Extreme Measures

by Kimmie Easley

  “All rise.” The bailiff steps out from the corner. “The honorable Fader presiding.”

  I’m impressed when I don’t have to tell Brendan to rise. He’s already up on his feet.

  “Case number 18-00021851. The people versus Brendan Baird. A fourteen-year-old minor charged with vandalism and destruction of private property. Do we have a plea, Ms. Miller?”

  I nudge Brendan, forcing him to speak up. “Not guilty.”

  I flick him under the table.

  “Your Honor,” he finishes.

  The judge nods and glances across the table. “How to proceed, Mr. Garner?”

  “Your Honor, the damage comes to a total of $3496.82. We’re fortunate that no one was injured. The defendant threw a rock through a diner window.”

  I adjust my cuffs. “Your Honor, my client is not the one who threw the rock. Yes, he was there. He acknowledges where he made a bad judgement call, but my client doesn’t deserve to carry the full brunt of the blame. He’s a good kid going through a difficult time. He needs this chance, Your Honor. This chance to prove himself. This chance to show his true character.”

  “Is this true, Mr. Garner?”

  “Yes, Your Honor. And due to said circumstances, we’ll be proceeding with misdemeanor charges.”

  The judge skims a stack of papers before clicking them against the beautiful wood, collecting them into a neat pile. “Well, son. I’d say this is your lucky day. Ok, you’ll pay the diner restitution in the amount of $3496.82, along with a $1500 court fine and 80 hours community service. Good with you, prosecutor?”

  “Absolutely, Your Honor.”

  “Ms. Miller?”

  I promptly nod, and I hate that I now have to be nice to Mr. Garner. As in, I owe him one.

  “Mr. Baird, rise.”

  Brendan does as he’s instructed, and I have to admit he looks poised and respectful.

  “Do you understand what could have happened here today?”

  He gives one, curt nod.

  “You understand what will happen to you next time I see your face in my courtroom?”

  “Yes, sir,” he says, and the judge appears pleased.

  “You’ll report for community service this Saturday, no excuses, understood?”

  “Yes, sir.” He bobs his shaggy, blonde head.

  “Alright then. Case adjourned.” The judge moves on to the next case number, and just like I knew he would, Garner catches me in the hallway outside the restroom.

  “Hey, counselor.”

  “Mr. Garner, nice to see you. So, I suppose I should thank you.”

  He wrinkles his nose. “I did my homework. I know that Mr. Baird is more than just a client. You’re an old lady, and a mom now, huh?”

  He makes me snicker, and I play along. “Yeah, something like that.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll do great. Have a good one, Ms. Miller.”

  “You too, Mr. Garner.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Ronin

  I feel like a total douchebag, leaving Jolene to handle the situation with my younger brother. But, if it were left up to me, I’d drop his thieving ass back off at Val’s.

  “They’re heading out. What do you want us to do, Prez?” Duke asks.

  “Follow them but give them a decent head start.”

  “Sir.”

  Duke, Troy, and Hawkeye pull out leaving me, Clint, and Stoner.

  Herc, Billy, and Bear stayed behind to make the local runs and keep up with business. We’re going to need all the extra funds we can get to land the hardware for the church.

  “While they follow the Pastor, what are we supposed to do?” Clint leans over his handlebars.

  “We’re gonna go have a talk with Slim. He’s got the hook up for Camp Pendleton.”

  “Thought we were staying away from that,” Stoner says, lighting up a smoke.

  “Why?” I shrug. “Just because we told Keller that? Hell, no, action is action, and we need all we can get.”

  I huff, growing aggravated. “Set it up, that’s an order.” The three of us tear out of the church parking lot.

  I have one destination in my line of sight.

  Home.

  Her.

  Jolene.

  We pull up to the bar sometime after midnight. The entire crew is already down for the night. I pop my head in on Brendan, who is fast asleep, before making my way over to the main house, walking on eggshells down the pitch-black hallway, cracking open the door to the master bedroom.

