by C. M. Allen
“Yeah?”
“I’m not through with you yet. We will pick this back up in our room tonight.” I promised her with a kiss.
“Mm. I think I like the sound of that.” She said with a smirk.
Opening the door after we’d dressed, I found Ava standing on the other side of it. “Why am I not surprised.” I grumbled in a low voice before pushing the door open wider.
“Where is she? Where’s Harper? If you’ve touched one hair on her head...”
“Ava!” Harper yelled as she moved from behind me to face her friend. “Maverick would never hurt me, and it’s about damn time you stop acting like such a bitch around him! I love him and you’re going to stop this shit right now with your constant attitude towards him, you hear me?”
Now, I’m not quite sure who was more surprised in this situation, me, or Ava. Because both of us are staring at her like she’s just grown a second head. But then I see Ava flick her eyes to me with a softer glare. “Fine. You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you and all this bullshit that he’s...” clearing her throat, she tried again. “That... you’ve been involved in. I don’t want something to happen to you again.” For the first time since I’d met Ava, I could see the vulnerable, caring side in her I wasn’t sure even existed when her eyes became glossy from unshed tears.
Walking over to her, Harper pulled her in for a tight hug. “I know you are, and I love you for it, but you have to let this hate you carry for Maverick go. I love him Ava and you. I need the two most important people in my life not to fight and always make me feel caught in the middle. I need you to get along with one another, ok?” Harper said, looking back and forth between Ava and I.
Looking at me, Ava stuck her hand out towards me. “Truce? For Harper.”
Placing my hand in hers, I shook it. “Deal.”
“What’s goin՛ on in here?” We all turned to see Roman standing in the doorway.
“Just straightenin՛ a few things out, brother. But now I’m goin՛ to have to ask you ladies to excuse us. I need to talk to my men about how we’re goin՛ to handle this whole situation with Dekes, and that latest issue.”
When I turned to look in Roman’s direction, I saw a smile stretch over his face as he nodded his chin, prompting me to look behind me and see what he was smiling at. When I did, I saw both Harper and Ava standing there with glares on their faces, arms crossed over their chests and defiance shining brightly in their eyes. “You’re not going to send us away like the little women, Maverick. We’re going to help too,” Harper demanded, stepping closer to me.
Leaning down, I got closer to her face. “This kind of shit that’s about to go down is no place for a woman. You need to stay out of this and stay safe God damn it. I just got you back. I won’t go through that shit of losin՛ you again, Harper.”
“He’s right,” Roman said, speaking up as he walked into the office. “You’re Maverick’s biggest weakness. Dekes knows that and will use it against him if he gets the chance to get his hands on you again.”
I nodded at Ava. “Just like you’re Roman’s weakness, Ava.”
“I’m... what... no... but...” The look on Ava’s face, along with her babbling and stuttering at my words was priceless.
“Denial doesn’t look good on you, Honey,” Roman joked with a smirk.
“Whatever. We are going to help, whether you two like it or not. It...” The sound of a phone ringing cut Ava’s words off.
Harper, realizing it was hers, dug it out of her pocket and held it up.
Dekes.
I held my hand out to her. “Give me your phone.” Surprisingly, she placed it in my hand without a fight. Hitting the answer button, I put it up to my ear. “Dekes.”
He just laughed for what felt like forever, causing my blood to boil before he finally spoke. “Well, well, well, I see Miss Lancaster learned nothing from what happened to her precious parents.”
“Listen here you piece of shit, what happened to Nicole was not her fault and you need to leave her and everyone else in my club the fuck out of this. This shit is between you and me. No one else.”
“You would be smart to keep my sisters name out of your God damn mouth!” he shouted almost seething. “Now, tell Harper to say bye-bye to her little friend Miss Sabatini because she’s going to pay for Harper’s disloyalty. Such a shame.”
“Good luck with that asshole. Ava is safe.”
