I rush out from behind the protected area toward my men, who have just gotten Track down from where he was hanging. I look down, taking in the words written in bold black marker across a target sheet stuck to his chest.
I'll kill every man you've got until what belongs to me is returned.
I stare at the bone handle of a large hunting knife going straight into the center of the bullseyes; the blade buried deep in my man's chest. Wick looks up at me from his kneeling position.
"He's gone, brother. Track is dead, man," he says through clenched teeth. I look over at Fender whose head hangs looking at our dead brother. His fists clenched at his sides.
"Fender, lock it down. Call Everest, tell him to lock the clubhouse down too." Without looking my way, Fender walks off.
"I'll call it in." Wick stays kneeling beside our brother and digs his phone from the pocket of his cut.
It takes ten minutes for two officers to arrive on the scene and an extra fifteen before the other first responders to come in, making the official call. I give them all of Track's information, along with access to the surveillance footage, which come to find out, didn't do them or us any good. It seems someone was smart enough to track down the feed lines outside, killing all the functions to our security system. "Listen, Riggs," Officer Holloway pulls me to the side. "Before I send my men to his mother's house —."
"I'll tell her," I cut in. My stomach sinks, knowing I'm about to break his momma's heart. Track was her only son — her baby.
"Sorry about all this," Officer Holloway says.
Stone-faced, I turn my back and walk away. I head in the only direction my feet will carry me before I make that long drive to deliver the worst news a mother can receive. I head to the safe room. Straight for my woman. As soon as I get there, I type in the code and turn the handle opening the door. There she is, sitting on the cushioned seat along the wall. Her head whips up, then she rushes toward me, slamming hard into my chest. My arms wrap around her, holding her tight. Closing my eyes, I pull in a ragged breath. Lifting my chin, I peer at Kiwi. "I'm going to need you to stay with her until I get back from seeing Track's family." Kiwi's face says everything else I can't at the moment. Millions of emotions pass over his face before he nods. Peeling Luna off my body, I tell her, "I have one more task to handle today, so I'm going to need you to go back to the clubhouse with Kiwi." Her lips tremble, but she holds her feelings at bay.
"Is he okay?" Luna asks.
"No, baby." Tears fall down her cheeks "Kiwi," I look back at him. "Have the girls keep Luna company." I glance down again, and Luna's big beautiful eyes, full of sadness rips at my heart, making it hard to leave her side. "I'll see you soon," I assure her.
Reaching up, her hand caresses my face. "Promise?" she signs.
"I'll always find my way home, Mon Tresor."
A little more than an hour later, I'm standing on the front porch of Track's family home in Ponchatoula. I knock on the front door. It doesn't take long for the curtain covering the window on the door to move, as Mrs. Dupuis peeks outside. The door opens.
"Riggs, it's good to see you." She looks around finding me alone. "What brings you out this way?"
"Mrs. Dupuis, mind if I step inside?" I keep my voice even, but her smile falls from her face, and her hand clenches at her chest.
"Something isn't right. I feel it. You tell me right now why you came all the way out here, Riggs." She pleads for the truth. How do you tell a mother that their child is dead? I try to find the right words, but there are none.
"Mrs. Dupuis, Daniel died." I hate to put it so bluntly, but I don't want to leave any room for doubt or confusion. The most gut-wrenching blood-curdling cry exits his mother's body, and I catch her as her knees buckle beneath her.
"Why him, Riggs? Why my baby?" she cries, as my cut soaks up her tears.
Night has fallen by the time I leave the Dupuis home in Ponchatoula. I called a couple of the other members, asking them to sit and watch over her and her daughter for the next couple of days. I told Track's mom the club would take care of all the funeral expenses. Hugging her one final time, I straddle my bike and take off down the road heading home.
Pulling through the clubhouse gate, I'm not surprised to find Wick outside by himself sitting on the picnic table facing the river. Parking my bike, I cross the yard. "How's everyone holdin' up?"
"Good, considering. How's his momma and sister holdin' up?" he asks in return.
"As good as can be expected. She'll call tomorrow with funeral arrangements." I stand there a beat. "We need to address the situation before heads hit pillows tonight. I'm callin' church," I inform him, and Wick stands.
