Which sets us off in another round of giggling we just can’t seem to stop. As Red escorts us out, Sandy, Carmen and myself try to be quiet, turning to each other with exaggerated cries of “Shush,” and fingers held up trying to find our lips. I find it hilarious when Carmen’s nail hits her nose, but I doubt I’m doing much better than her.
When Sam, who must be drunk on our fumes, bangs against a door slamming it open Red laughs and tells us, “I wouldn’t bother tryin’ to be quiet. I think you’ve already woken the whole clubhouse up.” His pronouncement seems to be the funniest thing we’ve ever heard.
He leaves us at the doors to our rooms, Carmen and Sandy carry on walking unsteadily to theirs. Before he goes off he gives them, and then us one last lingering look. “Now I know why we don’t let women join the club. I swear you ladies are more trouble drunk than half of my men.”
“Oh, come on, Red.” Sophie pulls at his cut. “That’s an exaggeration. I’ve not even been drinking.”
“No exaggeration, I assure you.” And he’s pointing at me. Me? I glare at him, but my expression just makes him smirk. “Most of the fuckers just fall asleep. Anyway, goodnight ladies. Off to bed with you now.”
He turns to go away, but is prevented from leaving. “What? No Sophie. I’m not comin’ into your room. Wraith would kill me stone dead. And then dig me up and do it all over again.”
She giggles and blows a kiss at him as he at last escapes to stride away. I give her a curious look. She and the Vegas president seem almost overfamiliar. I wonder why?
“Hey!” she calls out to get our attention as Sam and I open our own doors. “I wasn’t gonna shag him. Just wanted some company. I miss Wraith.” Her mouth quivers, and a tear drops from her eye.
The three of us look at each other, the reason why we’re all awake at this ungodly hour sobering me quickly. “Want us to come in?” I suggest.
And that’s how I spend the night, no longer alone, but sharing a bed with two women, and together we share the burden and concern for our men.
Chapter 36
Slick
When we arrive back at the clubhouse Wraith’s team’s already back. The VP’s nowhere in sight, but Tongue is standing at the bar with a shot glass in his hand, which seems like a fucking good idea. After having a quick word with Viper and Shooter, I take my smokes out of my cut and wander on over and join him. Putting my own mess aside for the moment, I ask about his night.
“How did it go man?”
“Fucker didn’t know what hit him.” The stud in his tongue catches the light as he speaks. “Did the typical knock at the door, he comes down and opens it and bang. Got him straight between the eyes. You?”
I evade the question, just give him a quick nod then ask, “Drum back yet?”
“Not seen him.”
When I stay quiet, Tongue doesn’t bother me, probably knowing it’s been one hell of a night and it’s not over yet, not until everyone’s got safely back. But every time the door to the clubhouse opens I feel sick with apprehension for a reason that’s different to his.
Blade’s team’s back next, and so far we haven’t lost a man. Soon after Peg and his crew return to cheers. Now we’re only waiting on Drum, and my nervousness increases every second that passes. When he arrives, a roar goes through the clubhouse. Our meticulous planning has paid off. Every target eliminated, and every man home without so much as a fucking scratch. Oh, except for Beef, who’d caught his fingernail and ripped it. Hardly a case to call Doc. Who’d have fuckin’ thought?
Wraith’s appeared and has taken Tongue’s place at the bar, which puts me beside him as the prez comes over, for once a recognisable look of pure satisfaction on his face.
“Herrera had it right. The fuckers didn’t know what they had comin’.” He takes the bottle of beer his VP offers him, chugging it back.
“No one seems to have run into any trouble.” Wraith agrees. “Went fuckin’ smoothly.”
With a feeling of dread, I realise this is my opening to come clean. “Er, Prez.” It will only be worse if I delay telling him. As he turns his attention to me, Crash comes up alongside. Throwing him a grateful look, I continue, “Got a moment to talk, Prez?”
