Copper (Blackwings MC - Devils Springs Book 1)

by Teagan Brooks

  “Nah, I think their misplaced blame falls on me for Scream and Belch as well. Yes, we killed Gnaw, who was a Disciple, but Scream didn’t give a shit about it. Then, Scream agreed to kill Kevin to keep the peace. I’m sure his VP backed him on those decisions. I’m guessing the club didn’t back their Prez and VP, though.”

  “So, why the fuck are they coming after me?” I asked.

  “My best guess, because you’re closer,” he said.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. If he wants to take out Blackwings, as in all Blackwings, it would make sense for him to start with your club. It’s closer, newer, and smaller. Even though he would be very, very wrong, he probably thinks the club is too new to be of any strength.”

  “Son of a bitch.”

  “Like I said, it’s just a guess. Now that you know the Disciples are responsible, what are you going to do?” he asked.

  “Not sure of the details, but we’re going to put a stop to it. There’s no way I’m letting them take out my club and come for yours,” I said.

  “Talk it out with your boys and let me know what you come up with. I’m going to send some brothers your way to help you get this sorted,” Phoenix said.

  “No way. We can handle this.”

  “I’m not asking, Copper. Consider it an official order. If we guessed correctly, in a way, this is my club’s fault. I’m sending some men to help. Do whatever you see fit with them. They’ll be up there tomorrow. We’ll talk soon.” He disconnected before I could respond.

  “We’ll wait until Phoenix’s guys arrive to come up with a plan. In the meantime, I want eyes on the Disciples’ Clubhouse. Judge, can you and a couple of brothers get some cameras up without being seen?”

  Judge grinned, “Absolutely, Prez.”

  “Take two brothers with you and get started now. Everyone else, stay close and stay vigilant. These fuckers have been a few steps ahead and have gotten the drop on us a few times now. That won’t happen again,” I said and tapped the gavel on the table to dismiss Church.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Copper

  Phoenix’s boys arrived the next morning. He sent Edge, Coal, Savior, and two prospects, Grady and Isaac. All of them were newer to the club. But from what I knew of the three patched members, they were valuable assets. I wasn’t crazy about putting Coal in harm’s way because he was family; but, I wouldn’t disrespect him or his father by sending him back to Croftridge.

  “How’s your Mom doing?” I asked before I realized what I’d said. “I’m mean Annabelle. Shit. Sorry. I don’t really know how you guys handle that situation,” I said, stumbling over my words.

  Coal laughed. “I call her ‘Mom,’ and I also call Kathleen ‘Mom.’ It’s different, but it works for us. Mom’s doing fine, getting bigger every day. Dad’s driving her crazy hovering around her like a helicopter. I hope she pops those babies out soon, or Dad isn’t going to survive.”

  I chuckled, “I bet. How’s Ember?”

  He smiled, “She’s good. She has her own helicopter, but she’s handling the hovering better than Mom.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t believe they’re having babies at the same time.”

  “Yeah, we definitely qualify to be guests on a talk show. Anyway, when you have some time, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something,” he said, suddenly sounding nervous.

  “Of course. I have time now. We can talk in my office,” I said and started walking in that direction.

  Once inside, I closed the door and gestured for him to have a seat. Dropping into the chair behind my desk, I steepled my fingers in front of me and met his eyes. “What’s going on, Coal?”

  “I was wondering how one would go about transferring chapters.”

  Of all the things he could have said or asked, I was not expecting it to be that. “You want to leave your Dad’s club?”

  He looked down at his hands fisted in his lap. “I love my Dad, and I love the club. I’m just having a hard time finding my place in Croftridge. Ember has the farm and is starting a family with Dash. Dad has the club and Mom and the babies. And I, well, after everything that’s happened in the last two years, I feel like I need to find out who I am. I don’t want to be just Phoenix’s son or just Ember’s twin. I need to be me, and I can’t do that until I figure out who I am, and that can’t happen in Croftridge.”

