When Clubs Collide

by Jacqueline Sinclair

  “ENOUGH!” I hear Ice Man yell, causing me to pause the squeeze of my finger on the trigger. The steel in his voice is enough to make me question what I’m doing, but barely. He should know that if we can’t get what we need out of these guys, or if they continue to stand in our way, we have no choice but to go through them by any means necessary. It’s the way we do things, but the fact that the mission we’re on is for my sister, I’ll do anything I think I need to do. Even if that means going against my club’s wishes.

  The asshole’s arm loosens, but he doesn’t completely let me go, even when I push my pistol harder into his gut. I’ve got to give him props, though. This fucker is a beast.

  Turning us so we’re both facing my president, I allow him this move. He may still have a hold on me, but I’ve got him in a bad situation too, and he knows it.

  “Kane, put the gun away.” Ice Man tries to reason with me.

  “Sorry, Prez. But if they stand in our way, then I have no choice but to go through them,” I say, hating the look of disappointment on his face. But knowing my determination won’t fade, considering what’s at stake for me, he hardens his face and looks to the man I’m holding a gun to.

  Before Ice Man can say anything, the man asks, “Why are you here?”

  Ice Man looks to me, telling me without words that our charade is up. I don’t want to tell these guys anything, because they could be working with Rex, but right now, we don’t really have a choice. I just hope Ice Man is right and we can trust them. At least enough for them to let us continue with what we are doing here.

  “We’re lookin’ for my brother’s sister. She was taken somewhere in this area less than a week ago, by a man we believe is named Rex. From what we’ve gathered about him, he has a holding warehouse around here, and it’s where he could have her now. We’re just trying to find her, man,” Ice Man says with a pleading edge to his voice. Basically, he’s saying if you can help, great. If not, we won’t leave without what we came for and not without a fight.

  Tired of the position I’m in, I throw my elbow into the man’s ribs and break free of his hold, then train my gun at his head.

  Deciding that I don’t want to lose my patch for ending this fucker’s life unless it’s absolutely necessary, I glance over at Ice Man, waiting for him to give me the go ahead. I need to find my sister, but this is my club, my family. This club is my life.

  After a few silent moments, the man asks, “Whose sister?”

  “Mine,” I growl.

  “Where did you get your information?”

  Ice Man stands there, silent for a few moments, debating on what he should tell these guys. We still don’t know anything about them.

  Reading my thoughts, Ice Man asks, “How do we know you’re not working for him? That you’ll run right to him, letting him know we’re onto him?”

  The man laughs. “It would be a cold day in hell before I worked for that fucker again.”

  “So you know who we’re talking about?” Ice Man asks.

  “You could say that.”

  The two bikers look at each other, debating on what they want to say or do about the situation. I’m actually unsure myself. It never crossed my mind that we’d come across another club like this. If they were connected to Rex, we’d just take them out. But the hatred these guys seem to have for Rex is real, which is good for us. Hopefully.

  Turning back toward Ice Man, he says, “We got word today that he’s back in the area, which is against the agreement our president set with him years ago. Why don’t you and your boys follow us to our clubhouse. I’m sure our club president would be interested to hear what you have to say about our old friend Rex.”

  Ice Man looks to me, asking silently what I think.

  Looking to the other man, the one who’s been silent the whole time, I wait to see if he’ll give anything away. I’m usually pretty good at reading people when my head’s in the game, and I’m hoping that since he’s been the silent one, he’ll be the one to give any lies away. But all I see is truth and understanding. It’s like he gets where I’m coming from in my need to find my sister.

  Lowering my weapon is all the answer Ice Man needs. Facing the man, he says, “Lead the way.”

  Chapter Six

  Thor – Heaven’s Rejects MC

  Brushing the blood from my lips as I straddle my bike, I look over to Hero.

  “You sure it’s a good idea, bringing these guys to our clubhouse?” I growl. “We might just be bringing wolves into our henhouse, Hero. I thought you of all people would want to protect what’s ours.”

