Joe watched as the girl came out of Samson’s dorm. She looked vaguely familiar, although that in itself wasn’t unusual. Back in his nomad days, he’d visited plenty of clubs, so he’d probably seen her around. He was pretty sure it wasn’t here, though. As he watched, she headed behind the bar to the coffee machine, and as she bent down to grab a mug, her tee shirt rose up, revealing a large phoenix across the small of her back. Joe grinned, he may not always remember a face, but he never forgot ink. The last time he’d seen that, she’d been on her knees in front of Dixon.
Samson opened his eyes and blinked as Joe switched on the light. “You better have a real good reason for waking me up.”
“That gash you nailed last night. What do you know about her?”
“That it was like fucking a dead fish.”
“Wasn’t looking for a review, man. Did she come on to you?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Samson, like many of his brothers, paid little attention to the whores that hung around the clubhouses. They were just there to scratch an itch. As a nomad he rarely went looking for women, they just came to him. Even now, barely minutes after she’d left his bed, he was struggling to remember her face. “What’s this about?”
“I’ve seen her before. At Salt Lake. She’s a favorite of Dixon’s. I’m guessing she’s chosen here cuz it’s close to him.”
“You speak to her?”
“Nah, don’t think she realized I recognized her.”
“You think she’ll tell him we’re here?”
“I’m betting he already knows. I reckon he would give his right arm for the chance to take us out.”
“You think we can lure him out?”
“It’s an option.” Joe grinned and sat on the end of the bed. “I’m guessing the reason she was pushing up on you was to find out what we know, which is precisely Jack shit.”
“Makes sense. Although it could be that I am one fine motherfucker.” Samson smirked and kissed his bicep. “You think we should feed her false information?”
“Actually I was thinking that maybe she could lead us to him, that way we could take down those Nazi assholes as well.”
“As much as I would love to do that, Joe, that would take more than just the two of us. These separatist groups are well armed, and wherever they are will be seriously well defended. Hitting them would take some serious planning.”
“Yeah I guess you’re right. Those places could defend themselves against an army.”
“Of course.” Samson grinned. “It wouldn’t hurt to take a look. You think the gash will give him up?”
“Not willingly. Maybe we should stick around, find out who her friends are, where she hangs out. Don’t think we should show our hands too soon.” He stood up. “I’m sure you’ll be able to persuade her to let you bang her again.”
“No question. Ain’t a woman on the planet can resist this.”
Rolling his eyes Joe headed out of the door and back into the clubhouse.
~ oOo ~
The parking lot outside the clubhouse was still cool; later, as the day wore on, the heat outside would be unbearable, but right now, as Joe pulled out his cell and lit a cigarette, it was perfect. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just thought I’d call you early, in case I don’t get the chance again today. It’s real good to hear your voice.”
“And yours. I’m really missing you, Joe. So is Amy. Maybe you should call her. She’s struggling a little with you not being around.”
“Yeah, okay I will. I’m sorry, Beth, I shouldn’t have taken this job, not after everything that has happened.”
“Shit! Are my ears deceiving me? Joe Taylor, regretting taking a job for the club. I don’t know whether to be flattered or scared.”
Joe chuckled. “I see your point. I guess this shit with M has got me turned around.”
“Joe, what you…What happened. You’ve got to let it go. I know Amy’s hurting right now, but she’ll get over it. The only thing that will stop her from moving on is if you let your guilt keep you away from her.”
“How the fuck did I end up with someone as smart as you?”
“Guess you lucked out.”
“Guess I did. I love you, Beth.”
“I know, and I love you, too. Now go and do what you have to do, so you can come home to us.”
As usual, Joe felt better after talking to Beth. She really was good for him and he knew that stopping Maria from coming between her and him had been his only option. It really was the only way he could prove to Beth that he truly loved her. He just hadn’t expected it to tear him apart in the way it had. Shaking his head ruefully, he threw his cigarette butt on the ground and headed back into the clubhouse. He was going to have to let this go. Beth and Samson were right. If he didn’t, Maria would have won, and what he had done would have been for nothing.
~ oOo ~
“How about you get me a coffee, sweetheart.” Samson sat on a sofa at the back of the room, his long legs stretched out in front of him and watched as Candy or Cindy, or whatever the fuck her name was, crossed the room. In the cold light of day, she was older than she first appeared and, although she was probably quite a looker in her day, her face bore signs of the life she’d been living. He had heard that Dixon had a reputation for beating on his women, and he knew that his old lady had visited ER on more than one occasion. He appeared he was pretty heavy-handed with his favorite club whore, too. At some point her nose had been busted and there was a slight asymmetry about her face that, he guessed, was due to a badly fixed broken cheekbone.
