It was closing in on midnight, and it was dark out in that stretch of Nevada desert heading away from the interstate. As they roared through the desert night, Crash glanced down at his side mirror and spotted three pin-point lights far behind them growing closer and closer. The DK’s were closing in.
The bike flew over a slight hill, and there ahead of them on the left were the lights of The Pony. They flew into a well-lit gravel parking lot large enough to accommodate a dozen tractor-trailers and four times as many cars. There was a large brick ranch house that looked from the outside like any ordinary house except for the two large modular add-on wings attached to the back. A huge illuminated sign that read, The Pony, stood on a pole by the road. The front of the lot was well lit for customers. The back was shadowy darkness broken up here and there by dim security lighting.
Cole, Wolf, Red Dog and Green were standing at the entrance to the gravel lot, guns drawn. Crash pulled in and fishtailed in the gravel before jerking the bike to a stop. He shouted for Shannon to get off and get up to the building, pointing toward it. As she moved to comply, he was already jerking his helmet off and throwing it viciously to the ground as he stalked toward his brothers. He pulled his handgun and waited as the three Devil Kings thundered over the rise. They pulled to a stop in the drive. With five guns drawn on them, they sat, unmoving.
Crash watched as Cole nodded toward Taz. “I was hoping it’d be you. Get off.” Taz shut his bike down and climbed off. The other two remained on their bikes, but shut them down. “Throw your piece down,” Cole ordered.
Taz lifted his vest slowly, pulled his gun from his shoulder holster and tossed it to the ground. Cole nodded toward the knife at his hip. Taz tossed it down as well. Crash, Red Dog, Green and Wolf held their guns on the other two.
Crash watched as Taz’s gaze went to the sign and the building. “Wondered what the Evil Dead would be doing out this way.” He snorted as if he’d put the pieces together. “Mack branching out?”
“Question is, what the fuck are you doing out this way?” Cole asked.
“Just taking an evening ride,” he replied. Then he glanced over at Crash. “You bringin’ out fresh talent?”
“Shut the fuck up,” Crash snapped.
Taz grinned.
Cole drew his attention. “You’re all about it when it’s three on one. Question is, how big are your balls when it’s one-on-one?”
“What’s the matter, Cole? You still pissed about that deal at Stumpy’s?”
Crash could see the anger flare in Cole’s eyes and the tick in his jaw. Taz had just pushed a major button with Cole. That night when Big Ed, the Devil Kings President had ordered four of the eight guys at his back to escort Cole, Crash and Angel to Stumpy’s where they had forced Cole to have her inked with a property stamp had been one of the worst nights Crash had seen Cole go through. It had almost ended things between Angel and Cole.
Big Ed had done it to prove something to Cole, payback for disrespect Cole had shown him. That night, they’d been outnumbered eight to two, and there was no way out. Taz was one mean son of a bitch with a sadistic streak. Cole would have done anything to keep Angel clear of him. After that night, Taz had disappeared. The deal Mack had been trying to work with the Devil Kings fell through, and word on the street was Taz had gone Nomad. This was the first time since that night that any of them even had an inkling Taz was back.
Cole took a step toward the man he hated with a vengeance and growled, “You and me. Let’s go. Our boys stay out of it.”
Taz looked over at his two brothers, and then nodded back at Cole. “Yeah, sure. Whatever. I ain’t worried.”
Cole handed Crash his piece, and a moment later he dropped his head and barreled into Taz, driving him to the ground and knocking the wind out of him. Before Taz could catch his breath, Cole pounded him mercilessly in the face. Hit after hit, blood flying everywhere as his fists connected with Taz’s face. Taz tried to get his hands around Cole’s throat and choke him, but Cole’s relentless pounding didn’t let up.
Taz never had a chance to get a punch in before he fell unconscious. That didn’t stop Cole from continuing to drive his fist into him over and over. The two DK’s still sitting on their bikes began to rethink their neutral position, and Wolf, Green and Red Dog began to get twitchy, their gazes flicking between the two men they had their guns trained on and their VP.