  Hero swipes his thumb across his lip and looks down at the blood on his own hand before wiping it off on his jeans. I still can’t believe Mohawk pulled a gun on him, and is living to tell the tale.

  Sliding his phone from his pocket, he types out a text. “Already thought of that, brother.” He smiles, with blood still staining his lips. “Just sent a warning off to V to clear out the women and kids, and to put Raze on alert that we’re coming in hot.”

  “I still don’t like it, Hero.”

  “Listen, I get it. I have my family to think about on top of my club. You have to look at it from all sides. Maybe they’re jerking our chain,” he says with a grimace, “but our men and firepower are at the clubhouse.”

  “That’s true,” I say in agreement.

  “Besides, if they’re telling the truth, we have the information they want. I doubt they’ll jeopardize getting it if there’s a damn woman involved.” He looks over at the men in question. “Plus, if what they say is true, helping them helps us with our problem too.”

  I reply with a nod and turn my sights back on the men who helped us make Red’s look like the fucking Royal Rumble. Each of them look just as battered as we do. Well, maybe Hero. Me? Not so much. The adrenaline coursing through my body is already recharging in case the round two bell dings later. My gut may be telling me to give these guys a chance to tell us the whole story, but my brain has already thought of a hundred different ways to dismantle each and every one of them.

  Their president pulls in beside us. “We have a few more men on their way. They’ll be riding with us,” he says, just as I see a van pull into the parking lot and hear motors in the distance.

  Hero just nods, pulling out his phone once more, probably giving our guys back home the update as well.

  The ride back to the clubhouse is smooth, and as we pull onto the property, I notice the lack of cars lining the usually full parking lot.

  Good. V got the women out of the line of fire. That’s one less thing to worry about.

  I pull around the back of the building and smile when I see Raze and the rest of our club standing by the door, stone-faced and angry. I would never admit it to his face, but Raze’s resting “fuck off” face is probably the scariest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t have a clue how Darcy could deal with his moody ass on a daily basis. I sure as fuck wouldn’t want to piss him off.

  Hero and I slide off our bikes as our visitors follow suit. I can’t help but notice that Mohawk’s body language is tense. I get that his sister is MIA, and that our old pal Rex may have her in his slave-selling grasp, but the kid just doesn’t feel right to me. Maybe it’s his attitude, or his punk-ass haircut, but I don’t like the guy one bit.

  Hero signals to their president to follow him.

  “This is Raze, our president,” he introduces with a bite to his voice. “Prez, this is Ice Man. “

  “Ice Man, president of the Devil’s Crew, Texas chapter,” Ice Man says coolly.

  “Raze, president of the Heaven’s Rejects,” Raze replies.

  Raze stands silent for a moment and looks over their president. You can see the wheels turning in his mind as he analyzes him. Compared to Raze’s six foot plus stature, I’m surprised to see Ice Man puff up in front of him.

  He’s either fearless or stupid. Only time will tell.

  “Leave your weapons on your bikes,” Raze snarls. “You want our help, you c
ome into our home without those pieces tucked inside your cuts.”

  The Devil’s Crew looks to their president before he nods. Each of the men return to their bikes and unload their various weapons into their saddlebags. I’m surprised to see the amount of firepower they have tucked away that I didn’t notice before. And not just firepower, but knives and brass knuckles too. Guess these guys weren’t messing around when they rolled up.

  Once done, Raze throws open the door and leads them into our meeting room. We settle into our usual seats, which forces the Devil’s Crew to stand at the end of the table. I force myself to stifle a laugh, imagining it like their standing in front of the principal’s desk, waiting for punishment. Though, the looks on their faces don’t fit with the imagery.

  “I hear you have a missing girl, and think she might be in our area?”

  “Yes—” Ice Man starts, but he’s interrupted by Mohawk.

