Chapter 29

Dart

I’ve been in San Diego a week now. Everyday I’ve spoken to Alex, who’s been roped into organising the poker run. She seems to have taken to it like a duck to water, and at least I don’t have to worry about her brooding. It’s never easy to maintain a long-distance relationship, and one so embryonic is even harder. I’m trying to find some space to make that promised visit home, but it’s difficult as my VP duties seem to be taking all my time.

There are now only thirteen patched members at the club, fifteen counting myself and Lost, and I know a couple have been thinking about leaving. I’ve spent more than one evening expounding the virtues of the Satan’s Devils Motorcycle Club, even though after all that’s happened it’s hard to sound convincing. Having a president, an officer, and several members go their own way is a dark cloud hanging heavy over everyone here.

And then there’s the workload. Like the Tucson club, San D runs an auto-shop, a strip club, and several small businesses, including one that particularly interests me for future reference, a tattoo shop. Being nine men down, work’s piling up, and grumbles increasing at the end of each day. Lost and I have moved men around, but we are loathe to close down any of the businesses. I floated the idea of employing civilians until we can get our membership back up, and so some of my time has been spent interviewing candidates.

To date I’ve taken on two new mechanics, we’ll just have to see how they shape up.

It’s taken longer than I hoped, but today I hope to find some space to work on my own pet project. Taking out Thompson and setting Alex free for once and for all. Salem and Pennywise—shit, I can’t get over those handles—are joining me for a beer and to try to pull together a plan of action. I’m pleased to find as I walk down from my room, they’re not only ready and waiting for me, but have also got beers lined up.

Salem waits for me to sit down, then gets straight down to business. “Right. You want this cop taken out. How we going to play this? What ya thinkin’?”

I push back a strand of hair that’s escaped from my bun, tucking it behind my ear. “The cops know his wife’s shacked up with a man from the club.” They do, they just don’t have the right man. “We don’t want any suspicion to fall on the Satan’s Devils.”

“Okay, so how do we stop the po-po from finding out?” Pennywise doesn’t seem overly concerned that we’re planning a murder.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to that, and while I long to take out the fucker in the most painful way possible, putting my personal feelings aside and thinking of the club, there’s only one answer. “It’s got to look like an accident.”

“Any ideas?” Salem asks.

“Some, yeah. Pennywise, you’re a sniper I hear.”

“Sure am. Got the unit’s record at 1500 yards.” I know there’s been longer shots, but at only just under a mile, that’s an impressive achievement.

I let them in on my initial thoughts. “We track his regular routes. Find a spot. Basic idea is to shoot out his tires. Need to try and sort it so he somersaults over the guard rail.”

“I’d like to make some adjustments to that, VP. Take too long trailing him, and he might get wise to a tail. How’s about we get him on a route we’ve planned and set up for instead?”

Salem looks thoughtful. “He’s still got a hard on for yer bitch, VP. If he’s after her, and he’s plannin’ to take her out, he won’t tell anyone where he’s goin’. We could use the lure of her as bait.”

I nod at them both. “As long as we don’t put her in danger. She’s stayin’ in Tucson, ya hear? You’re the expert, Pennywise. And both of you know the terrain around here better than I do.”

Stroking his chin with one hand, Salem cocks his head on one side. “What about the Lake Wohlford road from Escondido to Valley Center? We can take him out where there’s a drop off on left before the paintball grounds.”

Pennywise is nodding. “That would do. But it means we’d have to get him on the way back down.”

Salem hasn’t finished. “How’s about we let him know she’s been spotted up somewhere up near Valley Center? We’ll drop you off, Pennywise, get you in position early. Then we’ll stake out where we want him to go, get exact details of what he’s drivin’. When he’s finished his wild goose chase, you can get him on his way back down to Escondido.”

“Can you do it with one shot?” I ask, creasing my brow. I don’t doubt that he’ll hit it, but banking on a blowout which will take him over the guardrail could be down to luck.”

Pennywise grins, an evil looking leer. “I’ll use a dumdum bullet. One that expands on impact. Got a fella who makes my ammunition for me. That fucker will explode and he won’t have a chance.”

“Any chance of them findin’ evidence of the bullet?”

A shrug. “Can assure you there won’t be much left of the tyre other than shredded rubber. The bullet will have disintegrated, but of course there’s always a slight risk. There’s a chance, of course that they might find a fragment, but even if they do, it won’t point to us. My guy’s too clever to leave his signature. And a cop as rotten as Thompson must have a fuckload of enemies.”

Salem nods. “Even if they were suspicious, the Satan’s Devil they know of is in Tucson with your old lady. Thompson was the only one who knew she had anythin’ to do with this club, and he’ll be long gone before they start investigatin’.”

