by Evelyn Glass
Randy glanced between Cale and Dix. “You’re right, but it still pisses me off. Some of my people are going to have a lot of extra time on their hands. If you can use them to catch these bastards, they’re yours.”
“Thanks, Randy. That’s what I want to hear,” Cale said. “We need to rally the town to shut these fucks down.”
Randy nodded again. “You can count on me. I’ll start spreading the word what happened. The Chief told me there’s no way this place could have gone up as fast as it did unless an accelerant was used.”
Cale nodded. “Go home, Randy. Help Chisholm keep your family safe.”
“If you catch them, I want to be there.”
Cale shook his head. “No, Randy, you don’t. You don’t get mixed up in this, okay? It’s better that way.”
Dix smiled and put a hand on Randy’s shoulder. “I already have an ax to grind with Leo. After I get done kicking the shit out of him, I’ll do it again for you. How’s that sound?”
Randy smiled slightly and nodded. “Will you at least send me a picture?”
Dix slapped the man on the back. “Consider it done.”
***
“Wouldn’t someone have called?” Daisy asked as they puttered along in her Beetle. It was likely the Firechrome were still in Douglas, and Dix and Daisy were hitting motels looking for Leo’s Harley. They were in her car because it would be less obvious than his hog and he didn’t want to take the yard truck and leave James with no wheels all day.
“If they know. There are a lot of bikes pouring into town now that the weather is warming up. All we told people was to watch for men with the Firechrome patch. If they aren’t showing their colors…” he let the thought drop.
Daisy yawned. It was just before sunup and they had been on the road for an hour, ducking into motel after motel to cruise slowly through parking lots, and she could feel her eyes getting heavy again. She shook her head, trying to wake up. How he could be so alert was beyond her, especially considering she was still sleeping when he left to meet with Cale.
He turned into another motel and began the slow circuit of the building. “Wait! That looks like it!” Daisy cried, pointing to an off-white Softail Deluxe.
He stopped and backed up. “Are you sure?”
“No, but it looks like it. See, it doesn’t have the backrest thing like the other bike did.”
He drummed his fingers on the wheel a moment. There were three other Harleys with it, the hogs lined up like soldiers at attention.
“Okay,” he decided, driving away to find a spot where they could park and watch. “Let’s roll the dice.”
***
“Daisy! Wake up!” Dix said, giving her a shake.
“What?” she asked, sitting up and looking toward the bikes. “That’s him! And Riley!” she cried as she started to open her door.
“No! Sit tight.”
“But this is our chance!”
“No! There are six of them and only two of us.” He pulled out his cell and dialed, his eyes never leaving Leo. “Cale. Dix. I’ve got them, but they’re about to go on the move. There are six of them, four men and two women. Daisy’s little boy is with them. I’m going to follow them, but I’m going to need some backup.”
“Got it!” Cale said. “Steph! Wake up!” he continued, his voice much fainter. “Call Thad and have him start rounding up the brothers. Just do it! I’m back,” he added, his voice once again strong and clear. “How did you make them?”
“Faith, brother,” he said winking at Daisy. “I’m going to hand the phone to Daisy. She’s going to give you directions.”
She took it but said nothing, her entire world focused down to Leo and Riley. As she watched, Leo kissed the buxom blonde then mounted up, the woman getting on the back and Riley crawling up to sit between his legs.
“Oh hell no!” she said once again starting to open the door.
Dix reached over and slammed it shut again. “Not yet.”
“He’s not riding my son on a motorcycle! He’s only five!” she snarled as she tried to open the door against his grip. “Let me out!”
“Stop it!” he snarled, jerk her hands off the door. “You’re going to get us spotted!”
“But my—” she began.
“And if they spot us and run, then what?” he snapped. “We won’t be able to keep up in this thing. The best we can hope for is we lose them, but what if he crashes? You need to chill the fuck out a minute.”
She fumed, angry with Dix and the way she spoke to her, but she knew he was right. Her VW was no match for the much faster motorcycles. “So we’re just going to sit here while they ride away?”
“That’s right. Then we’ll follow and you’ll tell Cale where we’re going,” he said, jabbing a finger at the phone in her hand.
“Cale, you there?” she asked as the bikes rumbled to life, Leo checking his look in the mirror before pulling away. He and the woman had helmets, but Riley did not and her stomach clenched at the thoughts of what could happen.
“Yeah. Everything okay?”
“Dix and I were discussing our options.”
“So I heard.”
“We’re at the Dew Drop Inn on the 101,” Dix said as they pulled out of the parking lot, “headed South.”