Drum looks at me, then down at his now empty beer. “Fuck this. Prospect? Get me a fuckin’ whisky. No you wanker, not that. There. On the top fuckin’ shelf.” Jekyll almost drops the shot glass in his hurry to comply. Drum narrows his eyes. “And for your information that’s my fuckin’ whisky. Don’t go lettin’ any other douchebag have any. And yeah, of course I want ice!” The prospect’s hand shakes as he gets down the correct drink. Drum loses patience. “Jekyll. Just give me the fuckin’ bottle.” Drum grabs the whisky and the glass. He looks around the room where noisy celebrations have started, and then at the expression on my face. “Let’s take this to my office then, Slick. You in on this too, Crash?”
Feeling decidedly uncomfortable, I follow him the short distance down the hallway, and then inside his room. Once we’ve got ourselves settled. I take a deep breath, look at Crash then at the prez. Knowing I can’t put it off, I enlighten Drum as to exactly what had gone down, and what I personally had done.
His face darkens as I tell him, his hand smoothing over his beard as I explain we now know who’s responsible for us having a brother in hospital and one of our old lady’s dead. His fist hits the desk, making his drink bounce.
“Why d’ya fuckin’ kill him, Slick?”
“He was provoked.” Crash tries to offer support.
“Shouldn’t have been fuckin’ provoked!” Drum’s as angry as I’ve ever seen him. I find my eyes carefully tracking his hands in case he goes for his gun. “He could have told us more. Least of all the contacts at the social that he’s dealin’ with, and the fuckers who want Amy. Fuck, he could have had good intel that we could use. It wasn’t your fuckin’ call, Slick. And after what he’d done? All the brothers would have wanted to take their turn with them. You fuckin’ denied them the chance.”
I hang my head in shame.
“Fuck. I should have your fuckin’ patch for this.” I feel spittle land on my cheek as Drum shouts at me across the desk, grateful for the expanse of wood between us.
I give a miserable nod. “Prez, I acted on impulse. I’m sorry.”
“Now you’ve gone and killed a cop. That could fall back on the club. A bunch of gangsters they won’t do too much digging. But one of their own? They’ll never stop.”
“I’ll step up, Prez. If I have to. Won’t get the club into it.”
“You fuckin’ better. Fuck it.” He slams his hand down again.
Crash sits forward, his chin resting on a cupped palm. “We walked into hell tonight, Drummer. Two young girls… It was sickening. Slick made some good calls, what I’d have done myself. We got the other fuckers killed cleanly and the girls away to their homes. Hell. I was gonna shoot Archer myself if Slick hadn’t stopped me. And at least, he got him to talk.”
Crash’s input calms Drummer a little. Well, it turns a hurricane into a tropical storm at least. The prez sits back. “He admitted they wanted Amy to fuckin’ sell her?” Drum’s fingers tap on the wood. “No doubt he deserved what he fuckin’ got. But I’d have liked to be the one to take him down.”
“I’m sorry, Prez.” I repeat my apology. Seems all I can do.
Reaching behind him, Drummer picks up a couple of glasses and pours a shot of whisky in each, pushing them toward Crash and me. “I can’t blame you, Slick. Hearin’ him tellin’ it like that? Admittin’ he ran Heart off the road?”
“He fuckin’ laughed, Prez.”
Drum closes his eyes briefly and takes a deep breath. He lets it out slowly. “Under the circumstances, I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing.”
Am I going to get away with it?
“If it had been one of my brothers, I could see myself losing it like Slick.” Crash continues to add his support. “Fuckin’ bad to hear it like that.”
“He laughed.�
� I repeat. That was what had caused my trigger finger to twitch.
We all drink the whisky, and by God it’s good stuff. Nothing but the best for the prez.
“What about the girls? They know anythin’ to identify you?”
I’d checked that as soon as I’d got back. “Not accordin’ to Viper and Shooter. Girls were half out of it, only just managed to hang onto the bikes. We didn’t wear cuts and doubt they’d remember enough for an identification. And we blew up the house. We left nothin’ of ours behind. I’d like Mouse to run a check on the addresses. Girls that young shouldn’t be out alone at night, want to see what it looks like at home.”
“Yeah. And if we find fuckin’ anythin’ we don’t like, I’ll pass it on to Hannah. Reckon she’ll help if the kids want protectin’.”
It seems a good idea, as long as she doesn’t ask too many questions. Like what’s happened to her missing partner.
