“Dix, this is Cale. We need to meet at Dunes. Now. I’m calling everyone in.”

 

“Ah, shit,” Dix said. “What’s happened now?”

 

“I just got a call from Alex Pye.”

 

“Who’s that?”

 

“The President of the Firechrome. The President of the mother chapter, out of Portland. He wants to meet.”

 

“When?”

 

“Tonight. Eight o’clock, in Seal Port.”

 

Dix sighed. It never seemed to end. “I’ll bring Daisy, too. She might have some insight.”

 

“Good idea. Be there in thirty minutes.”

 

Dix nodded unconsciously. “We’ll be there.” He hung up the phone and sighed again. “Fuck.”

 

***

 

“Holy shit! What happened to you?” Thad asked as Daisy and Dix walked into Dunes fifteen minutes later.

 

“Leo,” she slurred. The second day was always the worst and she hurt everywhere.

 

Chuck grit his teeth, sympathizing with Daisy. “I’m sorry.”

 

She shrugged and slowly lowered herself into a chair. The group was very subdued as members filed in, Cale one of the last to arrive.

 

“As I told most of you on the phone, Alex Pye, the head-mother-fucker-in-charge of the Chromes wants to meet in about five hours. We need to roll into this with a show of force.” Cale looked around the room, meeting the eyes of the brothers. “I need everyone, and I do mean everyone, there, except you, Thad.”

 

“What?” Thad yelped. “Why?”

 

“I need you to stay behind in case it goes south in a big way. I’m depending on you to get our old ladies and kids to safety.”

 

Dix nodded. Their club was so small they didn’t have a lot of officers with formal titles. Cale was the President, and everyone else helped with whatever needed doing, but Thad was his go-to guy, functioning as his pseudo-Vice President and Sergeant at Arms.

 

“I agree.” Dix said. “Everyone can see what happened to Daisy.”

 

“I don’t agree,” Thad snapped. “I agree it’s probably a good idea to leave someone behind, but not me. If the shit hits the fan, you’ll need me there.”

 

Cale shook his head. “If the shit hits the fan, we’re not going to be able to shoot out way out of it. There’s a motion on the table. All who agree Thad should stay behind to take care of our families, say Aye.”

 

“Aye!” the room rumbled.

 

“Any opposed?” Cale asked.

 

“Nay!” Thad barked, the only voice.

 

“Motion carries,” Cale said as he tapped the gavel. He could tell Thad was pissed. “Thad, listen to me. This is the most important job of all. I need my best man on it.”

 

Dix nodded. “I want you take care of Daisy for me. If I can’t do it, you’re the only one I trust.” The room rumbled in agreement. “I want you with us, Thad, but I need you here.” The room rumbled again.

 

Thad sat, staring first at Dix, then Cale, Chuck, Lex, and all the other members. He debated ignoring the vote and following the Cutthroats to Seal Port anyway, but then sighed. “Fine. But you assholes had better come back. I don’t want to have to put up with all the shit from thirty-five old ladies. One’s bad enough.”

 

Cale chuckled. “That’s the plan. Daisy! Anything you can tell us about this Pye-hole?”

 

She shook her head. “I only know him by reputation. He’s ruthless but not stupid. If he’s coming down, things must be bad. So far as I know, the entire time I was married to Leo, he never once came down to Eugene, preferring to make the chapter Presidents ride to Portland.” She paused as she thought. “I know Leo’s afraid of him. Maybe everyone is. When he barks, people jump.”

 

Cale pursed his lips as he slowly scrubbed his face and chin. “This may actually be a good thing. If he’s getting involved, it may because we’re a much bigger pain in his ass than he expected. Maybe if we continue to be a royal pain in the ass, they’ll give up and go away.” He noticed her roll her eyes and look away. “Don’t burst my bubble, Daisy,” he continued with a smile.

 

***

 

“You better come back,” Daisy said, kissing Dix softly on the lips. Her mouth hurt like a bitch, but he wasn’t leaving before she kissed him.

 

“I will. Don’t worry.” He wanted to kiss her, really kiss her, but he knew she was hurting, so he rested his forehead against hers. “You heard the plan. I’ll call when we get there and I’ll call when we’re done. If you don’t hear from me by nine o’clock, or if Thad calls, you and James get to Dunes as fast as you can and do what Thad says. He’s a good man. Between you and James, they’ll do everything they can to keep you safe.”

 

She nodded slowly, sick with dread, a cold lump resting in her stomach since the meeting three hours ago. “I will. But come back, okay?”

 

He tipped her face up so she had to look at him. Even with her face bruised and swollen, she was still beautiful. “I will. I have to go.” It was an hour’s ride to Seal Port, and the Cutthroats were meeting at Dunes at six so they could convoy there for protection and arrive early. They didn’t want any surprises.

 

She wrapped her arms around him. “Hold me.” His arms went around her and held her lightly. Even the slight pressure he applied made her ribs complain, but she didn’t care. She needed this.

 

He pulled out of her embrace then kissed her once more on the lips with a mere brush. “I have to go,” he said then looked at James. “Keep her safe.”

 

James gave him a firm nod. “Like she’s my daughter.” He then pulled Dix into an embrace. “I don’t care what you have to do, you come back. I can’t lose you, too,” he whispered before slapping him on the back.

 

They watched as Dix rumbled out of the yard, saying nothing, lost in their own thought, each hoping the other wouldn’t notice the wetness in their eyes.

 

***

 

“Here they come,” Cale said as he detected the thunder of approaching Harleys. They were in the southeast corner of the WalMart parking lot as agreed.

