by Alexa Rynn
Well, he had another thing coming. What the fuck did he think this was, a damn movie? In my life if you got in the way of anything I was trying to handle you were dead, no matter who you were.
“Mr. Shepard is the new lead on the special drug task force looking out for our city.” My father walked around his desk, his hands tucked casually into his pant pockets. “He thought it would be appropriate to swing on by and make his presence known.”
“It’s detective Shepard, actually.” He reminded my father.
“Right, detective.” My father nodded.
Was this tool for real?
“I thought Johnson was the head of that division,” I pointed out.
The detective grinned, a sense of satisfaction in his eyes. “Nope, Johnson has been reassigned. It’s just as well.” He looked me up and down like a piece of junk he couldn’t wait to destroy and lock away in a jail cell. “He wasn’t really cut out for the job, if you know what I mean.”
I exchanged a look with my father. Yeah, I did know since we had been paying Johnson off for over a year so he’d look the other way about the excessive amounts of illegal shipments we’d get going through the docks every week. Something told me this guy wasn’t going to be as understanding.
“Well, it’s a pleasure.” Blaze held his hand out again. “Always great to meet one of our finest up close and personal. I look forward to seeing what you can create around here.”
Blaze sounded so genuine and real that I almost even bought it. Almost. The detective glanced down at his hand, unsure, but took it after a second anyways.
I smirked. Fucking Blaze.
“I’m here, I’m here!” Shutter came flying into the room like a mouse on speed wearing a pair of roller-skates. “I have everything we need! It took a little bit of digging but I managed to get it all in one place.”
Blaze dug the heel of his boot into Shutter’s leg.
Shutter let out a howl then followed Blaze’s eyes to the other side of the desk. “Oh,” he sounded confused. “I didn’t know we had any company.” He shoved the piles of papers that were in his hands behind his back, dropping a few to the floor.
“What have you got there, son?”
I could practically hear Blaze cursing Cutter inside of his mind for being so stupid. And then cursing me for letting him hang around the brotherhood in the first place.
“Just some shipment details.” I stepped between Shutter and the detective, not wanting to give Shutter the chance to say another word. “We’re expecting a few big orders in by the end of the week.”
“Ah, a few shipments for your coffee business, is it?”
“Not just coffee,” my father pointed out. “Tea, cocoa, a few types of specialized chocolates. Anything you might need to get you through those early mornings and late nights.”
I tried not to laugh. I’d heard the speech too many times to count. And it was true, we did have a coffee and tea business, our shipments just happened to be filled with various kinds of drugs and other illegal substances as well. Hearing my father justify it the way he did never failed to amuse me.
“Humph,” the detective muttered, not buying any of our bullshit for a second. “You sure have done well for yourself with your little coffee business, haven’t you?”
“Everyone always needs coffee.” I shrugged.
“They sure do.” His eyes traveled to Shutter’s arms again.
“Well, if there’s nothing else, you should probably be on your way. We do have a business to run, after all.” Even I could hear how icy my tone was but I didn’t care, no one was going to start poking around in here without a warrant.
The detective looked at me for a second before shaking his head. “Nope, nothing else.” He walked toward the door and swung around just before he was about to exit. “You’ll be hearing from me very soon, gentleman. I like to keep a close eye on the businesses in the neighborhood,” he paused, “especially ones with associates like you, Cutter.”
He slammed the door too hard behind him.
My fists felt like they were ready to explode all over his face.
I made a move toward the door but Blaze held me back. “No, no, you know he’s not an idiot, Cutter, if he came he didn’t come alone. He’s probably just hoping you’ll lose it and chase after him.”
I knew Blaze was right but it didn’t calm me down any. I fucking hated those scumbags, why couldn’t they just leave us alone to live the life we wanted? Most of them did worse shit on a day-to-day basis, I couldn’t tell you the number of times a dirty hog had knocked off one of my brothers coming home from a big money drop off or pick up.
Not that most of them ended up living to brag about it.
You messed with my brothers then you messed with me.
And I’d never been a very forgiving person.
“That guy isn’t going to make it around here very long.”
“That was a threat if I’ve ever seen one,” Blaze said, taking his hands off me and backing away from me. “And not on the brotherhood, on you, Cutter. Seems like our new friend has it out for you.”
Shutter let out a gasp. “Are you scared?”
“Oh, Jesus,” Blaze mumbled.
I stuck my chest out. “Of course, I’m not scared. Don’t be ridiculous, I don’t get scared, I just handle it.” I walked over to the window and peeked out, watching the nasty detective get in his car. “Get me the douches address, guarantee after tonight he won't bother us again.”
“He won't bother anyone again for that matter.” Blaze smirked.
My father sat down at his desk. “No. Now isn’t the time to go around killing cops. We need to stay focused on the task at hand. We need to get Stone to The Misfits as soon as possible.”
Shutter started picking up all the papers and throwing them onto my father’s desk. “I don’t know how we’re going to get in there, it’s like a carefully guarded prison. Are we sure this is worth it?” He glanced at me nervously. “I mean if this is what Cutter wants to do, we should definitely do it.”