"He was a good man, Riggs." We walk toward the clubhouse side by side.
"I know."
"It was those fuckin' Savage Outlaw bastards, wasn't it?" Wick questions though he already knows the answer.
"Yeah," I pull the front door open, and the cold air from inside cools my skin. I don't have to say a word. Once my men notice I'm in the room they get up from where they are sitting and head straight for the back room to conduct business. The door closes as the last member enters, and the room falls silent. The weight of Track's death looms over our heads like a dark storm cloud. "Over the following days, I want every man vigilant. Someone slithered their way into our den and took one of our own. Track wasn't a full-fledged member yet, but we all know he was well on his way to earning that patch." Fists pound the table.
"The message was heard loud and clear. We know the fuckers who did this, and once we bury our brother, you'll be damn sure we will hunt them down." I make eye contact with each man in the room. "Kiwi, work your social media outlets. Check out camera feeds around the city. See if you can find any evidence of just how many we are dealing with. Wick, you, and Cain spread the word. I want to know who may have seen these assholes. Get people talkin' on the streets. I want these fuckers to know we aren't laying down or tuckin' tail. Track's death will not go unpunished." The room falls quiet again, and I welcome it. I bring the gavel down and say no more.
My focus shifts to one person. My woman. Leaving my brothers, I head upstairs where I run into Payton in the hallway exiting my bedroom. "Hey, Riggs," she speaks low as she pulls the door closed. Her face falls, looking like she's barely holding it together. The girls spend a lot of time with both Track and Everest since the four of them live here at the clubhouse. "Luna wasn't feeling well. Said she has a headache, so I gave her some medicine, and she just crawled into bed. I was about to fix her a warm cup of tea," Payton explains while hugging herself.
"I appreciate you sitting with her today. Why don't you turn in for the night?" I tell her.
"I think I'll go sit with Everest. He's not doing so well," Payton sighs. "I'm going to miss him. Track was a good man. You know almost all the money he made working at Kings Tactical goes into a money box, under his bed? He's been saving to buy his sister a reliable car to get back and forth to nursing school in," Payton smiles. "Just thought you should know it's there, in his room."
"I'll make sure she gets it," I assure her. Payton nods then walks away.
Turning the handle, I open the door to my room. I find Luna on the bed beneath the covers like Payton said. Shrugging my cut off my shoulders, I lay it on top of the dresser next to the door. The moment I sit down on the edge of the bed and start to unlace my boots, I feel a hand on my thigh. Toeing my shoes off, I position myself in the bed beside my woman. Her arms embrace me without questions. Touching is the only communication needed after today. Luna gives me what I need the most. Love.
My heart is heavy because we bury Track today. Standing outside on the balcony, I look out on the darkened skies. Storm clouds rolled in almost an hour ago, threatening rain — a pair of soft arms snake around my waist. Spinning, I face Luna. "Ready?" I ask, and she nods.
After making sure the apartment and bar are locked up tight, I help my woman on the back of my bike, and we head toward the clubhouse to meet up with the other members
and ride out together. When we roll up, my men are waiting on me just outside the gate. "Where's Fender?" I ask, noticing his absence.
"Making sure the road ahead is safe. If he spots anything, he'll radio back. He took Everest with him," Wick informs.
"Alright." Bike engines roar, as members fall in behind Wick, Nova, Kiwi and me. "Let's Roll," I call out and pull out onto the road.
Pulling into the funeral home parking lot, my men and I fall into formation in front of the hearse. The roar of our bikes draws attention as we lead the procession, taking our friend to his final resting place. Dozens of friends and family showed today to pay their respects to a good man. As we watch Track's family mourn, while gathered around his casket, anger boils inside me. I take in the faces of my brothers as they watch Track's mother and sister weep over the grave of a son and a brother. Fender grabs his guitar and starts to sing the song Mrs. Dupuis asked for. Go Rest High on That Mountain. Her sobs wrack her body, and her daughter embraces her, as Daniel's casket slowly lowers into the ground.
Luna's hand tightens around mine as she sheds tears beside me, and I pull her closer. I share a look with each of my brothers. Death is coming for Rex and the rest of his sorry excuse of a club.
