by Ann Jensen
She had grown up in a closed community that appeared from the outside to be a loving and good place. But from the inside it had been a stifling judgmental prison that had crushed so many souls. The Dark Sons Brothers appeared on the outside to be good if somewhat untraditional. Would staying with Dragon mean segregating herself and her daughter in a dangerous and uncertain lifestyle? She needed to know more before she decided.
No matter how her heart ached at the thought of not being with Dragon, her love and devotion to their daughter had to come first. Maybe talking to Val or Pixie would help her understand better what staying with Dragon would mean.
“I should have known we would find you out here soakin’ up the sun like a flower.” As if her thoughts had summoned her, Val walked around the Clubhouse and toward her with Citlali toddling at her side.
“Mama!”
Val’s southern twang along with the cheerful greeting of her daughter drew Tari peacefully from her inner meditations. She turned to watch her daughter waddle on tiny legs toward her at top speed. The world held many beautiful things in it but none of them compared to joy on a child’s face. Lali was dressed in a cute, tiny yellow dress with matching leggings and hairband holding back her silky black hair. Tari held out her arms expecting to be tackled by an enthusiastic hug.
The little girl stumbled to a stop a few feet from her mother and clapped her hands together in an adorable bowing gesture. “Namate Mama.”
When had she learned that? Had she taught her? Trying to get her, once again, whirling emotions under control Tari copied her gesture and said, “Namaste Lali girl.”
She pulled her daughter in for a kiss and let her smooth skin and fresh scent soothe her jangled nerves.
“Oh, isn’t that just precious.” Val smiled then caught sight of the prospect standing by the Clubhouse door. “Flak, you on Tari duty?”
Tari hadn’t been happy when Dragon had said she was going to have someone assigned to watch over her if he wasn’t around, but she understood he had business to take care of this morning, and hadn’t wanted to be cooped up in a room watching him read over books. So far the prospect had stayed unobtrusive allowing her, at least, the illusion of being alone.
“That would be me.” He smiled and it looked good on his dark, rough features. The man had nothing on Dragon’s regal Mezzo American looks but she might be a bit biased.
“We got a little one out here and Cheryl is bringing over her girls as well, so you make sure none of the leftovers wander out back, ya here?”
He smirked and nodded his agreement.
“Leftovers?” Tari watched her daughter wander off a bit towards some late season dandelion flowers.
“The women not yet thrown out the door. Sometimes they wander about like the party is still going on. You can get an eyeful you just can’t wash away with bleach.”
“Maybe we should go somewhere else.” Lali was too young to really understand or care about much, but Tari didn’t want her exposed to things like that.
“Don’t you fuss. Flak will do his job. We usually keep the kids away from the Clubhouse except on family days and the boys know to keep their pets from roaming outside the Clubhouse.”
Tari had to laugh. “You don’t think much of those women do you?”
“Some of them are just fine, but a rotten whore can just up and spoil the bushel.”
“Val!” Tari was taken aback a bit by the blatant rudeness from the woman who always hid her insults in funny sayings. The southern woman burst out in laughter when she saw the shocked look on Tari’s face. And that set the two of them laughing. They let the laughter fade to smiles as they pulled themselves together.
“You’re sounding better today. Doesn’t sound like you’re struggling with your words.”
“The therapist said the better rested and less stressed I am, the easier it should be.”
“Well we will have to make sure you find your Zen.”
Pixie and a woman Tari didn’t know came around the side of the building. Pixie was decked out in a white maternity sundress with splotches of color sprinkled cutely across the fabric paired with the Dark Sons vest. The woman she walked with was elegant beauty with long, black hair much like Tari’s own but an Indian cast to her skin and features. Two little girls trailed behind her: one looked only slightly older than her own Lali and the other she guessed to be around six. Both girls shared their mother’s beauty but where she was dressed in a sleek set of black jeans and black turtleneck they had princess costumes billowing around them in the breeze.
Tari guessed this was Cheryl and when the woman got close enough she saw the woman wore the same black leather vest that Val and Pixie wore but with the name Deep next to the property patch.
“What’s so funny?” Tari recognized the voice of the woman from the phone call at the hospital and remembered she had also called the lawyer on the phone Cheryl.
Val smiled down at Tari who finally stood not wanting to be kneeling on the ground when everyone else was standing. “I was just commenting on the facts of Club life and shocking poor Tari.”
Cheryl smiled in greeting. “Ah the traditional induction of the innocent. Hi, I’m Cheryl. It’s nice to finally meet you in person. These are my girls, Sasha is the little one and Ava.”
“Nice to meet you all.” Tari’s daughter toddled back over and clutched onto her mother’s legs. “This is Citlali but I usually just call her Lali.”
Lali held out a handful of stems to the little girls which had probably been dandelions before being stripped by small hands. “Fowers.”
Sasha smiled and looked up at her mother. “Can we go pick flowers too?”
“Sure, honey.” Cheryl smiled watching the girls run off to start picking the tiny wildflowers growing nearby.
The sight of the three little girls together was heartwarming. Tari had never had the time or money to get Lali into any playgroups so she could meet and socialize with other kids. How many children came around the compound? Val had mentioned family days but how many of these outwardly rough men had small children?
