Saving Dallas 2 Making the Cut

by Kim Jones

  “Frankie has never had all of his eggs in one basket.” It was strange for Charlie to use any type of metaphor to describe someone. He usually just got straight to the point. For some reason, this relaxed me a little and let me know that our conversation had become a more personal one.

  “He committed a great transgression when he stole from me. I have been chasing after him for quite some time, but he has never been worthy enough for me to call in the necessary reinforcements to capture him. He surrounded himself with people to protect him, and every attempt I made to bring him here, failed. I decided it was time to use some leverage against him, so I chose the only thing that he loved.”

  “Maddie,” I confirmed, still not quite understanding where this was going.

  “Yes, Maddie. I told him that if he came willingly, I would leave her alone. If he didn’t, I would take her and he would never see her again,” he paused, letting his words sink in. His plan was to take Maddie all along. “He agreed and at the same time Luke called asking for my help. I knew Luke must be pretty desperate to call on me. He knows I don’t do favors without something in return. He would owe me ten times more than the information I was going to give him. I made some calls and found out about your kidnapping, although I didn’t know all of the details. Frankie didn’t take my threat seriously and tried to run. He thought that I wouldn’t mess with Maddie. As you already know, Dallas, I do not bluff. My guys caught up with him, and then went to Luke’s to retrieve Maddie. I told Luke that I would give him Frankie in exchange for you.” I froze at his words. Luke had been set up.

  “I was going to kill Frankie anyway. His life was owed to me, but I wanted to see where Luke’s loyalties lie. I wanted to see if he was willing to give up everything he had worked so hard for, for a woman that he claimed to love,” Charlie took a moment to light his cigar and I thought he looked a little perturbed.

  “Why would you do that?” I asked, my voice was not accusatory, only curious.

  “Luke and I have history. When we parted, it was not on the best of terms. I let him live, because I knew that one day he would need me. I underestimated him. I thought he would call me much sooner than he did. I wasn’t aware of the history he had with you, or the connection between you and Maddie. Frankie was going to die at my hands and his daughter would forever pay for his sins.”

  Maddie. Even if I never would have met Frankie, this still would have happened. If Luke had not called on Charlie, it would have been her sitting here and not me. “Of course, I would have offered her the same life I have offered you, but she would have spent her life knowing that her father betrayed her and she was responsible for his shortcomings. After hearing all of this, you can imagine my surprise when Luke chose Maddie over you. I knew then that Luke was not aware of the problems between Frankie and I, but I now understand why he did it. You made him promise to choose her, because you felt indebted to her.” He had hit the nail on the head. Maddie had suffered enough. I would not let her miss out on the life she deserved.

  “Her whole life has been in my shadow. I promised myself that if I ever got the chance to make it up to her, I would,” I said, playing with the now empty glass that sat in my lap.

  “I made a deal, and I plan to keep it. I promised Maddie would be left alone if Frankie came willingly. Even after everything that has happened, my offer still stands. Now I have an innocent woman here, who is guilty of nothing more than protecting the ones she loves. I will allow you to leave, Dallas. I will give you back to Luke, unharmed in exchange for Frankie, but it will come with a price.” I felt my body come to life, as I sat up in my chair, full of hope and anticipation.

  “You already know my question, but I will ask it anyway. What is the price of my freedom?” My voice came out strong and clear, without a trace of fear. Charlie smiled as he rolled the last bit of cognac around in his glass before finishing it. His eyes met mine with a look only a heartless man could wear. When he spoke his voice was cold and full of challenge.

  “The ultimate sacrifice.”

  Chapter 17

  LUKE

  I laid in my bed, looking over at the empty place beside me where Dallas once laid. I would get her back. I just hoped she had not done anything to make Charlie think that she owed him something. I had spoken with him earlier, and he agreed on the exchange, but only on his terms. He seemed almost eager to give me Dallas and I could only hope it was because she was nagging the piss out of him. I smiled thinking of how fucking sexy my girl was when she acted like a bitch. Charlie didn’t know it, but he had his hands full with that one. He had called me while I was on my way home; inquiring about things she liked and would need. He wanted her clothing sizes and food preferences. I made sure that everything I told him was something that we had shared together. I knew she was safe, and at the time I thought it was impossible to get her back. If by some chance I could, I didn’t know how long that would take, so I made sure to tell him everything I could to keep her comfortable. Frankie, who was the cause of all this shit, had turned into a savior. I knew Maddie was struggling with the fact that once he left, she would never see him again, but she was better off without the motherfucker anyway. I would be there for her, just as I had always been.

  Charlie’s terms were not ones that I was anticipating. He wanted Frankie unharmed, which wasn’t a problem, but he also wanted him cleaned up and dressed nice. I told Red to take care of it, and she insisted that she do it alone. I knew she wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize Dallas’s safe return, but she had something up her sleeve. Maybe she just wanted to give him a piece of her mind. That sounded exactly like something Red would do. The worst part of his demands was that he insisted I was to come alone. I wasn’t scared of Charlie or in fear for my life, but I knew that was something my club wouldn’t stand for. I also knew that when Charlie’s guys met me at the state line, if I had anyone with me, they would not hesitate to call Charlie and let him know.