My father shook his head. “It’s good business all around. Without Stone, Green Grove won’t be able to operate correctly, him and his son are the only order that place has going for them.” He drummed his fingers back and forth on his desk. “And his son is too young, not ready for that kind of commitment, he’ll fold under the pressure within a year, tops, and then their route will be ours to take over. Think of the financial gain alone.”
“Oh, I heard about him. Krusher is his son's name, right?” Shutter sprung his body up on top of my father’s desk. “All the girls at the bar are always talking about how dreamy he is.”
We all stared at him.
“What?” he asked, looking genuinely confused as to why we looked like we wanted to strangle him in the middle of the warehouse office. “They do! He’s like the Justin Bieber of the biker world.”
I saw my father’s hand move under his desk.
I stepped between him and Shutter. If I didn’t get to take out a cop he definitely didn’t get to take out a brother just because he was a little bit of an annoyance. “Shutter, why don’t you go and set those papers up in the conference room. The rest of the committee should be here soon.”
Shutter nodded eagerly and shuffled out of the room.
“I don’t kill your friends, so don’t kill mine.”
Blaze chuckled and my father smirked in spite of himself.
“That cop has it out for you.” My father stood up, aggravation written all over his face. “He wasn’t here to check out the warehouse he was here to deliver a direct threat to you.”
“He’s right,” Blaze nodded. “He barely took his eyes off of you the entire time.”
“That’s great,” I puffed my chest out again. “I love my fans.”
“All those times I told you to lay low and stay out of trouble, you just couldn’t control yourself, you always had to put yourself in the damn spotlight thinking you were untouchable.” He was in front of me now, loo
king down at me like only a worried father would. “It’s finally caught up with us.”
It was always weird when my dad switched modes on me. Going from the cold crime filled man who ruled the brotherhood with an iron fist to a worried father who didn’t want anything bad to happen to his son.
“Don’t put this on me, dad. That guy is a tight-ass. He came in here looking for someone to latch onto. If it wasn’t me, it would have been one of the other brothers and you know it.”
“He was pretty filthy,” Blaze backed me up.
“No,” my dad said, sure of himself. “He wanted you, even before you walked in he was completely uninterested in anything I had to say, asking about my son.” He pounded his fist down on the desk hard and one of the legs snapped out from underneath it, causing the wood to slant off to the side. “My son,” he repeated the words angrily.
I exhaled and shot Blaze a look. “It’s going to be fine, dad. That piece of shit has nothing on me or he would have taken me in by now. He’s just fishing around for information, trying to scare us.”
It was a roll I wasn’t used to playing, comforting someone. Normally I was the one who flipped out and assumed the worst-case scenario playing out then Blaze had to calm me down. But I’d learned enough to know over the years that me getting worked up only made my father more worked up, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, Blaze always told me.
“He’s right. If they had anything concrete then he would have taken him in or our men in blue on the inside would have tipped us off about it already.” Blaze padded me on the shoulder, reflecting my words.
My father didn’t say anything for a moment and when he turned back around he had a look I couldn’t read plastered across his face. “You’re right, and they aren’t going to find anything on you either. You need to lay low for a while,” he announced. “And that means you aren’t allowed to be involved in the capture of Stone.”
Blaze took a step in front of me, anticipating my reaction. “Casper, with all due respect, I don’t think side tracking Cutter is the answer here. He’s one of the best field men we have in the entire club, he’s a good shot and you know it.”
“Well, it’s a good thing your opinion doesn’t matter, Blaze.”
Then my father pushed past both of us and left us alone in his office, slamming the door just as hard behind him at the detective who left before him had.
I was going to lose my fucking mind.
And judging by the look on Blaze’s face, he knew it.
Chapter Four
GRACE
I wanted Heather to like me, I really did. I was involved with her brother for Crist sake, of course, I wanted us to get along but her attitude was proving to make it more and more difficult.
“I don’t know why you’re wasting your time, he’s Cutter’s puppet he won’t do anything unless his master loosens the strings and tells him that it’s alright.” She crossed one of her small legs over the other and repositioned herself in the backseat of Ace’s car.
Imagine my surprise when Ace had shown up to get me with Heather in the backseat. Apparently, she had insisted on coming along with him. I was pretty sure it was so she could get a glimpse of Blaze but I wasn’t going to open my big mouth about that. I was in enough trouble with her.
“I’m not anyone’s puppet.” Ace glanced at us in the rearview mirror as he zoomed up a busy street. “I’m just loyal, something you probably don’t know much about Heather.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She crossed her arms over her chest and squeezed her knuckles together. Jeez, she really did have big boobs for such a small person.
I glanced down at my own chest. Mine were big, but hers were giant.
“It means that the streets have been talking and word has it that you’ve been hanging out with that fool, Criminal, on the low.” He puffed his lips out and let out am annoyingly loud sigh. “Now, tell me, what would your brother and Blaze think about that?”
