I seem to have interrupted a conversation which resumes when Sindy asks Moira. “You coming along on the ride?”
Moira doesn’t look very enthusiastic. “I don’t think so. Been a long time since I went on the back of Hell’s bike.”
“Oh, come on, darlin’. It will be fun. If it gets too much, you can ride back in the crash truck.” Hellfire tries to persuade his wife.
“We’ll talk about this later,” she tells him in a voice that allows no argument. I notice he just raises his eyebrows in response.
“Well I’m up for it,” says Jeannie, leaning back into her man. As Bomber puts his arms around her, she continues, “It sounds fun.”
“Yeah. Riding over a suspension bridge a thousand feet above the ground?” Sindy shudders. “I’ll come along, but whether I go across or not I’ll decide on the day.”
As Sindy puts it so starkly, Jeannie’s eyes widen as though she’s reconsidering.
“I’ll look after you, sweetheart,” Bomber, noticing, says into her ear. I love seeing their relationship. I’ve picked up that they’ve been married almost as long as Hellfire and Moira, yet seem so much more at ease with each other. He’s still protective after all this time. That’s the type of relationship I’d like to have one day.
Demon comes over. Two bottles of beer in his hand, one he passes to Hellfire. Hellfire is just in the process of taking it when shots ring out.
For a second, everyone’s stunned. Then controlled panic. The men start shouting and gesticulating. Pal’s already got his arm around me and is pushing me in front of him toward the clubhouse. Bomber’s herding Jeannie and Moira, and Buzzard has run over and is dragging Sindy.
“Stay with them, Pal, Bomber.” Hell yells, then disappears.
“What’s going on, Pal?” I ask, panicked. “Is anyone hurt?” Why I’m querying him I don’t know. He’ll know nothing more than I do. Could it be the Herreras? Could they have found out where I am?
The club girls have also come in. Titsy looks white, the others a combination of animated and perplexed.
“This happened before?” Pal asks Bomber in a low voice.
Bomber’s reply is a shake of his head.
The place seems to be in confusion. Brothers are rushing in and out. I can’t make sense of the things I’m hearing. I tug Pal’s arm. “What’s going on? Who shot at us?”
But he knows nothing more than I do, until Hellfire and the men all flood back through the main door. “Women to stay here. Prospects keep an eye on them. Everyone else, church now.” Two prospects jump to attention, guns ready in their hands. I’m sure there was a third one, maybe he’s still outside.
As Hellfire storms past, Moira puts herself in front of him, her hands on her hips. “What the fuck is happening, Hell?”
“Drive-by,” he says quickly. “We’re going on lockdown, Mo.”
“No, Hell…”
He grabs her by the shoulders. “Yes, Mo. We don’t know who or what they’ll be targeting next. Until we do, everyone is to stay here. You got me?” Having told his wife, he makes his voice louder, and repeats. “Lockdown. All old ladies, whores and brothers will be staying in the club.”
Jeannie gasps beside me. “Hell, we haven’t been on lockdown for years.”
Bomber speaks up, his tone firm. “Well it seems like we’re going to be now. We’re staying here, Jeannie.” Like Hellfire, he sounds adamant.
As the brothers are walking past into church, Pal seems reluctant to leave me. I want to stay close to him too. I know what lockdown is, it means I’ll be staying here for the duration. I was supposed to live with Hell and Moira, now I’ll be here at the compound instead. I’m too used to that, I’m disappointed. I had been looking forward to having some independence. My eyes flick to Pal’s, I can see he’s torn.
I need to step up here. “Go,” I tell him, prodding him in the direction of his brothers. Part of the reason is selfish. If he finds out what’s going on, maybe he’ll tell me too.
He places his lips to my forehead, nods, then steps away.
Hellfire’s still here, I overhear him. “Mo,” he hisses, “You need to step up. You’re the prez’s ol’ lady.”
She’s looking horrified, but at last straightens her back and nods.
Hell raises his voice slightly. “Jeannie. I want you and Mo to make a list of what we’re going to need.”
Jeannie says drily, “It’s been a long time, but I can remember how this goes, Hell. If you think it’s really necessary.”
