck the place but Reagan needs to be stuck. If one of us is sitting on the stairs he won’t be able to see us, even if he looks in the windows. That’s the best part of this place, can’t see the stairs until you’re inside. I’m pretty sure Ren wants to be the one but we should ask anyway.”
Smoke knew his brother wanted to be the one to end Raul, the only question remaining was how it would happen. Falcon had suggested after Ren had his fun to put the Jefé on his boat and blow it up, turn him into fish food. They both knew Renegade liked that idea much more than he should.
Once they had worked out the
particulars, the two got their drunk on. They enjoyed Smoke’s favorite bottle of bourbon and laughed about how soft they’d gone. How the women they’d married turned them into putty.
“ Man, I didn’t get it when Peyton came into the picture but I damn well do now. Rylee has me all twisted up, there’s nothing I won’t do for her. She’s been talking about opening a boutique for kids, like used stuff but in good condition and I’m gonna make it happen.”
Smoke grinned and took a swig from the bottle. Peyton had started online classes. She wanted to be a nurse and lord knew they needed it.
Morning found the pair nailing windows shut, changing locks and tightening security. Smoke took the quad down the trails and adjusted all the cameras he had hidden while Slinger added a few closer to the cabin. A few buried sensors and they were done and on their way home to the women they couldn’t live without.
The Sting
Reagan was safe at the cabin. Her security detail was well hidden, but within earshot when she made the call.
“Hola?” Asked the voice on the other end once the ringing had ceased.
She would make this a performance to remember. “Raul, help me!” “ Hermana?” Her brother sounded alarmed. “Oh God, they said you were dead! Where are you?”
Reagan almost laughed out loud, this was easier than she thought. “He faked our deaths and has me locked up in some cabin. Please help me? You were right Raul. He’s bad news! Smoke doesn’t even know what’s happening. I think Wyatt has lost his mind.”
The pause on the line told her he was thinking before he acted. “I believe I know where you are, I’ll come right away. Are you alright mi Hermana?” He actually sounded concerned which surprised Reagan. Raul was only concerned for himself, he had been this way his entire life.
“Yes , I’m okay, just scared.” Now she pleaded with him. “Please hurry, I have no idea when he’s coming back. I’m afraid he might hurt me.”
Raul disconnected the line, Reagan had baited the trap. Now they would wait. Smoke and Ren both knew it wouldn’t be long, a few hours at most. Just enough time to make sure everything was hidden, and they were all in place. Renegade decided he liked the idea of blowing the Jefè up. He had threatened to make alligator food out of Renegade, so turning Raul into bits and feeding the sea
creatures seemed appropriate.
Smoke had built a tree house in the big oak out front for Nora. It was now his vantage point. He could see the highway and the gravel drive from this height, also a perfect view of the front door. Renegade was safely inside, sitting on the top of the stairs just waiting for the enemy to show.
They all assumed he would show up in his helicopter, it would make his getaway quick but Smoke wasn’t letting that thing leave the ground once it landed.
Falcon had his favorite weapon, an M72 LAW. A rocket propelled grenade launcher that was capable of taking a tank, and turning it into toothpicks. He too had a great vantage point. Being the former soldier he was, in the leaves wearing a ghillie suit; it was the perfect cover for any sniper.
As expected the helo landed right in the middle of Smoke’s yard, Raul
cautiously stepped out and looked around. Smoke and his men just held their breath, hoping he hadn’t figured out the trap. Within seconds Raul was banging on the front door. “Hermana! Where are you?”
Reagan appeared in the window with her Fake tears on her cheeks. She had been cutting onions to cause the redness in her eyes and make the tears come in streams. “Raul! Thank God you’re here! Help me!”
He knew the windows had been replaced with bulletproof glass, so that option was out. The only thing he could think of was kicking the door in. It was a huge solid maple door but that was the only choice. Nothing else would work, so he gave a kick. It didn’t budge.
It took two more tries to break the frame and be able to push through and enter the cabin. Raul immediately went to Reagan, he looked to see if she had been harmed. In a rush, he said, “We need to go! I’ll get you to the island and then I will be back to deal with that Puto,
Renegade.”
That’s when Raul heard a very familiar voice. “Why wait Amigo, I say we deal with it now.”
Raul looked down at his chest and saw the red dot. He had been tricked and the young Jefè knew it. The only way out was to make a break for the bird and get airborne now! He turned and ran,
Renegade let him go. He knew that helo wasn’t ever leaving the ground.
Raul had barely jumped off of the porch when the explosion hit. The bird blew into a beautiful corona, spraying thousands of tiny flaming metal shards; successfully ending his escape.
“Leaving so soon? The fun is just getting started.” Ren nodded towards the trees, sending a signal to Falcon to let one fly. The whoosh of the Desert Tech expelled a single bullet, Raul went down instantly. It was just a shoulder wound but it did the job. Renegade pulled his Kukri from its sheath. He grinned. He just needed to have his President remove Reagan from the scene. This was
something she didn’t need to witness. When Smoke appeared, he tried to get her to go. But she dug her heels in and wouldn’t be lead away.
“No, I need to see this through. He has terrorized me my entire teenage and adult life! I need to know it’s over and if that means seeing Wyatt do his thing, then so be it. I have a wedding to plan, and we want a family. The only way that will happen is if my brother is gone.” She turned to look into hi
s eyes, Reagan had things to say to Raul.
“This is all your doing brother dearest, you couldn’t just let me be happy. You had to control me. You pushed and I pushed back even harder. Wyatt and I are getting married. We’re going to have a family and nobody, not even you will destroy that. I hope you rot in Hell.”
The first swipe of the Kukri grazed the left arm of the Kingpin. Ren knew it stung, he had tested it on himself when he bought it. The next was a belly wound that he let go a bit deeper, and another of the same. Renegade knew where the vital organs resided, so he intentionally missed every one of them. This wasn’t meant to be quick, he enjoyed the slow torture much more than he let on. Nobody really needed to know that anyway. By the time Ren had had his fun, the Jefè was a bloody mess, but still very much alive. Then he was loaded into a van headed for Mexico.
Setting the charges only took minutes for Falcon to do. He grinned because he knew how many pieces that yacht was about to be in. Renegade tied Raul to the railing and set the boat free. They stood on the beach watching as it motored its way out to sea. When they were all satisfied it was far enough away the button was pushed. The explosion shook the ground like an earthquake knocking them to the sand. Renegade sat laughing. His nemesis was gone forever, and he and Reagan could live without the constant threat. One down, one to go.
Party Girl
The day of Noelle’s baptism had arrived and the girls had outdone themselves. Handlebars had been transformed into a pink castle with balloons and everything else one would need to have to pull off a party. Or as Smoke had said; the Ultimate Double Cross.
The marquee had been lit up with the party advertisement for two weeks. The local paper had run an ad for a week, announcing her baptism. Smoke knew when Snowman saw that news, with Pretty Boy listed as her father; he would just see red. And that was exactly why they did it that way.