Doozer (Burning Saints MC Book 5)

by Jack Davenport

  “Not good enough?” Taxi asked, sounding genuinely shocked. “Trouble, that double kill in Hogan’s Alley was like nothing I’d ever seen. Like nothing any of the trainers here have seen. It’s all everyone is talking about.”

  “What? But you said we failed. You said I failed.”

  “Tactically, you may have made the wrong call, but that shot was one in a million. Or two in a million, I don’t know, but the point is, you’re an even better shot than I thought you’d be. The question is, can you be the agent I need you to be?”

  “Why did you choose to engage?” Dr. Fenton asked.

  “Three of my team members were in immediate danger,” I said.

  “And you believed this enough to defy the engagement protocols of the mission?” Taxi asked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Taxi paused. “And I’d be willing to bet you’d make the same call if given the chance to do it all over again.”

  “I’m not gonna lie,” I breathed out. “I would.”

  “I see,” Taxi said.

  “Maybe I’ve been in an MC for too long, or maybe I’m just not good agent material, but I’d break every rule in the FBI handbook to keep my brothers and sisters safe.”

  “Well, I guess that’s everything I need to hear,” Taxi said plainly, before rising to his feet and extending his hand to me.

  My heart felt like a tin can being crushed under the weight of disappointment and my knees weakened as I stood to shake Taxi’s hand.

  “I’m going to need you to return to the barracks and pack your gear,” Taxi said.

  I nodded, managing to fight back the tears as Taxi continued.

  “And make sure you don’t forget anything, because you’ll be staying in the senior dorms for the last two weeks of your training.”

  My head snapped to meet Taxi’s eyes. “What?” I asked, unsure if I’d heard him correctly.

  “Welcome to the team,” Taxi said.

  “But, you said—”

  “Trouble, if you think I recruited you because I thought you’d shut up and do as you were told, or even because you’re a great shot, you’re not only wrong, but you’re selling yourself short. I need you on this team because you fight for the people you care about. That’s what I see in you and that’s the kind of person I want on my team.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” I hugged Taxi so hard I thought I might break his spine, and this time I was unable to hold back the tears.

  Taxi laughed, patting my back before setting me away from him. “I’m going to let you two finish your session.”

  Without another word, he walked out the door and I faced Dr. Fenton.

  She waved me back to my seat, then sat on the edge of her desk and grabbed the box of tissues she always kept there, handing it to me.

  I ripped four out of the box as I burst into even uglier tears. Dr. Fenton left her spot on the desk, pulling a chair up beside me close enough to wrap her arm tentatively around my shoulders. “I am so proud of you, Trouble.”

  I let out an inelegant snort. “Oh, yeah, I’m a right winner, bawling my eyes out and filling your tissues with snot.”

  “You’re knocking down your walls and letting people in,” she countered. “The crying’s just a bonus. The body letting off steam, so to speak. You would have never showed this to me at the beginning. You’ve embraced the work, sweetie, and not only is Taxi proud of you, but I am as well. Well done.”

  This only made me cry harder, which in turn, sent me into a fit of giggles. Jesus, I was bi-polar. This whole thing was making me crazy.

  But it had also started to heal me in a weird way. The people I was letting in were guarding my heart and letting me be totally me. I trusted them and I didn’t think I’d ever get to this place.

  “Thanks for all your help,” I rasped.

  “Oh, this was all you, honey,” Dr. Fenton countered. “I just asked you a few questions, but you did the work.” She gave my shoulder a squeeze. “You have graduated my program, which means, unless you want to, you don’t have to see me again, at least for this portion. I’ll still be part of your briefing and debriefing protocol, but that will be on a per-mission basis.”

  I met her eyes. “Really?”

  She grinned, nodding her head. “Really.”

  “Wow.” I sniffed, wiping my eyes. “That’s… um, wow.”

  She stood. “Right, it’s time for you to go pack, so how about you do that now, so you don’t have to see me blubber like a baby.” She snagged an envelope off her desk. “But first, here’s your phone back. You’re free to use it at will.”

