Drop a Gear and Disappear (Kings of Vengeance, #1)

by Winter Travers

  I was in a strange town, had no money, and my phone was dead.

  I was alive, though.

  Now I just needed to get back to Kimber and kill every last one of the Rolling Devils.

  *

  Chapter Eight

  Kimber

  Waking up in hell...

  The mattress jolted beneath me, and I instantly woke up.

  “Wake up, bitch. Hog says you need to eat.”

  A dim light shone from the ceiling, and I stared at the dirty mattress under my head.

  Major was in the room with me, but I felt someone else moving around.

  “Get up!” Major shouted.

  I hurried up from the mattress only to be backhanded by Major. I fell back clutching my cheek in my hand. Major laughed cruelly and stood over me. “Been wanting to do that all night.” He cracked his knuckles and turned to the other person in the room. “Feed her, take her to the bathroom and make sure to take the lightbulb out when you leave.”

  Major stormed toward the door, which only opened for two seconds before he slammed it shut again.

  I didn’t know what I had done to piss that asshole off so much.

  Quinn had stood up to him? Well, it was obviously time someone did.

  “I tried to get you the best food I could, but Major looked everything over before we came in.”

  I pushed back on the mattress and moved ‘til my back hit the wall. I didn’t trust anyone. I could now see the mattress I was on was a small twin and had stains all over it. My stomach rolled thinking of everything that happened in this room. “Please, just leave me alone.”

  The guy moved to the edge of the bed and set down the plate and cup. “I’m not going to hurt you. Gear and I were friends.”

  Quinn had considered all of these guys his friends, but now he was possibly dead and I was trapped in this tiny room. None of these guys were Quinn’s friends.

  “He’s still alive,” he said quietly. “At least, he was when they dropped him off.”

  I warily eyed this guy up. I didn’t know if what he was saying was true, or if he was just being nice only to be a jackass when I opened my mouth.

  He grabbed the plate and set it on the mattress. “It’s only peanut butter, but it’s better than nothing.”

  A peanut butter sandwich and the tall glass of water had never looked so good in all of my life. My fingers itched to grab the sandwich and shove it into my mouth, but I learned what moving fast got me.

  “My name’s Core.”

  My eyes flicked to his face. Quinn had talked about him before. This was the guy who was constantly getting his ass kicked by Major. Quinn had said a couple of times how Core just needed to stop challenging Major and his ass-kickings would stop.

  After meeting Major, I knew that wasn’t true. Major saw that he could beat and lord over Core so he was probably forever going to do that because he was a raging dickhead.

  “You’re Kimber, right? Quinn talked about you a couple of times. You need to go to the bathroom?”

  My instincts about this guy said that he wasn’t like Major, but I couldn’t rely solely on my feelings. All I had to go on was the fact I was locked in a room with no way to get out. I didn’t trust any of the Rolling Devils. I shook my head.

  He sighed and dropped his eyes to the floor. “I get you don’t want to talk to me. Quinn said you were super smart so I’m sure you’re thinking all sorts of crazy shit about me right now.” He stood up and brushed his hands off on his jeans. “Hopefully soon you’ll figure out that it’s all wrong.”

  He reached into his pocket, and I huddled further into the wall.

  He pulled out a light bulb and smiled. “I’ll leave that one in there and give this one to Major, but you should take it out soon. If Major finds out I left it here for you, we’re both dead.” He turned to walk out of the room.

  “Core?”

  “Yeah, doll?”

  My eyes darted down. “Is Quinn really still alive?”

  He nodded. “I know he is. He wouldn’t be able to die knowing you’re trapped here.” He slipped out the door, and I heard the locks click into place.

  I was alone again, but this time, at least I had a little light and food.

  I knew the bulb was incredibly dim but going from not having any light to now being able to see my hands in front of me was a huge improvement. Plus, now I had some food to put in my stomach.

  Whether or not I could trust Core was another thing, though.

  *

  Chapter Nine

  Quinn

  Ten rounds with Tyson...

  “You got a phone I can borrow?”

  The gas station attendant looked me up and down. “Pay phone out back.”

  That was fine and dandy except I didn’t even have a fucking quarter to my name. “I’m pretty much shit out of luck right now, fella. Cut me a break and let me use the phone in here?” I leaned against the counter and cringed. I had walked at least two miles from the hospital and was trying to keep a low profile so officer Miles wouldn’t be able to find me.

  I knew the guy was just trying to help, but there wasn’t anything he was going to be able to do to help me.

  The guy pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Even think about taking off with this and I’ll put a bullet between your eyes before you can even blink.”

  He held the phone out to me, and I grabbed it. “Thanks. I can’t even walk fast, brother, so I don’t have plans of taking off with it.”

  I swiped up on the screen and pulled up the dial pad for the phone.

  There were three numbers I knew by heart. Kimber’s, my mom’s, and Dyno’s.

  There was no way for me to get in touch with Kimber and my mom was dead. Dyno was the guy who was going to help me.

  We had grown up together ‘til he moved away when we were fifteen. Even after all of these years, we still kept in touch, and I knew he was going to have my back no matter what.

