by London Casey
“Very nice work,” Kye said. He patted me on the back. “What were you doing up here?”
“None of your fucking business,” I said. “Focus on the situation.” I pointed to the clearing of land. “They were all up there talking. Hell Five. Guys in suits. Something went down.”
“Let’s find out,” Jasper said.
He wasted no time in taking out his gun. He pointed it right at the prospect. This was a risky move but it paid off because it showed the true colors of the prospect. If that were me - or any of my brothers - we wouldn’t have flinched. The reason? If we knew something someone else wanted to know, what would killing us do?
This prospect started to kick and thrash like a damn fool. He screamed so hard the veins in his neck pulsed and looked as thick as the branches of the trees above my head.
He knew something and he would crack.
Jasper put the gun to the prospect’s forehead.
Trev came forward to the play good cop role. He crouched and pushed Jasper’s hand away.
“Listen to me,” Trev said. “You know why we have you. I’m not here to kill you. I just need to ask you a few questions. Okay?”
The guy shook his head.
“The thing is,” Trev said, “if you don’t talk to me, I will kill you.”
With that said, Trev took his gun out.
The prospect flipped shit again.
We all circled around him. Trev stood up. I crouched down.
I grabbed at the tape on his mouth and started to pull. I got halfway and stopped. “If you scream, I will shoot you.”
I ripped the tape all the way. Everyone winced except the prospect. He sat stone like, his eyes dripping with tears. His lips quivered, wanting to scream from the stinging pain of the tape being ripped off his face.
“So let’s talk,” I said.
“I don’t know anything.”
“Yes you do. I saw you. Don’t fuck with me.”
“Answers,” Kye said. “Right fucking now.”
“They’ll know I’m gone,” the prospect said. “They’ll come…”
“No they won’t,” I said. “You’re a useless prospect. So now you get to choose your fate. How you want to go out.”
“Fuck this,” Kye said. He took his gun out and put it to the top of the prospect’s head. “What the fuck were they doing?!”
Kye’s voice boomed through the woods.
“Holy fucking shit,” the prospect yelled. “They were talking a new deal!”
“There you go,” Kye said.
“What kind of deal?” I asked.
“Real estate,” the prospect said. “I know nothing else.”
Kye crouched down and swung his gun, hitting the prospect in the face. His head swiveled and I thought his neck had broken.
I grabbed Kye and wanted to punch him.
Kye nodded to me.
The prospect started to cry. “Land… land…”
“Land?” I asked. “They’re buying land?”
“Yes.”
I stood up. So did Kye.
Jasper kept his gun handy, just in case. “What are they using it for?”
“I don’t know that,” the prospect said. “They want to build. A warehouse maybe. A clubhouse or something. I don’t go inside.”
“Why were you on this run?” Trev asked.
“Carlo is out of town. They have extra security because of you guys. I was given a chance.”
“That sucks,” I said. “You fucked up, man.”
“Please,” the prospect said. “You know where it is now. You know everything. Just let me…”
“We know where it is?” Trev asked. “The land?”
“Yes,” the prospect said.
“No we don’t,” I said.
“You said you saw us.”
“Fuck,” I said. “That’s the land?”
The prospect nodded.
Land that was touching Belle’s property. That’s where these fucks wanted to set up shop? My heart pounded in my chest. I wanted to kill this guy myself.
“Shit,” Trev said. “Someone sold Hell Five some land.”
“Whoever it is, they’re fucked,” Jasper said.
“I’m done here,” I said and started to walk away.
I waited at my ride for the guys.
Trev left the woods first. Then Jasper. Before I could ask where Kye was, I heard a single gunshot.
This was my life… this was why Belle needed to stay far away.
**
I had toyed with calling Belle for hours but I sat at the clubhouse, drinking, trying to clear up my muddled thoughts. The war with the Hell Five was getting deeper. Ivan made a friendly reminder call to Trev about the sixty-five thousand. Jasper, Cade, and Austin were out on a ride to check out a potential run for us that would give us some cash.
I sat outside with a beer, letting the seconds tick by. I kept going back in time and I hated it. Going back to me and Belle together. All those wild nights together. How she had been my best friend’s dorky ass sister and somehow turned into a beautiful woman. Like a flower that bloomed over one summer, she became everything. Even then I held back from her. I protected her from assholes and kept my distance until I couldn’t take it anymore. Hell, maybe I joined up the military and went overseas to give Belle a chance to get away from me. But she didn’t. She was always there, always waiting.
And I was the outlaw, always riding.
“Fuck,” I whispered.
“It’s only going to get worse.”
Kye was there. I hadn’t even heard him come up to me. That’s how lost I was.
He was drunk as shit, his eyes bouncing all over the place.
“Easy,” I said. “Drink the night away.”
“You saw it,” Kye said. “You know it. I saw your reaction.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Up there today with the Hell Five prospect. And that land. It’s big, brother.”
“I know it is. We’ll take care of it.”
“So what do you think will happen? We find out who sold them the land?”
