Tease: Mojave Boys MC

by Carmen Faye

  Maya started to reply but found she couldn’t. With the extreme discomfort of the gag, she had to be out of it to keep forgetting it was there. The bastard had the nerve to laugh at her, and she snarled at him. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “If I take that bandana out of your mouth, are you going to start screaming and cursing?”

  She wanted to, but she wanted the gag removed more. She shook her head. He strolled over lazily, and Maya was surprised at the gentle way he untied and pulled away the material. She threw her head back and gasped to avoid retching as it came off her tongue, and she stretched her lips a million different ways, not caring that she could feel the corners of her mouth bleeding.

  Tres Amenazas grabbed another chair like the one she was tied to, turned it around in front of her, and straddled it. “So, since you are awake, and you seem to be behaving for the moment, I suppose I can tell you.”

  “Tell me what?” she rasped, forcing the words through her parched throat and ignoring the irritation.

  “Let me get you a drink,” he offered, standing. He reached in a cabinet, pulled out a glass, and filled it with water from the sink. Maya didn’t usually drink tap water. She traveled so much she didn’t try to stomach the varying water sources. But as he tilted the glass to her lips, she drank happily, just glad for the moisture on her lips, her tongue, her throat.

  He was careful and spilled precious little down her face. It made Maya suspicious of his intentions since he was treating her so tenderly. He returned to his seat and said, “You’ll be glad to know tu novio, your boyfriend, has let us know he is coming for you.”

  Maya didn’t show any reaction on the surface, but inside, she was furious. Why couldn’t Vance just stay out of trouble? If he’d just let things be and refused to play into the hands of the enemy, she would have found her way out of here on her own. She had a feeling money went a long way with guys like the Scorpions, and she was pretty sure she had enough to buy them off.

  Now, she felt like playing with fire. “And when he gets here?” she asked.

  “Ah, that’s the thing, mujer. This is not where he will arrive. In fact, I’ll be leaving to meet him in about five minutes. I only wanted to check on you first.”

  Maya jutted her chin. It was a trap; there was nothing he could do to rescue her anyway. But as he stood, Tres Amenazas added, “It is a shame he does not know of this place. It is so close to our clubhouse he would be able to smell your perfume from there if he only knew to sniff the air.”

  “So, you’re just going to kill him.”

  “No, that would be too easy, and it though it would avenge our losses to remove the man who started the back and forth battle, it wouldn’t really serve our higher purposes. We want him to negotiate for us; that is all. If he gives us what we ask, we will return the favor and give him what he asks.”

  Maya didn’t want to know how ridiculous the request would be, but she was sure Vance wouldn’t be able to authorize that kind of deal. And she doubted the rest of the Mojave Boys would agree to whatever it was. They might have supported Maya for a time, and they might still want to, but there was only so far a group would go for a single life. Especially if it didn’t belong to one of their own.

  She would be considered expendable.

  “If he can’t or doesn’t comply?” she pushed.

  He spread his hands as if helpless. “We will have to find another way to support ourselves. I’m sure other arrangements can be made.”

  And there she had it. If Vance didn’t do what was asked, the Scorpions would come back to her and ask for compensation. She wouldn’t have to come up with a number off the top of her head; they would give her the amount to pay for her own ransom.

  Tres Amenazas saluted her and left her alone again. Moments later, there were more footsteps, distinctly different from his, and a small man brandishing a very large gun leered at her. “You’re lucky, puta. El jefe says no one can touch you. Otherwise, I’d bend you over and…” He was cut off as Tres Amenazas appeared seemingly out of nowhere and punched him in the stomach.

  The guard doubled over, and ‘the boss’ grabbed his hair, lifting his head and pointing at Maya. “Apologize to her, ahora.”

  “I’m sorry!” the man whimpered. Maya wanted to tell him to get some balls, but she was glad for his obedience, and even more relieved that the Scorpions’ leader had given such an order. She didn’t like the idea of what might have happened without such a mandate.

  “Our guest will be treated with respect. Tu sabes?”

  The guard nodded vigorously, and Tres Amenazas was gone again. All Maya could think was that the sum he wanted to collect from her must be awfully hefty for him to be even this kind. Maybe eventually, she would be able to talk him into untying her and letting her eat. For now, she was just content to be protected and to have the gag out of her mouth.

  ***

  Vance pulled up to the Scorpions’ clubhouse, which was a converted barn. Granted, it was large, and they’d built onto the back of it. They’d also run plumbing and power to it, so it was comfortable for their purposes. But they still had a pig sty and a chicken coup on the property, so it smelled like shit. Vance couldn’t have handled it long-term.

  He was met with glares from several random young fools who thought they were hard and dangerous. Vance just smirked to himself and shook his head. New recruits reeked worse than the damn animals. They didn’t know shit about being part of a club. Even Tres Amenazas and the rest of the Scorpions who had been around for more than five minutes understood the loyalty and sense of family that was so natural to a club. These kids were more like gang members and would shoot each other on sight if they thought it was to their benefit.

