by Rae B. Lake
I watched Devin practically crumble from lack of adrenaline once he realized that it was over and he was still alive.
“Mikki!” I called up and could hear the door to the apartment swing open. “I’m ok, we are ok, keep the girls upstairs ok.”
“Yes. Ok.” The door closed and I focused my attention on Devin.
“You good?” I asked, bending down and pulling the knife out of the man’s neck.
“What the fuck, thank god you were here. Thank fucking god.” He stood up straight walked over to me and hugged me.
It was awkward but I would allow it.
When he was finished, he pulled back and swiped a shaking hand over his face.
“What the hell was this shit?”
“You don’t want to know.” He said looking away from me.
No, there is no way. My luck can’t be this bad.
“Whose men are these Devin?”
“Vilanuevas.” He said pointedly.
I threw my hands up in the air, I just couldn’t get away from this bastard.
“What the shit! Since when did this start happening? What are the cops doing?”
He shook his head and just sat down on one of his barstools. “Cops can’t do shit. No one can do anything. I didn’t tell you because I knew you were hanging on by a thread but since you and your boys left, the whole town, hell maybe the whole fucking state has gone to shit. Vilanuevas has flooded his boys in, the rate of kidnapping has gone up like thirty percent. He is shaking down most of the bars and strip clubs, especially if we have any ties to the Wings. You and your boys were the only thing holding them back.”
Life didn’t stop when I did. While I was off trying to find a hole to hide in, Vilanuevas and his fucking cartel was destroying everything that I have ever known.
“This is fucked.” I looked around the bar and luckily all the patrons were gone but there was still the problem of two dead guys on the floor.
“No worries, I’ll call Zed. They were sticking me up, everyone saw it. I have cameras to prove it. Self-defense.” Devin jumped over the bar and picked up the phone. I put my hand into my pocket and peeled off five hundred dollars. I gave him the rest, there was at least five thousand there.
“What the fuck is this?” He looked at the money and then back to me.
“Rent and putting up with my shit. You saved me. I shouldn’t even open my mouth to ask you for anything else, however I have another favor to ask you.”
“Whatever you need brother.”
“I need to borrow your car.”
He dug in his pocket and pulled out the keys, “It’s not like I leave here anyway, just bring it back eventually.”
I turned to go back upstairs and let Mikki and the girls know what was going on, Devin called out before I could make it to the stairs.
“Where are you off to?”
“I’m going home.”
Chapter 12
“I thought you said that the place burned down?” Vida asked from the back seat where she was scrunched up between Angel and whatever bags that they had.
“The last time I saw it, it was burning down, I didn’t look back and didn’t ask about it. It’s been almost seven months. If there was anyone left they may have tried to salvage it, and if not we will look somewhere else. We are going to find someone; I am sure of it.” I hadn’t even so much as asked anyone about any of my brothers. In fact, I was sure most people thought I was dead. The only person who knew where I was Devin and for the life of me I don’t know why he kept my secret, but he did.
I was instantly nervous as I pulled onto the road that I knew would lead me back to what I had considered home for the majority of my life. They had no reason to accept me, in fact they should put a bullet directly in my chest. I abandoned them. I left them there to burn. I wasn’t the leader they had come to know. I was a shell of the man I once was. I stopped the car and just let it idle for a while.
“Hey, this is your family, you fucked up but they are still your family. They need you just as much as you need them.”
What the fuck! That shit was annoying. How did she always know?
“How the hell do you always know what I’m thinking?”
“I see you.”
I looked over to her, I didn’t know what the fuck that meant but she seemed to be completely at ease with that answer.
“Whatever.”
I put the car back into drive and moved slowly back into the road.
What would I find, would there even be anything there, what if it was abandoned, what if…?
I could have cried in relief, thankfully I didn’t. That behemoth of a building was still there even if it was on its last legs. I could see where it was being worked on. Some walls were covered with sheets of tin, some tarp. The roof looked like it was brand new, been rebuilt. The small gun range that we once had was rubble but there was framework to what looked like a remodel. My boys were still here. They were still living. I should have known that they would survive.
I looked around the area and the rows of bikes parked up, they did more than survive, my WOD men were thriving, under what conditions I had no idea. I cut the car off and looked at the women.
“You all will have to come in with me. I don’t know who is running them now, I don’t know who is here. It could be all new faces but I am hoping that there is at least one person in there that I could talk to. I don’t want to leave you out here and something happen.” I could see the fear in all their eyes but I knew this was necessary. “I will probably not be met with open arms, I dishonored my kutte and I broke my vows. They may kill me, if you see it going that way. You come back here, get in this car and leave.”
“Fuck that! I’m not going to leave you.” Mikki replies from the passenger side seat.
“Mikki, please, I don’t want that on my head. Just fucking listen. You have these girls to look out for, I deserve whatever I get. I just need you to be safe. You understand.”
She looked at me for a second, “Yes, I understand.”
