“Fuck,” I bit out.
Dozer stepped forward and faced Gunner, his eyes like fire. “You fuckin’ with us?”
“Wish I was.” Gunner jerked up his chin. “Don’t take this shit out on Dozer. She’s been around this club for years, off and on. We all made our mistakes with her.”
“Which means she’s been feeding information to Battle and Snap for years,” I surmised.
“Maggie’s kicking herself for not remembering her sooner, but she only saw them together once or twice.”
Bull scowled. “Not her fault.”
I shifted my attention back to Dozer. “Where is she?”
“Haven’t seen her in about a week. We only hooked up when she showed for parties.”
I glanced around the room. “She attempts to walk her ass back on this property, throw her out.”
Nods circled the room. “Need to be more vigilant, brothers. We want this club to be prosperous and safe. We need to keep our eyes and ears open for any threats. And club business stays in this room.”
My phone rang, and I looked down to see Hawk’s name flashing across the screen. I picked it up and hit accept. “Yeah?”
“Got time to meet?”
“Just finishin’ up church.”
“Good,” he stated. “I’m outside your doors.”
“Be right down.”
I hung up and faced the group again. “That was Hawk. He’s here, hopefully with some information on Battle.” I glanced around. “Anyone have anything before I go talk to him?”
The men shook their heads, so I called the meeting to a close and signaled for my officers to stay. “Skinner, need you to stay too.” He stopped while the others filed out, and when the room was almost empty, I gestured to the door. “We’ll all meet with him.”
They nodded and followed me when I walked out of the room and back into the bar area. Pulling open the doors to the clubhouse, I saw Hawk typing out a text on his phone while leaning against the building. He finished the text and pushed off the building, shoving his phone in his pocket.
I held the door open, and he walked inside. He jerked up his chin in the direction of the officers while his eyes scanned the room, and I knew the exact moment they landed on Skinner.
“Brother.” He grinned and walked across the room.
Skinner held out his hand, and they shook. “How’s Colorado?”
“Cold as fuck,” Hawk replied.
They dropped hands, and Skinner chuckled. “Why the hell do you think I stayed here?”
Hawk nodded. “Heard what you did. Still would love to have you at my side.”
“Found my home.” Skinner looked over his shoulder at me. “I’m stayin’ put.”
“Fair enough.” Hawk turned and faced the group. “Got some information.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I jerked up my chin. “Go ahead.”
“Battle belongs to the Montana chapter.”
“Knew that,” Gunner shared.
Hawk narrowed his eyes. “How?”
“Maggie woke up this morning and told me she remembered meeting him.”
Hawk nodded. “Makes sense. Seems the two chapters have spent some time together at the rallies over the years. Probably partied together four or five times a year. Snap and Battle found out they had some shit in common.”
Ritz snorted. “Like what?”
“Money, preferably the kind of money to be made sellin’,” Hawk answered. “And revenge.”
“Revenge against us,” I surmised. “What the fuck did we do to Battle?”
“That’s the information you need.” Hawk proclaimed, and I braced for what he was about to say. “Battle’s real name is Billy Eilson.” My stomach sank before he even continued, and I dropped my head. “But you know him better as Banshee.”
“Son of a bitch.” Tank swore. “We’re fightin’ our own.”
“Heard he was a member you set free when you changed how this club runs.” Hawk started speaking, and I raised my head to see his eyes locked on me. “How many you lose?”
“Eight walked away with the promise of no retribution,” I answered. “Always figured they found new clubs to join. Never figured they’d give a fuck about the Sinners after they moved on.”
Hawk nodded. “Could have seven more to fight.”
I dropped my arms. “Can’t believe this shit is all about revenge.”
Hawk grunted. “Seems like it. It was no secret the local chapter, but mainly Snap, was after your club for the last couple of years. Word around the local club is that Snap took Viper’s death personally and had plans to fuck with you by grabbing Maggie, but he couldn’t get to her. He found an ally in Battle who had his sights set on you and”—his eyes locked on me—“they made a plan.”
“How the hell didn’t we see him in town?” Tank wondered aloud.
“From what I heard, he was only here for a few weeks around the time they attacked Josie and then took off. Doesn’t sound like they had any particular target in mind. She just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn’t come back until about a week ago. Seems like Battle handled the planning and Snap handled the day-to-day shit, which kept Battle out of this little town where he’d be easy to find.”
“Any other Widows take Viper’s death personally?” Gunner inquired.
“Not here,” Hawk declared. “I cleaned house locally, but I’ll be doing more sweeps nationally. Have no doubts I’ll come across a few more.” He gestured back and forth between Gunner and me. “The Widows are not your problem right now.”
I put my hands on my hips and dropped my head. “Fuck.”
“That shit with Banshee happened years ago,” Bull pointed out just as I lifted my head.
“Memories are long. ’Specially when folks got nothing better to do than remember,” Pop said from where he sat on the stool.
Hawk’s eyes snapped to Pop, who had remained quiet. He tilted his head to the side. “You Pop?”
Pop stood and crossed the room to stand in front of Hawk. “I am.”
Hawk nodded. “My dad talked about you. My mom still does. Said if you’d been in our club, my dad would still be alive.”
