Texas (San Francisco Steel, #8)

by KJ Dahlen

  “You can’t do that.” She was astonished at his yelling orders at her. “There are no answers to get here buster.”

  Slammer grabbed her wrist and held it tight. “I’m not so sure about that.” He looked down at the hold he had on her and realized what he’d done and for a moment, he stared at her with a frown but he released her quickly and turned away. Then he went through the doorway and disappeared.

  Ivy rushed over to Poppy and looked at her wrist. Slammer had left a pink mark there.

  Poppy took a deep breath. “I’m okay.”

  Ivy frowned. “No you’re not. He didn’t hurt you but I never seen him like that before.”

  “I’ve had worse,” Poppy admitted.

  “I’ve never seen him so mad.” Ivy shook her head and looked over at Audrey.

  She also shook her head. “I’ve never known him to be this way with a woman period. Unless they betrayed him and I can’t see where Poppy has done that. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Poppy looked at the door Slammer had just gone through with haunted eyes. “I need to go home, that’s all. I’ll be safe once I get home.”

  “Please don’t try and leave here tonight,” Ivy begged her. “I don’t know what he’s thinking right now, and that scares me.”

  When Slammer burst through the kitchen door to the main room, he saw Texas still sitting at the table. He’d been monitoring the border of the compound with the inferred cameras. Slammer walked over to him and said, “Texas, I need you to make sure that this Poppy woman doesn’t leave the compound tonight. This mess with Venom might not be over and I don’t want to lose her in the shuffle.”

  Texas nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

  Slammer then walked down the hall to his office. When he entered, he closed the door tight behind him. He’d already called Tommy about Venom and the Triad would be around to collect Venom in the morning.

  But he knew he had another call to make tonight. He was going out on a hunch and reaching out to someone he hadn’t spoken to in years. He dialed a number he was surprised that he even remembered and listened to it ring.

  Then a voice he hadn’t heard in years answered the call, “Yo, you got me who is this?”

  “Caliber, you old reprobate, how are they hanging?” Slammer grinned. “This is Boss’s kid, Slammer.”

  “Ben, is that you?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry to be a blast from your past but I need some answers and you’re the only one I could think that might know what the hell I’m talking about.”

  There was a long pause on the other end of the call then Caliber cleared his throat and asked, “What’s up kid?”

  “I need to know what happened the day my old man and Angel were killed.”

  “That was a long time ago boy. Twenty years.”

  “I know, old man but it’s important. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t,” Slammer assured him.

  “It might be best to leave things alone. The past can’t be changed now anyway. Asking questions after all this time isn’t going to bring him back.”

  “I’m not looking to change the past. I’m looking to understand it. Something has come up in San Francisco right now and I need to know if it could be true or not.”

  “What’s that?” Caliber asked. “What is this all about anyway?”

  “Did my dad have any more kids, other than me I mean?”

  Caliber hissed. After a long moment he said, “I don’t know. Why are you asking now?”

  “I thought you, as his oldest friend, would know,” Slammer explained.

  “First of all, what makes you think he had another kid? That’s nuts.”

  “I thought so too, but today, I looked into a pair of green eyes so much like his and mine that I couldn’t believe it.”

  “But your dad wasn’t the only man with green eyes.”

  “It was just like looking in a mirror, Caliber,” Slammer told him quietly. “And do you remember Angel’s hair? How it was every color of blonde that ever was?”

  “I remember.”

  “Well, this woman has it too.” Slammer was quiet for a moment then added, “She’s about twenty-four years old so that would have made her around four when they died.”

  “Where has she been all this time?” Caliber asked harshly. “If she is Boss’s kid, we should have known about her from day one.”

  “I don’t know but my IT guy says she has no online data available and she’s afraid of me at the moment.”

  Caliber chuckled. “You never did like to be told no and you never were a subtle man Ben.”

  “I think I freaked her out a little more than usual.” He hesitated, then added, “Her name is Poppy Snow. I need to know how they died,” Slammer told him. “I was just a kid when it happened and no one would tell me anything. The club decided the only thing I needed to know was that my dad was dead.”

  “You were only seventeen when he died.” Caliber pointed out. “Mostly a man but not quite there yet. Besides, you couldn’t have changed anything anyway.”

  “I need to know old man.”

  “They were stopped at a wayside and someone filled them both up with buckshot. Up close and personal like. They each took two shots full on in the chest. Your dad was there on his bike but Angel was driving a car. When the police got there, they found the bodies and no witnesses as to what happened to them. They did find her car had been pushed over the side of the wayside. It was found down in the ravine upside down.” He paused then added, “If there was a kid, no one ever knew about her.”

  “Oh, you’re wrong about that old man. Someone knew, someone knew and kept her hidden all this time. If she’s really a Hagen, the truth needs to be told and that includes the truth about what happened to dad and Angel.”

  “You still in Frisco?”

  “Yeah, we’re still here.”

