Chapter 29
Ace
"Looks like the Hellraisers are leaving town."
My brothers and I exchanged feigned looks of shock, mostly for the benefit of Deputy Callahan, who'd just entered the room and joined the conversation. It was all part of the fucking game. There wasn't a man in the room who didn't know why the bastards were leaving.
"So soon?" Gabe joked with a grin. "I wonder what happened."
Tanner shot him a glare as if to tell him to shut the fuck up. If Callahan had picked up on anything, he didn't react. The man looked tired, his eyes were red, and he was a little disheveled, yet there was an air of relief surrounding him that spoke volumes.
The day after we’d taken out Maniac and Boomer, we'd left a little present for their MC in the Cabbage Patch parking lot.
Callahan released a hard breath. "Word is that Maniac and Boomer just up and disappeared."
He knew better than that, but none of our expressions changed to reveal that we already knew what had happened to them.
"Heard their bikes and cuts showed up without them in the parking lot at Cabbage Patch a couple days ago," I said. Callahan wasn't stupid. He would think it odd if we didn't know something. Word traveled fast in MC circles.
Callahan shook his head. "Yep. That's exactly what happened."
"Knew the Hellraisers were fucking cowards," Skipper commented with a disgusted look, "if the disappearance of their president and VP has them running scared."
"I heard something went down between your MCs the other day. Nothing concrete, just rumors circulating at some of the hangouts. Does that have something to do with them wanting to leave?"
Tanner shrugged. "We paid them a little visit. Asked them nicely to leave town," he smirked.
I was surprised that he'd admitted that much.
Callahan nodded as if he were satisfied with that information. He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. "Don't suppose we'll find anything in the swamp if we had to do a search." His gaze swung to me.
I snorted. "Sure you will. That place has been a dumping ground for years. Gram's had me drag an old washing machine down there one summer." I shrugged, unconcerned. "Probably find a couple old vehicles in there." There was no way in hell they'd find any bodies. Before we sank the van we'd pulled the bodies out, removed their cuts and IDs, and then tossed them in to the alligators. "You'll sure as fuck find a few fat alligators." Some of my brothers laughed.
For some reason Callahan was testing us. I wondered what was up, if one of the Hellraisers had been stupid enough to talk. MC's usually dealt with shit on their own. Going to the law was at the top of the list of what not to do, especially the one percenters. But then, the Hellraisers did a lot of shit that didn't make sense.
"What's the problem?" Tanner asked, settling back in his chair and crossing one leg over the other. He was as cool and calm as a fucking cucumber. "You asked us to step in, we did. Seems the disappearance of Maniac has them spooked into leaving, which is what we all wanted. I'm sure having some of them in your jail on serious charges hasn't hurt. We know about the trouble you've been dealing with--the fighting, the break ins, the assaults all over fucking Daytona."
"Yeah, heard just the other night they set a convenience store on fire because the owner refused to go on their payroll," Sully added.
They'd been shaking down business owners for monthly contributions to ensure that their MC didn’t fuck with them.
Callahan spread his arms out and sank back in his chair. "Hey, I appreciate the help. Hell, the whole department does, although they'll never admit it. I don't know what happened, don't really care, just delivering the good news. I went out to the campground this morning and found them packing up."
"You didn't come all the way out here just to deliver good news," Tanner remarked in a hard tone. "You've got something to say."
Callahan nodded. "Yep. I'm retiring. Been doing this for almost thirty years." Congratulations moved around the room, the atmosphere noticeably less tense than it had been just seconds before. "I wanted you to hear it from me. We've had a good working relationship over the years. Not sure what that's going to mean for you once my replacement takes over."
"Won't change a fucking thing," Tanner retorted.
"We'll still protect our town," I grunted.
"I'm glad to hear that," Callahan remarked. "I'll be sure to let my replacement know how, ah, supportive you've been." He grinned.
"Do you have any idea who that will be?" Mike asked, receiving a head shake in response. "Hope it's not some new, know-it-all asshole."
A snort escaped Rod. "What will happen to the task force the department just put together?"
Callahan didn't hesitate. "Nothing. After how quickly we ran the Hellraisers out of town, they'd be a fool not to go forward with it."
A few of us laughed at his statement, including Callahan. While they'd been busy cleaning up the Hellraisers' messes, we'd done all the dirty work that had persuaded the other MC to leave. No one had to say it, though. That's what made it work. I wondered what his replacement would be like, and how much work we'd have to do to get him onboard. We knew what had to be done to keep our town safe, and nothing was going to change that.
The truth was that we would have liked nothing better than to wipe out the whole fucking Hellraisers MC, but that would have been too fucking obvious. They were moving on to become someone else's problem. We didn't like that either, but there was only so much we could do. MCs out there knew that we were mostly good guys, and they respected us for that.
In time, so would Callahan's replacement.
