Savage Life

by Kelly, Kathleen

  “Izzy broke up with you? Did you try to explain it to her? And honestly, Carlos, did you try to talk the FBI out of arresting him? And you’re always saying this is your town, so why the hell would you let the FBI boss you around?”

  “This guy has killed before, he tormented me in LA, and now he’s here. I need the FBI to help catch him. He’s not going to stop until he’s either caught or dead, so yeah, I let the FBI have their way.”

  “He tormented you in LA? How many women?”

  “Fifteen. And so far, four here.”

  Cassia goes quiet, eyes glued to the road ahead. “So he’s fixated on you?”

  “Yes and no. I believe now he’s also fixated on the MC. I think whoever this guy is, Zeke and I both know him, or we’ve come into contact with him. Zeke was in LA at the time of the murders as was I, and now the killer is here.”

  “Zeke and Kade were patched into the MC there, but they were nomads.”

  “That means they weren’t attached to a chapter, yeah?”

  “Yes. They went from one chapter to another doing what needed to be done.”

  “You mean, killing, running guns, whores—”

  “Shut up, Carlos. I’m beginning to like you again, don’t ruin it.”

  I grin at Cassia. “You like me?”

  “Not much, but it’s more than earlier in the day,” Cassia replies dryly.

  “I did try to talk them out of arresting him. How long were Kade and Zeke nomads?”

  “They’ve been here for about five years. I have no idea when they joined.”

  “This serial has been dormant for eight years.”

  “If it were Zeke, do you think he could stay dormant for that long?”

  “No, with guys like this, it’s a compulsion. Unless you let Zeke tie you up and carve into you with a knife, I think we can rule him out.”

  Cassia’s face goes pale, and she whispers, “No. He doesn’t do anything like that. Is that what this monster is doing? He’s carving them up?”

  “Shit, Cass, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  For a while, we drive in silence. When Cassia crosses the Tourmaline border, I clear my throat to gain her attention. “You okay?”

  She nods. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just a little disturbing thinking that whoever this is, I might know them.”

  “Anyone spring to mind?”

  Cassia shakes her head. “No.” She pulls into the Savage Angels’ compound and turns off her car. “Come in with me. Get Zeke to listen to you.”

  “He’s more than a little mad at me right now.”

  “Yeah, and so was I. Come on, I’ll help you clear the air.” Cass opens her car door and climbs out.

  As I open mine, Wilson parks next to us. I get out and wait for him to join me. Cass is already at the top of the stairs when Zeke strides out. He wraps her up in his arms, crushing Cass to his chest. I watch as he closes his eyes, inhaling her scent, then he abruptly pushes her back and glares at her. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

  “I thought I needed to blow off some steam and shop. I’m sorry my cell was dead, I didn’t realize…” Cassia replies with no small amount of attitude.

  “Don’t do it again.”

  “What, shop?”

  “Don’t be a smartass. Make sure your phone is charged. I was worried.”

  Cass puts her arms around his waist and rests her head on his chest. “I love you, too.”

  Zeke drops his arms and engulfs her once more, and then his eyes seek me out. I nod at him, and he does a chin lift.

  Cass pulls away and points at me. “You need to talk to him.”

  Zeke sneers at me and shakes his head. “No, I fucking don’t.”

  “Yes, you do. Give him five minutes, and if you still think he’s a waste of time, I’ll escort him out myself.”

  Zeke chuckles and looks back at me. “Come on, Sheriff, and bring your fed. You’ve got five minutes.”

  Wilson and I mount the stairs and go inside. Zeke and Cassia are already seated at a table. As we walk through their clubhouse, the conversations stop, and someone turns off the jukebox. I look around the room and only see hostile faces. None of them want us here.

  Wilson sits at their table.

  I pull out a chair, turn it around and sit, resting my arms on the top of it. “This is what I know. This guy, whoever he is, killed fifteen women in LA. He’s been dormant for eight years.”

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “Maybe he’s been in prison? Or he found true love? Or, I don’t know,” I say as I spread my arms wide.

  “Okay, what else?”

