Nate
I sit on the barstool of the clubhouse, voices become louder and clearer as the men make their way inside. Grabbing my pack of smokes, I tip it, pulling one and placing it against my lips. Flicking the lid open on the lighter, I place it to the end, taking a huge drag as I think about the shit we have to get done today. I’ve got to take care of the newly inherited whorehouse as well as meeting with Brax. He’s pushing for one more deal with the drugs. I know he’s pissed. I know he’s losing out on a hell of a lot of money, and keeping that motherfucker happy is something that has to happen. But I’ve got to find him someone he can deal with. And that someone has to be trusted.
“Hey, brother.” Davo offers me his hand as he slides on the stool beside me.
Taking it, I pull him in for a man hug. “Sleep well, Romeo?”
“Is that a goddamn joke?” he asks with a chuckle. “This raging fucking hard-on wouldn’t let me sleep. Shit, is it too early for beer? Because if I can’t get fucked, I might as well get wasted.”
“What’s with you, man? You’ve always been the quiet, sensible one. But that whore has your dick in a twist.”
“I’m fucked. She’s consuming me. Every thought, every twitch of my dick. It’s all her.”
“You just gotta fuck her outta your system, man,” I say, standing and reaching behind the bar, grabbing a bottle of beer. Pressing the cap to the edge, I clench my fist and bash down, flicking the lid off and slamming it down in front of him. “I gotta get you to focus. We got some serious work to do here.”
“Zane took care of Levin,” he says, pressing the top of the bottle to his lips and tipping it back. Gulp after gulp ensues as he completely drains the bottle of its contents.
“Good to hear it. But I need you with me today, brother.”
“Of course,” he says, dropping down the bottle. “You can count on me.”
“Good, because we have a bunch of whores to keep happy.”
His eyes widen and I can’t help but laugh. “Not in the way you think. We can’t afford to mix business and pleasure. Because, God only knows I need this to work out. The guys were pushing for us to continue to deal the drugs. But I don’t want the heat for the club, you know?”
“Problem is, we’ve done it for so long, the money’s been consistent, and we haven’t had any heat from the feds. I can see why the guys want us to continue.”
“Fuck, we’ve been lucky. But how long until the luck runs out, huh?”
Tilting his head, he allows his eyes to flutter shut. “You’re doing the right thing, Prez. You’re making this a better, more united club. We can all see that.”
“Hey, man,” Zane calls as he walks across the room, his smile wide and his arms swinging as he makes his way over. I drop down from the stool and embrace him.
“Good to see you, man,” I say, my palm slapping against his leather cut noisily. “And thanks.”
“What for?” he asks, pulling out of the hold and searching my eyes for an answer.
“Cleaning up the mess we made down at Plaza.”
“No problem, Prez. So, we’re the new owners of a whorehouse?” Holding out his hands to the side, he starts to laugh. “A-fucking-men.”
Laughing, I rest my hand on his shoulder. “Big fucking changes. But we need to make this work. We need honest money, and I think this is exactly the kind of business we need. Because, let’s face it, it’s as honest as honest gets with the MC.”
“Nate, that fucking young blonde, ugh, she was somethin’ special.”
Holding up my palms, my eyes widen. “Hands off the merchandise,” I say with humor in my tone.
“Ah, come on, man. Surely we get to try them out first. Call it quality control.”
“If they’re fucking our guys, they ain’t making us any money. Gotta see this as a business, bro.” His face drops and he pushes his hands in his pockets.
“You’re no fun anymore.”
“The cute little blonde is fucking with the Deathseeker boy. I can’t have you getting caught between my chance to locate my father and Silver.”
“Of course, man. Plenty more pussy in the sea.”
“Sure,” I reply. “What’s the word on Ozzie?”
“No fucker has seen him, man,” Zane replies, his eyes fall to the floor as he digs in his pocket for his smokes.
“He’s got to be with my father.”
“That would be my guess too, man. He’s known Jeffries for a while now.”
