by Jayna King
"But Luke isn't even a full member, is he? Isn't he just a prospect?"
"Doesn't matter. Kate, I know these guys. You don't. There's no way in hell that one of them would rat out anyone to the police, let alone a brother."
Kate shrugged. "Well, believe what you like, but someone's willing to testify against Luke."
Even though I couldn't really believe that one of the Sons would testify against Luke, I felt panicked by Kate's news. As I stood there behind the bar, I realized that I would do anything to get him out, and I decided that the woman on the other side of the bar might be our best hope at freeing Luke.
"Kate?" I asked, not exactly sure how to begin.
"Yeah?" she asked, before taking another long drink of her beer.
"What if Luke agreed to work with the feds? Could you get him out of jail?"
Kate shook her head. "It doesn't work that way, Krystal. Not in this case. Luke's a new member. He doesn't have the history we need to prosecute any of the Savage Sons for things they've done in the past. You said they're all legit now, so what use would he be to us?"
I was not going to give up without a fight. "Kate, have you ever been in love?"
"Of course I have," she answered.
"I mean really, truly, like you're meant to be together forever kind of love. The kind of love that you'd do anything to keep?"
Kate's face fell just a little before she hardened her expression. "What's your point?"
"Humor me here. If … and I realize that's a big 'if,' Luke could get you information about past crimes that the Sons may have committed, could you get him out? Would it be possible?"
"In theory, yes, but that would be a very unusual situation."
"But it's possible?"
"In theory."
"Kate, I know you're an FBI agent, and I'm a biker's old lady, but will you help me?"
"I don't know what you want me to do. I'm not even assigned to this case. It's not even a federal case!" Kate finished her beer and stood up. "I shouldn't have come in. I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought you should know what you're up against. I guess I…" she paused. "I guess I feel sorry for you."
I didn't want her pity, but if that's what I had to endure to get Luke out of jail, I would suck it up. "You feel sorry for me because I'm desperate, and I need help. Kate, if you wanted to, could you make this a federal case? Don't you … I don't know … outrank the police or something?"
"This isn't how these things work, Krystal. You don't even know if Luke would agree to work with us. If he doesn't, then there's no point in even trying."
"Kate, if you will help me with this — if you can get Luke out of jail — I promise you, he'll cooperate with you. He'll get you whatever you need."
"How can you say that? You haven't even talked to him."
"I know he will. He loves me, and if this is what he has to do so we can be together, then that's what he'll do."
"Well, I don't even know what to say, to tell you the truth," Kate said, looking a little overwhelmed. "I guess I could talk to my ASAC and see if she'll approve it."
I was so excited I could hardly stand it. "Really? You'll do that?"
"Well, I guess so." Kate sat back down on the barstool. "Krystal, you can't get your hopes up, though. My boss could say no, and then I'm nowhere."
"No, this is it," I said, putting every bit of conviction I could muster in my voice. "She's going to say yes, and Luke will come home."
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Absolutely," I answered without hesitation.
"You realize that it could be dangerous for Luke to work with us? That his brothers won't take kindly to his being an informant?"
"Kate, you don't understand. Luke's a good man. If there's dirty stuff in the MC's past, Luke will want to make sure it's gone. He thinks the future of the MC is in being aboveboard."
"Well, if you're sure that he'll agree to this, I'll get the ball rolling." Kate shook her head like she couldn't quite believe that she was agreeing to my proposition.
"Kate, I don't know how to thank you. You're literally saving my life."
"Don't get your hopes up. My ASAC is a real hard-ass, and odds are good that she won't want anything to do with this."
"But you'll do your best to convince her?"
"I will. I think that you deserve to be happy, Krystal. I really do." Kate stood up again. "If I have to schedule a meeting with my ASAC, the Dragon Lady herself, I better get some sleep. What do I owe you for the beers?"
"They're on me. And you'll never know how much I appreciate this, Kate. Will you let me know what your boss says?'
"I will. And Krystal?"
