by Sam Crescent
Anyway, try the ring on. See how it feels. I want to do right by you. There is no other woman for me. The sweet-butts are over. You have all of me, Eva. My heart, body, mind, and soul are yours, no matter how jaded I am.
I love you, and that will never change.
Tiny (Maximus)
“What are you doing?” Gavin asked, walking into the office.
She held the letter close to her chest, staring down at the silver band with the small diamond in the center. There was nothing large or garish about it. Picking the ring up, she slid it onto her finger, ignoring Gavin. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge in the corner, taking a seat on the only sofa near the door. From his position he wouldn’t be able to see what she was doing.
“Earth to Eva.”
Glaring at him, she glanced in his direction. “What?”
“You’ve been staring down at the desk. I was wondering what has your attention.”
In the last two weeks Gavin had been trying to woo her. She really wasn’t interested. Lifting her hand up, she showed him the ring, which happened to fit perfectly on her finger. “Tiny has asked me to marry him.”
The mouthful of what he’d been sipping spat out of his mouth. She was far enough away so she wasn’t covered.
“Holy shit,” Ned said, walking into the office. “Has Gavin proposed?”
“No, Tiny has.”
She dropped her hand to the desk, staring at the note then at the ring. Circling the ring on her finger, she started to take it off and then realized she didn’t want to. Licking her lips, she read the note again. She would keep it on to see how it felt.
You’re torturing him without an answer.
Time, he’d offered her time, and it was time she needed to get her thoughts together. Marriage was a big step.
“Eva, you better not make a rash decision,” Ned said.
“I’m not going to.”
“Gavin, get the fuck out of my office.”
“Gladly.” The other man stormed out as Ned closed the door.
She wasn’t scared or startled by the way he was reacting. “What’s this about, Dad?” she asked.
“Tiny asked you to marry him in a fucking letter?” Ned asked. He made to grab the letter from her. She stopped him. The letter Tiny sent to her was personal. There was no way she would be letting her father see the words.
“No, he asked me to marry him several nights ago. What’s your problem with him?”
“He’s not right for you.”
“You were trying to convince me to stay with him back in Fort Wills. What changed?” she asked, curious to know.
“I finally got you back. You stay with Tiny, and then I know for damn sure I won’t get to see you. Gavin is a lot better. You can stay here, and I can keep an eye on you, protect you.”
“And Gavin the cheating fuck is better for me because you get to keep me around?” She stood up, glaring at him.
“He’s better for you than that fucking biker,” Ned said, yelling.
“Why? Because Gavin knows the business whereas my fucking biker doesn’t give a fuck about your business or how you live your life?” She stared at her father seeing the answer glaring at her in the face. “That’s it, isn’t it? You want me to marry Gavin because you want someone to take over what you started.”
“Honey, I love you, but this,” he gestured all around him, “is my life. I put everything I have in this club, and I made sure you’d be protected for the rest of your life.”
She shook her head. “No, this is not going to be about you or this fucking club.”
Staring down at her hand Eva knew she was going to marry Tiny. The only problem she had was when she was going to tell him.
“I’ve never asked you for much, Dad. I never asked about my mother, and I was always with you in the beginning—”
“You left, Eva. I’ve got no son, and you’re not a fighter. The men respect you, but you’re not a fighter. These men need a fighter.”
Tears filled her eyes. “No, I’m not going to be marrying Gavin. I love Tiny.”
“Tiny’s on a drug run, honey. He’s a criminal, and when he gets caught he’ll be punished for it. Will you be waiting around for him to come home from prison?”
She laughed. “Dad, you run an underground fighting ring with known runs with The Skulls. You can go to prison at any time. Gavin can go as well. Either way, I sit around waiting for one man or the other.”
Eva rounded the desk and walked toward her father. “I love you, Dad. This decision is not yours to make.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. “I’m off for the day.”
Moving away, she passed all the men fighting. No one stopped her as she made her way toward the door. Several women were watching the men fight. She knew they were fighter groupies for the men. They followed each fight in the hope of landing one of them. Eva had dealt with her fair share of followers. Heading out into the hot warm air she didn’t think of where she was going.
There was no destination in mind, and she stopped in a diner, going to the back for some privacy. She ordered a milkshake and pulled out the letter Tiny had left her.
Next she grabbed her cell phone and dialed his number.
“I was wondering when you were going to call,” Tiny said, answering on the third ring.
“You never told me to expect something in the mail.”
“It wouldn’t have been a surprise if I had.” There was a pause. “Do you like it?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you have it on?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got the ring on.” She was staring at the small diamond.
“I picked it out. None of my boys know, and this is between you and me.” Tiny was out in the open. She heard the purr of the bikes.
“What are you up to?” she asked, thinking about the compound with all The Skulls ready to go on a run.
“We’ve got a drop off to do. I don’t want to hear your answer until I get back. It’ll give me something to think about on the open road.”
“I can tell you now,” she said.
“Nah, I’m not in the mood to spoil the surprise. Either way, Eva, baby, you have my heart.”
Smiling, she accepted the drink from the waitress.
