“Never you mind. I got it covered.”
Charlie seriously doubted it. “Let’s get the hell out of here before we end up in jail.”
“He ain’t gonna spoil our fun tonight.” And then, Dani took the car on a wild goose chase. Up and down streets, whipping around left and then right. Eventually, the car behind them ended up slamming into a tree.
And they took off, cackling.
Charlie sat up and glanced over her shoulder. She could make out the silhouette of a man, but he’d gotten out of the vehicle and seemed fine. “Why are you being tailed?”
Dani smirked. “I got a theory, but I ain’t at liberty to discuss it at the moment.”
Charlie rolled her eyes. “You’re as bad as Axel when it comes to secrets.”
“I know. Now, let’s get the car.” Ten minutes later, Charlie sat behind the wheel of the Firebird as Dani unzipped the soft top of the Jeep. The vehicle was muddy, a bit rusty, and had seen better days. It took Dani a couple of seconds to get in and then the engine started. Charlie figured she must’ve hotwired it.
It looked easy as hell, and Charlie was intrigued. Maybe she’d been missing out. She could add cars to her repertoire. They’d always seemed like a big hassle to her, with their GPS systems and onboard computers. Not to mention having to make an arrangement with a chop shop to fence the parts. In her experience, the more people who knew about a theft, the easier it was to get caught. But, if it was so simple…maybe she’d give the easy money a try. The people she stole from would get money from their insurance companies. No harm, no foul.
Dani pulled away from the curb and Charlie followed her to Seventh Circle Motors. They both drove inside and Dani closed the garage doors behind them. As Charlie got out of the Firebird, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Hold up. You and Axel are running some sort of chop shop, aren’t you?” She stamped her foot. “And he’s been giving me all this crap about stealing.”
“Of course we aren’t,” Dani said, hopping out of the Jeep. “And you aren’t going to tell him a damn thing, are you?”
Charlie shook her head. “Uh, no. So…what? You’re gonna strip the parts yourself? You’re using the shop to steal cars?”
Dani pressed a button on the wall and the Jeep was pushed into the air by a metal contraption beneath it. “I steal for the greater good. So, I’m gonna fix the car and put it back before Etta ever knows it was gone.”
Charlie stared at her, blinking. “You’re stealing from her and then gonna make her car worth more….so you can give it back to her? What the hell kind of theft is that?”
“The greater good kind, like I said. I’m doing a good deed. You should try it sometime, you might like it.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“Trust me, it’ll be fun, once you see Etta drivin’ around in her fixed-up Jeep. Now, get over here, you’re gonna help me out. Social workers don’t make that much, so Etta doesn’t have the money for proper car maintenance. We have a lot of work to get done before morning.”
Charlie rolled up her sleeves and went to work. Not that she did much, mostly just handed Dani things and held stuff for her. And while they worked, Dani told her all about Etta and all the hard work she did in the town. Charlie wondered if her life might have been different if she’d had someone like Etta in it. Maybe avoiding the foster care system had been a bad idea after all.
A few hours later, Dani had changed the oil and given the car a tune-up, as well as a set of new tires. Dani said she wanted to do more, but didn’t have the time. With the way Dani felt about cars, she wondered if the girl had done it more for the car or Etta. Maybe it was an even split.
“Did you have fun, Char?” Dani asked as she wiped the grease from her hands with a rag.
Charlie smiled as she surveyed the repaired car. Doing something good felt kinda nice. She wasn’t a bad person, exactly, but she always put herself first. She stole to live, and she tried not to think about the damage she inflicted on other people. Maybe she should revaluate how she did business. Or find a way to balance the scales sometimes. What if she could steal for a good cause now and then?
She glanced up sharply and caught Dani staring at her, her expression knowing.
Charlie got the feeling Dani had managed to fit in another good deed that night.
***
Axel got to work on time, for once. He arrived at 5:00, before Dani arrived at the shop.
