“That’s bullshit. If they don’t want they need to stop doing the ‘fucked up shit’ as you say,” Odie cried.
“Any time one of the women goes to court, especially with one of us as an escort, it alerts the cops. And alerting the cops only shines the light brighter on their business dealings. It’s not exactly easy to run drugs and guns with the cops breathing up their asses,” Brutus said.
He turned to me. “I hope you’ve heard what’s going on there.”
“I’ve heard rumors,” I admitted. “And I was hoping you could tell us whether they were true or not?”
I’d sent Brutus down to Barstow and other towns that were further south. It was about an hour’s ride from Ridgecrest once we broke out onto the freeway, and he was more than happy to do it. He nodded and looked around the table.
“It’s absolutely true, and no one is happy about it,” he said. “The authorities down there are all on high alert, but with the gangs getting involved every time someone takes a shit, there’s not much they can do about it. They’ve got their hands full with the violence in the streets, which is enabling the Souls to swoop down, grab the goods, and distribute accordingly.”
“What are you talking about?” Odie asked.
“The cartel, kid,” Axle replied, turning back to him.
“Fuck the cartel!” Javi, an ex-member of the Mexican Cartel, hated the group with a passion. I wasn’t entirely sure of all the details with what happened in his life, but I knew he would put it on the line to stop them from hurting anyone else.
“Clearly this isn’t something we’re going to let continue,” I said, cutting into the conversation. “Which is why tomorrow, we’re going to head down to Barstow and take a look around.”
All the men around the table lifted their beers.
“And finally, there’s one more thing I wanted to do,” I said before closing the meeting. I nodded toward Gunner who was seated to my left, and he reached under the table, pulling out a box.
All the men watched as I opened it, but it was Odie who beamed when I pulled out the vest complete with the Angels’ patch.
“It’s now official, and you better wear it well,” I said as I handed it to him. He stared at it in disbelief and put it on with a grin on his face.
“You bet your ass I will,” he said with a grin. He held himself higher at the table with it on, and both Javi and Axle clapped him on the back. I was glad he finally had a cut to wear along with the rest of us. The more unified we were, the better.
When we were facing not only Satan’s Souls but the cartel as well, we’d need to be as unified as possible.
“Is it Irish?” Gunner asked as we stared at the name of the bar.
“St. Peter’s? Wasn’t he Catholic?” Axle asked.
“Is there such a thing as a Catholic bar?” Brutus chimed in.
“There’s Irish bars, and there are a lot of Catholic Irishman,” Gunner retorted, “That’s why I asked.”
“Who cares what religion or nationality they are,” I said as I pushed through the three of them. “As long as they serve alcohol, I don’t really give a shit.”
The four of us had ridden down to Barstow earlier that afternoon with the intent of getting as many details about what was going on with the cartel as possible. We’d heard back home that there was a large trade deal that was about to be signed between the Souls and the cartel, and I wasn’t sure if that was just hearsay or truth.
I didn’t want to believe it was true. There were a lot of good people in the town, and to think that they would open up that level of a drug trade made me sick to my stomach. It had taken so long for us back home to clear out the streets as best we could, and it was still an ongoing battle.
I also wasn’t too keen on starting a war with Cutter all over again. We were at odds, fighting over the pettiest things right then. But if I were to get involved with something like this, it could turn into a full-on blood bath.
We were going to have to proceed with caution, that was for damn sure.
We walked into the crowded bar. There was a haggard looking man standing behind the counter, trying to keep up with the demands of the customers. We had arrived right before the shift change, and he was clearly looking for the other bartender who was meant to take over for him.
The patrons, however, didn’t care that he was overworked and tired. All they knew was that they wanted their drinks and they wanted them now.
We sauntered in, looking for a place to sit down and held back for a few minutes, letting the shift change take place before we headed up to the bar to grab a few drinks ourselves. I scanned the faces that were scattered all over the bar, looking for any cuts with an emblem sewn on.
As I looked around the room, an involuntary groan escaped my lips. Over on the other side of the room, was Cutter himself.
He and I had crossed paths more times than I cared to count, and he was clearly already well past intoxicated. He was laughing and talking with other members of his MC, and I immediately pointed him out to my comrades.
“That’s our guy,” I said.
They nodded. We weren’t going to be making a scene. No, we were just going to see how much we could find out. I just wanted to know how much was going down with the cartel, and he was the man to talk to. But I didn’t want to talk to him directly. Hell no. That would be the most counterproductive plan I could possibly embrace. The man hated me as much as I hated him, and he wouldn’t tell me shit if his life depended on it.
I would have to play it cool and see if I could catch any of the conversation around the room.
But, even in the crowded bar, it didn’t take him long to notice us. Sure, we were on his turf, but it was as though he had a radar in his head. We’d barely managed to get a pitcher of beer in front of us from the poor overwhelmed bartender before he came sauntering our way.
“Hello, boys,” he drawled. “You a bit out of your way tonight, huh?”