  There she is, asleep with a t-shirt riding up past her tight tummy.

  I feel all jittery, and my head is buzzing with a frisky combination of adrenaline and caffeine. I slide my hand over her impressive, collarbone and up her smooth neck.

  “You’re back,” she whispers in a dazed sleep.

  “Sshh, let’s not talk.”

  My words bring a wicked grin to her delicious lips. I work my hands up under her shirt, tugging it over her head, and throwing it over my shoulder.

  Her two, perfect tits are like a yummy welcome mat, and I take full advantage.

  She releases a heated groan into my mouth, and it causes my hard on to throb to the point of aching.

  I need her.

  I slide her black panties down her creamy thighs in one, swift move. I wiggle my way toward the foot of the bed and graze my fingertips along her sensitive flesh before throwing one leg over my shoulder, followed by the other.

  My tongue draws quivers from her trembling body.

  *

  I crank up the truck, and my insides knot knowing I’m going to be alone with Brendan. Dropping him off at community service. I should be so proud.

  He hops into the passenger’s side, and I struggle to catch my breath. I don’t want to say or do the wrong thing. The effort is more for Jolene than for him.

  “I expect you to do what you’re told. This ain’t a joke, got it?”

  He nods. I guess that’s better than a shrug.

  I pull up to the curb and pluck my wallet from the loose chain. “Here’s ten bucks for food.”

  “Thanks,” he says, jumping out of the truck.

  “I’ll pick you up here at five!” I holler, and he glances over his shoulder.

  I take that as a confirmation.

  I head back to the bar to check in on business. I find Jessa in the office, and Bear’s sitting there hanging on to her every word.

  “Well, aren’t you two cute.” I tease the prospect, but he’s a good sport.

  “Just call me a love-sick teddy bear.” He chuckles, but I notice the light sparkle in Jessa’s eyes. It’s good to see the clarity. The twitching has been replaced with happiness and hope.

  “So, I’m here to go over the books.”

  She passes me the stack of ledgers. “I’m thinking it’s time to get this shit online.”

  I nod in agreement. “Sounds good. You wanna find a program?”

  “On it.”

  Bear gets up and stretches his large, burly frame. “Well, I’ll leave you two to it.” His face flushes when he gives her a firm kiss before leaving.

  “Happy looks good on you, girl.”

  She pulls a tight smile across her face. “Yeah, he’s a good catch.”

  “Not half as good as you. You’re doing a great job.”

  “Well, thanks for that.”

  We both spin to scramble to the door when we hear the back door slam shut, followed by a commotion and hollering.

  “Ronin!”

  Slam.

  “Jessa, is Ronin…”

  I skirt the corner and run smack into Jolene.

  Jessa rounds the counter beside me. “What, what’s wrong?”

  “Talk to me, babe.”

  Jolene fights for breath, doubled over. “It’s…” She forces air into her flared nostrils. “It’s Brendan,” she pants.

  “What about him?” I brace her weight against me.

  “He’s not at community service.”

  “Bullshit. I dropped h
im off myself.”

  “They said he never checked in this morning. I called to check on him, see how it was going. They said that he never showed up or signed in.”

  “That little shit!” I snake through the bar. “I’ll find him.”

  I straddle my bike and do a full scan of the park where the probationers are busy picking up trash.

  Nothing.

  I back into a parking spot, strolling up to the man that I assume is in charge.

  “Hey, I’m looking for my kid brother, Brendan Baird?”

  The man with the clipboard scrolls through the sign in sheet. “Nope, nothing. You know we’re not gonna be able to give him credit for today. I told this to the lady on the phone earlier.”

  I turn my back on the pencil pusher and zip off across town.

  I bang hard on Val’s door.

  She swings it open wide. “What do you want?”

  “Where is he?” I storm past her and pop my head into every room in the filthy house.

  “Who?” She screams.

  “Brendan, where’s the kid?”

  I notice her red, glassy eyes widen. “What are you talking about?”

