three.
Miller threw a bottle at the wall and walked away. Gaige and Blaine put their hands out, letting it known to just leave Miller be.
Jake sat with a few other patched in members. They were in a corner of the clubhouse, having a drink, trying to unwind from the day. There had been a weird attack in town earlier in the afternoon. A couple assholes from another crew came into town. They were from some MC two hours away. Part of the Rusted Skull MC. They had gone right down into the shit hole area and were shaking people down for drugs and cash. Just whipping out their guns like they owned the town.
If that wasn’t enough, they had the balls to pull guns on Gaige, Blaine, and Jake. Blaine took a shot and got one of the guy’s in the shoulder. The other guy quickly took off.
“Is he alive?” Jake asked.
“Not anymore,” Blaine said. “We got enough out of him.”
“Rusted Devil MC has been fucking around with a cartel,” Gaige said. “They’ve been bringing us some heat indirectly, and now they tried to fuck with us here in town. That doesn’t fly.”
“So what do we do?” Jake asked. “Retaliate?”
“Can’t,” Blaine said. He grabbed between his legs and adjusted himself. “Hey, is it true that if you don’t come, it backs up? Like it just collects and makes everything heavy?”
“What?” Jake asked.
“Bro, listen to me,” Blaine said. “I’ll show you my balls if you want.”
“No,” Gaige said. “Nobody wants to see your balls.”
“When was the last time you had sex?” Jake asked.
“When did I eat breakfast…,” Blaine asked and rubbed his chin.
“Christ,” Gaige said. “You had sex today?”
“Yeah,” Blaine said. “Just once. Quick too, because of the mess in town. I had to hurry up and get it going.”
“Wow,” Jake said. “I’m glad we’re talking about your balls, Blaine.”
“Sorry,” Blaine said. “I need to drain these boys out.”
“I’ll fucking shoot them,” Gaige said. “Back on track here… there’s something the guy said to us.”
“You got him to talk,” Jake said.
“I put a blowtorch to his dick,” Blaine said with a grin. “Soon as I started hitting the spark, his mouth went wild.”
“Damn,” Jake said.
Gaige grabbed a chair, spun it around and straddled it. “Here’s what we know. Something big and bad has happened with Rusted Devil and some fucking cartel. They’ve been pushing at each other. The cartel scheduled some kind of pick up and it was a set up. They blew up some facility and took out a lot of the Rusted Devil guys.”
“So what?” Jake asked.
“I agree,” Gaige said. “Another crew? I don’t give a fuck. I’m in the business of making friends. But the thing is this… if the cartel has access and movement, we don’t need anything happening here. The fact that Rusted Devil even came near Frelen means there’s eyes on us.”
“Wait a second, bro,” Blaine said. “Could this be related to the Coast Road shit? To what happened to Nate?”
“Maybe,” Gaige said. “But we need someone to take this on.”
Jake felt the eyes on him. “You want me to do it.”
“They’re broke,” Blaine said. “That’s why they were shaking down guys in town. Probably going town to town doing it. There’s a fighting ring down there. Other crews, gangs, fallen fighters, bodybuilders, whatever, they all go there to bet big money, man. And it’s not usually the crews that do it, Jake. It’s politicians. Businessmen. Rich fucks.”
“Christ,” Jake said. “Sounds dirty.”
“It’s call the snake pit,” Gaige said.
“I saw it once,” Blaine said. “It’s… even for me…”
“That bad?” Jake asked.
“They have a collection of bones, man. Bones. Some guys get out. Some guys don’t. It’s hidden enough that nobody gives a shit about it.”
“You could make money there,” Gaige said. “Big money.”
“And you’re telling me this… why?” Jake asked.
“I called in a favor,” Blaine said. “Some chick I fucked has a brother who has a cousin who has a best friend who has a sister that I also fucked who has a dog that gets walked by some other chick that I really fucked who knows a guy that’s friends with someone in the Rusted Devil MC crew.”