  “Four women have been kidnapped in Tourmaline. That makes nineteen. I believe whoever this person is, we’re tied to him in some way.”

  “I don’t think you and I run in the same circles, Sheriff.”

  Zeke’s eyes move past me. I glance over my shoulder to find Dane Reynolds and Jonas White walking toward us.

  “Great,” I mumble.

  Zeke grins at my discomfort. “You fucked him off.”

  I stand as the two men reach the table. “Dane, Jonas, nice day, huh?”

  Dane looks at me quizzically, and Jonas scoffs.

  “Why are they here?” Dane asks Zeke.

  “He found Cassia and brought her home.”

  Dane looks to Cassia. “You okay?”

  “Yes. My phone was dead, that’s all. I didn’t mean for anyone to worry.”

  “Don’t let it happen again. You go nowhere without telling one of us first, or better yet, get one of us to go with you.”

  “That’s okay, I don’t need a babysitter.”

  Dane scowls at Cassia. “It wasn’t a suggestion.”

  Cassia casts a worried look at Zeke, who protectively puts an arm around her.

  “I’ll make it clear.”

  “Good. Now, why are you still here?” Dane finally addresses me.

  I stand, and although I’m six foot one, Dane is still slightly taller. Where I am stocky, the man is all muscle. He’s intimidating at the best of times, but right now with controlled anger rolling off him, he’s dangerous. So I stand straighter, square my shoulders and lock eyes with the man. My hand goes to my hip where my gun is usually holstered, and that’s when I realize I don’t have the fucking thing on.

  “I wanted to talk to Zeke to find out if we have a friend, acquaintance, someone in common.”

  “Right. So you no longer think it’s Zeke. Now you think it’s one of us,” bellows Rebel from behind the bar.

  Everyone turns to him, and he’s hopping from foot to foot, eyes bulging as though he’s ready to rip my head off. Rebel pole-vaults over the bar in one fluid movement, headed straight for me. Before I have time to react, Zeke is up and between us.

  “Rebel, stand down,” orders Zeke.

  “After what he did?” He points at Wilson. “After what they did?”

  “It wasn’t him who arrested me, it was a fed. Sheriff Morales wants this fucker caught as much as we do. It’s our women he’s picking off. He came here to see if we both knew someone in LA, to see if we have a cross-over. He didn’t come to pick a fight.”

  Dane maneuvers around all of us, placing a hand on Rebel’s shoulder. “Go walk it off, Reb.”

  “You’re not buying this bullshit are you, Prez?”

  “The man walked in here unarmed. He’s not even in his uniform. Use your head, Rebel. Do you think he’d be stupid enough to come in here and try to take one of ours without backup? I know you know he had a gun behind his back the other day. Carlos is smart, not very trustworthy but smart.”

  The last comment stings. I know it’ll be a long, hard road before these men trust me again. When I first moved here, I wasn’t interested in keeping the peace with them, but even I can see they donate time and money to a lot of the people in Tourmaline doing it tough. Over time, I have warmed to them. Hell, I have even considered Dane a friend. Well, almost.

  Rebel is still looking at me li
ke he’s about ready to flatten me. The only emotion in his eyes is anger. I’m not sure if anything Dane has said is getting through.

  Jonas clears his throat. “Reb, stand down, or I’ll make you stand down.”

  Uncertainty crosses Rebel’s face. He looks at the hand on his shoulder then up at Dane. “I need to clear my head.”

  “Go. I’ll get Judge to watch the bar.”

  “He’s here?”

  “He’s working in the garage. Go.”

  Rebel nods at his president and strides out of the building. I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

  Dane eyeballs me then looks to Jonas. “Go get Judge. We’ll meet you in there,” Dane points to the area where they hold their meetings. “Come on, Sheriff and Mr. FBI, let’s hear what you have to say.” He doesn’t wait for an answer but walks away.

  I look at Wilson who shrugs, stands, and follows Dane.

  “He’s still furious at you,” states Zeke.

  “Yeah, I know. Any idea how I can get back on his good side?”

