by Chiah Wilder
“Fuck them!” Muerto screamed as he stomped his feet on the dirt.
Rocky came outside, his gaze avoiding those of the bikers. He went up to Diablo. “Everything calm now?” he asked in a low voice.
Diablo nodded. “It’s all cool. Some fuckers from a rival club started shit with my brothers. We took care of it.” He spat on the ground, his saliva mixing with the blood that heavily stained the sand and dirt.
In an even lower voice, Rocky said, “Bloody Knuckles is beyond pissed. He wants to talk to you.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.” Diablo watched as Rocky walked back inside. “I fuckin’ let you guys down. I should’ve seen the fuckers in there.” I was too damn busy looking for Fallon. “What happened shouldn’t have.”
“What the fuck are you sayin’?” Goldie jerked his head back. “There were so many people in there and you were doing some shit outside for a while. I bet that’s when the assholes came in.”
“And they must have known bikers were in here because of our Harleys in the lot. They were looking for a fight,” Muerto said.
“And we fucking gave them one!” Crow kicked up the sand with his boot.
“They know better than to be in our territory. We should’ve killed them.” Army shook his head.
“Damn straight,” Skull replied, Brutus and Chains nodding in agreement.
“I’d say the fights are over inside, right?” Sangre asked.
Diablo nodded. “Pretty sure they are. I’ll let you know when the next one is. You guys heading back now?”
“Yeah. Raven’s gonna be so pissed and scared.” Muerto chuckled.
“That makes for a great fucking later on,” Sangre said, and the others laughed.
They went to their bikes and gave Diablo several chin lifts. He watched them as they roared onto the old highway, their red taillights flickering in the dark until they were out of sight. He walked slowly to the entrance, reminding himself not to lose his temper when Bloody Asshole got in his face.
“You took your fucking sweet time,” the promoter said when Diablo stepped inside. “What the fuck happened?”
“Someone let in a rival outlaw MC. They were in Night Rebels territory, so they got their asses kicked.”
“Well that makes everything clearer. Are we in a bad rerun of Brando’s The Wild One? That’s bullshit and you know it.”
Diablo gritted his teeth. “Are we done?”
Bloody Knuckles’s eyes widened. “No, we’re not fuckin’ done. Rocky, bring the other bouncers. I want to talk to all of you.”
Diablo crossed his arms over his chest. I wonder how long this asshole’s gonna act like I give a shit what he thinks.
Rocky and the other two bouncers came over.
“What’s up, boss?” Rocky asked.
“Which one of you let the bikers in?” The promoter glared at each one of them.
“Diablo let some in, and I guess I did too,” Moe said.
The promoter fixed his eyes on Diablo. “Now I’m finding it was you and Moe who let them in.”
He clenched and unclenched his fists. “I let my brothers in. I didn’t let the fuckin’ Satan’s Pistons in.”
Shaking his head, the promoter raised his hands in exaggerated exasperation. “Whatever. From now on, no bikers are allowed in this venue. I don’t give a shit if it’s a granny on a goddamn Harley—no one with a bike is allowed in here. Got it?” The three bouncers nodded but Diablo didn’t move a muscle. Coming close to him, Bloody Knuckles said, “You got a problem with that?”
“Yeah, I do. There’s no fuckin’ way I’m turning my brothers away.”
Anger mottled the promoter’s face. “I own this goddamn place. I put on the fights. I pay your fucking wages. I’m not asking you—I’m fucking telling you.”
“Back away, old man, or you’re not gonna like the way your face looks in the morning.” Diablo uncrossed his arms and leaned closer to the promoter.
He stumbled backward. “If you want to keep your job, then you’ll follow what I say. No bikers. Period.”
“Give me my pay for tonight, then, and I’m fuckin’ outta here.”
“So you’re quitting?” Bloody Knuckles looked frustrated at the way things were playing out.
“Seems that way.” Diablo’s jaw jutted out.
“Boss, some of the biker dudes were here last week and there wasn’t no problem. Maybe it’s because the other bikers were here,” Rocky said.
