Savage Life

by Kelly, Kathleen

  Ernest falls into step beside me and for him, walking this fast must be a bit of a hardship. When I glance at the man, he has a steely look to his face.

  “What?” I ask.

  “That boy can’t catch a break. He’s had it hard most of his life, but here? Here you can see he’s happy, and now they are going to try to take it from him.”

  “They can try, Ernest, but they will not succeed.”

  Ernest grunts, and we continue our fast pace to the diner. By the time we arrive, sweat is trickling down my back, and I’m sure I look a sight. Ernest is breathing hard, but he kept up.

  Cassia is behind the counter, and when she sees me, a smile breaks out on her pretty face, but it quickly disappears when I don’t return it. She excuses herself from the customer she’s talking to and comes toward me.

  “Can you take a five-minute break?” I ask.

  “Sure.” Cassia tilts her head and gives me the once-over, then goes into the back room, I’m assuming to tell her boss, Howie. Ernest and I go back outside to wait.

  “Can you get him off?” asks Ernest.

  “Does a bear poop in the woods?”

  “He’s known to associate with the underbelly of this town. It’s not going to be an easy sell.”

  I stare at my friend in disbelief. “He didn’t do it.”

  “Aww, Jesus, Rush, of course, he didn’t do it, but those cops are going to try damn hard to pin it on the nearest person they can,” says Ernest as he throws his arms in the air. “And a big, bad biker is as good as they can dredge up in this town.”

  Cassia comes out of the diner, worry etched across her pretty face.

  “Did Zeke have an accident? Is he okay?”

  I take her hand in mine, and Ernest pats her arm.

  “He’s fine. He sent me here. Zeke’s been arrested.”

  “What for?” screeches Cassia.

  “The FBI thinks he’s responsible for kidnapping and killing those missing women. I know it’s ridiculous. But he wanted me to come here and tell you before someone else broke it to you. Now, honey, I have to go change and get back to him.”

  “How can they think he did it?” The worry that was once there is now replaced with anger.

  “They need a scapegoat,” offers Ernest.

  “Well, they picked the wrong one. Zeke couldn’t have done this.”

  I let her hand go and nod. “You got that right. There’s no way he did this, and I’ll make them regret ever charging my son for anything.” I look at Ernest. “Will you stay with her while I go and sort this out?”

  “I’m coming with you,” says Cassia as she undoes her apron in a flurry.

  “Me, too,” replies Ernest.

  Cassia and Ernest lock eyes with each other, nod, then both look back at me.

  “Fine. But I need to change.”

  A dozen Harleys pass me in a loud roar. Dane is at the front, and I groan loudly.

  “Okay, I need you two to go to the Sheriff’s Office and make sure they don’t do anything. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “I’ll go get my handbag. My car is parked out back. We’ll see you there.”

  Cassia and Ernest head back into the diner while I hightail it to my practice. Nadine, my receptionist, is at her desk on a call when I fly through the door. Her eyes widen as she takes in my appearance.

  “Destiny,” I yell on my way to my office.

  I slam open the door and begin to peel off these bloody leather pants with some difficulty now I have been sweating.

  Destiny steps into my office, does an about-face, and looks at the doorway. “You rang, boss?” A giggle escapes her at my lack of discretion.

  I have my old pants on and up. “Zeke has been arrested.”

  Destiny whirls back around, shock evident on her face. “Oh my God! Does Kade know?”

  “No. All he knows is the sheriff wanted to talk to him. Which is bullshit. They wanted to charge him.”

  “What can I do?”

  Destiny is smart as a whip, and as I suspected she would be, calm under pressure.

  “I need a ride back to the Sheriff’s Office, and I need you to come into the interrogation room with me.”

  “I’ll get my coat and briefcase.”

  I look at my leather vest and coat. They say clothes maketh the man, and I know when I’m dressed in my suits, it’s like a coat of armor. Begrudgingly, I take off my leathers and put on the vest and jacket that match my charcoal pants. The pink shirt and lemon tie complete my ensemble, and I feel like I could take on the whole FBI. Destiny enters the room. Since she began working for me, she dresses similarly. Today she’s in a navy skirt, white shirt, and navy vest and jacket. In my mind, we look like a couple you don’t want to mess with.

