She’d seen the big lot they’d purchased on Main St. Couldn’t miss it really, especially with a big sign in the corner of the property proclaiming a new Beauregard venture was in store.
Whoopdedo.
But she didn’t buy his legit song and dance for a minute. “And here I was thinkin’ it’s a front. Be real easy to launder your dirty Dixie mafia money through those distillery accounts.”
A predatory expression settled on his face. “Isn’t that what your little motorcycle club does?”
Sure, they’d done some creative accounting from time to time. But it was none of his damn business. “And what did you want to talk to me about?”
“You’ve quite a lucrative side business, selling small batch ‘shine. I have to admit it’s clever marketing –the fruit infusions, the gingham fabric on the lids. Very down home. But it’s still illegal, and comes with a lot of risk. I’m offering to make your ‘shine into an artisanal line of Crossroads. I’ll pay you handsomely for your recipes, plus…what? A percentage of the sales? And then you can cease and desist making your own.”
Over my dead body. Which was a very good possibility given his reputation. Still, she didn’t genuflect to imperious assholes. Never had. Never will.
She’d been clearing a lot money lately and she didn’t intend to hand it over to the blood-sucking Beauregards. She wanted to sock away some cash over the next several years for her eventual retirement. It wasn’t like the MC business came with a 401K. “And I’d agree to that…why?”
“As I said, moonshinin’ is a precarious venture. You know, it’s highly combustible. I mean you could make bombs out of the stuff. Wouldn’t it be a shame if your little operation went up in flames?”
Holy shit. “Are you threatening me?” Well, at least this made more sense than his song and dance about congratulating her.
He smirked. “Wasn’t it obvious? But I’m really here to help you. Together, we could make a great deal of money.”
Eddie barely resisted the urge to give him the finger.“I see. And you’re doing this purely out of the goodness of your heart?”
Byron shrugged. “Well, it helps me out, too. I’m getting all the legal permits and paying some hefty taxes to the government. If you’re selling cheaper shine in town, my profits go down.”
She called bullshit on that line of reasoning. “Taxes can’t be the only motive,” she said, studying him carefully. Something didn’t quite add up.
He tried to appear shamefaced, but it was a calculation. In fact, this whole thing was a scheme. “You caught me. Truth is, I’d like to have a closer association with the Horsemen.”
Ah, there it is.
“Well, it could hardly get any more distant.” The MC steered clear of the Beauregards and their Dixie Mafia buddies. “I thought y’all were cozied up to the Raptors.”
He spread his hands. “Yes, well, my…partners and I have become aware of some of their extracurricular activities. They’ve attracted a lot of unwanted attention lately. Leaving dead junkies around town is bad for business.”
“Your concern for the girls is touching.”
“Junkies live by the needle, die by the needle,” he said with a shrug. “The point is, our association with them is going to end real quick, as soon as I secure another partner. We want the Raptors gone, almost as much as the Horsemen do. We could work on the problem together, minimize the damage to your club, the town.”
He must have seen her business venture and the whorehouse raid as pressure points he could use to coerce the club’s cooperation. She offered him a smart-ass smile. “You should run this by the president, since I’m not a member.”
“I will, but I wanted to get his attention first.”
“I should warn you, the Horsemen aren’t big on criminals.”
Byron slid back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me, are you laboring under the delusion that you aren’t criminals?”
She bristled. Sure, they might skirt the limits of the law, but they weren’t as bad as the Beauregards. Although, she wasn’t privy to everything the club did. “It’s a fact. Not a delusion. We’re nothing like you.”
“Keep telling yourself that. I assure you the cops don’t share your opinion.” He grinned, turning on the charm again. “My partners are practical people. We only want to make money. And we’ll starve the Raptors out, together.”
“You’re so full of shit, your eyes should be brown.” She capped the moonshine cocktail and shoved it across the table. “Thanks for stopping by, but I got no interest in your offer to buy my business. Anything else, you should discuss with Captain.”
