Flash stared at Hawk, his eyes filled with hatred, for once he didn’t disguise his feelings. He let it out to be seen by every single brother in the room.
Ice could see Hawk was battling not to totally lose it. He was reliving the memories of carrying a broken and bleeding Kid to the club doctor time after time after time. Between him and Ice and the other prospects they looked after their brother as best they could. Shielding him when they could, but it hadn’t been easy. After one especially vicious beating they had realised it was up to them to put a stop to the beatings before the bastards killed Kid. That’s when they went to Bounty with the evidence and he made sure it would never happen again.
And maybe that’s what had started the ball rolling. But this shit between Flash and Hawk was diverting them from the course they had set for this meeting. Ice knew that at some stage they would have to take care of the problem Flash presented to the club. But that time wasn’t now.
“Ziggy will be setting up back here and we will all be tested. If you want me to do the test again I have no problem taking it again.” Ice said quietly in the heavy silence hanging in the room.
It was clear not one of the brothers wanted an enraged Hawk’s attention to fall on them as they held their hands up and shook their heads. None of them wanted to face him in the ring. And the way their president was feeling right now that’s where it would end. Might still end.
Throughout Flash’s outburst Kid hadn’t batted an eyelid. He sat in his chair, his big arms crossed over his wide chest, his face and eyes hard and emotionless. Ice knew that behind the cold façade shit was going on but nothing showed. And when the man sat forward in his chair and set his hands on the table a ripple went through the brothers. Kid was feared by many in the club because unlike Hawk he hardly ever showed any real emotions. Like right now.
Kid’s voice was soft but totally without any emotion. He was at his most dangerous when he spoke in that soft voice. “You heard your president. We will all take the test. Ziggy, get the shit set up so we can get it out of the way. Anyone who refuses to take the test I will personally deal with. Are we clear?”
No one said a word. They all knew Kid took his job as SAA very seriously. He would protect the club and his president with his life.
Ziggy was already up and setting up with the help of Dizzy. One by one they all took the test then retook their seats.
Only once it was done did Hawk speak again. “We will have the results soon. You will be informed when we do.”
He looked directly at Flash when he spoke again. “I’m not sure of your loyalty to the club. You are done here. Get out and wait in the common room until we call you back in.”
There was a shocked silence and then Bulldog and Taxi, one of the other elders, took him by the arms and lifted him out of his chair. Wolf unlocked the door, his eyes never leaving Flash as he followed them out the room. The brother definitely had the potential to follow in Kid or Beast’s footsteps.
Everyone could hear him clearly as he called out.
“Prospects, he stays in that fucking chair. No phone, no conversations, if he wants a piss bring him a fucking empty bottle. His ass stays right there in that fucking chair until I come back for him. Understood?”
“Yes, Wolf.” Came immediately from Sam and Terror.
Wolf walked back in and closed and locked the door while Bulldog and Taxi silently retook their seats.
Hawk’s voice no longer contained any anger. It was quiet and everyone listened intently as he spoke.
“Our club, our women and children, everything we love is under attack. I will not allow another life to be taken from us. We have lost enough. It is time for us to take the fight to our enemies and root their supporters out of our club. Jane Warne and Emma Coetzee are a threat to every old lady, girlfriend and female family member we have. As you all know my old lady has been attacked more than once already. I was lucky I didn’t lose her. Now Emma has her eyes set on Ice’s old lady and we are not going to allow her or her babies to be hurt. We protect what belongs to us.”
He pointed at Ice. “After very reluctantly leading the investigation on Emma Coetzee last night we came to the conclusion that our brother Ice had to tell her he was done. And he had to do it as brutally as possible to force a reaction from her. Which he did and was very happy to do.”
Hawk grinned. “And those of us who had to suffer through the perfume hell he brought in with him every time they had a meet were damned grateful it was at an end.”
Ice shook his head but laughed right along with his brothers.
“Her reaction to the phone call came quicker than we expected.” Hawk continued. “We were lucky Skelly of the Road Warriors was monitoring the call. He was able to warn us that Emma was on her way here. Jagger immediately closed the road. Soon after they were seen on the cameras we have hidden along the main road. The bitch had set up an ambush. We were able to evade them and got home without any shots fired.” He looked around the room. “This time. We might not be so lucky next time. And believe me brothers there will be a next time.”
The brothers all had the same reactions. Swearing. A lot.
Bulldog slowly rose and silence fell in the room. Even after all these years he still had the respect of everyone in the room. His eyes swept the room.
“Brothers, today I am proud and saddened at the same time. So damned proud of the three men we put in those chairs up there. And when I say ‘we’ I mean all of us, because we voted them into those positions. They’re not there because of who their fathers are or were. They are there because they are the best men for the job and we all know it.”
His eyes settled on the three of them and Ice’s fingers clenched around the arms of the chair.