Jake laughed and shook his head. “The crazy part of that thing, Blaine, is I believe everything you just said.”
“I have no reason to lie,” Blaine said.
“Get to the point,” Gaige said.
“Rusted Devil MC has an open membership going,” Blaine said. “And they’re looking for a fighter. They want someone to go to the snake pit and earn big.”
“You want me to go into the snake pit and earn big,” Jake said with a grin.
“Yeah,” Gaige said. “For us. For the MC. To find out what the fuck they’re doing. Who their enemies are. We can’t have a cartel coming anywhere near us right now.”
“So I’m going undercover,” Jake said.
“You’re the best fighter in this club,” Blaine said. “The only one with some real experience.”
Jake couldn’t argue that. There was a time in his life when he was a legit fighter. He won, made money, even had a couple chances at sponsorships. It was before fighting became such a mainstream sport with pay-per-views and major contracts. Still, Jake had made a decent enough living.
Until he got into a fight outside a bar and…
“What are you thinking, brother?” Gaige asked.
“I don’t want to leave my cut behind,” Jake said.
“That’s your biggest worry?” Blaine asked. “You might be fucking crazier than me.”
Jake stood up and put a hand to Blaine’s shoulder. “No, man. Nobody in this world is crazier than you. Now go find yourself something to fuck.”
Blaine looked at Gaige and Gaige nodded. Blaine walked away. Jake then looked down at Gaige.
“Are you asking or telling me?” Jake asked.
“Does it matter?” Gaige asked.
“No,” Jake said. “We’ll need a drop spot. That’s where I’ll leave my cut. Then we communicate through there. Dig holes and bury notes. Go back and forth.”
“Jake, you understand what this entails,” Gaige said.
“I become a fucking rat.”
“That’s heavy.”
“It’s okay. You guys have your hands full here. We’re not going to ride out there and start another war, right?”
“Exactly,” Gaige said. “They’re going to have their eyes on us because we took one of their members. So you need to give us a heads up if they want to attack. Mostly, man, just get in there. Have a couple shots, talk big, whatever. Ask questions about membership and be blunt. Someone will talk about why they need bodies. And anything you get…”
Jake put a hand to Gaige’s shoulder. “Hey, I wear this cut proud, Gaige. You guys took me off the street and off trial. I lost everything until I found Back Down Devil. I’ll leave my cut in the ground and I ask one thing.”
“What’s that?” Gaige asked, looking up at Jake.
“When they make me and I get killed, I don’t want a dark ride. I don’t want to be praised or remembered. I want you to just bury my cut and let me find it on the other side.”
Gaige nodded. He put a hand to Jake’s and squeezed. “Thank you, brother. From myself, Miller, the entire…”
“Save it,” Jake said. “Don’t give me the speech, Gaige.”
“I’ll personally sponsor you to get at the table,” Gaige said.
“I don’t want to be at the table,” Jake said. “When I do leave for this little mission?”
“Tomorrow morning. You ride alone and we’ll have a ditch spot for your ride. Then you walk. Hitchhike your way to Rusted Devil. Go right to their bar and make your move.”
Jake let go of Gaige and walked for the door. Outside, it was calm and clea
r. A beautiful night. Hooking his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans, Jake looked around the lot.
This wasn’t a rat thing. This wasn’t a loyalty thing. This wasn’t a mission. It was about information. It was suicide. Some men would take a bullet and be gone. Some men would live to be old and riddled with cancer. Everyone was chased down by death.
Jake accepted that a long time ago.
His eyes scanned the lot again. “It’s been nice knowing you.”
four.
Jake walked and never looked back. He knew the guys would come and take his motorcycle away soon enough. Five miles from the drop spot there was a large rock on the side of the road. The opposite side.
That was spot where Jake would bury his leather cut and that’s where he’d communicate with Back Down Devil. That also meant he was just a mile away from the bar.
