For a moment, Sapphire wondered what his place would look like. Hard lines and masculine, was her guess. Dark, deep natural tones — much like the man himself.
“Are we going inside?” Rachel asked. “Or are we just going to sit here while you stare out the window?”
“Oh. Sorry, let’s go,” Sapphire said, opening the passenger side door and climbing out of Diesel’s truck.
She waited by the hood while Diesel helped Rachel get out and into her wheelchair. Together, they headed for the large entry door. The moment it opened, Sapphire was assaulted by the lights and sounds blasting through the speakers.
“This way,” Diesel said leading them to a roped-off section filled with other members of the Devil’s Henchmen.
“Hey!” several voices shouted to be heard over the music.
Sapphire inclined her head and took the empty seat between Reaper and Rachel. Looking around the bar, she could tell that a lot of pride went into the place. Most biker-type bars had that dusty, sticky, smoke-filled feeling but here, everything was...clean.
“Nice, right?” Rachel asked.
“Very.”
“Tank loves this place. He got it after his dad retired and moved to Florida. The Brickyard is his baby.”
“I can tell,” Sapphire smiled. “It’s so...”
“Clean?” Rachel laughed.
“Yeah.”
“Hey y’all!” A beautiful, curvaceous woman with a drink shouted as she made her way over to the table. “What can I get y’all to drink?” she smiled.
“Hey, Sarah!” Rachel called. “How’s it going?”
“Girl, it has been crazy!”
“I can tell. Seems like everyone and their momma is here tonight.”
“Right?” Sarah said, looking around. “And it’s only going to get worse.”
“Why do you say that?” Rachel asked.
“The guys didn’t tell you?” Sarah inquired.
Sapphire looked around the group of Henchmen. Each were staring holes into the waitress like she was about to reveal the secret to world domination or something.
“Tell me what?” Rachel asked, looking at Diesel.
“Nothing,” Diesel, Sledge, and Reaper said simultaneously.
Sapphire could tell something was off and she didn’t like being kept in the dark. If something was going on, she wanted to know about it.
“Oh...um... do y’all want something to drink?” Sarah asked, now looking nervous.
“Just a coke for me,” Rachel said, sounding irritated.
“And for you?” Sarah asked Sapphire.
“Crown and Coke.”
“Got it. Be right back.”
Sapphire watched as the waitress walked towards the bar to place their order. It also gave her a second to finally have a reason to check out Tank. The man looked completely at home behind the counter. Sapphire watched as he bent low, putting his ear close to Sarah while she gave him their order. Lifting his head, his eyes met Sapphire’s. A slow smile spread across his face, causing an identical one to spread across hers and the air to leave her lungs. The man was truly a walking sex god.
Peeling her eyes from his, Sapphire turned to Reaper. She wanted answers. No. She needed them. She couldn’t stay in a place if something was happening and she was kept in the dark. She needed some control. And he would give it to her. He would understand her need.
“What the fuck is going on?” she whispered in his ear.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” he replied.
“Bullshit!” Sapphire retorted. “Tell me, now!”
“Come on,” Reaper said standing from his chair and pulling hers out.
Sapphire followed him towards the bar, but instead of stopping, he continued down a long hallway. Entering an office, Tank’s office she assumed, Sapphire turned to see that they were not alone. Sledge had followed them.
“What’s going on?” Sapphire asked again once the door was closed.
“First, let me make it clear — this is Henchmen territory. What information I give you is because I want you to have it,” Sledge answered.
“Oh, stop the shit, Sledge,” Sapphire quipped, rolling her eyes. “This isn’t the 1980’s. We don’t have fucking territories. We both run very legal clubs. So let’s not pretend this is a gang war.”
“We?” Sledge eyebrow rose. “Last I knew, you didn’t want any part of club life. So who is this ‘we’ shit?”
“Don’t you ever get tired of being a total dickwaffle?” Sapphire sighed.
“Okay you two!” Reaper groaned. “Knock it off, for fuck’s sake.”
