After an hour of digging through basic information on The Black Hornets MC, I started to hack into records that I wasn’t technically supposed to be in. Through the police department, I was able to gain access to several old case files that filled in the real information that I needed on the club, their inner workings. The more I dug, the juicier the information became. The Black Hornets had been established in the area for quite some time. There was the President, whose name was Dean. He had one daughter, who was mysteriously alive, after several reports of her death. I wondered if her fake death was a cover-up for something. It now looked as though she was married to what seemed to be a rival gang. At least at one point. I could only imagine how that arrangement came about. But after some digging, I figured out that the agreement was strictly business. Or, at least business-based at one point.
Interesting.
Then, there was Jace. Vice President of the Black Hornets. I pulled up some documentation that proved he had just filed for a marriage license. Oh. How quaint. To a… Leti Rodriguez?
Why did that name sound familiar?
I jotted the name down and kept with my basic research. I needed the foundation and the bone structure before I started filling everything in.
Then, there was Maverick. Treasurer for the club. Not a lot on him, minus a few arrest records. But one of them was interesting. Most of the arrests were for minor things. Disturbing the peace. Generally being a smart little asshole. Bullshit teenage boys got themselves into. But, there was one that caught my eye.
Assault and battery, with an intent to kill.
Feisty.
The Secretary of the club was Duke. He didn’t have much in the way of a record or even a history. But there was an interesting little news clipping of him when he was younger. Prom king and queen. Him and some girl named ‘Eden.’ Apparently, their small town wrote about everything and published it online. Which made my work a hell of a lot easier.
Colt was their Road Captain, and there was literally nothing on him. And that wasn’t good. Why there was nothing on him had me worried, and I knew that wouldn’t do. If I didn’t have at least a page of information on all of them to return to my father, all of us would incur the wrath of his boss. It was something I hadn’t found amidst yet, and I wasn’t willing to start now. After trying to hack into other records, I was about to throw my laptop out my window. There was absolutely nothing about Colt anywhere. It was as if he was able to erase his entire presence online.
Which meant I would have to go undercover.
After sitting there and educating myself on the club, I typed everything up and printed it off. Apparently, the Black Hornets were a protection club. Guns for hire, mercenaries, hired muscle. Things of that sort. They had a positive reputation in their town, but they were known for being loud. For being the protectors as well as the partiers. And the good thing about loud people is that they broadcast.
And broadcasting was what made my job easier.
By the time I was done, I knew about several of their past jobs, all of their arrest histories, and where their legitimate businesses were set up. They had two restaurants in town and a bar out in the middle of the desert. And something told me that bar would be where all of them hung out. I printed off the information just as my father called me down for dinner, so I figured this was the perfect time to present the information to him.
“Already finished? That doesn’t sound like a good thing,” my father said.
“Well, I’ll be very upfront with you, there are some glaring holes in their history and their major players. One of the guys--the road captain?--must have paid to have his history wiped or something. Because there’s nothing on him anywhere,” I said.
“What’s his name?”
“Goes by ‘Colt.’ But that’s it. No arrest record. No online presence. Nothing but one singular bank account.”
“Sounds like he did pay to have it wiped, then.”
“There’s one name that sounds familiar, though. Maybe you can help?” I asked.
“Sit down. We can discuss it over dinner,” my father said.
“No business talk over dinner,” my mother scolded.
My father smiled. “Of course. Then, we’ll talk about it over dessert in the other room.”
Dinner was fantastic, and I made sure to relish all of it. Because I had a feeling this was the last one I’d be eating with them for a while. The previous undercover assignment I took, I went deep for three months. Three months of my hair being painstakingly dyed blonde and green contacts rolling around in my eyes. And I feared that if my father knew this Leti Rodriguez character, I’d have to do much of the same thing again.
Dinner came and went with my family, then my father and I took our flan into the other room.
“So, what is this name you’re so concerned over?” my father asked.
“Does the name ‘Leti Rodriguez’ ring a bell to you?” I asked.
“Hmmm, that name does sound familiar. And usually, when that happens, it means that person has helped us along the way one time or another.”
“The only reason I ask is because apparently, the Black Hornet’s V.P. has filed for a marriage license with her.”
“Ah, puppy love. I remember when I knew I wanted to marry your mother,” he said.
“Daddy.”
“Sorry. Distraction. I know. I can take a look at my records, but if I don’t recall that name right off the top of my head, then there’s a good chance we haven’t encountered them. You know I only help with the U.S. side of operations. There’s an entire Mexican side we don’t touch.”
“So, I shouldn’t have to change my look going undercover?”
“Like I said, I’ll take a look at my files just to make sure. But it doesn’t sound like you will, princess,” he said.
“If it wasn’t for that one blessed Road Captain, I could have done this from the comfort of my own bedroom.”
“I’m proud of you, mija.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
“No. I’m serious. Look at me.”
I looked up from my dessert and found my father leaned forward in order to make his point.
