Zero Regret

by Autumn Jones Lake

  “I’m aware.”

  “I still think you should call Chaser and maybe feel him out,” Teller says.

  “Let’s check this out tonight first. If nothing comes of it, I’ll call Chaser.” I turn, staring out the window at the back parking lot and the shed out back. “If it is happening, then Chaser and I need to have a whole different discussion.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Z

  “Tell Grip to stop right before the roadway to Malone’s. Have him pull the van to the edge of the woods,” I order Murphy.

  “You got it.”

  I do the same, slowly steering my truck off the shoulder and down a steep slope of grass.

  “Maybe back it in?” Teller suggests.

  “Good call,” I grunt, shifting the truck into reverse.

  It’s dark and quiet as we slip out of the truck and walk over to meet the guys in the van. Steer and Shadow should already be in Malone’s parking lot.

  “Grip, stay here and stay alert. No fucking around on your phone.”

  “Got it, Prez.”

  My phone buzzes with a text from Steer. Nothing.

  I answer: On our way.

  I’d taken a look at an aerial map before we left the clubhouse and call up the same map on my phone now. “Jiggy, Rooster, take this corner closest to the dumpster. Hustler, take the far left corner. You should meet up with Steer there.”

  Murphy raises an eyebrow, waiting for more instructions. “Stick with me.”

  We cut through the woods and emerge at the bottom of Malone’s parking lot. Music thumps through the air, but the parking lot only has a few scattered cars and two bikes.

  “Not that busy,” Rooster whispers.

  “No other bikes besides our guys either,” Jigsaw says.

  “They could be around back.” I point in the direction of the cracked asphalt that wraps around the side of the building.

  I check my phone but nothing more from Steer. Nothing at all from Shadow.

  This reeks of a set-up.

  “Go get into your positions.” I nod toward the building. Hustler, Jigsaw, and Rooster take off.

  Murphy, Teller, and I approach the low, concrete wall surrounding the dumpster.

  “This is bullshit,” Murphy mutters.

  “Tell me about it.”

  We stop at the wall and the three of us survey the parking lot.

  “DeLova would roll up with an entourage ten deep coming into our territory to meet another MC,” Murphy says.

  “At least. Jesus Christ, he comes in a damn caravan to his own son-in-law’s clubhouse.”

  Teller shifts and checks his phone. “We could be early. Not like Shadow had lots of useful details.”

  My phone vibrates and I check the incoming text.

  Hustler: I don’t see either of them anywhere.

  Fucking great.

  I text Jigsaw and Rooster, but neither of them has seen Shadow or Steer either.

  Tension curls in my stomach. What if Steer and Shadow are working together and lured us out here? What if Shadow took Steer out and he’s waiting to nab the rest of us?

  It’s never good when you’re questioning your brothers’ loyalty.

  The rumble and whine of multiple bikes has us ducking back behind the wall.

  “That ain’t Vipers, unless they’re lettin’ members run rice burners now,” Murphy mutters.

  Teller snorts and shakes his head. “They could be recruiting anyone.”

  The bikes pull up to the left of the building. Sticking to the shadows, I take a chance and step out to see who’s arrived. “None of them are wearing colors.”

  “They’re cowards.” Teller brushes up against my side. “They want to do business on our turf, they might not bother wearing colors.”

  “True. Still don’t see a single vehicle here Emperor DeLova would sit his dainty ass in,” I say.

  My phone vibrates and I step back behind the wall to check the message.

  Rooster: Who rode up?

  Me: Not sure. No colors.

  My phone vibrates again.

  Steer: Shadow went inside.

  “Godfuckingdammit! I told that motherfucker to stay outside.”

  I warn the rest of them to stay put.

  A few minutes later, a girl runs out the front door, gets into a red sedan, and speeds off. “That’s not ominous or anything,” Teller says, watching the car until it disappears around the bend.

  “I can’t see shit,” Murphy says in a low voice.

  “Me either.”

  My phone goes off again.

  Shadow: They’re not here yet.

  Me: Get your ass outside.

