by KJ Dahlen
Noelle swallowed hard. Taking another bite of her toast, she had to push down the nausea in her belly. She chewed slowly and swallowed but then she put the toast down on the plate.
Resting her elbows on the table, she rubbed her eyes and forehead hoping to ease the pain in her head. A few minutes later, when Maggie touched her shoulder Noelle jumped and ducked as if she were expecting a blow. She covered her head and waited for the pain to come but when it didn’t she looked up and saw Maggie looking at her with tears in her eyes.
“Oh baby, I’m not going to hurt you,” Maggie whispered. “I brought your tea.” She motioned toward the cup on the table.
Noelle’s face flushed. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
“You are safe here sweetie,” Maggie whispered.
Noelle nodded and drew the blanket up around her shoulders as if to protect herself with a shield. “Thank you for the tea. I’ll be ok now.” She sat there for a moment in a daze as she tried to remember what had happened to her the last few days. Then the sound of a vehicle coming into the compound caught her ear and she panicked.
The engine roared and there was a screeching sound and shouts from a couple of men outside. For some reason, she knew that sound and it terrified her. She got up and looked first one way then the other. She had to find a place to hide.
She happened to find the door to the kitchen open and fled toward it. She ducked down behind the counter and
Maggie looked down at her with a stunned expression before she looked out to the main room.
She went toward the door but Noelle wouldn’t let her go out there. She grabbed the other woman’s leg and shook her head, whispering, “No, no, no.” Noelle felt true terror and she could hardly move.
Maggie reached for the phone and dialed a number.
Just then, the front door to the clubhouse slammed open and a man came through the door bold as brass.
The call Maggie out in had apparently went straight to Jackal and moments later, he and some of the others came down the hall to confront the man looking around the main room.
“Who the fuck are you and what are you doing here?” Jackal glared at the intruder and demanded. “How the hell did you get in here anyway?”
The man shrugged. “I drove through the gate.”
Beast went to the window where he saw the gate wide open and one of the panels was leaning awkwardly. One of the prospects was helping another brother away from the gate. Beast turned to Jackal and growled. “He literally busted through the gate.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are, busting in here?” Jackal asked as he narrowed his eyes at the other man.
The other man shrugged. “There’s no reason you shouldn’t know my name now. I’m going to be moving my business here. My name is Venom.
I opened a club here a few months ago called the Nexis. I have several side businesses going on as well. I’m going to be an important man in this town and it would behoove you people to work for me rather than against me. Working against me, you might not live very long.”
“And just what will working for you get us?” Jackal asked with a raised brow.
“A cut of the money my business makes,” Venom answered.
“How big a cut?” Hades wanted to know just for shits and giggles.
“One percent.”
Hades snorted. “One fucking percent? You are kidding right? MC’s usually get at least ten percent.”
“Not at all.” Venom’s voice went cold. “One percent is all you’re ever going to get, so I suggest you take it while you can. The offer isn’t going to last forever.”
“And if we don’t take it?” Jackal asked.
Venom shrugged but his eyes took on a steely glint. “Then I replace you with an MC that will accept their position in my organization.”
“Why Pres,” Hades drawled. “I do believe that might be a threat.”
Venom glared at Jackal and then shrugged. “That isn’t a threat, it is a promise. Everyone is replaceable even your MC. My people in this city tell me you replaced the MC that was here before you arrived, so you know how it’s done, right?”
“Get the fuck out of our compound,” Jackal told the other man coldly. “Get out and don’t come back here.”
Venom squared his shoulders and his glare turned icy. “Don’t be in such a hurry to turn me down yet, think of your women and children. If I have to replace your MC, I can’t and won’t leave anyone here alive. If you cross me, I will retaliate harshly and you won’t know where the strike will come from. Could even come from within your own ranks.” He looked around the clubhouse a bit more then up to the ceiling and around to the open kitchen. “At least, you’re keeping this place cleaner than the last tenants did. A fresh coat of paint hides a multitude of sins doesn’t it?” He commented as he turned back to Jackal. “I will expect your answer in three days. You can reach me at the club I told you about earlier.”
Jackal and the others crossed their arms over their chests and just glared at him.
Venom grinned. “You might want to rethink your decision. At least be open to the suggestion. It might save the lives of your men and their families.”
Beast leapt forward. “The fuck you just threatened our families!”
Venom shrugged then turned and walked to the front door.
Jackal and the others followed him to the door and suddenly, the silence was shattered by the sounds of bikes. At least 30 bikers began gathering along the road leading to the compound.
Venom turned to smirk at the men behind him but wisely didn’t say anything. Instead, he went over to his car and got behind the wheel. He rolled down his window and glaring at Jackal, he snarled, “Three days or these men will replace you.”
Venom took off in such a fashion that he sprayed gravel at the men standing there.
No one moved away from the gravel though, no their eyes were on the rows of bikers waiting on the other side of the fence.
When Venom got back out on the road, the bikers revved their engines and followed him slowly turning back toward the city of Baton Rouge.