"Yes?"
"Don't mention this conversation to Luke or his attorney." I must have looked puzzled because she continued. "It's best if the offer comes from me. That way it doesn't look so much like we're making a deal. I'll get the prosecutor to agree to drop the charges, and then I'll make the offer to Luke. If it looks like we made some kind of under-the-table deal, it can jeopardize the evidence that Luke will be giving us in the future."
I wasn't really sure that I understood what she meant, but I agreed to let her be the one to approach Luke with the offer. "Thanks again, Kate. I'll owe you forever."
Chapter 4 -- Luke
Friday, August 9, 2013
When I'd first been transferred to the county jail, it had taken me a couple of days to get used to the communal showers. I wasn't exactly shy, but being in a room full of dicks was definitely not my idea of a good time. Like anything else, though, you can become accustomed to it. There were a couple of guys I had gotten friendly with during the free time we all had to read, work out, or start shit with other inmates. I was only interested in the first two options, but some of the guys lived to stir shit up.
There were other guys like me — loners not really allied with anyone else — but there were also a lot of guys who stayed together with their groups. We had a Latino gang who spoke only Spanish and all had similar tattoos, and there were a couple of black guys who kept to themselves, too. I didn't really give a shit about the gangs because I knew that the worst of the worst wouldn't be put in the county lockup.
As I walked down the hallway lined with cells, I decided that I needed to get some books to read at night, because otherwise all I'd do was fantasize about Krystal. She haunted me, and the fact that I'd finally found a woman worth being with, only to be separated by concrete block and bars was driving me crazy. Forcing the thoughts of my sexy woman out of my mind, I headed for the showers along with about ten other guys. We usually showered in shifts, and the guards stood just outside the door, presumably listening for any sign of trouble.
"'Sup?" Mike said, not expecting an answer as we filled our hands with soap from the liquid dispenser on the wall.
I nodded in return. Nothing was up. I was in jail, and every day I saw the same shit I'd seen the day before. The monotony was mind-numbing. I moved beneath the water that I could never get quite warm enough and used the soap to lather up my body and my hair. Though I didn't relish the thought of surveying the wet naked bodies of my fellow inmates, I always kept an eye on the rest of the room. The showers had always seemed like one of the most likely places to be jumped by another guy, and if it happened to me, I was not going to make it easy.
The fucker waited until I was rinsing the soap from my hair, eyes closed under the water.
Before I knew it, my face was smashed into the slippery tile wall, and my hand brought up behind my back.
A voice in my ear said, "Don't make a fuckin' sound."
I couldn't see much, except for the fact that the arm that pressed me against the shower wall was black. The man was tall, and I calmed myself down enough to realize that it had to be Andre, the biggest man in the joint, and a perpetual shit-stirrer. I was tempted to try to slip out of his grip right away, but I knew instinctively that if I let him think he had me overpowered that I would stand a better chance.
"I se
en that pretty boy mouth of yours, and I think I need to see if you any good at suckin' dick."
Worst fucking nightmare.
It was hard to speak with my face pressed against the wall, soapy water running into my eyes. "Nope," was my one-word reply.
"Oh, I think I'm gonna be the judge of that, pretty boy." Andre pushed me into the wall even harder, and I could feel his dick pressing into my back. "Unless you want it in the ass. That what you want, pretty boy?"
"Nope," I managed to say, trying desperately to decide how to get out of this with my dignity intact. No fucking way was I gonna suck another guy's dick. I'd die first.
Andre released my arm, but kept me pinned to the wall. "You're gonna suck me off, and you're gonna be quiet about it, you hear?"
I waited until he released me, and I exploded toward him with every bit of anger I had inside me. My fist connected with his jaw, and I swear I saw his eyes roll back in his head. Blood streamed from his nose and mixed with the water on the floor. I knew that if I let him recover that he would kill me, so I hit him again, pounding him in the face, the body, hardly noticing when he slipped to the floor and stopped moving, curled in the fetal position, enduring my furious blows with admirable silence.
