Devil’s shaky voice rang out, “What the hell is this, Darkness? We had a deal.”
Turning on his heel, Darkness faced off with his counterpart. “I’m modifying it. You are ape-shit crazy if you think I’d ever give your club a quarter of million dollars. I’d give the lot of you a dirt-nap first and just be done with it.”
“You are going to regret double crossing us, asshole,” Ratchet’s rough voice threatened with a level of certainty that didn’t even make sense in this particular situation.
Darkness jerked his chin to someone on the catwalk above. A single shot rang out from that direction. Everyone jerked, looking around to see who just took a bullet. As if melting, Ratchet slumped to the ground.
Devil shouted, “You are one stupid fucker! I can’t believe you killed our club president.”
“I didn’t,” Darkness drawled. “I just rotated the only Seven Devils president who makes any sense back to the head of the table. That crazy fucker was gonna get your whole crew killed, and you damn well know it.”
Bending down to look at his father, Devil cursed under his breath. “I told him this was a bad idea. He was so sure he had every angle covered in this stupid fucking deal.” Coming smoothly to his feet, he took a step toward Darkness. “The thing that he didn’t take into consideration is what an unpredictable fuck you are.”
“I’ve got a new deal for you.” Darkness was as calm and oddly cold as ever.
“I’m listening,” Devil said, his eyes shrewd.
None of his crew dared make a move. Everyone knew Devil had no other choice but to play ball. Otherwise, the lot of them were gonna wind up dead.
Clearing his throat, Darkness presented his new offer. “Abby signs divorce paperwork and custody of my daughter over to me, immediately. I give you fifty grand and let you all walk out of here alive.”
Devil immediately stated, “No, the deal was for five times that.”
“You got no cards left to play, man. Take the deal.” The cautionary tone of voice Darkness used was clearly evident.
Looking around at his men, Devil shook his head. “We’re between a rock and a hard place. I need at least a hundred grand for my club to survive the shit my old man got us involved in this time around.”
“Look, we don’t have that kind of cash lying around. My crew pulled some private stock together for you from our own armory. We’ll throw in thirty hot AKs and a couple dozen reliable semi-automatic handguns,” Darkness tacked on. “Fifty grand and flush armory. Fuck, I’d take that deal if someone offered it to me.”
“Yeah, how about if the crazy fucker just gunned down your old man? Would you still take the deal?”
Darkness scoffed. “Stop pretending there’s some kind of love lost there. We came up together, man. The best years of your life were when that vicious bastard was inside the joint. All he ever did was come out long enough to screw over your club and fuck up your life before ending right up back on the inside. I did you a fuckin’ favor, and we both know it. Now you get the gavel back.”
Letting go of that particular bone of contention, Devil asked suspiciously, “What did you do to my girl?”
“Not a damn thing. She sat in our basement, and we tossed her energy bars and bottled water for the last four weeks. She got a hot meal a day. All she did was bitch. We got the security feed for you if you want to have a look.”
“Ain’t nobody got time for that,” Devil said, waving the offer off. “Get her in here. We’ll do the deal.”
Ryder stalked outside to grab her from Ace.
Abby was fighting mad. “What the fuck did you do, Ryder? We all heard the gunshot.”
“Darkness is changing up the deal. Your precious little Honey Bear already accepted our counteroffer, so shut the fuck up and sign the paperwork they give you.”
“Devil’s still alive?” The hopeful look on the woman’s face was all kinds of nauseating. If not for the child she popped out for his friend, Ryder would have absolutely no use for her crazy ass.
“Of course he is. Our club knows this dumbass plan was Ratchet’s brain child. We got no beef with Devil. That shit’s water under the bridge, so try acting civil.”
“We still get the payday, right?” she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful, which just made him sick. Dumb bitch.