“Makes sense as to why he dropped off the radar the minute Jeffries disappeared. I have to get to Hunter.” I take a drag of the cigarette in my grasp, before extinguishing it in the ashtray. “And I have the perfect plan to get him on our side.”
Cocking an eyebrow, Zane leans in propping himself up against the bar. “Tell me more.”
“All will become clear,” I reply with a smirk, pushing myself away from the bar, heading to the staircase. I skip up the steps two at a time and head for the spare room. I hear the chatter between Tara and Melody. Knocking lightly against the door, I slowly open it, peering through.
“Hey,” Tara greets me with her typical heart-stopping smile.
“Hey, baby,” I reply, stepping in and quietly close the door behind me. My eyes flit to Melody sitting up in bed, smiling widely. “You feeling better?” I ask.
“So much better,” she says in an upbeat tone. “I’m feeling good enough to get back to work, if you need me that is?” Her eyes dart to Tara as she awaits her reply.
“Shit, Melody, you need to rest.”
“It’s just cuts and bruises.” Lifting and dropping her shoulders, she acts like the beating she received was nothing.
“That’s what I came to talk to you about,” I inform her, grabbing the wooden chair in the corner of the room and dragging it to the side of the bed. “I need your help... not yet of course. Only when you’re healed.”
“What… me?”
“Yes.” I chuckle. “Mr. Levin is no longer the owner of Plaza. I am.”
“You... what... how?” Her words stutter out and I know she’s confused and waiting for me to fill in the blanks.
“Let’s just say I inherited the place last night.” Her hands fly to her mouth and her eyes widen with shock. “He is no longer in the picture. Plaza is now a Savage business and that’s where I’m going to need your help.”
“Of course. I can run that place with my eyes shut.” She lifts her chin, her eyes sparkle with excitement.
“Good. Well, rest up. I’m going to need you at full strength. This has to work.”
“I’ve got some amazing ideas on how we can improve the place. We should go through my ideas when you’re ready.”
“Sounds good.” Stepping up from the chair, I lift it and put it back before heading over to Tara where she’s perched on the edge of the bed. Kissing her softly on the top of her head, I say, “I better get going. Need me to follow you into work?” I ask, her head tilting and she shakes her head.
“I’ll be fine. You go. I’ll see you later.”
Heading out of the room, the blood pumps a little faster in my veins. It’s all coming together. Like I’m a step closer. Closer to finally making a success of being president.
“Hey,” Zane calls to me. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs he rushes over. “Roach spotted Ozzie. Driving a burgundy-colored Corvette but he lost him.”
“Circulate the details. We gotta find that motherfucker.”
“Got it,” he replies.
* * *
Arriving at Plaza, I’m greeted by four girls standing outside the door.
“You wanna tell us what’s going on?” one of the girls asks and I glower at her, digging in my pocket and retrieving my keys. I unlock the door and hold it open for them.
“Ladies,” I say, indicating for them to enter. They all do, walking in one by one, making their way over to the bar and dropping down their purses. Turning to face me, all eyes on me, waiting expectantly.
“Right, I know this all seems like a mess, but believe me when I say you will benefit from this change.”
Zane walks in, standing beside me, along with Davo and Gus. The half-dressed girls don’t reply, they just look at the four of us standing in a line before them.
“So, uh, business as usual?” Precious asks.
“Not quite,” I say, my eyes scanning the room. “This place will have a makeover. We’re going to work on making this a better establishment, hopefully bringing in new clientele.”
“But the Deathseekers,” she rushes out, stepping toward me. “We have an agreement with them.”
“We all know about your little Hunter agreement,” Zane blurts out and she glares at him, crossing her arms and kicking out her hip.
Holding my arm across his chest, I exhale heavily. We need these girls on our side. Pissing them off is not on my agenda.
“I need the Deathseekers here as normal. Once they get here I plan on making new arrangements with Hunter.”
She drops her head, shuffling back her feet. “If you hear from him, you act normal. You can’t give away that I’m here.” I narrow my eyes on her, letting her know just how serious I am. “I mean it. I can’t afford for you to fuck this up. I will make sure you’re alright, you have my word.”
