Discord (Midnight Saints MC Book 2)

by Iris Sweetwater

  “Shut the fuck up, Austin!” I headed for the door and then remembered I came on Tony’s bike, and he had the keys. “Fuck!” I went back to the table and got another beer. Reagen came over. She was drinking sarsaparilla.

  “I fucking hate men,” I said.

  “No, you don’t,” she said gently. “You’re just pissed Tony would rather fuck a whore than you.”

  “He punched Eric. If he didn’t want to fuck me, why did he punch Eric?”

  “Because he was jealous of Eric, and now he’s trying to make you jealous. The fact that you went up there and threw yourself at him proved his point,” Seth said. “Give him time, he’ll come around. He’s fighting it, but like Austin said, he’s into you, so just give his head time to catch up to his heart. If you do that, he’ll be yours.”

  “Maybe I don’t want him.”

  “I think you do. We all feel the chemistry, the heat between you two. There’s no doubt about it. He’s the Prez, well one of them, so he thinks he has to be big and tough and he thinks love makes you weak, makes you a fool. Sure, I guess it does, but there’s also a power, a strength there. He just hasn’t learned that yet, but he will.”

  Chapter 14

  Tony

  The Crypt Keepers left the club, but on the way back to their clubhouse they were attacked on the road.

  I rode out with every able-bodied man I could get. There were twelve bikes that rode out from the bar and headed off to lend aid to our allies. We had weapons at the ready. Tonight, we would shed blood, and hopefully not lose too many in the process.

  None, if I could help it.

  We found the Crypt Keepers at the park, defending their territory from the attackers. They were in the heat of a gun fight, and this time, I saw the black clothing of the Shadow Order. These were trained shooters, not some unorganized MC. I didn’t want to lose morale by saying we were fucked, but it didn’t feel good.

  We made our presence known to the attackers, and they turned from the Crypt Keepers to shoot at us, the real targets, surely. They must have gotten word about the alliance and put a hit out. Or rather, Maxum did.

  We shot back and the Crypt Keepers kept up a constant stream of bullets. We stayed back far enough so none of their bullets would hit us and none of ours would hit them. We peppered the attackers with a sea of bullets coming from every angle. The air was full of the smell of smoke and death. At least it was the middle of the night and there were no innocents around to get hurt. Tonight it was all about blood, revenge, and proving our alliance with the Crypt Keepers. If I had it my way, there wouldn’t be a single survivor. It was time for Maxum to lose some of his men.

  When the smoke finally cleared, there were a lot of dead, but all the dead were the enemy. There were several of our men and the Crypt Keepers injured, and the one guy critically injured was one of the Crypt Keepers.

  It was Eric, the guy I punched in the bar. He had survived being shot several times and was rushed to the hospital.

  Fuck, I felt more than bad now for what I had done and wondered how Kara would take this. I knew the two of them had history, and it was only my jealousy that had caused me to get a hot head and treat him the way I did. The Saints owed him a lot right now. He had risked his neck to help Kara and us in turn, and now he had literally almost died for us. And with all his wounds, he just might.

  I helped the Crypt Keeper Prez see to the injured and then we inspected the dead. They wore the patches of the Shadow Order, so it confirmed they had finally joined the fight as I suspected. I knew this wasn’t the whole club— there were maybe only a dozen dead. “Let’s gather the bodies, pile them up, and set them on fire. We’ll have a bonfire tonight to celebrate this worthy alliance. I was wrong about you Midnight Saints. When you give your word, you keep it, and I appreciate what you did here. This could have gone a whole different way without your help.”

  “Glad to be of service,” I said, shaking his outstretched hand. “I’m sorry about Eric. I hope he survives.”

  “Thanks. I think he’ll be fine, we got him help fast enough. Again, thanks to you and the Midnight Saints.”

  I called Kara and filled her in.

  “We have some wounded, but no fatalities. We did kill twelve Shadow Order. Come down to the park, we’re having a bonfire to celebrate our victory. Oh, but first, you should know Eric was rushed to the hospital. He was shot several times. Crypt Prez thinks he’ll make it, but I thought you would want to know.”