  Zeke shakes his head at me and looks at his woman. “Cass, you head home or go see Destiny. No shopping trips to Pearl.” He kisses her on the lips, tucks her hair behind her ear, and walks toward the room.

  “Kat,” says Cassia.

  “Kat?” I repeat.

  “She’s your way back in with Dane. That man can’t say no to her. Get on her good side, and he’ll eventually cave.” Cassia pats my arm and strolls out the front door.

  “Yo, cop, you coming or what?” yells Zeke.

  I walk toward him as Jonas and Judge both step through the door.

  “Bacon? Can anyone else smell bacon?” Judge laughs as he goes behind the bar.

  A few of the people around me chuckle and snicker as I walk toward the meeting room. I give Judge a withering look, but the man grins at me.

  “What, Sheriff? No sense of humor?”

  I ignore him and take a seat at the very large wooden table. I hear his laughter until Jonas comes in and shuts the door.

  “Don’t mind him, Sheriff. Judge is a law unto himself,” explains Jonas.

  I don’t respond. It’s not the first time I’ve been called a pig, and it won’t be the last. The doors to the meeting room open again, and Kade sticks his head in.

  “Cool if I join?” he asks Dane.

  “Yeah, sit.”

  Kade moves to the other side of the table and sits opposite me, next to his longtime friend, Zeke.

  “Okay, how is this going to work?” asks Dane as he stares at me.

  “Wilson, maybe you should explain?”

  Wilson clears his throat. “The only thing we know for sure is that this serial killer is tied to Sheriff Morales. It would appear he’s trying to frame you, Mr. Russo, for the murders as he knew you were in LA eight years ago. There has to be someone in your lives who knows this. Did you two ever cross paths in LA?”

  I shake my head and look at Zeke who does the same.

  “I arrested a lot of people, so I’m not going to remember all of them. Zeke, did you ever get arrested in LA?”

  “No. I kept under the radar. I met Kade and JJ there when I was fifteen. We looked out for each other, and we kept away from the law.”

  I glance at Kade. “You ever get arrested?”

  “No,” he states with no small amount of anger.

  “I’m not trying to insult either of you, I’m trying to figure this out.”

  Kade nods once but remains silent. Wilson stands and begins to pace.

  “You two had to have crossed paths somewhere, somehow. This killer has been dormant for eight years.” Wilson stops and looks at Dane. “Has anyone in your organization been released from prison recently?”

  “I’ll ask around, but to my knowledge, the people who have been released recently weren’t doing an eight-year stretch.”

  “You keep tabs on your people?” asks Wilson as he lifts an eyebrow.

  “I keep tabs on my people who have been in prison to make sure they’re doing okay. Not everyone can assimilate back into the fold easily. Some need to take time to be with family, others move away from us, and some are just bat-shit crazy. The justice system doesn’t always do right by us. Sometimes we come out worse than when we went in.”

  Wilson nods and begins pacing again.

  “Maybe it’s not someone in the MC. Has anyone come back into your life recently?” asks Wilson.

  Zeke shakes his head, but Kade stands. I glance up at him, but he’s moving toward the doors.

  “Kade?” asks Dane.

  Kade stops and looks at his president, something unspoken passes between them, and then he opens the door and leaves.

  I stand and look at Dane. “What the fuck?”

  “He’s got something he has to do,” states Dane.

  I pin Zeke with a look. “Who’s come back into his life recently?”

  As Zeke puts two and two together I watch and he and stands. “Fucked if I know. Prez, is it cool if I go?”

  “Yeah.”

  Zeke practically runs after Kade.

  I look at Dane. “Tell me who it is.”

  Wilson interjects, “This man may have killed more than we know about. The families of those missing women deserve their day in court.”

  Dane looks at Jonas before he answers. He stands and looks at me. “I think we’re done here, Sheriff.”

  “You’re seriously going to blow me off?”

  Dane nods once.

  “I don’t always see eye to eye with you, Reynolds, but I’ve watched you and how you run the club and help the people of this town. I swear if you don’t tell me what you know, I’ll rain hellfire down on you all like never before. I’ll make it my fucking mission in life to ruin you and your club. Do. You. Get. Me?”

