“Where should I begin?” I asked, eager to hear what he had in mind. The thought of getting close to the Black Souls sent a chill down my spine, especially considering I was used to dealing with criminals in controlled environments after they were already locked up. I had no experience communicating with criminals when they were still roaming free, but if I needed to get close enough to get information, I planned on doing whatever it took to get what we needed to move on their arrests.
“I see that glint in your eyes. You’re determined, and that’s exactly what I need around here. Everyone’s gone soft. There are some that think we’re never going to be rid of them, but I’m going to prove them wrong, with your help.”
“I’m equipped to handle anything, sir.” I sounded more confident than I felt, but I was going to have to fake until I was more comfortable in this position. This was the kind of task that had a high learning curve, but if there was one thing I knew how to do, it was how to get inside of people’s heads to get the information I needed. If I could do it in the courtroom, then I could do it out in the wild.
“That’s what I like to hear. I need you to start digging into anything you can find about the Black Souls. Talk to the locals, and go through the files we have on other bikers who might be connected. Talk to some of the detectives that have worked the cases. See what you can piece together. I know there’s something we’re missing, something that’s keeping them out of jail, and I want to know what that is,” Harold said.
“I’ll get it done. Is there anything else I should know?”
“They’re good at hiding. They can smell a cop from a mile away. So be careful. If you sense someone you’re talking to is connected to the MC, be careful. The locals will be suspicious, and they don’t like trouble. You’re going to have to blend in. Lose the suit,” he suggested.
“Any areas they frequent?”
“Jackroller Pub is crawling with them. They usually take the place over at night. Good luck, and I hope you have more success than everyone else I’ve given this job to. Make me proud, and you will be rewarded,” he said.
His declaration placed a lot of pressure on my shoulders, but I knew that it was for the best. It was that moment I realized how integrated the Black Souls had to be in Coronado to be able to fly under the radar when we started homing in on them. I had always had the impression of bikers being sloppy with their crimes and easy to catch. But I was starting to think I was wrong. These guys sounded much smarter, and much more evasive than I ever imagined.
My first day, and I was on a trial basis. My boss expected me to do the kind of job that a seasoned professional couldn’t even accomplish. What this needs is a fresh set of eyes, and despite my lack of experience, I was ready.
I just had to be careful.
The last thing I needed was to get myself involved in something I couldn’t get out of. I had to make sure Hope and I stayed safe no matter what. I had to protect her, but I also had to do my job.
I got into my car that evening, my ears filled with the sounds of police sirens ringing through the air. The sound was immediately followed by the crack and rev of a few motorcycles. I looked out into the distance and saw the red and blue flashing lights pass me by as night started to envelope the sky.
I sat there for a moment, wondering how much this was going to take over my life. If I wanted to get it done, I had to go all in. Success didn’t come easily, and this was my chance. I would give those bikers a run for their dirty money. I would find enough concrete evidence to put them away. By the time I was done, the Black Souls MC would have no choice but to disband.
Coronado deserved to be free of them.
5
Ryker
I entered the warehouse, and I was immediately struck by a metallic scent mixed with a harsh smell of cleaning products. A few Black Souls members were cleaning while others were taking inventory.
I walked around the large open room and watched every face I passed to make sure they understood someone was always watching what they did. We couldn’t afford to risk letting any of them think we weren’t paying attention.
Some of the newer prospects were wiping down the guns that were sitting in crates and wrapping them carefully so they could be moved to expectant clients. I headed to the back of the warehouse, shutting the door behind me so I could drown out the sounds. I needed a moment to think. I had to head out to Tijuana soon, and I was worried this new mission of Lucifer’s was going to land me and the club in even more trouble than what we were already facing.
It would be easy for the Hell Riders to corner me while I was out there on my own. If they did that, they could hold me captive and attempt to extract information from me, or worse, kill me on the spot. It’s been a while since they had followed through on a threat like that unprovoked. But something told me with all the tension in the air, they wouldn’t need to be provoked to take action.
I took a deep breath before looking over the books that were laid out on the table. Lucifer must have left them out when he checked them earlier. We were both paranoid about our inventory and tripled checked the numbers to make sure that everything was accounted for over the last few months. We enjoyed the few moments of peace after our last run-in with a few Hell Riders, but things were picking up again, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the same Hell Riders were involved with the threats to Lucifer.
I closed all of the books after ensuring that everything was fine for the second time in two days. Then I headed back out to my bike to make the trip down to Tijuana. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous or what I would find once I got there, but the best thing I could do was lay low and hope someone would want to talk within earshot. I needed to find some cocky bikers who ran their mouths a little too much. There were plenty of them out there that couldn’t resist the gossip, especially when it came to the Black Souls.
I had to be careful. One wrong move and I would be down for the count.
“Hey, Ryker! Where are you off to?” asked one of the new prospects. It was a guy I barely remembered from our last club meeting.