  “Thanks. I’ll go check on him tomorrow. I’ll catch a ride and we’ll meet you at the park.”

  “Well, I think we showed our loyalty tonight. If shit goes down, we know now the Crypt Keepers will have our backs just as we had theirs. Kara, I’m sorry he got hurt. Really, I am. Tell him I said I hope he has a speedy recovery.”

  “I will.”

  The bodies were piled up, their leathers and helmets removed, then we poured gallons of gasoline over them and lit them up. We drank beer and celebrated as the remains burned. The bikes would be stripped of parts and those would be divided up between members of the clubs.

  We were still at the park when the sun came up. The fire died out by then, and we gathered the ashes and bone fragments and filled a couple trash bags. Those went into the dumpster behind the bar. Then we all got some much-needed sleep.

  I had another wet dream about Kara, so it was finally time to admit to myself I was catching feelings for her. I just wasn’t ready to admit that to anyone else, especially not her. Especially not when she could have feelings for someone else, someone who was getting sympathy for being in the hospital right now most likely.

  I hated the fucking thought, but I had no right to keep her from him. I had been an ass.

  “So Maxum now knows the Crypt Keepers have an alliance with us, and apparently he’s not all that thrilled by it. Bold move to send the Shadow Order after them,” I said at breakfast, a much better one than I was used to. Seth had stayed with me here while Austin had gone back to the clubhouse to hold things down there. With Kara visiting the hospital and me here, I didn’t want the clubhouse and the rest of the members unprotected.

  “So, how are we retaliating?” Seth asked.

  “We’re not. We’re lying low, and we’re going to see what his next move is. He just lost a dozen men, let him lick his wounds for a while.”

  “A dozen out of a thousand isn’t that many. He can bounce back pretty quickly from that.”

  “Yeah, he could, and we’ll be watching for when he does. If he sends another dozen after us, well, we’ll just add those to a bonfire pyre like we did the last group. I’m done letting these fuckers run away. From now on, they attack, they die. This is officially war. That’s what last night was, a declaration of war, and well, I’ve accepted it. We’re at war, boys. That was just the first official battle. Kara and I couldn’t have been prouder of the way it was handled. This war is going to test us, but if we’re smart and careful, we just may make it out no worse for wears. With that said, I have some new rules. No one, and I mean no one, leaves the clubhouse without, one, a weapon, and two, at least one buddy. The Shadow Order and the Blue Diablos are out there just waiting to pick us off, so we’re not going to give them any chance to do that. I will be informing Austin and Kara of this, and I am sure they will back me up.”

  After breakfast, we loaded up and headed out back to our clubhouse, hoping the Crypt Keepers were safe for now.

  The atmosphere in the clubhouse hadn't changed much— there was still excitement in the air. Everyone was riled up and ready for a fight. Their victory had brought morale up. I loved that feeling in the air, like a crackling of energy. It was contagious and intoxicating for people like us. Made us feel like we could do anything.

  It no longer felt like we were on the brink of extinction. It no longer felt like we were just surviving. Now, we had a real chance to win this. Feeling restless, I decided to make a perimeter check. I took Austin and Seth with me. We jumped on our bikes and rode the perimeter, check
ing in with the men posted around the compound. When I was satisfied by what I saw, we returned to the clubhouse. I decided to get some shut-eye since the attacks seemed to happen more frequently in the night, and I needed to be awake and alert.

  When I woke again, it was late afternoon. I got something from the kitchen to settle my stomach and then checked in with Austin and Seth, but they had nothing new to report. Kara was still with Eric, and the Prez of the Crypt Keepers was keeping us informed about that and would escort her home when she was ready.

  I hoped the guy survived.

  I sat at the head of the table. There had been two seats placed there. I propped my feet up on the table, leaned back in my chair, and cradled my head in my hands. My thoughts turned to Kara. I still wasn’t ready to admit to anyone that I had feelings for her, but I found when I had time to let my mind wander, it tended to wander to thoughts about her. Would it really be the end of the world to make her my Ol’ Lady? Could I really be that guy? Was I ready to be that guy?