She repeated each thing he said as they followed Leo and his little entourage South, Dix keeping well back and usually with a car or two between them. She worried he was keeping too far back and would lose them, but he skillfully alternated between the two available lanes and kept them in sight.
When they banked into Casey’s Kitchen he never slowed. “They turned! Where are we going?”
“Just chill,” he said softly as he drove past, then made a left onto the next road, coming in the back way and parking well out but in view of the front door.
“We’re at a place called Casey’s Kitchen. It looks like they’re going inside.”
“Okay. We’re rolling now. Have Dix call me if they leave.”
“Will do,” she said and hung up. “Cale said they’re rolling.” She paused a moment then looked at her feet. “I’m sorry.”
He smiled at her and turned her chin so she had to look at him then gave her face a slow caress. “It’s okay. It’s almost over now.”
***
The Cutthroats arrived on the wail of high performance motorcycles, a dozen strong. Dix stepped out of the car so Cale would know where they were.
“They’re still inside?” Cale asked as the bikes fell silent.
“Yeah,” Dix replied, wishing he’d brought his weapon, if only to make him feel better.
“Let’s go kick some ass,” Thad said making sure his jacket covered his pistol.
The Cutthroats entered as a group, pausing while Daisy scanned the busy restaurant.
“How many?” the hostess asked.
“We’re joining someone,” Dix said as Daisy nudged him then discretely pointed. “I see them.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s go,” he said, leading the way since only he and Daisy knew what their quarry looked like, the rest of the Cutthroats following. “They would be right in the center of the fucking dining room,” he muttered to her as they approached.
The men surrounded Leo’s table. “We need to talk. Outside.” Cale growled.
“Mommy!” the beautiful little boy called and started to get down from the table as Daisy reached for him.
“Don’t!” Leo growled as Cage put an arm between Daisy and the boy. “Finish your pancakes.”
The boy looked crestfallen but complied.
“Just let me have my son,” Daisy whimpered.
“Looks like the squids have arrived,” Leo sneered. “Now we can have sushi.”
“We don’t want to make a scene,” Cale warned. “Outside.”
“Or what?” Leo said raising his voice. “You going to kill us?”
That brought quiet to the dinning room. “We just want to talk.”
“No,” Leo said loudly. “I don’t believe we want to
step outside with you. What, thirteen on four, which doesn’t seem fair, does it to you?”
“Just give Daisy her son back. We’ll deal with you later,” Dix growled.
“Her! The jailbird? I don’t think so.”
Leo was pissing him off, being loud and calling attention to the situation. He muscled in and started to pick up Riley, but Leo grabbed a knife off the table and held it low and out of sight but pointed at Riley’s side.
“It’s okay, son,” Leo said, glaring at Dix. “I’m not going to let the bad man take you.” He lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “I’ll gut him right here before I let you take my son.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Daisy whispered, barely able to breathe.
Leo sneered at her. “You, of all people, should know, you fucking bitch. You think you can take him away from me? I’ll kill him first, then I’ll kill you.”
The situation was rapidly getting out of hand. “Enjoy your breakfast,” Cale said, taking a step back.
“No!” Daisy wailed, shoving past Cage to Riley.
Leo jumped to his feet and backhanded her savagely. “Get away from him, you bitch!” he snarled as Riley began to shriek in terror. The tables around them began to clear, people scrambling out of the way as the Cutthroats began to move in. The Firechrome came to their feet, knocking over chairs and tables, their guns out and pointed at the Cutthroats.
“Enough!” Cale roared. He glared at Leo as Riley shrieked in terror, his eyes wide. “You lowlife piece of shit, using a little boy as a shield. Somebody call the cops. We’ll let them handle it.”
“Didn’t you hear?” Leo said smugly. “I have visitation.” He sucked on his teeth a moment. “But I don’t want to cause any more trouble, so I think we’ll leave. It would be best for everyone if I don’t see any bikes following me.” He tucked his weapon away and picked up Riley, shushing him.
“I’ll deal with you later,” Dix growled as the Firechrome began to make their way to the exit.
“Looking forward to it,” Leo sneered.
The Firechrome backed out of the restaurant, their weapons pointed back into the dining room. As the door closed behind them, Thad and Tex took up position by the door to make sure they didn’t come back as Cale tried to smooth things over with the restaurant. Everyone shrieked and ducked as gunfire erupted, dozens of quick shots from multiple weapons, then silence. A moment later four Harleys rumbled to life and blasted out of the parking lot.
“They shot up the bikes!” Thad snarled over the far off wail of an approaching police siren.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Daisy was standing at the sink in James’s house, peeling potatoes. It had been a little over two weeks since the confrontation in the diner, and despite the efforts of the police and the Cuthroats, there had been no sign of the Firechrome.
