by L. Wilder
“Looks like he won’t be alone tonight.”
“Depending on what they were able to bring on the plane, they might be stopping somewhere to get more guns and ammo before they get here,” Bic added.
“I’ll have Crow keep an eye on it,” Gus told him. “But for now, it’s time for us to roll out.”
We all piled into the SUV and headed towards Olivia’s apartment. Once we got there, Cyrus pulled Rick out of the truck and had him make one final call to Daniel. As soon as he answered, Rick told him, “They’re still home. I’ve been watching the place all night. I think they’re in their rooms, from what I can tell. They turned the living room lights off about thirty minutes ago. Yeah, just like I told you. It’s the apartment above Daisy’s Diner on Front Street. The first one at the top of the stairs.” He paused and then said, “Yeah, they’re all there and it’s just them. Been up there for a while now.” Before he hung up, Rick asked, “Hey, man. When will I get the other half of my money?” Unfortunately for him, the line went dead before he got his answer. Rick grumbled, “Lying bastard. Bet ten to one he doesn’t pay me another dime.”
“Yeah, it’s not looking good for you there, buddy,” Cyrus chuckled as he yanked him back over to the SUV and locked him inside.
Within the hour, we were in Olivia’s apartment. It felt strange being there. The place didn’t look the same without her in it. We got to our posts. With Crow monitoring the surveillance feeds from the cameras they’d installed the day before, we’d have no problem knowing exactly when Daniel entered the building. Lowball and a couple of prospects were holed up outside in the hallway and Gus and Murph were in the kitchen while Cyrus and I waited by the front door with our weapons drawn. Since the club owned the diner and the apartments upstairs, we didn’t have to be concerned about anyone reporting gunfire. We had everything covered, and now all we had to do was wait.
Luckily we didn’t have to wait long before Crow’s voice came through our two-way radio, letting us know that Daniel had just parked his rental car in the back lot. With Tate in the lead, they started up the back steps. Crow continued to inform us of every move they made until they reached Olivia’s front door. The tension in the room crackled around me as I watched the door handle turn. Knowing they were just on the other side, I had to fight the urge to yank the door open and just end them both right then and there. I took a deep breath and held myself together.
Eventually, the door crept open, and my heart began to pound against my chest as Tate slowly slipped inside. He was a big guy, and he reeked of cigarettes and cheap liquor. I was about to come unglued with impatience when seconds later, Daniel followed in behind him. He was tall and lanky, and the idiot thought he was being clever by wearing all black, right down to the gloves and ski mask, like some burglar he’d seen on TV. Just seeing him made me want to punch him in the face.
The door clicked shut, and just as Tate took a step forward, he spotted the reflection of one of the guys in the kitchen.
“Fuck!” he shouted as he aimed his gun at Murph, but before he had a chance to shoot, Gus nailed him right between the eyes. Blood gushed from his wound as his lifeless body dropped to the ground.
Daniel froze. I stepped up behind him and said, “Surprise, surprise, motherfucker. Don’t you know better than to mess with a biker’s ol’ lady?”
I didn’t give him a chance to answer. Instead, I took the butt of the gun and slammed it against the back of his head, making him drop to the ground like a two-ton lead weight. By the time he started to wake up, Cyrus had already bound and gagged him to a chair. We didn’t have to worry about anyone hearing him scream, but Cyrus got a kick out of shoving a dirty sock down the fucker’s throat, hoping that he’d gag on it as he came to. And sure enough, the minute he opened his eyes, he started coughing and gagging like the pathetic little bitch that he was.
Daniel’s eyes roamed across the room. Panic washed over his face when he noticed all of my brothers standing around him. Gus walked over to him and grabbed a fistful of his hair as he said, “Not gonna sugarcoat this, Daniel. As of tonight, you’re done. We’re going to dump your sorry piece of shit ass into the fucking river, but before we do that, my man Clutch has a few questions for you.”
He released him just as Bic started towards him with one of his long, sharp blades. Daniel’s face twisted with fear as Bic took the knife and pressed it against his chest, applying enough pressure to slice through the cotton fabric of his black t-shirt and gouge into the first few layers of his skin. Blood began to seep down Daniel’s chest as Bic knelt down in front of him. While twisting the knife still embedded in Daniel’s chest, he said, “My brother has a few questions for you. You answer him, and this will go a whole lot easier for you.”
Daniel nodded frantically as Bic pulled the sock from his mouth. I didn’t move from my spot as I asked, “Who else was involved?”
“Involved in what?” he spat.
Bic took his knife and quickly jabbed it deep into Daniel’s thigh, leaving it there as a reminder that there was more to come. His body instantly curled against his restraints as he groaned out in pain. As he lowered his head and pissed himself, his body began to tremble uncontrollably. I could see he’d resigned himself to the reality of his imminent demise. I stepped over to him and asked again, “Who else was involved?”
With a whimper, he answered, “Me. It was just me.”
“Hanson had nothing to do with it?” I asked.