Crash knew Cole was working out an old wound, and he needed to dole out this beating. Payback, with a big fucking exclamation point!
Red Dog looked over at him. “Crash.”
Crash’s eyes moved from Cole to Dog, and he nodded almost imperceptibly. Finally, Crash intervened, pulling Cole off the man before he killed him. “Brother, he’s done. Unless you want to start a war, that’s enough.”
Cole shrugged off Crash’s hold and stared down at the bleeding man, breathing heavily. Then he spit on him. Looking over at the other two Devil King’s, he barked, “Once this motherfucker comes back to the land of the living, get his ass on his bike and get the fuck off the property. This is done. Don’t fuckin’ come back.”
The two men’s eyes slid to the guns still aimed at their chest and slowly dismounted. They hefted Taz to his feet and dragged him to his bike. After about ten more minutes, they were able to revive Taz enough to get him on his bike and ride away.
Shannon watched as the three bikes rode off down the darkened road, the roar of their engines fading into the darkness with their taillights. Crash headed over to her, while Red Dog, Green and Wolf hung back congratulating Cole on the beat down.
Shannon could see the concern in Crash’s eyes and knew he hadn’t wanted her to see that. She was scared to death. Those three men had frightened her in the casino. They were dangerous, especially that one they called Taz. She understood nothing of the MC world, but she feared there would be retaliation for this. She studied Crash as he walked up. She didn’t know how he lived like this. It was a brutal, violent world where just having the wrong colors on your back could get you killed.
And she felt some guilt for it. If it hadn’t have been for her, Crash wouldn’t have been in Reno in the first place. She may have even been what had interested them enough to follow Crash. My God, if those men had caught up to them before they’d reached The Pony, what would have happened? Would they have beaten or killed Crash? And her, she didn’t want to think what they’d have done to her.
Maybe she was letting her fear run away with her.
“You okay, Princess?”
She shook her head no.
He pulled her into his arms. “C’mere.”
Her shaking arms went around him. “Will they come back?”
“No, baby. They’re gone,” he said against her hair.
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Your world is not normal.”
Crash pulled back and looked down at her. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth for just a moment, and then it was gone. “Maybe not, but it’s my world. Till the day I die, baby.”
“Your world is violent and male-dominated and-”
“I won’t deny it. And I make no excuses. I know exactly who I am, Shannon. I don’t regret this life. It’s who I am. I was born for this life.”
“You don’t care about the rest of the world, what people think?”
He grunted. “What people think? I know what people think.” He nodded toward the outside world. “They all know our name. Evil Dead. I hear their whispers when I walk through a store, a restaurant. There’s fear there, maybe, yeah. But there’s respect too. We don’t take crap. I don’t take crap.”
Her eyes moved from him to her surroundings. “What is this place?”
A grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, about that. You familiar with the phrase cat house?” At her frown, he continued. “Guess not. It’s a whore house, baby.”
“You mean a brothel?”
Crash shrugged. “Fancy word, but yeah.”
> She pulled back, taking a step away from him. “Why are we here?”
He pulled her back. “Relax. We’re not here to partake. This is just business.”
“Business?”
“Yeah. And the less you know…”
“The better. I know, I know.”
He grinned down at her. “She’s learnin’.”
Cole walked up shaking the pain in his fist out, and his eyes fell on her. “You and me are gonna have a sit down when shit calms down.”
She swallowed and nodded.
Cole’s gaze slid to Crash. “Come on.” He led the way to the door, ringing a bell. Crash took Shannon by the hand and pulled her along. Red Dog, Green and Wolf followed. A moment later, a middle aged woman in a long silk caftan answered the door. Her flaming red hair was tied headband style with a matching scarf. She had false eyelashes and bright red lipstick. She took one look at Cole and grinned.