I turned off the car, pulled the keys out of the ignition and put them in Mikki hands. I watched her put them in a pocket and we got out of the car. Vida picked up Angel, Mikki grabbed Vida’s hand and all of them huddled as close as they could behind me.
“Peanut butter?” Vida asked as we began walking towards the doors of the makeshift club.
“It’s ok?” Mikki asked close to my ear. I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“We’re ok. I got you.” I answered.
“Honey.” Mikki turned back and answered Vida.
One day I would figure out what the fuck that meant.
I got to the door and straightened up as much as I could, I was walking in kutte-less and technically a traitor to the club. All I could do was pray that they didn’t kill me on sight. Whoever was there.
“What the fuck do you want?” A young man with prospect rags asked as he opened the door.
I had never seen him before in my life and obviously he didn’t know who the hell I was either. Part of me wanted to knock his fucking teeth down his throat. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t the Prez anymore. I was nothing to these people. I looked around, I saw a few patched in members but none from when I was with them. Maybe it was all new brothers. Maybe I was too late.
“You can’t fucking hear? I asked you fucking question. What do you want?”
“I am here to see your president.” I answered, using every ounce of will power that I had to not swing on this little prick.
He looked behind me and saw Vida and Mikki, just like usual. Men always thought with their dicks.
“Go find him if you want, but know once you step over this here threshold, that pussy behind you is fair game.”
I turned and with every ounce of my soul, I wanted him to hear what I was about to say. “If you so much as touch a hair on any of their heads, I will slice you from your dick to your throat and play catch with your guts.”
The man that had all th
at mouth just a few seconds ago backed down, he could see that I wasn’t playing.
I walked past him, the girls attached to me as closely as they could. There was a full-blown party going on. Quite a few folks from other crews but I did see some wings that I knew. Vale and Storm pushed a club bunny from their path as they made their way to where I was standing. A new patched member by the name of Ripper, according to his kutte joined them. Another member from the Spawns of Chaos, Shepard it said on his Kutte, closing in on me from the other side. None of them looked happy. In fact, Shepard already had his gun out and cocked as he made his way towards me.
I turned to the girls, “It’s going bad, get back to the car. Now!” I pushed Mikki and the girls back. Mikki started to cry but she was back tracking to the door. They would be safe.
I nearly laughed out loud when a resounding phrase hit my ears.
“Oh Shit!”
Clean came barreling from the side of the room, the huge man reaching me just seconds before the four other men could.
I looked up at him.
Even at six feet tall, Clean towered over me. He was tall and built like a football player. I had seen him break chest cavities with single punches, the strongest man I had ever fucking encountered.
He looked me up and down slowly then turned his back to me to address the four other members. “What’s going on here? Y’all trying to dance or something.”
“Fuck that shit, this bastard needs to be in the fucking ground. Get the hell out of the way.” Vale said trying to push past Clean.
“Nah buddy, I don’t think that is your call. Don’t you got some pussy to get or something? You don’t want to mess up a good party, If you could fuck off that would be great.” Clean said his signature smile sprawled across his face.
“How can you protect him?” The one named Ripper screamed out.
Clean grabbed the man by his kutte and lifted him clear off the floor, the man’s strength was incredible, “Ok, play times over, I told you once. Back the fuck off, you don’t tell me who the fuck I should protect.”
I inhaled and hung my head down, nothing had changed, Clean would protect me with his life. Always had been that way. The loyalty of that man undeniable. I looked up to his back expecting to see the President patch on his kutte but instead it said VP. I didn’t understand. There was no one else to take the spot over. Archer?
He never wanted it before, why now would he take it.
Ryder? He didn’t want it either.
Who the fuck else was there…
“Everyone, go about your business.” A voice boomed out from behind the crowd.
It felt like someone had sucked every ounce of oxygen out of the room. I pushed Clean aside and the other men. It was impossible.
“No… no.”
The people in the room parted and I had a clear line of sight to the new president of the Wings of Diablo MC Club.
I stood there speechless; my mouth wide open in shock as a dead man walked over to me.
Wire was alive.
Chapter 13
“Holy shit, what the fuck!” I smiled at the man who was looking at me like I was a piece of shit. “I thought you were dead. Brother..”
My head snapped back with amazing force.
“Alex!” Mikki screamed out, and I tried to look over to where she was. Keeley was holding on to the baby, trying to keep her from seeing what was happening. Daria was holding onto Vida, Maven and Cherry were holding onto Mikki.
I watched as Wire bent down to the floor and swung with everything he had, punching me over and over in the face. I heard bones breaking and could feel blood pouring down my throat trying to choke me. When he was out of breath he looked over to Clean and even I could see the hesitation in his eyes but he came over to me and swung with everything that he had. After a few hits, Ryder came over and continued to beat on me.
I had abandoned the family, I had this beatdown coming. Every single patched member was allowed to hit me. I don’t know if I passed out, I know it felt like an hour of them hitting me. I don’t remember when it was done. My eyes were swollen shut, I was breathing blood bubbles and I was missing a few teeth. My ribs felt like gravel but instead of leaving me there on the ground my brothers gathered around me. Clean and Archer held me up and Wire wrapped his arms around me as lightly as he could.
