The last person Reese expected to see at the clubhouse was D.O. He ran the runners and was inside the Back Down Devil MC clubhouse, which was a pretty big thing to see. They didn’t let people into the clubhouse from rival crews and clubs. But there D.O. sat with a beer in hand, wearing all black. He looked right at Reese and gave a nod. A second later, the second in command for the runners appeared.

Walking next to Levi, File was tall and thick with massive muscle that was not natural at all.

“What is this?” Reese asked.

Levi waved him over and a second later, Reese was standing there with Levi, D.O., and File.

“We have a problem, my brother,” D.O. said in his smooth and always relaxed voice.

“I can see that,” Reese said. “A couple of street movers making their way into my clubhouse.”

“I invited them,” Levi said.

“Why?” Reese asked.

“We have something you want,” File said.

He had a gold-filled smile and his eyes were full of murder. He got the name File because he had a nasty street reputation of filing off fingers and toes by hand. That was how he got information for the runners.

“What do you have for us?” Reese asked.

“Hey now,” D.O. said and slowly stood up. “We can’t just give up information without negotiation.”

“Fuck your negotiation,” Levi said. “You have a rogue member working behind your back and our back. That’s why you’re here.”

“Say that again,” Reese said. “A what?”

“Easy now, big man,” D.O. said. “Easy.”

“Someone had better explain this shit,” Reese said.

“Tell you what,” D.O. said. “My main man, File, is going to hang outside and watch my back. Then we’ll talk about talking.”

File walked slowly toward the door and left the clubhouse.

D.O. lifted his drink to sip it. Reese wasn’t in the mood to deal with anything. He had just been with Josie, tasting her sweet skin, taking in her love, and now he stood there watching this cocky guy try and drink something that came from the MC’s bar.

Reese took a swing and smacked the glass out of D.O.’s hand. The drink splattered, and the glass went over the bar, shattering as it hit the floor. D.O. jumped right up and took out a long knife, putting it right to Reese’s throat.

“Not a good idea,” Levi said as he grabbed D.O.’s arms.

“Tell your VP to breathe,” D.O. said. “I have everything you want and need.”

“We have it already,” Levi said. “And you’re in our clubhouse. You so much as breathe the wrong way and you’ll be full of bullets and buried somewhere out back.”

“You want to start another war?” D.O. asked Levi as he stared at Reese.

“Seems to me you’re the one starting the war,” Reese said. “Acting disrespectfully in our clubhouse…”

“Put that knife down or I’ll paint the walls with your brains, motherfucker.”

Hawk was suddenly there, a gun to the side of D.O.’s head.

“Right,” D.O. said. “Right.”

He took the knife away from Reese’s throat and put it away. He showed his hands while Hawk stood there, gun drawn, ready to fire.

“That’s enough,” Levi said to Hawk.

“No,” Hawk said. “I can’t stand there and watch this happen. I protect.” He looked at Reese. “Even if I think you’re a fucking prick.”

“Hey, it’s good,” D.O. said. “Leave the bird boy with his gun.”

“My name is Hawk,” he said.

D.O. started to chuckle.

“Can we get down to business?” Levi asked. “Because we are down to two options. The first is that you represent your crew and make it known that you’re behind this drug situation. You do that and the bloodshed for the runners will be a lot less. You keep this bullshit up, I’m tossing your ass out and we’re coming right for you.”

“Someone had better tell me what the fuck is going on,” Reese said.

“Easy now, easy,” D.O. said. “I’ve got a small problem.”

“A big problem,” Levi said. “Zac got some footage that showed one of the runners making that deal with our favorite topless dancer.”

“Fuck,” Hawk said. “Who?”

“You want him here?” D.O. asked.

“Hawk,” Levi said. “This is…”

“He stays,” Reese said.

Levi raised an eyebrow at Reese.

Reese gave a nod. “Hawk stays. Start talking or else he will paint your brains on the wall. And we’ll leave it there. It’ll dry. Become these little crusted chunks on the wall. And it’ll make a hell of a story to tell.”