  And with her of all people?

  She was a handful. We would fight all the damn time. And over the years, the passion we had, the lust, it would fade, and then what would we have?

  The love of the ride. The love of the MC. And maybe I could learn to love her too, for real. And maybe we didn't have to follow some mold. We could do and be what worked for us. It wasn’t like I could imagine her barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen the way Reagen would be for Seth. That wasn’t Kara. If I didn't try to change her, maybe she wouldn't change me too much either.

  But that was all in a perfect world in my head. One that didn’t exist. And none of it involved her falling for the Crypt Keepers’ Enforcer.

  “You seem to be lost in thought,” Austin said, taking his seat at the table. “Here’s the list you asked for.”

  “Oh right. Let me see it.” I dropped my feet, shook away all thoughts of Kara, and turned back to my work.

  “I circled the dates that matched up with what the boy said. There’s one name that kept popping up.”

  “Have Seth find him and put him downstairs. When Kara gets back, she and I will speak to him. With Seth’s help, we’ll find out what’s been going on.”

  “You got it. Think we have another traitor?”

  “I hope not. Better get the dogs ready in case we do. I’m serious— any traitor found will be cut open and fed to the dogs. It’s a messy business and I hate doing it, but I hate traitors even more.”

  “I hear that.” Austin got up to do my bidding. He was loyal and wasn’t afraid to do what had to be done to keep order. I knew I had chosen well for my second in command, and I was glad when Kara didn’t change that. She hadn’t really bothered shaking anything up since she had become Prez, and I liked that. She noticed I had things under control and didn’t bother messing with what worked. She really did have a head for this. I had judged her so unfairly. Now, I just had to figure out what my feelings for her really were.

  Why was this so hard? I had wet dreams about her every night. Why had I been an idiot and turned her away? Why had I chosen Harley over her? Would she ever forgive me? Would she try again? Had I blown it?

  I leaned my head in my hands.

  “Seth is waiting for you and Kara,” Austin said. “The dogs are all set to be released should you have the need.”

  “Great. We’ll deal with it as soon as Kara gets back.”

  “Where’d she go?”

  “To see Eric at the hospital.”

  “Ah!” Austin sat back down.

  “Do you really think Kara and I would make a good match?” I asked, propping my feet back on the table and leaning back in my chair.

  “Yeah, I really do.” He grinned. “I think you think so too, but you’re just too stubborn to admit it to yourself.”

  “You know me too well.” I frowned.

  “Yes. Yes, I do,” he laughed.

  “Want a beer while we wait?”

  “Yeah. One won’t hurt.” He got up and retrieved two beers, popped the caps off, and handed one to me. We clinked and took a drink.

  “I was really hoping this shit wouldn’t go down.”

  “I know, and you and Kara tried to put it out peacefully, but shit happens. We just have to deal with it when it does.”

  I pondered over what he said as I sipped on my beer while we waited for Kara. She was sure taking her sweet ass time there, but I wasn’t about to interrupt her visit. For all I knew, she was still waiting in the waiting room to see him. Doctors only liked dealing with family, and I knew Kara wouldn’t qualify. That made me wonder if Eric had family outside the club. I figured that was something his Prez would know and be able to handle, so I didn’t really have to worry about that. I was just thinking on Kara’s behalf.

  Not sure why I was doing that, but I found myself doing it. I needed Kara to get back. I was going stir crazy.

  “I’m taking another perimeter run. Want to come?”

  “You bet.”

  We headed back out, got on our bikes, and circled the compound. Nothing like riding in the open air cleared your head. We went around twice, then headed down to check out the bar. We stopped for a drink. Everything seemed quiet, so we headed back. The sentries were changing out their shift. We waved to the guys as we rode by. They saluted us.