“I saw the ones who had the devil on the back of their vests start the fight with the other bikers,” Moe added.
Bloody Knuckles breathed out an audible sigh. “Can you promise me this won’t happen again, Diablo? I mean, I lost a shitload of money tonight, and I don’t want people to be scared to come here. When they come, they fucking expect the fights to be in the ring, not in the crowd. Work with me, man. I don’t want to lose you, but you have to give me some assurance.”
Diablo stood silent for a few seconds, loving the way beads of sweat ran down Bloody Asshole’s face. “If no one disrespects them, then it’ll be good. If there aren’t any fuckin’ rival bikers in here, then it’ll be good. Pretty simple.”
The promoter nodded slowly. “All right. I just want to forget this damn night happened. I’ll try and put something together right away. I don’t want people thinking we’re closed for business.” He ran his hand through his short hair. “What a fucking mess tonight was.” He stared fixedly at Diablo and pointed his finger. “I’m counting on you to control shit before it happens.”
Diablo resisted the urge to grab his finger and bend it backward until it broke. The sound of Bloody Asshole’s bone snapping would be music to his ears. “I’m still waiting on my pay.”
“Okay. Now that we all understand each other, let me settle with all of you. It’s been a long night.”
A few minutes later, Diablo went up to Sam who was packing up to leave. “Have you seen Fallon?” he asked.
Sam shook his head. “A couple of the ring chicks are interested in you. They keep asking me about you. I’d die to have just one hour with any of them, and you’re asking me about Bloody’s dowdy daughter?”
“I didn’t ask for your fuckin’ opinion, just if you’ve seen her.”
“No, but then I really don’t ever notice her. She’s not very remarkable.”
In less than a second, Diablo grabbed the wiry-haired man by the shirt and lifted him off his feet. “I don’t ever want to hear you talking trash about her. You got that? If I hear you saying shit, I’ll crush your pinhead until your fuckin’ brains pour out.” He threw the trembling man to the ground and kicked open the back door, letting it slam behind him. He revved up his Harley and peeled out of the lot, his back tire sliding in the dirt.
As he rode down the deserted highway, his anger began to lift. Fallon touched him in a way no other woman had. He didn’t know what to make of it. There was strength in her amid all the chaos she had churning inside her; he supposed that’s what appealed to him. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted from her—friendship or something more. All he knew was he wanted to get to know her. She fascinated him in ways that confused him.
He threw his head back and let the late May air roll over him as he rode back to Alina.
Chapter Six
Diablo stood in the back of the room with his feet apart and arms crossed as Steel hit the gavel against a wooden block. The brothers stopped talking and focused their gazes to the front of the table where Steel and Paco stood.
“Heard you had some trouble with the Pistons on Saturday. Paco filled me in on the details.”
“Those fuckers know better than to be in our territory.” Rooster Mike’s comment set off the brothers and they began cussing and yelling death threats.
Paco put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. “We know the fuckers shouldn’t have been there, but we gotta figure out what the hell they’re gonna do. From the way the brothers who were involved in the fight told it, the Pistons got their ass b
eat.” The room was filled with cheers and hoots. “We can celebrate that in the main room after church, but we have to figure out what’s our next step.”
Crow stood from his chair. “Steel’s right. I know these sonsofbitches from when I lived in Arizona. They’re not gonna forget.”
“And we know they’re still pissed about us shutting down their strip bar last summer,” Army said.
“Maybe they’ll get the 39th Street punks to hit us,” Chains said.
“No way they’d let inexperienced wannabes do their job. Anyway, there’s no satisfaction in passing off the hit.” Diablo pulled out a chair and sat down.
Steel nodded. “Diablo’s right. For now, the club is on high alert. Check out every single chick before she walks into the club.” Cue Ball, Eagle, and Jigger groaned. Steel gave them a hard look. “I know it’s going to be a pain in the ass on the weekends, but the club’s security and safety are number one. I’m going to have a couple brothers on Raven and Breanna. They’ll trade off with the prospects, who’ll be keeping their eyes on Shannon and Sam.”