  I exhaled a long, slow breath. “I have no problem with you transferring to Devil Springs if that’s what you want, but you have to talk to your Dad first. The usual protocol is for the member to approach their president first. Once it has been approved, then you would ask the other president for permission to transfer. But I understand why you came to me before going to him. Make sure it’s okay with Phoenix, and then come talk to me.”

  His relief was evident. “Thanks, Copper. I’ll talk to him as soon as I get back to Croftridge.”

  “Good. Come on. We’ve got Church in a few minutes.”

  Once everyone was seated around the table, I called the meeting to order and introduced the members from Croftridge. “Have we gotten anything from the cameras on the Disciples’ clubhouse?”

  “No, not yet. But I do know how they got the envelope past the gates,” Judge said. “They used a drone to fly it over the gates and drop it at the door.”

  “A drone? How fucking fancy. All right, boys, we need to come up with a plan to take these fuckers down. I’m open for suggestions,” I said.

  “I say we bomb their clubhouse like they did ours,” Batta offered.

  “I say we position ourselves around the clubhouse and pick them off with sniper rifles one at a time,” Tiny suggested.

  “I think we should start with grabbing a few of their boys and interrogating them,” Judge said.

  “We should intercept their next shipment and let them know we have it. We can tell them we’ll return it after having a sit-down with Aim and Asp, only Aim and Asp, on our territory. If they refuse, we can threaten to turn the shipment over to Luke,” Coal said.

  “If we do that, the other members will likely be hovering nearby, ready to defend their President and VP, meaning the clubhouse will be empty. We can sneak in and plant a bug, a bomb, or whatever the fuck we want,” Savior added.

  I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my chin with my thumb and forefinger as I appraised the young Croftridge members. “I kind of like that suggestion. Brothers?”

  Judge shrugged, “It could work. Do we know when their next shipment is due?”

  “No, but I know who to ask if we want to go that route,” I said.

  After more discussion, we decided to go with Coal’s suggestion if we could intercept the shipment in the next few days. I stepped out of the room and placed the call.

  “Boar, do you know when the Disciples are expecting their next shipment?”

  He chuckled, “Yeah, the stupid fucks have been doing their business like clockwork for the last two years. I can’t believe they haven’t been busted yet. Three days from now, it will be coming to their warehouse mid-afternoon,” he said.

  “Perfect. Can you send me the location of their warehouse?”

  “I’ll do you one better. I’ll get you the warehouse and the last leg of the incoming route,” he offered.

  “Appreciate it, man. Everything still quiet in your area?” I asked.

  “So far so good. I have a few boys ride by my hot spots a couple of times a day to make sure everything is as it should be,” he said, letting me know he was keeping extra eyes on our people still in his rental houses.

  “I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality. I hope to have this mess cleaned up by the end of next week.”

  “Not a problem. Take your time, Copper. It’s not inconveniencing me in the slightest, and Shannon is having a great time hanging out with the Old Ladies.”

  We ended the call, and I went back into Church to update my brothers. Boar sent the location and route immediately. It didn’t take long for us to hammer out a plan. On
ce that was settled, all we had to do was wait.

  ***

  Usually, three days isn’t a long time. The three days we had to wait for the Disciples’ shipment felt more like three years. We managed to make a huge dent in the repairs to the clubhouse during the days. Each night, I spent hours locked in my room talking to Layla. I missed her more than I ever thought possible. She assured me she was fine and had been having a good time with the girls, but I could tell she was saying it for my benefit.

  When the day finally arrived, we rode to the designated location and patiently waited for the truck to make an appearance. I was a little on edge because I didn’t know exactly what was in the shipment. I was expecting it to be guns or drugs, but it could be anything from stolen goods to a truck load of women. And it better not be fucking women. I wouldn’t be able to contain myself if it was.