“Damn, my brothers,” D.O. said. “You don’t know how to chill.”

“Not with a piece of shit like you in here,” Reese said.

“I’ve got a guy running rogue,” D.O. said. “Been suspecting this for a little while now. Just small shit, you know? Figured maybe he needed some money for his own issues. Not that I planned on letting it go. I wanted to track it. These deals are bigger than I expected. He’s going right to the supplier.”

“Who is it?” Reese asked.

“Haney,” D.O. said. “He’s sort of related to me.”

“Sort of?” Levi asked.

“Through marriage. Almost like a nephew.”

“Is this going to be a problem?” Reese asked, raising an eyebrow.

D.O. started to chuckle. “Of course it is. You think I can show my face to my crew with a member being taken out and not get pissed?”

“You’re a fucking pussy,” Hawk said.

“I prefer to be called diplomatic,” D.O. said.

Hawk made a fist and jerked at the air. “Fuck that.”

“How did this meeting here happen?” Reese asked.

“Zac got footage,” Levi said. “We found the night it all happened. Starla was telling the truth, as far as we can tell. Haney approached her, and it looked like he made a deal.”

“Stupid woman,” Reese growled.

“Nah,” Hawk said. “She’s just trying to get by.”

“Really?” Reese asked. “She wiggles her tongue on your dick and now you’re in love?”

“I don’t fall in love,” Hawk said. “I fall in like… as in, I like the way she dances, wiggles on me, and I hope she keeps doing so.”

“Back on topic here,” Levi said. “We knew it was a runner doing this. The plan was to pinpoint exactly who. But then our good friend here…” Levi clamped a hand to D.O.’s shoulder. “He wanted to meet. Clear his conscience.”

“Ah,” Reese said. “Welcome to the outlaw confessional.”

“Ready to repent and live a life of no more sin,” D.O. said as he put his hands together and looked up.

“You’re looking in the wrong direction,” Reese said. “We prefer hell.”

“It’s warmer,” Levi said.

“And that’s where all the bad girls go,” Hawk said.

Reese laughed. “So, you’ve got a guy moving massive shipments behind your back. Why not just put a bullet in his head? Send a clear message to the rest of your guys. I’m sure if you did that, we’d be willing to give you the supply back that Haney took.”

“That’s generous,” Hawk said. “I say we put bullets in all their heads and destroy their supply.”

“Now, now,” Levi said. “We can’t judge how a man earns his keep. All we can do is make sure that what we demand is happening. Right now, D.O. has fulfilled what he’s supposed to do. It’s not his fault his balls are long gone.”

“You laugh, assholes,” D.O. said. “You laugh. This isn’t just put a bullet in the back of Haney’s head.”

“Why not?” Hawk asked.

“It goes higher up. You take out Haney and you have bigger issues.”

“Why?” Hawk asked.

Reese looked at Levi. Levi slowly nodded.

Reese looked away for a second. “Fuck.”

“Fuck what?” Hawk asked.

“The supplier,” Levi said. “We’ll have to face that music.”

“We can’t let that happen,” Reese said. “You don’t push that shit through this town. Not right under our noses.”

“Then it’s your problem,” Hawk said to D.O.. “Man-up and fix it.”

“How?” D.O. asked. “If I let my guys see the chance for something bigger, we’re screwed. I have to play dumb and be logical. Why do you think I’m in a fucking biker bar right now?”

“Christ,” Reese said. “So, this asshole is pulling something bigger into this town.”

“And your fake titted beauty fell into the trap,” D.O. said.

Nobody said a word.

Reese faced the bar and rubbed his jaw. He thought about Josie. The direction where this could end up going was like nothing he’d seen since Lasz and Josie’s father were killed.

“I’ll leave you to it,” D.O. said. “All I can do is offer help. I’ll keep my guys busy. I can tell you where Haney is.”

