Chapter Twenty-Two
The air was tense and punctuated with rage as the brothers talked loudly amongst themselves before Steel called the meeting to order. The only thing on everyone’s mind was when they were going to exact vengeance on the Satan’s Pistons. Diablo’s clenched jaw twitched as the memory of Maria’s fallen body on the barroom floor played in his mind.
The gavel went down and the brothers focused their attention on the president and vice president. Both Steel’s and Paco’s faces were etched in fierceness.
“You all know why I called church.”
“The fucking Satan’s Pistons,” Crow grumbled.
Steel and Paco nodded. “What the fuckers did was a declaration of war.” Steel waited until the noise died down.
Paco pushed off from the wall with his foot. “Army secured the arms deal. Hawk and Banger were right—Liam’s trustworthy. We’re gonna blow their fuckin’ clubhouse up.”
“They’ve been itching for a fight ever since they set up shop in Alina with that fucking strip bar. Then they put money into the warehouse fights. They’re trying to get a goddamn hold in southwest Colorado. Count me in on going to Arizona to beat their asses,” Crow said. Many brothers voiced their support.
“That’s never gonna fuckin’ happen. The Insurgents aren’t happy at all with these fuckers. They own Colorado. Banger told me that they’re taking what the Piston assholes are doing as an act of aggression. I told him we’ll handle it, but he’s ready to come down with a few of his brothers and join us in beating their asses.” Steel crossed his arms and scowled.
“How deep is Bloody Knuckles in with these fuckers?” Paco asked Diablo.
“Seems like he hooked up with them for the money to get the warehouse going, but when he tried to pay them back, they didn’t want it.”
“You mean this dumbass thought he could just pay up and they’d be gone? What a fuckin’ loser,” Goldie said.
“Is he with them or just tied to them?” Paco picked up his bottled water.
“Stuck with them. From what Sam told me, Charlie wants out real bad, but the fuckers aren’t letting him.” Diablo crossed his arms.
“What a bunch of yellow-bellied pussies. First they hide behind some punk gang to open their strip bar, and now they’re hiding behind this dumb fuck for their interest in the warehouse,” Skull said.
“Yeah. It’s time we show them what happens when they try shit in Night Rebels territory,” Diablo added.
Steel fixed his gaze on Diablo. “Is Fallon involved with any of this?”
Diablo kicked over a chair and pounded on the table. “Why the fuck would you ask me that? You think I’d be with her if she was? Fuck no. She’s clean.”
“You know I had to ask. Sometimes a woman can make a man blind to some things,” Steel said, all eyes on Diablo.
He shook his head. “She’s not. But her step-bitch is fuckin’ a Piston. Fallon saw them together in the bedroom when we went to get some of her things. She told me later. Otherwise, I would’ve gone in and beat the shit outta him.”
“Did they see her?” Paco said. Diablo shook his head. “I bet he was probably fucking the bitch and some of his brothers came down with him to see the fights the first time you ran into them.”
“I’m fucking sure they weren’t expecting us. Ran away like a bunch of pussies,” Sangre said, and the room exploded in laughter.
Steel held up his hands and they quieted down. “I’m sending ten of you down there to torch their fucking clubhouse. The first couple of nights you scout to get the layout, see what security is like and when it’s best to attack.”
“We got to make sure we don’t kill citizens,” Paco said.
“Right. I want you to move in and out fast. You’ll take the cages so you don’t announce to the whole fucking town you’re there. This town is small, like two thousand people, but that’s good for us since law enforcement is practically nonexistent. I’m sending Diablo, Army, Chains, Paco, Sangre, Goldie, Brutus, Skull, Muerto, and Eagle.”
Crow jumped up. “What the fuck? I need to go. I’ve been waiting for this day ever since they cut me.” He lifted his T-shirt, showing off the red, angry scar from his ribcage past his belly button that decorated his skin.
“I need you to watch Balls and Holes. Muerto will be with the group going to Arizona.”
“Let Muerto stay and watch it and fucking send me.”
“You’re too involved with this. To make sure no mistakes are made, you have to be detached and cold.”
“I can be. Anyway, that was my home turf for a couple years. I know it real well.”
“He’s got a point. It’d be to our advantage to have him,” Diablo said.
Steel slowly nodded. “Okay, but don’t fuck this up. You’ll leave early morning.”
The slamming gavel adjourned church.
When the brothers went into the main room, Diablo declined the beer the prospect handed him. He turned to his team. “We’ll meet here at one thirty in the morning. Army, make sure we got the stuff we’ll need to make the bombs. Crow, is there somewhere we can camp out where we won’t be detected?”
“I know just the place.”
“Good. I’ll see you all at one thirty.”
Diablo hurried out of the club. He wanted to spend as much of the night as he could with Fallon. In his world, one never knew when death would come calling.
He revved his engine and then sped into town.
* * *
The restaurant was small and quaint, and the owner, Adelita, greeted Diablo with a warm smile and embrace. Her dark eyes darted to Fallon and she put her hand out.
“I’m Adelita. Welcome to my restaurant.” She shook Fallon’s hand heartily, then said in a low voice to Diablo, “About time you bring a woman around.”
Diablo narrowed his eyes, but there was a twinkle in them as he feigned being cross. Adelita had become like a mother to him, and he often attended her family’s fiestas, christenings, and weddings. She was also a good listener and knew him better than he cared to admit. She was always on his case about settling down and starting a family, parading woman after woman in front of him, but he wasn’t interested.