  An elbow to my side had my head shooting up. Judge whispered, “There it is.”

  In the distance, I could see a box truck approaching us. I whistled once and said, “It’s go time, boys.”

  Surprisingly, we were able to take the shipment without any hassle. The driver had no idea what he was delivering, or so he claimed, and wanted nothing more than to escape with his life. We let him go once he had been properly threatened and drove the truck back to Devil Springs. Batta, Judge, and Tiny were like giddy little school boys who had just raided the candy shop.

  Thankfully, an inspection of the shipment revealed that it was indeed guns they were expecting. They were shitty guns, but at least we didn’t inadvertently get involved in the world of human trafficking.

  “Good work, brothers. Let’s give them time to realize their shipment is missing and start looking for it. We’ll have Church tonight, and I’ll make the call to Aim,” I announced.

  ***

  Judge and I had been watching the live feed of the Disciples’ clubhouse for the better part of the evening. Needless to say, there was a lot of activity. I couldn’t stop myself from laughing every time one of the Disciples frantically ran out of the clubhouse and took off on their bike. No doubt Aim was losing his shit trying to find their missing guns. I was tempted to wait until morning to make the call.

  With my brothers gathered around the table, I dialed the number Spazz had located for Aim and placed my phone on speaker. He answered before the end of the first ring, “Aim.”

  “Copper Black,” I said, trying to hold back my laughter.

  “You motherfucker!” Aim screamed.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, feigning innocence.

  “You and your club stole our damn guns. That was a big fucking mistake, Copper. One I’ll make sure you regret.”

  “I see. I guess this means you don’t want the information I have for you. Oh well…” I trailed off.

  “What information?”

  “The kind that doesn’t need to be discussed over the phone. You and Asp be at the old dive bar on Neely Ferry Road at ten o’clock tomorrow morning. Only you and Asp,” I demanded.

  “And if I don’t show?” he asked.

  “Then the info I have will be given to more legit sources.”

  “Fine,” he huffed. “We’ll be there.”

  “Oh, one more thing. If anything happens to me or any of my boys, the info goes straight to the feds,” I said and disconnected the call. Now, we just had to wait.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Layla

  I was starting to get a little cabin fever. I needed to get out of the house, even if it was just for a brief amount of time. And, I wanted to have a few minutes alone. I wasn’t used to being around people every second of every day, and it was slowly driving me insane.

  And I missed Copper. A lot. He called every night and sometimes we talked for hours, but it wasn’t the same as being with him. I wanted to feel his arms around me, inhale his scent, have his lips pressed against mine. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stand being cooped up in the house away from him.

  He told me not to leave the house. So, technically, the front porch and back deck were a part of the house. At least two men had been posted on the front porch at all times since Copper and the majority of the club returned to Devil Springs. That left the back deck. Surely, I could slip out there unnoticed and have a few minutes of peace to gather my sanity.

  I tiptoed down the hall to the kitchen. It was late, and I was pretty sure everyone was asleep, with the exception of the two guys out front. I peeked through the window, and, when I was sure the coast was clear, I carefully pulled the backdoor open and stepped outside for the first time since Copper left.

  Inhaling a lungful of cool, crisp air, I sighed. If only I had thought to bring a steaming mug of hot chocolate with me. Maybe next time. Curling up in one of the chairs, I tilted my head back and gazed at the stars. Before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep.

  When I woke, my head was pounding, and I thought I was going to vomit. Deciding it would be best to be in the bathroom if I did indeed throw up, I moved to get out of bed. A cold feeling of dread washed over me when something prevented me from rolling my body to the side.

  My eyes shot open and darted around the room. Despite the darkness, I could instantly see I was not in any room I had ever seen before. I tried again to move and discovered my arms were restrained above my head. I tried my feet, and, thankfully, my legs were not restrained.

  Forcing myself to remain as calm as possible, I tried to remember what happened. I was outside on the deck looking at the stars, and I fell asleep. Then, I woke up tied to a strange bed. What the hell?

