by Jacobs, Kyle
They pulled up to a small farm house which was across from a building that looked like a wide, single level warehouse. He could see empty stalls inside it. There was another car parked here.
"Who's is that?" he asked, indicating the car.
"Milo's," Ryder said. He now looked really frustrated. "You stupid or something? He's here to help."
With Ryder's sudden change in attitude, Oliver became very alarmed.
Ryder parked the car and took the keys. He gave him a very serious look. "Do yourself a favor, keep your trap shut. Understand?"
Oliver only nodded. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest.
"Get out," he commanded.
"I still want to know what's going on," Noh said. What could he do?
As if finally giving up on maintaining any more civility with him, Ryder produced a pistol out of nowhere.
He pointed it at Oliver.
"I said, get out. Ya deaf?"
Oliver's eyes went wide. "Okay," he whispered. Now terrified he did as he was told and got out of the car.
He looked around. Other than the two buildings there was nothing else around. Vast fields surrounded them lined by forest. He couldn't even see the main road from here.
Oliver felt bewildered, and very afraid.
"Why are you doing this?" Oliver asked, finding the courage to do so from some deep place within him.
Ryder came around the car toward him. When he got close he suddenly smacked Oliver across the head.
Oliver fell down into the mud. His world shifted, he saw stars.
Blinking, Oliver looked up. Ryder loomed over him. No more grins. Just a look of pure malevolence. "You still owe me a blow job, bitch."
Oliver cowered before him, paralysed with fear.
"What the hell is going on?" someone shouted.
They both looked over at the voice.
A very large man had exited the dairy and walked over to them. He was covered in tattoos and he instantly could tell he was another Biker. His face was all red and his nose had swollen up to the size of a grapefruit. He had jammed wades of paper towels up both his nostrils, which were stained red with blood.
Ryder said, "What happened to you?" He looked mortified. "Didn't it work?"
Oliver realized this must be Milo.
Milo glared at Ryder as if he was an idiot. "There was a complication," he said, indicating his nose. He pointed at Oliver. "Get him out of the damn mud and inside."
Ryder easily hoisted Oliver up onto his feet by an arm. He then propelled him into the dairy, following Milo.
The building was completely empty of cattle. Just the smell of ancient manure and hay. Near the entrance looked to be some sort of vehicle covered in a large tarp.
Ryder waved the pistol at him, "Sit over there, and keep it shut this time." He indicated a stool.
Oliver went and sat down. He was totally confused, but he knew he was in some serious trouble.
"Why the hell you got that out?" Milo said, pointing to the pistol. "What's he gonna do? Run off? There's nowhere to go."
Ryder frowned and slipped the pistol into his waistband under his shirt. "What happened to your face? I want to know."
Milo looked angry. "I tell you what you need to know when it is something I think you should know." When Ryder didn't look mollified he said, "The main deal is off. At least for now. Instead, I'm gonna have to modify it."
"What do you mean?" Ryder asked.
What deal? Thought Oliver. Something that obviously involved him.
Milo looked like was making an effort to keep is temper in check. "This whole thing went sideways. Logan's to stupid to see what I've been trying to accomplish. We need to find a way to deal with him."
"Logan?" Ryder said with alarm. "Did he punch you?"
"No, it was that moron Logan!" Milo shouted.
This brought Oliver out of his trance. "Logan? Is he okay? What happened to him?"
"Keep you mouth shut, bitch!" Milo screamed at him. Ryder had walked closer to Milo, and pulled him around by his arm.
Ryder said, "This concerns me as much as it does you. What in the hell went down today? You were just suppose to present the deal to the Club. Now what the hell is going on?"
Milo looked exasperated. "Don't you touch me! I'm the only reason you have a future!"
While the men yelled at each other Oliver did the only thing he could think of at that moment. He ran.
He fled out the dairy's main door. He heard shouting behind him, calling for him to stop.
There was really only one direction to go, and that was back to the main road.
As he approached the beginning of the driveway leading out, a dark blue sedan appeared. It drove straight at him.
He froze, not sure what to do. His escape blocked. Was it the police?
The sedan stopped directly in front of him. He gasped in shock as the driver calmly got out and looked at Oliver with a wide grin.
"Hey, honey," said Gavin. "What a pleasant surprise."
Chapter 20
Oliver
Oliver stood, stunned. It was Gavin. He was here now.
For him.
Oliver shouldn't have even been the least bit surprised. But there was a faint hope in his heart that after Logan had chased him away, Oliver would never see Gavin again.
He was wrong.
"What?" Gavin said, closing the sedan's door and walking over to him. "Did you really think that was the end of things between you and I?"