Sapphire wanted to strangle him. She wanted to take him outside and kick his pompous ass all over again.
Fuckin’ prick!
“Here’s the deal,” Reaper said. “We got word that the Pecadores Santanas are coming into town tonight and Chavez will be here, too.”
Sapphire knew the name. The Pecadores Santanas, or Satan’s Sinners in English, was a Mexican gang that ran drugs, guns, and girls into the states via hidden tunnels that authorities had yet to find. About three weeks ago, Border Patrol found an eighteen wheeler about sixty miles north of Laredo, Texas with eleven dead in its cargo. The girls were from several different countries — Mexican, American, Chinese, Korean. It was proof that the gang’s reach was farther than anyone imagined. And now they were here.
“What are they in town for? And why would they be stupid enough to come here, knowing the Henchmen are all over this place?” Sapphire asked, running a hand over her face.
It made no sense...why here?
“That’s what we are trying to figure out,” Sledge answered. “Normally, they stay clear of Dallas and Houston areas because of us and your mother. But for some reason, they are jumping into the heart of both. I received a call from your mom today. Apparently, they are having a meet up at Piper’s Pit tonight, too.”
“No way!” Sapphire exclaimed, shocked. “At Piper’s?”
“Yep,” Sledge nodded.
“My sister would never go for that.”
It wasn’t Piper’s bar, it actually belonged to Aidan, an ex-boyfriend of hers. But still, Piper would never consent to have that type of group in the bar. Piper was a cop. She loved her job and took it very seriously.
Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out her cellphone and connected a call to Piper.
“What are you doing?” Sledge asked.
“Calling my sister.”
Sapphire waited for Piper to answer. Finally, on the fourth ring, she heard her sister’s voice.
“Hey Beautiful!” Piper chimed.
“Hey,” Sapphire smiled. “What the fuck is going on? I’m standing here with Sledge and Reaper and I’m being told that Pecadores Santanas is holding a meeting at Piper’s Pit.”
“That’s what I hear,” Piper answered.
“And you’re allowing this?” Sapphire asked, shocked.
“Yes,” Piper replied. “It’s the only way we can gather intel. Normally, they are so secretive. For some reason, they are coming out to play in the light.”
“Piper,” Sapphire warned. “This is a dangerous game.”
“Drugs, guns, the selling of teenage girls,” Piper listed. “It’s all dangerous, but it’s our job to face the dangers. It’s our job to stop scum like Chavez and his crew.”
“I don’t like it,” Sapphire admitted. “I’ll never get home in time to be there.”
“You don’t need to be here, Steph,” Piper sighed. “Club life isn’t what you want, remember?”
“This isn’t about the fucking club, Piper.”
“It’s not?”
“No! This is about my family walking into a snake pit filled with deadly pythons!”
“You don’t always have to be the protector, Sapphire,” Piper replied. “We are capable of taking care of ourselves.”
Sapphire didn’t know what to say. Her stomach was telling her to run. Run home. This entire situation was bad.
; “I’m coming home.”
“No,” Piper said forcefully. “You are where you need to be. Trust me. We got this. Mom has the Angels at the club and I have a few undercovers there, too. Not to mention, from the intel we have been given, the largest of the group will be there. You’re needed there Sapphire. Stay.”
“Piper...” it was Sapphire’s turn to sigh. She felt so torn. “I love you. Be careful. Please.”
“I love you, too,” Piper replied. “And I’m always careful. Watch your six, beautiful.”
Sapphire ended the call and sat heavily in the office chair behind her. She had no idea when she started walking the room or how she ended up behind Tank’s desk. However, at the moment she was grateful for it. She felt like everything she had once known was about to crash down around her. She had a sinking feeling, and she didn’t like it one bit.
“Talk to me Stephanie,” Reaper said quietly, making his way to her side.
“What if something happens to them?”
“What is your gut telling you?”
“That I need to get home.”