Hell stares at her. “I’m hoping we’re overreacting, but I want everyone here. Safe.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Hellfire
We haven’t been on lockdown for fifteen years. No wonder Mo was so shocked. I could be making too much of this, but I’m going on gut feel here. Won’t take any chance of anyone else becoming hurt. I haven’t told the women, but the prospect, Runt, had taken a bullet. He’ll live, but this shit is serious. He could have been killed.
I’m out of practice at this. Since we got out of the drug and gun running business, and have been earning our money clean, the club’s had no real enemies. Or at least none that brought trouble right to our front door. Then we have a dead body turn up, planted outside our premises. Other odd things happening, our shop broken into. Now a drive-by shooting.
Mo’s going to hate being here. She didn’t want to come today; I’d had to persuade her. Jeannie will be fine, as will Sindy, but Mo? Christ, keeping her here is going to be hard.
But she, the other old ladies and the club girls are all my responsibility. It’s my decision they stay here to be safe, while I have to send men out to try to hunt down an enemy we currently can’t identify.
Who is fucking with us? That’s what I don’t know, and what we’ve got to find out.
Everyone’s already in church. Mace lights up and slides the pack toward me. I toss him a grateful nod and take out a smoke. For once, everyone quiets as I flick the lighter. While they’re not talking, their body language shows how agitated everyone is.
Not bothering to bang the gavel, I open the meeting. “Don’t want to waste time lookin’ for answers we already know we don’t have. What I want is ideas on how to find out who these motherfuckers are.”
“Runt didn’t get the license plate.”
I’m not surprised Cad’s already asked. “Everyone else was out back I presume?” Yes. Of course we were. Our only witness, and casualty, was the prospect who was out front taking his turn watching the gate, and who, as a result, had been shot.
“Runt going to be okay?”
“Yeah, Thunder. It was just a scratch even though it bled a lot. I just cleaned it, put a couple of stitches in.” Rusty’s medical skills come in handy at times.
“What’s the plan, Hell?”
I glance around. Everyone’s looking to me. Christ, I’m tired, and they’re all expecting me to have answers. “Demon, Thunder and Mace. Get out on the streets. Keep your eyes and ears open and start tracking down those gangs. I want to know if anyone’s heard any whispers of people moving in, looking to take us down.”
“Take what down?” Mace asks, incredulously. “Who’s got anything to gain from closing our businesses? Shooting up our club and takin’ us out? It’s not like we’ve got a gun trade to take over anymore. We don’t even deal in fucking drugs.”
“Someone’s got a beef with the club. It feels personal,” Demon proposes. My eyes shoot to him. “What if we’re not looking for a gang, but one person?”
“Could one person fuck us up like they’ve done? All the activity on the security cameras had the same time stamp that night.” Pyro, like the rest, is looking worried.
“Two,” says Cad, adamantly. “I went back over them. Checked the timings again. Two people would have been all that was needed.”
Lizard’s looking thoughtful. “Been trying to think of who might have a grudge against us. What about Smithy?”
“Nah,” Demon says quickly. “Good suggesti
on, but word is he went to LA.”
I raise my eyebrows. Demon shrugs. Man didn’t cut it here, maybe he learned from how he’d fucked up. We’d let the prospect go some months back.
“It’s worth following up,” Cad proposes. “I’ll dig deeper, check he actually left and see if I can find what he’s doing now.”
“Thanks, Brother. Probably a dead end, but we can’t rule anything out.”
“Any progress by the cops on the dead man?” Taser asks.
“We haven’t been told…” I break off, raising my eyebrow, again putting Cad in the spotlight.
“I’ll hack into the police database. See if there’s anything that’s not being passed to us.”
“I want half of us here at all times. We keep the businesses running, but women and club girls are to stay at the compound until we’ve got more info.”
“You think they’ll come after us in our homes?”