  I stood, unable to stop myself from pulling her in for a hug. “Thanks for everything.”

  “Anytime.”

  I escaped the emotion and headed back to my room, packing up and moving quickly into senior housing amazed I’d made it. I texted Doozer and let him know the good news, then met my team in the mess hall to celebrate.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Doozer

  BY THE TIME I’d arrived at Legacy hospital, my father was out of the ICU and had been moved into a private recovery suite. After spending some time with Mama and my sisters, I checked in with Minus and Sweet Pea, who’d stayed at the hospital with my family all through the night.

  “Thank you both for being here. It means a lot to me,” I said.

  “Some of the other guys and the old ladies were here last night too,” Minus said.

  “I’ll be sure to thank ’em.’

  “Any news?” Sweet Pea asked.

  “He’s pretty banged up, but the doctors were able to stop the swelling in his brain and it looks like there won’t be any permanent damage. He’s resting now and the nurse said I can go in and see him once he wakes up.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Minus said.

  “What the hell happened?” I asked. “Did the Beast do this?”

  “It was the judge, man,” Sweet Pea replied.

  “Judge Snodgrass?”

  The two men nodded in unison.

  “The day after you spoke with your old man, he went to the judge to tell him the deal was off. Apparently, they belong to the same country club, and your father figured it would be safest to meet in a public place where the judge would be less likely to flip out.”

  “He was wrong,” Sweet Pea said.

  Minus continued, “The two of them were having lunch together when at some point, the judge started chasing your father around the dining room, screaming at the top of his lungs.”

  “We figure that’s when your father broke the news.”

  “Eventually Snodgrass chased your father all the way to the pro shop, where he picked up a golf club and attacked your father.”

  “A golf club?” I asked.

  “Sand wedge,” Sweat Pea said.

  “How do you know all of this?”

  “The night you spoke with your father, I put Spike on protective duty.”

  “You put a tail on my father?”

  “I figured the Beast wouldn’t be happy about your father breaking his deal and wanted to make sure he was protected in case they tried to retaliate.”

  “Looks like the judge got to him first,” Sweet Pea said.

  Minus sighed. “Spike would have jumped in sooner, but the country club staff wouldn’t let him inside the dining room. He was waiting outside when the judge went off, and by the time Spike got to him, the judge had already given your father a couple of solid whacks to the head.”

  “Did the cops arrest Snodgrass?” I asked.

  Minus nodded. “Yeah.”

  “So, he’s in jail?”

  Minus and Sweet Pea looked at each other.

  “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” I said.

  Sweet Pea grimaced. “He’s a judge, man.”

  “Who attacked another man with a golf club in the middle of a pro shop,” I pointed out.

  “He was out on bail before your father was even out of surgery.”

  “That motherfucker,” I seethed.<
br />
  “Well, your old man is safe now,” Minus said.

  “Thanks to all of you,” I said.

  “We’re family,” Minus said. “We look out for each other.”

  “You didn’t have to look out for him, and you did anyway.”

  “You and your old man may have your differences, but he’s your family, so he’s our family too.”

  “Mr. Mancini,” a nurse said. “Your father is awake and is asking for you.”

  I nodded and headed into the room. My mother hugged me and then smoothed her palms over my kutte. “I’m going to take the girls to the chapel. Light a candle and pray.”

  “Okay, Mama,” I said, and my family left me with my father who patted the mattress.

  I pulled a chair up to his bed and smiled. “You got the presidential suite I see.”

  I’d never seen a hospital room so fancy, complete with private balcony. Not that it did much for a view today, considering, in pure Pacific Northwest fashion, it was pissing down with rain. I often forgot just how much money my parents had, mostly because I saw money as a curse the majority of the time. But when you’re sick, it was certainly a good thing.

  Dad nodded. “I’m sorry, son,” he rasped.

  “It’s okay, Pop, you just get better.”