“Hey, baby. Glad to see you. Come on in.” She stepped back, swinging the door wide.
Cole stopped to give her a one armed hug. “Hey, Dolly. How’s it shakin’?”
“Sweetie, it’s shakin’ just fine. You want a test drive, ‘ol Doll will be happy to oblige,” she teased, at least Shannon thought she was teasing.
Cole moved into the room, and Crash pulled Shannon in with him. The woman’s eyes fell on her, and then moved back to Cole. “She lookin’ for a job?”
Cole shook his head. “Sorry, Doll. You wish.”
“Hell, I knew my luck couldn’t be that good. Too bad, too. She’d make us a mint.”
Shannon felt Cole’s eyes land on her and worried that he might be considering that very question, but then he winked at her, and she relaxed. “Naw. Just a ride-a-long.”
“We can’t have women in here, Cole. It’s bad for business,” Dolly explained.
“Well, then we’d better get this shit sorted, hadn’t we?”
“The office is back there. Your boys can wait in the bar.”
Cole nodded and gave the boys a head jerk toward the bar before he headed off with Dolly.
While they’d been speaking, Shannon had let her eyes travel around the room. It was set up like a large living room or parlor. There were black leather couches and chairs, red velvet curtains and plush red carpeting. There were erotic paintings of nudes hanging on the walls. A sign near the entry to the back hallway proclaimed a two hundred dollar minimum. The lighting was dim, and the mood was sensual.
And then Crash was pulling her through a large archway on the left into what looked like an ordinary bar room, with a long fully stocked bar running the length of the room on her right and tables and chairs to her left. Yes, it looked like an ordinary bar until her eyes hit the big screen on the wall beyond the tables. It was playing non-stop porno movies. Shannon quickly averted her eyes back to the bar, only to find that the mirror behind it reflected the movie back at her.
There were several men at the bar, sipping drinks. Another group at a table that Shannon thought looked like either a group of frat boys or a bachelor party.
Crash pulled Shannon to the bar, his hand going around the back of her barstool. She noticed his eyes move from one man to another, to the group at the table. And then his hand moved to the back of her neck, rubbing and massaging, and she swore, claiming her, marking her his.
A good looking bartender came over. He was a big man, muscular with broad shoulders. Probably about Crash’s age. He had dark brown eyes and a close cut beard. “What can I get you?”
Crash looked at her questioningly. “You want a cola or something stronger, babe?”
She glanced around her surroundings again and murmured, “Something stronger.”
The bartender leaned his palms on the bar. Smiling at her, he teased and offered, “How ‘bout a Screaming Orgasm, darlin’?”
She turned flaming red. Crash grinned and nodded. While the bartender moved off to make her drink, Shannon’s eyes drifted around the room, taking it in. She noticed a display of merchandize with The Pony logo on them. There were tee shirts, hats, coffee mugs, shot glasses and bumper stickers. She tugged on Crash’s sleeve pointing. “I want a tee shirt.”
Crash looked over at her like she’d lost her frigging mind. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, it’s cute.”
“Babe, I’m not getting you a tee shirt.”
A moment later the front doorbell rang, and the madam, Dolly, went to answer it. Shannon watched through the archway as three men and what, judging from his attire, looked like their limo driver walked into the parlor. The driver headed into the bar and took the stool next to Shannon, ordering a drink.
Shannon watched, fascinated as Dolly greeted the men and seated them. A moment later she rang a bell, and then suddenly the parlor filled with about a dozen girls. They formed a line, all standing with their hands behind their backs. Shannon’s eyes moved over them, they were all different shapes and sizes. Thin, curvy, tall, petite, blonde, redhead, brunette, fair-skinned, mocha-skinned, Spanish, oriental. There was a type for any man’s taste or fantasy. And their costumes were as varied as they were. Some were in skimpy cocktail dresses suitable for the trendiest nightclub. Some were in sexy lingerie designed to tease a man into wanting to see more. Some were even in sexy school-girl outfits.