When the air was quiet again, Jackal growled and turned to return to the clubhouse. Once there, he let out with a, “Fuuuccck!” and wanted to hit something.
None of the men around him dared to touch the man right now. It took a lot to get Jackal to this point as the man was very self controlled but his men knew all too well when he reached a certain stage it was best to just stay out of his way. Jackal was at that point right now.
“Noelle!” he shouted her name. “Where are you?”
“Pres,” Hades dared to interrupt his rage.
Jackal snapped his head around to glare at his man. Jackal held up his hand and shook his head. Turning back to the kitchen, he yelled out her name again, “Noelle, get your butt out here now. We need to talk.”
Noelle sat frozen in her corner and shook. The blanket wrapped around her like a shroud. Tears fell down her cheeks and her mind was closed off. She was lost in a bad memory.
Maggie watched her from a distance, worried as hell about the girl. She finally turned around and went into the main room. “Jackal,” she called out softly. Her own tears were flowing down her face.
Jackal and the others turned their heads in her direction.
She shook her head and walked over to the raging man. She didn’t touch him but she stopped and spoke softly, “She’s in the kitchen and she’s scared to death.”
“Didn’t she hear me yell for her?” Jackal frowned.
Maggie shook her head slowly. “No, I don’t think she did.”
“How could she not hear him?” Aries asked.
“Whatever happened to her before you found her, that man showing up here today has sent her locked in her own mind. She doesn’t hear anything right now except maybe her own screams inside her head,” Maggie told them all.
Jackal stared at Maggie and slowly raised his head and looked toward the kitchen. He slowly walked toward the door, not knowing wh
at to expect but preparing himself for the worst. When he crossed the threshold, he looked around and finally found her cowering in the far corner. The blanket was wrapped around her almost hiding her from the whole world.
Even from where he stood, he could see her eyes were glazed over and she was shaking. He approached her slowly and carefully. When he reached her, he knelt in front of her. He knew better than to touch her yet. Instead, he began calling her name quietly.
It took him almost ten minutes to reach a point in her mind that she knew he was there. He knew the moment she heard him.
She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them again and her eyes were clear. When she recognized him, she cried out and launched herself into his arms.
Jackal fell back on his ass and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I got you sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear. “He won’t hurt you again. No one will ever hurt you again. You hear me? You hear what I’m saying? No one will lay a hand on you again.”
Noelle buried her face in his neck and just held on. She was shaking so much it was all she could do. Her tears drenched his skin as they soaked his shirt. After a while, her tears slowed and eventually stopped.
He tipped her face to his. “Are you okay now?”
Noelle nodded. “I think so.” She closed her eyes and shuddered. “That man is pure evil, isn’t he?”
“He is, he truly is, but he made one hell of a big mistake today,” Jackal told her.
She looked at his with a question in her eyes. “What was that?”
“He came here thinking he could use threats to get us to bend to his will.” Jackal stared down at her with a glint in his eyes. “He doesn’t realize the type of men we are. We’ve already survived hell once and we will survive it again, if he comes back looking to bring it here to the place we call home.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked with fear trembling in her voice.
“Honey, we’re gonna cut off the head of the snake. It’s the only way to kill it,” he told her as he gathered his strength and lifted her with him off the floor. He stood to his full height and carried her out to the main room.
Everyone was there waiting for him.
Jackal went to the main table and sat down with her in his arms. Looking around the room, he noted the look in his men’s eyes and their body language. They were as pissed about Venom’s visit as he was.
“What are we gonna do here Captain?” one of the brothers called out.
Jackal looked at each and every one of his men. “This snake came here to threaten us, our homes and our families. What do you think we’re going to do? We’re going to defend ourselves. We didn’t give up before and I’ll be damned if I give up now.” He looked around the room. “Did anyone see who the other MC was?”
Cobra snorted. “Yeah I did. It was the Devil’s Own MC.”
“Those fuckers will do whatever, whoever pays them to do,” Hades informed the group.
“They’d sell themselves to the devil himself but they aren’t cheap and lives don’t mean shit to them,” Cobra added.
Jackal nodded. “The thing is I haven’t seen them around town before today. I wonder where they’ve been hiding.”
Noelle knew where the other MC was hiding. She leaned over to his ear and whispered something.
He looked down at her and frowned. “Are you sure?”
Noelle nodded.
“Does she know something we should know?” Hades asked.
Jackal nodded. “She said they’ve been hiding out in a rundown old warehouse close to the river.”
“If he came to us, do you think he went to the Kings as well?” Aries wanted to know.
“If he’s been here for any length of time, he would have known how this city is run and who is in charge of it,” Jackal assured them. “We need to reach out to Silas and his men along with the Kings.” He turned to Noelle and asked, “Is he the snake you saw before today? Is this Venom the man who beat you?”
“I don’t know, did this Venom have a snake on his right hand?” she asked. “The man who did this to me did but, I don’t know if it’s him. I remember seeing him there when I was dragged into the room. He looked at me with cold arrogance in his eyes. When he opened the package and saw the newspapers Dane had given him he said something about the fact that Dane wouldn’t turn on him like this.” She began shaking again. “Dane woke up a den of snakes didn’t he? He knew what Venom would do to me when he sent me here, didn’t he?”