“Viper was a powerful man, kid, not sure anyone could’ve stopped him.” Pop reached out and laid his hand on Hawk’s shoulder. “Your dad didn’t deserve the shit that happened to him. He was a good man, very similar to Bear’s dad.” His eyes flashed between us. “See those men in you boys.”
Hawk jerked up his chin and gestured toward the door. “Gotta get goin’. Don’t know Snap’s charges, but he’s not a Widow anymore, and neither is Battle if he survives.” Pop dropped his hand, and Hawk moved toward the door. “Local chapter will have a new president and VP soon.”
“Hawk,” I called out, and he turned to face me with his hand on the door. “Just found out that Battle had a woman. I’ll get a picture to you so you can watch out for her. Seems we had a spy.”
“That’s how Snap and Battle got wind of your plans.” He shook his head when I nodded. “Appreciate the heads-up.”
He pulled open the door and stepped out. We remained silent until the door slammed closed behind him, and I looked at Skinner. “You know who the new president is gonna be?”
“Nope,” he replied. “First time I’ve seen or talked to Hawk in months.”
Nodding, I knew I could believe him. Hawk had given that much away. I might not know who the new face of the local chapter would be, but things I did know for sure were that the Widows weren’t leaving this town.
And they were no longer my biggest concern.
We had a more powerful enemy to consider.
An enemy who’d remained silent for years.
They might prove to be the biggest threat we’d ever face.
Especially considering I had no idea who was still hunting us.
EPILOGUE
BEAR
I wrapped my arm around Josie’s waist when she leaned back against me and pressed a kiss to her neck. She looked ov
er her shoulder and smiled. “I’m so happy for them.”
“Me too.” I nodded and glanced at Gunner, who was holding Maggie’s hand while they talked to Becs. It had been a long road for them, so watching them get married today deserved a celebration.
“Her dress is so pretty.”
Grinning, I looked back down at Josie. “You like all this shit?”
“Weddings?” When I nodded, she rolled her eyes. “You’ve met me, right?”
Chuckling, I squeezed my arms and held her tighter. Yeah, I knew her. Since she was released from the hospital two months ago, I hadn’t left her side except for both of us to go to work, so we’d had plenty of time to get to know each other. We never really talked about it, but I just began staying at her place and never really left. I had a much bigger place, but I wanted Becs to have that for her and Wyatt, and for now, I liked being cramped in Josie’s small apartment.
I gestured toward Maggie. “You wanna wear one of those someday?”
She shrugged. “Only if I meet the right guy.”
She squealed when I released my arm and spun her to face me. Lowering my head, I kissed her hard. “You still lookin’?”
“There’s no harm in keeping my options open, right?”
I lifted my eyebrows even though I knew she was kidding. “You’re gonna pay for that later.”
“Can we interrupt?”
Looking to the side, I shifted Josie back in front of me, and she smiled at Lucy. “Sure.”
I jerked up my chin in Chris’s direction, who stood next to Lucy with a beer in his hand.
“I’m so excited for them.” Lucy grinned in the direction of Maggie and Gunner. “I also have some pretty good news.”
Josie pushed away from my chest and took the few steps to stand in front of Lucy. “Was it approved?”
Lucy looked around before nodding enthusiastically. “I just got word yesterday.”
“That’s so exciting.” Josie squealed quietly. “Their little family will be complete once they officially adopt the girls.”
“Dom good with it?” Chris asked.
“Yep.”
Lucy looked like she was about to burst, so I gestured for her to continue. “Got a feelin’ you have something to tell us.”
“I do,” Lucy announced excitedly. “Gunner and Maggie also want to adopt Dominic. It’s just a matter of paperwork, but Gunner said he talked to Dom, and he agreed.”
“Not surprised,” I shared.
Josie sighed. “That has to mean so much to him.”
I looked out over the crowd where Dom stood talking to Tank. He had one eye on Tank and the other on his sisters running around Hanks with the Dimarco kids. When he felt my stare, he glanced up and met my eyes. Dom was proving to be one hell of a mechanic under Tank’s direction, and he talked to Gunn and me the other day about becoming a prospect for the club.
He would be an asset to the business and the club, so it was an easy approval.
I lifted my drink, and he smirked before I continued looking out across the group who had all gathered to celebrate Maggie and Gunner’s wedding. Gunner had told me who he was inviting and had approached Henry about renting out Hanks for the entire day as a neutral place to hold the reception. It was the best plan. The place was littered with cops and the men who worked for Elite as well as the members of our club and their families. It was an odd mixing, but somehow over the years, we’d all managed to put our differences aside.
However, I wasn’t naïve. It would take work to keep it civil, especially with the unknown threats we still faced. We were a clean club and had nothing to hide, but cops on our grounds made us appear weak to other clubs, and we couldn’t convey that message. Luke and Cam understood that, so they kept their distance unless they were called in or their women were spending time with ours. Even then, most of those times were spent off my property for obvious reasons.
“Heard your girl and mine planned a lunch for next week.” Luke spoke from beside me, and I was surprised to hear his voice until I saw Kate talking with Lucy and Josie. Chris had turned and was talking with Cam while apparently, Luke had moved to stand beside me.