Chuckling, he said, “Is she really, Mr. Reed? You really think she is safe from me, Maverick? You think you can protect her and Miss Lancaster the way you protected my sister from those fucking animals?! You don’t even know who I really am or what I’m fully capable of! But... you’re about to learn Mr. Reed... very soon.” After those words the line disconnected.
Harper’s phone crashed against the wall two seconds later, shattering it into pieces. “Ladies, can you please give us a minute.” Roman announced, saving me from trying to calm down enough to ask them both to leave. I had some serious shit to think about and deal with right now, having her here was only going to cause me to scale back on the details of the pain I wanted to inflict on this motherfucker.
My back was turned to them when I felt what I knew to be Harper’s hand on my shoulder. Unable to face her, for fear that the beast I fought to keep locked inside of me would show through, I kept myself faced away. “Please don’t shut me out of this, Maverick. I have just as much right to take this monster down as you do. He killed my parents, Maverick. What would you do in my shoes?”
The loss of her touch and the sound of the door shutting a few seconds later told me that the coast was clear. “This motherfucker needs to die.” I growled out.
“I agree. The question is how the hell are we goin՛ to beat a man that is both DEA and this... whatever the fuck he is?” Roman asked.
“The first thing we need to do right now is find the rats he’s got imbedded in our house.”
“Come the fuck again? We have rats in our club?”
“We do, and we need to find out who they are and get everythin՛ they know about him out of them, and we need to do it fast. Who knows what the fuck this piece of shit is up to. He’s obviously just been sittin՛ idle and plottin՛ this revenge plan of his over the years, waitin՛ for the perfect time to unleash it.”
“Well, at least the reasons for him havin՛ us steal Skull’s shipments makes a hell of a lot of sense now. The fucker was settin՛ us up for a war.”
“And I fell for it. Case in point, Worm.”
“Fuck! Send those pictures already?”
“Sure did.”
“We need to set up a meetin՛ with Skull before we’ve got two wars on our hands.”
“I know. But first we find the rats, so we know just who it is we’re dealin՛ with here. The only version of Dekes we know is the DEA one. I want to know just how this fuckers head works, how far his reach stretches, and to whom.”
CHAPTER
10
Harper
When we left Maverick’s office and came around the corner, we both saw Roxy scurrying away quickly. Looking over her shoulder at me, Ava asked. “What do you think that was about?”
I rolled my eyes at the sight of her. “That’s Roxy, so who the hell knows.”
“Wait, that’s the bitch who let the dog loose on you?”
“Yeah, but don’t wo...”
Before I can even finish my sentence Ava’s headed in the same direction Roxy just went in. “Oh hell no, that bitch is going to get her ass beat right now,” then took off after her down the stairs
Shit!
Running down the stairs after her, I heard her calling Roxy’s name. “Hey Roxy!”
Whipping around, Roxy put her hands on her hips, giving Ava the once over. “Yeah, what the hell you want?”
Ava, God bless her soul, shows no fear as she moved right up in Roxy’s face, drawing everyone’s attention in the immediate area and beyond. “Did you sick a dog on my friend, Harper, here that almost attacked
her?”
Glaring at me first, she leaned down and got closer to Ava’s face. “What if I did? What the fuck are you goin՛ to do about it, princess?”
Ohhhh shit!
No one’s going to call Ava a princess like that and escape damage free. I knew all hell was about to break loose.
And then it did.
“Happy to show you, Sweetheart.” Were the only words Ava offered her before she reached up and pulled down on Roxy’s hair so hard, she had her on her knees in an instant and wrapped up in a headlock. They both continued to fight for position, both trying to get the upper hand on the other as they rolled around on the ground, everyone surrounding them, cheering them on. When Roxy got the upper hand and got on top of Ava, I jumped on her back and wrapped my arm around her neck, locking it in place with my other hand. I tried to pull her back and get her off of Ava, but then she ended up on top of me when I fell back onto the floor. Squirming in my grip, she tried to get loose, but I kept a tight hold on her until she elbowed me in the ribs, and I was forced to let her go from the blunt pain that shot through my, previously and still tender, injured side. But Ava was right there with a left hook to greet her the moment she tried to get up. When Roxy fell back down, I did my best to roll away, but my feet got tangled up with hers and her elbow connected with the side of my face when she went down. “Shit!” I shouted out, covering my cheek.