  “Who the fuck is calling me at six in the morning?”

  I chuckled and turned to look out the window of the gas station. “Morning to you too, Dyno.”

  “Ain’t nothing good about it when you call me before noon, Quinn.”

  Dyno never was a morning person growing up, and it was good to know not even that had changed. “You busy?”

  “Seeing as my eyes were shut and I was sleeping thirty seconds ago, no, not really.” I heard a woman’s voice in the background. “None of your fucking business who’s on the phone. Get your shit and get out.”

  “I did interrupt something.”

  He scoffed. “Hardly. Bitch was clingy anyway.” The chick screamed in the background, and Dyno yelled at her again to get out.

  “Never a dull moment with you, Dyno,” I chuckled.

  “Not my fault these bitches think my dick is made of gold and want to lay their claim to it.” He cleared his throat and sighed. “Now I know your ass didn’t call me this early in the morning to talk about chicks and my dick.”

  “Yeah, no, I didn't.” I looked over my shoulder and nodded at the cashier who was staring me down. Dude was seriously attached to his phone. “Got into some shit, and I need your help.”

  “Seeing as you’re calling from a number I don’t know, I’m assuming that shit you got yourself into went south.”

  That was more than accurate. “I’m a few miles from Port Huron and need a ride back to Whitmore Lake.”

  “How the fuck did you get up there with no ride back?”

  “If I could even remember the ride up here, I would tell you, but I woke up in a ditch on the side of the road about three hours ago.”

  “Damn,” he hissed. “Who the hell did you piss off?”

  “You know that club I told you about? The one I decided to become a prospect for?”

  He laughed. “The one you said was all about brotherhood and being family?”

  I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. A few short months ago, I had sat on the phone with Dyno telling him how great the Roll
ing Devils were and how amazing it was that I got to be a part of it. I was a fucking idiot. “Turns out, I was wrong.”

  “You figure that out when you woke up on the side of the road?”

  “No. Figured it out when they took my girl and knocked my lights out.”

  “What the fuck? You fucking kidding me?”

  I wished it was all a joke. “No, man. I need your help.” He didn’t say anything, but I could hear him moving around. “I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do, but I know I need to get back to Whitmore Lake. They took my wallet and my cut. I got my phone but the fucker is dead.”

  “I’m over six hours away from you. I hooked up with some work in Milwaukee, but I can be to you before one.”

  Dyno was picking up everything to come and help me. I was past desperate and couldn’t tell him to forget about it. “I’ll find somewhere to lay low.”

  “Where you at right now?”

  I turned back to the cashier. “Uh, where am I?” I asked.

  “Citgo on Mervin,” he mumbled.

  “There a park around here a guy could hang out at for a few hours?” I needed to get somewhere I could stay for a while and no one would see me. Getting a hotel room would be best, but I didn’t have money for that.

  “Two blocks over is Columbus park. Old folks walking the trails during the day, and kids getting high at night.”

  More information than I needed, but it was helpful. “I’m at the Citgo on Mervin right now, but I’ll head over to Columbus park and wait for you there.”

  “All right. I’m getting packed up, and then I’ll be on the road.”

  “I just need a ride back to Whitmore Lake, Dyno. You don’t need to pack up.” I didn’t want him packing up his whole life for me.

  “You gonna be able to get Kimber back on your own, brother? You weren’t able to stop them from taking her in the first place.”

  “It was me against a fucking MC, Dyno,” I growled. It wasn’t like I had only fought Major and lost. Major had the whole fucking club behind him.

  “That’s what I’m saying, Quinn. You can’t get her back by yourself. You’re gonna need help.”

  The problem was, I didn’t even know if Dyno and I were going to be able to get her. The Rolling Devils were a bunch of assholes I didn’t know how to fight against yet. “Just get here, Dyno.”

  “On my way, brother.”

  I ended the call and turned to hand the phone back to the cashier. “Thanks, man.”

  He took the phone and slid it back in his pocket. “Thanks for not running off with it.”

  I nodded and turned to walk out the door.

  “You don’t need anything?” he called.

  I looked over my shoulder and shook my head. “I’m good.”

  “Grab a coffee and breakfast sandwich on the way out.”

  “Don’t want you getting fired, man.”

  He scoffed. “I own the fucking store. Take a sandwich and a cup of coffee. It’s my thanks for actually being an honest and decent human being. Not many of those around here anymore,” he mumbled.

  Again, I wasn’t in a position to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Thanks, man. I’ll repay it further down the road.” I grabbed the smallest cup he had for coffee, and he hollered at me to take the biggest one. I rolled my eyes but grabbed the big one and filled it to the brim.

  My stomach growled as I looked at the sandwiches and again searched for the one that was the cheapest. I wasn’t going to take advantage of this guy’s kindness.

  “They’re all the same fucking price,” he drawled.

  I chuckled under my breath and grabbed one that said “bacon” on it. I turned to tell him thanks only to not see him behind the counter.

  “Take a bottle of water and a charger, too. I overheard you telling the guy your phone is dead.” He walked toward me with a large bottle of water in his hand and a nod to the charger stand next to the counter. “Don’t know what kind of phone you got, so just grab one.”