“Then that’s what you do,” Reaper said.
“But I’ll never make it back in time,” Sapphire sighed.
“Then you stay here,” Sledge said, coming to stand on the opposite side of her. “You stay here. Help us.”
“Piper says the largest part of the faction will be here, but I still don’t understand why? The group is infamous for staying hidden. Keeping to the shadows. Why come out? Why chance being caught?”
“That’s what we need to figure out,” Reaper answered. “Something has happened. Something that has changed the dynamic of how they run things.”
Sapphire’s head was a chaos of emotions. She came here to simply help Rachel learn to walk again; but now, she was in the middle of a Mexican cartel clusterfuck. This was not how her vacation was supposed to be.
Stop being a whiny bitch!
It was time to pull on her big girl panties and get shit done. She would just have to trust that her mom and sisters could handle things back home without her. She was needed here. Even if she didn’t want anything to do with the MC life, this was a lot bigger than that. This was a problem that involved a lot more than just the Devil’s Henchmen and the Iron Angels. This group reached far out into the world. Taking children from their homes; and selling them, along with drugs and guns to the highest bidder.
“Okay,” Sapphire said, standing from her seat. “I’m in.”
“Good,” Sledge sighed.
“Worried I’d tell you to go fuck yourself?” Sapphire asked.
“Honestly?” Sledge asked. “Kind of.”
Sapphire couldn’t help but laugh. Nothing was really funny about this situation, but it was either laugh or have a breakdown. And breakdowns weren’t her thing.
Chapter Eight
Tank
He knew the moment she walked back into the bar. He could feel himself being drawn to her. When he saw her following Reaper towards his office, he knew she had figured out that something was going on. He wanted to follow, but the bar was too busy. This was one of those moments that he wished he’d taken Sarah’s advice and hired another bartender.
Glancing over as they walked past, he could see the nervousness in her eyes, in the way she held herself rigid.
“Hey!” Tank called, drawing her attention.
“Hey,” Sapphire said as she pulled out a barstool and sat across from him.
“You okay?” he asked.
“As okay as I ever will be with all this shit,” she sighed.
“It’ll be okay,” Tank offered.
“I don’t know,” Sapphire said shaking her head. “Something feels off. Like a knot in the pit of my stomach that just won’t go away. I keep thinking I need to call my mom, but I know Pope wouldn’t appreciate the concern. She would probably tell me to get a grip.”
“Here,” Tank said, handing her a scotch and coke. “Drink this. You’ll feel better.”
“Thanks,” Sapphire smiled. “But I don’t think this is exactly what I need.”
“Well,” Tank grinned. “I could offer you more but it will have to wait until after the bar closes for the night.”
Tank’s grin spread across his face as Sapphire’s head tipped back as she laughed. It wasn’t exactly the answer he was looking for, but he’d take it.
They spent the next couple of hours talking about random things — favorite songs, foods, places they had visited. The conversation flowed easily and as the minutes ticked by, Tank could see the tension leaving Sapphire’s body. However, the peace was soon shattered by the commotion near the Henchmen’s tables.
“What the hell is going on?” Sapphire asked out loud.
“I don’t know,” Tank replied. “But I’m about to find out.”
Tank moved out from behind the bar, his long stride quickly eating up the distance between himself and the rest of the guys.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he neared.
Sledge was on the phone barking orders while Reaper paced the floor in front of him. Tension was rolling off the two men in waves. It was literally a tangible thing pulsing throughout the group.
“Devin received a call from someone with the Iron Angels,” Beth answered when nobody else had said a word. “Apparently, intel was wrong. The cartel showed up there. All of them.”
“What?” Sapphire shouted.
Tank turned to see her standing behind him. He watched as the color started to drain from her face and involuntary shakes took over her body. Moving to stand near her, Sapphire pushed Tank’s arm away and walked towards Sledge.
“What the fuck happened?” she demanded. “And why in the universal of fucks did they call you and not me?”
“Calm yourself,” Reaper replied.