  I throw open the last door and come face to face with her loser boyfriend on the shitter.

  “Get the fuck out,” he screams, throwing an aerosol can at me.

  She grabs my bicep, and I blank on the fact that she’s a woman… and my mother, swinging my elbow through the air.

  “Oh, shit!”

  “What happened? Where’s my kid?”

  “Get off me!” I shake her loose.

  My chest caves as my heart dips, battering against my ribcage. All the air is sucked out of the room when I see she’s serious. I’m lightheaded and weak.

  My phone chimes, and it’s Jolene for the fifth time. I have nothing good to report, so I shove it back in my pocket. I want to say he’s just having a hard time adjusting, got scared and ran off, but that’s not what my gut’s screaming.

  And two minutes later, Jolene confirms my suspicions.

  “Yeah, sugar, I’m still hunting.”

  “Ronin, come home.” It’s unlike her when she hangs up without waiting for a response.

  I pull up to the main house because I see the rest of the soldiers are back from Oceanside, looking like they tied on a record night, dragging ass.

  I barrel through the front door. “Any word? Is he back?”

  She shakes her head slowly, and it becomes clear to me that the brothers know something I don’t.

  “What is it?” I pump my fist to keep the blood flowing, surprised by the heavy pang in my chest.

  “Babe. The Diablos called. They have Brendan.”

  I hear her words, but don’t seem to understand. I furrow my strong brow. “Wait, what?”

  Herc jumps up from his stool in the corner and grunts loudly.

  “I’m with the big guy,” Stoner says, puffing on a stout blunt.

  His declaration is met with a resounding living room full of yeses.

  “I need a minute!” I shout, but not out of anger.

  Fear.

  Desperation.

  “Ok, what’d they say? Someone, fill me in.”

  Jolene steps away from where I have her tucked tight under my embrace. “It was one of Keller’s men, from the club.”

  Clint breaks open from the group that’s now surrounding me, and my lungs buzz, vibrating from lack of oxygen. “They got him. They took responsibility and said it’s in retaliation for the gun trade.”

  I begin to pace because my long legs need to keep moving. ‘But what’s the end game? What do they want?”

  “Didn’t say. He wants to talk to you.”

  The hours pass by without a word. I drive back to the park just to make sure Brendan wasn’t waiting at five o’clock. I waited for two whole, goddamn hours. Once it gets dark, I head back to the main house, hoping to hear some good news.

  I walk in the door just in time for my phone to rattle in my pocket. I pull out the prepaid cell and don’t bother checking the caller ID. “Yeah?”

  My voice draws the crew out from the kitchen. Jolene is quick at my side.

  “Steele, it’s about time we scheduled some talk time.”

  “Where’s the kid, Keller?”

  “Not so fast. First, you need to acknowledge your fuck up. You never threaten a fucking Diablo. You need to pay. Along with the gun trade, we want a case of AKs, all in the name of peace. And a case of 9 mils. You leave the gun trade alone with the pastor, and we’ll forget this every happened.”

  Blood boils through my chest, searing up the back of my neck. “Are you out of your goddamn mind? Calling here to threaten me? You can kill the kid. He means nothing to me anyway. Go fuck yourself!”

  Click.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Jolene

  I don’t know what made me do it. What made me call and try to check on Brendan, but I did, putting the ball in motion.

  And even though I felt the need to call, I trusted that he would be there. Begrudgingly, but there. When the man told me that he had never checked in, I thought it was a joke. It wasn’t until he mentioned that Brendan wouldn’t receive credit for the day that I knew he was being serious.

  “What do you mean he never showed up? He was dropped off early this morning.”

  “Ma’am, I’m not saying he wasn’t at the park. What I am saying is that he never checked in. I never met him, saw him, nothing. I’m really sorry I can’t be of more help.”

  I click the end call button and press the pic of Ronin’s handsome face. He’s making cute, little ducky lips. I snapped an image and made it my caller ID photo for him.

  I love that picture.

  “Come home, babe.” It’s all I can finish, hanging up the phone.