  Shadow: ??? I am.

  Who’s lying? Steer or Shadow? I don’t want to let my dislike and distrust of Shadow cloud my judgment. But I have no reason not to believe Steer.

  Sensing my dilemma, Teller touches my shoulder. “I’ll go check.”

  “Don’t.”

  He lifts his chin. “Rooster and Jigsaw should be right up there. If I don’t see anyone, I’ll come right back.”

  Murphy scowls at Teller as he creeps along the side of the building.

  “Let’s go.” I jerk my chin toward the direction Teller just went. Hiding out behind the fucking dumpster all night doesn’t exactly make me a good president or brother.

  Teller grins at me when we reach his side. “Jesus, Dad. I wasn’t gone long.”

  “Don’t start that Dad shit with me like you two do to Rock.”

  “I didn’t say a word.” Murphy smirks at me. “Dad.”

  “Asshole.” I search the area behind the bowling area. A large field of grass leading into a more heavily wooded area. Plenty of places to hide.

  “Come to join our party?” Jigsaw asks.

  “Some party,” I answer without taking my eyes off the tree line.

  “The place is dead inside,” Rooster says.

  There’s a small shed a few feet away. I motion the guys to move over to it so there’s something between the woods and us. “You went in?”

  “No.” He points toward the open windows in the back. “This place is noisy as fuck when the lanes are open and in use.”

  He’s right. Other than the steady beat of music, there are no other sounds.

  A metallic bang inside the building draws our attention toward the back door.

  Finally, a text from Steer shows up.

  Steer: Hustler’s with me. I still don’t see Shadow.

  I give him our location and wait for them to meet us.

  “They lost sight of Shadow.” I sweep the area again, but nothing stands out. “He said he was out here.”

  All of our phones buzz.

  Shadow: I’m down. Right inside back door.

  Fuck me.

  Me: We’re coming.

  I turn to Rooster and Jigsaw. “Tell Grip to get ready. Stay here and watch our backs.” Teller and Murphy follow me to the building. Halfway there, we run into Steer and Hustler. “What the fuck?” I keep my voice low, but my irritation comes through clearly. “How’d you lose sight of Shadow?”

  Not used to being questioned, Steer glares at me before answering. “Said he heard something and went to check on it.”

  I send Hustler back to the others and motion for Steer to follow us inside.

  Before touching anything, I slip on my black leather gloves. The cheap screen door creaks as I pull it open. This place really is a dump.

  The stench of gasoline sears my nostrils when we step inside.

  It takes a second to locate Shadow’s crumpled form in a heap on the floor. Steer rushes over and helps him up.

  “You all right, brother?” I ask.

  He rubs the back of his head. “Two guys jumped me.”

  “You should’ve stayed put.” I jerk my head toward the door. “Get him outside.”

  “No way, Prez,” Shadow reaches out, grabbing at my cut. “I ain’t leaving until I get the motherfucker who whacked me.”

  Murphy cre
eps toward the door leading into the main part of the bowling alley. “How many?” he asks Shadow.

  “Don’t know. Two? Three?”

  Teller eases over to where we found Shadow, crouching down to examine the spot. To our left, there’s a whoosh and roar.

  Suddenly, that gasoline scent takes on a whole different level of importance.

  “Get him out of here!” I slap Steer on the back and he pulls Shadow to the door.

  Flames climb the wall to my left and spread out over the ceiling. My gaze lands on a stack of red gas cans bundled together in the corner like a do-it-yourself nuke.

  “The building’s gonna blow.” I wrap my hand around Murphy’s bicep and yank him toward the open door. “Teller. Move it. Now!”

  Confident they’re both behind me, I haul ass out the door and keep on going. Murphy’s arm brushes against mine and I turn slightly, surprised Teller isn’t right next to him. “Teller?”

  “He’s coming.”

  Something a lot louder than the crackling flames whizzes by.

  “Who’s shooting?” I shout, pulling my own piece. If one of my guys started flinging bullets, I swear to fuck, I’ll shoot ‘em myself.