  Once again, we returned to the clubhouse, satisfied that everything was good. I knew Kara was in good care. The Prez of the Crypt Keepers respected her and wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

  My cell phone began to ring.

  “Tony, it’s Elle. We have a situation at the bar. You better get down here and bring as much back up as you can.”

  “What the fuck? We were just down there. What’s the situation?”

  “Get down here, and I’ll show you.”

  “Yeah, okay, give me ten.” I hung up. “Bar! Now!” I said, jumping to my feet. Seth alerted his Enforcer team and twelve bikes rode down the road. The sentries wanted to follow, but I told them to stay put. The clubhouse needed protecting.

  We arrived at the bar, ready for anything, but we hadn’t been prepared for what we found. Hanging from the tree outside the bar was a blow-up doll. Upon further inspection, it was covered in familiar marks. I pulled it down and read the note taped to the doll’s pussy.

  Then, my cell phone began to ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Listen up, asshole, I see you fucking got my message. I’m done waiting for my bitch to come home, so I’m coming to get her. You’re going to be down at least one member by morning because Seth’s a dead man. I’m going to kill him, but first, I’m going to make him watch me cut his child out of Reagen’s gut.”

  What the actual fuck? The girls had been talking about someone after them and all this voodoo shit because of that guy at the coffee shop. I had gone along with it because it made Reagen and Seth feel safer, but I didn’t expect a man who Reagen shot and killed in front of more than one witness would suddenly come back from the fucking dead.

  “Listen here, you pissant fucking coward, I promise you, you’re the one who will be dead by morning.”

  “Ha ha, asshole, you already tried. Looks like I’m fucking immortal. Anyone else who gets in my way will be gunned down, so do everyone a favor and hand her over. You don’t want more bloodshed on your hands, do you? She’s just one whore— your guy will get over it. Hand her over and all of this ends. Now, I can’t speak for Maxum, but my feud with you will be over. You just have to send that bitch whore packing.”

  “You can try to come get her, but like I said, you’re the one who will be dead by morning.” I hung up. “We got trouble.”

  I sighed, turning to my men, especially Seth, and tried to explain what the hell just happened.

  “Well, fuck me. How did that fucker live? He was dead as a doornail. Gone and six feet under. Either there’s a ghost or some other shit going on. Someone messing with us,” Seth suggested. For all I knew, he was right and this was Maxum’s ways of dividing the efforts, but
swear to fucking God, that sounded just like the guy.

  We searched the bar for any sign of him, but all we found was a camera posted across from where the blow-up doll hung. I threw it against the wall, smashing it to pieces.

  “I say we ride out and meet him. Gun him down in the street before he ever reaches our territory again,” Seth said.

  That seemed like a good idea, so we jumped on our bikes and rode to the center of the road. Half of us on one side, half of us on the other, since we didn’t know what direction he was coming from. We wanted to be prepared for anything.

  Chapter 15

  Kara

  Eric was in the hospital. He had gotten shot during the confrontation, so I went to see him. He was severely injured and I feared he wouldn’t make it.

  I paced the waiting room as he went through several surgeries to pull the bullets out and patch him up. The Prez of the Crypt Keepers stayed with me. The doctor wouldn’t tell us anything till the Prez told him Eric didn’t have anyone but us.

  He finally managed to get the doctor to tell him the bullets hadn’t damaged any main organs, just his liver, which they thought they could cut out that part but he would have to be careful for a while. It had missed his heart entirely. He lost a lot of blood, so they gave him a transfusion, and he should be awake in a few hours, then they would let us see him.

  Hours passed and I feared the worst, then at last Eric opened his eyes, and when he saw me, he cracked a smile, no matter how much it hurt. “Kara!”

  “Eric! I was so worried.”

  “Hey, buddy, you gave us quite a scare. How you holding up?” the Crypt Keeper Prez asked him. I stepped back to give them space.

  “I’m good. Doc has me on the good shit.” He grinned. “Did we win?”

  “That battle, thanks to the Midnight Saints, who rolled in and saved our asses just in the nick of time.”

  “Did we lose anyone?”