  “You damn well know what we’re here for. You gonna help us or not?” Ice Man glares at his brother.

  “Listen, son,” Raze snaps as he rises from his seat. “You’re in my clubhouse and in need of my help, so I would think twice before opening your mouth again.”

  “I apologize for Kane’s outburst. He’s got a collected interest in this case since the girl is his sister. I’m sure you can understand why we’re in a rush to collect her.”

  Raze narrows his eyes before sitting back down. “What information do you have that points to Rex?”

  Ice Man looks to Kane with a warning glare to watch his mouth. “My brother got word that his sister was kidnapped while in this area.”

  “And that leads you to believe that Rex is involved?” Raze questions with a furrowed brow. “That’s not exactly hard evidence. I’m not the type of guy who accuses someone of kidnapping without hard proof.”

  Mohawk’s eyes flare with his fists curling in rage at his sides. “A man approached her and her friends at a club in Long Beach,” Kane growls. “Her friends said he and his crew were buying them drinks all night and invited them back to his place. They were so fucked-up that they didn’t notice the man corralling my sister into a separate car until it was too late. He sped off with her inside, but one of her friends managed to snap a picture of his plate.”

  The tension rises in the room. The post-war agreement with Rex was before my time, but even I can see the fury unleashing inside of my brothers.

  Ice Man steps forward, past Kane, and nods for him to step away from the table. “I had one of our guys run the plate and it came back to a warehouse in Upland, up near the summit of Mt. Baldy. Word through the grapevine is that that’s where Rex used to call home. That’s why we’re here. We all know that she has a few days at most before he ships her out.”

  “If he hasn’t already,” I mutter.

  Raze rubs his hand over his face as he silently contemplates the issue at hand.

  “Look, I know we’re in your territory, and I apologize for not contacting you before we showed up, but again, this is very time-sensitive. We couldn’t be one hundred percent sure who was on his payroll. We couldn’t risk him finding out we were onto him,” Ice Man says before taking one step forward, his stance changing to predatory. “If you don’t want to help us, we can do this on our own. But know this—we won’t be leaving here without her, and retribution.”

  The way he speaks that last part is like a threat. It pisses me off, but I have to give the man props. He’s not afraid to throw down, even if it’s a losing battle. Guess that’s why he holds the president’s patch.

  “Rex isn’t exactly a friend, Ice Man. He used to be under my father’s leadership, but he and I don’t exactly agree with his business ventures. He was granted access through our area, but we had no part in his trafficking business.”

  “So you’re going to stay neutral then? I can understand that,” Ice Man replies.

  “Not a chance in hell,” Raze declares. “He reneged on our agreement as soon as he took the girl and brought her into our territory. The agreement is over.”

  Each of the Devil’s Crew look to each other in shock at Raze’s words.

  “So you’ll help?” Kane questions. There’s a hopeful tone to his voice now. It almost sounds like he’s a kid again. It’s the first time I’ve heard anything other than rage and attitude come out of his mouth. I guess he’s only a man, trying to save his sister.

  “If you agree to finish your business and leave, we’ll do more than help you, son. We’ll take you to his doorstep and ring the fucking bell.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kane—Devil’s Crew MC

  Ice Man handed over all the information we had on this Rex guy. I almost yanked the papers out of his hand, convinced that these assholes worked for him and were trying to get what we had on him before trying to bury us. Ice Man said he trusted them, and for a guy like him, that goes a long way. So I guess I’m going to have to trust them too. But only as far as I can throw that big fucker, which wouldn’t be far. I’m going to call him Goliath.

  “Where did you say you got this?” Goliath asks.

  “He didn’t,” I answer for my president, which gets me a slap upside the head and a death glare.

  “I have a connection in Nevada—the Rough Riders MC. He was the one who gave me the information about Rex, and why we’re here,” Ice Man says calmly, not even a little worried about giving away too much information. But from what I know of the Rough Riders, their Sargent at Arms, Torq specifically, they can handle any heat that may come from this.