“Just gotta take care of some business, nothing too crazy. How have things been around here?” I asked, taking the opportunity to see if there had been anything I missed. He shook his head, then stopped. There was a glimmer in his eyes that told me he remembered something.
“Things have been good, though I recently saw some bikers riding around near the roadway not too far from here. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but they were riding around in circles. Every few minutes, I would hear their engines pop again. I thought it was some of the other Black Souls members, but no one owned up to it when I asked. I doubt it’s anything to worry about, though,” he said.
He clearly had no idea what we had been dealing with over the past few months. I smiled in the hopes he didn’t catch onto the fact that I had a million questions swimming around in my mind. My stomach dropped the moment he told me that there were bikers out in these parts. Our members didn’t goof off so close to home. If bikers were riding around aimlessly, they were enemies. Black Souls, no matter how new, wouldn’t do anything to draw attention to our locations.
They knew better than to do anything around the warehouses that would draw attention. Always avoid detection from the police or other bikers. Everyone knew that. I had no doubt now that we had eyes on us where we definitely didn’t want them to be.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I said, trying to downplay my concern. “If you see anything out of the ordinary, give me or Lucifer a shout. We gotta keep this place secure.”
He nodded as I started up my engine. I pulled out of the big industrial warehouse and glanced back one last time to see it disappear into the distance. I made it back to the main road and tried to relax my body. I had over an hour drive before I would make it to Tijuana, and I couldn’t afford to be tense when I arrived.
Once I passed the welcome sign, I started to feel antsy. The overcast sky made the wind feel cold, and it pierced the skin on
my arms. My t-shirt clung tightly to my body as I began to pick up speed, heading deeper into the city. I had no idea what I was about to walk into, and I had a bad feeling there was something we were missing.
I glanced over my shoulder and watched the cars behind me start to disappear as I picked up speed. I left the clubhouse without my jacket, thinking it was best not to have it since the club sigil was embroidered on the back. Now the cold evening air made me regret that decision.
I slowed down as I entered the city. I had no clue where to start looking or even what I was looking for, but I had to start somewhere.
I saw a blinding neon sign that said The Feisty Jester. There were at least a dozen bikes parked out front, indicating this might be a good place to start. If I wanted to start fishing for real information, I had to get right in the middle of it. This place looked as good as any.
I parked my bike near the long line outside and headed through the large wooden door that looked like it had been preserved through the ages. The place reeked of alcohol and fried bar food. It was nothing like Jackroller Pub back home. It was loud, sweaty, and chock-full of a wide variety of bikers, the kind I would have made it my mission to avoid at all cost. Too bad I didn’t have a choice today. I had to fish for details on who might be out to get Lucifer.
I took a seat down at the very front and watched a nice-looking blonde, blue-eyed bartender come up to me to ask what I would like to drink.
“Scotch, please,” I said.
She smiled and grabbed a fresh glass off the top shelf before sliding the glass down to where I was sitting.
“What brings a cutie like you in here? You gotta be fresh meat because I ain’t ever seen you around before.” Her southern accent made me smile.
“Just taking a load off after being out on the road for so long. You know what they say, once you have a bike, there isn’t anywhere in the world you can’t go.” I winked. A little flirting always helped with the ladies.
I watched as she called out to a few others who appeared to be regulars. Before I had a chance to get a good look at any of them, the front door opened, drawing my eyes away. A few Hell Riders members walked in and headed straight for the back of the bar. They took their seats and waited to be served.
I had to be careful and not stare at them. If they got a good look at my face, it would be over. I recognized a few of them from a small run-in I had with them before. Chances were high, they’d recognize me too. I had to be careful.
I watched the blonde bartender make her way around the patrons, talking to most of them like she knew them well. If she had worked here long, she most likely had information. Chatting her up was my best bet at learning anything. I decided to move in. I waved for another drink, and I watched her blush as she approached.
“Now, you sure you don’t want something else, sugar?”
“I’m alright. Another scotch will do the trick.” I gave her a wide smile.
“Coming right up.”
“This place is busy, huh? Is it always like this?” I asked.
“Yeah, this is biker territory after all. I don’t know what’s changed, but there have been more of them around here than usual lately. There’s all this talk about some uptight biker that’s on everyone’s minds, but I try not to meddle. Though, it does make for good gossip, I guess.” She shrugged as she sat my fresh glass down.
“Does that uptight biker have a name?” I asked, hoping that she would remember.
“Uh, it was somethin’ devilish. Made my bones rattle.”
“Devilish? That sounds intense.”
“Ah, Lucifer.” She snapped her fingers and pointed at me. “That’s it! Yeah, I don’t know why everyone’s so obsessed with him. If I were him, I would run and hide. There are some scary folks out here.” Her eyes were wide, and I could tell by the look on her face that these bikers scared her.
I tried to hide the panic that was starting to set in. This could take a turn for the worse any minute.
“Anyone in particular I should look out for when I head back out on the road? Last thing I want is trouble.” I chuckled even though there was the underlying fear building up inside me. I could already feel my expression start to change, and I hoped she didn’t notice.