  Murphy whips around. “Shit!”

  My gaze flies in the direction he’s pointed and we’re both pounding over the grass before I process the scene in front of me.

  More bullets soar over us and I crouch low, firing in the direction I think they’re coming from.

  “Jesus.” Murphy drops down, sliding over the grass on his knees to get to Teller’s side. “T, you all right?”

  Teller groans and pushes himself up with one arm. “I’m alive.” He cranes his neck. “But I fucked up my bad leg.”

  “Come on.” Murphy wraps one arm around Teller while I keep an eye on the space behind them.

  “Fuck,” Murphy groans. “How can your scrawny ass be so heavy?”

  Teller’s feeling well enough to poke Murphy in the side. “Muscle weighs more than fat. Shouldn’t you of all people know that?”

  “Shut your mouths and keep moving!” I snap.

  Murphy glances at me. “Are we clear?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s get him to the truck. Cut through the woods. I’ve got your back.”

  The situation with the building isn’t getting any less intense. It’s a roaring inferno now. Orange flames lick the dark sky, lighting up the surrounding area. Metal creaks and groans.

  More bullets thwack into the trees as we race by them.

  Steer reaches us and helps Murphy carry Teller. I drop down and jam a new magazine into my gun, not that it’s going to do me much good when I can’t even see who I’m shooting at. But we can only dodge the bullets for so long before one ends up hitting something vital. Teller’s already taken a hit, I won’t have any more of my brothers get hurt.

  I scan the area for anything out of the ordinary. Any movement.

  Nothing.

  The gunfire has stopped as well.

  Maybe they’re done and took off. Maybe they’re reloading. I don’t plan to stick around to find out.

  Turning, I jump up and race over the uneven ground until I catch Steer.

  “Where’s everyone else?”

  “Waiting for us,” he answers over his shoulder.

  At our vehicles, the guys are tense and waiting.

  Once I’m sure Murphy has Teller safely inside my truck, I slam the back door and turn to the rest of the guys. “Take it slow. Cops and fire department are probably on their way. Don’t give anyone a reason to pull us over.” My gaze strays to Shadow. “Are you okay to ride?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” He scowls toward the fire. “No one came out of the building.”

  “Two cars whizzed by right before I saw the first flames,” Grip says.

  “Any bikes?”

  “Not that I saw. And I heard the pack that went in not long after you guys left.”

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  “What the fuck, Prez?” Rooster says once we’re in my truck.

  I squint out the windshield, watching Shadow for signs he’s not okay to ride. We need to get clear of this place now. “Shadow all right, you think?”

  “He’s gonna wish he was dead,” Murphy growls from behind me. “I’m gonna gut him for getting Teller shot.”

  I glance sideways at Rooster. “Easy, brother,” I warn Murphy.

  “I’m with the ginger.” Rooster shakes his head. “This whole night is bullshit.”

  I glance into the back of the van. “He all right?”

  “He’s bleeding a lot. Teller’s always gotta be a showoff.” The tension in Murphy’s voice betrays the joke.

  Jigsaw pokes his head out from behind Rooster’s seat. “Already sent Doc a text. He should meet us at the clubhouse.”

  “Thanks, brother,” Teller groans.

  “I knew this was a bad idea,” Rooster grumbles.

  “Anyone even see a fuckin’ Viper?” Jigsaw asks. “Because I sure didn’t see shit. But someone wanted us dead.”

  “Shadow was already near the wood line when the bullets started flying,” Murphy says grudgingly. “It wasn’t him.”

  “Doesn’t mean the fucker didn’t light the fuse,” Jigsaw says. “Create a little chaos.”

  “What’s he got against me?” Teller says.

  “He was probably aiming for Murphy.” I glance back and lightly punch Murphy’s shoulder. Not in the mood for jokes, he grunts and takes the hit without responding.

  He and Teller have been friends their whole lives, even before the club. As much as they love busting each other’s nuts, they’re closer than brothers. The crash that almost killed Teller a couple years ago had rocked Murphy hard.

