"Bill isn't going to like her," Lily piped up. It was strange to think she was Nomad's wife. She looked like she was Gunner's age. "Bill doesn't like anyone but proper ditsy club whores these days. So unless she wants to try fucking him..." Lily sneered as she said it, though, revealing her distaste for the idea. It wasn't a real option. Not that I would have. Goddamn. "Her sister being Irish's old lady ought to have a little weight, though. If the girl is happy to see you, that is."
"She won't be." Little by little the reality was sinking in. She was walking into a den of snakes and she was going to get bit. She turned and looked up at Gunner. “What would happen if you just dropped me off at the bus station? Let me get out of here?” She turned back to Nomad. “Would your club really chase me? I mean, for real? If I went to Mexico? How far would I have to go?”
The old man waited patiently as she spoke. His expression was hard when he finally cut in. “You’re overestimating how far anyone in this room is willing to go for you, girl. Gunner included. Club loyalty is number one. If the president says you’re going to meet him, then you’re going to meet him, because the three of us will see to it.”
Gunner was pacing again. “Goddammit.” He slammed a fist against the refrigerator. “What the fuck are you doing?” He stopped and gripped the back of the chair next to her, his knuckles audibly popping. “Are you seriously threatening her right now? I asked you to be on my side.”
Nomad spoke low, as if soothing an angry dog. “Are you suggesting that you aren’t on your club’s side?”
They were both silent. She sat and looked between them, her blood running colder and colder in her veins. She hadn’t realized that she might be coming in between Gunner and the club, hadn’t considered what the implications might be for him. She’d only been concerned with self-preservation. He could be in serious trouble now - because of her. All because of her.
When she placed a hand over Gunner’s, the tension drained out of him. “I’m sorry,” she said. His blue eyes narrowed. “I’ll go meet him. The president. Bill. I’ll go. I’ll do whatever he wants. No more trouble. No running.” His expression softened as she spoke.
Nomad watched their exchanged with eyes blazing. “Son. Step outside.”
“What? Hell no.” He gripped the chair back tight again.
“Now.”
“No more trouble,” Senna repeated in a near-whisper. She squeezed his hand and let go.
He walked out without another word. Nomad watched him go as if he couldn’t believe it. As soon as the door was closed, he turned back to her. “I don’t know what the fuck you’ve done to him, but Jesus. Half the time a simple order like that comes to blows.”
She wanted to ask What the hell are you ordering him around for, but she kept that to herself. “What did you want to say without him here?” Please don’t let the answer to that be a gunshot. She didn’t think he would shoot her, though - not with Lily there. Though what do I know about these people? Nothing at all.
He leaned across the table. “Nomad,” Lily said gently, but he waved her off. “Listen, girly. I’m gonna use what influence I have, but it’s for that boy’s sake, you understand? I don’t know you and I don’t trust you. But he’s decided that he needs to save your ass, so that’s what we’re going to do. But.” He sat back. “When the smoke clears, I want you gone.”
She nodded slowly. “How will I know when it’s safe to go?”
“I’ll tell you.”
And what if I don’t want to go? Of course she wanted to go - she wanted to get her life back on some sort of track. But the thought of leaving Gunner made her guts twist up. I’ve known him for less than a week. I’ll get over it and so will he.
Lily had her head in her hands. “I don’t know, Nomad. I think he’s only holding it together right now because of her.”
Senna looked between them. “Because of his friend?” she asked.
Nomad nodded. “That’s why the sooner the better, Lily. Would you rather see the explosion when she takes off after six months? A year?”
“I don’t want to hurt him,” Senna whispered.
The chair scraped the floor as Nomad stood. “Well, honey, it’s what will happen one way or another. I know this was all just a big accident and you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it’s too late to change it now. We can only minimize the damage. Understand?”
He’s just protecting his son. He thinks I’m going to break his heart if I stick around too long. “I understand.”
“Good. We’ll see you at the barbecue, then.”
She could only make herself nod. No more trouble. No running.
◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙
The arrived at a single-story house set far back from the road. He parked along a line of similar-looking motorcycles right on the grass of the front lawn and led her around to the backyard.
Oh, God. I can feel the "rich girl" coming out. The low-quality fast food, the seedy motels and living out of her van - they were all lonely experiences for the most part. She didn't have to adjust with dignity. She could cry over a scuffed shoe or over selling her expensive purses if she wanted to. Nobody was looking at her. She could hide when she felt lost.
Here, though, she just knew she'd stick out.
Where she came from, they weren’t even called “barbecues” - they were outdoor parties with tents and waitstaff and linens and real silverware. Here, she was looking at picnic tables and mismatched lawn chairs. There was a table with a cooler and drinks and another with what looked like a potluck array of food. The space was far from full yet but half of those in attendance were barefoot. She was dressed simply enough - jean shorts, black tank top, white sneakers - but anyone with a discerning eye would be able to tell they were too expensive for a crowd like this one.
In her old world, she could hide behind a shield of good manners in an uncomfortable situation. Here she doubted polite smiles and uptight small talk would earn her points with anyone.
"You go on and find your sister," Gunner said, giving her an encouraging push forward, "I've got to talk to Bill."
She bit her tongue against asking how soon he’d come back for her.
He surprised her before he left her, as they approached the small gathering of people. Heads turned; conversations stopped. They didn’t seem interested in her, just shocked to see him.
And he grabbed her and kissed her right there in full view of everyone. He cupped her chin between his hands and pressed his scorching lips to hers until she stumbled a step. “Remember what I said,” he whispered, holding her face near his, “For as long as you’re here, you’re mine.”
He was gone before she could form a reply. What the heck was that about?
“Come on.” Lily led her onward as Nomad followed Gunner inside the house. “Let’s find Irish.”
She apparently spotted him near the coolers and the drinks - she led Senna straight for a young biker with messy curly hair, talking to a girl with bleached blond hair wearing four-inch heels. Senna thought her heart would stop when she saw her face. The biker - Irish - prompted the blond to take a shot before Lily and Senna reached them.
He turned and held out his hand, standing between Senna and the girl who was most definitely her sister. Aster. Jesus. “Call me Irish,” he said, “You must be the sister?”
“I am. Senna.” Her hand trembled as she shook his, her eyes locked on Aster’s over his shoulder.
“Call her Dawn,” he said. “Got it?” Then he and Lily were away, leaving them by themselves.
Aster. Dawn. It had been years. The blond looking back at her was older, now. Still beautiful, somewhere beneath her overdone make-up, still athletic even with the fake tits that would surely make running difficult, at the very least. Senna didn’t know where to begin. He mouth flapped uselessly until finally, a “hey” fell out.
Her sister smirked. “You need a drink.” She poured two shot glasses to the brim with whiskey. Senna downed hers with a grimace.
&n
bsp; “Not enough booze in the world to make this easy,” she said, finally finding her voice.
“I know.” She poured them another round but left them on the table. “How’d you find me?”
“Facebook. Some girl at that strip club tagged a photo of you.”
Aster - Dawn - shook her head. “Dumb bitch. I knew I should have just deleted myself off the face of the internet.”
“I guess you heard about Dad?”
“Of course. It was all over the news. Is that why you’re here?”
At least she didn’t sound upset about it, only curious. “Sort of. Mostly. Yeah.”
Dawn shook her head. “It’s weird as hell to see you. The last time was what… when I graduated high school?”
Senna tried a small smile. “Did you graduate?”
“Bitch.” She passed her a second shot and they threw them back together. “It’s weird to see you here,” she went on. “It’s like, worlds colliding. You’re supposed to be finishing up college around now, right? Doing big business in the big city making big money… being the good big sister. I’m supposed to be the fuckup.”
