by Chiah Wilder
“How long’s it been going on?” Army asked, taking Diablo’s gaze away from the ring.
“Hey.” He raised his fist in front of him, greeting Army, Chains, Brutus, Cue Ball, Jigger, Goldie, and Paco. “The fights just started. The swaying dude in the red shorts went down with one punch. It was fuckin’ awesome.”
“I gotta see this,” Paco said as he, Jigger, Brutus, and Cue Ball walked toward the crowd.
“Is that sexy ring girl still here? I think her name was Diamond,” Goldie said.
“The ring girls are the same as always.” Diablo scanned the crowd.
“Her name wasn’t Diamond, it was Sapphire,” said Chains.
“Nah, that doesn’t sound right. I know it was the name of some fucking stone. Maybe Ruby.” Goldie scrubbed his hand across his chin.
“There she is, with the hot blonde who partied with us last time,” Army said.
“We’ll catch you later, bro,” Goldie said as the three brothers made a beeline for the two women who stood by the wall across from the ring.
Diablo jerked his chin and panned the room, looking for Sam. He spotted him behind the ring, watching the Night Rebels. There was something about the way he looked at Paco, Cue Ball, Jigger, and Brutus, then turned his attention to the other three brothers who were talking to the women. Sam then looked around the room again, his gaze briefly catching Diablo’s. It’s like he’s counting how many brothers are here. And he keeps looking to see if more are gonna come in.
Diablo focused all his attention on Sam, careful not to make direct eye contact with him. After twenty minutes, Sam took out his phone and went outside. Diablo motioned Rocky over and told him he’d be back in a few. Diablo went outside and walked to the back of the warehouse. For being such a tall, built man, he could be surprisingly light on his feet; as he treaded carefully, the sand underneath his feet absorbed his steps.
“I only counted seven. Oh, and the stupid fuck who’s the bouncer. I didn’t even know he was in the Night Rebels until last week when all that shit went down.”
Diablo saw Sam pacing back and forth as he spoke on the phone.
“I waited for a while. I’m sure that’s all who’s gonna show up from the club. Are you gonna bring the money when you and your boys get here? I’m a little short in paying some guys back and they’re putting the squeeze on me.” Sam wiped the corners of his mouth with his thumb and index finger.
“I just need the money tonight. We got a good crowd here. You’ll make some good money tonight. Fuck!” Diablo’s viselike grip clamped onto the back of Sam’s neck. The man dropped his phone and clawed at Diablo’s hand. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Diablo tossed Sam to the ground and kicked him hard in the stomach. The crumpled man groaned and curled into a tighter ball. Diablo picked up the phone and put it to his ear.
“What the fuck is going on? Sam?” a rough voice asked.
“The Night Rebels are ready for you fuckers.” Diablo threw the phone on the ground and stomped on it, scattering plastic pieces every which way. He bent over and dragged Sam up by his shirt. “You better fuckin’ tell me why you’re talking to the fuckin’ Satan’s Pistons about the Night Rebels. And if you lie, I’m gonna kill you. It’s pretty simple.”
Sweat poured into Sam’s eyes and he blinked repeatedly as he wiped his forehead. “I swear I didn’t want to do any of this shit, but I needed the money. I was desperate. I got some fuckers on my ass and they’re threatening to hurt me real bad,” Sam spilled out.
Diablo tightened his hold on the front of Sam’s shirt. “You got a real pissed-off fucker right in front of you, and I’m not threatening to kill you—I’m telling you I’m gonna do it. So give it to me straight. Why the fuck are the Pistons coming to the goddamn warehouse to see the fights?”
“If I tell it to you straight, you’ll be cool with me, right?”
“I don’t negotiate. All I can tell you is if you don’t, it’ll make it a lot more painful for you.”
“Okay… okay. Satan’s Pistons fund some of the money that brings in the fights. Bloody Knuckles does shows in Arizona and they approached him. They wanted in. They had a cash flow and Bloody Knuckles needed that to get his business going. They put in money to help him buy the warehouse. Now that he’s doing good, he wants them out, but they don’t wanna go. When he found out you were in a motorcycle gang, he shit his pants. When he found out your gang is a rival of Satan’s Pistons, he told me to make sure not to have the Pistons around when the Night Rebels were at the fights.”