When Oliver didn't respond he continued. "No, sweetheart. It will never end. Ever. It will always be me and you. In fact, we will be making some changes to ensure that."
Before Oliver could ask what he meant, Gavin turned to look at the dairy warehouse.
Milo and Ryder had emerged and were walking toward them.
Ryder looked pissed off, but Milo was positively beaming, which, with his broken nose stuffed with paper towels, looked comical.
"Gavin!" Milo said. "I see you found the place." He looked to Oliver. "As well as the bonus I got for you."
I'm a bonus? Oliver thought.
"I drove around this crappy town about twenty times looking for this place," Gavin said, annoyed. He seemed to notice Milo's nose for the first time. "What in the hell happened. Did you push the deal through?"
Oliver's eyes widened. What was this about? Was it the same thing Ryder mentioned, a special deal between the Hounds and the Jesters? And how did Oliver factor into all this?
"Well, about that. It looks like there's been a... delay."
Gavin did not look amused. "Meaning?"
"A good delay, trust me," Milo said, trying to mollify Gavin. "It got bumped up to upper management. They approve all the big deal decisions. Like we talked about. It's no surprise. It's good news."
"So why the busted face?" Gavin asked. He appeared impassive but Oliver knew him to well. He was getting angry.
"That asshole Logan jumped me. The same goof who pulled you over on the highway before. A real piece of work, that one."
"What about Logan?" Oliver asked. He still hadn't a clue what had happened to him. It was starting to look like the meeting did not happen the way Ryder described now. It looked like Milo was the man who was beaten and Logan was the one doing the beating.
Everyone looked to Oliver, as if surprised to see him still standing there.
Gavin said, "Shut up, honey." He grinned. "You won't be seeing him anymore. I'll make sure of that."
Oliver's heart sank. He didn't know what to do.
"But the deal is still good?" Gavin said.
"Yeah, should be solid. We just gotta wait." Milo said. It was obvious he was nervous. Oliver suspected he was twisting the truth in regards to the deal. But he could only guess how.
Gavin then smiled. It was like a shark who just ate its prey. "Great, then lets move on to the goods."
Milo and Ryder led them back into the dairy. Gavin made sure Oliver walked in front of him, and kept a hand on his arm. He cringe
d at his touch but didn't resist.
Ryder appeared to have lost his attitude, at least for the moment. He walked over to the tarp covering the vehicle, and pulled it off. Underneath was a small van with covered windows. Milo opened the back doors.
Inside were stacks of crates which had no identifiable markings.
"Here we go," Milo said, and opened one of the crates. He pulled out a bottle of what Oliver assumed was very expensive alcohol.
Gavin took the bottle and inspected it. He seemed impressed. He waved a hand at all the crates. "So, how much?"
"Couple hundred grand," Milo said, smiling. One of the paper towels had fallen out of a nostril. "Could be worth more than that if you got the connections."
Gavin was thinking, looking at the bottle. He was quite pleased. "I have the connections."
Milo grinned. But he started to get impatient and said, "Now with this stuff, along with the bonus," he nodded toward Oliver, "Should make us good. With all we talked about. Right?"
Gavin seemed to consider this. He smiled at the van, then he smiled at Oliver. He barked a laugh. Then said, "We're good. It's on."
Oliver's mind was racing. What did this all mean in regards to him?
Gavin looked over at Ryder. "Congratulations, Ryder. You are the newly minted Prospect for the Silver Hounds.
Both Ryder and Milo beamed.
Wait a second, Oliver thought in surprise. That isn't right. He looked from Gavin to Ryder. He knew how these things worked. Ryder would need to be voted on by Gavin's chapter of the Silver Hounds before he could be given Prospect status. It just didn't happen because one member said so.
Gavin knew this. But it looked like Milo and Ryder assumed Gavin had the juice to accelerate the process.
Oliver knew for an absolute fact Gavin did not. No one did. At all. Which meant Gavin was lying to these two. At least for short term gain. That gain was him. This van of crap was just some sort of extra Gavin took on because Milo thought it would pay for Ryder's membership.
Oliver decided to keep his mouth shut. He wasn't going to point anything out. Certainly not to Ryder and Milo, the two men who just arranged his kidnapping. And he certainly wasn't going to call out Gavin on his lie. He might just shrug and shoot them anyway. It could be that Gavin didn't care about any deal between the Hounds and the Jesters at all.
Gavin already got what he wanted. And Oliver had no way of knowing how serious he was about the rest.
Ryder and Milo actually hugged, despite being angry with each other moments before.
"Okay," Gavin said. "Enough of the love fest. Lets get this out of here. We'll talk more once we're in Hound territory."
