“The highway is over there, get on it and leave. No one is fucking keeping you here, but you have a duty as we all fucking do, to help a Brother in need. And right fucking now, he needs us. Are you gonna be a pussy or a man?” He never did do well at beating around the bush—it’s what we admire about him. No bullshit, straight to the point.
“Now, wait a damn minute! I’m no fucking pussy! I’m not saying retreat with our tails tucked. I’m saying my feeling is off about this meeting.” Poker Face grits through his teeth. Before I can see it coming, Prez punches Poker so hard he stumbles back.
Shaking his head from the blow of the hit, he stumbles back to the meeting.
“Are you done, Brother, or do you need another answer?” Prez spits. Clearly raged he is being judged again. We all crowd around Prez as the stand-off erupts.
“Yea, I’m done.” He spits blood into the dirt, getting back in the circle as the other leaders join us.
“Whoa, missing all the fun already?” Blu, the Blue Water President says, shaking his head.
“Come on, Prez, Let me have a go, I’m stiff from the ride. I need to loosen up my muscles.” Moss, the Red River president says.
They all hug our president.
“Not today Brothers, just keeping order in our world.” Prez says.
“So, now that we are all here. We have a meeting with Juan in an hour. I’m taking a few of my guys. The rest will wait for my call.”
“Where do you want us, Prez?” Moss asks. That is a brother that is loyal. No questions needed. Just where and when. They’d all do good to follow his lead.
“I want the town surrounded. Half a mile out. Wait for my call, if it goes down as I plan, we will be riding out soon after.” Prez explains.
“And if it’s not?” Blu asks.
“Prepare for war Brothers.” Prez answers back, spitting full confidence back at the presidents.
“Look, a Brother needs us, we come. No questions asked. If you have any doubt in me or helping your Brother. Get the fuck out, I want your cut and I’ll give you a head start before I catch you to pay for abandoning your Brothers.” Prez says, eyeing them.
They all look at each other for a moment, contemplating on what to do. It only takes a few seconds.
“Let’s roll.” They all say. I had my stomach turning for a second, what would happen if they didn’t have our backs? I wonder. I ask Prez as we walk away.
“I would have shot every one of them that wanted to walk. That kind of disloyalty can’t be forgiven. I was just giving them an easier out, for them to run. I would have shot them though. Solve a problem now, rather than later.” He says with a smirk. Damn, and everyone has no confidence in him. Pfft. Their nuts to judge him by his age—this man is wise beyond his years.
I laugh at his smirk. He is prepared for anything. I hope he is prepared for this to go south—I have a bad feeling they are not just gonna hand her over.
Sitting at a little diner in the middle of town, we have Juan Hernandez across the table from us with four of his enforcers with three more sitting outside of the diner. We spotted a couple blacked out SUV’s sitting down the street, ready to get their leader out of dodge if it all comes crashing down. It won’t if he gives us what we want. After all, we are not here to slow or stop his business in anyway. We just want one person he has. That’s all.
Sitting here, my stomach is turning in knots. My blood is boiling just knowing this man bought my daughter like some kind of toy. It makes me sick and pissed at the same time. I have to bite my tongue and stare at an enforcer of his to keep my cool. Eyeing his guards, they aren’t so big. They are clean cut, suits. Just like him. Ha, fake as shit. We all know they are not in the kind of business that requires such an attire. Posers. I smile at the thought and his guard is eyeing me in confusion. He’s scared. I can feel the fear rolling off of them all besides Juan. He has confidence pouring out of his ears. Prez has the same level of confidence as Juan. One difference is that none of us has any fear in our eyes. We have determination and bravery.
“What do I owe this little visit?” Juan asks in a deep Mexican accent.
“You unknowingly have something of ours, we want it back.” Prez speaks, calm as hell.
Looking over to Colt, I see a scowl on his face. He is ready to spill beaner blood all over this little diner.
Coin is sitting as cool as Prez.