“I see no reason not to believe the facts as Hawk laid them out for us. I’ve known our president since the day he was born and he has grown up to be an honourable man. A man I trust with our club implicitly. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have stepped down seven years ago. And this is where the saddened part comes in. After Bounty died we as his officers agreed it was time for the younger generation to lead the club. Unfortunately not everyone agreed with our plans. I, along with Taxi and Buffel, took action to force the officer in question to retire with us and we made an enemy that day. Flash always wanted to wield the gavel. He wanted the power it brings to the man who sits in that chair and has hundreds of men doing his bidding. He was the one, as a newly patched brother, who initially brought the Maingardes to the table. At the time Bounty wasn’t the president yet and had very little say in the decisions made at the table. We ran their drugs and guns throughout Southern Africa because of the money. It was greed, pure and simple. We started losing men in bloody gun battles that had nothing to do with our club and the money was no longer worth it. We wanted out. Bounty started us on the road to getting clear of that shit.”
He paused as he looked at Hawk.
“And then Bounty was killed and the next generation stepped in and did what Bounty and I had worked so hard for. They got us out from under the Maingardes. And how did they do it? Hawk sat down with the new generation at the Maingarde Organisation and made a deal we could all live with.”
Bulldog walked to the table and leant over between Jagger and Beast to look around the brothers seated at the table.
“You men sitting here around this table are what stands between us and the Maingardes right now. You have the lives of our women and children in your hands as well as the lives of all your brothers countrywide. We cannot allow the Maingarde bitch to get her claws into our club again. As the elders of this club we give you our full support as we fight to keep our freedom. A freedom we paid for with the blood of our brothers.”
He stepped back and sat down and the brothers started nodding in agreement. It became stronger as a few voiced their agreement. Then Spider knocked his knuckles on the table and all eyes went to him.
“I’m so fucking proud to be the son of Bulldog Walker today. I joined this club becaus
e of him and my brother, Ice. I live my life according to the advice they gave me when I started prospecting. Give your club your heart, your honour and your honesty. The three H’s. You give those three things to your club and your brothers and it will be returned to you threefold. My brother has given this club his heart, his honour and his honesty even before he became a prospect. For an ex-officer to call him dishonourable is an insult of the highest order. I want it known that I will not allow the insult to stand.”
Kid tapped his knuckles on the table and the atmosphere went electric. But his words set everyone at ease.
“I second. We cannot allow the insult to stand.”
Ice knew he had to jump in and get them back on track. There would be enough time later to debate the insult delivered by Flash.
“Brothers, Flash is a problem for later, we need to concentrate on solving the problems we have with Jane and Emma. We started the ball rolling when we shut down the pipeline Jane tried to set up in PE and now we have shut Emma’s access to the club down. They are going to retaliate and we have to be ready. I know some of you are thinking ‘they’re two women, how dangerous can they be?’ But they aren’t just two women. They are ruthless killers and they are working with one of the most dangerous crime families in the world today. They have access to unlimited manpower and unlimited funds. They also have access to the law as we found out in Durban when we almost lost DC to them. We have to be careful and aware at all times.”
Hawk sat forward and tapped his rings on the table. “We’ve been in here for two hours already, let’s take a break, have a smoke or whatever the hell you want to do and be back in here in thirty minutes. No one leaves the premises and no phones.”
He shoved his chair back, stood and then walked out the room. Wolf had jumped to unlock the door the minute Hawk moved and followed him out.
Ice stayed in his chair and tipped his head back with a heavy sigh.
This fucking sucked.
He needed to check on his woman, make sure she was feeling good. For some unknown reason he felt unsettled. It felt as if something was about to come down on them and he didn’t like it.
He didn’t like it at all.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
River
Ice was worried. I saw it in his eyes when he kissed me goodbye and walked out the large roller shutter doors of the workshop and stopped to speak to the men watching over me. And because he was worried I was now worried. And I could see Wrench was worried as well.
I reached back and ran my fingers gently over the holster hidden at the small of my back. For the first time ever I had come to work armed. I hated that it was necessary because it felt as if it sullied my peaceful workspace. But it wasn’t the gun that sullied my peace it was the woman who necessitated the carrying of the weapon.
I wasn’t wearing my overalls like I usually did. I came in dressed in ratty jeans, a left over from when I had been pregnant with Duncan, a big faded t-shirt Lake had left behind on his last visit and my work boots. I wasn’t really expecting anything to happen but I didn’t want to be caught unawares either. My babies needed my protection and by heaven I would give them that.
Wrench and I were working on a bike that had to go out later in the afternoon when we both heard it. The click-click sound of high heels coming towards us down the passage linking the front workshop to mine. We looked at each other and somehow we both just knew. Shit was about to hit the fan. Wrench moved really fast and stationed himself so he was out of the woman’s direct line of sight when she walked in.
The bitch I had seen with Ice in the restaurant strolled in as if she owned the damned place. She looked around and gave a disgusted sniff. I stayed behind the heavy bike in front of me. It gave my babies some protection should things start to go horribly wrong.
“Can I help you?” I asked with a frown. Acting as if I didn’t know who she was.
“No, but I can help you.” She gave a sly smile as she stroked a hand over her curved hip and thigh. She was dressed in a white expensive looking blouse and high-waisted black skinny jeans. Her make-up was heavy but expertly applied nonetheless. And of course she was wearing a pair of those red soled and stiletto heeled seriously expensive black pumps. She had lightened her blonde hair since I had seen her last, it was now an unnatural shade of pale blonde. Somewhere between platinum and light blonde and she had had extensions done. Was I wrong or was the hair an attempt to make hers look like mine?