  “Ready?” she asks.

  “Let’s do this!” I pick up my briefcase from the floor and follow her outside.

  Zeke

  Special Agent Argos has one of her counterparts in the room. They’re talking about me as if I’m not sitting right in front of them. I have my eyes shut and my head hanging back. I’m not stupid enough to say anything to them without Rush in the room. In the distance, I hear the sound of Harleys approaching.

  Dane.

  Inwardly I smile, he’s going to be livid.

  The sound increases, and I can picture them lining up their bikes, single file, all just idling. The volume increases for a moment as they rev their engines, and as one, they go silent. I open my eyes and stare at the agents opposite, both are staring over me toward the door, apprehension on their faces.

  Argos flicks a glance at me, and I grin at her. She has no idea what she’s set herself up for.

  “Feeling good about yourself there, Zeke?” she asks.

  “Wait for it,” I say calmly.

  Another agent bursts into the room. “There are a dozen bikers coming in. They all look angry as fuck.”

  I begin to laugh a fake, high-pitched, maniacal laugh, and Argos rises from her chair.

  “You think they’re here to save you?”

  I stop laughing and shake my head, a grin plastered on my face.

  “Nope.”

  “Why do you think they are here?” asks the other agent.

  “You’ll see,” I say in a sing-song voice.

  Argos scowls at me and gets to her feet. “We’re the FBI, we don’t scare easily.”

  “And that’s your first mistake. I didn’t do these things, but you latched onto the first person who fit one of your faulty profiles. And lo and behold, it happened to be a biker, scum of the earth.” I square my shoulders and sit up straight. “Those men out there would die for me. They’ll do anything to make sure I don’t hang for this. See, for us, Special Agent Argos, it’s all about love and loyalty, something your FBI knows nothing about.”

  “Pussy,” mutters the male agent at the door. I quirk an eyebrow at him in response. “Love and loyalty? What a fucking joke. You people wouldn’t know either if it bit you on the ass.”

  I smile at him, but it’s the kind of smile that doesn’t reach my eyes. There’s no noise from the front of the building. Argos moves from foot to foot nervously.

  “You should go check,” I tease her.

  She shakes her head slightly, eyes fixated on the door.

  The male agent sitting opposite me slams his hand down on the desk. “If they come in here after you, someone’s going to get hurt.”

  I let the grin on my face slowly fall, and my eyes go deadly as I stare at him. He sits back and looks at me, apprehensively.

  “You’ve got that right, someone is going to get hurt.” My tone is flat, lifeless, and he looks up at Argos.

  “Special Agent Burke, I need you to go see what’s going on out front.”

  Burke looks from me to her and slowly rises. “Yes, boss.” He casts me one last look and walks out the front, leaving me alone with Argos.

  “Special Agent Argos?”

  Her gaze locks with mine. “Yes?”

  “I d
idn’t do it. It doesn’t make sense for it to be me. If I did do it, why would I tell people there was something dead in the water in that mine?”

  “You were in LA, too.”

  “It’s a coincidence, or someone knows me. Someone who knew where I grew up. Has to be someone close to the MC. If you want to avoid a war, let me go.”

  Special Agent Argos scoffs. “What, so you can kill more women?”

  “You’re not listening. I. Didn’t. Do. It.”

  Her eyes flick back to the doorway and eventually rest on me. “Right, right. Why would someone want to frame you?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ll do a polygraph.”

  Argos eyes spark with surprise. “They aren’t admissible in court.”

  “I know that, but then you’d know.”

  “What if you can fool them?”

  I chuckle, shaking my head. “Never had one, so I wouldn’t know. What I do know is I didn’t do it.”

  “Do you think your president is going to cause a problem?”

  Forcefully, I say, “Yes.”

  “Shit,” mutters Argos.

  “There have to be other leads. Someone else must have seen something.”

  “You’re it,” Argos admits as she crosses her arms. She nods to herself and lets her arms fall and leans across the table at me. “You’ll do a polygraph?”