“We thought it was a good night for a ride,” I replied. “Thought we’d stop for a drink.”
“Uh-huh,” he said. “In Barstow?”
“In Barstow,” I said with a nod.
“So, I’m assuming, you were either intending to be here, or you were further south,” he pressed.
“That’s not your business,” I replied coolly. I felt the tension from my brothers around me, but they remained in their seats. The air was getting thick with aggression, and I squeezed my pint glass to keep control.
“Turns out it is,” he replied. “You see, you don’t come this far south without reason.”
“We did tonight.”
“Why? You spying on us?” he nearly shouted.
“Is there a reason to?” I asked.
“There’s no reason for you to be here!” he was still talking way too loudly, and several of the other patrons in the bar were starting to look in our direction.
“Sounds like you’ve got something to hide,” I said with a smirk. “Are you afraid we’re going to find out something we shouldn’t?”
“Get the fuck out of here,” he barked.
“Or what?” I challenged. “You going to call the cops? Not what I’d recommend.”
“Really?” he smiled. “Then what would you recommend?”
“I’d recommend you pull your head out of your ass and fuck off with the cartel,” I said with a smile of my own. The look on his face froze. I suddenly realized he probably didn’t know we had any idea what he was doing, and he wasn’t happy about it.
For a second, nothing at all happened. But then, he lunged.
Instinct kicked in immediately, and I punched him square in the face. At that moment, all hell broke loose, and the entire bar erupted into a brawl. I lost sight of my buddies, but I knew they were there, fighting just as hard as I was.
We were outnumbered, but we were soldiers and damn if a part of me hadn’t missed a good, bloody fight.
4
Megan
“Can anything else go wrong with this
shit ass day?” I muttered to myself as I looked at the flat tire on my car. I was careful not to swear when I was at the school, but when I was off, I talked nearly as badly as my brother. I blamed him for that, too.
He was the one who introduced me to that side of life, and it was hard to break the habits. Though I’d never been particularly interested in the organized crime he seemed to thrive on, I did get sucked into some of their habits.
Hell, I had almost ended up hooked on drugs myself at one point. It was one terrible night that nearly cost me my life that caused me to turn it all around. It inspired me to go to college, get my degree, and dedicate my life to helping kids avoid making the same mistakes that I had.
I tried not to let the discouragement I felt during the week follow me into the weekend. It was hard being a mostly sober bartender. Sure, I wasn’t afraid to have a beer every now and then, but I felt that I’d left that life behind, and I was careful to monitor my consumption closely.
Friday night had been stressful. I’d gone out to dinner with my brother, then straight to work from there. Of course, being Friday, it was one of the two busiest shifts of the week. Carl, the day shift tender, was pissed at me for being a few minutes late. I was already dreading what he’d say to me tonight.
But it wasn’t my fault the roads throughout the town were shitty, and I’d run over a large piece of glass I didn’t see until the last second. I could get the tire changed myself, but I had to be careful of my work uniform, and it was going to take some time for me to do it.
Cutter had taught me how to take care of myself when I was on the road. And most of the time, I was glad for it. Hell, he had done a fine job of scaring off any potential boyfriend I might have had through the years, so I didn’t have any man to fall back on.
But then, since the death of my parents and the way Cutter and his men treated women, I didn’t want there to be a man for me to fall back on in life. I wanted to be able to do it myself, and I always had.
Now, I pulled the jack out of the back of my trunk, as well as the tire from beneath, and working as quickly as I could, I managed to get the damn thing changed. I didn’t know when I’d have the chance to get stupid thing patched between both jobs I was working, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to ask Cutter or any of the other Souls to do it for me, so I’d have to worry about that later.
I rolled my eyes, brushing my hands off on the back of my pants and putting the jack back in the trunk. I was already more than half an hour later – twice as late as I had been the day before -- and I had a feeling Carl would be livid.
You can’t afford to lose this job. Cutter’s never going to let you live down the fact that he put you through college until you get him paid off. Don’t screw this one up, Meg, just don’t.
I ran my hands through my hair. For the bar, I let it down, leaving it wavy and rather unkempt. It was a sexy look, Carl had told me more than once, and the men liked it when the lights got low and they were a few drinks in.
I was disgusted at the thought of being an object for them to stare at as they drank, but I couldn’t deny that it got me an awful lot of tips. Those were what carried me through with Cutter, and they were what made the whole second job worth it.
The teaching salary I got was enough to pay for my apartment and keep food on the table, but it wasn’t good for much else. Especially since I would use anything extra that I did have to help a kid who was struggling.
I knew the more hope I could give any one of my kids, the less likely it was for them to drop out. And if that meant I had to go without new clothes or wear shoes that I hoped no one would notice, that was good enough for me.
I pulled behind the parking lot to the bar, choosing to park on the street instead. I’d long since learned through several dents to my rear end and a broken headlight that people were going to drive after they had too many regardless of the law or what we tried to discourage, and I was sick of my car getting hit.