He whistled. “Damn. I was hoping you’d see reason and go along with the plan, but I can’t say I’m surprised by your answer.”
Eddie rolled her eyes.
He stood up then, smoothed his jacket and tie. “I can see now we’re going to have to do this the hard way.” He sighed. “That’s a cryin’ shame. I wanted to make a handshake deal with you tonight.”
She made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. “Honey, I don’t trust you as far as I could throw you and it’d take a hell of a lot more than a handshake.”
He winked. “You wanna kiss instead?”
The thought made her stomach roll. “Hell, no.”
Byron grinned. “I think the lady protests too much.”
“I think the gentleman is an asshole,” she shot back. “And I’m being really generous by calling you a gentleman.” Eddie stalked to the door, and held it open. “Time for you to go and take your weak ass moonshine with you.” To hell with Southern hospitality.
He moseyed to the door, letting her know with his body language he wasn’t intimidated. “The next time we talk, the terms won’t be nearly as good,” he warned. “You could save yourself and your club a whole lot of trouble by getting into business with me and recommending this deal to your president.”
She watched him walk onto the porch. “Yeah? Well, don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.” She shut the door and switched off the porch lights, leaving him in the darkness.
She could hear Beauregard’s slow footfalls on the wooden porch as he whistled the Devil went down to Georgia.While she put on a brave face, Eddie was worried. If Beauregard and his Dixie Mafia associates came after the Horsemen, they would be in deep shit.
Yeah, Eddie would have to be a damn good fiddler to get out of this fucking mess.
Chapter Six
After Byron left, Eddie dialed Axel’s number and let him know what had gone down. He insisted on staying the night at her place just to be safe. She’d wanted to argue about it, but let it go.
While she waited for him, she checked and locked down all of the entrances and exits to the house. She even locked the windows. Twenty minutes later, Axel arrived and did a perimeter sweep before coming inside.
As soon as he got in the door, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a big hug. She sighed, leaning into it and soaking up some comfort. The encounter had been disturbing.
“Holy shit, mom. You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine, really, but I’ve had better nights.”
Axel was a tall, muscular man, six and a half feet tall with dark brown hair and big brown eyes. He had a scruffy beard and mustache she nagged him about shaving off. Why would he want to hide his adorable cleft chin?
Tonight, he wore a pair of jeans and a dark blue T-shirt. She was so used to seeing him in motor-oil stained coveralls, it came as a shock. He managed Seventh Circle Motors in town and served as the club’s road captain, which meant he repaired the club’s motorcycles and was in charge whenever they went out on a run.
He kissed the top of her head and she had to smile. There’d been a time when he’d been knee high to a grasshopper and she’d smooched his forehead and then his chubby cheeks. Sometimes she wondered when exactly her pint-sized boys had grown into big men. God, it made her feel old. And short. She had to strain her neck to look up at him.
“I heard that. The Beauregards might be highfalutin, but they’re still dirty bastards. Good thing I’m here.” He nodded to the rucksack on his shoulder, and barely suppressed a yawn. Axel’s schedule was opposite hers. He got up at the crack of dawn and worked on bikes before customers started to arrive later in the day.
While she hated to deprive him of his sleep, part of her was grateful for the backup. Axel was a damn good shot. “Thanks for comin’ over, kid. You hungry? I could whip us up something quick.”
“Nah, I stopped by Hades earlier.” He grinned. “Did you tell Ryker?”
“I’ll tell him tomorrow at work.”
She didn’t want to bother her younger son, since Elizabeth had moved in with him. He had a family of his own to worry about. Now, if she could only get Axel to settle down with a good woman.
“He’s gonna be pissed I knew before he did.”
She pushed a hand through her hair. Both of her boys were overprotective. It was a byproduct of growing up without their father. They both felt responsible for her safety.