"Well--" Callahan got to his feet. "That's all I have for now." He looked at Tanner. "I see you have workers at your bar. When will you be open again?"
"Another week. Don't be a stranger." He got to his feet and held out his hand. "It's been good working with you, Walter."
They shook hands. Callahan's nod encompassed everyone in the room. "Be seeing you boys around."
Tanner walked him to the door.
"Wasn't expecting that," Sully remarked. "He's a good man."
"It's all good," Heath said with confidence. "The man's getting up there in age. This shit's gotta take a toll."
"Why the fuck you looking at me, brother?" I snarled. I didn't like the amusement in his eyes or my brother's insinuating laughter. "I'm nowhere near ready to retire."
Tanner walked back into the room and took his seat. "Sully, William--" He made eye contact with them. "--I want you brothers out at the campgrounds until we know for sure that the Hellraisers are leaving, and that they’re not just trying to pull some bullshit."
"Pretty sure they know Maniac and Boomer are fucking dead," Gabe smirked around an unlit cigarette.
"Yeah, waking up to their bikes, cuts, and IDs is a clear indication that they aren't coming back, but let's not forget they can't be trusted. We might have made them a weak MC without their cutthroat leaders, but they could be pissed off enough to want retribution."
We all agreed with Tanner on that. "Better to play it safe than sorry. You want me with them?"
"No, brother. You're still on the mend. Besides--” There was a knowing grin on his face. "--you have a new woman to break in. You need your strength for that."
I grunted. "Don't worry about my performance, brother. Got no complaints from Emerson."
"Appears we won't need to send her to St. Augustine." Mark got to his feet. "Gotta take a piss." He left the room.
"Yeah, it’ll be nice to have my old lady back home." Skipper and Sid both nodded enthusiastically at Rod's comment.
"Shit, it hasn't been that long!" Gabe shook his head with incredulity. "Fuck, I hope I never get pussy whipped."
"Fuck you, brother," I snarled. "And Emerson gets her ass shipped to the safe house." I wasn't budging on that. I crossed my arms and tightened my jaw.
"Let's wait and see what's going on with the Hellraisers first, yeah?" Tanner’s tone was meant to calm me down. "She'll be safe here with you until then." The look in his eyes revealed that we'd do what needed to be done if it was necessary, and not before. As president, it was his call to make.
I wanted to make sure that my brothers knew how important Emerson and her safety were to me. She'd already been attacked once by the fucking Hellraisers. Killing them hadn't been enough. I wanted to make sure that they were good and gone before I put her back out there. I didn't concede and I didn't back down, either. Tanner understood how I felt. Hell, every one of us with old ladies knew how passionate each of us was about keeping them safe.
Mark came back into the room. "What'd I miss?"
Tanner got to his feet and stretched. "Nothing, brother, just about to finish up. Wanted to let you know the brothers from Tennessee are on their way home. Boots sent a couple of vans to transport them and their bikes." Boots was their president.
"Yeah, too bad about Jiggers," Skipper murmured.
No one had anything to say about that. The only responses were nods and eyes filled with regret.
"We owe them." Tanner didn't need to remind us of that fact. "Thank fuck Hock and Dawson will recover." He took a breath. "Sid, Pete, Skipper, and Mike, you're on watch tonight. Unless something comes up, we'll resume morning church at the bar this time next week. Business as usual."
My brothers sounded like a herd of elephants stomping through my house as they made their way to the front door. I followed them out. I couldn't say that I was sorry to see them leave when I stepped out onto my porch and dropped my gaze to where Emerson was rocking. She smiled up at me, nearly taking my breath away. I wasn't sure what I felt for the woman, but it was intense, and more than physical, but I was too fucking afraid to analyze it too closely. I only knew that she did something good for me, something that calmed every dark and violent emotion inside of me and made me want to be a good man for her.
Jesus. Is this what being pussy whipped felt like? As I watched my brothers leave a trail of dust behind them, I was acutely aware of Emerson’s presence. The subtle hint of her scent replaced the smell of fumes left behind by the bikes. I'd practically grown up on the smell of leather, motor oil, and gas fumes, a combination of smells that even today left me feeling at home. But the light, fresh fragrance that was Emerson made me feel complete. Alive.
She was my fucking salvation.
I reached down for her hand and pulled her to her feet.
"What?" she smiled, moving willingly into my arms.
The feel of her curves against me caused me to lose control, and I slammed my mouth down on her softer one. I wrapped my arms tightly around her, growling with the need to protect her, growling with the need to make her mine in every fucking way. Her soft moans and her tongue against mine was the only invitation I needed to pick her up and take her inside. I ignored the slight stab of pain at my side.
"I need you, baby girl," I said hoarsely against her lips. I realized that my words had a deeper meaning than my need to have her beneath me.
"Then take me, biker man," she breathed softly against my lips. "Fuck me, Ace."
Oh, yeah, baby girl. I was going to fuck her into tomorrow.