Eli is sitting outside, leaning on his bike, smoking. He isn’t happy to sit out of the meeting, but I understand why. Prez is taking precaution. If anything happens to him in here, Eli can take over. He is VP after all. I have confidence that he will be as great as a president as Exe. Young too, means no shit to us. Age has nothing on experience. We’ve all spilled blood and dealt with situations that are only in nightmares. Before anything happen to Prez though, I will lay down my life for him—as would any of us.
“I see.” Juan speaks after a few moments. He is still thinking.
“Look, Juan. Let’s cut the bullshit. Let’s make a deal so we can all go home.” Prez says, clearly annoyed by Juan’s pussyfooting around why we are all here.
“Deal? What sort of deal could you make me, to give up something I have?”
“We’ll pay.” Coin joins in.
“You don’t have enough money to pay me.” Juan says.
“What would you prefer, Juan?” Prez is trying to defuse the tension.
“Nothing from a biker gang from Colorado.” He laughs.
“We are a club, a motorcycle club, a very large one.” Colt finally joins in. I’m still observing the surroundings for danger, still keeping one ear on the conversation. I know if I do speak, it won’t be to help this situation. So I sit in my own anger bubble and study the outside at where Eli is. He keeps glancing in on us and back to the SUV’s down the road. We make eye contact, making a silent understanding of our surroundings.
Juan laughs, and I glare at him.
“Who are you? You don’t speak much.” He says to me. I hold my gaze toward him until Prez chimes in, cutting the stare down.
“Juan, you don’t want a war do you?” Prez asks.
Juan returns the glare to Prez.
“Do you think I’m scared of a gang of leather lovers? You’re mistaken, Mr. Exe, and that could cost you your men.” Juan sings. That confidence is filling his words. It turns my stomach even more. When their father died, Mr. Hernandez divided his empire to his three sons, each taking on a major role: guns, drugs, human trafficking. They all fight each other for money and power. So we never thought once he would turn us over to José. Thank God, or we would be losing a war—if it comes to that.
“No, Juan. You have mistaken us, underestimating us can end up real bad for you.”
“Really? Do tell.” He seems very pleased with his own little army. Too bad he has the one thing that never stood in our way, until recently.
“You have a daughter, correct? She is in college in California. A sister who lives in Virginia. Clearly she doesn’t support the family business. Putting as much distance as she could between you all. But, your daughter, she is very pretty. Studying to be a teacher. How sweet. If I had a teacher that looked like her, I would have really paid attention in class.”
His goons draw their guns and train them on us. We go to stand and Prez calls us off.
Juan’s eyes go wide. We have hit the nerve of a fucking Cartel King. Fucking great.
“Hijo de puta!” (Son of a bitch!) Juan spits Spanish at us. I think it might be good that we don’t know beaner talk. Fuck, he’s pissed.
“Bastardo!”
“Chinga!”
“Easy there Juan, I just want what we came for.” Prez cuts through his rant.
“What do you want exactly, puta!” He screams. Someone’s edgy. I smile, we got a cartel boss getting fired up and we only just got here.
“We want someone you bought from a Jackal member.” Prez speaks, still calm.
“And if I refuse to sell back?” He asks, pissed. He calls off h
is guards, seeing we don’t have our own weapons drawn. We are just talking.
“War. And you might be able to take us five down, but not our entire pack. That is just outside of town, or the ones watching your women. If you kill us now, you will start a war that you can’t win.”
“What makes you think you have more men and firepower than I do?” He asks amused.
“Well, seeing how your guards are nervous and my guys are calm. You haven't been in a war since your... inheritance? Your father is still feared from the grave, I see. But this war will not carry your name with fear, but with nothing more than a memory of defeat.”
Juan thinks very hard, I can see he is contemplating this entire meeting and now our demands.
“I see. I will meet your demands, if only for one favor in return when the time comes.” Prez is thinking. He nods. We didn’t spill blood today, but he knows getting in bed with another cartel leader will not go well, neither did the first time. But if we can save blood and Avery, we will take it.
“Fair enough, Biker.” Juan chants. He waves for his guard to make a call to his second in command to retrieve his purchase from a Jackal.
How do they know who we came for? We all eye each other, thinking the same thing.