“See them there?” She lifted her pinky up in the direction of the Hell Riders. “They’re always causing trouble and talking shit about riders they take out on the road for no damn reason. They call em’ Hell Riders,” she said.
“I guess I won’t be getting in their way then. Thanks for your time.” I downed the last of my drink and tossed some cash on the bar, leaving her a generous tip.
“Any time, sugar. See you around.”
I rushed out of the bar and hopped back onto my bike. I cursed when I couldn’t get it to start.
I fiddled with the starter and checked my gas levels. Everything seemed fine. Fear washed over me. If I had been identified, I would have been stuck out here with the lions ready for a feeding frenzy.
When the engine finally revved up, I relaxed.
Thank God.
Tijuana was crawling with enemies of the Black Souls, and I now had confirmation the Hell Riders were after Lucifer. But why? Just because he was the new president? MC’s have new presidents all the time, and rival clubs never put hits out on them. I couldn’t shrug the feeling that so much more was going on. Now we had to figure out which of them was actually going to act on it.
What the hell have we gotten ourselves into? I needed to get back and let everyone know to be on high alert. A storm was coming, and I didn’t think this one was going to be as easy to deal with as the last.
I didn’t know how Lucifer was going to take this news. He had always prided himself on the fact that he could rise to the occasion and take care of any problem that posed a threat to the Black Souls, but this time was different. This time we had to be the ones to stand up and protect him. If we weren't careful, we would be well on our way to losing another President. And I would lose a close friend. I couldn’t let that happen.
Lucifer had done so much to protect the Black Souls and make sure we all felt like we had a place to call home. Even when Reaper was at his worst, he was there for all of us.
I drove back to Coronado, my heart beating out of my chest as I recalled everything I learned. This was only just the beginning.
It wasn’t long before I was at the bridge that connected the two cities. When I crossed over the water, I caught sight of what looked like Hell Riders entering into Coronado.
Hell no. Not again, you fuckers.
I decided to follow them. I needed to know where they were going. We had had some trouble tracking them down, and this was my opportunity to bring back some concrete evidence that would give us what we needed to start taking them down one by one.
Bring it on.
I tailed them for a while as they took all backroads through the city like they were headed to a secret location. It was risky staying on their tails, but I wasn’t about to let this chance slip away from me. I knew how easy it was for them to throw me off their scent. If they even suspected a member of the Black Souls was following them, I would be a goner.
I kept a low profile and hid behind the cover of other cars in traffic while keeping a close eye on their every move. We were in the heart of the city now, enveloped by big skyscrapers and smaller detached apartment buildings that were still trying to hold onto their old charm.
I watched as the Hell Riders started to slow down. Their engines grew quiet as they pulled into an alleyway. They looked focused on something on the other end of the street. I needed to get closer to see what it was, but that would mean having to leave my bike behind.
I parked it near one of the small antique stores nearby and got off to make the rest of the journey on foot. They were laughing and cackling like animals while they were cooing at someone. They were taunting a woman. They were getting handsy with her, but she did her best to fight them off. My blood began to boil at the thought of what they migh
t do to her.
“Hey now! Don’t be like that. You’re gonna have loads of fun if you come with us,” one of them said, proposing it to her like she even had a choice in the matter.
“Get the hell away from me!” she yelled, tossing her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulders as she tried to push them away. I inched closer, getting ready to start a brawl if I needed to. She yelled at them again, and one of the bikers reached out, grabbed a handful of her hair, and pulled her back. She kicked and screamed, but it didn’t do her much good. I rushed over to her, knocking the man down that had a hold of her. The Hell Riders turned to look at me with the kind of anger in their eyes that I had been trying to avoid all day.
“What the fuck are you doing? You Black Soul scum. This doesn’t concern you. You better get lost before we kill you and deliver you straight to your president’s doorstep,” one of the bikers warned. I stared into his bloodshot eyes and punched him straight in the jaw. He needed to learn not to mess with me.
“You leave her the fuck alone, or I swear to god I’m going to make sure Lucifer puts you on his hit list. You have no business here. I suggest you take it back to Tijuana before I get the rest of the club down here to deal with you.” I watched as they deliberated for a moment, wondering if that was really the best option for them, but they backed away.
“Sorry we couldn’t have fun with you, sweetheart, but we’ll be around. As for you, tell your president he needs to watch his back.”
“I’ll do that,” I said through my teeth. I watched as they all rode off, and I didn’t take my eyes off them until they were out of sight.
The woman turned to look at me, tucking her hair behind her ears before she approached me. I was surprised she wasn’t more scared and hadn’t already taken off running after what had just happened. But she just smiled at me.
My mouth ran dry at her intense gaze. Her eyes were the color of a pale blue sky on a summer day, and her blonde hair framed her face like the burning rays of the sun. But it was her long, slender legs that did me in. The soft sway of her hips, accentuated by the sexy dress she wore was the topper on the sundae that was this beautiful woman.
Ryker: MC Romance Page 3