“That would be the logical thing, right?”
“That’s what we’re going to do,” Kye said. “And it’s going to be bad.”
“Why?”
Kye inched forward. “Because you and I know who owns that land. Come on, brother. What the fuck were you doing up there?”
“I was on a goddamn ride,” I growled.
“No you weren’t,” Kye said.
I stood up, a little bit taller than Kye. “Listen, man. You better start talking right now or else I’m going to drop you. I don’t think you want that.”
Kye put his hands in fists and ducked his head around. The dumb ass was so drunk, he didn’t realize how serious I was.
My hand shot out and grabbed his shirt.
That got his attention.
“Brother, I saw your face,” Kye said. “We both know the woman that owns it.”
“I only know one person up there,” I finally admitted. “Her land ends where that begins.”
Kye shook his head. “No, man. That family… there’s a house, right? It’s a brother and sister that live there. The old man died of heart problems. It’s her land now. All hers.”
“What?”
“Shit, Duke,” Kye said. “My old man used to play cards with their old man. That’s how I know them. The old man bought up all the land around his property. He wanted to have his kids build there. He wanted his own little neighborhood of his kids and grandkids and shit. I guess his son went to Iraq and got blown up. Lost his leg. His daughter moved back in to help take care of things. Then the old man got sick and died. All that land went to the daughter. She owns it. She’s the one who sold it to the Hell Five.”
I let Kye go and stepped back.
Everything started to spin.
Belle?
“You do something right now for me,” I said.
“What?” Kye asked.
/> “You keep your fucking mouth shut about what you just said. Understand me?”
“We have to take it to the table.”
“We will,” I said. “But right now… shut your mouth. Don’t assume a fucking thing. If you need to move your mouth, find a pussy to eat.”
Kye laughed. “Ah, fuck, brother. You’re hitting that up there… that’s why you were there…”
I pulled at Kye, bringing him nose to nose with me. “Don’t assume a thing, Kye. You’re good at connecting the dots, right? So if her brother was in Iraq… how do you think I know them?”
Kye’s eyes went wide. “Shit. You and him…”
“So give me a little respect.”
“Fuck,” Kye said. “You know I can’t wait around for forever here. This is bad for the MC, brother. Shit, Trev already has feelers out there. It’s only a matter of time…”
“No shit,” I said.
I let Kye go and stood there, almost defeated.
“You have to tell me something, brother.”
I nodded. I trusted Kye. I trusted all the guys I considered my brother. “I served with him in Iraq. I pulled him from the blown up convoy. He was my best friend. And his sister? We have our own history.”
The look on Kye’s face said everything.
If the MC found out Belle sold land to the Hell Five… they’d vote to kill her.
chapter sixteen.
(belle)
I hadn’t heard from Duke in a few days. In that time, however, Maggie made it a point to come over to the house every single day. The first couple days were to clean but the third day she casually cooked food and talked to Jim. She stayed for dinner and even later, drinking wine with me. I convinced her to spend the night and not go out there and drive like an idiot while drunk. To my shock, Jim stepped in and cracked a joke that he didn’t lose a leg for her freedom to get drunk and drive. In his own gruff way it was funny although me and Maggie didn’t laugh.
I got up early, like I always did, and made coffee.
Maggie was shortly behind me, looking the same as she went to sleep. That meant she got up and tried to fix herself up.
“Coffee?”
“Advice,” Maggie said. She sat down and slid her phone across the table.
“Talk to me,” I said.
“I got a call last night. I’m glad I was here and drunk. But that’s no way to live.”
“You didn’t invite him over.”
“I would have if I was home.”
Jim appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. “You made coffee?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“Good. I made some and it’s bad.”
“You made coffee?” I asked.
“Didn’t sleep that great. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You realize it’s just coffee grounds and water?” Maggie asked.
“And a filter,” I said.
“Oh, a filter?” Jim asked. “Maybe that’s where I went wrong.”
“Really?” Maggie asked.
Jim stood there like stone. But then he winked at Maggie.
So cute.
I got Jim a coffee. Then without even thinking I looked at Maggie. “But you did the right thing. You kept him away.”
“Kept who away?” Jim asked.
“Nobody,” I said.
Maggie’s cheeks turned red. “Nothing, Jim. Girl stuff.”
“That ex of yours?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
Jim nodded. “You know, I’m not an expert on things, but I do know a lot about self-destruction. Keep pushing it, Maggie, and watch where you end up.”
With that, Jim walked away. I heard a few doors slam shut.
I was frozen for a few seconds.
“What was that about?” Maggie asked.
“I think that was Jim’s way of saying he likes you.”
“Interesting,” Maggie said. “He’s sort of become a distraction for me. I like stopping by here. Not just because you’re paying me.”
“You make it sound like I’m whoring you out to my brother.”
Maggie snorted. “When you put it that way…”
“Jim is just so…”
“It’s okay. I get it. I see it. I can navigate those waters.”
“You’re braver than me then,” I said.
A heavy pound echoed through the house. It sounded like someone was trying to smash in the front door.