Chapter Sixteen
Luna
The ride back home from Track's funeral is a somber one. Riggs will not tell me the details surrounding Track's death, partly because the details are club business and partly because he's trying to protect me, but I know it's Rex's handy work. I also know his death is on my hands. The past twenty-four hours Riggs has been carefully gauging my reaction to the whole ordeal. I think he's waiting to see if I'm going to run. I told him before no more running, and I meant it. I have never in my life wished death on someone, but I hope that when Riggs and his club find Rex, they make his death a slow and painful one. Having to look at Track's mom and sister in the eyes, and see the pain they are going through, nearly brought me to my knees.
Exiting the highway, in the direction of New Orleans, Riggs turns left heading in the direction of the bar while the rest of the guys keep right toward the clubhouse. Peering over my shoulder, I see Kiwi still tailing us. Riggs had mentioned earlier we needed to stop by the apartment before going back to the clubhouse.
I'm brought out of my thoughts when I feel Riggs' whole body go tense. Using his right hand, he reaches into his cut, pulling out a gun. Shocked, my eyes go big, and my senses are on high alert. When I look over my shoulder again, I see Kiwi has placed himself inches from us on the left; covering us. He too has drawn his weapon. That's when I see a white sedan headed in our direction at an alarming speed. My breath gets caught in my throat, and my heart rate picks up as I clutch the back of Riggs' cut. Swiftly moving into the other lane, we begin to speed up. Riggs expertly maneuvers his bike through the traffic. We haven't made it into the city yet, but cars and people walking the streets still surround us. Just as I go to look over my shoulder again for the car following us, I startle and nearly jump out of my seat when the rear window of the car driving beside us is shattered by a bullet, causing the vehicle to run off the road. I send a silent prayer the driver is okay. When I peer over my shoulder once again, I see Kiwi returning fire on the white sedan, the same time Riggs' tattooed arm appears in my line of sight as he fires off a few rounds.
Holstering his weapon, Riggs begins to take us on a series of turns as we enter the busy streets of New Orleans. Bile rises in my throat at the thought of a stray bullet hitting an innocent bystander, but when I twist my head around, I no longer see Kiwi or the white car. Not stopping at his apartment Riggs speeds past the bar, and we head in the direction of the clubhouse. Five minutes later we are pulling through the gates and are greeted by Fender, Wick, Nova, and several other brothers. Once we park, Riggs says something to his men, and Fender swiftly jumps on his bike and peels out of the compound. I'm assuming to find Kiwi and the person who was chasing us. Oh God, let Kiwi be okay.
Frozen in place and still clutching the back of Riggs' cut, it takes me a second to realize he's talking to me. "We're okay, baby. We're okay."
Losing my hold on him, Riggs is off his bike in time to catch me as I slump into his arms. Wrapping his arms around me, he holds me until my body stops shaking and I compose myself. He runs his hands through my hair and kisses my neck. Worried about Kiwi, I ask, “Where is Kiwi; is he okay?"
"Kiwi will be fine. He knows how to handle himself."
"Where did he go? Shouldn't he have followed us here?"
Riggs shakes his head. "Kiwi did what any of my men would have done in that situation. He protected his Prez and my woman by leading whoever was after us in the opposite direction. He did what he had to do so I could get us back to the clubhouse safely." With nothing else left to say, I lay my head against his chest, breathe in his scent, and allow the familiar smell of cologne and exhaust to calm me. Riggs kisses the top of my head. "Come on. Let's go inside. I need to talk to my men." When we step inside the clubhouse, the main room is packed with every club member along with Payton and Josie. All the guys are waiting for their President. Nodding in the direction of Josie and Payton, Riggs asks, "will you go sit with the girls for a few minutes while I sort some shit out?"
Doing as he asks, I make my way to the sofa where the two women are perched, both looking worried. Payton and Josie give me a friendly smile as I take a seat next to them. Keeping my eyes trained across the room, I watch as Riggs engages his men. Five minutes later, Kiwi and Fender burst through the door. It looks like I am not the only person to breathe a sigh of relief. As Kiwi strides in Riggs' direction, he briefly cuts his eyes over to me, as if to make sure I'm okay. It amazes me how these men will go through great lengths to protect their brothers. It surprises me more to see they will do the same for me; someone they hardly know.