“And you’re not going to face him down?” Hawk asked. “Look into the eyes of the bastard that stabbed you in the back?”

“Never said that,” D.O. said.

“You’ll do it when we’re about to pull the trigger,” Reese said. “You fucking pussy. Get out of here.”

“I could have kept this quiet,” D.O. said. “Gone a different route. Watch your club squirm and turn into ash like the other charters. But I-”

Reese turned and punched D.O. in the nose. He flew back into Levi’s arms. Hawk jumped forward to stop Reese from doing anything else.

“I’ll kill him!” D.O. yelled.

“No, you won’t,” Levi said. “Let me walk you out. Make sure File didn’t get his ass shot by one of my guys.”

Reese watched Levi drag D.O. to the door. He stood with his teeth gritted tightly. His mind played an image of him and Josie together. Of Steph having a baby. The wildness of the MC and how much it was going to mess all of them up.

“It’s going to be okay, brother,” Hawk said.

Reese set his sights on Hawk. “I’m sorry about before.”

“About what?”

“You have short term memory or what?”

“I worry about right now.”

“Well, brother, what happened… I was wrong going after you like that.”

“I killed the guy that knocked up Lasz’s sister,” Hawk said. “I get it.”

“You didn’t know who he was.”

“Nobody did, brother,” Hawk said.

“It would have been a fucking disaster if he was alive.”

“Yeah. Right.”

“Now we have to end this for good,” Reese said.

“That’s going to be a problem,” Hawk said.

“A big fucking problem,” Reese said. “First things first. Thank you for saving my ass out there. I’m sorry I took that out on you, bro. There’s a lot going on.”

“You have a lot going on, brother,” Hawk said. He patted Reese’s shoulder. “I hope it’s all worth it, VP.”

Hawk walked away, leaving Reese alone.

When Levi opened the door, he gave a wave and Reese put up a finger. He ordered two beers from a prospect and went outside to meet up with Levi.

They stood together at a picnic table under a pale, foggy light that was more yellow than white.

Levi sipped his beer and stared straight ahead. “I think we’re going to take this one hard, VP.”

“Looks that way.”

“Are we on the same page?”

“That Haney gets taken out and we figure out the aftermath?”

“Yeah,” Levi said.

“Same page, Prez.”

“Fuck,” Levi said. He put a foot on the picnic table and leaned forward. “I like it better when you argue with me.”

“What choice do we have?” Reese asked. “D.O. didn’t come here to help us… he threw us under the bus.”

“His ass is under the bus,” Levi said. “He just sold out his entire crew. One whiff of that and they’ll take him out.”

“That hurts us though,” Reese said. “That’s a good source of revenue for the club.”

“Maybe it’s time to look more legit. Like you said before.”

Reese raised an eyebrow. “Goddamn, Prez. You’re turning the outlaw corner.”

“Hardly,” Levi said with a laugh. “We can let some of this bullshit sort itself out. Maybe the runners can get someone with half a brain in there and the relationship with the MC can get stronger.”

“In the meantime… what? We deal with the supplier? I mean, that could be big… remember the last time…”

“I know,” Levi said. He looked down. “We sent Laszlo into the fire. Because of bad information.”

“Well, this time, it’s pretty simple,” Reese said. “That we agree upon. Can’t show weakness now.”

Levi looked at Reese and smiled. “You’re sounding like me. I’m sounding like you. What the fuck is happening here, VP?”

“I don’t fucking know. I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I.”

They both laughed.

“Shit,” Reese said.

“How’s Steph?” Levi asked.

“Good. Confused. She’s going to have to work through it. What happened was just…”

“Part of the life,” Levi said.

“Speaking of the life,” Reese said and gave a nod.

An SUV pulled into the lot and Reese saw the silhouette of the siren lights on top.

“Fuck,” Levi said. “What the fuck does the chief want with us this late?”

* * *

Winston was a hard man. He was old as the ground he walked on and tried his best to stand tall with his chest puffed out like a young cop trying to fix the world, but he walked with a slight hunch because that’s what time and the world did to a person.