We seem to be covering all the bases. Of course, there’s a fuck of a lot of things that could go wrong, but it’s the only clean way I can think of to take Thompson out. It still leaves a sour taste in my mouth like I can’t make him suffer like he did my woman, but dead’s dead in the end, as Mouse had told me.

Pennywise wants some time to scout an exact location to set up, Salem volunteers to look for somewhere we can lure Thompson to. While I’m anxious to get this matter over and done with, I agree that we need to take time to scope it all out. But I itch with impatience. At the forefront of my mind, after all, is the thought that once we’ve accomplished this, there’s nothing to stop Alex coming back to San Diego as a grieving widow. And my old lady. And with enough money so she can start on the road to get treatment arranged for Tyler. The benefits weigh up well against the downside that Thompson’s heading for too easy a death.

As I’ve at last got some free time, I decide that next weekend I’ll be making a visit back home. I’ve rarely gone so long without sex before, and while I’m steering clear of the club whores—particularly Eva—my hand’s getting a twice daily workout in the shower, fuelled by thoughts of exactly what I’m going to do to Alex next time I see her. There’s an upside to this forced time apart, as it means she should be healed up by the time I return, and I can start giving her some real biker loving. Just the thought of her luscious lips around my cock, or the idea of me working my way into her so tight cunt never fails to have the predictable reaction.

I’m just adjusting myself in my jeans having spent the last few moments thinking about my woman when Lost meets me at the bar. Opening my mouth to tell him of my decision to go home, he forestays my words with a sentence of his own. And just like that, my plans to get fucked anytime soon turn to dust.

“Dusty and Scribe are looking to leave us.”

“Fuck.” I’ve not had much to do with that pair. They’ve been keeping themselves quiet and out of the way. “Think they were mixed up in Snake’s shit?”

Lost shakes his head. “I really don’t think so. They’re just twitchy, wonderin’ what’s going to happen to the club. Someone’s put out a rumour that Drummer wants to close us down. We’re losin’ money, Brother, as some of the businesses are runnin’ on a skeleton crew, and they’re also afraid their pay packet’s gonna get lighter.”

“But we haven’t got as many mouths to feed. Their take home shouldn’t drop much.”

“Just as long as the rot doesn’t extend any further. Lose more men, a business may have to fold.”

I think for a few seconds. “They tight with anyone else, other than themselves?”

“Scribe used to hang out with Rattler.”

So he’ll be missing his brother. “Want me to have a word?”

“Yeah, VP. That would be useful. Need you around to keep an eye on them. We don’t want them influencin’ anyone else.”

Weekdays most of us work, weekends is the time they’re more likely to get into corners and plot. Reluctantly I realise I’ll have to put Alex off for another week if I’m going to take my role seriously here. As Lost continues to sit beside me, each of us lost in our own thoughts, I try to turn my mind away from the disappointment that I’ll have to wait longer to see my old lady, and instead consider the problem at hand. As I drink my beer, I start to think on the reasons why we all joined the Satan’s Devils in the first place, and why we endured the long twelve months or more of the prospecting stage to get to be a fully-fledged member. The love of riding bikes, the brotherhood. And not forgetting pussy and alcohol on tap.

Lost is staring morosely into his bottle. As the solution comes to me I pat him on the shoulder. “Arrange a run. Saturday. Somewhere we can have a barbeque, on the beach, perhaps? Get the girls there, perhaps gather up some of the hangers on? A good ride on their sleds, food, beer, girls, and companionship might remind Scribe and Dusty what they’re thinking of givin’ up.”

Lost takes a moment to respond. When he finally turns there’s a sparkle in his eyes which wasn’t there before. “Fuckin’ good idea, VP.” Then without wasting a moment he cups hands around his mouth and hollers, “Run, Saturday. Leavin’ sharp at noon. Everyone’s comin’. Mandatory attendance.”

There’s a moment of silence, then somebody cheers and someone else says, “About fuckin’ time.”

The prez gives me a wink before crossing to his office and picking up the reins of business again. Guess that’s my job as VP, keeping everyone’s morale up.

“I suppose that was you?” Salem comes up and slaps my back. “Lost’s been, well, lost since he took top spot.”

“Cut him some slack, Brother. He’s got a lot on his plate.”

“Not criticising him, but with you watchin’ his back we’ve got quite a team here.” I nod absentmindedly. Sure, I miss my brothers back in Tucson, but this group is turning out to be a good fucking bunch. Any I hadn’t taken to at first were among the lot that are now out bad. “So where we goin’?”

Realising Salem’s still talking, I bring my attention back. “No idea, man. Don’t know this area too well as yet.”