“You’re being an ass.”
“Why? Do you really want to tell me?” he asked.
“Yes, I do.” She glanced around the diner wishing with all of her might that she was in Fort Wills, looking at him. “I wish I was with you.”
“That’s another thing, baby, we do this, and you’re staying with me. Fort Wills will be your home.”
“Good. I look forward to it.”
“Yo, Tiny, we’ve got to go.”
“Was that Stink?” she asked.
“Yeah. He’s taking care of Sandy at the minute. She’s staying at the compound until we come back,” Tiny said.
“Smart move. I’m sure I’ve seen Stink looking at her with something more than sex on the brain.” She sipped at her drink.
“I’m more than just a pretty face.”
“I know you are,” she said, remembering the feel of him between her thighs.
He growled. “You’ve got me thinking about fucking you.”
“Good. You’ll know how I feel then.” She smiled, feeling an answering heat of her own. The phone sex they’d shared was fun, but it wasn’t going to do the job.
“I’ve got to go. This run needs to be done today. I love hearing your voice,” he said.
“Okay, I’ll let you go, but you ride safe, you hear.” She gave the warning not wanting anything to happen to him.
“Baby, knowing you’re waiting for me is all I need to hear.”
He hung up, and she stared down at her cell phone, wishing there was something more she could do. She hated not knowing what was happening or if there was anything more she could do.
Tiny wouldn’t let anything happen to him. His men, the club were all important to him.
****
“Something doesn’t feel right about this,” Murphy said, putting his helmet on. Tate and the women were not invited to see them off this time. Tiny had requested no women as this was one of their biggest shipments, and he didn’t want anything to go wrong. Usually only a handful of the boys carried the load to their destination whereas today all of them were carrying.
It was a risky shipment, but he’d never backed down from an order. This was his life, and it kept his town clean.
“Everything will be fine. We’ve got no choice. After this one we’re on hold for a few months,” Tiny said.
“None of this makes any sense,” Lash said. “Every run is spaced out, yet this one is on a specific route. Tiny, we never got the route we’re ordered to.”
Tiny slashed his arm down. “Look!” His voice carried, and all the bikers stopped. “This is what we’ve been ordered to do. We’ve got no choice but to see it through otherwise we’re up shit creek. Alex deals with the order, and this is what he’s said. They want this specific route or no deal.”
When Tiny was told there was a route requested by the dealers he’d wanted to turn it away. Alex didn’t feel there was a problem as the supply was coming from Ned Walker. Tiny wasn’t about to tell Eva who he was running for. Alex was happy with Ned, and the supplier didn’t seem to have any priors and it certainly didn’t sound like a trap.
Still, he understood his men’s anxiety for this run.
Every other run they made their own path and got the job done. “Sandy’s at home, and if anything happens we can return to plan B and our failsafe. Never forget to be prepared, boys. I’m always prepared for on the road.” He kept prospects and some of the women at the compound during runs for a reason. They were his failsafe if something was to go wrong.
“Let’s ride.” He straddled his bike, turning the key in the ignition and kicked off. Tiny was in front of all of his boys as they made their way out of Fort Wills. The route was ingrained in his mind, and he wasn’t going to be forgetting about it anytime soon. He’d never taken the route before as he liked to map his own destination. Two hours passed, and they made their first stop to get some food, fill the bikes and recoup.
Unlike so many other runs this one was silent. No one was saying a word as they went about their business.
Tiny didn’t like the silence. He was used to his men messing around and fussing around. Murphy stared at his cell while Nash and Lash were muttering to each other. They had vulnerable women at home.
Shouldn’t have let them come.
All three men had wanted to go. It would be one of their last rides in the coming months as they all wanted to stay at home. Lash, Murphy, and Nash wanted this final run, and then they were out until after their babies were born.
He ignored the warning, got back on his bike and started back on the road. The journey was another three hours in when the road darkened. An incline was to his right with trees and what looked like a forest to his left. There were no track marks on the road, and Tiny felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He slowed the bike down, and in his mirror he saw the boys do the same.
Something was off. His senses were on high alert. Tiny didn’t have the first clue what was going on or why he was feeling concerned. His piece was down by his leg out of reach as he concentrated on the road.
The first bullet ricochets off his bike. He jerked at the impact. Out of his mirror he saw the other bikes coming from the distance. Tiny couldn’t focus, and then chaos ensued. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lash and Nash crash off their bikes seconds before they blew up.
Seeing those boys hit the tarmac made Tiny sick to his stomach. He slipped and skidded off his bike as another wave of bullets hit. His leg hit the tarmac scraping along. He was pulled off and landed on the hard ground next to the trees. His leg, back, and arm were on fire, but he didn’t give himself chance to assess the damage. The pain was excruciating. Glancing over the grass verge, he saw Lash stand and take a bullet to the thigh. The men were still coming on their bikes. The guns glinted in the sunlight. The attack on The Skulls was intentional. Tiny couldn’t move.