“I see you take instructions real good, asshole. Why the fuck were you calling them and setting up my brothers?” Diablo shook Sam, his lips curling in a feral smile as Sam’s teeth chattered and his bones creaked.
“I need the fucking money! They said they’d pay me if I let them know when the Night Rebels showed up. They said they had a score to settle with you guys. I didn’t want to do it, but they threatened me.”
“Yeah right, asshole!” Diablo punched him in the face and he bellowed.
“I needed the money,” he sobbed. “I didn’t want to do it.”
“How the fuck did they even know my brothers were at the fights last week? Did you call them?”
“No. I swear I didn’t. I think one of them is fucking one of the girls and he was there and saw the other guys from your club. That night, they called me and told me I had to let them know whenever the Night Rebels came to one of the fights.”
“Who’s the bitch they’re fucking?”
“I don’t know. I swear.”
“Is Bloody fucking Knuckles involved in this shit with the motherfuckers?”
Sam shook his head. “He’s trying to get rid of them. He’s offered to pay them what they put in and then some, but they don’t want it. He’s stuck. You gotta believe me. I’m not involved with these guys. I just did it this once because of the money.”
“When an outlaw club pays a citizen for information, it owns him all the way. You fuckin’ belong to them.” Diablo punched him in the face again and he groaned, his legs buckling. Diablo let go of his shirt and Sam fell to the ground. After a few kicks to the kidneys and ribs, he rummaged through Sam’s pockets and found a set of keys.
He took out his phone, calling Paco.
“What’s up, bro?” the brother said.
“I got some trash that needs to be taken out. I’m out back. I found the goddamn snitch. The fuckin’ Pistons are on their way in full force.”
In the few seconds it took Diablo to slip his phone in his jeans pocket, Paco, Army, and Brutus joined him. Army spit on Sam’s unconscious body. Handing the key ring to Paco, Diablo pointed to a bronze SUV near the large trash bins. “That’s the fucker’s car.”
Paco nodded. “We can strip it and sell the parts after we take care of him. I’ll put my bike in the back and drive back.”
Diablo nodded. “I gotta get back in.” He went back inside and took over his position, adrenaline pumping through him. He knew the Satan’s Pistons were a little over a hundred miles away, and with little to no traffic on Highway 491, they’d be pulling into Tula in just over an hour, unless they were staying somewhere within the Colorado borders.
Goldie, Chains, Cue Ball, and Jigger came over to him.
“We’re gonna head out. I wanna stay and kill those sonsofbitches, but Steel’s saying we’re gonna be outnumbered,” Goldie said.
“He’s right,” Diablo admitted.
“And there’re too many damn witnesses. The Highway Patrol would be all over our asses on this,” Chains added.
“Army said the arms deal’s going down end of next week. Once we get the shit, we’ll decimate them.”
“Just like the fuckin’ Demon Riders,” Diablo said.
“We getting the Insurgents to help on this one?” Jigger asked.
“Steel will let us know,” Diablo replied.
“You coming with us?” Chains opened the front door.
“Since I found out Pistons got their mo
ney in this shit, I decided to walk out. I’m gonna get Fallon, then get the fuck outta here.”
“You need us to wait around until you leave?” Goldie said.
Diablo shook his head. “I’m good.”
The four men walked out just as Charlie came over. “Have you seen Sam? I can’t find him.”
“Last time I saw him, he was heading out back.”
“I already looked there. Where the fuck is he? I need him in the ring.”
“Don’t know. Ask Jose to announce the fights until Sam turns up.”
“I’ll have to. It’s always one fucking thing after another.” Charlie stomped away.
When Paco came in, Diablo knew Sam’s announcing days at the warehouse were over. Paco clapped his hand on Diablo’s shoulder. “We took care of the fucker. I’m heading out. You need to get the fuck outta here.”
“Planning to. Just gonna get Fallon. See you at the clubhouse.” They bumped fists, and then Paco slipped out into the darkness.
