by K E Osborn
Until tomorrow’s call comes in, anyway.
Then she’s going to be a mess all over again, but that’s tomorrow’s problem.
I close the door behind me silently, then stand for a moment listening.
No sobbing, no throwing objects or breaking things.
I step off to my room. I’m fucking freezing. I’m in need of a long, hot shower. As I approach my door, Neon bounds up the stairs with a frown on his face. My stomach lurches up into my throat as sweat beads quickly form on my brow.
“You look sick, are you okay?” Neon asks.
I lean against the wall for support. “What’s going on?”
Neon drops his eyes to his device. “Right, yeah, okay, so remember how before all this shit started, some of our shipments went missing in transit? We just haven’t had a second to delve into why?”
“Yeah, we’ve had a lot on our plate, but go on.”
“Well, we’ve just had reports of another four packages going missing from this last shipment. It’s still happening. I’ve sent Slick to investigate, seeing as he’s not off with Dan and the drag racing team at the moment. If the supply chain is stealing from us, we need to know who’s doing it. We can’t let it go unpunished.”
“Agreed. Good call. We’ve let this go on for too long. Whoever’s taking our profits needs to pay. Did we put the trackers in the last shipment as suggested?”
“We did, and I have been tracking them. That’s where Slick is headed now.”
“Did he take anyone with him?”
“Blake, the prospect. He seemed like he was itching for some action, so I figured I’d let him tag along.”
“And why didn’t you run this by me before you sent them off?”
Neon places his device down on the table in the hallway. “You were with Prinie… didn’t want to disturb you and what you need to tell her. But I had to get Slick off quickly to follow the tracker before it got too far away. The matter was urgent. I ran it by Texas and Chains, and they said to go for it.”
He did the right thing.
“Okay. Good job. Prinie’s not in a good way. I can’t be there for her like she needs. As much as it kills me, I have to send Phantom in to watch over her. They have a good bond. He’ll stop her from doing anything fucking stupid.”
“It’s gotten that bad?” Neon’s voice is now full of concern.
“I don’t know. Maybe. She said some shit that has me worried. I need her guarded all the time. She loves Koda more than anything, he will keep her grounded. But if this shit goes down with Zero the way I think it will, then she’s going to be inconsolable.”
Neon clasps my shoulder with a heavy exhale. “We’re in this together. We’ll all take care of her. But for now, I need you in some dry clothes and come deal with this package issue ‘cause Slick should be there soon, and I need you around when he does.”
The shower will have to wait.
“Give me a minute to get into some fresh clothes, and I will meet you in the chapel. Get the rest of the brothers, I’ll be there soon.”
Neon dips his chin, then turns, heading down the stairs.
We’ve let whoever this is get away with this shit for far too fucking long. It’s time for payback, and I am itching for a little vengeance right about now.
WRAITH
Dressed in a fresh, dry pair of jeans and a T-shirt with my cut—got to love the versatility of a leather cut—I make my way downstairs. Ruby and Nessie are chatting with Cherry at the bar. I’m aware where Cherry’s head is at with this whole Zero situation after our chat, but honestly, misery loves company. So, I walk over to Cherry gripping her shoulder.
She spins, giving me a somber expression. “Anyone gonna ever fill me on what went down at the jail today?”
My jaw ticks as I try to change the subject. “Cherry, I know you and Prinie are tight. But she’s struggling right now, and in all honesty, I’m concerned for her well-being. I can’t be the one to help her through this, but you two have been there for each other this last year. Maybe you can talk to her? Give her some comfort that she isn’t in this alone.”
“Of course, she isn’t alone. I’m such an idiot for not seeing the signs. I’ve been too busy drowning in my own misery to see hers. Where is she?”
“In her room.”
“Wraith, thanks for caring about Prinie in the way you do.” At least someone can see how much I care for her. She spins on her heel, then scurries off for the stairs.
Turning, I make my way to the chapel, and as I walk in, all my brothers are waiting. Neon sits in his seat with a screen set up at the end of the table where Slick normally sits. It has a tracking beacon flashing, and everyone’s watching it move.
I close the door behind me, then take my seat at the table. “What’s happening?”
Neon, peers past Ax. “Slick and Blake are riding. I’ve sent the signal from the tracking beacon to Slick’s cell. It’s here in Houston. It appears, a couple of the packages are being taken from the cargo when they’re being loaded, then the rest of the haul is shipped off. I can’t tell if it’s our driver who’s doing the dirty or someone in the shipping yard.”
“Either way, someone’s gonna pay for this. How many trackers are pinging?”
“We have four this time, previously it was two. I only assume whoever took them last time is taking them believing they have gotten away with it before. So, this time they took double… they’re getting greedy.”
“Yeah, well, we were in the middle of a fucking problem with Cherry that first time. We’re in even deeper shit now with Zero and the Baron, but we can’t let whoever this is keep fucking us in the ass.”
“Here, here,” resounds around the room.
“So where are the trackers heading right now, Neon?”
He studies the map, the green icons pinging every now and then. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were heading to an oil distillery on the outskirts of Mont Belvieu.”