Salem turns around. “Blaze. Com’ere man.” Blaze is the road captain. “VP’s organisin’ a run and beach barbeque with fuck all idea where to go. Help him out, will ya?”

With a nod at me and a gesture towards Al, one of the prospects, minding the bar, he takes his bottle of beer. “How far away d’ya want?”

“Far enough to get our engines warm, not so far that we spend all day on the bikes.”

Blaze taps his beer bottle against his mouth. “Sixty-miles or so do ya? I’m thinkin’ Doheny State Beach. It’s got picnic areas and grills for barbequin’. Been there a few times before and always had a good time.”

“Sounds good, man!” I slap his back. “Sounds fuckin’ good.”

Once we’ve got an outline of arrangements, I’m just about to push away from the bar when this time it’s Pennywise who comes over, pulls me to one side, and speaks in a low voice. “Reckon we could combine the two? You, me, and Salem go sort Thompson out, then go join them at the beach. Got a whole load of brothers who’ll swear we were with them the whole time.”

I like the idea. I like it very much. “Any idea on location?”

“Yeah, I’m thinking of heading out tomorrow and having a look around, find the right spot.” He pauses to grin. “If my boss gives me time off work, that is.”

I’m his boss, so I give a broad grin back. “I’m sure he can arrange somethin’.”

“Can I make a suggestion, VP?” At my nod he continues, “We’re best off not ridin’ our bikes when we do the deed. So get the prospects to ride them. Anyone counts up the bikes, we’ll all be accounted for. On the way back they can drive the crash truck.”

“And who drives it there?”

He nods his head to where the sweet butts are coming in. “Ask Eva. She’ll do it as long as she hasn’t got a shift at the hospital.”

The one person I don’t want to speak to. It’s not that I don’t trust myself, I just like to keep a distance and not encourage her to be friendly. When Alex can come to this chapter, I don’t want any rumours around that I’ve been getting close. Funny enough, I feel worse about what isn’t even a betrayal to Alex than I do about an unknown prospect riding my bike.

As the woman in question catches me looking at her, I realise putting it off isn’t going to make it better. Instead of ignoring her as I normally do, I approach. “Eva.” I raise my chin in greeting.

“Dart.” Her face splits into a welcoming smile. “We haven’t spoken since you got back.” She points at my VP flash in my cut. “Congrats on that. Does that mean you’re stayin’ here a while?”

“I’ll stay as long as necessary.”

“And while you’re here, how about you and I get together?” Moving closer, she manages to brush up against me. Immediately I take a step back and decide it’s time to put her completely straight.

“I’m with Alex. She’s my ol’ lady.”

She makes a fuss of looking around her, and then puts her hand on my arm. “She’s not here, is she? Where is she? Back in Tucson? And you, poor baby, must be in need of some company by now. I know you haven’t been with the other girls, so you must have blue balls.”

Not having old ladies at the San Diego chapter, the club girls haven’t seen how faithful a biker can be once he’s found the right woman. After her indiscreet disclosure to Alex last time, and all the damage that caused, in the extremely unlikely event that I had a fancy to go with a whore it certainly wouldn’t be her. I remove her hand from my arm, not feeling the slightest stirring in my cock.

“I told you, I’ve got an old lady. She gets my dick, nobody else.”

Eva pouts, obviously unhappy.

Not understanding what attracted me to her in the first place, hell, then I wasn’t concerned with her looks or her character, just wanting to get my rocks off, I decide to end this confrontation and fast. “Need you to do somethin’ for us, Eva. You gonna be free Saturday afternoon?” When she nods and tilts her head to one side I tell her what we need.

“A barbeque on the beach sounds fun. We haven’t done anything like that for a while. Sure, I’ll drive the truck and follow you guys. You want I should bring the other club girls as well, rather than leaving them to make their own way there?”

Might as well. The prospects can return in the truck Pennywise, Salem, and I will be using. “Yeah, bring them with you if they want.”

“And perhaps you and I can have some fun?”

She doesn’t give up. I shut that down fast. “No chance of that. I’m not cheatin’ on Alex, not today, not Saturday, not ever.”

I don’t know if it’s promotion to VP status or simply finding the right girl to take as my old lady, but suddenly, as I speak to Eva, I realise I’ve grown up. I’m no longer the man who doesn’t want to be tied down. I’m the man who wants to make Alex my wife, do everything properly, adopt Tyler, and eventually add a couple more kids into the mix. And that’s the thought that gets me hard, not the idea of variety and a different girl in my bed every night.

Leaving her standing and disappointed, I turn away and a smile comes to my face. I never understood how the likes of Drum, Wraith, and Slick could tie themselves to one woman before. And Heart’s devastation at losing his soulmate, well I’ll give him a pass on that. If anything should happen to Alex… Just the thought turns my stomach sour.