Of course, it didn’t eliminate the problem completely, but it worked well enough that I didn’t have to worry so much about it as when it was in the parking lot. I sat in the car for a few minutes before going inside, preparing myself for what I was going to say to Carl, and how he was going to treat me. It wasn’t going to be pretty, and I didn’t expect it to be, but I did need to be mentally prepared.
There was a whole new side of me that came out when I wasn’t at school. There, I was a lot more reserved and politer, encouraging the kids through kindness and cheerfulness to make it in life. In the real world, however, I was independent and sassy.
I wasn’t afraid to stand up for myself, and I would tell off anyone that deserved it. But Carl was my boss, and I didn’t know how I was going to get through the next hour without him firing me. Then again, knowing a man like him, he might make me work the shift tonight, then call and tell me I was done in the morning.
With a sigh, I decided it was time to face the music. There was no sense in putting it off, and the longer I waited to get inside the bar, the worse it was going to be. I roughed up my hair, trying to make it look more like he liked, then with a sigh, I climbed out of my car, locking it behind me and walking toward the bar.
But, as soon as I rounded the corner to the door, I noticed there was a lot of commotion going on inside. People were shouting and throwing things at each other. There were some who were running out the door with bloodied noses and black eyes.
Some were laughing and talking about how wild things got and how quickly, then there were others who were trying to push through the door and get in on the action.
I grabbed someone who was on their way out and held them by the shoulders, trying to make sense out of what was going on inside. “What happened? Is there a fight in there?”
“Oh, man! You have no idea! People are going nuts in there!” she said with a drunken laugh.
“Why?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go in if there was a fight. Carl would just have to understand that one. Hell, for all I knew he could be in the thick of it, and I wasn’t going to get involved if he was.
“I don’t know,” she said with another laugh. “Some biker guy started it, then everyone else just got in. It’s wild, man!”
I got the impression she was out of her mind on more than just alcohol and let her go.
Goddammit Cutter. Really? You have to start shit at my job? You’re such an asshole! I steamed as I stomped in.
I pushed through the people who were standing in front of the door, reaching a break in the crowd just in time to see a tall Adonis of a man covered in tattoos throwing Cutter to the ground. I didn’t hesitate. I might not help Carl in a fight, but Cutter was my brother.
I didn’t agree with the MCs, and I didn’t give a damn there was a patch on the back of the guy’s cut. He messed with my family, and I wasn’t going to stand by and just watch. I grabbed an empty beer bottle from the table by the door and brought it down on the back of the man’s head, hard.
He whirled around, raising his fist as though he was going to hit me. In a split second, I was shocked by his piercing blue eyes and striking features, but also braced myself for the blow at the same time.
However, he stopped short, evidently quickly processing that I was a woman and didn’t want to hit me. In fact, the expression on his face changed so rapidly, he might have spoken to me had someone not grabbed him from behind and yanked him back into the brawl.
I was in shock and didn’t know what to do with myself. There were people everywhere. Without warning, Carl was suddenly beside me.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “We’re going to have to get the cops in here, this is getting out of hand!”
He had to shout in my ear to be heard, and I nodded, shouting back, “I know! I’ve been trying to get through the door for the past twenty minutes, and I couldn’t!”
“It’s been insane!” he shouted. I figured the little white lie wasn’t going to hurt, and it would get me out of trouble in the morning.
Hell,
if Cutter was going to start shit like this, I may as well use it to my advantage.
God knew he’d do the same thing.
5
Trip
“And don’t come back!” the man shoved Gunner out the door, nearly causing him to fall off the edge of the steps and trip into the street. But he regained his balance despite the fact there was blood pouring out of his nose and we all had bruised faces.
“I’d have to think that means he doesn’t want to talk about it,” Gunner said.
We all laughed and Brutus looked from one of us to the other. “I told you that the rumors were true.”
“Well now, he never said that they were,” Axle said with a grin.
“No, he just about pushed my nose through the back of my head instead,” I said as I ran my hand over the tip of it. I could still taste blood from the residual bit that was dripping, but it didn’t feel broken.
“Damn, and that was good beer, too. I really think we could have figured out if this place is Irish,” Gunner said.
“For the love of God! Just look on line!” Brutus rolled his eyes, and Axle laughed. I shook my head. Leave it to them to still be arguing about whether the bar was Irish or not when we’d just been thrown out by the bouncer. He seemed to focus on getting us out of there more than he was worried about clearing up the brawl.
But then, he might have seen us as being the cause of the whole thing.
“That was bullshit. Cutter threw the first punch, and we’re the ones who have to go?” Axle shook his head. “You might think this town was biased or something.”
“Go figure,” Gunner said. “We going to hit up somewhere else, or call it a night?”
“I don’t think anyone is going to serve us if we show up looking like this,” I said. “Let’s head home and clean up. We didn’t exactly get what we came here for, but I’m happy with what we learned.”
Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 47