I didn't realize how badly I'd beaten him until I felt two men grab my arms from behind and I heard a quiet Latino voice in my ear.
"Enough, amigo. You win. Let him go, or the guards will have to find someone to blame if he's hurt any worse."
I turned to see the face of a man I'd never spoken to before. He was older than I was, probably around sixty, I'd guess. I shook my head, as if coming out of a fog, and I looked at the man on the floor. He was bleeding, and the fury in his eyes told me that I'd never be entirely safe again within these walls.
"Did you hear what he said? What he wanted me to do?" I hissed in a furious whisper to the older man.
"Yeah. He tried it on all of us. Some guys give in and don't mind. Others of us make friends real quick. He ain't gonna hurt you no more. I've been keeping my eye on you, Luke. It's a favor to your old man."
I pulled back in surprise. "My old man?"
"Me and Joker go way back. I got word you was in here, and he knew he could count on me to give you any protection you might need." He looked down at Andre, just starting to pick himself up off the bathroom floor. "Looks like you didn't need none of my protection today, but you might in the future. You have friends, amigo."
He started to walk away.
"Wait," I said in a loud whisper. "What's your name?"
"You can call me Zeta," he said, heading for the door.
I ran my hands over my face as I stepped back under the water, keeping an eye on Andre who was upright, but heading to the further shower head from mine. He still seethed, but he was quiet. It didn't feel like I was anything but bruised up, and I rinsed off the rest of the soap and walked toward the door. I could feel some of the attitude that comes from having won a fight — one that really mattered — and as I looked back at Andre, I saw a man whose pride and body had both taken a beating. I felt no remorse.
Dressed and back in my cell, I tried to concentrate on the novel I held in my hands, but it was a waste of time. I kept thinking about Andre, sprawled on the bathroom floor, bleeding from the beating I'd delivered. I felt like part of me should be ashamed of having lost my temper, but mostly I was proud, proud that I'd defended myself and taught a piece of shit bully a lesson. Six months ago, I probably would have ended up with a dick in my mouth, but not anymore.
I was also intrigued by the fact that Joker had asked a friend to keep an eye on me. Since I'd been spending most of my time with the Sons, I hadn't seen a single Latino in the clubhouse, but clearly Joker had friends that I'd never met.
I wondered what time it was, and I hoped that I'd get to see Krystal at some point. I knew she stopped by every day, but yesterday, I'd spent the entire day hoping to be escorted to see her, but nothing … like she hadn't even bothered to visit.
When the guard approached my cell, I figured that I was about to see either Krystal or Bryan, maybe even both of them.
"Callaway, you have a visitor."
I stood up and waited for the door to swing open. We walked to the meeting room in silence, the quiet only broken by the sound of my leg irons clinking and dragging along the concrete floors. The room was empty. I waited for the guard to unlock my handcuffs, but he simply left the room without another word. Confused, I sat down to wait.
I hadn't waited for more than ten seconds when the door opened again and a man and a woman walked inside. I recognized them as the federal agents who'd questioned me on the day I was arrested, and I wondered for a moment if it hadn't been a coincidence that Krystal had run into the woman a couple of days ago. I figured that I was about to find out.
"Luke," the man said as he sat down. "I know we've met before, but it's been a while. I'm Mark Singer, DEA, and this is Kate Tanner, FBI."
"I remember you both." I was curious about what they were doing there, but I wasn't going to ask. I studied Tanner, trying to figure out what her angle in my case was. Krystal had taken a shine to her, but Bryan had told me over and over that I shouldn't trust the feds. He'd also told me I shouldn't trust the cops, either, so I figured that mistrust was just a defense attorney's standard operating procedure.
Mark looked at me. "We figured that you weren't busy, so we hoped that you might have time for a little chat with us."
I couldn't tell if he was making a joke, but I didn't think it was funny. I sat, still and stone-faced, waiting for them to get to their point.