“That’s enough!” I heard shouted out from somewhere behind me.
Ava not caring about anything went for Roxy’s neck again, choking her. But then I watched as Ava was plucked up off the floor by Roman as if she weighed nothing. “Come on, my little hellcat. Up you go.”
Soon after, someone did the same to me.
Maverick.
“What the fuck is goin՛ on down here?!” Maverick shouted.
“These two bitches just attacked me!” Roxy screeched, trying to get out of the grip of one of the other club members had on her after picking her up off the floor.
“You tried to get a fucking dog to attack my friend you skank ass whore!” Ava yelled back at her, struggling to get free from Roman’s grip.
“Fuck you, you’re a lyin՛ bitch!” Roxy screeched back.
“You were eavesdropping on us outside Maverick’s office!” I yelled, drawing everyone’s attention towards her, and then to me.
I watched as her face dropped before it hardened in an instant. “I was not eavesdroppin՛ you stupid bitch! I was headed up to talk to Maverick about somethin՛ and heard voices, so I knew he was in a meetin՛ and left!”
“What were you goin՛ to talk to me about, Roxy?” Maverick asked with almost a growl.
“I... I don’t remember now. After these two bitches attacked me, I’ve forgotten,” she said, trying to cover her tracks.
I knew this woman was up to something, and then it hit me. Leaning up to Maverick’s ear, I asked. “Do you think she could be one of Dekes’ rats?”
The look on his face as he stared back at her could have made a grown man wet himself, but Roxy just glared at me as if she didn’t even notice. “You’ve done nothin՛ but cause this club trouble since you’ve come here! She’s only goin՛ to bring you and everyone else in this room more problems, Maverick!” Roxy yelled.
Nodding to whoever the member was that had her in his grip, Maverick told him. “Take her upstairs to my office. I’ll be up there in just a second. Everyone else! Church in one hour!” Turning me around, he gripped my chin and turned it to the side. “Looks like you’re goin՛ to need some ice on that cheek of yours, Rocky.” He almost smiled.
“Her elbow caught my cheek when she fell on me. She elbowed me in my ribs too, but I’ll be ok.”
Lifting my shirt up, he ran his fingers over the reddened area, and it caused me to flinch. “Have Emma grab you some ice while I go talk with Roxy and find out if she’s had anythin՛ to do with this Dekes bullshit.”
“Do you think she did?”
“Let’s put it this way, I wouldn’t put it past her to help Dekes kidnap you, knowin՛ how she feels about you. But right now, you just take care of that beautiful face and body of yours and I’ll deal with her,” he kissed me on the lips before turning to head for the stairs.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that to that bitch. Come on, let me buy you and your friend a drink.” A younger looking dark-haired woman said, taking me by the elbow and leading me to the bar they had in the game room. When I looked back to see if Ava was following behind, I saw her lip locked with Roman, causing my eyes to bug out of my head.
That’s it! She’s spilling her guts now!
Sitting down at the bar, the woman stuck her hand out to me. “Hi, names Darby. I’m Repo’s old lady.”
Placing my hand in hers, I shook it. “Harper. And my friend’s name is Ava,” I said as I watched Ava approach with the biggest smile on her face, one which she dropped the moment she realized I was watching her.
“Well, you did all of us women here a big favor today. Both of you. Hi, I’m Darby,” she held her hand out to Ava as she sat down.
“She deserved an ass whooping. It will do her good to be brought down a couple of pegs.” Ava said.
After we sat there for a few moments talking with Darby, her man, Repo, came to collect her.
The irony in that I tell ya.
After she’d gone, I turned to my best friend and only said two words. “Spill it.”
“What?”
“Don’t you what me. You know damn well what I’m talking about.”