  “Fuck!” I yelled at the ceiling. I knew I only had two options. No matter which one I chose, I would be losing something I loved.

  After hours of trying to convince them that this was best for everyone, I finally talked Ronnie into taking our brothers back to Lake Charles. Brooklyn needed Ronnie right now. I knew she was taking some of the blame for what happened. She thought that maybe if she would have waited a little longer, she could have done something to prevent Charlie’s guys from taking Dallas and Maddie. I was actually relieved to know Brooklyn had left. There would have been dead bodies had she been there and that was something we didn’t need. I had called an emergency meeting tonight and I knew the clubhouse was swarming with cuts, anticipating my arrival. They probably thought I had a plan of action that would involve us rescuing Dallas from this fucked up situation. Church tonight would not go well. It might even come to blows and I was afraid I would lose some brothers over this, but I had to do, what I had to do.

  Tomorrow morning when I left, I was prepared to not return. I had accepted the fact that when I got there, things could go bad and I could lose my life. I was ready. I was not afraid to die, especially when it came to the ones I loved. I looked over once again at Dallas’s bags, scattered on the floor of my room. She had hung up most of her clothes in my closet. What didn’t fit lay on the floor, untouched. Everything smelled like her. Everything I touched felt like her, and everyone I saw looked like her. I could spend time beating myself up for not doing something different, but there was nothing else I could have done. Seeing Logan’s face every day helped get me through. Maddie stayed close to me. She was afraid that I hated her for what happened. I even went as far as to assure her that if Frankie would have backed out, I still would have found a way to bring Dallas home. I held her in my arms as she cried. I made stupid jokes to make her laugh. I did everything in my power to make her happy, but every time I looked at her, all I saw was Dallas’ face-the one she wore as she looked at me through the back glass of that SUV.

  I knew my girl needed something from me. I could tell
by the look in her eyes. It was the same look she gave me every time we made love. I knew how to move inside her to make her come, just like I knew where to place my hands on her to make her throw her head back in that sexy way I loved so much. She teased me about my smirk more than once, but always reassured me it was something she loved about me. I could have looked away, like I really wanted to. I was ashamed that there was nothing I could do to save her. That’s what I did. I protected my girl, yet I only sat there and watched as the most powerful man I knew, drove her away from me.

  I got out of bed and made my way through the house, smiling at the children that all rushed me with cries of ‘Uncle Luke!’ The ol’ ladies stood as I walked in, all smiling at me and admiring the way I kissed their children, and made sure to give each one special attention. I made my way to the kitchen, taking them each in my arms and holding them a little longer than necessary. I loved them all for different reasons. Jenn served as a second mother to me, always ensuring I had everything I needed. Juggs had a heart the size of the sun, and had blessed our family with four, healthy babies. Carla was the modest one that kept everyone in line. Luci had the mouth of a sailor, and handled the heat when society made false accusations about us via social media. Baby was a sweet kid that kept to herself, but was down for anything her sisters had to offer. Texas was the one who kept us fed. Her ability to make a meal out of nothing, for a bunch of drunk bikers had saved our lives more than once.

  Then, there was my Red. Where Regg sat at my right hand, she had always been there on my left. She picked me up when life got me down. She showed me how to love fiercely. She taught me what family was about when I began to doubt myself. I would never be able to repay her for what she had done for me. She was my friend, my sister and my heart. I walked out of my house, scared to look back at the many lives that I would effect when I announced my decision. Those ol’ ladies were the ones that stood behind their men when the shit got bad. They were what kept this club whole, and I needed them now more than ever.

  The bar was lined with men drinking beer and shootin’ the shit when I walked in. Tiny, Regg, Worm, Coon, Octane, Bear, Scratch, Buck, Crash, Kev and Boss Hog-my army. The men who had willingly followed me into possible doom in an effort to capture the man who hurt the woman I loved. Even if it had ended badly, not one of them would have done anything different. Three PROSPECTS stood behind the bar. Marty’s year of prospecting was up, and the others were not too far behind. I knew where Marty’s loyalties lied, and I would be proud to call him brother. Regg noticed me and grabbed a beer and walked towards me.

  “Is this gonna be good news, or bad news?” he asked clinking his bottle with mine and taking a pull.

  “News,” I said, not able to look him in the eye. Out of all my brothers, I knew this would hurt Regg the most.

  “We are ready when you are,” he said, noticing my avoidance and brushing it off. I had been pretty quiet since we had gotten back. I hadn’t shared very much with any of them.

  “I’m ready,” I said, turning to walk towards the double doors that led to the table. I took my seat at the head of it, looking around the room at the framed cuts that stood for the fallen.