“Yeah, well. The stuff with Dad knocked me off track. I don’t know when I’ll be able to finish school.” Anger bubbled to the surface. It would have been so much easier on her if she’d had her sister with her when the crimes had come out and while the trial went down. She’d been on her own through all of it - investigated, harassed by the press, and then ultimately all those threats - and Colin. All while Dawn or Aster or whoever-the-hell had been out here doing what, hooking up with a biker and having barbecues? It seemed so unfair.
Senna cleared her throat. “Anyway.”
Dawn sensed the change from shock to hurt, and her own mouth turned down into a scowl. She always did jump right to being defensive. “Tell me why you’re really here. You knew I’d hear about Dad on the news before you ever found me. So what else is going on?”
Finally, she was able to do what she’d set out to do in the first place. It was like a weight lifting off her chest. She told Dawn all about the threats - about how they now owned shares of the company their father had been working for, and about the alleged client that claimed to want to buy them out. She told her about the constant messages that still seemed to find her, demanding stolen money returned, as if she could just snap her fingers and make it happen. About how her own college fund was gone, their family’s New York apartment seized, everything taken away, repossessed, used to pay fines, claimed by their father’s associates.
It was a tangled web, but Dawn got the gist of it - they were in danger, but they had a bargaining chip. Something to sell.
And she told her about her most pressing issue at the moment - the problem with the club. About how she’d “allegedly” walked in on a hit when she was only trying to find Dawn. About how Gunner had protected her so far but she was afraid this might be the end of the road. She left out the parts about Gunner himself, their tenuous connection and all of the sex, but otherwise she painted the whole picture.
Dawn mouth hung open by the time she was finished. “Fucking hell. You just can’t catch a break. Have another shot.”
After swallowing the fiery liquid, she said, “What do you think? Do you want to come with me? Assuming I can dig myself out of this hole with the Devils. I was planning on heading to a friend’s place in California but now I’m having second thoughts about even staying in the country.”
“Who knows what the fuck Bill will want to do with you,” Dawn said, then shook her head. “But otherwise, this is the safest place to be.” She laughed. “With motherfucking Gunner of all the goddamn Devils. I’ll tell you this, if he gives even half a shit about you, there isn’t a stalker on the planet who’ll get close enough to even think about hurting you.”
She thought about her credit score and knew that you didn't need to resort to violence to completely fuck up someone's life. On the other hand, looking around, she wouldn't be surprised if half these people had never thought about things like scores and savings and 401k’s. That's a judgey thing to think, Senna, she admonished herself, but it wasn't the craziest assumption. Gunner had only dealt in cash for as long as she'd been with him.
Dawn swallowed down her own shot. “You’d better hope they decide to keep you here.”
Senna blinked. “Is that likely?”
Dawn shrugged. “For witnessing a hit? I don’t know. Depends on what Gunner tells them, I guess. They might make you stay right here. They might send you on your way and have one of their guys take you out on the road. They might ‘escort’ you down to Mexico and take your passport back with them. Who knows?”
“You’re a little casual about the idea of them shooting me on some quiet highway,” Senna said.
Dawn glanced around to make sure no one was listening, before leaning in close. Her expression softened. “I don’t honestly believe they’ll do that. Not to a woman. Listen, I have no influence with Bill, but if it comes to a vote then you can at least count on Irish being on your side. I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you.”
She wanted to pull her sister in for a hug. Too much hung in the air between them, still. Dawn had always been jealous of the praise Senna would receive for successes in and out of school. Senna had mocked Dawn at every chance she got, secretly jealous herself of her younger sister’s beauty. Animosity still hung between them, nearly palpable. But for all the bad blood, they were still sisters. They were still family. It was good to see her.
Senna bit her tongue against saying so, though. Years of dealing with the family drama alone had left her bitter - but she hoped she could get past it, someday.
“Now,” Dawn said. “Bill definitely doesn’t like rich girl ice queens like you, so, we’re gonna have to get you a little drunker.”
“I’m not an ice queen.” She accepted the shot, anyway. Dawn only had to give her a look to make her point. Even Gunner had said as much, more than once.
“Bottoms up, bitch.”
“You fucked up.”