Twenty minutes later, a SUV rolls up next to Eli and they drag out a frail, beaten young woman. It’s only been five days. She looks like she has been captive for weeks or months, even. I can’t see her face. Her hair has fallen all around her face. They drag her to Eli, who holds her. He sits her on his bike and moves the hair from her face. We all pile outside to see Avery. Eli moves her hair from her face, a black and blue face peers at him. She has dried blood on her face—under her nose, lip and a gash on her forehead. I come closer. It’s not Avery. My heart sinks to my stomach. What kind of game is this? I turn as Juan is coming out of the diner, lighting a cigar.
“This is not the woman from the Jackal! You liar!” I shout walking toward him.
“Chevy, what the fuck are you talking about?” Prez comes up to me, grabbing my shoulder. I turn so fast and peer at him. He hasn’t met Avery yet, he still doesn’t know what she looks like.
“That is not Avery! He is trying to trick us!” I growl.
“It isn’t her, boss.” Colt speaks with disappointment wrapping around each word.
“They’re right Prez. This isn’t Avery.” Eli says, still looking at the young woman.
“JUAN!”
“What kind of man do you take me as? Trying to trick me will only cause a war! I want Avery!” Prez barks to the cartel leader, not caring for any of the guards. One guard draws on Prez and Colt is quick to put a bullet between his eyes—his limp body falling to the ground. Still gun in hand. We all draw our guns by then, pointing at each other, ready for a fire fight in the middle of Little Horse, Mexico. Juan puts his hand up and calls off his guards. We all put our guns away.
“Biker, this is the one Jackal sold me. He called her Avery. I only assume this is her and since I only bought one from him. This is her.” Juan calmly speaks while puffing on his cigar.
“Fuck!” Prez roars to the sky. Colt slumps against his bike, lighting a cigarette. Eli is still holding onto the frail young girl. Coin is just shaking his head. I’m closest to Juan. I so badly want to take the shot and end his game. But that will start a war we don’t need, if he really doesn’t have Avery, then where is she?
“Remember our deal? I delivered, so will you.” Juan says, then continues,
“Nos Volverenos a ver, motorista.” (We’ll meet again, biker.) Then he whistles for the SUV’s down the road and leaves.
Shit.
*******************************************
Harley
“I’m hungry!” Caleb calls to me from Ford’s room. “I’m coming, little man.”
Caleb and Scamp have been playing the PlayStation for two days straight. Bronx is even getting a lazy streak in him. So after I take the boys their sandwiches, I take Bronx out back for some exercise. Tossing the ball around with Bronx, my phone rings. It’s work. I have been dreading this call since the day we found Avery. I know I have to tell them I’m not coming back since my vacation is coming to an end. I took four weeks. I have just shy of a few days left. I’m still healing from the gunshot wound in my leg and my fractured wrist. I’m walking around slowly, but not moving too much. Making sure to take my antibiotics and pain medicine when needed and resting. Sighing, I answer the phone.
“Hello, Ms. Brookes speaking.” It’s my coworker, Betty.
“Hey, Ms. Brookes, was wanting to know when you will grace us with your presence again.” She sings. She was always chipper—like a hyper small dog, too much energy for me.
“Hey, Betty. About that.” I say nervously.
“Spill it, girl.” She says.
“I’m not coming back. I’m putting in a transfer to the local hospital here in Branchwood.”
“You’re not coming back, like, ever? That, well, that just stinks like dirty old socks.” She pouts. For being a little younger than me, she doesn’t curse or say anything remotely ‘dirty’.
“You can come visit me if you like, after I get settled in of course.” I try to cheer her up.
“A different view could do wonders. I always wanted to see Colorado.” She says. She’s hooked. We talk for another ten minutes and hang up.
I’m feeling better about this decision to stay. But a part of me wants to take Avery and Caleb far away from the club and any bikers. They may not be like the Jackals, still they are dangerous and they live a dangerous life. I try and push the thought from my mind—save the inner battle for another day. I’ve been so overwhelmed with Avery and Caleb and Ford and Melissa. I need a break. I finish up with Bronx outside and go to check on the boys.