  Raoul, one of the founding members, waved him over toward the barn entrance. Vance gave an almost imperceptible nod and started toward him, grateful at least to be dealing with a mature biker rather than one of these cocky little pricks. “Welcome to Scorpion Cantina, eh?” the man greeted with a genuine smile.

  Vance wished he wasn’t a Scorpion. Raoul was good people, and they might have been real friends under other circumstances. He shook the man’s hand and let Raoul usher him inside, though he didn’t turn his back. “Where’s el jefe?” he asked.

  “Tres will be here in a minute. Have a seat. Care for a drink?”

  Vance shook his head, perching on a stool at the very end of the bar so he could see everyone from his vantage point. He would never be taken by surprise. “I think I’ll pass, thanks. Look, I don’t want to waste a bunch of time, especially if your boss just plans to kill me. Is it even reasonable to think I might get out of here alive today?

  “I should certainly hope so, ese.” Tres Amenazas entered into the barn with a look of indignation. “I would not have one of my best men greet you, invite you into my bar, and offer you a drink if I planned on killing you. It would be a waste of beer.” He laughed and came up to Vance, looking happier than a man with two peters. “Besides, I have a job for you. And a woman to return to you, if you get it done.”

  Vance narrowed his eyes at Tres Amenazas. “Come on, boss, you hate me too much to just let me live. What would your men think if I got away with killing so many of your guys? You have to punish me.” He was asking for trouble, but he had to get a reading on the real temperature here.

  “I have a proposal that could earn you forgiveness.” He offered Vance a cigarette and took one for himself, lighting them both with his custom Zippo bearing the Scorpion logo. “You convince your club to assist us with our trading through your territory, and you live. You also get your woman back, alive and in one piece.”

  Vance scoffed. “You think I have that much power? You way overestimate my place in the club, jefe.”

  But Tres Amenazas narrowed his eyes at Vance. “Do I? It seems to me you are the strongest, the bravest, and the smartest in your group, ese. I believe you are a leader.” He blew out a billow of smoke. “You’re also a survivor, and you do what you have to do to
stay alive. In this case, you have no choice if you want to live. If you want the mujer to live.”

  Vance cursed inwardly. He knew far too much, and he hit where it hurt. Searching his brain for an alternative, he tried for a compromise. “Give me Maya, and I’ll take the proposal back. I’ll make sure you get what you want. And if I can’t get it passed, I’ll turn myself in, if you promise to leave my club alone.”

  But the leader shook his head. “I wish I could do that. But your girl isn’t here. I have her in a safe place, where no one touches her. Here, she would be too much of a temptation to my men.”

  “So take me to her,” Vance demanded, realizing his mistake. He should have known Maya wouldn’t be here. That was too damn easy.

  “No puedo. I can’t take you there. It’s the only hideout I have.” He put out the cigarette and stared at Vance. “I give you my word. No harm will come to the woman while you return home and make this happen for us. It is good business for everyone. You have four days. If you don’t come back by then, the deal is void. And don’t go looking for her, ese. There is an old Native saying: ‘A good soldier is a poor scout.’”

  “I suppose that’s an old Aztec quote.”

  Tres Amenazas chuckled. “I wish I could claim it as coming from some of my people. But it was some Cheyenne chief. Still, it’s true, and you, Vance Coldman, are a good soldier. Don’t change the rules of the game and lose your girl.” It was a fair warning that Vance heard loud and clear.

  Clenching his jaw, Vance had to accept that he wasn’t leaving with Maya today. He did, at least, trust the leader of the Scorpions to hold true to his word that Maya would be safe. If she was harmed, the Scorpions would face the wrath of the Mojave Boys, and right now, they couldn’t afford to face that battle. With a tight nod, Vance said, “Fine. I’ll be back with an answer before that.” He stood, but he didn’t leave. “Give me your word on one more thing.”

  “Ask.”

  “If I can’t get this through, and I come back on my own, you’ll take me and release Maya unharmed. And you won’t hold it against my club. They’ve done nothing but protect themselves, and we lost men in the process. I’m the one you want, and I don’t want it taken out on anyone else.”

  “You have my word that I will not keep your girlfriend any longer. And your club will be no more of a thorn in our side than they have been before. If a fight comes, it will be their choice, not ours.” Tres Amenazas held out a hand to shake on it, and Vance reluctantly accepted. “Four days, ese.”

  “Four days. I’ll be back before them.” Vance turned and stalked from the building. He was full of angst, and when he saw one of the ignorant boys leaning against his bike with a cocky grin, it was too much. Vance strode up to him and grabbed him by the throat, punching him hard enough to break his nose. The kid landed on the ground, and Vance kicked him, over and over.

  “Hey, man, stop!” Raoul was behind him, pulling him away, but Vance didn’t want to stop.

  “What happened?” Tres Amenazas was beside him, and the little prick scrambled to his feet, blood pouring from his nose.

  Raoul spoke for Vance, who couldn’t get the words out in his blind rage. “Miguel was on his bike.”