Her gaze slid to the three men. They sat rapt, their eyes running over every girl and all the charms each had to offer, their seductive eyes, the exposed length of their legs, the curves. The whole presentation calculated to entice any man to want to open his wallet and indulge his every desire, no matter what the cost.
Shannon watched as the three men made their selections and moved off down the hall out of sight. The line-up of girls dispersed.
Cole stood waiting in the doorway of Dolly’s office as she returned to her office and took a seat behind her desk. His eyes followed the girls as they led their customers down the hall, each taking them to their individual rooms. Behind him, he heard Dolly flip on the intercoms and listen in on the in-room conversations as each girl began to negotiate services and price.
“You listen in?” Cole asked, frowning.
Dolly smiled up at him. “I’m not a pervert. Just good business, sweetie.” At Cole’s frown, she elaborated. “Oh, that’s right. You didn’t get the whole rundown when you were here last with Mack that first visit when your club took over ownership. I seem to remember you stayed outside most of that visit.”
“Yeah, so maybe you’ll enlighten me on all the ins and outs,” Cole paused to smile, “no pun intended. And tell me what the fuck the problem is that we had to make this trip up here.”
“First off, the girls are alone in their rooms with those men. It’s for their safety.”
“You listen the whole time?”
“No, just the negotiations.”
“And after that? Those girls are still alone in a room with a stranger.”
“There’s a panic button for that.”
“And what happens then?”
“We come running.”
“Who’s we?”
“Me. Jason, the bartender. Roy, the maintenance guy.”
Cole nodded. “You said first. What’s second?”
“Secondly, I listen in to make sure the girls aren’t offered drugs, they aren’t propositioned to take clients outside of the house. It can be dangerous for these girls to meet their customers after hours at a motel or wherever.”
“As well as bad for business.”
“Yes, and bad for business. We also listen to make sure the girls aren’t shorting the house. I have to make sure the services they just negotiated for match up to the money they bring me.” She paused to look over Cole’s shoulder. He turned to see two of the girls bringing payments up. One in cash. One with a credit card and driver’s license. After Dolly had accepted and recorded the payments, and the girls had retired back to their rooms, Cole turned back to Dolly.
“So, we take credit cards?”
Dolly laughed. “It’s a
plastic world, sweetie.”
“The guys don’t worry about that showing up on their statement?”
“We’re discreet. It appears as NVA Inc. They explain it however they wish.”
“So, why are we here, Dolly?”
“Profits are down. Way down. Business is not.”
Cole frowned again. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Nope. That’s why you’re here. To help me figure it out.”
Cole closed the door and sat down in a chair across from Dolly and ordered, “Explain.”
“The house is just as busy as ever, but somehow the amount of services charged and the amount of money coming back to the office is down. Now either my girls are all shorting the house somehow or…”
“Or?”
“Look, I’ve worked in other houses. I was even one of those girls once. I know the ways to skim. I know the tricks that can be played.”
“Such as?”
“In one house I worked at, it turned out the bartender was in league with the manager, unbeknown to the madam they were getting the girls drunk so they’d get confused as to how much money they’d earned. Then they were skimming off the earnings and splitting it.”
“You think that’s happening here?”
She shook her head no. “I trust Jason, the bartender. He’s a straight up good guy. Now, your manager, Louie, not so much. I think he’s up to something, I just haven’t been able to catch him at it. I can’t prove anything.”
Cole nodded. “Where is he?”
“He works the day shift. Gets here early, goes over the books from the night before. He usually gets here about five a.m.”
Cole stood. “We’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“And if he’s skimming?”
“We deal with our own problems. Nobody steals from the club.”
The doorbell rang, and Dolly got up, smiling. “Show time.”
Cole walked out and headed toward the bar as Dolly let in another group of men and the taxi driver that brought them out. Two long-haul truckers followed them in.
CRASH: An Evil Dead MC Story (The Outlaw Series) Page 36