A cigarette hung from his lips as he walked toward Levi and Reese.

“Chief,” Reese said.

“Beer?” Levi offered.

“No,” Winston said. He spit the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it with one fluid motion. His face was sunken in, eyes with heavy bags, his dark hair short yet greasy. He stopped and put a hand to a pole and looked around. “Everyone accounted for here?”

“My guys?” Levi asked. “Yeah. Why?”

“Just making my rounds.”

“Don’t give us that shit,” Reese said. “Bad enough we haven’t talked about your wild puppy dog coming after us.”

“Hey, that was the least of what he wanted to do,” Winston said. “He was trying to file paperwork to come here and check everything. The business. The clubhouse. He was pushing for individual warrants. The strip club was the end result. So, I think you can go fuck yourself and then say you’re welcome.”

“Don’t hold your breath, Chief,” Reese said. “The strip club is legit. People rely on that place…”

Winston laughed and looked at Levi. “He’s back at it again, huh?”

“Back at what?” Reese asked.

“Josie,” Winston said. “You only get defensive like this when you’re messing around with her.”

“Are we here to discuss my personal life?” Reese asked.

“No,” Winston said. “I’m just breaking your balls a little.”

“What do you have for us, Chief?” Levi asked. “What’s Colt working on now?”

“He’s got nothing right now, but that means dick. He’s on the phone everyday trying to find a way to shut you down. Your charter is a big target.”

“We know,” Reese said.

“Reason I’m here tonight is because Benny called and thought he saw and heard something up at the storage units.”

“What kind of noise?” Reese asked.

“He wasn’t sure. He said he checked them all and they look fine. Maybe an animal looking for food?”

“Yeah, right,” Levi said.

“Think someone was trying to break into our shit?” Reese asked.

“There’s nothing up there worth looking into,” Levi said.

“True,” Reese said.

“I just wanted to know if you or your guys were up there,” Winston said. “Before I send anyone up there to look around.”

“We’re clear here, Chief,” Reese said. “Just another night.”

Winston laughed. “There is no just another night with you guys.”

“Then maybe you should leave before you see anything that could get you into trouble,” Levi said with a grin.

Winston shook his head. “I’m going to send Harvey up to the storage units and look around. Just to appease Benny. If you see or hear anything, let me know.”

“You got it,” Reese said.

Winston hobbled back to his truck and Reese looked at Levi.

“I smell something fishy in the air,” Levi said. “And it’s not some woman Hawk picked up off the floor at two in the morning at some shithole bar.”

Reese nodded. “I feel the same, Prez. You want to take this to the table?”

“Not right now,” he said. “I think this is one where we just give the orders and go.”

“Anyone know where Haney is now?”

“No,” Levi said. “D.O. will let me know.”

“Do we trust him?”

“No. That’s why Zac is already looking.”

“Mention to Zac about Winston being here.”

“Already planned on it. Are you leaving again?”

“I think so. This has the same feel as before, Prez. I need to get Josie prepared.”

“I understand. Keep your phone close. Zac is out and Ellis went with him. Brett and Jason should be back any minute after a pickup. We’ll meet tomorrow and get something together. This shit ends, VP.”

“What about Starla? Should we keep in touch with her right now?”

“No. I don’t trust her. We play everything as normal and we take control.”

“Agreed.”

Reese had barely taken a drink from his beer bottle. He put it on the table and offered Levi a handshake. They shook hands and Levi pulled him in for a hug.

“You know what Josie means to this club,” Levi said. “Steph, too. They’re family. It’s good to see you figuring that out.”

“Don’t worry about my cock so much, Prez.”

“I don’t worry about small things like that.” Levi winked.

Reese laughed. “Thanks.”

Reese broke away from Levi and walked to his motorcycle. He just had an urge to be near Josie. He wanted to hold her. Love her. Stare into her eyes. Do everything to capture those moments when life made sense.

Because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.