  “That’s Bear’s club, right?” the president of their club asks.

  I’m surprised they’ve heard of them, though I really shouldn’t be. The Rough Riders have a reputation known far and wide, but I’ve never met anyone so far out of my territory that hasn’t worked with them or knows them.

  “Yes,” Ice Man confirms, his voice hard and ready to jump on the defensive if needed.

  “Should we be expecting them?” Goliath asks, his voice angry.

  Ice Man looks at him directly, a sad look coming across his face. I know that he and Torq are close, but I never would have thought his situation would hit him hard like this. Torq was the man who patched Ice Man into the club officially from prospect to member, then president. I knew they had an equal respect for each other, but this is deeper. Ice Man considers him a brother, even if we don’t share the same patch.

  “No. Their Sargent at Arm’s woman was taken around the same time, but we don’t think it’s connected. They’ve offered help with information and keeping an eye out, but they’ve got their hands full and are heading in a completely different direction.”

  This surprises them, and lowers the tension spilling out into the room. “Well, shit. Tough luck,” Goliath says mockingly, which has my red-hot temper sizzling out of control. I already don’t like the fucker, but now I want to use him as my personal punching bag. And I would, if Ice Man wasn’t staring at me like he knows exactly what I’m thinking.

  “Thor,” Raze says in warning, which has a smile taking over my face. I don’t even try to hide it. Though Goliath, or Thor, doesn’t change his facial expression, he does shut up. Smart man.

  “What makes you so sure these two women getting taken around the same time aren’t connected? Rex has many men working for him in different states. If he found this other girl and wanted her, he would’ve had no problem getting her.”

  “Torq was there when his woman was taken, said he knew who did it and why. There’s no connection, trust me,” Ice Man answers, which is enough for Raze. It’s nice to know that they’re agreeable. At least, some of them.

  Everyone’s quiet for a few moments. Both presidents are quietly contemplating where to go from here, and the rest of us quietly size the others up. None of us are stupid enough to think that having two outlaw clubs in the same house is good.

  “Prez, let me go back to Red’s. If what they say is true, and Rex has the girl, then he’d know something. It’s gotta be better than knocking on th
eir door, pretending to sell cookies. It’s a first course of action. And if that fails, we’ll kick the fucking door in,” Thor says, and it’s the first time I’ve heard him speak in a tone that isn’t angry or cocky. I still don’t like the fucker, though.

  Raze is unreadable as he thinks about the offer, then surprisingly, he turns to Ice Man. “You think you can collar one of your boys long enough to tag along with Thor here? I agree with him. It’s worth a try before we blow everything to shit by giving ourselves away. Right now, Rex has to know we know he’s here, so he’ll be on the alert because he fucked-up. But, if we can get some information on where he might be keeping the girl, maybe we can end this without losing blood.”

  I don’t wait for Ice Man to think too hard on it, or order one of my brothers to go. Mikayla is my sister. It should be me that goes searching for information on her location. Plus, I don’t trust that fucker Thor. I want to make sure any information gathered gets back to us.

  “I’ll go, Prez,” I say, my body already itching to get back on my bike and do something, anything, to bring my sister back. I fear if I don’t do something to keep my mind occupied and my hands busy, I’ll do something that may fuck things up for my brothers, and my sister.

  Ice Man takes two steps toward me, standing toe-to-toe. “You sure you can keep your cool, brother?” I know I deserve the suspicion laced in his voice, but it still pisses me off. And on a level that I don’t want to think too hard about, it saddens me. I never want to disappoint him or make him not believe in me as a friend or brother. To keep from adding fuel to that particular fire, I rein that shit in.

  “You have my word,” I tell him, hoping I can keep it.

  “If not, I’ll have your patch,” he returns, which does nothing for my anger. But, like I’m sure he knew it would, it’s what I needed to make sure I follow through, even if it kills me.