“I know you don’t enjoy going undercover. I know you miss your family when you do. And trust me, princess, we miss you as well. But what you’re doing makes me proud. What you will be able to do for this family once I’m gone makes me proud. The business is very lucky to have you. They’ve watched you grow. Watched you blossom. Paid your education and clothed your back. They love you, Gabriella. And so, do I.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to provide for this family once you’re gone, Daddy,” I said.
He reached out and cupped my cheek. “I know. You make me so proud. Prouder than any words in the English or Spanish language could convey.”
I nuzzled into the palm of his hand. “When do you think I should start going undercover?”
“You know I always leave that up to you.”
“And you know I always ask for your advice.”
“I think you should take a few days to prepare. Learn about them. Figure out how to position yourself as well as possible with them. You’ve gone undercover with individuals, but a group is different. You’ll be analyzed from all angles. With one person, you usually take two days to prepare. How many are in this club?”
“Well, the club itself seems to have about 100 active members. But only five of them are the main players. Five, counting the President,” I said.
“Then take two days for each person.”
“Ten days to prepare, then.”
“Ten days, princess.”
“I can do that, then,” I said, smiling.
My father brought his lips to my forehead to kiss, but it didn’t settle the nerves in my gut. He was right. I’d never been undercover with an entire group. Especially one this large. Usually, I single out one person because the intel I find on my laptop lets me know who I have to target. But this is different. There’s an entire player with no informati
on, one of the players is set to marry someone who, for some reason, sounds familiar. And their job history is spotty, at best. Their war with the Roja Diablos is undefined, even on the dark web. There’s no chatter about them linked with us whatsoever.
There are too many undefined variables not to go undercover.
But that didn’t stop me from worrying. And it didn’t stop me from wondering. And it didn’t keep me from my research.
Ten days.
I had ten days to prepare the perfect cover for five different men.
Chapter 3
Maverick
Colt and I split off to see what we could find. After riding all the main drags together, I decided to take a ride through my old neighborhood. A couple of local gangs hung out in that area, and I was friendly with some of them. We all grew up together on the same stretch. Fought some of the same issues. Starved on some of the same nights together. Initially, I was going to join the Knights. A gang that practically owned my old stomping grounds. But I ended up pledging with the Black Hornets instead. Luckily, because I’m such a smooth talker, there were no hard feelings. And my ties with Andres had come in handy a few times over the course of my run with my brothers.
I rolled up into his driveway and revved my engine, then watched him come out with a smile on his face.
“The fuck, man? I got company!” Andres exclaimed.
“That why you don’t have any pants on?” I asked.
“Damn right.”
“Well, wash your hands and get out here so you can greet an old friend.”
The two of us laughed as someone tossed him his jeans. He pulled them up his body as he walked out to me, then the two of us clapped backs. I turned my bike off and kicked down the stands while Andres pulled up a fold out chair to sit in. I leaned against my bike, straddling it as I sat there, and I relished the old smell of my childhood rearing.
“This a pleasure visit, or something else?” Andres asked as he sat down.
“Why can’t it be both?” I asked.
“It’s been a while since you’ve ridden through here. You lookin’ for somethin’?”
“Just got a question for you, is all.”
“What’s that?”
“I know at one point in time, I was going to pledge with the Knights.”
“It’s still a sore spot for us, yes,” he said, grinning.
“You’re a little shit, you know that?” I asked with a chuckle.
“Ah, come on. You know you’ll always be family. We fucking grew up as neighbors. What’s it you need?”
“Did the Knights ever get into drugs at all?”
“Ah, the dirty ‘D’ word. We were thinkin’ about it when you pledged, you know.”
“I know. It’s part of the reason why I ended up pledging the Black Hornets if you catch my drift.”
Andres shook his hand in the air. “I don’t blame you. I almost didn’t pledge myself. But, no. The Knights made a decision about three days after you dropped out that drugs weren’t worth it. They weren’t worth decent pledges like yourself. We lost a lot of brothers the day you walked out. A lot of people in that group trusted your instincts.”
“Or they just enjoyed watching my ass walk away.”
“Don’t worry. We got a couple of those with us as well.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “So, are you saying ‘no’ to the drugs?”
“Nope. The Knights tossed the drug idea out the window and never looked back at it. They’re too dirty. And the feds are too hot on a trail for drugs right now. So, we deal in weapons. Which reminds me, if your club ever needs some, let me know. I’ve got some great deals on some good shit comin’ in.”
“I’ll let them know. You know I always do.”
“You guys saved my ass with that tactical gear purchase, by the way. That’s the only reason I’m talkin’ with you about this.”
“And I appreciate it,” I said.
“You got anything else for me?” Andres asked.
“Just a hungry fucking stomach. You got any food around?”
“For you? Always. Come on. Enough of this dirty talk. Time to shoot the shit.”
I figured I could spare an hour, so I hopped off my bike. But as we made our way to Andres’ porch, he turned around with his finger in the air.
“Forgetting something?” I asked.
“There is one other thing, but I don’t know if it really relates to your question,” Andres said.
“Sounds like you forgot to take your meds.”