“Failsafe,” he said, hoping his men could hear him. One by one he watched his men fall all around him. Killer was charged off his bike at the back. He didn’t see what happened as Killer stood and started to fight. They were all outnumbered, and there was nothing any of them could do.
Zero was on the ground, grunting. Butch was trying his best to hold on, and Murphy’s bike was down and burning with no signs of the other man. It was a bloodbath, and Tiny couldn’t wait to see what happened. Getting up from his position he headed into the trees. His cell phone was by his leg, and he pulled it out.
He quickly dialed Alex’s number.”
“Hello, I thought you weren’t—”
“It’s a trap.”
“The cops are there?” Alex asked.
“No, another fucking club.” He glanced behind him in time to see the symbol he hoped to never see again. Tiny recognized the symbol for The Darkness, and he knew in that instant Snitch was alive.
“This couldn’t be. I know Ned, and he wouldn’t fucking betray me,” Alex said.
“He may not know. Where are you?” Tiny asked.
“I’m in Vegas.”
Tiny nodded as he heard a scream that sounded a lot like Stink. “My men are dying out there. I don’t know who survived, but I’m implementing the failsafe. You’ve got to make sure Tate is fine.”
“She’s pregnant, Tiny. I can’t give her that news. She might lose the baby.”
Cursing, Tiny knew he wouldn’t be able to tell his daughter or any of the women. “Then you make sure they’ve got an eye on them. I’ll call you when I can. I’m destroying this phone.”
“What? Why?” Alex asked.
“It’s Snitch, and he’ll know how to track me even when I don’t want him to.” Without waiting, he slammed the cell phone against the trunk of the tree. He needed to get moving otherwise they were all going to be dead. Taking a step away, he gasped as the pain was unbearable.
Keep moving.
His leg was bleeding from being scraped along the tarmac. The jeans and protective leathers he’d worn had saved him from a lot of the damage, but even he knew they weren’t fucking invincible.
Checking behind him, Tiny hated leaving his men, but it was something they all agreed on. From the beginning nothing had changed. They’d all agreed if they were attacked they got out. The same discussion never changed even when new men had joined. Blaine, Killer, Whizz, Time, and Steven had all agreed with the terms.
If at any time they were hit by the cops or by another biker group and were outnumbered they had to disband and get out of harm’s way. No one stayed behind. Their life depended on them leaving and regrouping at a later date. Until today Tiny had never had to leave his men behind. He felt like a coward, and yet there was nothing for him to do. If he tried to take on the men, he’d be dead before he made the first kill. Tiny sent a prayer to whatever God listened to him to keep his men safe. Pulling his gun from his leg he started walking.
During the walk he didn’t give a fuck about the pain. He didn’t know how long he was walking until he stumbled upon a small town.
People gave him a wide berth, which he didn’t mind. When he got to the phone he pushed some money into the slot and typed in Devil’s number. He’d always been good at remembering numbers.
“Who the fuck is this?” Devil asked, clearly angry.
“Tiny, I need your help.” He wouldn’t be talking to the leader of Chaos Bleeds if it wasn’t necessary.
“What do you need now? Your man, Whizz, he pulled through. I found her sister, and I’m having the fucking party of a lifetime—”
Tiny wished he had all the time in the world to listen to his friend, but he didn’t. “Snitch is back.”
Silence fell from his interruption.
“Are you fucking shitting me?” Devil asked.
“Wish I was,
but on a drug run all my crew and I were just attacked. I don’t know who survived, but it was a fucking ambush.” Tiny detailed everything even down to the planned route.
“Sounds to me Alex has it in for you,” Devil said.
“Nah, this was fucking planned. Snitch is back, and he’s after revenge. He wants me out of the fucking picture, and the only way to do that is to get rid of me and my crew.” Tiny tore some of his shirt to wrap around his bleeding knuckles.
“Shit, with Snitch back it affects all of us. I’ll gather some guys together and come help you out.”
“Not right away. Wait for my phone call. This needs to be handled properly.” Tiny spat on the ground and saw one of his teeth mixed in. Fuck, he was getting too fucking old for this shit.
“What do you think Snitch will do?” Devil asked.
“He wants Fort Wills. I’m sure now he was the one responsible for trying to put Nash and Sophia in the ground. It’s now our job to make sure he goes to fucking ground.”
“Whatever you need, it’s yours.”
“Good. Stand by for my call.”
“With pleasure,” Devil said, hanging up. He needed to get to Vegas, and only then could he find out who of his men were alive, if any at all.
****
One day later
Killer held onto his side as he kept to the shadows. His side hurt like hell, and his cell remained eerily silent. Fort Wills didn’t look too terrifying as he walked past closed shops and empty streets. It was night time, and no one was wandering around. Whatever was going on hadn’t reached the town yet.
Since the attack where he’d taken three men on he’d been hitching rides off passing people. Some people stopped just to be nosey. He paid them money for the ride back to Fort Wills. No one would enter the dangerous biker town, and he had to walk the rest of the way otherwise he’d have gotten home far sooner.
Leaning against a dumpster he took several breaths to gain composure. He’d not slept in over twenty-four hours, and he was feeling it.