“Devil agreed to fifty grand and a load of guns. It’s a fair trade.” Reaching into his pocket, Ryder pulled out a thick envelope. “Darkness instructed me to give you this. It’s a little bonus for you. There’s fifteen grand in this envelope. You can keep it secret for yourself or hand it over to Devil. We don’t particularly care, but there ain’t gonna be no more where this came from. Between this and the fifty grand, our club is all tapped out. Don’t come sniffing around for more.” Ryder didn’t even feel guilty lying about his club being tapped out. Whatever kept her from stupidly trying to wring more money of them was the correct option.
Grabbing the envelope, she opened it and flipped through the bills. “I won’t ask for anything else, I promise. I just want to go back to the Seven Devils.”
“Get your pretty little ass in there and sign your shit. You can be riding Devil’s big, glorious cock within the hour.”
Abby rushed into the warehouse so fast that Ryder almost couldn’t keep up with her. Thank God his crew had covered the weapons they’d thrown down with a heavy tarp. God knew the attorney didn’t need to see that shit. He whistled for Cork to bring the legal eagles.
By the time they arrived, the room had been cleared of dead bodies, and the desk had been shoved over the pool of blood. Sweet Jesus, it was nights like this that made Ryder hate his work. Literally, the only silver lining was that his brother didn’t end up in a firefight with the Seven Devils. The loss of life would have been high.
Abby jumped into Devil’s arms the moment her eyes landed on him. Ryder always thought it was good when crazy people hooked up with each other and left normal folk alone. Abby and Devil being together had a certain symmetry that he could really appreciate. She slid her envelop immediately into his hand, like any woman in love would, earning herself a hot kiss.
Ryder stood shoulder to shoulder with Ace and watched her sign off on the divorce and custody paperwork. When Darkness pulled out the cancelation for the insurance policy they had taken out on him, neither of them had the decency to even act embarrassed.
Some of the tightness in Ryder’s chest loosened once he knew they could no longer benefit in any way from his friend’s untimely demise. He’d thought Abby would kick up a fuss about visitation or something, but she didn’t mention a thing about it. It was just as well because Darkness had a sister moving back to help out with his little one. She was likely his only living relative. It would do him good to have some family around, assuming she was remotely sane.
Once the legal eagles took off, Darkness made his payout to Devil. The money was duly counted, and Darkness pulled out the guns. They went through the entire case, checking that each worked and firing off some shots. It was a regular, run-of-the-mill gun trade. This particular set of stock had been sitting in the basement for a long time. His club had stopped moving hot guns a while back. It was risky and not worth the markup.
The Seven Devils didn’t give a good goddamn if they were hot or not. It fell in the category of trading something the club valued very little to a person who valued it a great deal. Devil would consider the weapons a force multiplier in dealing with the numerous gangs that inhabited his territory.
Normally, his club would party and smoke a little weed with MCs if they were on friendly terms, but the Seven Devils didn’t fall into that category. They were the kind of men that you couldn’t really be nice to or you might wind up with a knife in your back.
Heading outside once again, Ryder realized it was well past sunset. Floodlights illuminated the small dock area as the speedboat rocked gently in the water. Standing beside his club president and close personal friend, Ryder watched the Seven Devils load the last of the weapons onto their l
ittle boat. Together, they stepped out face-to-face with Devil for the final phase of their plan. This was the part where they made sure the Seven Devils understood they were not welcome in Blind Jack’s territory.
Darkness was the first to speak. “We both made out on this deal, Devil. You wound up with an injection of cash, your woman free and clear of me, and nice little bonus cache of weapons. I ended up with a daughter and that damned insurance policy cancelled. This makes us square, but don’t think for a fuckin’ minute it makes us friends.”
Devil smiled indulgently. “It ain’t gotta be that way, Darkness. Now that my dad’s outta the picture—”
Interrupting before Devil even got the words out of his mouth, Darkness brought him up short. “Your old man’s only been out of the slammer for three months. You sent your old lady to me over a year ago. I don’t have to be a fuckin’ brain surgeon to recognize a head job when I see one.”
