“There’s lots more packed up in the rest of these crates,” Diego said.
“Perfect, let’s get them loaded into our truck.”
Dash and I helped Diego load the crates into the truck. Once everything was loaded, I turned to Diego to thank him.
“It’s a pleasure doing business with you, as always Diego,” I reached out and handed him a full envelop of cash. He smiled and took it from me.
“We should have another shipment ready to go in a couple of weeks. I’ll be in contact with you when it is ready.”
I was satisfied with the way things had gone. This meant that Abe would finally let me handle this on my own going forward. I would not need his supervision anymore.
All of the sudden, a gun shot rang out near the parking lot.
I quickly reached for my gun on high alert. Dash and I ran charging towards the sound of the shots. We could hear our men shouting. More shots were fired.
By the time Dash and I got there, all I could see was the tail end of a bike disappearing into the night. I strained my eyes to see, and I thought I recognized a Dark Legion cut. How was that even possible?
“Fuck!”
I was cursing, waving my gun threateningly in the air by the time Abe ran over to us.
“What the fuck just happened?” he shouted.
“A drive by shootout,” one of the prospects said.
I looked around the parking lot and noticed a guy on the ground, one of Diego’s men. Diego ran over to him, and I followed him.
“Is he alright?” I asked
Diego nodded. I let out a sigh of relief. Getting one of his men killed was not the best way to keep relations happy with the Cubans.
“Anyone dead?” Abe asked as he walked over and Dash shook his head.
“Some injuries, no deaths. We’re good,” he replied, while I ran a hand through my hair.
“What did you see? What the fuck is going on?” Abe came up to me. I stared at him, still in disbelief over what I saw.
“I think I recognized a Dark Legion’s cut. One of the guys on the bikes that were scampering away like little pussies,” I told him.
Abe had his eyes narrowed. He couldn’t believe it either.
“A Dark Legion cut?”
“I’m sure of it.”
He shook his head.
“Fuck. We’re going to have to tell Lewis about it,” he said.
This was not good. This wasn’t the way tonight was supposed to go. We’d prepared for everything. It was all in order, and now it was not.
“You think the Dark Legions are back?”
It was Dash. He was standing behind me now, looking worried and anxious.
“I don’t know. I don’t know how that’s even possible. Nobody’s heard from them in over a year. We assumed they were all dead or locked up,” I said.
But, if it was true what I saw, they had risen from the dead.
10
Kaya
Oz told me he was going to be back soon. That had been a day ago, and I still couldn’t stop thinking about him. Every time I had the chance, I stared out of the windows of the diner longingly, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
What was it about him that I wanted?
His hot body?
His self-confidence?
His ability to make my toes tingle and give me butterflies in my stomach?
I couldn’t pinpoint it, but I knew I’d never met anyone like him before. I also knew that there was no way he would be interested in anything serious with a girl like me. Someone who had no clue about his world.
Why was I even thinking about anything serious? I’d only met him once. I had no idea what his life was like.
But at least there was nothing stopping me from daydreaming about him, and I did that. I spent all of the next day thinking about him too. Every time the door tinkled open in the diner, I turned, with my heart racing, hoping it was Oz who’d just walked in.
It wasn’t till the end of the day, when I was closing up the diner that I finally saw him again.
I was alone in the diner, counting the change in the cash counter. The sound of the roaring engines of their bikes alerted me of his arrival. I turned and rushed to the tall windows and saw the bikes pouring in one by one into the parking lot outside the bar.
I searched the throng, and finally I spotted Oz. He was jumping off his bike. I felt my stomach lurch with excitement. A thrill ran down my spine when I saw him look up in my direction. Oz caught my eye. Now he knew that I was staring, waiting there to catch a glimpse of him.
At first, his face was expressionless, like he was lost deep in thought. Then he saw me at the window, and when I least expected it, he winked. I blushed, and a rush of air left my lungs. I thought I was close to collapsing right there. Like my knees were going to buckle.
But then he turned, and before I could think or do anything, Oz had turned from me and now he was following his troop into the bar. While I stared at them, I noticed the guns in their hands.
It startled me. I was shocked. I stepped away from the window like I’d been burned by the glass. I could feel a sickness in my belly. All the men entering the bar now had guns.
What did this mean?
I remembered what Melody had told me. The motorcycle club wasn’t just some innocent hobby club. That was how they conducted their business. But, what business needed Oz to have a gun?
Where was he returning from?
I was in shock. I whipped away from the window, clasping my hands together in fright. I’d never actually seen a gun before. I wanted an adventure. I wanted to try something new. I wanted Oz. But this looked dangerous.
Maybe Melody’s warnings were right. Maybe I had to think about more than just my primal sexual attraction towards Oz. I had to take my safety into consideration too. How could I get involved with someone who worked with guns? Whose life may be in danger.
I quickly shut up the diner and rushed out into the night, hurrying back to my apartment.