Oliver didn't think either of the traitorous Macabre Jesters would make it back alive. He found he was okay with that.
"We'll be right behind ya," Milo said. Ryder got into the van with the crates while Milo disappeared to get into his own vehicle.
Gavin led Oliver outside.
"You think you're smart, don't you?" Oliver said to him. "Playing those idiots along."
Gavin glanced behind him, then said, "Shut up, honey. They're not important. Remember, I've made some special plans for you."
He put Oliver in the passenger seat of his car, then went and got in the driver side. His eyes never left him. Once he got the car started he swung it around the wide parking area of the dairy.
Oliver saw Ryder pull the van out, and another set of lights appeared from around the other side of the building.
As their little convoy started down the long driveway to the road, Oliver felt a strong sense of resentment toward Gavin.
He had realized something, now that everything had been put to light. The secret deal, the fact Logan had punched out Milo, the fact that Gavin had manipulated Milo and Ryder to bring Oliver to him.
Logan was not at risk because of him. In fact, Logan may be very much alive and well and looking for him. Maybe? Oliver allowed himself to think that.
This all gave him a new sense of hope. As well as a hatred for Gavin.
"You are a complete bastard," Oliver said. "I want nothing to do with you. So why are you bothering with this charade."
Gavin chuckled, glancing in his rear-view at the other vehicles. He wanted to keep them in view but still manage some distance in case the van was pulled over by the cops.
"Honey, it doesn't matter what you want. In fact, I'm going to make sure I'm in a position to always ensure your perpetual misery. You will never leave me again."
Oliver was concerned. Gavin always followed through on threats. "What do you mean?"
"Sweet heart," he said. "As soon as we get back I have something very special planned for us."
"What?"
"Why, we're going to get married."
Chapter 21
Logan
Logan and Parker raced down the highway. Logan's knuckles were white from gripping the wheel so hard.
Oliver, Logan thought. He was in danger and Logan knew exactly where he was. Nothing would stop him from getting to Oliver. And then there would be some serious hell to pay.
Parker hung up his phone. "Logan and Adam are already in the area. They should be almost right behind us," he said. He marvelled at Logan's steering ability as he zipped around corners. It helped that there was little traffic to avoid this far outside town.
"Did he believe it all?" Logan asked. Edward had spilt the beans on Milo and Ryder. Anyway you sliced it, Milo and Ryder were doomed. The Macabre Jesters would make sure of that.
"Yeah, and he didn't like any of it," Parker said. "Doesn't like the Club getting played for fools. Especially by those two idiots."
Logan nodded, but kept his eyes on the road. He was aware of Milo's old dairy farm, but had never been there. He hoped for Edward's sake that his directions where spot on.
Or Logan would make sure he paid.
What wasn't really clear was the 'trade' that was being made between Gavin and Milo. Logan knew Oliver was a part of it, but Edward insisted there was more, he just didn't know. Even with Parker putting a gun to his head didn't make him change his story, so Logan assumed it was true.
Still, all of that was unimportant.
All that mattered now was Oliver.
Parker shook his head, still amused. "I don't get how giving Oliver to Gavin would make for some kind of long term deal, though."
"There's more to it. You heard Eddie. Milo has something else he's using to get in good with the Hounds. Not that it matters anymore."
Parker pointed ahead. "I think this is it."
A long driveway lead up to some buildings which they couldn't see other than the roofs. Heading out along the driveway were three vehicles. The first one turned off and sped away from Logan and Parker.
Logan cursed. "Is that them?"
"I dunno. But look at that."
The second vehicle was a van. Logan recognized it as the one Silas had been driving. The one full of the stolen alcohol.
"You have got to be kidding me," Logan said.
"Cut them off," Parker said. He pulled out his pistol.
"On it," Logan said. He drove his car up into the driveway at an angle and skidded to a stop. There was no way the other two vehicles could get around it.
As the van slowed, both Logan and Parker jumped out of the car.
They saw the third vehicle slow down and stop behind the van. Logan recognized it as the one Milo had driven out of the Clubhouse compound.
Behind the wheel of the van was Ryder, who looked comically surprised. Logan pointed his pistol at him.
Parker pointed his pistol at the driver of the other car. "It's Milo."
"Keep them covered," Logan said. His heart was hammering in his chest. "Do you see Oliver?" He didn't want to fire until he knew where he was. Hidden in the back of one of these vehicles?
"No," Parker said.
Logan felt his anger grow. Keep it together, he thought. Get Oliver out of there, then deal with these idiots.
"Get out! Bot
h of you!" Logan yelled.
Ryder got out first. Logan could see the crates stacked up inside. Ryder kept his hands up, but there was a pistol in his front waist band plain as day.