  “Some brave motherfuckers on that wall,” Kev said as he entered, taking his seat towards the end of the table. He watched as I nodded at him, and then continued looking at the shadow boxes that lined the walls. Tiny sat to my right, Worm to my left and I watched as the rest of the Devil’s Renegades took a seat, waiting for me to start.

  “My first order of business is Marty. I think it’s only fair that despite the situations that have occurred, that we give him a vote. One no is as good as all no’s.” We went around the table as everyone voiced their opinion on our PROSPECT. Once it got to me, the vote was unanimous. Just like that, Marty became the newest member of the Devil’s Renegades Motorcycle Club. “Next, we need to compensate our Lake Charles boys out of our own funds for coming down and helping out. Coon, where are we at on that?” I asked our Treasurer.

  “Already handled, Pres. Paid Ronnie before he left. He didn’t want to take it, but finally agreed,” Coon answered.

  “Good. I want to thank you all again for your support. When you go home tonight, I want you to tell your ol’ ladies, girlfriends, children, employers-anyone who has had to deal with your absence because of my problems, that I appreciate it.”

  “That’s club problems,” Worm informed me. “Don’t try to carry all of this alone. It was a club decision to go after Frankie. One we all made together.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

  “I appreciate that, but this is no longer a club problem. I made the decision to get the club out of this shit, and as it stands now, we have no problem with Charlie. I want to ask the club’s approval to release Frankie into the custody of Charlie. He will deal with him however he decides. I can’t promise that he will eliminate him, but I can promise that if Frankie tries to fuck with the club again, he will have to answer to Charlie. All in favor of releasing Frankie as club property?” A chorus of “aye” and “yes” filled the room. “All opposed?” Silence fell as the decision to give Frankie to Charlie was made. No opposed. No turning back now. I had my chance to save my girl. I thought I would be happy, but my next order of business played in my head and prevented me from enjoying it, not that I had a doubt my brother’s wouldn’t have agreed. I took a deep breath and braced myself for what was to come.

  “I have spoken to Charlie. I told him once the club had voted; I would give him my answer. Frankie is no longer a problem to the Devil’s Renegades. He is now only my problem.” I watched as the eyes of my brother’s widened, they knew what was coming. I stood from the table and removed my cut. I looked at the worn leather and dirty patches that covered it. I had worked hard to earn it, even harder to keep it. I had defended it with my life, and treasured it. It had brought me happiness, heartache and solace. There were memories, both good and bad. Since I was old enough to understand what it stood for, I had desired it. It had been my lifeline and my best friend. I was a better man for wearing it. It had made a man out of me, and in return I had brought it honor and dignity. Now I was letting it go.

  “I can’t meet Charlie’s demands as long as I wear this cut. I can’t allow my club to fail at my expense. I knew there was no way any of you would let me ride alone. As my brother’s, you have a responsibility to me, as your President. I refuse to place that burden on you. I am leaving, with Frankie, and I can’t take you with me. I ask that you let me make this decision as a man, and not as your President. I know that if any of you were in my position, you would do the same. As of this moment, I am officially no longer your President, or fellow brother in the Hattiesburg Chapter of the Devil’s Renegades Motorcycle Club.” I laid my cut down before me. It would be the first time in twelve years that it did not belong to me. I was a man full of sorrow and pain. I was a man full of regrets and bad decisions. As I left the room with my head high, unable to look into the faces of the men before me, I was a man that for the first time in my life, stood alone.

  It felt wrong riding my Harley without my cut, but I found strength when I felt the vibration in my hands and the roar of pipes in my ears. I was a nobody, an independent. The heavy leather was not there to wear me down, yet it felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. Dallas would be in my arms tomorrow. Just the thought of her molding her body against mine dulled the pain, but it wasn’t enough. I was not whole without Dallas, and I was not whole without my club. I couldn’t live life as half of a man, but to save the woman I loved, I would have to. I didn’t visit any bars, or ride by one of my clubs. The thought of correcting someone because they called me LLC made me sick. Just like my cut, my name had been taken too. I was now just Luke. Vice President of Carmical Construction. Lover to Dallas Knox. Son of William and Karen. Uncle to numerous children. To some, that would have been enough. Well, it wasn’t enough for me.

  My house was dark when I returned, just as I expected it to be. Only one car remained besi
des mine and Dallas’s-a black Mustang with GET RED on the tag. This was gonna be a cluster fuck. Maybe if I was lucky, she rode home with Regg. The red cherry from a cigarette lit up the inside of my carport and I knew I had not gotten lucky. I didn’t bother pulling my bike into its sanctuary that I had created for it inside my home. I just cut it off in the drive, stepping away from it and laying my lid on the seat. The front porch light illuminated the darkness outside and I saw Red approaching, wearing that kick-ass attitude she wore so well. She walked right up to me, her face streaked in tears and mascara and slapped me hard across the left side of my face. My head spun to the side when her palm connected with my cheek.