  “Yes.”

  “Now?”

  “Yes,” I reply in a bored tone.

  “Okay, but first I need to go talk to your president.”

  I chuckle. “Good luck with that.”

  Dane

  I’m standing in the Sheriff’s Office, my men behind me. None of us say anything as we stare at Deputy Dalton. You can tell she’s nervous from the way her hand keeps returning to the weapon on her hip time and again. Repeatedly she’s asked me why we’re here, but we stand tall, quiet, and foreboding. It’s not Deputy Dalton I’m furious with, it’s Sheriff Carlos Morales. I bend my neck from side to side, the bones crack, making the only sound in the room. Deputy Dalton backs away from us, making sure not to give us her back. It’s a smart move, not that we’re going to do anything. All we’re doing today is making a show of force. You fuck with one of us, you fuck with us all. Never trust a lawman.

  Deputy Dalton, with her hand on her gun, walks backward to Carlos’ office and bangs on the door. I watch as she turns the handle, steps inside, and shuts it, never taking her eyes off us.

  “She looks like she’s either going to pee herself or shoot us,” says Jonas, my VP, in a quiet tone.

  “Dalton’s got balls. She knew better than to give us her back, I’d say shoot us.”

  All my most trusted are here, and they laugh amongst themselves.

  “How long before Carlos steps out?” asks Rebel.

  “I think all of five seconds.”

  Sure enough, as soon as I’m finished speaking, Carlos walks out of his office, gun belt missing—unusual move coming from him. I cock my head to the side, and Carlos holds up his hands.

  “Dane,” says Carlos, and he then acknowledges the men surrounding me. “Gentlemen. I was going to call you.”

  None of my men say anything. Carlos stops walking, staying in his bullpen. I stand straighter, pulling up my six-foot-six frame and square my shoulders. Without a word, I simply glare at him.

  “I have a job to do,” states Carlos.

  I nod, and Rebel scoffs at him, but none of us speak. I look over Carlos’ shoulder and see a man in a black suit. He takes one look at us and does an about-face going back where he came from.

  “What can I do for you, Dane?” asks Carlos.

  I sigh, nod, look at my feet, and slowly raise my eyes to meet his. “You have something that belongs to me.”

  Carlos gives a little shake of his head. “You knew I wanted to talk to him.”

  “Yes, and I sent Kade and Jonas along for this little chat, and you sent them away.”

  “Zeke has been charged. He’s not going anywhere.”

  I rock back in surprise. Some of my men make noises but all wait to see what I’m going to do—all except Rebel who takes a step forward, hand on the gate of the bullpen.

  Another man walks out from the backroom. He looks like a fed—black suit, white shirt, and blue tie. I can smell his fear from here.

  “What seems to be the problem here?” he asks.

  I cast a look at Carlos, and he’s clenching his jaw so tight, a nerve is ticking. Interesting, perhaps Carlos didn’t agree with arresting Zeke. It would explain why he was in his office.

  “And you are?” I ask.

  “Special Agent Cameron Burke, and you are?”

  “Dane Reynolds—”

  “Ahh… the President of the Savage Angels MC. You’re not needed here.” Special Agent Burke says president like it’s a bad taste in his mouth.

  Looking back to Carlos, I decide to ignore him.

  “Is that right, Sheriff?”

  Carlos swings his head in Special Agent Burke’s direction, and the man nods at him. I can see the internal battle going on within the man, his hands go to his hips, and he scrunches up his face in disgust.

  “This is still my town, Special Agent Burke, and these men are a part of that town. I think if they want to check on their friend…” Carlos pauses and looks back at me, “… it’s a free country, and they can do that. So long as they stay on that side of the gate, I have no problem with them being here, and it’s my Sheriff’s Office.”

  “Are you forgetting who’s in charge here, Sheriff?” asks Burke.

  If the man wanted to get us riled up and forceful, he’s doing an excellent job. Movement behind him gains my attention, and I see Zeke walking out with a female fed.

  The boys all clap and cheer.