Why was I even thinking about this? Oz didn’t even want me like that.
11
Oz
Since the shootout the previous night, the whole MC had been in utter chaos. Not only were we taken completely by surprise, but we still couldn’t be sure if it was actually the Dark Legion involved or not.
Besides, one of the Diego’s guys was shot and injured, which had spooked them out. They’d suspended all further shipments till we sorted this shit out. Which was a strain on us. Tensions were running high. Nobody was calm, least of all Lewis who was raging pissed.
We’d had two Church meetings since the shootout, and we’d spent all day trying to gather intel on the street. Now, we were back at T-Bone for a third Church gathering which Lewis had called for.
I had spent the whole day on the streets with Dash, trying to gather as much information as I could. I had to put all my old contacts to the test, make sure everyone knew what they had to lose if the Marked Skulls were under attack.
It had been a long day. I needed a drink. But, first, we needed to get Church out of the way. Lewis was fuming. When we rode to the bar and parked outside, I’d noticed Kaya at the window of the diner.
It was dark, but her face was illuminated by a street lamp outside. She’d smiled and blushed when I winked. She was sweet, and beautiful… and I wished I had the time and the head-space to pay her a visit, but I had neither.
Seeing her again would be a distraction, and that was the last thing I wanted.
When Lewis whistled aloud to get everyone listening in the bar, he snapped me out of my thoughts of Kaya.
“Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?” he growled. Most of the men standing around him were looking at each other, lost.
“It’s been a year since anybody on the street has heard from them. None of my contacts have a clue where they’ve appeared from.” I was the only one who spoke up, and that was probably because of all the contacts I had in the local street gangs.
�
�Fucking cockroaches,” Girth hissed. I could see him crushing a can of beer in his hand. We were all mad at what had happened. Things had been so peaceful in the last year, and that was how we wanted it to stay.
Marked Skulls’ policy had always been to avoid as much violence as could be avoided.
“What’s the plan? Nobody seems to know anything,” Rodeo said. Lewis was still fuming. He seemed too mad to say anything.
“We need to gather more intel about the Dark Legion,” Lewis shouted.
“Nobody knows shit,” Rodeo shouted too and Abe looked at me. I was the one with the maximum number of contacts.
“Give me a few days. We can put the prospects to work,” I suggested. The others looked at me curiously. “The prospects won’t be recognized by the Dark Legion or their supporters. Nobody really knows the new prospects or that they are a part of the Marked Skulls. They will be able to conduct this investigation without being discovered. Maybe that’s the problem. Nobody wants to speak to us directly.”
Abe was nodding his head. Behind him Girth was in agreement too.
“Yeah, that sounds like the best possible plan right now,” Rodeo said and we all looked over at Lewis.
“How long is this going to fucking take?” he growled.
“I’m going to try and get this done as quickly as possible. But whatever they’re doing, the Dark Legion are hiding themselves well.”
I watched as Lewis ground his teeth and eventually, he nodded his head too.
“Fine. Do that. I want answers soon!”
Church was dismissed and the other guys went up to the counter to order their drinks. Abe and Dash stayed behind with me.
“That’s a good plan. And the prospects have been trained too, so this could actually work,” Abe said and I nodded.
“Dash, you’ll be in-charge of the prospects. Make sure everyone’s doing their job,” I told him. I could see that Dash was happy to hear it. He’d been dying to be given some kind of responsibility.
“We’ll find something. Just a few days.”
I thumped his back as he rushed out of the bar, gathering the rest of the prospects.
“You think he can do it himself?” Abe asked and I sucked in my gut.
“I’ll be keeping an eye on him. I can’t get too close though because I’ll be recognized. The prospects can remain anonymous,” I said.
“Good job, man,” Abe said and patted my back. “I should go back home to your sister before she locks me out of our home again,” he added with a smirk.
We walked out of the bar together. I was looking forward to a drink, but I wasn’t in the mood anymore. I wanted to be in bed, my head filled with fantasies of Kaya again. She was my escape.
When I looked over at the diner as I got on the bike, I saw that she’d shut shop and left already.
Probably for the best.
I had no right to involve her in all this.
12
Kaya
I was still thinking about Oz. In fact, I hadn’t thought about much else since I first met him. But what I saw the previous night had changed everything—or rather it should have. It should have scared me and maybe it did, but not as much as it could.
I wasn’t scared enough to stop thinking about Oz, or what it would be like to be in his arms. To be his woman. Even though I’d barely spent any time with him, I knew that he was the kind of man who would do anything to protect me. To keep me safe. I would never have to worry about my future if I was with him. He would look after me and cherish me.
But those were all fantasies. I didn’t know him at all. He could be the exact opposite. He might not have any interest in seeing me again.
And seeing those guns should have been enough of a reason for me to stay away from him too.
The next day at work, after spending an entire night tossing and turning in bed, I tried to get the job done without daydreaming again.
Melody noticed I was lost in thought and during our lunch break she took me aside.