He’d been working on an old moving van he’d gotten dirt cheap from a friend in the used car business. Axel had paid cash for it, and the guy hadn’t asked any questions. He’d stored the vehicle out back in the spare parts graveyard behind the shop and worked on it after hours, to avoid any questions from Dani. The less she knew about this operation, the better off she’d be.
Using two-by-fours and plywood panels, he’d constructed a false floor. The panels were removable, so they could be stacked with bricks of heroin. Then he’d installed a bench seat for Justice and Steele. Axel also planned on making some shelves on either side of the van and stocking it full of tools, so it looked authentic. He figured a handyman business might be the perfect front and give them a reason to do some business on either side of the border. He’d make it look even more legit by slapping a logo on the side of the truck and have Yo create some company badges for the crew. With some coveralls, the fake IDs, and a shitload of luck, they actually might pull this thing off.
But when he crawled out of the van, he nearly ran into Dani.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
“Well, hello to you, too.” She stood with her hands on her hips, staring at the van with a frown. “Whatcha workin’ on, and why isn’t it in the shop?”
“Custom job,” he said then shut the cargo doors. Nothin’ to see here.
“Liar.” She reached for the door and he smacked her hand away. “Ow. Okay, I get it. Don’t get between a man and his machine. Let me guess, this is club business?”
“Damn straight, which means—”
“I’m in the dark. You know, this whole pick and choose secrecy thing sucks ass.”
“I’m aware.” Axel gathered his tools and headed for the shop. Dammit. He should’ve been paying more attention.
Dani trudged after him. “Not even a hint?”
“Nope.”
She sighed. “Well, it’s good to see you here this morning. I’ve missed our early morning chats.” While Dani raised a Buick Skyhawk in the air, he put his tools away.
He smiled. “Me, too. We’ll see how long it lasts before I get pulled away. Thank you, by the way, for steppin’ up and helping me out here. I appreciate it.”
Dani shrugged. “I know you do. And it’s no big. I’m happy to help out.”
Lord knew she was better at bodywork than he was. All the guys brought their bikes to her for pin-striping. And she ran the shop very well. He’d been thinking of making her his partner for months now.
Axel started working on a Kia Sorrento that needed an oil change. He liked it when the shop was quiet like this and the two of them worked together. It was downright peaceful, almost normal.
“So?” she prompted.
“So what?”
“Since we aren’t gonna talk about the mystery van out back, let’s have a different chat. What’s going on with you and Charlie?” she asked.
Axel shut his eyes. Good God, they all needed to get out of each other’s lives and find a new hobby. Dani had been hanging out with Charlie. He’d seen them at Hades and Perdition together, so he knew where this line of questioning was coming from. “Nothin’. She’s helping out the club.”
She snickered. “Yeah, tell me another one. And don’t you dare try that ‘club business’ line. You spend a lot of time lookin’ at her ass for it to be all about the club.”
His wrench clattered to the ground. “I do not.” He bent down and picked it up, cursing under his breath.
“Maybe you’re just confusing her with a car and you’re looking for her license plates. And
seein’ as you date, like, never, it’s a possibility. I repeat…what’s the deal?”
Axel pulled the drain plug and let the used oil flow into a bucket. “There’s no deal.”
“Is this because you’re still in love with that Nancy chick?”
Axel was grateful she couldn’t see his face. “Nancy and I were an item when you were a kid. How do you even know about that?”
“You know how this place works, A-man. Everybody talks. Especially my mother. I’ve heard all kinds of stories about the past. Embarrassing things.”
With a sigh, Axel removed the oil filter. “Sailor spilled everythin’ when you took this job, huh?”
She smirked. “Yeah, Mom loves some gossip. Almost as much as your mother. So, come on. Details. You still love Nancy? That’s what everyone says.”
Axel wasn’t about to discuss his love life, or lack thereof, with Dani. “Find a new topic.”
“You’re so touchy.”
While he couldn’t see Dani, he could practically hear the face she must be making. “I know. I’m so rude for not letting you invade my privacy.”
“I’m not letting this go.”