“Fuck calm!” Sapphire shouted. “That’s my family. If you can’t understand that, then fuck you, too!”
Tank knew things were about to get chaotic. Looking at the clock on the wall, it was only about an hour until closing. Thinking fast, he found Sarah and told her to start helping him get people out of the club. Whatever happened in Houston tonight would cause a monsoon to roll through The Brickyard and his customers did not need to be involved. Working quickly, Tank and Sarah managed to clear the bar in thirty minutes despite the grumbles from some that it was too soon.
“You can go ahead and head out,” Tank told Sarah as the last patron walked out the door.
“You don’t need any help cleaning?” she asked.
“Nah, the guys can help.”
“Okay,” she smiled. “Have a good night.”
Locking the door behind her, Tank walked back over to the group and to his total shock, Sapphire was wrapped in Reaper’s arms. Waves of anger and jealousy coursed through him. Sapphire was his woman. Well, she would be if shit ever went right.
“Now, what the fuck happened?” He demanded.
“The Angels were ambushed. The entire cartel showed up on their doorstep,” Sledge replied, leaning against the table, head hanging.
“And?” Dread filled Tank to his very soul. This wasn’t going to be good.
“Pope Kimber was killed,” Sledge answered.
Oh fuck!
Looking to Sapphire for confirmation, Tank found nothing. She was completely blank. No emotion shown in her eyes as she pulled out of Reaper’s embrace.
He wanted to say something, but what could he tell her? Sorry about your mom sounded so stupid, even in his head. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to be the person she leaned on, but looking at her now Tank knew Sapphire needed none of that. Right now, she was lost within herself. He knew that feeling, too. When his wife and unborn child died, he felt the same way. Dead.
“We need to head to Houston,” Diesel finally broke the silence. “We need to find these motherfuckers and take them out. Slowly.”
“Painfully,” Weasel added.
“We’re not going to Houston,” Sledge announced.
>
“What?” Tank asked. “Why the fuck not?”
“Think about it,” Sledge said, finally looking at the group. “We were given intel that said the largest faction would be here. We were lied to. Something tells me that was intentional. We need to find out why before we go in all Rambo style.”
“Not to mention, the cartel is already gone. Those that made it out alive have scattered like rats. We need to wait until they regather. Then we plot and attack,” Reaper said to the group earning several head nods.
Tank watched as the first sign of life came back to Sapphire as she walked away from the group and over to the bar. He knew where she was going and as much as it killed him knowing that she would never find what she was currently looking for — he let her remove the bottle from the shelve, twist off the top, and gulp down the burning liquid.
“Everyone to the compound,” Sledge ordered. “Diesel, I want y’all there too until this is all handled.”
“Gotcha,” Diesel replied.
“Weasel, follow D to his house and stand watch. I don’t want anyone to go anywhere alone.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Weasel replied.
“Sapphire, let’s go,” Diesel called.
“I’m not going,” Sapphire finally spoke.
“What?” Diesel asked. “Of course you are.”
“No. I’m not.”
“Steph,” Reaper warned. “You’re not going back to Houston. So get that thought out of your head. You can’t fight this alone.”
“I’m not going back,” Sapphire said, taking another swig. “Yet.”
“She can stay here tonight,” Tank offered.
“No,” Sledge replied. “She needs to come back to the compound.”
“What fucking part of...” Sapphire started, but Tank quickly interrupted.
“She’ll be fine here,” Tank said. “Plus, after she finishes off that bottle of tequila, I doubt she’ll go anywhere.”
Tank could tell that Sledge was struggling. The man was really a great guy. He cared about his crew, probably more than he should. Sledge took his responsibility for the Henchmen seriously. Sometimes, a little too seriously. But as President of the club, Sledge had a lot on his shoulders. Now add the attack against the Angels to his plate, and Tank could understand Sledge’s need to keep everyone close and safe.
Sapphire: Iron Angels, MC (Book One) Page 5