“Can’t rule it out, Buzzard.” I wipe my brow. “While we remain ignorant as to who or why, I don’t want to take the risk that they might.” After pausing for a breath, I lay it on them. “I’ll want to talk to all of you individually.” I glance around the table. “Any shit you don’t want to discuss openly, you can fuckin’ tell me in private. I want to know if anyone’s pissed someone off. Slept with the wrong wife, for example. I’ll be speakin’ to everyone. If it doesn’t affect the club, that shit stays with me. But for the sake of your brothers’ lives, don’t keep anything to yourselves.”
All of them start looking at each other. There are shrugs, shakes of heads. I’m determined to find out if anyone’s stepped on anyone’s toes.
Pal’s frowning. He raises his hand. “I’ll get in touch with Drummer and Mouse back in Tucson. See if the Herreras might have found out where Jayden’s gone. A long shot, but we can’t rule out it’s her that’s the target.”
A murmuring starts to grow but I shut that down fast. “Unless anyone here has a loose mouth, can’t see how anyone could know. But thanks Pal, doesn’t hurt asking the question.”
Taser’s glaring at Pal, but then he normally does. “What about the girl herself? Could she have given away where she was going? Seems mighty suspicious you and her turn up, and all hell breaks loose here.”
Pal puts his hands to where he’d have a beard if he was able to grow one. Slowly he shakes his head. When he leans forward to speak, it’s in a measured voice, but carries the weight of scorn with it. “Let me think about that. Girl threatened with being taken and raped, sold on as a sex slave. Her life made intolerable as revenge on the Satan’s Devils. Yeah, quite possible she’d be loose-mouthed and tell everyone where she was going. You might have a point there, Taser.”
Eyes go from Pal to the man he’s addressed. Taser looks sheepish, but doesn’t give up. “Can’t hurt to ask.”
Demon’s fingers are drumming on the table. I glance at him; he’s got something to say. “While I think Taser’s barkin’ up a blind alley, I think we ought to talk to the women too. See if they’ve been fuckin’ someone they shouldn’t.”
“See, we’re not sexist at all,” Mace grins broadly. “Equal suspicions here.”
“Jeannie’s not stepped out on me,” Bomber snarls.
I jump in as Buzzard’s face grows dark. “I think the VP means the club girls, not the old ladies.” When that’s appeased the married men, I start to sum up. “We look at the club as an entity, consider who might have a beef with the Satan’s Devils. At the same time we look at each of us individually and that includes the women. We get eyes and ears on the ground. We keep our businesses running with maximum security.” I break off, looking between Cad and Pal. “How long until the new cameras are up and running?”
“Got it on order,” it’s Pal who responds. “Installation is easy. By the end of the week?”
I nod, then resume. “Everyone not out investigatin’ stays on the compound. Women to be protected at all times. Two men out front on the gate.” I glance at Demon, sending him a silent message, have I forgotten anything?
Demon steps in. “No brother to be ridin’ alone, that goes without sayin’.” His glare, a copy of my own, lands on each of the brothers. “If you’ve got something you’re hidin’, you need to come clean to the prez or me. We won’t share shit that has no bearin’. You been dippin’ your wick where it shouldn’t have been? I want to know it.”
Fuck me. There are several of them who look guilty. Well, bikers attract tail. Always have, always will.
“I’ll look into any names you give me,” Cad offers.
“You really want a list of people I’ve fucked?” Ink’s eyes look wild. “What if I didn’t know their names?”
Demon’s forehead crashes down on the table. Turning sideways, he gives me a look. And a sly grin. Seems like he’ll be giving me a list too.
“Cad, you might have your work cut out.” I’m shaking my head as I tell him. “Might be easier to ask who hasn’t fucked someone they shouldn’t.”
It’s pure accident, but my eyes fall on the newest member sitting at the end of the table. Everyone else’s do too. It’s Lizard who puts a label on him. He points straight at Pal, “Not him, he’s a fuckin’ virgin.”
It was a figure of speech. But instead of giving us the finger or some other gesture, the lad goes bright red. It’s the fact he says nothing that gets us incredulously laughing.
“Fuck me, you fuckin’ are, aren’t you? You’re waiting for that bitch.” Thunder roars with laughter.
“Hey, come to me if you want some pointers, Brother,” Mace offers.