“Ready to see your new place?” Pixie smiled brightly gesturing to a two-story building across the field.
“My new place?” Tari was confused. She knew Dragon’s mother had been watching Lali at his place while she was in the hospital but why would they be calling it her place?
Cheryl smiled. “The boys got all your stuff moved into one of the open two-bedroom apartments. They didn’t think it was safe to leave your stuff in that neighborhood with the window broken and wanted you to have a safe place to stay while you recovered.”
Tears pricked at the edge of her eyes. Pride wanted to rear its ugly head and tell her to refuse but honestly what other option did she have? “I didn’t know. Dragon didn’t mention anything.”
“Sure as cornbread goes with greens I swear men can only operate one head at a time.” Val reached out and squeezed Tari’s hand gently. “Darlin’, I promise me and the girls made sure the men set it up right for a little one who might get into things. Let’s go get some of your stuff settled in so you feel at home.”
Chapter 30
Target Acquired.
Looking over the books was the last thing Dragon wanted to be doing. Tari had woken up with nightmares several times last night, and by morning he was ready to rip apart the world to find Chobo and make him suffer. Giving up, he slammed the account book closed.
He strode out of the office he was using and over to Hawk’s office. The door was open showing his President sitting with Tek deep in discussion. Hawk looked up with a grim expression. “You should hear this, Brother.” He gestured to a seat making Dragon’s stomach lurch. What more could have gone wrong?
Hawk nodded to Tek who began speaking, “Diablo contacted us early this morning with Chobo’s location.”
Rage burned across Dragon’s skin. “Why wasn’t I told?”
“He was already dead,” Hawk broke in. “I made the call to send over some Brothers
to check it out before you were told.”
Dragon took a deep breath trying to swallow the anger, but his throat convulsed and his muscles wouldn’t loosen. “Who killed him?” He wanted the name of the asshole who had stolen his vengeance.
Tek shook his head. “We don’t know. But whoever it was, tortured him for a long time.”
That satisfied a small part of the rage burning inside him but brought up so many more questions. “Were they trying to get information?”
“Possibly. But his tongue was cut out and every finger removed. The torture was thorough.” Tek smiled and Dragon thought his Brother shared his righteous anger.
Hawk leaned back in his chair. The President’s face giving nothing away. “The Jacks might beat a man to death or shoot him but this wasn’t their style.”
“So, do you think this has to do with the drugs or the girls we found?” If it was the drugs, Tari might still be in danger but Dragon knew she had never been involved with the other.
Tek shrugged. “We’re looking into it. Cartels can get this vicious, but they would have gone after more than just Chobo. Right now, my money is on the Russians. Eastern European girls and we just found a money trail from some of the guys we killed at the house.”
Hawk caught Dragon’s gaze. “It’s more than just money. Those guys at the house should have been in jail a long time ago, but somehow each one of them always got off on a technicality. Missing evidence, bad procedure, or a deal that should never have been offered.”
“You’re thinking dirty cops?” The thought didn’t surprise Dragon. The profession called out to the best and worst men for drastically different reasons. Something was bothering him, something he should remember. “Fuck! Volker. That asshole cornered Tari when she was in the hospital. I thought it was because we got him busted down but what if–”
“Master V,” Hawk’s angry voice cut in. “Son of a bitch was in with that asshole who kidnapped Pixie.”
Tek pulled out his phone and started typing. “I moved the Ukrainian girls to a safehouse out of state while we were figuring out a safe new home for them. I’ll get a photo of Volker to the woman I have watching them so we can confirm.”
Hawk leaned forward putting his elbows on his knees. “Volker doesn’t have the stones to do what was done to Chobo. If it is the Russians, who are we dealing with and what is their next move?”
Dragon had no experience with enemy actions outside of insurgents but he tried to piece things together. “For the Russians this is business. So they are either going to want money, their girls, or some form of compensation.”
“Girls are off the table,” Tek snapped and Hawk nodded.
“Everything is off the table for now. This whole thing could be over as far as they are concerned.”
Dragon glared at Hawk. “This isn’t over for me. If Volker had anything to do with what happened to Tari, I’m going to beat him to death with my own hands.” The two men locked eyes for a full minute. Hawk nodded and Dragon knew he would have whatever support he needed to make that man pay.
Hawk stood and walked toward his desk. “Your woman needs to stay locked down until we figure this shit out. You putting your patch on her back?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn.” Tek chuckled. “Never imagined a yoga instructor as an Old Lady.”
Dragon raised an eyebrow. “But a 1%er biker who is CEO of a billion-dollar Tech company is perfectly normal, right?”
Tek shrugged. “I’ll get a welcome package together for her. Cut, phone, and jewelry all with GPS tracking. What kind of jewelry will she wear every day?”
“Not sure she’ll go for being tracked.” His woman was a free spirit and would probably balk at being tracked like that.
Hawk sat down behind his desk. “Not a negotiation. You don’t share details with your woman or any man outside of Officers. It’s Club business to keep our families safe.”