I shook my head because I’d already known that shit. “Figures those two would hit it off.”
Luke laughed. “Can’t get rid of us, brother.” He gestured toward Bull, who was talking with a group of Sinners. “Club shit good?”
“Good as it can be right now,” I admitted.
“Snap’s talking.”
My eyebrows rose, and I glanced at him. “To you?”
He snorted. “Fuck, no. The other inmates. Guards overheard him talking. Blames Battle for fucking up the attack on the girls.”
My jaw clenched at the mention of that day and any plan to lay their hands on the girls. “Battle talkin’?”
“Nope.”
I gestured toward Dominic with my bottle. “Any mention of Dom?”
Luke shook his head. “No, and the guards know to report when and if there is.”
“Still don’t understand why they took the chance of getting busted for runnin’ drugs before they got their revenge,” I admitted what had been plaguing me.
“Greed,” Luke stated plainly. “Found out they could make a ton of money while they were waiting for you.”
Turning, I set my bottle on the bar and leaned my elbow on the lip while facing Luke. “Why were they waiting?”
“According to Snap, they had to wait for a few things to be resolved and then for the right time to make the most impact.”
Anger washed over me, and I clenched my fists. I would’ve gutted Battle if I’d gotten to him, which was probably why I still didn’t know which federal prison he was in. Luke was keeping that shit to himself, and I knew it was for my benefit. Finding out where Battle was could force me to do something to sacrifice what I’d been working on with Josie and my club.
I appreciated what he was doing.
But I still wanted to know where the fucker was.
“Know who’s running the whole thing?”
“Can’t say more except that it’s still an open investigation,” Luke admitted. “Shouldn’t have told you that much, but I thought you needed to know.”
“I appreciate that,” I said sincerely. “You need anything, you know where to find us, brother.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out. When I saw Hawk’s name, I held it up. “Need to take this.”
Luke slapped me on the shoulder. “Talk to you later.”
“Thanks, man.” I hit accept and lifted the phone to my ear. “Yeah?”
“You at the clubhouse?”
My eyebrows drew together. “No. Why?”
“Back in town. Wanted to share some news in person.”
I pushed off the bar and walked toward the doors, where it was a little quieter. “Can’t meet before tomorrow.”
“I’m heading out tomorrow, but I’ll be back.”
My eyebrows pulled together. “When?”
“Probably in a week or two.”
“For how long?”
“Permanently for now,” he declared, and my back stiffened. “I’ve decided to run the Widows from New Hope.”
I ran my hand through my hair, my mind running all kinds of scenarios, and none of them were good for us. More Widows would not be welcome in our small town. “Not a good idea.”
“The Colorado chapter will have a president.” He continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “I can oversee from anywhere, and I need to be on-site to get the local chapter back on track. I’m tired of making these fucking trips, and the club here was not run well by Snap. It needs an overhaul, and that takes time. You know that better than anyone.”
I leaned back against the wall by the door and scanned the crowd. The group of people I needed to keep safe had grown, and the Widows’ presence would put everyone on edge. “Been working hard in this town to make the Sinners welcome.”
“Won’t interfere in that,” he replied confidently.
Josie started toward me, and I ran my hand over my forehead while watching her walk my way. Nothing was going to stop what I was doing in this town. I wasn’t willing to give up everything I’d been working so hard for, including the woman standing in front of me with concern marring her expression.
“You stay on your side of the street, and we’ll do the same,” I promised.
“Can’t promise our clubs won’t clash, but I’ll do everything I can to keep our fights clean.”
I didn’t like the sound of that, but I also didn’t have a choice. We were stronger than we’d ever been and could handle the Widows better than before, but I didn’t want the woman in front of me to ever have a reason to doubt me.
“See you when you’re back,” I replied.
“Yep,” he answered.
I pulled the phone from my ear and frowned while I shoved it back into my pocket. Then I wrapped my arms around my woman and pulled her against me.
“Everything okay?”
I breathed in deeply before exhaling. “Hawk’s moving to town to rebuild the local chapter.”
Her eyes flicked back and forth between mine. She knew a little about Hawk even though she shouldn’t. I liked having her to talk shit through with. She was smart and objective in a way not many of the Sinners could be, especially when it came to the Widows. “Is that good or bad?”
“I have no fucking clue, baby.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist. “We’ll figure it out.”
I grinned down at her before I pressed a hard kiss to her lips. “We? You think you can handle it?”
She raised an eyebrow, and my cock hardened at the first sign of her attitude coming out to play. “I can handle anything you throw at me.”
“Anything?”
She pushed up but didn’t have far to go because of the sexy spiked heels she was wearing, and whispered against my lips, “Anything.”
“Challenge accepted, baby.” She grinned just before I laid my lips against hers and kissed her slowly.
I hadn’t been looking for love when Josie Carmichael strutted into my club. I hadn’t even considered there could be a woman who would hold my interest long enough to make me want more. But I’d always remembered my dad saying that sometimes the best things in life happen when you weren’t paying attention.
End Game (Sinners MC Book 2) Page 32