  “I should have listened to you.”

  “Let’s not worry about that right now,” I said.

  “I was wrong about you and I was wrong about…your club. They saved my life,” Pop said, then let out a groan.

  “Shit. You in a lot of pain?”

  He nodded and I shot out of my seat, heading straight for the nurse’s desk down the hall.

  “Can I help you, Mr. Mancini?”

  “My father’s in pain, can you give him something? He’s in room 2112.”

  “I’ll check his chart and be right in.”

  I nodded, rushing back to Pop’s room, and stepping inside. “Okay, Pop, I found a nurse and she’s gonna bring you some—”

  I entered the room to see Judge Snodgrass holding a pillow over my father’s face. Pop’s body writhing as he struggled to breathe.

  “Hey!” I yelled, causing the judge to drop the pillow and retreat towards the balcony.

  Knowing Judge Snodgrass had no place to escape, I checked on my father who was coughing but breathing.

  “You okay?” I asked and he gave me a quick head nod just as Minus and Sweet Pea came bursting into the room.

  “Stay with my father!” I yelled to Minus.

  “I’ll get security,” Sweet Pea said, and rushed out of the room.

  I quickly turned to see the judge climbing over the balcony railing. I have no idea where the fucker thought he was going. We were twenty stories up and the last I checked, judges couldn’t fly.

  By the time I reached him, Judge Snodgrass had swung both legs over the railing and was making his way to the east side of the balcony. The judge was a former collegiate track and field champ and even competed with Steve Prefontaine at the University of Oregon back in the day. For a man in his early seventies, he was fit as hell.

  “Where the fuck are you going?” I called out as Spider-Judge continued to inch along the outside railing.

  “She’ll kill me,” Judge Snodgrass yelled. “You don’t understand.”

  I peered over the edge and could now see that the judge was headed for the balcony of the room next door.

  “You’ll never make it,” I called to him. “It’s too far to jump.”

  “I’ll take my chances,” he replied, continuing his futile escape.

  “You’re gonna fall.”

  “Better than what she’ll do to me,” Snodgrass said.

  “Who are you talking about? Who’s going to kill you?

  “Your father ruined it all,” the judge cried out. “I was gonna make him rich and that self-righteous son of a bitch blew it. Now I’m a dead man.”

  “Wrong,” I said. “You’re going to jail, and I’m gonna make sure of it.”

  He shook his head. “Not a chance. You know what they’ll do to a judge in prison?”

  “You’re never gonna make that jump, so why don’t you let me help you get back over the rail and we can let the police handle the rest.”

  The judge laughed. “This isn’t just about me, you know. Daphne’s coming for you. For your club.”

  “Who the fuck is Daphne? Are you talking about the Beast?”

  “Daphne is just part of the black, twisted heart of the Beast,” he replied, truly seeming more terrified of her than the fall.

  “Yeah, well, whoever Daphne is, she’s never gonna get her hands on you. You tried to kill my father and I’m gonna personally make sure you pay.”

  “She’ll get to me,” the judge cried out. “Daphne and her machete will get all of you.”

  “Don’t be a fool,” I said, extending my hand over the side of the railing. “Grab ahold of my hand and I’ll pull you back up.”

  Just then the judge’s foot slipped on the wet balcony, causing him to slide further down the railing. He has now supporting himself with his upper body alone, gripping tightly for dear life.

  “I…I can’t hold on,” he cried out.

  I leaned over the railing as far as I could, grabbing Judge Snodgrass by the forearms, and pulling with every ounce of strength I could. My back and shoulder muscles burning from the strain as I struggled to pull him onto the balcony.

  The judge regained his footing, letting go of my right arm, before stabilizing himself on the railing.

  “One more pull and you’ll be over,” I said.

  “I told you, I’m not going to jail,” he said, producing a blade and plunging it into my shoulder.

  I reared back in pain, unable to keep hold of the judge and even though I tried to reach for him again, he was already plummeting toward the pavement below.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Trouble

  “ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY,” Taxi said, after informing us we had been invited to the annual Marine Ball happening in four days.