  Forget Murphy. How am I gonna explain to Rock that I got his son shot?

  Worse, what the hell did we stumble into tonight?

  Chapter Nineteen

  Z

  Our clubhouse is lit up and the parking lot is full when we pull in.

  “I’m fine,” Teller bitches when Steer and Murphy try to pull him out.

  Shadow’s inside being looked at by the doctor when I walk inside.

  “His bump can wait, Doc. We got a bullet wound.”

  “You guys love to keep things exciting for me, don’t you?” Doc mutters.

  “Stick with Teller,” I say to Murphy, even though it’s obvious he’s not going anywhere.

  “Everyone else in the chapel. Now.” I point to Shadow. “You too.”

  “What the fuck was that clusterfuck?” I roar as soon as everyone’s seated.

  “Prez, they were coming. I know it,” Shadow insists, sounding a lot less sure than he did when he was convincing me earlier.

  “Well, whoever was inside is dead now,” Jigsaw says. “No one could’ve survived that blast.”

  “Not like there wasn’t acres of woods surrounding the place anyone could’ve disappeared into,” Shadow mutters.

  “How’d the girl know to run?” Rooster asks.

  “What girl?” Shadow asks.

  “Some chick took off right around the time we lost contact with you.”

  “My girl wasn’t working tonight.”

  Wait a minute. “Earlier you made it sound like she was there?”

  “I got the nights mixed up,” Shadow says without looking at me.

  “Who else knew we’d be up there?”

  “No one,” Shadow insists.

  “DeLova never showed.” Steer crosses his arms over his chest and glares at Shadow. “No Vipers showed.”

  “There were bikers there,” Shadow counters.

  “None were wearing colors, bro.”

  “Did they get out?” Steer asks.

  “I don’t know.” I glance at Shadow. “I was too busy ducking bullets.”

  We go round and round for a while, but Shadow can’t remember anything and he’s got no explanation for what went down. The fact that he actually seems remorseful and he’s got a pretty solid crack to the back of his sk
ull are about the only things stopping me from choking him.

  “Go see the doc when he’s done with Teller,” I say, jerking my head toward the door.

  Shadow stands and looks around the table. “It was a good tip. Either someone played me or they spotted us and didn’t come.”

  “Sure, bro,” Jigsaw says.

  After Shadow’s gone, the other guys glance at me. Everyone’s on edge and it’s my job to calm them down so they don’t do anything stupid. No matter my feelings about Shadow, the brotherhood needs to stay tight.

  “We had to act on our VP’s information,” I say slowly. “I’ll call Chaser tomorrow and feel him out.” I nod at Steer. “You still got your connections?”

  “Yeah.”

  “See what you can find out.” I tick off each item on my fingers. “Who was inside the building. Possible suspects. Known associates. Whatever you can.”

  “You got it, Prez.”

  I release everyone from the table and Steer approaches me slowly. “That was a shitshow.”

  “What the fuck you want me to say?” I growl.

  He holds up his hands. “I’m not blaming you, Z. You took the only action you could. Everyone made it out okay.” One corner of his mouth kicks up. “We all needed a little excitement.”

  “I would’ve been fine not getting shot at tonight.”

  “Yeah, that was dicey.” He shrugs. “Guess Malone won’t be a problem for DeLova now.”

  “Yeah, funny how that worked out.”

  “He’s gonna be pissed if Malone went up in flames before his debts got paid.”

  “No kidding. Not our problem, though.”

  “Nope.” He claps me on the shoulder and heads out. I follow behind him and run into Doc in the hallway.

  “How’s Teller?”

  “Fine. Bullet didn’t hit anything major. Had to dig it out, which he didn’t appreciate.”

  “I bet.”

  “He needs to rest. Don’t let him do any activities that will disrupt the stitches.”

  “I’ll do my best, Doc.”

  “Make sure he takes the antibiotics I gave him.”

  “Got it.”

  “Don’t let him drink, either.”

  Teller’s not a big drinker so that shouldn’t be an issue.