It had gotten ugly in the diner when the police arrived. Though they were on good relations with the Cutthroats, the ugliness of the scene had nearly resulted in the arrest of them all. The only reason they weren’t arrested was that the Firechrome were the only ones to pull weapons and multiple witnesses had corroborated the story; the only aggressive move the Cutthroats made was Dix trying to get Riley and coming to her aid after Leo hit her.
She was still in a funk. To have come so close then have Riley snatched away again was almost more than she could bear. She knew they had done the right thing because she was certain Leo would have carried out his threat. He didn’t care about anything other than himself. He might profess loving Riley, and maybe he did in his own twisted way, but he wasn’t above using him to get what he wanted.
She and Dix were still sleeping together, but the passions he’d ignited in her had been dampened. He’d tried to draw her out several times, and though they still sometimes made love, it had become, for the lack of a better term, unsatisfying. She was simply letting him use her, as she had let Leo use her, and he knew it. She tried to not take her bitterness out on him, but she couldn’t hold in her anger and frustration and had lashed out at him several times. It wasn’t his fault. The police hadn’t picked up Leo’s trail, and her own frantic phone call to Leeda had turned up nothing. Why did she think he could do better?
The first couple of times she’d gotten bitchy he’d taken it, but this morning when she was snarling at him about their search for Riley going nowhere, he had invited to her leave if she thought she could do better on her own. That was like a splash of cold water and she’d later gone to him and begged his forgiveness.
She knew he was doing everything he reasonably could. More than she should expect. The Cutthroats were on high alert, following up every lead they received from the business community. There had been a lot at first, but slowly the problem with the Firechrome was fading from the community’s memory and the tips had dwindled.
She looked at the potato in her hand and snorted. She’d been peeling this same potato, or more accurately, not peeling it, for the last five minutes. It seemed her entire world was falling apart. She was driving a wedge between herself and Dix, and she could tell he was getting tired of it. She was getting tired of it, but she couldn’t figure out how to drag herself out of the depression she was in.
“Do you need help peeling?” James asked, causing her to jump.
“What?”
“I asked if you needed help peeling. You’ve been standing there, staring at that potato for at least fifteen minutes.”
“I have not!” she said with a small smile. James’s kind and gentle humor always lifted her a little.
“Okay, maybe not fifteen, but at least two or three.”
“Sorry,” she said, scraping at it again with the peeler. “Daydreaming.”
“Daydreams or nightmares?”
She finished the potato, rinsed it, then sat it aside as she lifted another out of the bag. “Nightmares, I guess.”
He stepped up beside her and took the spud from her hand and put it down. “Don’t give up on him,” he said softly.
“Who? Riley?”
“And Dix.”
“I’m not!” When his eyebrow cocked up, she sighed. “I know he’s doing everything possible. I know that! He’s doing more than I have any right to ask from him. But it’s so damned hard to sit here and do nothing.”
“Daisy, you have it all wrong. You’re so used to having to do everything yourself, you don’t realize the entire club, and most of the town, are looking for your son. The town doesn’t know it, but they are.”
“I know.”
“Do you? Then why did you say you were sitting here, doing nothing? You’re doing the hardest thing imaginable. Waiting. You’re waiting for those bastards to stick their heads up again so we can cut them off.”
“What if they don’t come back? What if I should be looking somewhere else?”
“Fair enough. Where would you look, if not here?”
“I don’t know.”
“So waiting for news here is the same waiting somewhere else.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Except there’s one difference.”
“What’s that?”
“Dix, and the rest of the Cutthroats are here. Here you have people who care about you to help.”
“Who? Dix?”
“And me.”
She looked at him a moment. “I have such a hard time wrapping my mind around why you and the Cutthroats care.”
He smiled. “To be honest, I suspect most of the Cutthroats don’t care, not really. They’ll help you if they can, but they’re more interested in protecting the club. It just so happens that you both want the same thing, to find Leo Watson and the Firechrome. So long as your interests and theirs align, I think you can depend on them.”
“And you?”
“Dix, I think he cares more than you realize,” he said, ignoring her question. “I know Leo putting the knife to Riley is gnawing at him. He hasn’t been able to let that go, and I wouldn’t want to be Leo if Dix ever catches him alone. I can’t speak for
him, but I think that dredged up some feeling best left buried and I think he’ll move heaven and earth to get Riley away from Leo now.”
“And you?”
“Then there’s you,” he said. Since he started down this path, he was going to see it through.
“What about me?”
“I’ve known Dix a long time, most of his life as you know. And you’re the first girl I’ve seen him really get sweet on.”