“Well, the streets lie,” Heather snapped. “He’s just my friend. Besides, my brothers too busy to notice much these days.” She glanced out the window. “And Blaze doesn’t concern himself with what I do.”
She sounded let down by both of them and it immediately made me feel like a piece of crap. Had I been distracting Cutter so much lately that he didn’t have time for his little sister? And was Blaze so worried about Cutter that he had less time to worry about Heather?
I remembered what Cutter had said in the car about their mother and even more guilt came over me. I made a mental note to try and be on my best behavior from here on out. Try being the key word.
“Your brother would cut his head off and you know it.”
“Who’s Criminal?” I asked, not being able to help myself.
“None of your business, Grace.” She glanced up at Ace. “And it’s none of your business either.”
“He’s the little brother of A Misfit,” he said the word Misfit like it was a disease. “And it’s pretty clear he’s just using you, Heather, probably for information on your brother.”
“No, he’s not!” Heather spat out, uncrossing her legs. “You don’t even know him, he’s my friend! We don’t even talk about our stupid brothers! He actually cares about what’s going on in my life!”
“I really hope you aren’t sleeping with him,” Ace said, shaking his head.
I tried not to laugh. The idea was unlikely. She was clearly too into Blaze to take anything with another guy very serious, chances are they really were just friends.
“Ew, gag!” Heather looked like she might throw up in the middle of the backseat. “Yeah, right, have you ever seen him? He’s definitely not my type.”
“Why not?” I took a long sip out of the water bottle Ace had brought me.
She got a dreamy look in her eye for a second. “He’s too…” She happened to glance up and catch Ace shooting her a weird look so she just shook her head, snapping out of whatever daze she was in. “He’s just not my type, okay? Ugh!”
“Criminal is everyone’s type, remember that the next time he flashes those sparkling blue eyes at you.” Ace slammed on the breaks, just missing an old woman crossing the street. “He’s a sweet talker, that kid.”
“Sounds to me like you want to date them,” Heather pointed out.
I laughed loudly.
Ace narrowed his eyes at me.
“What? It was funny.” I sat up in my seat and leaned forward. “Besides, talking about whatever his name is isn’t going to get us anywhere. The only thing we should be talking about is how you’re going to take this next turn and swing by my mom’s house.”
I’d been trying to get Ace to take me to see my mom and sister since he first picked me up. So far, I was having little luck. Every time I brought it up he would just shake his head and then start ignoring me. How rude could he get?
“I have strict orders to bring you directly back to the bar.”
“But it’s just my mom’s house! What can go wrong there? You’ll be with us the entire time. And you’re so big and strong that if anything were to happen you could protect little old me with almost no effort at all.” I smiled brightly at him.
“Unlikely,” Heather grunted.
“You aren’t helping,” I hissed.
She rolled her eyes but shut up anyway.
“There’s no helping.” Ace sped through a yellow light. “Cutter said no.”
I leaned my back against the black leather seat and let my head crash into the headrest. I gave up, it was no use, I was just going to have to wait to see my family. The thought tugs on my heartstrings and I consider trying to jump out of the car at the next red light, but I probably wouldn’t get very far. Plus, I had just promised Cutter I’d listen to him.
Damn him and his sexy and intense eyes.
I glanced out the window, feeling defeated.
I heard Heather mumble something to herself next to me and then she leaned forward herself. “Come on, Ace, you owe her one anyway. Let her
see her mom for a minute, imagine how you would feel if you couldn’t see your mom whenever you wanted.”
He stared straight ahead. “I can see my mom whenever I want because I’m careful and I follow rules, I don’t sneak into the back of cars when I’m supposed to be safe and sound at home, nor do I hang out with rival club member's little brothers.” He hit on the breaks. “And I owe no one anything, never have and never will.”
“Not even if you almost let them get raped,” Heather fired back.
I practically started choking from my seat in the back.
Ace spun around, giving her a death glare. “Low blow, Heather.”
“So is leaving someone alone in a room with a piece of shit who gets off on having sex with a woman against their will.” She leaned in closer to him. “What if Blaze hadn’t of gotten there when he did? Would you have been able to live with what could have happened in that room?”
“Jesus, Heather!” Ace shouted. “Shut up!”
“And now you won't even let her see her mother? Wouldn’t you need to see your mother if you went through all the shit that she’s been through in the last few weeks, Ace?”
I felt like I could barely breathe. I didn’t even know she knew about half of this shit. I made a mental note to not underestimate her in the future. She was clearly more in touch with the brotherhood and what went on than anyone was aware of.
“Enough,” he yelled. “Enough.” He felt around on the passenger side seat and produced his cell phone, tossing it over the seat to us. “Here, if you want to go so damn bad, you two get permission from Cutter and then I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
Heather picked the cell phone up and handed it to me with a winning look on her face. Like getting Cutter to agree to anything was an easy task. I took the phone anyway and hit the call button.
Which each ring, my heart plunged harder and harder inside me.
“Are they back safe?” Cutter’s voice filled the other line with annoyance and aggression. I could hear voices in the background talking loudly. Actually, it sounded more like yelling than talking. Yikes.