“Yeah, well, he’ll get over it.” She’d instinctively called Axel, because, as the oldest, he’d always been her right hand man. She’d delegated chores and tasks to him since he’d been a kid.
“Works for me.” He headed for the stairs “Let’s get some shut eye, okay?”
She nodded, though she doubted she’d get much sleep tonight.
“And I’m going to swing by and see Captain tomorrow on my way to work,” he said, over his shoulder. “He needs to know about the offer Beauregard made you. And we’ll make sure you have a bodyguard stayin’ with you from now on.”
“Oh, tonight, sure, but I don’t need—”
He shook his head. “No arguments, mom. The Beauregards are capable of anything.”
Yeah, copy that, good buddy.
But she still chaffed at the idea of a bodyguard followin’ her around all the damn time. Been a long time since she’d had a babysitter. She carried a gun and knew exactly how to use it.
Besides, this thing would blow over, right? Or Beauregard would deal with the brothers, not her. At least she hoped.
“Come on. Let’s get your bed made up,” she said, grabbing some sheets and blankets from the linen closet.
She hadn’t changed the bedding since he’d stayed with her on Christmas Eve. It was still a tradition they kept. Both of them slept over and spent the day with her. They made cookies, drank hot spiced cider, and enjoy each other’s company.
Axel pulled the sheets and blankets off the bed and tossed them in the hamper, while she put the clean ones on. She liked to wander into their old rooms from time to time, touch their things. Axel’s room had a lot of awards – certificates for spelling bees, science fairs, and trophies for his 4H service and Boy Scouts, too.
He’d always been a good student, straight A’s in fact. A regular golden boy, until he’d joined the Horsemen. She wished he’d gotten the opportunity to go to college, but it hadn’t been possible after Joker went to jail. Things had gotten really lean financially. She’d barely been able to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
And Axel took up the slack at home while she’d worked. He’d been the one who cooked, cleaned, grocery shopped, and watched his brother. Eddie wasn’t sure what she would have done without him.
It was a constant source of guilt.
She’d robbed him of his childhood in some respects. He’d had to grow up fast and he inherited a lot of responsibility at a very young age. She wondered if that made him reluctant to settle down. Now, he rented a one-bedroom apartment near the garage, and hadn’t dated anyone in years.
“What are you all worried about?” he asked, cocking his head to one side. “You’re frownin’ and eyein’ me.”
“I’m thinkin’ about the paths our life took. You shoulda gone to Texas A & M. You always talked about it when you were a kid.”
After he graduated, he worked Perdition as a dishwasher, while he trained to be a mechanic in his spare time. He’d eventually saved up enough money and bought Seventh Circle, with some help from the club.
He ducked his head, and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “It all worked out in the end, right?” he said with a shrug. “I like bein’ my own boss.”
“But are you happy?” she asked.
“Mostly.” He gave her a smile, but it faltered. “We don’t always get everything we want.”
His expression punched her right in the heart. “You aren’t talkin’ about college, are you? You’re still thinkin’ about her.”
He glanced away. “No. Believe me. This ain’t about her.”
In high school, he’d fallen in love with a goody two shoes type of girl–a real brainiac. The two of them made plans to go to the same college, but when she found out he wouldn’t be leaving Hell, she’d broken up with him.
At the time, he’d been devastated. Laying on his bed, playin’ this God awful alternative rock music, moping around. Since then, he’d never gotten serious about anyone. Sure, he’d screwed a hellion or two over the years, but no dates and no girlfriends.
“She wasn’t good enough for you,” she said fiercely.
He laughed, but it came out with a glib, hard edge. “I think you got that backwards.”
Some of the townies looked down on them, while others were afraid. It made her sons’ life a lot harder in school, but they managed it.
Eddie shook her head. “I’m sure I don’t.”
Axel sighed. “Well, it’s been a long night. We should both get some rest.” He stretched out on the twin bed, his big body using up the entire space. Then, he placed his pistol on the nightstand. “Sleep with your piece out, in case you need to make a quick grab.”