“Oh, and how do you think you can help me?” I said as I waved a hand around the workshop then raised an eyebrow as I let my eyes slide over her.
Her lip curved in disgust. “You are nothing but a distraction. We’ve been together for seventeen years and you are hardly a blip on his sexual radar.”
I pretended to be confused. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you sure you’re in the right place?”
She snorted angrily. “You stupid little bitch. Gray is mine, he will always be mine. We have a little girl and I’m pregnant with our second child. You are nothing but a drunken mistake we will take care of very soon. He will not allow those bastards of yours to interfere with what we have planned for our future.” She gave me a mocking smile. “And his future is me. It has always been me. And will always be me.”
She stood there waiting for my reaction and I gave her nothing. She didn’t deserve a reaction. Instead I needed to know how she got inside without being noticed by the brothers or my dad. Maybe no one realised who she was because of the long light blonde hair and the jeans. It was a mistake we could not afford and I would make sure it never happened again. First order of business would be a security door between the two workshops. We needed to control access more stringently.
“I don’t give a freaking fig what your crazy ass wants. What I do want to know is how you got in here without a bike or an appointment? This workshop is for customers only and you definitely aren’t one. So why don’t you turn around and march your fat ass right out of here? I’m busy, I don’t have time to listen to your crazy bullshit.”
I thought the bitch was going to explode with rage but she swallowed it down and then the filthy psychopathic bitch who lived inside of her came crawling out and freaked me the-hell-out.
“I’m going to remember this when we cut you open and pull those little bastards out of you. I’m going to enjoy every moment as you beg us for their lives. My hand will be the one ripping them out of your disgusting womb and dropping them in the trash where you will join them, slowly bleeding out. And as you die you will watch Gray fuck me on the very same table where we cut those little bastards out of you. We will roll in your blood as we fuck, coating ourselves in the power of your death.”
I was frozen in place as she spilled her foul venom at me.
“Jesus, you’re one crazy screwed up fucking bitch.” Wrench suddenly said from behind her, his gun trained on her as she jerked around. “Get your fucking crazy ass out of here before I do it for you.”
She ignored him and the gun pointed at her, whirling around and pointing a finger at me. “Your blood and the blood of those little bastards belong to me. I will be back to collect.”
“My blood and the blood of my children will never be yours. I see you again and we will not be chatting. Get the hell out of my workshop.” I gritted out through clenched teeth, refusing to let her see how much she had scared and freaked me out.
Turning to Wrench she drew a finger across her throat while smiling at him and then leisurely clicked her way out of the workshop. Wrench didn’t hesitate he rushed to the open workshop doors and gave a piercing whistle. He ran back to me with the gun still in his hand by his side. His eyes sweeping between the open doors and the passage.
“How the fuck did she get past everyone?” He bit out.
I was shaking like a leaf and shaking my head because I had no idea. Someone let her walk right through the garage and into the passage. One of the men came into the workshop from the passage carrying a long black wig and a pair
of glasses and we knew. She had used the most basic of disguises and fooled everyone. If her intention had been to kill me she would have succeeded. All she would have had to do was slip off her shoes. We wouldn’t have heard her until it was too late.
But it would not happen again. We were now aware of how far she would go to get to me. Even changing her basic look to try and fool people into thinking it was me. She got the shoes and makeup completely wrong. The crazy freaking psycho.
And those threats. Those scary extreme threats.
Sweet baby Jesus.
Her threats had me shaking and horribly nauseous. So nauseous I had to run to the bathroom where I hung over the toilet and emptied my stomach. I vomited until there was nothing left to expel and I was left dry heaving and crying. It was the cold facecloth settling on the back of my neck that made me aware there was someone with me in the bathroom.
Dad. A very worried dad.
Holding on to the cloth I slowly levered myself up, rinsed my mouth at the basin then reached for the toothbrush and toothpaste I had to thank Wrench for and brushed the awful taste from my mouth. I rinsed then splashed my face with cold water. Taking the time to slowly dry off, trying to get rid of my red teary eyes before facing my dad.
“I’m okay now, Dad. I promise.”
He shook his head. “No, you’re not. Wrench recorded the confrontation on his phone and it has been forwarded to Ice. Unfortunately they are locked in an important meeting right now but I know as soon as he gets the message he will be here.”
I nodded because I knew he was right. Ice would be here as soon as he could. But he wasn’t here right now and right now was when I needed him. Not later. I needed him now.
“That woman is seriously unstable, Dad. The things she said. It was horrifying and she smiled the entire time and her eyes were so, so crazy. How could Ice not have seen how unstable she was? How did no one in their club ever see her for who she really is? She threatened to kill my babies, to cut them out and throw them in the trash and roll in my blood.” I looked around the bathroom and sniffed back the tears. I didn’t want the visual of her and Ice together in my head. But it pushed itself in anyway and I remembered the way they had looked together in the restaurant.
Lost And Found In Blue (Iron Dogz MC Book 2) Page 23