No woman had captured him physically, emotionally, or sexually until he met Fallon. And as he got to know and spend time with her, he became more and more hooked. Her fragrance, her touch, her softness, the sweet electricity that ran through his body when her loving hand caressed his head, rested on his chest, or gently stroked his forearm opened entire circuits of emotional feelings for him. Ones he’d never experienced before with any other woman. That’s how he knew she was the one for him. But he wasn’t going to share that yet with Adelita. I’d never hear the end of it.
The robust woman showed them to a table by the window. The window looked out to a garden replete with flowering trees and vegetation. It was a slice of lushness in a barren landscape.
After giving Diablo a bottle of Corona and Fallon a sangrita, Adelita hurried off to the kitchen. “It smells awesome in here,” Fallon said as the aroma of grilled meat and green chilies wafted from the kitchen.
“The food is killer. They have the best fuckin’ chile relleno burrito.”
“Sounds like it’d be a lot of food. I think I’ll just have an order of carnitas tacos,” Fallon said as she stirred her drink.
“You don’t eat much.” He grasped her hands in his and brought them to his mouth, kissing them tenderly. “I gotta go away for a bit on club business.”
Her eyes widened. “When? And what’s the business?”
“Very early in the morning, and club business is just between the brothers.”
“What does that mean? Why can’t you tell me what you’re doing? Is it something bad?”
He squeezed her hands. “There are certain things that go on in the club that only the brothers can know about. Club business is for brothers only. That’s just the way it is, so don’t ask me about it.”
She shook her head. “I don’t really get it.”
“You don’t have to. All you gotta do is trust me.”
“When will you be back?”
“Dunno. I’ll try to contact you if I can. If you don’t hear from me, don’t think you’re not on my mind, or that something’s wrong.”
“I’m afraid you’ll get hurt. I can’t lose you,” she said softly.
“I’ll be good. Don’t think about it. Let’s enjoy our dinner. Then I’m going to show you how much you mean to me when we get back to your place.” He winked at her, but her wrinkling brow hit him in the gut. She’s gonna have to get used to this.
The food was delicious, and even though they laughed, talked, and ate too much, Diablo knew anything could happen in Arizona. And from the way she’d been pinching the skin at her throat, she suspected he may be hurt or killed. He wished he could promise his safe return, but in a world of violent confrontations, nothing was guaranteed. Hell, nothing’s a sure bet even in the citizen world. He knew that all too well.
When they arrived at her apartment, Diablo took her in his arms and kissed her deeply, loving the way their breaths mingled. They took turns undressing one another, and when they slid between the cool sheets, he pressed her warm body to him, running his hands over every inch of her. She sat in his lap as he leaned against the padded headboard. Then he was inside her and they sat like that for a while, mouths together, chest to chest, not moving. She started to move, grinding against him, and he pushed up hard and deep inside her. Her small moans drove him wild, and he took her into his arms and pushed her back on the bed. Brushing away the hair from her eyes, he thrust hard and their sounds filled the room.
After it was over, he held her close to him, content that she’d fallen asleep. When his alarm went off, he gently slipped away from her and put on his clothes. He secured his Glock in his cut’s pocket and shoved the hunting knives down his boots.
“Are you leaving?” Her voice trembled.
“Yeah.” He came over and kissed her. “Be a good girl and don’t cry. Before you know it, I’ll be home.”
“Promise me?” she said in a low voice.
“I’ll see you. If you need anything, call Breanna or Raven.” He kissed her again and left the room. When he took off, he glanced up at the window and saw her standing there. He wanted nothing more than to go back up and be with her, but he turned away and drove to the clubhouse.
Everyone was ready when he arrived. Rushing up to his room, he retrieved his industrial flashlight and another 9mm, then joined the others as they piled into two SUVs. It’d take them less than two hours to arrive in Arizona, where Crow would guide them to the Satan’s Pistons clubhouse. They’d have it under surveillance for a couple of nights, then make their move.
The second night, Diablo texted Fallon, telling her he missed her.
Diablo: I miss u, woman.
The ping came in less than a second, and he smiled.
Fallon: I miss you too. I can’t wait for you to come home.
Diablo: U doing good?
Fallon: Other than missing you, yeah, I’m fine. You?
Diablo: Not bad. I gotta go. Nite.
Fallon: Goodnight. I’ll dream of you. ♥♥
Diablo looked at the screen until it went dark, and then slipped his phone inside his pocket and pulled off his boots. In late September, nighttime in the desert could be cold. He pulled the sleeping bag over his shoulders and hunkered down for another long night without his woman.
By the time they’d figured out how lax the Pistons’ security was, they’d made a ton of Molotov cocktails from liquid laundry detergent and two parts diesel fuel. At two forty-five in the morning of the third day, the dark sky lit up with blasts of fireballs. Screams and yells from inside were music to the Night Rebels’ ears. A few flashes of gunfire came from the club, but the Satan’s Pistons were no match for the Night Rebels.
Not wanting the badges to get involved, they left the burning clubhouse behind and headed back to Alina. They were pretty sure several Pistons had been killed or seriously injured, but they were certain that the fuckers would think twice before they came back into Colorado. Diablo knew the next hit would be the warehouse; that was the last stronghold the Pistons had in their territory.
The group of outlaws drove back in the dead of night, congratulating each other on a job well done.