As Jake walked, he prepared himself for whatever waited. He felt naked without his Back Down Devil cut on. Wearing nothing but an old white t-shirt and blue jeans didn’t feel right. Walking in the sun left a nice layer of sweat on his body. By the time he was within seeing the Rusted Devil MC bar, his shirt was clinging to his body.
The lot had no gate, meaning the MC was vulnerable.
There were two guys out front, smoking and drinking.
Jake got close enough that he was able to wave. The two men stood, leaving their beer bottles behind.
“Hey,” Jake said as he got closer. He showed his hands. “I’m cool, guys.”
“You’re cool?” one of them said, raising an eyebrow. “Go fuck yourself.”
“What the fuck do you want?” the other guy asked.
“A beer,” Jake said. “And a leather cut.”
Both men started to laugh.
“What the fuck do you know about this life?” the first asked.
“I know enough to know you have an open membership going,” Jake said. “Heard it from a buddy of mine. I just hitched from Sassonville.”
“For a beer?” the second asked.
“And a leather cut,” Jake said again.
“Why don’t I get Kami and figure this out?” the first guy asked.
“Hey, Pitt,” the second guy said. “Get Apollo. He wants to interview recruits.”
Jake surveyed the place. It was a piece of shit bar. It looked like a biker bar for guys who were washed up or too afraid to really represent a leather cut.
“What the fuck are you looking at?” the first guy - Pitt - asked.
“Nothing,” Jake said.
Pitt approached. He was the same height as Jake but Jake had twenty pounds of pure, earned muscle on Pitt. The leather cut was the difference though. Without it, Pitt had more prestige than Jake.
So Jake just stood there and had to take whatever happened.
“You fucking piece of shit,” Pitt said. “Tell me what the fuck you’re looking at.”
From the corner of Jake’s eye he saw movement. A second later there was a zing sound. He quickly put his hands to Pitt’s chest and shoved him back, swiping at his leg, tripping Pitt to the ground.
A black car rode by, a gun pointed out the window.
Jake lunged forward and speared the other Rusted Devil MC guy.
“Attack!” Jake yelled. “Fuck.”
The gun shot over and over as Jake scrambled to his hands and knees and crawled to a motorcycle. He popped up and was in instant attack mode. His mind slipped that he was supposed to be here to get in with the Rusted Devil guys.
Fuck, anyone who shot at Jake was going to get their ass kicked.
Jake climbed on the ride and started it. He throttled the engine and took off. The two guys on the ground yelled something but the roar of the motorcycle was far louder.
Jake went right after the black car. Through the back window he saw it was just one person in the car. The driver stuck the gun out and turned his hand, trying to shoot. The bullets were easy to dodge.
As Jake sped up, he moved along the driver’s side of the car. He figured the guy must have been reloading a new clip because the car slowed a little and kept swerving left to right. The second Jake got up alongside the car, the gun appeared again. Jake cut to the right and kicked at the gun, knocking it free. It hit the road and bounced. Jake cut to the right again and kicked at the window, shattering it.
That was all it took to send the driver into panic mode.
Jake slid back and watched the car jolt to the right, to the left, and then finally lose itself for good. The car spun around three times and skidded off the road. Jake killed the engine on the motorcycle and charged into a cloud of dust the car had thrown up. He got to the car, ripped open the door, and punched the driver in the mouth. He tore the guy from the car and dragged him to the middle of the road.
“Don’t fucking move!” Jake ordered. He put his boot to the guy’s throat.
The guy tried to fight a little, but one swift kick to the ribs took care of that. The guy rolled to his side, groaning in pain. He then dropped to one knee to the guy’s back. When he looked up he saw four guys charging toward the scene.
Two of the guys were the ones Jake had saved.
The other two were complete strangers to Jake.
“Holy fuck!” Pitt yelled. “Who is that?”
“That’s Tommy,” one of the other guys said.
“You,” one said, pointing to Jake. “Stand up.”
Jake stood up. He showed his hands, again. “I’m good. I was just trying to help.”
“You fucking took me down,” Pitt said.
“There was a bullet going for your skull,” Jake said.