“Welcome home, brother.” He stepped back as they basically dragged me to one of the upstairs rooms.
I opened my eyes, at least one of them. The other was still pretty fucked up. I kept that one closed and tried to look from one eye.
“Mikki?” I called out and she answered immediately.
“I hate them all! Look at what they did to you!” She ran her hands lightly over my face.
I chuckled, the jagged tooth in the back of my mouth cutting into my cheeks. “Nah babe, this is love. They could have shot me where I stood.”
“How the hell can you say that, they almost beat you to death.”
I endured the pain and opened both of my eyes. I couldn’t see her too good but I wanted her to see me.
“Mikki, they could have killed me. Tell me since I have been here sleep, have they checked on me? Medical care? Made sure I was still breathing?”
She looked down, “Yeah, everyone seems to be happy that you are here.” She let a breath out, “The women tried to get us to come out but I didn’t want to leave you.”
“Ah, yeah, the wives. They are good people. I don’t know everyone here but I promise you as long as Wire, Archer and Clean are around you are safe. They are good men.”
“Ok, I believe you.”
“How long have I been out?”
“It’s been 3 days, they really bruised you up bad, but amazingly nothing was broken but a few ribs.”
“No shit? It feels like I got run over by a fucking truck.”
“You look like you got run over by a truck.” Vida said from the corner that she sat in playing with Angel.
“You ok Alex?” The little girl asked a bit of fear in her voice.
“Yeah, babygirl, I’m fine. I did a bad thing, I needed to be disciplined.”
“Ok Alex, if you say so.” She shrugged and went back to playing with Vida.
“I need to go and make this right, or at least see where I stand with Wire.” I tried to get up but the ache in my back almost forced me right back down.
“No way, you can’t get up now.”
I grabbed her head and kissed her softly, I wanted some more of her sunlight. “Mikki, I am fine. Things are getting better now. They won’t hurt me anymore.”
She kept her eyes closed but put a hand over my heart, I put my hand over hers. “Jesus, just be safe ok.” She got up and walked over to where Vida and Angel were sitting.
I got up slowly and made my way out of the room. It was morning or afternoon but still light outside. Everyone was either in their own rooms or just mulling around downstairs. I heard the high-pitched squeal of a crying baby. A newborn.
I got down the stairs searching where it was coming from. I looked behind the bar and could see Cherry with a baby in one hand. She was frazzled and trying to pour Enfamil into a baby bottle with one hand and still rock the baby.
“Cherry?”
A bright smile spread across her face when she saw me. “Oh Prez, I am so happy to see you.” She came from behind the bar and hugged me hard with her free hand. I grimaced a bit but endured the hug.
“You too girl, what’s this.” I motioned to the baby. “Whose baby is this?”
She looked down at the screaming squirming baby, “This is my little monster.” She smiled and looked back up at me.
“Daddy?” I asked, I knew Cherry. She would never try and mess up what she had. The girl was all about dancing, fucking and having a good time. Having a baby had never been on her mind.
She looked away wistfully, “Larry.”
“Fuck, I’m sorry. You know we will be here for you forever.” I spoke like I still had my patch on my back. I
had no say in what the club did anymore.
“That’s exactly what Wire said. I know, doesn’t make up that he will never know his father. I am just glad he is going to have a shitload of uncles to look up to.” She gave me a wink and transferred the screaming baby into my arms. “You can start your shift now.”
I laughed and cradled the baby as much as I could, my sides hurt but the little boy seemed to like my voice, he settled a little bit and examined my fucked up face. He couldn’t be more than two months old. I cooed at the kid, I would have never thought that Cherry would be a momma but here was the proof that anything was possible. She came back over to where I was a newly warmed bottle in her hands.
“Ok, I got him.”
I passed the baby over to her. “What’s his name?”
“Larry, of course.” She smiled and plopped the teat into the baby’s mouth.
I turned and could see Wire standing by church. He was always observing and always plotting what was going to happen next.
I walked over to where he stood. The tables turned, I was a nobody and he was the president. His word was law.
“You got a minute?” I asked.
He nodded once and opened the door to church. I walked over and went to sit down in my chair.
“Get the fuck out of my seat!” Wire slammed his hand down on the table before I could even get out of the crouched position that I was in. I had walked to the head of the table and was going to sit down. I had been the president for almost a decade, that seat was ingrained into my head.
“I’m sorry, my mistake.”
“You damn right, do that shit again, I’ll make sure you don’t wake up from the next ass whooping you get.”
I got up and went to sit in the seat next to that.
“No, that isn’t your seat either. You don’t get to sit. You can stand like a fucking outsider. This table is for brothers loyal to this kutte.
He was testing me, he was pushing me to see how far I would let him go. I couldn’t take much but I knew I had to bide my time. He was right on every count. I betrayed them, I had to work back into it.