  With tears running down my face, I could do nothing but wait for someone to come in and pray they wouldn’t hurt me.

  It felt like hours of maddening silence passed before I heard a noise beyond the closed door, and the war within myself began. Did I want someone to come in, or did I want to continue suffering in silence?

  I listened intently but heard nothing but silence. I’d almost convinced myself I’d imagined the sound when I heard someone wiggling the door knob. Moments later, the door flew open, and I immediately recognized the man filling the doorway. I could do nothing but stare at him as the tears poured down my face.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Copper

  We arrived at the bar thirty minutes earlier than we told Aim and Asp to be there. I wanted to make sure they weren’t going to try something stupid like ambushing us when we walked in. The owner wasn’t happy about having to open his doors to us at the early hour, but he owed me more than one favor and couldn’t refuse my request.

  I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure how I was going to handle the situation. I had their stash of guns hidden, and a few of my brothers were guarding it. We had the two prospects from Croftridge monitoring the surrounding area for any signs of the Disciples. I had no doubt the rest of the club would be somewhere in the vicinity. Tiny, Spazz, Coal, Edge, and Savior had ridden out to the Disciples’ clubhouse to hopefully plant some listening equipment in their clubhouse. However, that might be a moot point depending on the outcome of the meeting.

  Tension surrounded us as we waited for Aim and Asp to arrive. My phone chimed with an incoming text.

  Grady: 15 Disciples pulled off into an empty parking lot app 1 mile from the bar. 2 riders headed your way.

  Me: Thx. Text Judge ASAP if any of them leave.

  Grady: Will do.

  Minutes later, the two cocksuckers strolled into the bar, looking far too sure of themselves for my liking. They approached the table and dropped into chairs across from me with smug smiles on their faces. The taller one spoke, “In case you didn’t know, I’m Aim.” He gestured with his thumb to the man beside him, “And this here is Asp.”

  I nodded. “I’ll forgo the introductions since you’ve made it clear you know everyone in my club.”

  “And then some,” Asp grinned.

  He was trying to goad me. I knew it, but damn if it wasn’t working. I clenched my fists into tight balls under the table and resisted the stro
ng urge to smash his fucking face in.

  “Let’s cut the shit and get to the point. What ‘information’ do you have?” Aim asked.

  I shrugged, “Information about your shipment’s location.”

  His jaw clenched and his whole body tensed. His VP, however, sat relaxed as the corners of his mouth turned up in an evil smile. “I see. As luck would have it, I’ve got some information about the location of something that might be of interest to you as well.”

  My heart skipped a beat, and my mind raced to figure out what he could have taken from my club. As if on cue, Judge’s phone started ringing. He denied the call, but it started ringing immediately again. By the third time, he leaned in and whispered, “It’s Mom. I’ve got to take it.”

  He stepped away from the table and answered the call. Even several feet away, I could hear Leigh screaming into the phone, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. Judge whirled around and locked eyes with me. All the color drained from his face while he listened to his mother. “Mom, I have to go. It’ll be okay, I promise.” She screeched something into the phone, and Judge cringed. “Mom, we’re handling it now. I’ve got to go.”

  His words sent chills running down my spine. What had these fuckers done that would have Leigh calling in hysterics? Judge cut his eyes to Batta and gave the slightest of nods before meeting my gaze again. Were they waiting for something? Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

  Layla.

  Everything happened at once. Judge and Batta moved toward the table. My chair hit the floor when I pushed back and jumped to my feet. Judge had Asp on his feet and his Bowie pressed to his throat. Batta had a garrote wrapped around Aim’s neck. I had a gun in each hand, one pointed at each asshole.

  “Where is she?” I demanded.

  Aim seemed to be genuinely confused, while Asp still had a cocky grin on his face. “Where’s our shipment?” Asp asked with an arched brow.