“I’m the president— you know that, right?” Axel griped. While they all might bitch about it, the Horsemen loved strong women and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Well, you aren’t my president. And I ain’t anybody’s old lady, so…”
“Your dad’s a member,” he reminded her. Axel changed topics. “You know, Charlie’s a bad influence,” he said. “You shouldn’t hang out with her. She’s a thief.”
“Yeah, and…?”
“And I don’t want you picking up her bad habits,” he said.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. Now, tell me the Nancy story.”
“You said you already heard it from Sailor.”
“Yeah, but I want it from the Horseman’s mouth. Tell me, or I’ll bug you until you eventually give in.”
Damn, but she was tenacious. And Axel knew when he’d been beat. “Fine, I’ll give you the overview. In high school, we were young, in love and very stupid. I offered her a ring and asked her to marry me. I wanted to show her how committed I was, because she was going off to college.”
“And what happened?”
“She broke up with me.” It didn’t hurt anymore. He’d gotten past the anger and pain a long time ago, but what if he’d married Nancy and hadn’t joined the club. Would he be living some normal, suburban existence? Would he be happy?
“Damn. That’s cold, breaking up with someone who asked you to marry them.”
“Yeah, it smarted a bit,” he said. He’d spent the better part of two years climbing out of that funk and didn’t like to dwell on it. Axel stood up and dusted off his jeans. “But she made the right decision for her and…I hate to admit it…for me. I wouldn’t have wanted to drag her down with me.”
Marrying Joker had cost his mother dearly. He couldn’t do that to a woman he’d fallen in love with. Wasn’t that the point of love? He’d want what was best for her, even if it came at a cost to him.
And now Charlie had sparked his interest. Axel hadn’t a fucking clue what to do about her. No, she wasn’t sweet and innocent, but he cared for her, despite his better judgement. Getting in deeper with him wouldn’t end well.
But he’d figure all that out on his own. Axel didn’t want to drag Dani into it.
“And what about you?” Axel asked. “What about your love life?”
Dani shrugged it off. “Not much to tell.” Dani had a tomboy vibe, and she didn’t take shit from anyone. Plus, she could handle anything. He’d known a lot of prospects over the years who didn’t have her guts. Axel loved it, but he wondered if men were intimidated by her.
She needed a guy who’d appreciate her fearlessness. But he didn’t know of a Horseman who fit the bill. And he couldn’t imagine Dani with a club outsider. Unlike Axel, she seemed to thrive in Hell.
Axel wished he felt that way.
He rounded the car and took her by the shoulders, suddenly serious as all get out. “Whatever you want out of life, Dani, go after it. Don’t let the club, or your parents, or anyone tell you what you should want. Go after your dreams.”
Dani watched him a moment, something sad in her eyes, and she nodded. “I will. And what about you?”
Axel chucked her under the chin before he went back to work. “I made my bed. Now, I have to lie in it.”
***
It took Charlie another week to find an excuse to be in Beauregard’s office.
She’d emptied the mail from the box before the housekeeper got her mitts on it and carried it into Beauregard’s study. He hadn’t been around that morning, so it was the perfect time to poke around.
Charlie quickly texted Coyote and after getting a go-ahead message, tossed the mail on the desk and approached the vault.
She grabbed the list Coyote had given her of her possible numbers and began imputing the digits into the safe’s keypad. As it beeped at her, flashing Combination Failed, she crossed off the numbers one by one. She could enter ten at a time, according to the manual she’d found in Beauregard’s desk drawer. Any more than ten incorrect tries, the system locked down, and the owner had to call the company for a new code.
None of the combinations worked.
She texted Coyote: I’m done for the day.
Coyote: How’d it go?
Charlie sent him the poop emoji.
Coyote sent her back a vomiting one.
Charlie: Any luck finding evidence on the computer?
Coyote: Zilch. I’m hoping you literally find a smoking gun in the vault.
Charlie: Speaking of, why do the Horsemen want in that vault so bad? Axel never said.
Since Axel had been avoiding her and didn’t answer her questions, she was hoping Coyote might be a bit more cooperative.