Drum hasn’t finished. “Slick, I’m not fuckin’ thrilled by what you did tonight, but I can understand it. At least the fucker who went after Heart is dead. Christ, I can’t believe it. I knew he was on the take, but he didn’t seem the type to get his hands dirty.”
“Archer hates bikers, doubt he thought twice about taking Heart and Crystal out.”
“At least that’s one mystery solved.”
“Two,” Drum corrects me. “We’ve confirmed who’s interested in Amy. And why.” He pauses and takes a sip of his beer. “But I don’t like that he’s got the social involved. That could cause us problems.” He picks up the bottle again and points it toward me. “Once we’re certain we get no blowback from the Herreras, your girls can come back. Anyone with an interest in them is dead. But Sam? Fuck. She’s gonna need to stay away with Amy while we sort things out. And fuck that, I’ll miss her. And it’s not fair on the kid. She’s lost her mom, maybe her dad, and now she’s losing us too. I was getting fond of the little brat too.”
I wipe my hands over the dome of my head and try to think. “What about Crystal’s mother? Could she be persuaded to drop her claim?”
The prez considers. “For her part in the matter I don’t want to even see the bitch again. Being prepared to sell her own grandkid for fuck’s sake? Let alone getting her daughter and husband killed.”
“She’s a drugged-up whore. She’s probably not even thinking straight.”
“I think you’re being too kind.” Drum’s right, but I’ve seen enough addicts to know there’s no limit to what they’ll do to get their next fix. Prez hasn’t finished. “Without Archer she’ll have no support for her claim. But it depends on her debts, and who wants to collect them. She might still be desperate enough to still fight for the kid.”
“Could you arrange an accident?”
“Maybe, Crash. That might be the direction we’ll need to go. Heck, I don’t like harmin’ women, but that one’s the scum of the earth.” Prez looks down at his drink. “Don’t think we need to rush into anything, let’s see how it plays out for now. We’ve all done enough killin’ tonight.” And it’s his pointed look at me that makes me realise what his emphasis was directed at.
“Fuck, I’m sorry Prez. I shouldn’t have shot him.” I feel remorse all over again. Now I’m responsible for keeping him and his old lady apart.
His eyes blast his full glare at me, then, after thinking for a few seconds, his face begins to relax. “Bringin’ him back here would have caused its own problems. Wouldn’t have got him to talk by playin’ nice, he would have ended up just as dead. We should have made him suffer a bit longer, but at least he’s out of our hair. May well have the fuckin’ heat sniffin’ around though. They’ve got a missin’ cop who’s had his nose in our shit.”
He’s quiet for a moment then slaps my back and huffs a laugh. “You shot his dick off, you say? What is it with you and fuckin’ dicks, Slick?”
Crash smirks. “I’ll have to remember not to cross you, Brother.”
Drum shudders then chuckles. “Think we’ll all need to remember that, Crash.” Then he’s staring at me again. “Well, the Rock Demons might be off the hook for Heart’s accident, but I haven’t forgotten, Slick. We’ll keep huntin’ those motherfuckers down.”
I raise my chin to him in thanks. Yes, every one of those bastards that hurt Ella is going to be punished. But that’s for another day. I’m just relieved I’ve still got my patch.
“Sounds like the party’s getting’ goin’ out there.” Prez’s head is cocked to one side. “Get out of here, brothers. Everyone did fuckin’ good tonight.”
Feeling a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, I’m the first to walk out. Crash slaps my back as I leave Drum’s office. I try to thank him profusely, but he shakes my gratitude off, and then, spying Rope and Cuff, goes over to speak to them.
I go to the bar, and Jekyll produces a beer. I’m standing, thinking of the night, of Archer, and of what the prez had just said. And…oh fuck! Suddenly his words filter through my tired brain. If the trouble with the Herreras really is over and there’s nothing else brewing, Ella can come home, and Jayden as well. With the rogue element of the crime family cleaned out, unless there’s any retaliation no one’s going to be searching for her anymore. Tossing back my drink I grab a fresh beer, rolling the cold bottle over my forehead as I think through the implications. It’s time to start searching for a house. Fuck, that will be strange. I’ve lived on the compound since I’d joined the club. But for Ella and me to set up a home? Can’t fucking wait or think of anything I’d like better. Put a sprog inside her as well, do it all properly.