Shrugging her shoulder, she seemed to think about her answer for a moment before saying anything. “It’s nothing. Just having some fun. Not like we’re together like you and Maverick or anything. It’s just a casual thing, that’s all.”
Time to put that theory of hers to the test.
“Well, that’s good to know.”
“Why?” She asked with a frown.
“Because I know he has a regular thing going on with Bambi over there,” I pointed to the young, cute blonde in the corner talking to Emma.
“Sonofabitch!” She stormed off, running up the stairs, taking them two at a time with me trailing behind her laughing so hard it was almost too hard to walk.
I knew that there was more to them than what she was saying. I could always count on that Italian temper of hers.
By the time I made it up the stairs to Maverick’s office, it had been just in time to see Roman grip a hold of her wrist when she tried to hit him. “You bastard! I knew you were lying to me!”
“What the hell are you talkin՛ about?”
“You’re fucking that little whore, Bambi, behind my back!”
“Look, you need to calm the fuck down right now. I’m not fuckin՛ Bambi or anyone else behind your back. I told you it was just you and me and that’s it! Why the hell would you think I was?”
That’d be my cue.
Smiling at her reaction, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud “See, I knew you were downplaying this whole thing between the two of you.”
Looking at me in shock, she asked. “You mean you lied to me about him and Bambi?”
“Damn straight I did. About time you thaw out and let someone in. For real,” I smiled big.
“Aw, were you jealous, Honey?” Roman smirked down at her.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at me for totally just outing her right in front of him. “No.”
“Liar,” Roman leaned down to kiss her. “Gotta get back in there. I’ll see that fine ass of yours soon. He slapped her on her ass, causing her to squeak out a gasp before he walked back into Maverick’s office.
As soon as the door was shut behind Roman, I ran as Ava chased me, both of us laughing. “I hate you!”
“You love me!” I yelled back.
AN HOUR LATER ANY TRACE of the light mood we were in was nowhere to be found. Now we all sat around a large wooden table with The Devil’s Deviants emblem carved into it, filled with all the club members. Ava and I sat quietl
y behind Maverick and Roman in the two extra chairs that were brought in as Maverick filled everyone in about Dekes, what happened with me and the rats he’d placed in the club. The room instantly felt darker the second the word rat left his mouth.
One of the members spoke up the moment he finished. “No disrespect Prez, but what are they doin՛ in this meetin՛?” he pointed at Ava and me. “Not like you to bring in outsiders, no matter who they are.”
“They are here because they both have just as much knowledge, if not more about this situation, as well as an invested interest in it like we do. And I trust them both not to divulge anything said in this room,” he waited a few seconds for his words to sink in before he continued. “Now, if there are no other questions about my decisions made, I would like to get back to the reason we’re here.” The member who had spoken up cut his hand through the air as if to say he was done. No one else uttered anything, so he moved on. “Now, even though I already know who one of these rats are, I’m goin՛ to give the other one who sits at this very fuckin՛ table like the traitor he is the chance to be a man and come forward all on his own.”
The room went deadly silent as Maverick swept his gaze around the table, the rest of the members following suit, looking around at one another. Getting up, he walked around the table, seemingly thinking for a moment. “So, no one here wants to man the fuck up and show one last God damn shred of loyalty to this club by admittin՛ you fucked us all over and betrayed each and every one of your brothers in this room?!” he shouted.
Making his way back to the head of the table, he sat down once again and then nodded at both Gunner and Axle who sat on either side of him. They both nodded back in response and got up and began the walk to the other end of the table, then just stood there together. “Last chance to come out like a man, motherfucker.” Maverick practically growled with disgust in his voice.
Waiting a few more moments, the tension in the room escalated to an all-time high as Ava and I shared a nervous glance with one another.
Maverick nodded at Gunner and Axle once more and they both moved to the left and came to stand behind one of the men I remember as the one with the girl who was giving him a blowjob the first time I set foot inside this clubhouse. “Buzz. Got anythin՛ to say to us, brother?” Maverick asked with venom lacing his words.
