RAFE
Fifteen members rode their bikes behind me as we made our way to the warehouse Stephanie had told me about. All of them fully on board with what needed to happen.
Word got out that morning that Javier was dead, and rumor was Gray was the last person to see him alive. No one mentioned that he was stabbed by some mystery guy in his garage, and I wasn’t going to fill in that piece of the news.
When the members found out Gray had been trying to deal with Javier and getting us back into the drug market, it didn’t take much else to get them to turn. As a club we voted out drugs, and that vote would stick. Once it was known that Javier had been killed and his crew was pointing the finger at Gray, the members weren’t questioning my loyalty anymore.
“He wasn’t just tarrying to get in the drug trade, I think he was trying to take it over,” I had said to the fifteen that gathered at Beth’s house. I was met with nods and angry agreement. After that they all saddled up and off we rode.
The summer sun was blasting us with its rays as we drove into the warehouse lot. Sixteen bikes made a lot of noise—Gray would know we were there. I didn’t give a fuck.
Not another bike or car in sight. My stomach churned. I signaled to JC that I was going in the front door and for him to go around to the side.
Looking behind me, I checked the other members were all standing ready. I gave a nod the twisted the knob, yanking the door open and running inside, gun already drawn.
Empty.
No one was there. Not even a sign that anyone had been there. JC eyed me from across the warehouse with as much of a confused expression as I had.
“What the fuck?” he asked, his voice echoing off walls of the empty place.
“Steph said this warehouse,” I called back to him. My phone started dancing in my back pocket and I whipped it out. “Go tell the others to back down.”
He nodded and headed back out. I answered the call just as the metal door slammed shut. “So, have you figured out that your girlfriend has left you yet?” Gray’s voice slithered through the receiver.
“Gray.” I turned around, rushing to the offices. “Where the fuck are my girls?” I checked the main office, completely empty. So were the other two smaller ones down the hall.
“Wouldn’t you love to know.” He laughed in my ear. I heard a woman squirming behind him, muttering something incoherent. “Shut the fuck up unless you want another dozen,” Gray yelled to whoever was with him.
“If you touched her—”
“Relax. That’s just my old lady. The bitch just got finished getting her ass whipped and already she’s talking out of turn.”
Brittany. He must have her with the girls. From the sobs I could hear coming from his end of the phone, I suspected she wasn’t too thrilled about it either.
“Where’s my girls?” I asked again, my teeth hurting from clenching so tightly.
“They are fine. I’m not ready for you to meet them again just yet. I need a few things set up first. I’ll have your little whore call you when I’m ready for you to drop by for a visit. In the meantime, I suggest you get your little gang of turncoats and get ready. You aren’t the only one with eyes and ears everywhere. I’m not stupid. I have plenty of guys on my side, guys who see a future of our club that doesn’t involve so many goddamn pussies in it.”
As he said the words, I heard the rumbling of engines. I cut the call and ran outside. Pulling in and surrounding us was almost half the club. Mostly made up of prospects and newer patched members, but they circled us, riding around us as though they were more vulture than biker.
JC walked up to me. “What the fuck do they want?”
“I think they are with Gray. How’d they find us?” The leader, Aaron pulled his bike out of the circle and pulled up to me.
“Must have followed us,” JC answered before Aaron cut his engine.
Aaron parked his bike but he didn’t get off. Instead he sat with his arms folded over his chest, eyeing us. “We need to talk,” he said with a twisted grin.