“No,” he groaned. “He’d never have gone along with it. It was just me. I had to do it to get the deal done.”
“And your old man?”
He paused for a minute, then snarled, “What about him?”
I grabbed him by the throat, squeezing tightly against his windpipe as I growled, “Was he involved?”
The veins in his face began to rise to the surface as I kept my hold on his throat, and when I finally released him, he coughed and groaned, “No.” Once he’d caught his breath, he continued, “When he wouldn’t go along with my plan, I blackmailed him. Told him I’d make the police think he’d done it.”
“Is that why he killed himself?” I asked out of curiosity.
His face hardened as he said, “When he continued to refuse me, I killed him and made it look like a suicide.”
The guy was off his fucking rocker. His lust for money would be his demise, and I couldn’t think of a person who deserved it more. Once he’d confirmed that there was no one else involved, it was done. Nothing else mattered. I gave the nod to Gus, and within a couple of hours, I was on my bike headed home to Olivia and the kids.
It was still dark when I stepped outside. I’d been trying for hours, but I just couldn’t sleep, so I thought some fresh air might help. A cool breeze whipped around me as I walked over to one of the picnic tables and sat down. It was so quiet, nothing like it usually was. All the constant talking and scuffling around was gone, and it was just me and a hint of the sun rising over the mountaintops. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my rattled nerves, but it was no use. I’d been up all night waiting for Clutch to call, but I never heard from him. It wasn’t like him not to check in, so I couldn’t help but think something was wrong. When I was just about to have a complete come-apart, Smokey came around the corner smiling like the cat that ate the canary. He was rocking some serious bed head and his clothes were disheveled like he’d been up to something.
“Hey there, doll. What are you doing out here all alone?” he asked. He looked like he might still be a little drunk from the night before as he swayed over to me.
“Couldn’t sleep,” I answered.
“You got something on your mind?” He sat down next to me and lit a cigarette as he waited for me to answer.
“Just worried. Clutch didn’t call last night,” I told him as I tried to hold back my tears.
“You’ve got nothing to worry about, sweetheart. Clutch is probably halfway home by now.”
“You really think so?”
“Yeah. He p
robably thought he was doing you a favor by not calling so late, like he thought he’d wake you or the kids or something. You know, us guys can be kinda stupid about stuff like that.”
“Hmmm … I’m not even going to comment on that one,” I laughed.
“See? You’re a smart ol’ lady. You know when not to say stuff or do stuff. Us guys … we’re always getting ourselves into trouble. Well, at least I am.” He grinned.
I pointed at his clothes and teased, “Looks like you might have gotten yourself into some trouble last night.”
“You have no idea.”
“A girlfriend?”
“Nah, haven’t found the one yet. I thought I had found her …” he started, but stopped and flicked his cigarette to the ground. He stood up and said, “But what the hell do I know? Clutch thought he’d found the one in Cass, but he was obviously wrong about that. He’s head over heels for you. She’s just a distant memory.”
“Cass? You mean Cassidy?”
His eyes widened as he realized what he’d just said. He quickly tried to fix it by adding, “It was nothing, doll. A lifetime ago.”
“Hold up … Clutch and Cass were together?”
“No. It wasn’t like that. He just … you know … had a thing for her or something,” Smokey stammered.
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I ran my hand through my hair as I tried to swallow my tears and said, “He had a thing for her? That’s even worse.” I really liked Cassidy, but the thought of Clutch having feelings for her made me second-guess everything.
“You’re getting me all wrong here, doll. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not so sure about that. Clutch never said anything to me about his feelings for her,” I told him with concern.
He placed his hand on my arm as he said, “No reason to. He loves you. I can hear it in his voice when he talks about you. He’s never been like this with a woman, Olivia. He’s nuts over you, and the past is just that: the past.”
“If you say so,” I mumbled.
“I do say so, and if you think about it, you’ll know I’m right.” He brushed his hair out of his eyes as he stood up and said, “Come on. Let’s go inside. We both could use a few hours of sleep before we have to face this crazy bunch.”
“Okay.” I followed him inside, and as he turned to leave, I said, “You’re a good one, Smokey. The right one will come along soon.”
“We’ll see about that.” He smiled. “Get some rest. He’ll be home before you know it.”
I headed back to my room and got back in bed, trying my best to get some sleep. Unfortunately, I just ended up staring at the ceiling hour after hour. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Smokey had said about Clutch’s feelings for Cassidy. It was crazy for me to think that he hadn’t been in love before, but I couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t even mentioned it. He’d told me so much about the club and his brothers, but her name never came up. I found myself worrying that there might be a reason that he kept it from me. She was beautiful and kind, and I could see why he might fall for her.
But maybe Smokey was right. Maybe there really wasn’t anything for me to worry about. I’d seen the way that she looked at Cotton with absolute love in her eyes. I couldn’t imagine her with anyone else. They seemed totally in love with each other. I went over it again and again in my head and tried to make myself believe the past didn’t matter. I was still lost in my thoughts when I heard my phone ding with a message. I quickly grabbed it off the nightstand and all my thoughts of Cass immediately vanished when I saw that it was Clutch.