Tanner set a legal pad on the table. "I'm sure Krystal told you that I ran into her on Tuesday."
She looked at me as if she expected an answer, but I didn't feel compelled to play whatever game she was setting up.
She continued. "This wasn't my case, but I talked to the prosecutor, and he told me that he's certain that he'll get a conviction."
"So I heard." I figured that it couldn't hurt to confirm what she already knew. For all I knew, she could have been behind the mirror when Krystal, Bryan and I talked on Tuesday.
"What you don't know is that I talked to Krystal on Tuesday evening, and she asked me if I could intervene on your behalf."
"I don't believe you," I said. There was no way that Krystal would be foolish enough to call a federal agent and expect their help.
Mark shrugged his shoulders and put his hands on the table. "Well, it's true. Ms. Shaw gave Kate, here, reason to believe that you could be of help in wrapping up some old cases we have on the books. Some matters that we have reason to believe that some of your MC brothers have been involved in."
I laughed. "I don't want to be rude, but if you think that I'm going to be your informant, you're a fucking idiot."
The two agents looked at one another and looked back at me, neither one saying a word or betraying any emotion by their expressions.
"I don't know anything. Remember? We talked about this. I'm only a prospect, and I haven't even been around as long as most prospects are. The MC made an exception for me because my birth father is the president, and because I have the business plan for a legit way for them to make money. If I knew something, I'd tell you." I was frustrated that I'd been brought to this room, expecting my gorgeous old lady and found two tight-ass feds instead. "That's all I have to say to you, and if you ask me any more questions, I'm going to insist that my lawyer be present."
The agents looked at one another.
Kate stood up. "Okay, then. I believe that Krystal's outside waiting to see you. I hope you have a mighty creative story to explain those bruises on your face. I'm sure you don't want her to worry about you."
Fucking bitch.
Chapter 5 -- Krystal
I waited outside the room while Kate and Mark were inside with Luke. I was pretty sure that Luke was going to take some convincing that it was in his best interest to work with them, and I also suspected that he might not be very happy with me for havin
g suggested the idea to Kate. I was willing to deal with his anger, though, if it meant that he'd be coming home to me.
The door opened, and the agents emerged into the hallway.
"How'd it go?" I asked anxiously.
Kate shook her head. "He's not exactly on board. He doesn't know anything, and I'm not about to tell him what we know until he's committed for sure. Krystal, it's on you. Either you talk him into this, or he'll get older, harder, and more banged up in prison."
Mark added, "You're in for a shock when you see him." His smirk made me like him even less than I already did.
I addressed Kate since I thought Mark was a total dick. "I'll convince him. Don't worry."
"Oh, I'm not worried for me," Kate replied. "I just know how hard it's going to be for you to have to make the trek down to Florence once a month to visit Luke in prison. I believe that you deserve to be happy, and I hope Luke believes that too."
Mark leaned closer to me. "You may want to tell lover boy that his MC ain't made up of nice guys. We know some awful shit these guys have done, and we'll prove it one way or another. Whether or not he helps us out, the outcome's going to be the same. I don't think he understands how bad some of these guys are. If you know anything that can persuade him, now would be a good time to spill it, sweetheart."
Mark made my skin crawl. I understood that he was right, but his attitude was so condescending and slimy that I had to suppress a shudder. I nodded to acknowledge him, and I headed for the door.
"We'll be in touch," Kate said just before I went into the room.
I walked inside and my heart just dropped when I saw Luke. He sat at the table, and the bruises that were beginning to show on his face and his hands told me that he'd been in a serious fight.
"Oh my God, Luke," I said as I walked slowly toward the table. "What happened?"
"It's not as bad as it looks, baby," he said. "I'm fine."
"What happened?" I asked again.
"Little disagreement, that's all. I made sure it won't happen again."
From the tone of his voice, I suspected that the other guy probably looked worse than Luke did. Seeing the bruises on the face and the hands I loved so much strengthened my resolve.