Diablo scanned the room looking for Fallon but she wasn’t around. He hadn’t seen her since the fights had started. He motioned Moe to watch the door, and then he went to find her. As he climbed the stairs, Charlie’s yelling assaulted his ears.
“You’ve always been nothing but a dumb, ugly fuck! You’ve been nothing but a pain in my ass. You’re the reason Joanna left. Your mother couldn’t stand you. She’d tell me how having you ruined her life.”
“That’s not true! My mother loved me and hated you. You drove her away,” Fallon’s voice rang out.
Diablo rushed up the stairs and burst into the family room. White-hot rage surged through him when he saw Fallon cowering against the back wall and Charlie looming over her, his face red and bloated. Shanna sat on the couch, a smirk plastered on her face. Crack! Charlie slapped Fallon hard across the face and Diablo leapt forward, dragging Charlie away from her before slamming his fist into the side of the fucker’s face.
“Oh God!” Shanna screamed.
Charlie, stunned at first, staggered backward, then swung back at Diablo, yelling, “You’re fucking fired!”
“I don’t give a shit!” He punched Charlie again in the stomach and the man bowled over, gasping for breath. “No one fuckin’ disrespects my woman. And no one fuckin’ hits her. No. One.” He struck the promoter again in the face and Charlie lost his balance, stumbling backward before falling to the floor. Diablo dropped to his knees and pummeled him over and over. Blood spurted everywhere and Charlie’s body stopped trying to resist the attack.
“Stop, Diablo! You’re going to kill him!” Fallon’s tear-filled voice broke through his haze of hate and rage. Breathing heavily, his fists stopped in midair.
“You’ve got to admit that he’s had it coming,” Shanna said.
“Please, Diablo. For me.” Fallon’s hand on his shoulder melted some of the fury that had consumed him.
He stood up and she dropped to her knees, pressing her head against her father’s chest. Diablo looked at Shanna. She met his look, her eyes darkened with lust. He shook his head and turned back to Fallon.
“He’s still breathing,” she said as she wiped some of the blood off his broken face. Charlie groaned. “He’ll call the cops for sure. You better go.” Her shimmering gaze locked onto Diablo’s.
“I’m not going without you.”
Shanna cleared her throat. “Go on, Fallon. I’ll handle this. I mean, your dad attacked you and Diablo was only protecting you. Lie low for a couple days before you come back home. By then, I’ll have your dad all calmed down.”
Diablo stared at her, not believing a word she was saying. Something was going on with her that he couldn’t pinpoint. “Come on. We’ve gotta go.” He held out his hand and Fallon took it. He pulled her to him and they walked out of the room.
With her settled behind him, he revved his Harley and sped away from the warehouse. When they arrived at the clubhouse, he planned on having a talk with Fallon. There’s a lot of shit going on inside her, and I’m gonna find out what it is.
It was a starless, moonless night as the gray clouds stretched over the sky. A single beam from Diablo’s Harley was the only light bouncing off the black road and piercing the darkness. Fallon buried her head against him, her arms gripping him like a vise as they put distance between them and the fucked-up world they’d left behind.
Chapter Seventeen
When Diablo helped Fallon off the bike, streaks of sand highlighted her tear-stained cheeks. Gently, he brushed his fingers across her face, the grains sticking to his skin. “It’s going to be all right,” he said in a low voice before he kissed her lightly. Her lips tasted of salt, and they were gritty from the blowing sand.
“I don’t want to be around a bunch of people,” she said.
“We’ll go straight to my room. Come on.” He pressed her close and wrapped his arm around her. She burrowed into his side and they walked slowly through the parking lot. Inside, the air was hazy and music filled the room. Women and men hung on to each other, and the tangy and sweet scent of sex, weed, and booze floated in the air. Over the hard beats of the music, the din of indistinct chatter rose.
Cue Ball and Sangre came over to Diablo as he pointed to a bottle of Jack. The prospect grabbed it and put it down in front of him. “Two glasses, a two-liter bottle of Coke, and a few bottled waters.”