Despite this, she wasn’t unattractive, and Samson was pretty sure she would be grateful for any kindness he showed her. He smiled as she returned with his coffee. “Thanks, darling, how about you sit here and keep me company for a while.” Wordlessly, with her eyes downcast, she sat next to him. Samson slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, pretending not to notice how she flinched at the sudden movement. “So, Cindy.”
“Candice.”
“Candice.” He corrected himself. “How come I haven’t seen you around before? I’m pretty sure I’d have noticed someone as pretty as you.” She blushed, she actually fucking blushed. Shit, this was going to be easier than he thought.
“I…I have been here a while.”
Samson didn’t push. She was nervous, and not just of him. He had seen the way she had kept her eyes downcast as she crossed the room, something that set her apart from the other women there. The Vegas chapter had a reputation for taking good care of their women. Sure they were expected to earn their keep, but Jez, the president, wouldn’t tolerate anyone beating on his girls. As a result they were bold and forward in the clubhouse. It was one of the reasons Samson enjoyed coming here. While the women were still respectful, they were spunky, and fun to be around.
Candice leaned back and forced herself to relax. Samson seemed kind enough, and she really wanted to be able to take any information she gleaned back to Dixon. She was starting to get desperate in her need to get out of this life, and although he had given her a beating on more than one occasion, she still felt he was the only one who could offer her any sort of stability. She suppressed a shudder as Samson ran his fingers down her arm. It had been a long time since she’d enjoyed the touch of a man. Sex wasn’t something she enjoyed. It was just a means to an end, something to be endured in return for money or security.
“Relax, darling. I ain't gonna hurt ya. Just looking for the company of a pretty girl is all.” Samson moved away from her ever so slightly. “What’s got you so twitchy, huh? I though Jez took good care of his girls.”
“He does. I’m fine.”
Again Samson let it go. He didn’t want to spook her. “So you a dancer?”
“Not any more. I used to when I….When I was younger.” She fell silent, trying to avoid his piercing gaze.
“And I ain't gotta worry about no old man kicking my ass?”
“No. There is…was…
. No, I don’t have anyone.” She glanced nervously at him and relaxed a little as he smiled. “So I’m all yours for as long as you want me.”
“Good to hear, darling. I fully intend on keeping you to myself while I’m here.”
She wondered briefly if he knew of her connection to Dixon and risked a glance to where Joe was playing pool with Jez. No, she dismissed the idea. If either of them recognized her it would have been Joe, and as far as she was aware he hadn’t even looked in her direction. She knew she was putting herself in a dangerous position, although she was confident no one here knew of her Salt Lake connection. As far as everyone here was concerned she had come from Tucson. In reality, though, she had only been there for a couple of months before moving to Vegas, having followed Dixon wherever he went. She looked over again to the big nomad sitting next her and wondered what it would be to be the old lady of someone as kind as him. Suppressing a sigh, Candice concentrated on the job at hand. He’d never be interested in anything more than a fuck from her. Truthfully she doubted even Dixon would. Most of the time he was more interested in using her as a punching bag than anything else.
“Hey.” Samson nudged her. “Stop looking so worried. I only wanted a little fun. If you’re not interested, I can go elsewhere.”
“No… No. I am interested. I’m just not used to people wanting to be with me. There’s so many prettier girls here than me here.”
Gently he touched her cheek. “You are plenty pretty enough, sweetheart. Don’t you let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“Thank you.” She fought the urge to tense up as he pulled her closer. “Are you hungry? I could make you something.”
“I got a better idea.” He stood up and held out his hand. “C’mon, the diner down the road does the best breakfasts. My treat.”
Joe straightened up and leaned on his cue as he watched his brother lead the girl outside. “What do you know about her, Jez?”
“Not much. Her and a couple of her friends came up from Tucson looking to earn.”
“You know where she was before that?”
“Nah, never spoke to her. She works the strip and pays her dues. Seems to get on with everyone okay.” He frowned. “Why d’ya ask?”
“The last time I saw her, she was in Salt Lake, on her knees in front of Dixon.”
“Shit. You think she’s tipped him off about you?”
Joe gave a one-shouldered shrug and bent to take his shot. “Samson’ll take care of her.” He chuckled at the Vegas president’s expression. “I meant he’ll befriend her, see if he can’t get her to give him up.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
“Then I’ll take care of her.”
~ oOo ~
Candice sat opposite Samson and picked at her fries. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“I’m a nice guy.”
“So you make a habit of taking club girls to breakfast?”
“I do when I’m hungry.” He grinned. “I don’t like eating alone, an’ I’d rather look at you than Tiny.” He reached over the table and touched her face. “Why wouldn’t I want to have breakfast with you?”
“Because I’m a used-up old whore.”
There it was. His way in. “Shit. I’d like to find the asshole that put that in your head.”
“No one put anything in my head.”
“Sure they did. You are a lovely girl, who could be anything she wanted to be.”
“That’s very kind of you, but I know what I am.”
