Chapter 17

ROSE

“The Picardo cartel has a history in Ivory, and I know as much about it as anybody else. I knew the men who were in charge. I knew all of the shit they pulled. I knew all of the beefs they had. The cartel had business right here in this very building. There’s evidence of that in the walls if you look close enough.

“Never had much interaction with the cartel these days. Don’t care to. I’ve heard enough stories to know I don’t need to get my hands dirty with that bullshit. I’m fine with where I’m at now. I take chances when I need to but the Picardo cartel…

“Aaron Picardo is a little different. Now him… the stories I’ve heard aren’t shit you wanna tell your kids. Everybody who knows anything heard about the bodies they found on the outskirts. No doubt those motherfuckers crossed a line. Hell, they probably didn’t even cross a line. The Picardo cartel had a reputation decades ago and Aaron Picardo seems to be doing whatever he can to make sure nobody fucks with him.”

The man leaned back in his seat. There was some combination of amusement and concern on his face.

“I heard a story of a man who crossed Picardo once. Not those poor bastards they just found earlier today. Another man who hadn’t taken anything from him. Heard the guy bumped into him at the bar. Spilled a drink on him but didn’t bother apologizing. I could see that. Some tough asshole sees a man like Picardo and doesn’t think much of him outside of the fancy suit and the expensive watch.

“One night though, that same asshole wakes up the next morning with a voicemail. Tells him he’s dead and just doesn’t know it yet. The guy doesn’t see the rest of the day, as the story goes. All that over a spilled drink.”

I swallowed hard before saying anything. “You don’t actually believe that story, do you? Nobody, not even a man like Picardo, would be crazy enough to kill someone over something petty like that.”

“The point isn’t whether or not I believe it. The point is not taking any unnecessary risks because there are people out there crazy enough that there’s no reasoning with them. I’m not trying to frighten you. I’m not even trying to make excuses. I’m only telling you for your own good.”

He stayed comfortable in his seat, sipping on a small glass of some brown liquor. The man was the most comfortable person in the entire building. Understandable, since he was in charge.

Hades was home to the Devils. I hadn’t been in Ivory for very long but they had a reputation for getting things done. Even things most people wouldn’t get their hands dirty with. The atmosphere in Hades Bar was calm, though it wasn’t exactly a secret the Devils got their hands as dirty as any other club.

I looked around at the banners and photos on the walls while everybody else mingled and relaxed. Sebastian Cain was more relaxed than any of them. He was a decent-looking blond. Some scruff on his chin and tattoos on his arms, he mostly looked the part of a club member just because of his leather kutte.

He stared at me from across the table, a half-smirk on his lips. “You want something to drink?”

“I didn’t come here for a drink,” I said. “I came here because—”

“You already said why you came here. Your brother had the bright idea of taking something from Aaron Picardo and Picardo wants him dead. As psychotic as Picardo can get, honestly, this isn’t a situation I half-blame him for. You do understand what your brother did, don’t you?”

“I know. My brother made a mistake—”

“A mistake? He didn’t spill a drink or spit out his bubblegum for somebody to step on. Armed robbery isn’t just a mistake.”

I nodded softly. “It’s more than a mistake. I’ll admit that. But I know your reputation.” I glanced at the patch on his chest. “They don’t call you Venom for no reason. The Devils are available for hire. Even for people who make mistakes like my brother.”

“I have a conscience. I have morals. My MC doesn’t just go down a checklist and do anything that has the biggest dollar sign next to it. And even then, you don’t look like you have much money. This has nothing to do with any of that though.” He took a sip of his drink and smacked his lips. “The Devils had their run-ins with the cartel. It might have been a long time ago but I’m not interested in getting back into it.”

“Are you so scared of Picardo, you won’t even consider it—”

“Scared? I know what you think when you look at me. You see some big, bad biker who doesn’t take any shit from anybody. I don’t agree with the shit Picardo has done but that’s not a good enough reason for me to get involved. The best answer to your problem is right there in front of you.”

“And what’s that answer?”

“Bite the bullet. Tell your brother to turn himself in. Once Picardo gets his man, that’ll be the end of it. He only goes after people when he has reason to. Then again, you don’t look like the kind of woman who’d just let her brother walk straight into his own execution.”

The smile left Cain’s face. He didn’t take his eyes off me as he took a sip of his drink. I searched for something else to say but nothing came to me. Asking for help from the Devils was already a long shot.

“Rose.” I turned my head when I heard the voice next to me. My brother stood there, smiling like nothing was wrong.

“Joey? What the hell are you doing here?”

“I came here to talk to you. What are you doing here?”

“I was trying to get some help… for you.”

“Is this your brother?” Cain raised an eyebrow at Joey and laughed softly to himself. “Going after Picardo. Not exactly the smartest man in the world.”

“At least I have the balls to stand up for myself and not let some drug lord act like he owns this city.”

“Joey—” I put a hand on his chest but it wasn’t enough to stop my brother from stepping forward. Cain wasn’t as amused as he was just a few seconds ago. He got up from his seat and took a step toward my brother. I looked around and noticed some of the others wearing matching kuttes all took notice of the situation.

“You come into another man’s clubhouse and disrespect him,” Cain said. “Why am I not surprised you’d steal from Picardo?”

“If there’s anybody who deserves it, it’s him,” Joey said. “The man’s poisoning the streets of this town and you’re just sitting back, not doing anything about it.”

“There’s a time and place for everything. Stealing his shit and putting your own family in danger isn’t gonna do shit.”

“Pfft… All you bikers. I don’t give a fuck if this is your clubhouse. I should take you outside and teach you a lesson.”

“Joey!” I raised my voice to calm him down but nobody was listening to me. The club suddenly fell silent as everybody took notice. The other Devils all started to converge, one of them significantly larger than the rest of them.

Cain put his hand up to calm the big man down. “It’s all right, Mercy. The man isn’t thinking straight. He’s got a bullseye on his back and a red dot on his head.” Cain looked at me. “If your brother here doesn’t intend on turning himself in, I suggest you find a place to hide. A place not in Ivory. Because it’ll only be a matter of time until Picardo finds you. The asshole is probably looking for you already.”

“Joey…” I grabbed his shirt and made him look at me. “Come on… Let’s just get out of here.”

Joey sighed softly through his nose before nodding. He kept his head down as we walked through the crowd and out of the bar. We stepped out onto the streets of Old Town. The place was as empty as I remembered it from the last time I’d been here.

“What the hell are you doing?” I said. “The last thing you need to be doing is picking fights with MCs.”

My brother paced back and forth, shaking his head the entire time. “I’m sorry, sis. I don’t know what got into me. I was just thinking… That was my last chance.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If the Devils can’t do anything, there’s only one thing left for me to do.”

He stopped pacing and looked at me. My brother was always so confident and sure of himself. Now all I saw was a younger man, vulnerable and scared.

“I have to see Picardo for myself—”

“You can’t do that, Joey! Once he gets his hands on you—”

“I know what he’ll do. There isn’t anything I can do. I’m beginning to think even running won’t work.”

“There has to be another way. Just… Just give me more time. I’ll figure this out. Ashton will figure this out. If we can’t figure anything out, then… Just a bit longer. Joey… Please…”

He gave me a half-smirk and nodded. “Where is Ashton anyway?”

“He’s up to something. I don’t know what. But I know him well enough to know he’ll figure a way out of this. You just have to trust him.”