His veins buzzed. He was on the verge of violence - something he'd been feeling daily - no, hourly - up until the night Senna arrived. It had been days without the blinding rage that took over his senses, and now that it had returned, it made his stomach churn.
"Saving an innocent girl's life is called 'fucking up' now?"
The president of the Dust Bowl Devils looked up at Gunner with disgust. "Showing loyalty to a stranger over your club is called 'fucking up.' We ought to exile you after what you did to Jupiter."
"Then why don't you?" he snarled, flexing his fists.
"We're taking your other circumstances into account." Bill sat at the kitchen table as if they were back home and he was presiding over church in the clubhouse. Bars sat to one side, Nomad to his other, and Gunner remained standing so he could pace the floor. Nothing's changed. "You're paying for that shit with Jupiter as soon as he gets here." Great. Just the face we want to see. "The rest?" He held up his hands. "I don't even know where to begin."
He wanted to spit. “I never thought I’d see the day that the Devils killed innocents and did business with rivals.” He shook his head in disbelief. He’d seen members of the Eagles out there in the backyard rubbing elbows with their own people. “Never thought I’d see a club party where the biggest asshole wasn’t me.”
Bars’ lip curled. “Watch it.”
“So who stands to profit the most from this partnership, Bill? You? Bars?” He tried to work himself up into an anger about it - he didn’t like the path the club was headed down one bit. But he couldn’t make himself honestly care. While Alvarez lay dying, while Senna’s life was on the line, it all suddenly seemed downright petty. His shoulders slumped.
"Do what you want with me," Gunner said. "I won't fight. I just want to negotiate for the girl."
"And if we decide the she has to go?" Bill said quietly. "If we can't afford to let an outsider witness live?"
He saw a red so dark, the only possi
ble reply was violence. Only his father squeezing his elbow kept him present enough to not launch across the table fists first.
Bill scowled. "Bring her inside."
Bars went and leaned out the door to signal to someone. "If you hurt her..." Gunner didn't even recognize his own voice.
Bill pushed his chair back from the table, exasperated. "What the fuck is she to you, anyway? A good lay? She have some sort of magic pussy, Gunner? Maybe if I fuck her, I'll change my mind about her, huh?"
It took both Bars and Nomad to hold him back. He grabbed and dragged the table aside, upending it in his fury before they could each grab an arm.
Bill remained seated. "Quit provoking him, Bill," Nomad said, "We can clear this up without being assholes about it."
Gunner's heart lurched when Senna walked in and surveyed the scene. The table knocked over, Gunner himself restrained - he could only imagine how afraid she must be.
Still, she held it together. "You must be Bill," she said. He nodded and rose. "I'm truly sorry about all the problems I've caused. I never meant-"
"Shh." He tilted her head back by her chin and looked down into her face. "I don't think you understand how much trouble you're in, here." He nodded towards Gunner. "Does it look like he can protect you right now?"
Gunner felt glued in place. He could break away from Bars and his father - but not fast enough to keep Bill from hurting her or using her against him.
"No," she said.
"Get your fucking hands off her." He was spinning wildly out of control; he was on the verge of losing it completely.
"You're only making this more difficult," Bill said, though he wisely released her chin and took a step back.
"We're trying to help you out, brother." Bars released him. "But the club has to come first."
"You're not my brother." It was like a switch had been flipped in his head. His friends had become enemies right before his eyes. He knew he was overreacting, getting ahead of himself - they hadn't decided on anything yet. But it shouldn't have been a debate at all. When had his word become so worthless to them? If he said she could be trusted, that should be the end of the discussion. "You were never my brothers." All the grim possibilities battled in his head. He couldn't take another loss. Not another. No one else. Especially not her. His heart pounded so hard in his chest that it ached. He swung around to his father. “Your other sons aren’t my brothers. My brothers are all dead!” He thumbed the dogtags in his pocket, rubbing them like a talisman, all that was left of his old life. Alvarez would be dead soon. The last witness from that time. All his brothers were dead.
Devil's Fall: Dust Bowl Devils MC Page 11