Staring at him for a brief moment, Devil took a step back. “Not that it worked particularly well, but I get where you’re coming from on this one.”
“Good. You’re in Bind Jack’s territory right now. Don’t ever let that happen again. The next one of your crew we run across gets a dirt nap, and that goes double for you.”
Devil’s anger flew hot and fast. “Think you fuckin’ rule the world, don’t you?”
Darkness sucked in a disgusted breath, clearly deciding he’d had enough of the whole situation. His voice was calm and deadly. “Just like you, I rule my own little corner of the world. I won’t come sniffin’ around your territory, and I don’t wanna catch you or yours crawling around mine.”
“Waterways are neutral territory. Nobody can claim the ocean, my friend.”
“Or the tributaries that eventually empty out into the ocean,” Darkness added. “I know the rules, Devil. You fire one shot toward the shore, and I won’t be givin’ a big shit about the rules.”
“Always got to be a hardass, don’t ya?”
“Goodbye, Devil. Safe journey back to where you came from,” Darkness said dismissively.
“Fine, catch you on the flipside, freak.”
Watching the now angry man climb onto his boat for the last time, Ryder noticed how disorganized their crew was. They were undisciplined, practically tripping over each other and fighting over who was going to drive the speedboat. Devil wasn’t a strong leader, and it was a constant source of amazement how the man managed to hang onto the gavel.
Ryder just shook his head. “I think we should have put that money in a college fund for your little one and give the lot of them a dirt nap.”
Darkness nodded. “I considered that option but decided it was a bit too risky. Cops investigate missing persons. They might not give a good goddam about bikers in general, but if that many turn up missing along with a woman, they’ll come poking around. What with the kid, the insurance policy, and me filing divorce papers, it wouldn’t take even a stupid cop long to put the pieces together.”
“Yeah, I know the paper trail was pretty tricky on this one. Devil got off easy.”
“Ain’t never easy when you gotta drop a body. Tell me Ratchet’s body is gone,” Darkness said, his dark eyes fixed on the water.
Mirroring his stance, Ryder said, “He’s in the cage we used to bring Abby. Cork’s standing guard.”
“You know how I feel about killing.”
“Don’t start getting superstitious, D. The guy was not going to stop, and he had it coming a thousand times over. You know his corner of the world is better off for having him out of it.”
Shoving his hands though his hair, the man practically vibrated with anxiety. “It worries me that Devil wasn’t more freaked out about us dropping his old man. He didn’t even ask for the body.” Swiveling his heated stare at Ryder, Darkness’ lips drew into a firm line. “Wanna take a guess about why that was?”
There could only be a couple of reasons for that. One, in particular, worried him. “Shit. I’ll double check the body for tracking devices.”
“See that you do, Ryder. All in the hell we need is for Devil to figure out where we’ve been dumping bodies. He could blackmail the shit outta us.”
“I’d never let that happen,” Ryder said firmly. “That’s the thing with Devil. He may not be all that smart, but he is sneaky as hell.”
Darkness shrugged. “If you don’t have brains, you gotta compensate. I tend to let my paranoia run wild where that man’s concerned, and I have to say that I ain’t been disappointed yet.”
Ryder sucked in a deep breath, done with this conversation. “Let’s get the hell out of here. You head back to the clubhouse, and I’ll take care of this situation with Ratchet.”
“I trust that you will, brother.” Staring at him, Darkness lifted his chin. “Can you believe I have a daughter?”
“Only because I saw her with my own eyes.” Slapping his president on the shoulder, he grinned. “She’s the cutest baby I ever saw. Best get home to her and put this night behind you.”
“It feels strange to have someone special waiting for me.” Darkness swallowed thickly, and Ryder watched his Adam’s apple slide up and down his long throat. Darkness was twitchy and nervous as hell in general, but the look on his face was a new kind of anxiety. Sure enough, when Darkness spoke, his voice was filled with down-to-earth, old-fashioned worry. “It makes me wonder what’s gonna happen to her the night I finally get my card punched.”