“Yeah baby, he knew exactly what Venom would do to you and for that he’ll die,” Jackal assured her.
Noelle leaned her head against his chest and cried some more. Her tears were drying as Jackal consoled her. She had only ever known hate from her stepbrother since the day her father had died. Dane really hated her and for what? She didn’t even know why.
Jackal gathered her close to him.
Chapter Five
Luca and his lieutenant From the Kings were waiting in the old warehouse on the river. He knew his men were outside watching their backs. Silas and a couple of his men joined them. When Jackal, Hades and Aries joined them, they all looked at one another before Jackal spoke.
“Some little pissant named Venom just threatened my club.”
Luca raised an eyebrow,
Silas shook his head. “Is he a stupid man or what?”
“He broke through our gate, made his way inside the compound then had the gall to offer us one percent of his profits to work for him. He told us if that wasn’t going to happen he had another MC to take our place.”
Luca snorted. “He thinks because he owns Nexis, he can just come in and rule this town.”
“Oh, I think the man owns more than just a club,” Jackal told them.
Silas agreed with him. “We know he’s running drugs and guns through here. He’s even running women up and down the river. And I don’t think the idea is exactly theirs.” He rubbed his hand along his chin.
Jackal looked over at Luca and asked, “Has he gotten to your street gang yet?”
Luca nodded. “We’re still rebuilding our numbers but yeah, he came to us a couple days ago. Gave us the same deal.”
“And what did you tell him?” Jackal wanted to know.
Luca shrugged. “I didn’t take it, if that’s what you’re worried about. We just took out the trash and got clean and I want to keep it that way. My men want to keep us clean too.”
They both looked over at Silas and the other man met their looks. “No, he hasn’t reached out to us yet. He doesn’t think he has too. To that man, we’re the dirt on the bottom of his shoes. That suits us just fine, but we’re watching him.”
“Have you noticed any activity around the old warehouses?” Jackal asked.
Silas nodded. “He’s got some men out there. He doesn’t want them in town yet, but those guys are bad news.”
Jackal agreed with him. He looked over at Luca and said, “They call themselves the Devil’s Own MC. Mercenaries every single one of them.”
“Fucking hell,” Luca swore. “Got any numbers?”
“Eighteen to twenty, maybe more maybe could be a few less.” Jackal shrugged.
“This fucker is going for a coup isn’t he?” Luca asked.
Jackal nodded. “We got rid of one set of assholes and he thinks he can just walk in and take over? Not on my fucking watch.”
“Mine either.” Luca nodded. “What do you want us to do?”
“You know anybody in Shreveport?” Jackal asked.
Luca nodded. “Yeah, I do. Another street gang like ours. In fact, when Caulder was taking over, some of the brothers went north. They were loyal to Banger and wanted nothing to do with Caulder. They hooked up with the Kings up there.”
“Good, I need to find Dane Williams before he skips town.” Jackal nodded. “Some of Venom’s men might be looking for him already, so warn your men.”
“Who is this Dane Williams anyway?” Silas asked.
“He’s a business man on the
brink of losing everything,” Jackal replied. “The scumbag sent his sister to Venom with a payoff of newspaper, instead of the money he owed.”
“And what did Venom do to the girl?” Silas whispered.
“He drugged her up, held her for three days while he damn near beat her to death, then he strangled her and threw her away like garbage along a deserted highway.” Jackal glared as he spoke. “And Dane knew he was going to do it. He sent her here to die for him.”
Luca and Silas remained silent but their body language told everyone there how Jackal’s words had enraged them. In fact, every man there was enraged at her treatment. “Fucking hell,” Silas swore. “Is she gonna be ok?”
Jackal turned his cold eyes on the other man. “She’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of that but I do want to talk to her stepbrother.” He turned back to Luca. “He has some questions to answer for.”
“He’ll be here to answer them.” Luca nodded.
“Good.” Turning back to Silas he said, “We need eyes and ears on the streets. We need to know what Venom is going to do before he does it. We need to know where his men are.”
Silas nodded. “You’ll know every step of the way.” Pausing he asked, “Are you gonna get the Russians or the Hell’s Fire Riders in on this? You can’t do this alone.”
“Not exactly sure about the Russian’s yet but yeah, I’m gonna give Pappy a call.” Jackal nodded.
“We’re here too, just letting you know that,” Silas offered. “You need numbers? Well, we got numbers and they’d never expect us to be involved. We know this city better than they ever will.”
“I’m counting on you guys. There wasn’t any question about that old man.” Jackal slapped him on the back. “We belong here they don’t and they need to learn that the hard way I guess.”
“You gonna start a war on the streets of Baton Rouge?” Luca asked.
“No son, I’m not. But I will defend those streets and the people who live here with everything I’ve got,” Jackal assured him. “Venom will start this fucking war and it will be us that will end it and clean it up. People are gonna die and I'm not planning for it to be our people but it won’t be from our fire.”