“You all right?” she asked, sipping on her milkshake from a plastic glass. I wasn’t very hungry. I’d made myself a sandwich in the kitchen, but now I had no interest in eating it.
“Yeah, sure, why would you ask that?”
“Ever since you met that guy, that biker guy…what did you say his name was?”
“Oz,” I said.
“Since you met Oz, you’ve been kind of lost in thought, you’ve been smiling less. I’m not sure if I should be worried. Has something happened?”
I debated the idea of telling Melody what I saw. If I told her about the guns, I knew she’d be shocked and scared. She might even quit her job, she might convince me to do the same. And what if Oz did ever come into the diner again? Melody would do everything to prevent me from speaking to him.
No, I couldn’t tell her. Even though she was my best friend in Orlando, and even though I knew she cared for me, I couldn’t tell her for her own sake.
“Nothing’s happened. I’m fine. And no, I’m not thinking about him. I’ve just been thinking about my family lately,” I told her. I wasn’t exactly the best liar, but that seemed to have convinced her.
She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight.
“I’m so sorry, hun! Do you want to talk about it? I’m sure if you give them some time, they’ll come around. They’re just being old fashioned and stubborn,” she said and I nodded.
She was right. They were being that. And the truth was that since I met Oz, I hadn’t been thinking about how mean my family was being to me.
* * *
I didn’t expect to see Oz anytime soon, in fact, I assumed it was all just in my head and I might never see him again. Maybe I’d even imagined that wink from the previous night.
The day went on slowly and lazily, and there was nothing different about it except that I couldn’t stop thinking about this man I hardly knew.
I was the last one shutting the diner again, and every so often, I looked up in the hopes that a hoard of bikers might pass by again like the previous night. But nothing happened. I could sense there were people inside the bar. There was loud music and bright lights inside and bikes parked outside, but no sign of Oz.
Who was I kidding? He’d obviously forgotten about me already.
I closed up the diner and took one last look at the bar, and, with no sign of Oz, I started walking in the direction of my apartment. I knew I needed to find some way to forget about him. He was overtaking my mind and my life, and if Melody had noticed a change in me already—pretty soon everybody else would too.
I was beginning to lose heart when I suddenly heard footsteps behind me. Someone was hurrying to cross the road. I whipped around, and the cool night breeze hit my face, blinding me for a moment. It was Oz. He was rushing over to my side of the road.
“What are you doing?” he asked, with his brows crossed.
I’d forgotten how much bigger he was than me. What kind of a question was that?
“I’m going home.”
“Right now?” he persisted, standing over me now. I had to crane my neck to look up at him.
“Yes, what else am I supposed to do when my shift is over?”
He smirked. It was crazy that we could make each other smile, even though we were worlds apart.
“You shouldn’t be walking home alone at this time, not by yourself,” he said, looking me over. I wasn’t in the diner uniform anymore. This was probably the first time he’d seen me in regular clothes. It was nothing special. Just a pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. I didn’t feel particularly attractive, but the way he was staring at me said that he liked what he saw.
How was that even possible?
“It’s fine, I do it every day,” I told him and he narrowed his eyes at me.
“Doesn’t mean you have to do it tonight. Let me walk you home.”
His voice was that deep smooth velvet again and I felt like I could sink into him. My mouth fell open. Was I surprised that he’d offered to walk
me home? Was I shocked that he was a courteous man?
“Uh…okay,” I stammered and he smiled at me again.
“Lead the way, Kaya,” he said, and before I knew it, I was blushing again. Every time he said my name, I felt like he could actually see me. That it wasn’t just an expression. He genuinely thought I was sweet.
“How are you?” he asked me, as we started walking. We were taking it slow. I knew it was just a five-minute walk, but I didn’t want it to end that quickly. Since he hadn’t asked for my address, I decided to take him via a longer route. At least a twenty-minute walk. I was desperate to keep speaking to him. To be near him. It was shocking that he was even a little bit interested in me.
“I’ve been busy. And you?”
I shrugged. Oz had his hands stuck in the pockets of his jeans. He looked calm and handsome, rugged and strong. Like nothing could affect him.
“Busy too, I guess,” I lied.
“What were you doing before the diner opened up?” he asked, and I tucked in some curls behind my ears. This was the hard part, revealing to him how naive I really was.
“Before this, I was in Perry, Florida.”
Oz looked over at me. I expected him to look surprised, but he didn’t. Instead, he just looked like he was expecting me to say something like that. Which surprised me even more.
“Perry, huh. What’s that place like?” he asked.
“Small!” I exclaimed with a laugh. “Nothing like Orlando.”
He nodded.
“I have no idea what that feels like. I’ve known nothing beyond Orlando all my life.”
“It feels claustrophobic,” I said, before I could stop myself. There must have been some emotion in my voice because Oz looked intently at me, deep into my eyes.
Marked Skulls MC Series: Books 1-5 Page 47