“I can watch my own woman,” Tattoo Mike said.
“You’ll go fuckin’ crazy if you’re with her twenty-four seven,” Brutus replied. Chuckles circulated around the room.
“With her working in the ink shop, Sam and me spend a ton of time together. If I need the help, I’ll let you know.”
Steel nodded. “Okay. You gotta watch your kids too. Same goes for you.” He glanced at Rooster Mike. “We’re here to help. I don’t want anyone getting hurt, especially the old ladies and kids.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Piston shits knew some of our brothers were going to be there on Saturday. It just seems like something’s off here,” Paco said.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Diablo leaned his chair back against the wall. “And they came after our brothers arrived.”
“And when you were out back,” Sangre added.
The members began talking amongst themselves, their voices and anger bouncing off the walls as the minutes slipped away.
“We gotta take them down before they come for us,” Crow said.
Steel shook his head. “We’re not ready to start a war, but this makes me think that we’ve been too lax in building up our arsenal. We’ve had it pretty quiet since we put an end to the Skull Crushers.”
“Agreed.” Paco looked at Diablo. “Who do you think would’ve told the motherfuckers that Night Rebels were at the fights?”
Diablo pressed his lips together and ran his hand over his smooth head. “It had to be someone who knew the brothers were going to be there. It could be someone at the fights because our guys were there the week before. Not sure who it could’ve been, but I’ll look into it.”
“Maybe the Insurgents can help with finding out what the Pistons are up to. Hawk’s good at finding shit out about rival clubs.”
“I’ll talk to him. In the meantime, we’re on high alert. I’m putting Paco, Army, and Chains in charge of getting some arms deals. We gotta make sure we have the weapons if we end up going to war with the fuckers. I’ll also give Banger a call and see if he can lend us a hand. The Insurgents may have some guns they want to unload. That seems to be all for now. Church is over.” Steel brought the gavel down; the meeting was adjourned.
The brothers went to the big room, their low voices buzzing like a swarm of bees. They were all concerned about the unknown. The only thing that was certain was that the Satan’s Pistons would strike.
“I wondered when the Pistons were gonna come calling. The chickenshits waited a long time to strike.” Crow took the beer the prospect placed in front of him.
“And on Saturday, they ran off like the pussies they really are,” Goldie said.
“I don’t think they figured there were that many of us.” Muerto lifted his Dos Equis to his lips.
“That’s ’cause there were only five of us the Saturday before. Some fuck definitely tipped them off.” Army pounded his fist on the bar.
“You’re right. I’ll look into it, and when I find out who it is, I’m gonna crush the fucker.” Diablo slammed his empty beer bottle on the bar and it shattered.
Several of the club girls came over to the men. Maria, a cute woman with long dark brown hair, came over to Diablo. “Hiya,” she said as she leaned next to him.
A smile spread over his face. Maria and Lucy were the only club girls he hung out with when he was in the mood. They provided conversation and fun when he needed it. Maria had a softness about her that he really liked, and Lucy, a redhead, had a temper that turned him on. He wasn’t into threesomes, so when his sexual desires craved a release he’d either go to one or the other. If he was in a pissed-off mood, Maria’s gentleness calmed him. If he was in his not-giving-a-shit mood, Lucy’s fiery temperament charged him up.
“How’re things going?” he asked her.
“Good. It looks like you guys had a serious powwow in there.” Diablo pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows. “I know. You can’t talk about it.” She ran her hand up his arm. “You gonna get me a drink?”
“Whatcha drinking?”
“Surprise me. I’ll meet you at the table.”
He walked over to the table, a beer in one hand and a tequila sour in the other. Maria pulled out a chair for him. “You been keeping pretty busy with your second job.” She wrapped her lips around the small straw and took a drink. “Yummy. Thanks.”
“I only work on Saturday nights if they need me. The rest of the time I’m still working at the mechanic shop.”
“I was downtown the other day and popped into Skid Marks to see you, but you weren’t there.”