My nostrils flair as my hands ball into fists. An unbearable heat begins to take me over, and my breathing becomes faster than it probably should. “You’re telling me… these packages are heading into Baron territory?”
Everyone shifts uncomfortably in their seats. Neon swallows a lump in his throat, a vein ticking in his neck. “Yeah, pretty sure that’s what I’m reading.”
I slam my fist down on the table, sending a loud bang reverberating through the room. No one moves. They’re not shocked by my outburst. Hell, they probably want to do the same thing.
“Motherfucker. The nerve of this cunt. As if he’s not caused enough damage already by taking our president, now the fucker’s openly stealing from us. I understand our first lady killed his son. But for fuck’s sake, the Baron didn’t give two shits about Chuck. So why the vendetta against the club?”
Texas huffs. “If it is him, he stole the last shipment before all this shit went down with Cherry. So it has to be for some other reason?”
“I thought our working relationship with him was on solid ground. So why now? What has made him turn against us?” I ask.
“That’s a question I would love to find out the answer to. But for now, the trackers have stopped, and Slick and Blake are almost on location,” Neon tells us as he presses a few buttons on the screen, then audio comes through.
We can hear the crunching of approaching footsteps as I listen in.
Dammit! I really wish we had visual.
“Approaching the truck now. It’s like a UPS delivery van,” Slick whispers.
“Hey! Who the fuck are—”
Bang.
Bang.
Two gun shots ring out.
Harsh and hurried breathing echoes down the line.
“Driver down. I can’t see anyone else. It’s a warehouse, just past the oil refinery. I don’t know who the driver was. Blake is collecting his wallet now. The packages are in the back of the truck. We can check out the warehouse, but I’m getting a fucking weird vibe, man. I am thinking we need to highta
il it out of here.”
I rub my chin as everyone looks at me to give an order.
I need to think this through.
Do we take the product, letting the Baron know we’re onto him? Or do we keep it with the trackers inside and see where it goes from here?
“Okay, get out of there. Leave the packages where they are. Make it appear like a simple mugging. Take the cash from his wallet and dump it on the ground.”
Neon’s concerned features are obvious. “Leave the packages there?”
“The trackers are still active, right?”
Neon’s mind is ticking over. “You wanna see where they go from here. Make sure we know who’s responsible before we go slitting throats?”
“Yeah. If we go in all guns-a-blazing at the Baron for this and it’s not him, we’re making a war that we may not be able to control. We need to be sure. Right now, we have a warehouse with a dead driver. So, in other words, we have nothing. We need more.”
“Makes sense to me. Right, I’ll do what I need to and exit. I’m out. See you when we get back.” Slick ends the audio sending the room into silence.
“Everyone agree this is the right path?”
“Bit late for a consensus now, isn’t it?” Ax asks.
“You got something to say?” I question.
“Just saying you’re making a lot of decisions without putting it on the table first.”
“I’m not your president.”
Ax smirks. “No, you’re not, but for now you’re all we got. So, start acting like it.”
That hits home more than I care for it to.
Everyone in the room shifts uncomfortably in their seats. I want to put Ax in his place, tell him he’s out of line, call him out for speaking out of turn, but I can’t. Because he’s right.
I’m not treating my position right now like a president would because I don’t fucking want it. Not like this. Most presidents get the job because the one before has fallen. It’s the way it works. We all know it.
“I might not be the man you all would choose, I certainly wouldn’t have. It’s why I’m struggling to step into this role properly. Refusing to in some ways. I don’t want to act like the president while our club’s president is still capable of being one. But I do know while Zero isn’t here, I need to step up. I’m doing a shit job of it so far. I’ll do better. This club has done so fucking much for me, it’s time I start repaying the favor.”
The guys all thump their fists on the table in appreciation. I dip my head as I stand from the table. Their eyes all follow me as I walk to Zero’s seat. My insides are churning. I fucking hate this, but the guys need it. They need a brother willing to lead them. So, I pull out Zero’s chair, taking a seat. They all bow their heads at me respectively.
I take in a deep breath then start talking, “We need to stand together as a club. If this is the Baron trying to throw something else at us, we’ll be ready this time. Neon, keep an eye on those trackers, let me know where they end up. Texas, tell me when Slick gets back. Have him bring the truck driver’s license to Neon, so we can check him out. Fox, I need you and Bub to cook up a feast tonight. This club needs something to make them feel good, a decent feed is something to bring us all together.”
“You got it… pres,” Fox offers.
My chest clenches, hating hearing that word directed at me. But right now, this is what the club needs, so I have to suck this shit up. I grab the gavel. “Anything else?” I ask.
Silence.
I slam the gavel on the table, the vibration through my hand making my insides shake just as violently. “Then let’s get to work.”
Everyone stands while I remain seated, just trying to keep my shit together.
It’s been a hell of a few hours.
I need to take a moment.
Neon walks up behind me. “Good job, pres.” He’s being sincere as he grabs his shit, then walks out of the room.
I sit back in the chair. How did I get here?
Sure, I worked my way up, but I never would have gotten here if it weren’t for Zero.