 

“Oh shit…” Chuck muttered as at least a hundred bikes began to stream into the lot, stopping in front of them.

 

Once all the Firechrome arrived the men began to dismount. Leo was there, but he looked miserable.

 

Dix grinned. “Leo. So glad to see you again.”

 

“You Cale Johnson?” a man asked stepping forward.

 

“I’m Cale Johnson. You Alex Pye?”

 

“That’s right,” Alex said, ignoring Cale’s extended hand. “I’ll make this short and to the point. You’re becoming a problem. I don’t like problems. So here’s the deal. You’re going to stop being a problem or things are going to get messy. Do I make myself clear?”

 

“Douglas is our home,” Cale said, his voice hard. “We’re not going to let you push us out of the way.”

 

“I don’t think you understand the situation, here, Cale. I’m not giving you a choice. I’m not going to ‘push you out of the way.’ All I’m giving you is a chance to leave with your families still alive.”

 

“So Leo wasn’t able to get it done for you, huh?” Dix sneered, unable to resist the chance to needle Leo.

 

“Who the fuck are you?” Alex asked.

 

“Dixon Montague.”

 

“You’re the one fucking Leo’s old lady?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Alex nodded. “Leo has completely fucked this up, and I’ll deal with him. But, now, you’re dealing with me. I don’t fuck up.”

 

“You already did. You let Leo try to do your dirty work for you.”

 

Alex smiled, refusing to be baited. “That wasn’t my fuck up.”

 

“We’re not going to let you have the town without a fight,” Cale said.

 

“Fine. Then we’ll just kill you here and save us the trip.”

 

“Give us a minute,” Cale said, nodding his head and stepping away. “Anyone have any ideas?” he asked as the rest of the Cutthroats huddled in. “I’m afraid this is a fight we can’t win.”

 

“I’m not going to let these assholes run me out of town. I’d rather die fighting than slink away with my tail between my legs,” Chuck growled.

 

“What about our families?” Rich asked. “I have a wife and a new baby girl to worry about.”

 

“I’m with Chuck,” Will said. “I’ll send Gwen and the kids to her mother’s, but I’m not leaving. I was born in Douglas and I’m not give it up to these fucks without a fight.”

 

“Maybe there’s another way,” Dix said.

 

“What?” Cale asked.

 

“They want the racing, right? That’s in nine days. Let’s have them put it on the line. One on one, winner takes all.”

 

Cale shook his head. “I don’t like it. Too much risk. What if we lose?”

 

“Cale, we’ve already lost. Look at us! We brought the entire club, and they showed up with three times the number. We can’t stand against that in a straight up fight.”

 

“Dix is right,” Chuck said. “I won’t leave, but I know how it’s going to end. If they go for it, this gives us a chance.”

 

“I think this is our only option,” Brock said. “Even if we win, if the Chromes come in and shoot up the town, or whatever they’re going to do, people will never trust us again.”

 

Cale thought. “All good points. Do we want to try this? Our best against theirs? With Kevin dead that leaves you, Dix. You and Thad. Nobody else even comes close.”

 

“I think we have to,” Chuck said. “Thad’s fast. Kevin was even faster, but Dix is fucking unbelievable. If they go for it, we’ve already won.”

 

“You up for that, Dix?” Cale asked.

 

Dix smiled. “Bring it on.”

 

Cale nodded. “Okay. Let’s go make the pitch.”

 

The Cutthroats returned to their bikes. “The answer is no. But we have a proposal for you.”

 

“I don’t cut deals.” Alex rumbled.

 

“No deals. We’re not going to let you push us out. But we’ll give you a chance to take the racing scene from us without a lot of bloodshed and attention.”

 

Alex narrowed his eyes. “How?”

 

“Win it from us. A grudge race. Your best against our best. One on one. We win, you get the fuck out of town and never come back. You win, we walk. You get the race, nobody has to get hurt, and the cops don’t have to know. You’ve lost five men already. How many more do you want to lose?”

 

Alex smiled. “Now why would I take a deal like that when I can just kill you all and be assured of getting what I want? I don’t gamble, Cale. I win.”

 

Cale shrugged. “Then I guess you better get ready to rumble because we’re not going down without a fight.”

 

“If that’s the way you want it,” Alex sneered.

 

Dix tensed, getting ready to fight. If Alex made good on his threat, it could all end right here.

 

“Cops,” a Firechrome called as a Seal Port police cruiser turned into the lot and drove slowly in their direction.

 

Dix relaxed, never so glad to a police officer in his life.

 

“What’s going on here?” the officer asked as he glided to a stop and rolled the window of his cruiser down.

 

“Nothing,” Alex said with a beaming smile. “We’re just out enjoying the night air and having a friendly visit with fellow motorcycle enthusiasts.”

 

The officer eyed them a moment. “You need to break it up or take it someplace else.”

 

“You got it,” Alex said. “Come on, guys,” he said, turning to his men. “We don’t want any trouble.”

 

“You heard the man,” Cale said, turning to their own bikes.

 

With a slow exhalation, Dix mounted up and donned his helmet. Nobody in the Firechrome had made a threatening move, but if the cop hadn’t shown up when he had, it might have gotten real ugly, real quick. They would have to stop somewhere and let Thad know they were okay, but he wanted to get away from the Chromes as quickly as possible.

 

Under the watchful eyes of Seal Port’s finest, the Firechrome and Cutthroats, pulled out of the parking lot and went their separate ways.