“I see what you’re driving at,” Ryder said. “We lead a life rife with danger. I reckon you gotta pick godparents.”
Darkness stared at him blankly. His brows slowly creased as the silence spun out between them, as though he was trying to work out what godparents were. Was it even possible that his intelligent club president didn’t know about things like that?
“You know, someone to look out for her in case anything happens to you,” Ryder clarified. “It’s a big decision. Think about it for a few weeks. Any brother would be proud to raise your little one.”
Pulling back a little, his expression disbelieving, Darkness spoke candidly. “You think so? Kids are a huge responsibility.”
“Hell yeah. I gotta say, it’s my job to keep you alive and coming home every night, so hopefully, she’ll never need them to take over for you. Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“I know that’s true. The people we deal with can be volatile.”
Walking over to the tuck, Darkness watched while Ryder fished through the dead man’s pockets. He pulled out a wallet with no money, a keychain, pocket change, and a rock.
Darkness suggested, “Check his keychain.”
Holding up a key fob, Ryder looked it over. “They normally have the brand name of an automobile inscribed on them.” Pulling out his pocket knife, he punctured the seal, separating it into two parts. Son of a… “Yep, it’s a tracking device.”
Darkness nodded as if he’d expected nothing less. “I’ve seen them advertised before. Destroy it, along with his other personal effects.”
That wasn’t going to be enough for Ryder. “I’m thinking of giving him a special spot far from our normal site.”
“That’s a smart idea,” Darkness agreed. “You’re a cautious man, Ryder.”
Ryder considered how much shit they’d dealt with recently and suddenly grew tired. “I just want to slam the damn door shut on this mess once and for all.”
~ Tiffany ~
Looking down into the bottom of her empty glass, Tiffany thought seriously about ordering another Cosmo. Nope, one was her absolute limit for the evening. She could drink more if she wanted to, and most of the women hanging around the clubhouse this evening were three sheets to the wind. That’s what made it all the more important keep herself together, she reminded herself. Stay sober and be ready for whatever happens when Ryder and the rest of the men get back. That little voice in the back of her head was right on the money, and this time she was taking her own good advice.
Turning around on the bar stool, she leaned
back on her elbows and scanned the room. Rose had dressed little Sammy like a bumble bee. They were both wearing a yellow and black onesie and matching wings. The little girl giggled as Rose pretended to fly her through the air, making a buzzing noise. It left Tiffany wondering if the baby even knew what a bee was. Tiffany seriously doubted it.
Several of the old ladies were sitting around, and there were some children playing video games and horsing around. Lily was handing out fresh-baked cookies on a plate. Sure, there were whores, but they were all dressed nicely and behaving themselves. Needless to say, Precious and her out-of-control friend had not made the cut.
Alyssa was sitting at the end of the bar, drawing on a large piece of paper. She appeared totally oblivious to her surroundings. Shifting down a barstool, Tiffany sat beside the pretty blonde and craned her neck to look at the drawing. It was another fanciful creation for the children to color. It had a fairy, butterflies, and delicate, intricate flowers.
“Wow, this one’s really nice. You’ve got talent.”
Lifting the pen from the paper, Alyssa peered up at her. “Useless talent that only makes me popular with kids under ten years old.”
Tiffany frowned and shook her head. “I think your drawings are amazing. Kids aren’t the only ones coloring these days you know,” she pointed out. “I used to buy adult coloring books. The images are more elaborate and complex, kind of like the ones you draw. Grown-ups color for relaxation, too, but using artist-grade pastels and pens.”
A surprised grin spread across her face, and Alyssa perked up. “I’ve never heard of such a thing before. Maybe I’m not as childish as I thought.”
“Not at all,” Tiffany said emphatically. “I’ll bet you could sell your creations. They’re more interesting than most I’ve seen.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“No, not at all. I’ve been meaning to shop for a new one. Want to come with?”