Yeah. Do it all by the book. Which gives me an idea. And now the ideas taken hold there won’t be anything to shift it.
“Another, Slick?”
“Naw, Blade. Got somethin’ I need to do. I’m out of here now.” The enforcer looks surprised I’ve blown him off, but I don’t want to waste a minute now I’ve plans to make.
“Your right hand gonna get some action? Don’t rub the skin off,” Blade calls after me as I walk off.
Flipping him the finger I call over my shoulder, “Very funny.” But he’s put a smile on my face. For that, I reward him, pausing to add, “I am gonna try something different. I’ll use my fuckin’ left.” As he flips me the bird I move off. No, I’m not going to be playing with my dick. Well, not until after I’ve done what I’ve got in mind first.
Slapping my brothers on the back as I make my way through them, I head on up to my suite and open up my laptop, which I’d retrieved from the weapons store. Yeah, I’d hidden my valuable stuff there too. Opening up Google I search for what I need.
And yeah, the idea fucking excites me. Enough so when I’ve finished I do give my hand a good work out in the shower. But I ain’t gonna be telling Blade that.
Early next morning I go to find the prez. As expected he’s up early and monitoring the local news. Entering his office a little cautiously, I’m met by a nod. Seeing it doesn’t look like he’s holding a grudge I take a seat, cocking my eyebrow and inclining my head toward the monitor in front of him.
He correctly interprets my gesture. “Nothing about us. They haven’t even pieced it all together yet. Explosions and killing all over Tucson. Cops are in a complete mess.”
“There’s no connection between us and the Herreras?”
“Seems we have no worries on that score.” He stares at me for a moment. “Old man Herrera’s been in touch. Bit of a coded conversation, but it appears they’ll keep to their word and leave us out of it. They’re focusin’ the family’s attention in another direction. Readin’ between the lines I think he’s confessed to the Zetas, and they’re happy someone’s done their work for them. They have no trouble takin’ the blame for stampin’ down hard. Brings the deviant part of the Herrera family back into line, and the Zeta’s can build it up that they don’t tolerate sharing their trade.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. That’s good to know.
“Seeing as we’ve done old man Herrera a solid, I’ve pulled in a favour.”
As he stares at me, his lips turn up into a smile. “Whatever Crystal’s mom’s debts are, they won’t take a child in payment. He confirmed anyone involved in that side of the business we took out last night. Clyde’s all on her own with paying them off.”
Well fuck me! That’s great news. “Sam and Amy can come home then.”
He frowns. “Not until we sort out the fuckin’ social issues. Even if Clyde has no further interest in the kid, now that a judge has got involved it might not be so easy.” And we’re back to the fact that if I hadn’t been so trigger happy, Archer might have been a help there.
“I’m so sorry, Drum.”
“Ain’t a problem, Slick. After what Archer confessed to, he wasn’t gonna live past last night. We’ll sort it, don’t worry. We’ll get the club lawyer involved. And Heart may still wake up.”
I fucking hope so. But it seems a long shot.
“You must be breathin’ easier. Ella and Jayden are in the clear now.”
Yeah, and there’s nothing to stop me putting my plan into action. As I nod, my facial expression must give something away.
Pushing back his chair, Drum places his foot against the desk and levels that famous stare at me. “It wasn’t just the update you wanted. You want more than that, doncha? So spit it out man, what can I do for ya, Slick?”
I take a deep breath and start to explain what’s on my mind. After I tell him he’s silent, and for a second I’m not sure what reaction I’ll get. It is a fucking big ask after I cocked up so badly last night. Gradually his eyes soften, his mouth gives a twitch, then his lips turn up.
Finally, he bursts out laughing. “Fuck me! That’s fuckin’ ace.” Leaning forward he bangs both palms on the desk. “Want me to get it sorted with Red?”
“That would be great, Prez.” I’m grinning like a loon. Seems the plan’s a go.
“And who do ya want?”
Slick Running (Satan's Devils #3) (Satan's Devils MC) Page 37