“I must’ve been at the junkyard looking for parts.”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek, then wiped her nose, giggling. “Your beard tickles. You know, I miss you. The last time we hooked up was a few weeks ago. Lucy said it’s been about the same for her. Aren’t you horny as hell about now?” She rested her hand on his thigh.
The warmth of her hand made his dick jerk, but his mind wasn’t where his body was. He gently held her hand, moving it away from his thigh. “I’m just not feeling it right now. You know me. I can wait a long while before I need your lovin’.” He winked at her as disappointment settled into the fine lines on her forehead. “Sangre’s horny as all hell.”
“Sangre’s always horny.” She laughed and he joined in.
He liked Maria’s easy-going nature, and if he were interested in a girlfriend, he might even consider her. But then there was Lucy, who also made him feel good. The two women complemented each other nicely; sometimes he wished he could combine them to make one woman.
“Anyway, I like being with you. I never told you this before, but you’re my favorite of the brothers, and not just for sex. Even though you’re not much of a talker, I always feel so comfortable with you.” Diablo’s gaze fixed on her. “And it doesn’t make me nervous when you do what you’re doing right now. Some of the other girls are like, ‘It makes me nervous when he just stares at you. It’s like he’s looking right into you,’ but I don’t see it that way. You’re just a very intense and sensitive guy. I know you want everyone to think you’re badass all the time, but I think there’s a real softness about you. Lucky the woman who can dig beyond the surface and reach your hidden, dark corners. I bet she’ll find a treasure trove.” She took the straw out of the drink and took a big gulp.
“Maybe she’ll find dark demons she won’t be able to tame.” He took another swig of his beer.
“Maybe. Hell, we all got shit we keep from other people. Most of the time it’s easier to pretend that you don’t have a past, that the present is the only thing that matters.”
“I’ll drink to that.” He motioned for Patches to bring him another round.
“Since you never go with anyone but me and Lucy, I figure you must like us the best.”
He nodded. “Wasn’t too hard to figure that one out.”
“You ever wanna try out one of th
e other club girls? I was just curious.” She stirred her fresh tequila sour with her straw.
“Nope.”
“Hey, Maria, you busy?” Sangre asked as he sat on the chair next to her.
“Can’t you see Diablo and me are talking?” She sipped her drink.
“Sorry, dude. I didn’t know you guys had something going right now.” Sangre wiped the corners of his mouth. “I was just horny and Maria popped in my mind.”
Maria looked at Diablo and laughed while Sangre looked confused. “You good if I entertain Sangre? You know you got first dibs.” She placed her hand over his.
“Go on. Have a good time,” Diablo said.
She finished her drink, then slowly rose from her chair. Sangre tugged her to him. Throwing a soft smile at Diablo, she walked away with Sangre.
Watching the tips of her long hair swaying just above her butt, a girl from his past pushed through the cobwebs in his mind. Hannah. Fuck. I haven’t thought about her in years. She’d been the only one he gave his heart to, and she’d been the first to decimate it.
“Any news on when the next fights are gonna be?” Goldie’s voice startled him. The past scampered to the dark recesses of his mind.
“Not yet. The asshole promoter’s trying to set something up as soon as possible. I’ll let you know.”
“You don’t like him?”
“Nah.”
“Any reason why?”
Diablo shrugged. “He rubs me the wrong way. Let’s just leave it at that.”
“It’s gonna fuckin’ suck to check out each chick who wants to party with us. I bet they’ll stop coming. Those asshole Pistons have fucked everything up,” Jigger said as he sat at the table.
“They’ll still come. Chicks can’t resist a bad boy. And they’re fuckin’ crazy for biker cock.” Army placed a bottle of Jack and five shot glasses on the table.
As Army, Goldie, Jigger, and Skull—who’d joined them—spoke, Diablo threw back the shot of Jack Army had given him and let his mind wander. It landed where it always did for the past two weeks—Fallon. When he first saw her, he was struck by how pretty her eyes were and how delicate-looking she was. The sprinkling of freckles that lay over the bridge of her nose made her look young—he put her at twenty, but he couldn’t be sure—and she was slender with small breasts and hips.