  “You do what you’ve gotta do, Sheriff. We take care of our own.”

  I shake my head once, purse my lips, and stalk out of the building with Wilson right behind me.

  “Where are we going?” Wilson asks.

  “My girlfriend, Izzy. She’ll know who they’re talking about.”

  Izzy

  I’m at the hall getting it ready for opening day. There’s still so much to do, and today I have a guy coming to make sure the floorboards and joists can hold the weight of ATVs and snowmobiles along with all the other equipment we plan on hiring out. I hear a Harley pull up and assume it’s one of the guys, so I walk out front. There are two men, in cuts, I have never seen before. They look like they have been on the road for a long time. Their bikes are covered in bugs and road grime, and the men themselves look weathered. Both are off their bikes stretching and looking around. I clear my throat, and they both look at me. One guy takes two steps toward me and takes off his sunglasses, but the other leaves them on.

  “Hello, the name’s Rusty. I’m looking for the Savage Angels’ compound.”

  “You’re at the wrong end of town. Keep going, you’ll find them at the other end.” I shake his hand and smile at him. “I’m Izzy.”

  “Nice to meet you, Izzy. You know any of them?”

  “Yeah, I’m staying out at Dane’s. Do you know him?”

  The other guy asks, “You, his woman?”

  I laugh. “No, no, no. That honor goes to Kat Saunders from The Grinders. You know the singer? Anyway, I’m new in town, so they gave me a room.”

  “Is it normal for the president of the MC to give strangers rooms at their home?”

  I cock my head and look at this man. There’s something familiar about him, but he doesn’t look like someone I’d know. He has long hair, a long beard, and with those sunglasses on, I can’t see his eyes.

  “I’m friends with a member of the MC, and he vouched for me. It’s only temporary until I can find a place of my own.” The guy nods. “Didn’t catch your name?”

  “Excuse my rude friend, Izzy, that’s Grunt, on account he doesn’t say much.”

  I laugh. “Man of few words, hey?” Grunt nods. “You remind me of some
one. Have we met?”

  He nods once and removes his glasses. My breath catches in my throat. It’s Tommy. Tommy who’s been missing for three years, my Tommy. The man I grieved for, the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with.

  “Tommy?” Tears pool in my eyes.

  “Hello, Izzy. It’s been a long time.”

  “You know this chick, Grunt?”

  “Yeah, man, I did.”

  I don’t know what to do. I’m staring at a ghost.

  “I thought you were dead.” A single tear escapes and falls down my cheek.

  “We have to check in with the local MC, or we could get in trouble. I promise to come back and talk to you.”

  Tommy places his glasses back on his nose and mounts his bike. His friend gives me a wave, and they both disappear. I watch as they ride down Main Street and wonder if Tommy was an illusion or real.

  I mourned him for three years, and now I’m finally moving on, he turns up.

  I stumble back into the hall and close the door. I’m shaking so bad I can’t control my tears.

  What the hell has he been doing for the past three years?

  To comfort myself, I put my earbuds in and listen to The Grinders, then I pick up a broom and begin to sweep.

  Killer

  I place the cardboard box on the counter. The raven inside is beginning to smell, so I have sprayed the inside with air freshener. Izzy is busy at the back of the building sweeping, and she hasn’t noticed me yet. I close the front doors and quietly move toward her. All the workmen have gone home for the day. I’m not sure if she’s even realized she’s alone.

  So easy.

  The building is on the edge of town, and my car is parked at the side of it. No one can see it unless they drive past. I’m standing right behind her when I notice she has earbuds in and is listening to music. Do you know for a man like me, these make abducting women easy? They never hear you approach, and by the time I have my hand around their mouths with chloroform on a rag, it’s too late. You have to love progress.

  I put the cloth soaked in my favorite knock-out drug over her mouth. As expected, she struggles and thrashes, but I’m prepared. I wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt with a jacket over it. She might get some fibers under her nails but no skin or hairs. This is the most dangerous part of my process. Unlike the movies, it takes a good five minutes to render someone unconscious. It’s another reason I work out, upper body strength is vital.