I can't make out what the men are saying, but when Riggs says something to Kiwi and Kiwi shakes his head in return, Riggs goes red in the face. That can't be good. Riggs says one last thing to the guys as he points to me before they all take off in a different direction. Riggs strides toward me, and I stand to meet him halfway. "We're going to Pop's place."
"Why?" I ask.
"Some shit is about to go down, and I don't want you anywhere near it. Nova is bringing Piper too." Just then Nova steps back into the room with his daughter in tow. He gives his brother a chin lift as he and Piper walk out of the clubhouse.
"Come on. We'll talk more once we get to Pop's."
Trusting his decision, I do as he says.
When we get to Mr. LeBlanc's house, he is waiting for us on the front porch; shotgun in hand. I take in how shook up Piper is. She may not know the details of what's going on, but she is scared and worried about her dad and uncle. Stepping away from Riggs, I walk over to Nova's bike where he is trying to console his daughter. Luckily Nova jumps in to translate what I am saying. "How about we go inside. Maybe your grandpa has the fixings for cookies. Whenever I'm sad or worried, I find baking helps. What do you say? Want to help me?"
Piper wipes the tears from her eyes and nods. Taking her hand in mine, I lead her up to the house. Nova sends me a quick thank you when I look back over my shoulder, and I smile. When Piper and I step onto the porch, I greet Riggs' grandad. "Hi, Abe. I hope you don't mind if Piper and I raid your kitchen. We're going to see if you have the fixings for some cookies."
He smiles. "You two go on ahead. I know for a fact you'll find what you need in the pantry. I haven't had homemade cookies in a spell. You won't hear me complaining, sweetheart." Abe turns to his granddaughter. "Don't go telling your dad and uncle. I'm not supposed to have all that sugar." Abe's words put a smile on Piper's face.
Once inside the kitchen, Piper goes about showing me where everything is. I'm surprised to see that Abe does have a fully stocked pantry complete with everything we need to make chocolate chip cookies. Placing a large mixing bowl in front of Piper, I show her how much of each ingredient to pour into the container. Next, we scoop out spoonfuls of dough on
to a cookie sheet then place it into the oven. Piper sets the timer before taking a seat at the kitchen table next to me. When I notice how fidgety she is acting while nibbling on her bottom lip, I make a motion with my hands for a pen and paper. Understanding what I am asking for, she springs from her chair over to a drawer next to the refrigerator. Pulling it open, she retrieves a notebook and pen. Piper takes her seat beside me and slides the notebook over. Opening it, I scribble, "What's on your mind?"
Piper doesn't hesitate to answer. "I know something terrible is going on, but Dad won't tell me. He treats me like I'm a little kid who won't understand."
It's not that he thinks you won't understand; he wants to protect you. You know how the club works. This is my mess, and I don't even know all the details. You have to trust in your dad's reasoning for not telling you, the same way I have to put my trust into your uncle.
Piper seems to ponder my response before she continues. "You're right. If I were in my dad's shoes, I'd want to protect my kid. I'm mostly worried about him and Uncle Abel. They are the only family I have."
Damn this kid is fantastic. You're an amazing young lady; you know that? I compliment her, and she blushes.
"I'm not," she says.
You are. Few sixteen-year-olds will see logic like you. Instead of staying mad at your dad, you were able to stop, think, and put yourself in his shoes. You allowed yourself to accept and understand the way things need to be. Believe me when I say you're pretty amazing.
Piper motions to the oven signaling the timer has gone off, breaking our little mush fest. Patting her on the arm, I stand and make my way to the oven to take the cookies out while she goes to the refrigerator and grabs us some milk. Just as we sit down at the table to indulge in our sweet treat, Riggs, Nova and Mr. LeBlanc walk into the kitchen. "Looks like we made it just in time," Mr. LeBlanc grins snatching a cookie off the plate. Riggs gives his grandad a scolding look. Abe shoves the whole cookie in his mouth ignoring him.
Riggs (The Kings of Retribution MC, Louisiana Chapter Book 1) Page 16