“Glad to see you got here okay, dude,” Cue Ball said.
“Yeah. When I left the fuckers hadn’t yet arrived. Paco and the others took care of things?”
Sangre nodded. “Tomorrow we’ll pay a visit to Bud at the junkyard.”
Army, Chains, and Crow came over and Fallon pressed closer to Diablo, her face against his T-shirt. “Good to see you’re back,” Army said while Chains and Crow nodded in agreement.
“Yeah. I’m going to my room now. Later.” He turned to grab the bottle of Jack but it wasn’t there. None of the things he ordered were there. “What the fuck?” he said to the prospect.
Ruger smiled. “I already took them to your room. They’re outside your door.”
Diablo tilted his chin at him and walked out of the room.
In his room, Fallon pulled away from him and went over to the window. “There isn’t a star in the sky. They’re all hiding.”
He yanked off his bloodstained T-shirt, kicked off his boots, and stretched out on the bed. “Get comfortable. We gotta talk.”
Fallon turned away from the window and stared at him for a few seconds; then she took off her jacket, slipped off her shoes, and joined him on the bed. He poured her a glass of whiskey and pointed to the Coke. “You want me to add that?” She nodded and he poured it in her glass, then filled a large glass with Jack for him.
“I can’t believe how things got so out of hand,” she murmured.
“Sometimes life happens like that. That’s why you always have to be ready for it.”
“I don’t think he’s going to die.” Her voice broke.
“The bastard will be fine. Does he always talk to you like that?” She nodded. “Fuck.” He took a big gulp of whiskey, placed the glass on the counter, and grabbed her hands. “What’s the bastard done to you? You can trust me.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you mean? You were there. He just said some mean things to me and slapped me. I’m used to it.”
“Does he always hit you?”
She shook her head. “Not like when I was young. He’s only physical if he’s really angry at me. I knew he’d be mad. I expected it. I mean, I didn’t call him or anything. I just disappeared, and I had a lot of chores to do—”
“Stop.” Diablo put his fingers over her mouth. “Don’t even think this was your fuckin’ fault. You didn’t do shit. Is this the way it’s been for you the whole time?”
Pausing for a few seconds, she stared down at the blanket. “Ever since my mom left. Before she left us, he basically ignored me unless he was really mad at her or drunk. He’d go out of town on sales trips, and when he came home he’d be real nice
to my mom, but then Mr. Hyde would take over a few days later, and he’d yell at my mom a lot. Sometimes he’d beat her.”
“Fuck. No wonder she left.”
“But she didn’t want me to tag along with her and Rich. She wanted to start over. My mom didn’t love me. It’s that simple. I need to grow up and accept it.” She wiped at her eyes.
“I’m sure your dad’s told you that a million times.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Yeah. When she first left, he told me she didn’t love me because I was stupid and ugly. He blamed me for making her go away. He really missed her. I’d sometimes hear him crying in their bedroom. I felt awful, and for a long time I wished I were better. I wished I wasn’t ugly. I figured if I were prettier and smarter, then maybe my mom would’ve taken me with her. I know it broke my dad when she left, and it doesn’t help when I do stupid things that make him mad. I should’ve called him and told him I needed a break from Shanna. I know he was worried about me.”
He’s browbeaten her for so long that she believes his shit. Diablo lifted her chin and wiped her damp cheeks. “I’m not gonna pretend like I know what your mom was thinking when she left you behind, but I can bet it wasn’t for the reasons your dad’s been telling you. You’re a beautiful woman with a ton of shit going for you. You aren’t stupid, and you’re not responsible for the way your dad acts. He is. Fuck.”
“I’m a cripple.”
“What the fuck does that have to do with any of this?”
“My dad says that’s why I’m the way I am.”
“What does he say you are?”
“Mean, selfish, and lazy. He says I’m so mad about being a cripple that I take it out on people who aren’t. He says I use it as an excuse to get out of chores.”
“Fuckin’ bullshit. I don’t think you’re mean or selfish.”
She smiled weakly. “You’re biased, although my dad’s right about me being angry. I do have a lot of rage inside me because of this.” She pointed to her leg.