“I will,” she promised. “Night, kid. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
She hit the light switch and was about to close the door, when he made a smart remark. “Speaking of love interests, I bet Captain will take the next shift. Who knows? It might even feel like a date.”
She flicked the switch back on. “Shut up.” She had no intention of telling Axel she’d already agreed to go out with Captain. It would be all over the club in record time.
“And here I thought you wanted to talk about relationships.”
“I want to talk about yours, not mine. I’m too old to have one.”
He laughed at that. “I don’t think so. Besides, yours is so much more entertaining.” His eyes were lit with mischief. “It makes for juicy club gossip and easy cash.”
Had she heard him right? “What was that last thing you said?”
“Never mind.”
She sighed. “You know, we should all spent a lot less time talkin’ about each other. But since you brought it up, I got a question for you. What do you think of Captain?” she asked. She knew Ryker despised the guy, but Axel hadn’t said a word about it.
“Yeah, I like him,” he said, after a moment.
“You do?”
He nodded. “He’s a decent guy. But more importantly, you deserve some happiness, too. And if he makes you happy? I’m good. In fact, I say go for it.”
For decades, her life had been a mixture of family, friends, and work. Yes, she’d been happy…well, more like…content. She had a good life, but her romantic side, her sexual side was dead and buried. She’d been a mother, a business woman, a friend. Never a lover.
“Goodnight, mom.”
“Night kid.” Eddie hit the lights, closed the door, and went down the hall to her bedroom and got dressed for bed, climbing in quickly. She placed her pistol on the nightstand and lay there, staring up at the ceiling.
Tonight, for some reason, the bed felt larger than normal, lonely.
And a bit cold.
***
“What do you think?”
The next morning, Eddie stared doubtfully at the chocolate coated donut. It was shaped like a cock, and at the base were two large balls covered in shredded cocon
ut. The entire thing had been glazed with chocolate. To complete the look, pastry cream splashed lewdly out the tip of it, like pre-cum.
Eddie raised a dubious brow. “I think you’re crazier than a shit house rat.”
She and Sailor were sseated at a table in Perdition. She’d made a pot of coffee and had intended to get some paperwork done, but Sailor had other ideas.
Sailor, Goat’s old lady, served in the Navy back in the day, hence the road name. She was in her sixties, owned her very own hog, stood a bit over five feet with short gray hair, and had a wild streak about a country mile wide.
“I think you’re failin’ to appreciate the artistry. I had Devilicious make up a prototype. Taste it, it’s delicious.”
Her stomach turned at the thought. “I’ll pass.”
Sailor rolled her eyes. “It’s for Elizabeth. I’m in charge of her bachelorette party, and these will be more fun than some boring old cake.”
“I thought she wasn’t having one of those,” Eddie said. “A party I mean,” She took a sip of coffee and tried not to stare at the gigantic lewd donut. “Hold up. Your idea of fun is a dick donut?”
“Yeah, now and then I like some dick. When’s the last time you’ve even seen one?”
“Let’s put it this way,” Eddie said dryly. “Bill Clinton was president.”
She’d had conjugal visits with Joker in jail once a month and it been awful and uncomfortable, but it was all they had left. They’d had hurried sex in a dingy little trailer beside the prison, with sharpshooters on a nearby roof, in case Joker made a break for it.
The last few years of their marriage had been terrible. He made the occasional phone call and they wrote letters every week. Eddie visited him every chance she got, but it wasn’t satisfying. They couldn’t touch each other, except for the conjugals and the brief hugs they exchanged during visiting hours. They sat at steel tables in an industrial meeting room filled with strangers, and grim-faced guards standing at the ready.
And the effect on the boys had been worse.
Joker had been removed from their daily lives and they were so young he became a stranger to them, some guy they visited now and then. She felt like they pretended to be a family for an hour every other Saturday.
Devil May Care (Four Horsemen MC Book 4) Page 6