  I wasn’t a dress kinda gal, ergo, I didn’t own one, let alone a ball gown, and I had no interest or intention of complying with this bullshit edict. I raised my hand. “Tax—”

  “Mandatory,” he growled, and leaned in from his place at the head of the conference table. “Black tie.” He stood. “Mandatory.”

  Stalking out of the room, he pulled the door closed with a TWAP behind him and I dropped my head to the table. “No,” I whined to the floor. “No, no, no, no.”

  “Jette and Trouble,” Dr. Fenton called out as the rest of my team let out varied versions of ‘fuck.’

  “Just kill me,” I said, again to the floor.

  “It’s not all bad,” Jette countered. “Any excuse to buy a new dress…”

  “Ladies.”

  I raised my head and scowled at Dr. Fenton. “I’m no lady.”

  Dr. Fenton grinned. “Come on, you two. You’re with me.”

  “Where are we going?” Jette asked.

  “Shopping,” Dr. Fenton replied.

  “Nope,” I snapped, with an emphasis on the ‘P.’ “I’m not going.”

  “Mandatory,” Dr. Fenton parroted, her face hiding the smile her eyes couldn’t.

  “Why?” I cried. “It’s not like I have anyone to impress.”

  “It’s not about that,” Dr. Fenton said.

  “Then why can’t I just go in my kutte?”

  Jette gave me a look of horror and I rolled my eyes.

  “Come on,” Dr. Fenton repeated. “We’ve got the whole afternoon to find you a dress, shoes, and accoutrement.”

  “I don’t have the money for a dress, shoes, and whatever that word means,” I pointed out.

  “Good thing you’re not paying,” she retorted.

  “What? No.” I waved my hand. “I’m nobody’s charity case.”

  “Stephanie Palmer, you get your booty in my car, pronto, or I’m gonna sic Boots on you,” Dr. Fenton warned and Jette burst out laug
hing.

  “Shut it, Jette.”

  She just laughed harder. “Come on, girlfriend, let’s go spend all of Taxi’s money.”

  I let out a hiss and pushed away from the table, following the women to my doom.

  * * *

  The night of the ball arrived, and I was a puddle of goo. But not the good kind that derives from being happy and in love. No, I was the Ghostbusters slime kind.

  The dress I chose… no, that’s not entirely true. Jette and Dr. Fenton forced me into this contraption, so this was on them. The dress they chose was a deep cherry red, fitted around the hips and legs, then flaring at the bottom. They called it a mermaid style. I called it fucking impossible to walk in. At least the top was crisscrossed and sleeveless so I could raise my arms in case I had to punch someone.

  Jette had curled and swept my short hair back, ala Demi at the 1992 Oscars, and practically tied me to a chair in order to do my makeup, complete with red lipstick. At least she’d managed to hide my black eye.

  I didn’t look like myself and felt like a moron.

  The worst part came when I had to put these strappy fucking heels on my feet. I had drawn a line in the sand when I almost fell walking across my room and shoved them back in the box. They didn’t know it because my dress went to the floor, but I’d opted for a pair of Chucks instead.

  I couldn’t get away with not carrying a purse, however. I didn’t have pockets to throw my cell phone and ID in, so I stuffed everything in a silver, sparkly clutch that matched the heels I’d discarded, then walked out of my dorm room to meet the car.

  Jette was waiting for me out front and she grinned as I tugged on my leather jacket and walked into the frigid air. “You just made it.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Sorry. I had to make a quick adjustment.”

  We climbed into the car… well, I flopped in it as gracefully as I could, then the driver guided us to the venue a little over two miles away.

  It was a particularly cold November, so I hoped I could leave my jacket on all night. My hopes would be dashed, however, when we walked into the room and my leather was virtually ripped from my body… by Jette.

  “Hey, now,” I snapped.

  “Nice try.”

  “I’m cold.”