“Have you even got a dick? It work?” That’s from Ink. “Probably fallen off by now if you haven’t used it.”
Poor Pal looks like he wants to slide under the table.
I take pity on him. “Well the rest of you assholes who overwork your dicks, I’ll see you in alphabetical order.” I raise the gavel. “Meeting fuckin’ dismissed. Bomber you’re up first.”
“Haven’t got anything to say, Prez,” Bomber protests.
I glare at him. “Everyone, Bomb. That includes men with old ladies.”
Demon holds up his hand. “One last thing, Prez?” I nod. “Jeannie and Mo will hopefully have got together that list you asked them to of supplies we’re going to need. Volunteers to go get them?”
“I’ll go,” Pyro offers. “With Taser. Will take you some time to go through the brothers by the expressions around this table.”
He’s right. I’m just wondering how long this list of people they’ve fucked is going to be.
“Prez. Just before we break. Been looking into the police chief some more.”
“What you got, Cad?”
“Zilch. Can’t dig anything up. If he’s targeting us, from his record he’d do it legal.”
“This doesn’t have the feel of a set-up,” I raise my chin to Cad. “Thanks, Brother.”
Cad nods.
“Okay, assholes. Let’s get this shit done.”
As everyone stands and leaves, Bomber hesitates. “You want me in your office, Prez?”
I nod to him. “I’ll be there in a moment.”
When he leaves, it’s just me and my son. Demon’s head is moving from side to side. “Reckon you know what you’re in for?”
I don’t, that’s the problem. “My gut feel is it’s personal. Against the club. We’ve either got a common enemy, or someone gunning for one of us. Seems too haphazard to be something organised by a gang.”
“Runt was the one who got shot.”
“Speed of the attack meant they were aiming for the poor fucker on guard duty. Could have been any one of us. We were rotatin’ the prospects so they all got food at the barbeque. I can’t see how Runt could have been the target.”
“Maybe you’re right.” He doesn’t sound convinced.
“You any other ideas?”
“Other than you acting as father confessor?” Demon grins. “Nah.”
Bomber’s waiting for me in my office as instructed. I walk in
and go to my chair, with the desk in between us. Behind me hangs the flag that’s in all our chapters, the insignia of the Satan’s Devils.
“Got fuck all to say, Prez.”
“Whoa. Let me get my ass in the chair first, Bomb.” I sit, then lean forward with my chin resting on my hands. “No judgement, Brother. But are you fucking around on Jeannie?”
Instead of an instant denial, my old friend starts to shake his head, then his eyes crease as thought he’s remembering something. The silence seems to stretch out. Bomber made Jeannie his old lady a few months after Mo and I married. A year later they’d made it legal. Seemed solid as fuck all these years. Even today I’d noticed they were still demonstrable toward each other, a closeness still shared that I seemed to have lost with my wife.
“Brother,” I say in encouragement. “I need to know.”
His lips thin as they press together, his hands are clasped between his legs. He takes in a deep breath, then says firmly, “I don’t fuck around on Jeannie.”
I stay quiet. Something else is coming. Despite what he said in church, does she fuck around on him?
Suddenly he sits back, folding his arms across his chest defensively, then looks at me with a challenge in his eyes. “You know what it’s like. Thirty-five, thirty-six years is a fuck of a long time to be with one woman. To stay attracted to each other? Well that’s fuckin’ hard. Things become so familiar, making love becomes practiced. Hard to put the spice back in it.”
I know what he’s talking about. Fuck, do I.
Again I don’t speak, letting him continue.
“Well, Jeannie and I decided we’d do something different. We don’t cheat on each other. Or not in our eyes. We, er, we joined a swinger’s club a few years back.”
I feel my eyes open wide. Like me, Bomber and Jeannie have a house off compound, we don’t live in each other’s pockets. But I never would have guessed that about him. Now I’m quiet as I don’t know what the fuck to say. I couldn’t have predicted I’d hear that.
He takes it as unspoken criticism, and glares. “We don’t cheat. We do fuck other people. But only when we’re doing it in the same room.”
Satan's Devils MC Colorado Boxset 1 Books 1 - 3 Page 22