Coyote: Yeah, you’re gonna have to ask Axel.
Charlie: Please?
Coyote: Hell, no. You need to ask Axel.
Then he sent her a hand emoji, as in “talk to the hand”. Dammit.
With a sigh, she gathered her cleaning supplies and went to the living room. Charlie had to dust and vacuum the place every other day, but she didn’t see why. It wasn’t even dirty. She doubted Beauregard even went in the room. She didn’t see any footprints on the carpet.
As she was wedged between a wingback chair and the wall, dusting the back of the chair, a voice startled her.
“Miss?”
Charlie turned to see a man in his sixties with thinning gray hair. He had heavy eyebrows and his dark brown eyes bulged slightly. The man was dapper, but his clothing was a bit too much. Like someone aping a style he’d seen others wear rather than putting it together himself. He sported a dark gray suit with a pink and gray bowtie, and a matching pocket square. Beneath the suit, he wore a white button-down shirt. Along with wing-tip shoes.
She suddenly remembered her role as maid. “Yes, sir. Can I help you?”
“Hello there.” He pressed a hand to his chest, the very picture of Southern charm and elegance. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Cotton Krug. What’s your name, sugar?”
“I’m Charlie,” she said slowly. She wasn’t sure what to make of him.
“Ms. Sinclair let me in earlier and gave me a cup of tea, but I’ve been waiting nearly forty-five minutes. I’m looking for Mr. Beauregard.” He hooked his steel cane on his forearm and checked his watch. “We had an appointment nearly thirty minutes ago.” His expression darkened. “And I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, but he isn’t here, Mr. Krug.” She hadn’t seen him around today, which was a spot of luck.
“Please, call me Cotton. And where’s Ms. Sinclair?” he asked, moving further into the room.
“Is it around two?” Charlie asked.
He nodded at his watch. “Why, yes, it is.”
Charlie smiled. “Between you and me? I think she’s watching a soap opera.” Crabap
ple had a thing for After My Own Heart. Charlie had caught her boss watching it a couple of times while she took an hour-long “coffee break”. But God forbid Charlie stopped working for a second, even to use the restroom. “Can I get you more tea? Or coffee, Mr. Krug? Or would you like me to leave a message for Mr. Beauregard?” Anything to get him out of her hair.
“I told you to call me Cotton,” he said softly. And then he moved into her personal space, crowding her against the wall.
Charlie tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. “I’m sorry, Cotton,” she said.
“And where does the housekeeper watch her show?” he asked. “Upstairs?”
Something about the way he said that made her nervous. Like he wanted to be alone with her. Charlie slid along the wall, intending to put more distance between them, when he placed a palm behind her head, blocking her exit.
He draped his cane over the chair and looped a finger through her St. Nicholas necklace. “Oh, dear, it looks like the chain is twisted. Allow me to help you with that.” He tugged it then, tightly.
Charlie gulped. Something was very wrong. She dropped the courteous maid demeanor. “Step away from me. Now.”
But he ignored her. Instead, he gripped the necklace harder, yanking it, pulling it tightly around her neck and twisting the end.
It bit into her flesh and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. Charlie clawed at his wrist. “Let me go,” she choked out.
“Yes, Mr. Krug, let her go,” Beauregard said, his voice low and menacing.
Krug released her and she sucked in air, coughing and choking. Charlie glanced up to see Beauregard standing a foot from them, his hands on his hips. His eyebrows were cinched together. “Kindly keep your hands to yourself while you’re on my property, Mr. Krug.”
“Remember who you’re talking to, boy.”
“And you should remember how much our employers abhor publicity.” He held out a hand. “Now, please join me in the study. I’m so sorry I was late for our meeting.” His voice dripped sarcasm.
Cotton nodded to her politely, as though he hadn’t been trying to choke the life out of her a few seconds ago. “Until we meet again, Charlie.” He grasped his cane and limped down the hallway.
Hell on Wheels (Four Horsemen MC Book 6) Page 13
