This woman! She was crawling under my skin. I couldn't help but watch her tight arse sashay away from me. Her red hair flowed down her back in large curls. She was fucking beautiful, but she was fucking destroyed. It made me angry. I shouldn't be getting involved, but I gave a shit. Don't ask me why I did, or what it was about her that made me. I just did.

Not that I could really afford distractions right now. The club didn't usually have a ton of shit happening, at least not for a few years, but we assisted another club in moving their product. We stayed out of trouble; off the radar.

Jules, our president, had a baby. Daws and Aubrey were trying to get knocked up. My baby was grown. I liked to visit her often, and I would guess that her baby making days weren’t that far away. So we gave support, but kept our noses clean, only on the last run we did, our boys ran into trouble. It was clear that it was a set-up. They knew we were coming, so it was shite I had to deal with. One of my boys laid his bike down and almost took fire. That, I am not okay wit.

So, I had things on my mind. This was what prevented me from going after that tiny red spitfire. I had no doubt that’s exactly what she was. She was beaten down that was for sure, but under it all, I could see a hellion.

I could only imagine what it would be like to have her naked and writhing beneath me. Watching her full tits with those soft pink nipples bounce would be heaven. Those fucking tits. She caught me watching her like a fucking creeper, but I couldn't help it. I saw her on my way to the jacks. Her red hair cascaded over her milky skin, and those breasts. For fuck's sake, they were the best damn tits I’d ever seen. I was so caught up in her beauty that I barely noticed the bruises, but when I did, I needed a minute. If I didn’t control myself, she’d see my Irish temper. I had to check it. I pulled my beer to my lips wondering if she knew it was my dock that she kept returning to.

A ding on my phone alerted me to a text. It was Vanessa, looking for company. I texted her back, not in the mood. She was one of many that wanted to fuck. Sweet, but not serious. She knew where she stood. It was what it was when it was. What it wasn’t, was special. There was nothing about it that was fucking special.

Instead of replying to a second text from Vanessa, I called the most important woman in my life, my daughter.

“Daddy,” Maura greeted.

“Baby girl.”

“You know, you’ll have to stop calling me that, especially when Corbin gets his way and plants a baby in me.”

“Never,” I laughed. “How’s that husband of yours these days?”

“Anxious to get home so he can get me pregnant. Every time we Facetime, it’s practically all he talks about.”

“How much longer? A week? Two?” I asked because it wasn’t always definitive when he’d be home. He was Special Ops.

She sighed, “I think by the end of the month.”

“But the month’s just began.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“Why don’t you come for a visit then?”

“You know what? Maybe I will. I’ll talk to Corbin and let you know. How’s everything with you, Daddy?”

I was silent for a second.

“Daddy, got something you want to tell me?”

“It’s nothing. There’s this woman.” She gasped, and I immediately regretted mentioning her. “What’s her name? What’s she look like? How did you meet? This is fantastic!”

“Slow down. It’s not like that.”

“To hell, it's not! You’ve never, ever mentioned a woman to me. Oh, this is going to be good. I’m getting my ass to Lake Green ASAP.”

“Maura,” I growled and strode away from the deck inside.

“Has Jenny met her yet? How about Aubrey? Oh, I have to call them and get their take on her. Lord knows you’ll never tell me.”

“Maura,” I snapped, “I don’t even know what this thing is yet. It’s too soon, and she has baggage.” Her voice dropped a level, and I swore she was using a tone I often used with her, on me.

“She wouldn’t be who she is without having carried her load. You taught me that. You also taught me about patience.”

“Point received. Call me when you’ve nailed down what day you’re coming.”

“Oh, I’m not wasting time. I’ll be there tomorrow, or the next day! Love you.” She disconnected before I even got a chance to say goodbye.

***

MAURA’S UPCOMING VISIT meant I needed to get shit sorted. I needed to find out who those dirty fucks were and I needed intel fast. There’d be no sleep for me.

I made a call to Sue. Made sure she kept her ears to the ground and her eyes open and on Marie. Let Zeke know too, that I wanted a call if anything seemed off. And I meant anything. This kid, if he was going to be a Crusader one day, he’d need to learn to trust his gut.

I rode through the night, stopping at bars where I knew I could find information. Everything was the same; no one knew shit.

I was in New York, it was late, or early depending on how you looked at it. I pulled into the clubhouse of a chapter of The Devil’s Crusaders. They had two large houses on a busy road. The security here had always been a bit lax, but as I pulled into the drive, parked my bike, and opened the door, I ground my teeth at the lack of anything. Where the fuck was everyone?

Inside, there were beer bottles everywhere. A fat chick with her ass half exposed and makeup smeared all over her face was passed out on top of Goose. There were two other brothers I didn’t recognize out cold, halfway between the wall and the floor and fucking needles scattered the floor.

I moved through the house. Holes covered the walls, and it looked like a cross between a fist going through drywall and bullet holes. I climbed up the stairs and found a lass donning a shirt over her head. She was on her way out. I gave her a pointed look, “Not so fast lass, you wait.”

I opened Tank's room, and there he sat, slumped against his bed with a needle in his arm. I took my burner phone out and dialed Jules. It rang seven times.

“This better be good, Mickey. It’s five o’clock in the fucking morning, and you just woke the baby,” Jules grumbled.

“Paris Street is gone. Along with Tank.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah,” I paused. “Dope.”

“Take care of the house. I’m calling everyone in,” Jules said no longer seeming tired, but on high alert.

I questioned the lass who had been trying to leave. She was high as hell and didn’t have much of a fucking clue as to what was happening. I managed to wake up the other chick who was passed out in the living room then I set about making the house and the house next door go boom. I didn’t give a fuck that those guys had a Crusader’s patch on; they were fucking traitors betraying the brotherhood with a fucking needle.

***

BROTHERS FILLED OUR clubhouse. Captains who were farther than a day’s ride took flights to get here faster. Jules didn’t come down hard on the guys. He was a fair boss, maybe too fair. I sat on one side of Jules and Daws sat on his other.

“I want to know how a chapter of ours could’ve gotten so out of hand? Austin, Tank was closest to you. Tell me what you saw.”

Austin looked sheepish. He was young, and the only reason he was a captain was that he grew up with us and could be trusted.

“He’d been squirrely the last time we met. I thought he was off, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I sent boys out twice in the last month, and everything seemed fine.”

“Everything was not fecking fine,” I growled. “The house was a fecking drug slum.”

“It wasn't like that,” I swear it.

He was scared; he feck all should be.

“Mickey, I swear I was there, inside. A couple of guys had a few beers, but there was nothing to make me think they went down that path. Nothing at all. What you're describing just doesn’t seem possible in two weeks’ time.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“What about money?” Daws asked. “Did you check their safe?”

“Not even a grand.”

“This house and the shipment The Nines lost are related. Don’t know how, but I’m sure of it. I need to know how. Everyone needs to be on high alert. Something isn't right, and I’m not going to just sit around and wait for the next shoe to drop.” Jules stood from the table and paced angrily.

“I’ll make some calls,” Lance, one of our Captains offered.

“I want everyone’s ears to the ground. My gut says this ain't good,” Jules told the room in perhaps the most authoritative voice I’d ever heard him use.

We left Church, and the mood was thick with the men. We’d all been around for a lot of shit, and the air was dense, just like it’d been before. Men brought out their phones and began making calls, while I got on my bike and made a few local visits to my contacts.