“Don’t make a habit of buying used-up old whores breakfast, darling.”
“You would if that used-up old whore is connected to the man you’re looking for.” She looked up and her eyes met his. “I’m not stupid, Samson, I know how this works.”
“Then you know this is your chance to do this the easy way. Cuz trust me, darling, the hard way is Tiny. And you really don’t want that.”
“He knows you’re here. I…”
“Yeah, we figured that much. All we want from you is a location.”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Can’t or won't?”
Her eyes dropped and he nodded. “You are going to do as you’re told.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I’ll hand you over to Tiny.”
“He’ll kill me?”
“Oh no, darling. He’ll keep you alive. Tiny’s very good at keeping people alive.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“If you don’t give me what I want, or you tip him off that we’re on to him, after Tiny's done with you, I will kill you. Co-operate and you get to live with everything intact.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. “There’s enough her to set you up, wherever you want. It’s yours if you play nice.”
“Dix will kill me if I betray him.”
“He won't get the chance, darling. You’re a smart girl, you saw through this little charade. And like you said, you know how it works.” He grinned. “So how about you tell me what you know.”
“I don’t know much. He’s staying at a place called Hope Farm. I think it’s about thirty miles east of here. The people who own it are into all that survivalist bullshit.” She screwed up her nose. “I don’t know how many there are there, but from what he has said, it’s like a fortress. That all I know, really.”
“Okay. Good girl. Now I want you to call him and tell him that we have left town, but you don’t know where we’ve gone.”
“Now?”
“Now would be a good time.”
“Okay.” She pulled out her cell. “Dix? It’s me. I…I thought you’d want to know, those guys who were looking for you left town this morning….No, I don’t know where they went….No, they don’t know anything…..Yes, I’m sure. Okay, I will. Bye.”
Samson stood and, holding out his hand, took her cell from her. “Let's get you back to the clubhouse. I’ll have a couple of nomads here in a couple of hours. They can escort you out of town.” He grinned at the expression on her face. “Wouldn’t want you driving in the wrong direction, now would we?”
THIRTY-SIX
Joe shifted as yet another rock dug in his ribs, and he brought the binoculars up to his eyes once more. From their vantage point on a hill at the back of the derelict ranch, hidden by a rocky outcrop, they had a perfect view of the whole thing. It was rapidly becoming apparent that the usual MC method of get in quick, hit ‘em hard and get your ass out of there wasn’t going to work here. Taking down an operation like this was going to take a lot of planning and a huge amount of fire power.
Samson squinted and looked over to his companion. “So if you was planning on taking these fuckers down, how would you do it?”
“Snipers, to take out those lookouts. Then a two-pronged attack from over there and there.” He pointed. “Lot of noise, lot of smoke. I’m guessing the money shot is the house. Looks like there’s a cellar, an’ I’m guessing that’s where they’re storing the guns. There’s two, no, three guard dogs on the porch and two guys on the roof. There’s drums of something out back and it’s possible they’re using the rest of the house to cook up meth. I’d say we try to draw them off and if we can’t get the weapons out, we blow the fucker sky high.”
“You make it sound so easy, bro.” Samson chuckled, and took more photographs. “How many are we going to need?”
Joe shrugged. “A lot. But it ain't just about numbers. We’d need the best. Every one of those fuckers is armed, and I’m guessing they’re good. They ain't gonna panic. They will be well drilled and will have covered every scenario.”
“We could just wait for Dixon to surface, maybe use his girl to draw him out.”
“We could. But they been hitting the Serpientes and Desert Ghosts. There’s five bikes down there, an’ he’s been wearing colors. That’s what they been seeing. The patch an’ the bikes. Whether he’s with them or not. Any more hits are gonna look like they’re sanctioned by the club. These fuckers are looking to start a turf war. Tucson us
es the Ghosts on protection runs, and Serpientes have been running H through this territory for years without a problem. My guess is that it’s the H that they’re interested in.”
“Makes sense. Turn the clubs on each other. Then step in to pick up the lost business.” Samson grinned. “Guess we take the fuckers down, then.” Grunting, he rolled over and sat up. “Let’s get back to Vegas. Looks like we got some planning to do.”
Neither spoke as they walked the short distance down the hill to where the anonymous grey van was parked. This was a dangerous strategy that was going to involve the cream of several charters. But even with numbers and using the best men, it was unlikely that they would pull this off without suffering heavy casualties.
~ oOo ~
“How can I be sure this isn’t going to blow back on this chapter?” Jez ran his hand over his head. “We got a good thing going here, I don't wanna rock the boat.”
“You can’t.” Samson leaned back and folded his arms. “But if they get what they want, and start a turf war, I guarantee Vegas will be hit.”
“Looks like I’ve got no choice, then.” Jez stood. “I’ll call Vince, get him to reach out the other chapters.”
A Family Man Page 29