“Shut up.” The man stepped at Jake. “What are you doing here?”
“Like I said. A beer and a leather cut.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“No,” Jake said.
“I’m Apollo. President of Rusted Devil MC.”
“Good to meet you then. Sorry about pushing your members there.”
“You took that motorcycle?” Apollo asked, pointing.
“Yes. I chased this piece of shit down.”
“That’s my ride,” Apollo said.
Fuck. I took the President’s ride…
“I’m sorry,” Jake said.
Apollo pointed to the body on the ground without looking. “Pitt, Slaughter, take Tommy back to the bar. Check his pockets. I bet he was paid for this little drive-by.”
Apollo’s eyes were locked with his.
“I heard from a buddy you have an open membership going. And that you like guys who can fight. I’ve had experience.”
“The guy behind me is Kami,” Apollo said. “He’s my VP.”
Jake looked at Kami and nodded.
A second later, Apollo took out a gun and put it to Jake’s head. “No fucking way you attacked my men, took my ride, and chased down a shooter… you’re a fucking liar…”
Well then, that didn’t take long… about five minutes and I was already busted.
five.
They didn’t have handcuffs so they used chains. They wrapped them tight around Jake’s wrists, Kami holding at the middle of the chain between Jake’s wrists as he guided him through the lot. There was a small group of guys watching. They were all in Rusted Devil MC cuts. A few of the guys yelled to Jake.
“Fucking rat!”
“Gonna cut your dick off and make you eat it!”
“I’m not who you think I am,” Jake said.
The President of the MC, Apollo, stopped and turned. He threw a backhand and sent Jake to the ground. Jake saw stars, literally, and then spit up a chunk of blood. He thought for a second there was a tooth in the blood but luckily there wasn’t.
“Get him to the garage,” Apollo ordered. “Pitt, head back out on foot and get my fucking ride. Clean it up. Gas it up. Wash the rat smell off it.”
Jake spit on the ground again and then was pulled to his feet.
They then skipped the main door to the bar and went to the side. There was a garage out back and Apollo opened
it. The garage looked like any other auto garage. The drain in the middle was perfect for draining oil… or blood.
Rusted Devil might have been a beat up MC, but that didn’t mean they were dead.
So this situation was pretty damn serious.
Jake couldn’t do a thing right now but go for the ride.
Kami sat Jake down and hooked the chains to a chair.
“Now, let’s have some fucking fun,” Apollo said. He put a boot between Jake’s legs, on the chair. He put a hand out. “Kami, give me the hammer. The good hammer. The one that’s all fucked up. The one that won’t kill on the first swing, no matter how hard I try. The one that takes at least three really good swings…”
Jake stared up at Apollo.
You have no idea who the fuck I am, man. You fucking kill me…
And what?
What would happen?
Nothing.
Back Down Devil were in their own world of shit. They weren’t going to ride up to Rusted Devil and start another war.
Jake sat there and realized just how insignificant his life really was.
Kami handed Apollo the hammer.
Apollo wasted no time in bringing it up into the air.
six.
Keira watched the guys all rush out of the bar. When they left their bottles of beer and their shots of whiskey behind, it was never good news. Five minutes before that, Apollo stormed out of the bar like a giant looking for a meal.
When the bar was quiet and empty, the feeling was eerie. Keira used to look forward to it. A chance to breathe and fantasize about a normal life. But now, seeing the place empty, it felt more of a premonition than anything else.
Grabbing a towel, she wiped the bar.
She then came out from behind the bar and grabbed a bunch of bottles to toss.
Being alone used to be a good thing for Keira. Right up until she realized she was probably going to end up alone. Kami wouldn’t survive the life forever. He was too hotheaded and Apollo didn’t give a shit about anyone in the club. There would come a day when Kami’s body would be tossed onto a pool table, bleeding, dead, whatever. Or maybe something worse would happen to Kami and he’d never come back at all. If that were to happen, then Keira instantly became free game to everyone else in the MC.
BROKEN ROAD (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novella) Page 2