  “So, they just took him?” My sister asks with a wide, disbelieving stare.

  I must nod, but I don’t feel my head move. I’m numb. I can’t even put a sentence together when Ronin barrels into the room.

  We fill him in with all we know, which isn’t much at all. I can’t help but remember…

  A bitch knows nothing.

  *

  My mind is reeling with the words, go ahead, kill him. I can’t even bring myself to speak, my esophagus is tight and constricted.

  People talk. I know because I hear muffled voices. I brace myself against the cold wall when Ronin shouts out from the center of the crew.

  “Stand down!”

  It’s only two words, but that’s all it takes to shut everyone up. And he’s angry it takes that much.

  “You may have just signed Brendan’s death warrant.”

  “They want me to show my hand, to get desperate. The last thing Keller expects is for me to obliterate their plan. He’s hoping I’m bluffing. It’s actually the only move he’s got. It’s my club. I’ll handle it my way.”

  I weigh his words, and I want to trust him. I really do. But I can’t get a line on his plan. Nothing makes sense.

  “Do you think Val has something to do with this?”

  I give my head a firm shake. “No, I went to see her. She was pretty shaken up to hear he was missing.” Ronin pulls in a deep inhale, his chest bowing from his inflated lungs. “Jo, you and the bitches need to set up a headquarters. We’re gonna need to stay on lockdown until this is over. Call the surrounding families and put everyone on notice. Fucking Diablos came to play. I plan on taking every, single one of those cocksuckers out for fucking with my family. Church. Now.”

  He storms through the room with his soldiers following his lead.

  “Alright, you heard him. Close down the bar and start setting up stations. Jessa, that’s your responsibility.”

  “Got it,” she says and takes off down the hall.

  I scan the group of females. I need to be busy. To stay busy. “Patsy, start putting out the calls. All burner phones.” I wait for her to hop to it before continuing. I send the bitches who are on the lowest end of the totem pole to the grocery st
ore to stock up on necessities. “Bonnie, you’re in charge of the meals. Tammy, you get with Herc on security when he’s done. See what the plan is, and what they need from our end.”

  “Ma’am,” they say in unison before splitting off.

  I scour through the upstairs and the main house for blankets and linens. It’s gonna be a full house.

  A loud knock on the door sends the hair on the back of my neck popping to attention.

  I grab my 9 mm and hold it at my side. “Who is it?”

  “Val,” a small voice squeaks. “I’m not here to cause any trouble.”

  I unlock the door. I’m done with this woman’s bullshit. And I don’t 100% believe that she has nothing to do with Brendan missing. At least that’s what I think when I prepare to glower at Val until I see the pained haunting in her blue eyes.

  “Then, what do you want?

  “Have you found him? Is he here?”

  I shake my head and instantly notice her fresh, glistening tears.

  “You’re really worried, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I don’t know where my boy is, damn!”

  “Ok, come on in.” I motion for her to step inside, moving out of the way.

  “And to make things worse, Barry took off after Ronin’s last visit. Said he’d had enough, and he didn’t sign up for kid drama, even if they were grown. So, now I’m alone. I’m sitting over there by myself worrying about Brendan.” She wails at the end, and I couldn’t help myself.

  I wrap her up in my arms and hold her head to my shoulder, attempting to comfort the lost mother.

  Who am I to tell someone how they should or shouldn’t feel?

  “Come on, now. It’s all gonna be ok. Ronin will take care of everything. He always does.”

  He does until the one time he doesn’t.

  *

  It doesn’t take long for Val to dig in her heels. Within a matter of hours, all surrounding members, old ladies, friends of the club, and bitches are hunkered down in the bar, and she’s made herself quite at home.

  She hasn’t even asked the details about Brendan’s abduction.

  Maybe she’s aware… a bitch knows nothing.

  The boys are gone, leaving behind Hercules and Hawkeye for family protection.

  “Herc, can you check on the paper stock? Plates, paper towels, shit like that on the top shelf.”