Vegas
Vibrating noise and lights catch my attention by the cash register where mine and Dana’s phones are kept. I take a twenty from the young guy smiling at me, which makes me shake my head. He’s in his early twenties, doesn’t even know what life is about yet.
Taking his money to the register, I’m making change when I see a text from Blade. Anxious to get back and read it, I hand the kid his change.
He grabs my hand along with his change and pulls me farther across the counter. He’s looking to be cute and flirty, but the position also pushes my girls in a better view. Little dick.
I pull my hand back and stand upright as I stare at the obnoxious little punk until he meets my eyes. He smiles a little puppy smile and winks at me. “Damn, woman, you are fine.”
Rolling my eyes at the little puppy, I throw back, “Whoever you are, you obviously don’t know who you’re messing with. Don’t touch me again. Run along and play with the girls your age, okay, cupcake?” Dana chuckles a little farther down the bar, throws the kid a sympathy smile and hands him another shot.
“On the house,” she says, then makes a motion with her head and eyes, signaling him to move along. The kid finally leaves, and she asks, “What’s got you bent, Vegas?”
“Don’t know yet, check your phone.” We both reach for our phones. I read the text from Blade to meet up at the clubhouse. Which is fine, but shit is far from fine.
Dana groans, “Really? I have to camp out at the clubhouse at night now? We haven’t been in lockdown since we lived in California. This is all your fault, you know, Ol’ Lady.” She pokes her finger into my chest.
“It was bound to happen, and you know it,” I smack her hand away. “This does have to do with all the MC Chapters, better that we don’t have to go all the way to Cali. At least here we get to work and have a life, so quit the bitchin’. What’s up anyway? Are you upset that Axl will be there?” I’m curious as to why she’s so bent now.
“Ugh, Axl said I’m staying in his room, and not to worry because he already grabbed my sheets and pillows and ‘girly shit’, to come straight there after work. I don’t want my shit in his room there! Now I need to buy all new stuff to take home, the moron! How the hell did he get into my house anyway?”, she questions me with a pointed glare.
“Well, Blade took my keys to get a set of copies, so I’m guessing Axl got a copy from my copy? I don’t think Axl is too worried about your boundaries. You are his boundary, you hear what I’m sayin’?” I’m trying hard not to laugh at her, but he’s so damn cute not to like him for her.
“We haven’t gone on a date, Vegas, we haven’t done anything! How can he see me as his? Makes no damn sense to me, how can he even like me?”
“Same way you like him but won’t admit it yet. You connect, you can spend all the time you like getting to know him and date. Over the last few years, have you found anyone who can piss you off like he can? Or make you daydream about him like he can?” I know she won’t answer, so leaving it at that, I walk over to Jenn.
“Yo, bitch, you got a sleepover with James till this shit blows over with the club.”
“Are you freaking kidding me? For fuck’s sake, can’t wait for you all to get these assholes dealt with.”
“I hear you girl, you and me both. Keep your eyes open and stay safe.” Jenn flips a switch and a new song plays. Sitting in the chair behind the booth, I text Blade back.
∞ ∞ ∞
Blade
Church is about to start when, finally, I get a text back.
Alessia: Okay, big guy, we are all set. Dana is coming with me and James will stay with Jenn. See you in a bit. Almost closing time. ��
Relaxing a little bit that everything is okay with Vegas, I pocket my phone. Then the speaker on the table dings with a call-in notification.
Spider connects the callers through. “Hey, we have the conference call up, who’s with us?”
The speakers crackle a little.
“Ice and crew.”
“Stryker and crew.”
“Fuego and crew.”
“Alright, we’ve got some updates you all need to hear. We followed Skid to the drop off, he had about six kids they were selling off. From what we’ve dug up, that’s what the old crew were dealing with on the side here. Getting a cut from also transporting raw diamonds for Johnny. How far up the food chain that goes, I don’t know yet, man. They were working together to transport the kids and the diamonds. All but two kids went into Group Housing Care back to California. Luckily, they were just snagged and thought they had been kidnapped. Their parents sold them off to Skid for non-payment on drugs they were supposed to sell or were using. Fuego, can you send a few men to clean up the parents?”
“Si, it will be done by tomorrow.” The venom is clear in his tone.
“Thanks. The other two older kids, we’ve been holding onto. They saw us kill the driver paid by Johnny. The girl is the one who knew about the diamonds. I’m not big on killing kids, wanted to speak with you all before we did anything. That’s not all. The girl said Bear was the one who caught her and a friend running away with the diamonds. He took the girls, then, outside of Las Vegas, he was in a fight with Buck, shot him and put his body and bike in the back of the truck.”
“Where the fuck is Bear,” my old man growls.
Taking a deep breath, I explain what happened just months ago, when Axl killed him. “But we have Skid waiting for you. If you want him, his life is yours. A little cut up, but one piece still.”
“Fucking save that cunt for me! I’m riding up tomorrow, he will die by my bare hands.” The phone sounds like it’s cracking, but it’s a wall and a fist or a chair and a wall. Buck was one of the oldest members in the club. Left behind an Ol’ Lady and his kids.
“He’s yours, Stryker. Spider is going to give you all an update on the warehouse in Cali where we found the first hauler.” Sitting back, I let Spider take the floor.
“We figured out with Vegas’ help that Johnny can hide assets under a fake name. We hacked into the Court data bases to figure out who owned property. The little dead lady who owns the warehouse of whore haulers is Tanya.”
“What the fuck are you saying?” Stryker is lost by his anger and he wants every word verified.
“The Tanya from the Las Vegas Chapter, she was feeding Johnny information and the club here in Reno. She was fucking for intel. When Blade came up here, she made a play for his spot in his bed again. When that didn’t work, she ghosted and we haven’t found her since. Haven’t spotted her with Johnny, but I only can confirm right now that they still are calling. I’ve got men out looking for the skanky bitch.”
Ice, the Elko Prez, breaks his silence. “If she comes up, hold her. I have business to finish with that cunt. She came looking for a place when you all cut her loose. She paid for her stay by taking whatever member wanted to give her. I had a few drops going missing. I want her to confess she ratted my men out.”
The room is deathly silent. My heart is pounding in my chest because I know what Ice is asking for. It won’t be a quick and easy confession. What do I care though? The bitch came out to play. She better be able to back up her choices. “A few of my men and myself are on our way tomorrow until the bitch is found,” Ice finishes, sounding as cold and emotionless as his road name.
“Aye, when she’s found, she’s yours, belongs to you and your crew.” Slamming the gavel down, Church is out.