  Zeke grins and nods at them. He stops at Burke and looks him up and down, then leans in. Burke takes two steps back which amuses my men and me.

  Zeke keeps coming and stops next to Carlos. “Seems Special Agent Jennifer Argos has decided to withdraw the charges.”

  “For now,” says the woman who must be Argos.

  Zeke nods and opens the bullpen. I hold up my hand and do a circle in the air, and all of my men leave the Sheriff’s Office.

  I look back at Carlos and shake my head. “Thought I knew you, Carlos.” I turn to leave and look back at the feds. “You think you’re in charge?” I chuckle. “Come after one of us again, and you’ll see who’s really in charge.”

  “You threatening us, Reynolds?” asks Special Agent Argos.

  I turn and face her. All emotion is gone from my face. “Not a threat. A fact. If you knew us, knew how we operated, you’d know nothing happens here in Tourmaline.” I glance at Carlos. “It’s home. We protect our home from invaders, whether they be from the outside or within. You fuck with our town or us, and we’ll bury you.”

  Argos goes to say something, but Carlos holds up a hand to her as he continues to stare at me. “I won’t let this happen again. I let them make a bad call. But Dane, we have a job to do, and if it leads us to Zeke, we’re going to arrest him or whomever we deem necessary to stop these killings. ‘Cause, in the end, we’re trying to save lives.”

  A grunt leaves my mouth. I can see what he’s trying to say, but they have it so wrong.

  “You get the right man, and we’ll back you one hundred percent. You try and arrest one of mine to simply make an arrest…” I pause and look down at him, he’s only six foot one, “… and we’ll protect what’s ours. We’ve always had a good working relationship, Carlos, and lately, I thought we were on the same page. We may not always like each other, but I thought we had respect. If you go after Zeke, that’ll be gone, and you won’t want to live here afterward.”

  Carlos’ face goes hard and infuses with red, but he says nothing. That tick in his jaw is now accompanied by him clenching his fists at his sides. Spinning on my heel, I step outside to cheers and laughter from my men.

  Something tells me those feds aren’t about to
let Zeke walk so easily, and it looks like our town sheriff is going to be useless.

  Carlos

  Dane fucking Reynolds.

  I won’t want to live here afterward?

  His threat was perfectly clear—if I go after one of them, I’m finished here.

  Cassia and Doc Green are out front, she’s hugging Zeke, and Doc is patting him on the back. I cast a glance at the FBI. They too are watching the show outside. I’m stuck between a rock and a fucking hard place. I have a job to do but so does the FBI. I understand they think they have a solid case against Zeke, but it makes no sense, and it’s the reason I left the interrogation room.

  “How long do you think they’ll hang around?” asks Deputy Dalton.

  “Long enough to let us know they’ve won,” I reply sternly.

  “It’s a setback, that’s all. Zeke Russo has agreed to come back in later today to do a polygraph. If we do proceed with the arrest, we’ll call in the State Troopers and let them handle it,” says Special Agent Jennifer Argos.

  “Just say you do manage to pin this on Zeke, who, by the way, I don’t think is responsible for the murders, do you have any idea what will happen to this town if you arrest him?”

  “Not my problem, Sheriff.”

  The anger that I kept a lid on in front of the Savage Angels bubbles over. So, I turn to her and in a quiet, controlled voice, say, “Not your fucking problem?” Argos nods. “I’ve had enough of you and the FBI. I was a detective in LA, and I know how to do my job. So, why don’t you and your team fuck off.”

  I’m so angry I could hit her.

  Argos takes two steps away from me, her eyes wide.

  Burke places his hand back on his gun and sizes me up. “I think we’ll let you cool off, Sheriff. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?”

  “This is my Sheriff’s Office.”

  “Yes, it is. But right now, you aren’t thinking clearly. Carlos, we’re on the same side.”

  I shake my head at her.

  Deputy Dalton places a hand on my arm. “Sheriff, go get some sleep. You’ve been running on empty for days.”

  I look over my shoulder at her, and she nods encouragingly at me. I nod once, go back into my office and retrieve my keys and hat.