Dragon understood what he was being told and nodded his acceptance. He thought about Tek’s question. “A charm bracelet.” His mother wore hers every day with mementos of a full life out on display. Tari wouldn’t want flashy jewelry so if he wanted any chance of her wearing it every day it had to be sentimental.
“Easy enough. What name do you want on her patch?”
Everyone in the Dark Sons had a road name including the Old Ladies. Not all of them used it but it was on their cut. Dragon flipped through possibilities in his mind before smiling. “Reina. She is my Queen.”
Chapter 31
Girls talk to each other like men talk to each other. But girls have an eye for detail -Amy Winehouse
The walk over to the apartment complex was brutal on Tari’s shaking legs. She was glad for the excuse of the toddlers’ smaller legs to take her time. Sasha and Lali had bonded immediately and tried to pick every wildflower they stumbled across while Ava watched over them. By the time they reached the door of the apartment the three girls were dirty with arms full of weeds.
Tari was proud she had made it all the way without stopping, but practically fell into the first chair she found. The apartment was much bigger and nicer than she had expected. She sat in a living room roughly the size of her studio apartment. A kitchen and hallway were visible from her chair and she expected the bedrooms were down the hallway. Pixie took the girls down the hall and set them up with snacks and a Princess movie in what was now Lali’s room.
Boxes lined one wall of the living room that she hoped contained all her stuff. There were no decorations or personal touches anywhere. The furniture was nice if not exactly brand-new reminding Tari of the dorms where she had gone to college. Everything was moving so fast. She wasn’t sure if she should treat this place like their new home or just a temporary stop while she got back on her feet.
“This place is nicer than I expected. Do all the Brothers live in these apartments?” Tari was grateful for a place to stay but wondered what living surrounded by bikers would be like.
“Worried about being kept up all night by raging parties?” Cheryl cut right to the heart of her concerns.
“A bit.” Tari laughed.
Val chuckled and sat next to her. “Only about half of the twenty-four apartments have someone living in them and about half of those are Brothers on deployment so they aren’t here much. Your next-door neighbor is Marjorie and her cuter than a June bug son Dylan. I think he is a year or two older than little Lali. Marjorie is a widow from the Texas chapter who moved here a few months ago for a new start.”
“Widow?” Was it wrong that her mind went right to the worst place? How dangerous was the Biker life?
“Sad story that. It’s all romantic that making a woman an Old Lady means more to the men than marriage vows but a piece of paper would have made that woman’s life so much easier.” Cheryl shook her head. “Army doesn’t recognize a patch on a woman’s back so the only benefits she gets is for the boy. She’s lucky Dark Sons take care of their own or she’d be struggling trying to make ends meet and taking care of that child alone.”
Tari was glad her dark complexion hid her blush. She was all too aware of how hard it was to struggle by yourself as a single mom. “You guys took her in?”
“She got accepted to a program in Denver. Hawk invited her to live here and cover her costs till she’s back on her feet.” Pixie’s voice overflowed with the pride that those honorable actions deserved.
Tari thought back to her own childhood. One summer when they were staying in a compound between missionary trips one of the men had died in a car crash. His wife and children had been moved out of their house and into the dorms almost immediately to make a place for a younger married couple. She had asked about her and was told that the woman would probably be made a second wife to someone if she couldn’t tempt one of the single men into taking on her and her children. They hadn’t been at risk of starving but since the woman didn’t have any skills other than being a mother she wasn’t valued. That, along with so many other things, had solidified Tari’s desir
e to break away from the restrictive lifestyle.
“That is pretty amazing. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful for everything you all have done. Last night’s party sounded pretty wild and I have Lali to think about.” She wanted these ladies to know she wasn’t trying to judge them or this lifestyle but wasn’t sure how to voice all her concerns. Not just for today but the future.
“Oh those boys know to keep their shenanigans to the Clubhouse, and not let anyone but family wander deeper into the compound. I like to think of this place as an untraditional gated community.” Val’s laugh was comforting. “There are about sixteen houses beyond the tree line. Most are near each other for those that are more settled and want their own places and about half the Brothers live in Denver to be closer to work or family.”
“I know Deep and I are thinking about building on property now that Sasha is school age. The community school here is so much better, and it would be nice knowing you all are here if I ever needed back up with the kids.” Cheryl winked at Pixie and Val.
“That would be amazing!” Pixie clapped her hands with enthusiasm.
“I feel like I’m in the twilight zone. Had someone asked me to describe what living in a Biker compound was like it would not have included playgrounds and gated communities.”
“Oh, Darlin. Dark Sons, especially here in Denver, are not what you would consider typical by any means. Our men work, fight, and fuck hard and dirty. They aren’t always on the legal side of the law but with all my heart I believe they are always on the right side. It’s not a lifestyle for the faint of heart and it is not always an easy path being different from the mainstream.” Val’s words held a passion that reminded her of some of the true believers she grew up with.
“I grew up in a closed religious community, that was so far away from the mainstream, I rarely ever saw anyone who wasn’t part of it or being preached to by it. My mother couldn’t have children, so she adopted me in order to save my soul and show what a good Christian woman she was. It wasn’t an abusive household, just a cold and isolating one. I don’t want that for Lali.”