I jumped and ran from the kitchen. I saw a hulking figure through the frosted glass of the front door.
When I opened the door and saw Duke standing there, I gasped. I expected him to call or something before just showing up. Or maybe just never showing up again. Even if he was still burning in my mind.
“Duke.”
“Belle, we need to talk right now.”
Behind me, Maggie said, “Everything okay?”
Duke looked beyond me, curling his lip. “Do you have something to do?”
I looked back and nodded to her.
“I’ll go check on Jim,” Maggie said.
I pulled the door shut behind me and followed Duke to the steps. He sat down and pointed to the spot next to him. Last time we sat on the steps together we made out for hours.
That was a different life.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He looked at me. “What do you do for a living now?”
“Me? I work for a real estate developing company. Why?”
“Ah, shit,” Duke said. He jumped up and down the steps. He turned and looked at me. “You’re in trouble, sweetie.”
My heart sank. “I’m in trouble? For what?”
“The house and land here,” Duke said. “That’s what your parents started with, right?”
“Yeah.”
“They bought more land?”
“Yeah. Is that a problem?”
“No. Selling it is.”
“Selling land?” I asked. “Nobody sold land. My parents bought it all wanting me and Jim to build houses here. They had dreams for more kids too…”
“That never happened,” Duke said.
“No. It didn’t. My mother died. Remember?”
“Shit, sweetie, I’m not here to dive into the past. There’s a piece of land that touches yours out back. Did your father buy that?”
“Yes,” I said. “My father bought everything touching around here.” I slowly rose up. “Why?”
“Fuck,” Duke yelled. “You can’t lie to me right now, sweetie. If you lie I can’t protect you.”
“Lie to you about what?”
Duke walked toward the porch. His hands touched my waist. I was eye level with him as he stood on the ground, me on the steps.
“The piece of land behind you was sold to someone that’s no good for the club.”
“Impossible. I never signed a thing.”
“Sweetie, I saw it go down and I got a confession.”
“A confession?”
“One of the guys told me everything I needed to know.”
The way Duke said that made shivers run through my body. I didn’t want to know how he got information out of people.
“I don’t know…” I shook my head.
“The company you work for,” Duke said. “Could someone have forged papers? Something that could help you?”
“Impossible,” I said. “When Dad died, everything was split up. It was fifty-fifty between me and Jim. All my deeds and paperwork are with me. Nobody could do anything without me. Same for Jim.”
Duke’s face dropped. He grabbed my hand and pulled at me. Next thing I knew he was damn near dragging me to the backyard. I had a hard time keeping up. He then stopped and pointed to his right.
“Who owns that?”
“I do,” I said.
I pointed to the left. “That?”
“Me again.”
Duke pointed straight back. “There?”
I looked at him and I didn’t need to say a thing. Duke realized it.
“Jim’s,” he
said. “Fucking shit. Your brother sold a piece of land to a crew that is trying to take us out. The gunshot wound you patched up? Those guys are the cause of that gunshot wound. And your brother…”
“No,” I said. “That can’t be right. No way Jim would do that.”
“Let’s find out.”
Then I was running after Duke again. He busted into the house like he owned it. The thuds of his boots on the floors were like cracks of thunder. He swung around into Jim’s part of the house and I caught up to him with Jim sitting at the kitchen table and Maggie standing at the counter.
For a second I saw them both smiling.
“Maggie, get out,” Duke said.
“Excuse me?” she asked.
“Maggie, come here,” I said. “It’s…”
Duke wasn’t waiting.
He went right to Jim and put Jim on the floor. Chair and all. Maggie let out a scream.
“Duke!” I yelled.
He was on one knee and put a hand to Jim’s chest. “What the fuck are you trying to prove? Trying to get back at me?”
“What?” Jim asked. “What is this?”
I grabbed for Duke but there was no pulling him off. He was like a rabid dog. I had seen him like this one time before. When I was seventeen and got mixed up with a college guy. In the backseat of his car things were forcefully moving forward too fast. Duke punched out the window, dragged the guy from the car, and beat him senseless. Then he took me home and waited outside my bedroom until I fell asleep.
This was far different though.
My nails dug into Duke’s leather cut as I tried to pull.
“Tell the truth,” Duke said. “Did you sell any land?”
“Land… my land?”
“Answer the question.”
“It’s my fucking land,” Jim said.
He swung a right hand and punched Duke in the face.
Maggie screamed again.
Duke took the punch and then grabbed Jim with both hands. He lifted Jim up. I kept pulling at Duke’s leather, my feet almost leaving the ground. The man was a tank.
With a growl, Duke tossed Jim back. Jim grabbed for a chair and stumbled and fell. He grabbed for his prosthetic leg and then grabbed for the counter to pull himself back up.
I managed to wrap my hands around Duke’s hand and pulled.
“Please, Duke,” I said. “Please…”
Duke looked back at me. He then twisted his hand and squeezed mine. He nodded.
“I need the truth, Jim,” Duke said.