Scamp cleaned the meeting room with bleach. I can smell it. Just knowing what went on in there has my stomach turning. I rush to the bathroom and lose my lunch. I hope Avery comes home soon.
Running a hot bath, I try and relax my body and mind. After the Jackals attacked us, I can’t seem to relax. I just know it’s not safe here. I want so badly to run far away from here with my daughter and grandson but, I can’t do that to Ford. I can’t do that to my family. After reuniting after years, just to rip it apart again. I’m so torn on what to do.
. Even with a bunch of fearless bad asses. The inner battle coming back into my mind. I fear the rational side will win. Taking my family away from this place is best, but is it right?
I’m visiting Melissa, as I have for the past three days. I’ll be here every day until she can come home. There is very little change; she is still in a coma.
Her body is healing. But I’m worried for her mind. Will she be able to get past this, or have the same hardships as Avery? There is so much pain all around me, and to think just a few weeks ago, I had a boring, no danger life.
I sit and talk to Melissa, encouraging her to wake up. Telling her how much everyone loves and misses her. I even tell her how Jack, the bad ass whore dog, slipped and said he loved her. I knew all along that she was in love with him, but to know that he feels the same way? It warms my heart. She can be free and truly loved for the wild, outspoken, rebel she is without fault. After our one sided girl talk, I read to her. Ironically, MC romance books. I’m on the third one. They all seem to have happy endings, but that’s fictional. Will I get a happy ending, same as in these books? Will Avery or Melissa? After reading until the end of visiting hours, I head back to the club to cook dinner.
Cooking dinner, I can’t help but let my mind drift to Ford and how we ‘established’ our relationship again. It was so passionate, all of our love shown with very little words. Our emotions flooded our kisses. Our eyes burned with love for one another. How can I even think of leaving after getting what my heart has longed for for so long? There is that inner battle, again. I need a hobby. I wonder how Ford and the guys are doing. If they have Avery, they could be on their way right now. I hope and pray they all come home soon. Eve
ry last modern day Adonis—damn hot bikers. Pray, hope and have faith for their return is all I repeat to myself for the rest of the day.
Chapter Twelve
Ford
Getting back to camp, we round up all the Hell Hound presidents. Church starts immediately.
“Dead end, Brothers.” Prez says, feeling defeated and lost. I know that same feeling. We all do at this point. We have a random unknown girl that is not Avery and now we owe a damn favor to Juan. Fuck.
“Brothers¸ this was a set-up from Rufus. We are all alive, so his plan did not follow through.” He breathes.
“What fucking plan?” Poker Face asks. Clearly pissed he doesn’t know the whole story. Looking around I see the rest of the leaders nod in agreement, now we must explain and use more time catching every one up.
“Chevy, my Brother, your Brother, here beside me…” He places his hand on my shoulder and they all eye me as I have done something to end up in this mess. They need to change the look on their faces or I’ll help them.
“Harley, Chevy’s baby mamma: Her father was a Jackal and he wanted out years ago, Rufus wanted their daughter as a payment for breathing. Harley gave birth at seventeen. Her father tricked her into adoption to Rufus.” Looking around, they all nod to continue.
“The Jackals, took his daughter, Avery. We rescued her and her three-year-old son from them just a week ago. Yes, she is his biological daughter.” They all nod, in agreement that they are understanding so far. So he goes on.
“When we were out on business, they attacked the club, shot Avery’s mother in the leg, raped and tortured Jack’s girl—she is still in a coma—and took Avery. Now we are on a hunt to find her and bring her home to her son, her mother and father, and to her club, where she belongs.”
He finishes and eyes everyone, looking for a reaction from anyone who doesn’t agree to our reason for being here. Random “shits” and “fucks” are said, nothing else.
“Okay, now can we carry the fuck on now since we all know the background of our being here?” They all nod in agreement. Looking pissed off, I eye each president. They look at me and nod their loyalty to help me get my baby girl back. I nod to each one in return, my silent thank you.
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