Clutch:
Morning, Sunshine. I’m headed that way. It’s done.
Me:
It’s really over?
Clutch:
It’s really over.
Me:
Why didn’t you call last night?
You had me scared to death.
Clutch:
I sent you a message last night. Check your phone.
Sure enough, when I scrolled up, three messages from him popped up on my screen. The stupid burner had been screwing up since Clutch had given it to me before we left for the clubhouse, and I decided right then I was getting a real phone as soon as possible.
Me:
I hate this phone. They just came through.
Clutch:
Sorry I had you worried.
I will call tonight when I stop for the night.
Me:
Okay. Can’t wait to see you. Be careful.
Clutch:
Always.
Thankfully it was Sunday, so most of the guys had gone home to spend time with their families. With only a few quick breaks to grab something to eat in the kitchen, the kids and I spent most of the afternoon watching movies in my room. Just as we were getting ready for bed, Clutch called to let me know that he would be home late the following afternoon. Knowing that he was really okay, I was finally able to get a good night’s sleep. The following morning, I slept in late, and by the time I had gotten up and had my shower, the kids were nowhere to be found. Worried that they might be into something, I tried to find them. I still didn’t know my way around very well so I got completely turned around and ended up running into Cotton as he was coming out of his office.
He smiled and asked, “Hey, Olivia. Is everything alright?”
“Yes. Everything is good.” I laughed anxiously. The man seemed perfectly nice with his salt and pepper hair and kind eyes, but he was the president of Clutch’s club. The last thing I wanted to do was say the wrong thing. My mind went completely blank as I stood there just staring at him, but I finally managed to blurt out, “I was just looking for the kids and got a little lost.”
His lips curled into a smile as he said, “I bet they are in the game room. It’s just down the hall on your left.”
“I’ll go check. Thanks.” Still feeling nervous, I smiled and walked down the hall.
Just as I was about to turn into the game room, Cotton yelled, “Olivia?”
I turned to face him. “Yes?”
“Your other left.” He laughed as he pointed to the room across the hall from where I was standing.
I threw my hands up in the air as I shook my head and shouted, “Thank you!”
I felt like a complete idiot as I turned around and entered the correct room. Thankfully, Hadley and Charlie were there playing some crazy game on the club’s gaming system. I sat down on the sofa and watched as they played basketball, some crazy war game, and by the time they started their third game, I’d just about had enough. The blaring noise from the television and their excited screams were giving me a headache, and I thought I would just about lose my mind until Cassidy came to rescue me.
My mind went straight back to my conversation with Smokey as she stood in the doorway and asked, “We’re making up some hamburgers for the guys to grill out. Would you and the kids like to join us?”
In a different circumstance, I might have hesitated, but the thought of staying in that room for one more second had me jumping up from the sofa. “Sure! That would be great. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Absolutely,” she answered. “Come with me to the kitchen and we’ll get things started.”
In just a couple of hours, we had everything set to go: chips and dip, beans, potato salad, and tons of desserts. Several of the guys were gathered around the grill cooking the burgers while Henley and I helped Cassidy set everything out on the picnic tables. When I looked around, it wasn’t difficult to see why Clutch loved the club like he did. They were all like one big family, and I felt blessed just to be there with them. The more I was around Cassidy, the more I decided that I truly liked her. She had been so sweet to make me feel a part of the group, and it meant the world to me.
I was so busy helping her get dinner ready that I hadn’t realized Clutch had walked up. Apparently he was just standing there watching me, and I would have never known if I hadn’t seen Cassidy smiling at someone behind me. Just as I
was turning around, he reached for me, lifting me in his arms, and he pulled me close as he kissed me. As the heat of his kiss traveled through my veins, I melted into his arms, completely forgetting that we were surrounded by his brothers and their families.
He slowly lowered me to the ground as he released me from our embrace and whispered, “Don’t move.”
I watched with wonder as he walked over to his brothers and greeted each of them with a heartfelt hug. From the smiles on their faces, it was obvious that they were all pleased to see that their brother had come back home. After only talking to them for a few minutes, he returned to me, and as he reached for my hand, he smiled and said, “Gonna need some time alone with you. Like, now.”
“I could go for that.” I laughed as I followed him into the clubhouse.
He led me to his room and, once we were inside, he kissed me once more. “Been on the road for twelve hours with one thing on my mind.”
“And what would that be?” I smiled.
“You,” he answered. “Now, I’m going to take a quick shower, and when I get out, I’m going to take you over to that bed and make love to you until I pass out from exhaustion.”
“Okay,” I giggled.
When he stepped into the bathroom, he shouted, “On second thought, I’ve been on a bike all day. It’s about time for you to do some of the riding.”
“Just hurry up, Shaggy,” I teased as he turned on the shower. “It’s not nice to keep a girl waiting … especially when she’s missed you as much as I have.”
“So my girl has been missing me, huh?”