  “I’ll talk to the others and see what we can come up with to help you figure this out,” Caliber told him. “You’re right about one thing, we need justice for your dad, MC style. Good or bad, he was our president. And it is never too late to honor the dead.”

  “Thanks old man.” Slammer hung his head. “Like you said, good or bad he was my dad.”

  “I hear you boyo, I hear you.” Caliber sighed. “I’ll be around to your area soon.” He paused then asked, “You get that other problem taken care of yet? I heard about some trouble there for your MC.”

  “Yeah, we finally got Venom. He’s done for. We’re turning him over to the Triad tomorrow.”

  “What the fuck does the Triad want with him?”

  “He murdered their holy man by cutting off his head. Tommy Fang wants to do the same to Venom. Says his holy man will only be able to move on when the man who killed him dies the same way.”

  “Whoa, that’s harsh isn’t it?”

  “Venom disrespected the holy man by displaying his head in a jar at a bar. Its not like he doesn’t deserve it.”

  “I heard a humor about you returning long lost gold to the Triad. Is that true?”

  “Well damn, you hear a lot don’t you old man?”

  Calber again laughed. “I got my ways.”

  Slammer ignored this, as he knew already that this man was smart. He went on to explain, “It was part of the pirate’s treasure that Anaconda and Venom were after.”

  “Now that would have been something to see boyo,” Caliber commented. “Did Tommy demand that you return it?”

  “He didn’t have to. We offered it back with no conditions. We figured we’d rather have an ally than an enemy. The Triad is powerful here and I want to be on their good side. They might not stand with us but I’m hoping they won’t stand against us either.”

  “Smart move there kid.”

  “It was the right thing to do in any case,” Slammer added.

  “I think your dad would be proud of the man you grew up to be.”

  Slammer hesitated then stated, “Got me a good woman now Caliber.”

 
“Well, hot damn. Good for you kiddo. You make sure you treat her right then you hear me? If I find out you fucked it up, I’ll kick your dumb ass boyo.”

  Slammer chuckled. “I’d like to see you try old man.”

  “I may be old but can still take you.

  “I’ll bet you could at that.” Slammer grinned.

  “Ok, I know you got things to do but I’ll gather up what evidence we got and bring it over tomorrow. I want to meet this woman of yours anyway. And maybe meet this Poppy.”

  “I’d love to see what you think of her,” Slammer replied. “Maybe if you see her, you can tell me if I’m blowing smoke or not.”

  “You keep her safe either way kiddo. If she is Boss’ kid, we need to know.”

  “I need to know too,” Slammer agreed as he ened the call.

  Chapter Four

  Ivy was in the kitchen with the rest of the women and she was watching Poppy. The other woman seemed scared to death of something but what that something was, would be anyone’s guess. She knew Slammer scared her but why? Did she know something about him no one else did? What brought her so close to the compound in the first place?

  The more she thought about that the more likely she thought it could be possible she came here on purpose...for a purpose. But what could the reason be?

  Just then, Poppy turned her head and for a moment, her neck on the left side was exposed.

  Ivy gasped as she recognized a birthmark on her neck just behind her left ear. Ivy’s eyes widened as she stared at it. She knew for a fact Slammer had the same mark behind his left ear. When she mentioned it late one night he’d told her that he got that mark from his dad. It was kind of a Hagen family trait.

  She turned and faced the door into the main room. Is that why he was so pissed? Could Poppy be family? This would explain his behavior. It wasn’t like him to be so rough, at least not since she’d known him. Even when those club bunnies betrayed him and the club, he’d never laid a hand on them. And those bitches actually deserved it, if anyone did.

  She turned back to Poppy. And is that why this girl was so nervous? Did she know something he didn’t? Then there were her eyes... another trait Slammer shared with his dad.

  Is it possible? Oh dear, how would Slammer take the news? Is that why he insisted for her to stay? What more could go wrong with this scenario? Ivy knew his dad died under suspicious circumstances almost twenty years ago and his murderer hadn’t been found yet. But that person couldn’t be Poppy. She would have been around four or maybe five years old back then.

  What can of worms had this woman opened by coming here?

  Slammer came out of his office and went directly to where Texas was sitting. He looked at the other man and said, “I need you to run the names Angel Parker and Christopher Hagen. I need everything you can find and I need it like yesterday if you know what I mean. They died almost twenty years ago and their murders were never solved, so check police reports as well if you can.” He turned to walk away then turned back. “I also need background on Angel, whatever you can find. See if you can find her family, if she has any left. Check for parents. I want to know where she came from.”

  Texas nodded. “What’s all this about prez?”

  “Maybe nothing, maybe everything. I’m not sure yet, that’s why I need you to find out.” Slammer growled.

  “I’m on it,” Texas assured him. His fingers began hitting the keys of his laptop as he ran down the information Slammer wanted.

  Then twenty minutes later, he frowned as the information began showing up. He looked up and found Slammer watching him.

  He’d gone over to one of the tables and sat down to wait for supper. Shotgun and Grinder had joined him and all three men were staring at him.

  “I think I need the mainframe for this.” He got up and went to his office.