Andres grimaced at me. “Take your shots, but you know I’ve always got clap backs.”
“Which is why we get along so well. What just crossed your mind?”
“It’s funny you should mention drugs. Because there was some asshole knockin’ on my door a few weeks ago. Talkin’ about how he could make us a great sum of money if we just followed his rules or some shit.”
“Did you laugh in his face or shoot him in it?” I asked.
“Did the former, should have done the latter. He was a weaselly little thing. Never trust a man with a face tattoo.”
“Face tattoo?”
“Yep. Had a few of them. Runnin’ all down his damn neck. Said his name was ‘Scottie.’ Or ‘Samuel.’ Or--.”
“Sebastian?” I asked.
“Yep. That’s it. Why? He come around and bug you guys, too? Maybe we should team up and have a nice, old-fashioned hunt.”
“Yeah. You could say he crept around us a little bit. When did he come by you guys?”
“Probably after you guys told him no,” he said, snickering. “Like I said, it was a few weeks ago. Just dawned on me because of your question.”
“Anything else dawning on you?”
“Just that I’m fuckin’ starvin’. Ready for some tacos?”
“The fuck kind of question is that? If you have to ask me that question, you don’t really know me.”
I sat down and shared a lunch with Andres and his crew. We cracked jokes, laughed until our stomachs hurt, and threw back some tacos with a few Coronas. It was always a treat, coming home. Even though my family didn’t walk those streets any longer, that didn’t mean it stopped being home. The broken sidewalks and the weeds growing up the sides of houses. The yelling of the neighbors and children running around without shirts on. A lot of people considered it trashy. Poor. Low-down. But for me? It was my comfort zone. It was the place that raised me into the man I had become, and I was proud of it.
Proud of where I grew up.
“Thanks for lunch, man. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime. You know you can stop by, even if it isn’t for work,” Andres said.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you. And you know you guys are welcome in the bar anytime,” I said.
“Stock your shit with some Coronas and start churning out some food and we’ll be there.”
“We’re working in it. Damn. You sound like my V.P.”
The two of us grinned at one another before I reached in and clapped his back.
“Always a pleasure, Andres.”
“You too, Mav. Keep your head up. And I’ll keep my eyes peeled,” he said.
“For what?” I asked.
Andres shot me a look. “I ain’t stupid. You guys got a drug issue. It doesn’t leave my lips, but if I see anything weird, I’ll give you a call.”
I drew in a deep breath. “We’d all appreciate it. Especially our children.”
“Don’t be a damn stranger.”
I struck up my bike and rode the rest of the way through my neighborhood, then canvassed the entire backside of town. I knew we’d have church tomorrow. We always did the day after activities like this one. Colt and I would come together with the information we found on our casing of the city and present it to the group. And the rule was that Colt, and I didn’t meet up until that point. We had an issue in the club one time that resulted in deaths because of two asshats trying to meet up and skew information.
There was a reason Jace had location
trackers on all our phones now.
I couldn’t blame them for being so damn paranoid about it. Though I’d never even considered betraying my club, it hit all of us hard. It hit Jace a little too hard. After that, he closed himself off pretty good. Slept with women to cover up the pain. It brought me great joy knowing he’d found a woman for him. And it was them expecting a child that kept me pushing forward. That kept me riding through town. That kept my eyes peeled for anything and everything that looked suspicious or out of place before heading back to my townhouse.
But the information Andres had for me regarding Sebastian was all I walked away with.
I’d have to have Jace really dig into everyone that asshole was in contact with. If he had the balls while he was alive to approach The Knights, then there was no telling who he simply walked up on. For all we knew, one of the ‘new players’ was a damn rival gang themselves. And if there was anyone who could figure that shit out, it was Jace.
He played down his skills, but the man was a damn wizard at everything he did.
I started making my way home, but as I approached my neighborhood, I didn’t really feel like going back. I’d ridden around on my bike for hours, working down the beer and the tacos I’d had for lunch. I felt myself draining of energy, and that was a good time to fill up. I couldn’t head to our bar. Just in case Colt had gone in that direction. But there was a local bar I frequented a great deal that none of the guys knew about.
I turned my bike around in the middle of the road and started for it.
I could already taste the hot wings and the beer. And thought my gut would pay for it later, but my mouth salivated. I blew through yellow lights as my stomach began to growl and I sped down alleyways to cut my time in half. Just the thought of those wings with an ice cold glass-bottled beer made me want to slap someone for it. And I would.
Because it was that good.
Chapter 4
Gabriela
I waved the cigarette smoke out of my face as the bartender slid me my Moscow mule. I didn’t quite follow my father’s advice. I’d spent only a couple of days to prepare for the mission. But I felt confident in my abilities and what I had found out. Strolling right into the club’s bar wasn’t a good idea. With how out of place I’d look, they’d probably think I was a potential client. Which meant they’d do research into me. And that wasn’t something I needed. No. I was better off frequenting the bars around one of their restaurants until I either found my opening or encountered one of them by happenstance.
Maverick (The Black Hornets MC Book 2) Page 2