And where is he now?
In jail.
With a cellmate who has a grudge against me.
A cellmate who will more than likely kill Zero in the next few hours just for knowing me.
Some sort of fucking friend I am.
Zero’s death will be on me.
Texas pokes his head around the door. “Pres?”
I raise my chin. “Yeah?”
“Cherry’s wanting to speak with you.”
I signal for him to send her in. She steps inside the room immediately like she’s been there waiting. If I had the energy to find that funny, I would.
“Wraith, I need you to tell me why people are calling you pres now.”
I exhale, gesturing for her to take a seat. She hesitates while Texas shuts the door, but then she sits in his seat. “Rayne, it’s just how things work here. While Zero’s away, I have to step up and act as president. The brothers all need me to. They have to have someone to look to as their leader. I tried not to, I tried it the other way, I was avoiding it, but it wasn’t working. The club needs me to lead them this way.”
She relaxes her posture. “So, Zero, he’s not…” her eyes mist up as she blinks her tears away, “… dead?” The word comes out as a breathy whisper.
Fuck.
“No. But I am going to be honest with you, he’s hurt. He has been beaten by fellow inmates, but he’s alive.”
She closes her eyes. “Is he going to make it?”
“He’s gonna fight like hell. You know how stubborn he is.”
“That’s not what I asked. Do you think he’s going to stay alive in there?”
Jesus fucking Christ, this woman. No wonder Zero fell for her. She’s strong, I will give you that.
My breathing quickens. I turn away trying to figure out whether lying to her right now will be in her best interest.
“Don’t lie to me, Wraith. Hide the truth from Prinie all you like but not from me.”
I turn back to face her, and I already see it on her face.
She knows.
“No. I don’t know how long he has.”
She doesn’t burst into tears.
She doesn’t scream or break down.
Her face falls. Cherry folds her arms across her chest as if trying to find some sort of comfort. “So, he’s gonna die in there.”
I’m not sure if it’s a question she is asking me or if she’s mulling that over. I inhale as I lean forward trying to narrow the space between us. “Thing is, Cherry, he told me to give you a message. I wasn’t going to give it to you until something happened because who knows? He’s a tough fucking asshole.”
“He really is. But just in case… what did he say?”
Fuck, I hate this.
“He said to tell you he loves you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him… he said it with so much fucking gusto it made me want to puke… that you mean everything to him.”
She lets out a stifled laugh at the same time a fat tear falls down her cheek. “Thank you, Wraith. Thanks for not sugarcoating it. Thanks for being honest with me. As the first lady, I need to be able to handle shit like this.”
This woman is what first lady material is made of.
“You’re gonna be okay, Rayne. We’ll take care of you. It doesn’t matter if you’re an Old Lady for an hour or a lifetime. Once you’re an Old Lady, you’re a part of this club. We look after our own.”
She reaches out grabbing my hand over the table. “I know, but just like you’re all gonna take care of me, I’m gonna take care of you guys, too. We’re all going to be hurting if the time comes. We’re a family now.”
I turn my hand over, giving hers a squeeze. “I’m not going to tell Prinie about this. I think it’s best after the discussion we just had.”
“She’s not in a good way.”
“She’s in pain. Being here… all this place represents for her is loss. I’m n
ot sure how to change that.”
A lump is caught in my throat because I am part of that loss too. I’m not helping her, only hurting her. “I wish I knew an easy way to ease her pain.”
Cherry chuckles. “Whiskey?”
If I smiled, I would now. She’s funny. “I know I need to keep clear of her.”
Cherry clicks her tongue to the roof of her mouth. “Honestly? You need to do just the opposite. But I understand you’re trying to do what your president and best friend wanted. Why, I’m not sure. I don’t know the reasons behind Zero wanting you to stay away from Prinie, everyone’s keeping it close to their chest.”
I raise my brow at her. “She hasn’t told you?”
“You thought she had?”
“Yeah, I just assumed with you being her friend, she would have confided in you.”
“No. Whatever happened between you two is locked up tight.”
I tense a little knowing our secret really is just between Prinie and me. Somehow that makes me feel like maybe she’s too intimidated to admit what happened between us to someone else.
Maybe she’s scared for me.
Of what might happen to me if someone found out.
It confirms my thoughts—I am no good for her.
WRAITH
The Next Day
Yesterday was a big day. I’m mentally drained. Lying in bed all night all I wanted was to go to Prinie’s room and check on her. I spent the night awake wishing she was here, in my arms. The night, even though it was humid, I would have been fine with the warmth of Prinie’s body pressing against me making me too hot. I would have taken that any day rather than lying here by myself all fucking night waiting for a phone call which never came.
My eyes are heavy. I know I need to get up, but honestly, I’ve never dreaded a day more in my life.
Who knows what today will bring?
Shit with the Baron.
News about Zero.
More drama with Prinie.
I’m not sure I want any of it.
I think of Zero and how he saved my ass four years ago. He brought me into this club without a second’s hesitation. Took me under his wing. Gave me a life to fight for—a family to fight for. I owe him every-fucking-thing.