  I shook my head. This was where I drew the line. Dyno would be to me in six hours. I didn’t need to get my phone charged. Help was on the way, and now, I just needed to sit tight. “No need to do that.”

  “Just take the shit and don’t argue with me, kid. I listened to your whole conversation, and you’re in some shit right now. Just think of me as the grumpy-ass angel trying to give you a break.” He held the water out to me. “Give me your phone, and then take this.”

  “You don—”

  “Give me your phone, and take this,” he growled. The guy looked like he was ready to fight me if I didn’t take it.

  I pulled out my phone and took the water from him. He snatched the phone from my hand and stalked over to the charger display. He spun it a couple times, grabbed a box off it, then moved behind the counter. He grabbed a couple more things, tossed them in a plastic bag, then walked back over to me. “This shit should get you through until your friend gets here.” He grabbed the bottle of water and also dropped it in the bag.

  I took the bag but didn't look inside. I knew the guy had put way too much stuff in it. “You didn’t have to do this.”

  He nodded. “I know I didn’t.” He folded his arms over his chest and nodded to the door. “Now get the hell out of here. You’re scaring off my customers.”

  “The tattoos will do that,” I mumbled. It hadn’t been the first time in my life I had heard that.

  “It ain’t the tattoos. It’s the fact you look like you went ten rounds with Tyson and won.” He turned back to the counter, dismissing me.

  I grabbed all of the free shit the guy had given me and nodded at him as I walked out the door.

  There still were nice people in the world. Sometimes, it may seem like they were few and far between, but when you really needed one, they were there.

  It took ten minutes to get to the park, and I was lucky enough to find a small shelter to sit under. I dug through the bag he had given me and pulled out the charger and wall plugin. The guy had thought of everything in a short amount of time.

  He had also threw in a few small packets of travel Tylenol, a candy bar, and a pack of cigarettes with a lighter. I searched around the shelter and saw an outlet and plugged in my phone.

  The phone powered on, and I saw it was just going on seven o’clock. I had at least six hours until Dyno would be here so I had time to think about what I was going to do.

  I scrolled through the numbers in my phone and counted at least eleven Rolling Devils I had in my contacts. I scrolled back to the top and then counted the people in my phone I knew I could count on to help me.

  Four. There were four guys in my phone I knew who would help me, and I knew at least one of them was in prison.

  “Fuck,” I sighed.

  I was beyond fucked if I couldn’t find more people to help me.

  I may look like I had gone ten rounds with Tyson and won right now, but I knew if I went up against the Rolling Devils again, and did it alone, I would be dead.

  Help was what I needed, and I wasn’t going to rest until I got it.

  *

  Chapter Ten

  Kimber

  Not dead yet...

  “Kimber.”

  My eyes popped open, but I didn’t move. I hadn’t been sleeping; I had been plotting.

  I still had nothing.

  The light from the door opening washed over the room but it was quickly quenched by the door closing. The beam of a flashlight bounced off the walls ‘til it settled on the light hanging from the ceiling. I had only left the lightbulb in for a few minutes after Core left the first time before I unscrewed it and hid it under the mattress. Core screwed in the extra lightbulb he had then looked down at me.

  I had thought I could try to attack the person who opened the door, but that would only get me out to the hallway. I would then need to deal with whoever might be on the other side.

  “Brought you some more food and water.” Core grabbed the empty plate and set a full one in its place.
“Same thing as last time, but I brought you two and I figure you’re gonna have to use the bathroom.”

  “Why are you being nice to me?” I asked.

  He shrugged and crouched down next to the mattress. “Not really sure I agree with you being here.”

  “I shouldn’t be here,” I spat. “They should have just let Quinn and me leave.”

  “Gear,” he said. “His name is Gear around here.”

  “I shook my head. I never called him Gear, and you can bet your ass I never will because that’s a name this disgusting club gave him.” My blood boiled at the thought of Quinn ever being called that again.

  “Easy, darlin’.” He held up his hands and smiled. “I hear what you’re saying. He’s Quinn from now on.”

  Core had been nothing but nice to me, and I had just ripped his head off. “He loved this club, Core, and then you guys do this to him.”

  Core shook his head. “I didn’t do anything to him, and I haven’t done anything to you.”

  “But your club stands together. Whatever they do, you have to go along with it.”

  “No,” he said firmly. “You can bet your ass this club is divided right now about you and Quinn. In the moment, we all went along with Major being an ass, but as soon as we sat down in church, all hell broke loose.”

  “Then why am I still here and where is Quinn?”

  He hung his head. “Because nobody can seem to decide what to do with you.”

  “Let me go,” I said loudly. “That is what you should do with me. Holding me here is against the law.”

  He chuckled. “I can tell you right now, darlin’, this being against the law is no one’s worry. We’re a one percent club that lives by our own rules.”

  “And I guess one of those rules is holding women against their will.”

  “You’re back to making assumptions about everyone in this club based on a few members’ ideas of what they think is right.”

  “How do any of them think this is right?” I spat.