  The boss glared murderously at the kid. “What have I told you about respecting our guests? That includes their vehicles and anything else that belongs to them!” Without giving the kid a chance to speak, he pulled a gun and shot him dead. He turned to address the very quiet group of boys around him. “Let that serve as a lesson. Obedience is muy importante. Do not disobey el jefe.”

  He turned back to Vance. “I apologize for that. I am still trying to discipline my prospects. It won’t happen again.”

  Too shocked at the violent disciplinary measures, Vance merely nodded in response. Raoul released him, and he climbed on his bike, leaving a trail of dust as he gunned away from the Scorpions’ clubhouse.

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  “Let me get this straight,” Dusty said, gawking at Vance. “They don’t want our business, and they don’t want our territory. They just want us to help them run their product through our territory.”

  “That’s what the big guy said,” Vance confirmed bitterly, as he took a long pull on his beer.

  “So, what’s the problem?”

  On the surface, it seemed simple enough. But Vance didn’t buy it. “I don’t trust that son of a bitch. He’s got something up his sleeve. We have to find Maya.” He didn’t care about Tres Amenazas’ little warning. He had enough resources and could call in some favors. He’d find Maya, and he’d get her out, even if she was right under el jefe’s nose.

  But Dusty threw his hands up in exasperation. “You know, we could charge a fee and make some money off this, and it would be a great opportunity for a truce. Why are you so adamant on being a vigilante?”

  Vance scowled. “That’s not what this is about. The Scorpions just want to find a way to get into our territory. We’re not looking over our shoulder because we gave the okay, and then they take us out and take everything we’ve got. And that’s if we even get that far. I don’t think he’s going to hand Maya over that easy.”

  “You are incredibly paranoid,” Dusty told him, but Vance could tell he was considering the possibilities now. “We could take advantage of the opportunity to start taking them out. Same thing. They aren’t watching their backs because they have our permission, and they start disappearing.”

  That was true. But there was still the initial problem. “We still have to get to that point, and I don’t want to risk it. I want to find Maya, sooner than later. I have four days; that much I believe. So we’ve got to start looking.”

  Dusty scoffed. “You’d have it easier trying to talk these boys into working with the Scorpions than searching the damn desert around them for a bunker that could be anywhere.”

  “I can do it by myself, then. It doesn’t matter anyway because if I don’t find her in time, I’m dead. It’s my business and no one else’s.”

  “Cut the shit, Ice. You know damn well that some of us will help you, no matter what. And we can convince some of the others to run with us out of vengeance for the Boys they killed. We’ve always got your back, even when you don’t deserve it.”

  “Great, that’s good to know,” Vance muttered sarcastically.

  Dusty sighed. “First, you’re paranoid. Then, you’re depressed. Now, you’ve got multiple personalities, and this one is grumpy. Come on, man. You need to pull it together, or we’ll never find that girl.”

  Vance finished his beer. “You’re just confused. Or confusing. One or the other.” He stood and stretched with a sigh. “Okay, gather whoever you can get to help, but make sure enough guys are here to hold the place down if something goes wrong.”

  “Where are you going?”

  Vance was going to call in one of those favors. “I’m going to get an aerial map of the Scorpions’ territory and see if I can find something that looks out of place. Maybe we’ll find a place or two that we should explore.” He made his way back to the office and got on the horn. He knew a guy at the local news station who worked on the weather team. Vance had cleared up a gambling debt for him in return for a few random favors here and there. It was the first time he’d had to call, so he didn’t think he’d see any resistance.

  “You’re making this way harder than it needs to be, man,” Dusty said, shaking his head again. But if you really think that’s the way this needs to be done, I’m with you.”

  Vance gave him a smile and a man hug, shaking his head and pulling him in to bump shoulders. “It means a lot, Dusty. Thanks.”

  He left, deciding he might as well go home and relax for a bit. He’d call in his favor and spend a little time in the hot tub, cooling off. It sounded strangely conflicting when he thought about it like that, but the heat relaxed his body, which cooled his temper.

  Then he’d watch some television, eat a decent dinner, and try to get a good night’s sleep. He’d get up early and meet his conta
ct, who damn well better have his map by then, and he’d take it back to the clubhouse to start pinpointing anything and everything that stood out. One of those odd stops was where Tres Amenazas had Maya hidden away. As he rode away from the clubhouse, several of the Mojave Boys eyeing him curiously for his antisocial behavior, he chuckled to himself. That stupid saying el jefe had quoted about soldiers and scouts was some happy horse shit. Vance was going to make him swallow those words with the bullet he shot into him when Maya was safe.

  Twenty minutes later, he was in his house, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he sniffed the air. He was usually much cleaner than this, but he’d been traveling with Maya, then hiding out. He’d gotten lazy while they were doing nothing but having sex and watching television, and now the general odor of stale leftovers, dirty dishes, and trash was the reminder of it.

  It was a good thing he didn’t have a dog, or there would be piss and shit everywhere. And with his luck, the poor animal would be sick from climbing on the furniture and counters to eat the nasty food.