  Shotgun stared at the room Texas had disappeared into. He then swung his gaze over to Slammer. He frowned as he saw the look on his president’s face. “What’s going on?”

  “I asked him to check on something for me.”

  “Is this something the club needs to know about?” Grinder asked.

  “I’m not sure yet. Maybe it’s just personal to me and my family.” Slammer shrugged.

  “Something to do with a pair of green eyes?” Shotgun asked quietly.

  Slammer quickly turned to stare at hm.

  Shotgun nodded. “I knew him too old man, maybe not as well as you did, but those green eyes are hard to miss.”

  “We could be getting company tomorrow, other than the Triad,” Slammer warned his men.

  “The Wrath?” Shotgun wanted to know.

  Slammer nodded. He turned to Grinder and explained, “My dad before he died ran an MC over in Oakland called the Sin’s Wrath. One of the reason’s this club went legit was because the club I grew up in wasn’t. I hated that life and I wanted more for myself than I had as a kid. He was the president and they all called him Boss. He was a real bastard and he was my dad. I both loved him and hated him, usually I hated him for what he was doing. Anyway, when I was twelve he fell in love for the first time in his life. Her name was Angel and I know she loved him too. After about a year, she left him. She couldn’t take the lifestyle.” He shrugged. “It could have been the booze or the drugs or the fact he was sleeping with every piece of tail in and out of the club while he demanded she was his and his alone. I don’t know but one night, she walked out on him. He was furious and for the longest time, he hunted her down. When he wasn’t inside a bottle that was. He never found her but he looked for her. I guess I can’t say he never found her. He did, about five years later. He even tried to straighten up for her. He quit the booze, the drugs and the other women, I thought they really had a chance to make it, then the next thing we knew was the club got a phone call from the cops.”

  Shotgun knew about this. He nodded. It was a shocking thing.

  “When they got there, they found a bloody mess,” Slammer went on. “Both dad and Angel were dead. They’d been shot up close and personal by a shotgun full of buckshot. Someone had taken them both out at a wayside and just left their bodies in full view of anyone driving on the road.”

  “What the fuck?” Grinder swore under his breath.

  “I was seventeen at the time, so the club didn’t tell me the details. A year or so later, I left the Sin’s Wrath with their blessings. I came here and started this club with you guys and I never thought about my dad since then.”

  “Then why now?” Grinder wanted to know.

  “Because Poppy has his dad’s green eyes,” Shotgun informed him. “Those eyes are very hard not to miss. They look just like Slammer’s. I’m surprised you didn’t notice that. I didn’t know the old man all that long but his eyes were unique and he and Slammer are the only two people until now that I’ve known that has them.”

  Grinder shook his head. “I guess I didn’t look at her very close.” He looked over at Slammer. “So you think this woman might be family?”

  “I don’t know yet. That’s what Texas is looking into for me.”

  “Why don’t you just ask her?” Shotgun put out there.

  “She might not want to tell me the truth. I think I scared her.” Shaking his head, he asked aloud, “Why today of all days did she chose to come around?”

  Shotgun sat up in his chair and turned to Slammer as he repeated Slammer’s question, “Why indeed. Why did she chose today to come here? Texas told us she’s been here in business for around the last six months. If that’s true, why hasn’t she come here before? Why didn’t she come to you before and tell you who she was?”

  “What are you talking about?” Slammer frowned.

  “She’s been here in town for a long while. Been living and working just down the road from us, is that a coincidence or on purpose? Today, she was walking by the compound, this place is all that’s out here. What the hell was she doing outside our gates today?”

  “Was she setting us up for something?” Grinder asked.
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br />   “Why don’t you just ask her?” a female voice came from behind them.

  Slammer turned to find his woman standing there with her arms crossed over her chest.

  River and Zoe were there as well.

  “I will tell you bozos one thing about our guest,” Ivy continued. “She’s been through some sort of hell. She won’t say anything but I know that kind of fear. Whatever she’s hiding, she has reason to and you won’t get her to talk to you if you bully her.” Ivy walked over to Slammer and tipped his head to the right then she brushed the area behind his left ear with her fingers. When she saw his birthmark, she leaned over and kissed it. She also whispered in his ear, “She has this mark as well. Is she related to your and or your dad?”

  Slammer swallowed hard. “She might be.”

  Ivy leaned back and stared into his eyes for a moment. “Please don’t scare her away. I think all she’s looking for is family. If that’s you, then please be nice. If she disappears, you’ll never know. I have a feeling she knows how to hide really well. You may never have this chance again.” Then she glared at him. “Remember something else big guy.”

  “And what’s that?” He raised a brow at her tone.

  “Whether her mom did the right thing by hiding her existence or not, I’m sure she had her reasons for what she did. That girl has been hurt her whole life. You don’t get that scared otherwise.”

  “How do you know all this?” Slammer asked.

  Ivy shrugged. She had her own secrets and demons of childhood but they weren’t talking about her right now. She frowned. “And don’t you hurt her again.”