“You don’t know the first thing about running a club like this,” she says with a tilt of her head and I know she isn’t convinced by us being here.
“Listen, Levin was an asshole and your friend has the bruises to prove it.” I press two fingers together, pointing them directly at her. “Melody will be running the club for me. I’ve spoken to her already and she’s agreed.” And just like that, her body relaxes, like a huge weight has been lifted.
“How is she?” one of the other girls asks.
“Healing. But it won’t be long before she’s back.”
“So, what do you want us to do?”
“Make the place look neat. Once the Deathseekers have arrived and business is agreed, you girls get a few days off while we get this place looking like a more upscale establishment.”
Precious looks between the girls, giving them the nod. I head over to the office door, unlocking it and stepping inside. There’s no trace of what happened and the office chair is gone.
A knock on the door has me spinning on the spot. Precious stands, holding onto the doorframe, eyes on me.
“So, guess I should call you boss?” She smirks at me, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.
“You can. If you want. What is it? What’s on your mind?”
Placing her hands against the door, she leans back. “I just want to check that Hunter will be alright. I mean, he’s more than just a client.” She shuffles her heeled pumps against the floor nervously. “You know, he actually means something to me.”
“I’m well aware,” I say, lifting my leg and propping myself up on the edge of the desk. “Which is why you are so important to me right now.”
“I can tell you everything you need to know. Just don’t hurt him.” She rushes toward me, coming to a stop just in front of me. “I need him in my life. Please don’t take him away from me.”
Her eyes fill with unshed tears as she stands in front of me pleading for Hunter’s life.
And then she delivers something I’d been longing to hear. “I know where your father is.”
Tara
Checking the time, I gasp knowing that I’m going to be late if I don’t get a move on. “So, I gotta go, but I’ll be back later,” I tell Melody, grabbing my purse and leaning in to kiss her lightly on the head. I really like the girl and I’m happy to see her looking a little brighter today.
Reaching up, she rests her arm around me. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Looks like you walked into our lives at the right time.”
“I’ll do everything I can to help you guys out. This is the chance I need to break free and finally take control of my life. And I can’t tell you how thankful I am to have this chance.”
She beams, despite the cuts and bruises she bears on her face. “The guys. They’ve all been great, checking in on me. Especially Davo.”
“Yeah, I think he has a little soft spot for you. If you haven’t guessed already.”
She tries to pout but then grimaces at the obvious pain she’s experiencing. With a whimper, she chuckles, her eyes closing. “Shit. Not sure I’m ready for that just yet.”
“You rest,” I say stepping away and heading out. I give her a fleeting smile and wave over my shoulder as I race out the door. Grabbing my phone, I pull up Izzy’s number and let her know I’m on my way. Sending a quick text, I race over to my car, unlocking the door and jumping in. Throwing my phone and purse on the passenger seat, I push the key in the ignition and start driving. Speeding a little more than I should, I head away from the clubhouse, resting back into the seat as I drive. Making a mental note, I work through all of the things I know I have to do today. And today is the day I’ve decided to do the one thing I’d been putting off. Making an appointment at the hospital with the OB/GYN. Smiling to myself, I lift my head glancing in my rearview mirror.
My eyes lock onto the burgundy car behind me and a shudder wracks through me. My arms shake and the hold on the steering wheel becomes weak. Who the hell is this?
Narrowing my eyes, I try to make out the driver, but his features are unclear. He’s close and I continue to drive, hoping that I can lose him again. My eyes dart to the side mirrors and I suck in a deep breath at the sight of a hand appearing from the driver's window.
The leather glove-covered hand is clutching a gun.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Whoever it is shoots the gun, and without realizing, I’m battling with the wheel as I start to lose control of the car. Fear causes my heart to race and the drumming sound is all I can hear. I glance around at the quiet road we’re on and force my foot down against the break. My car skids, coming to a stop at an angle. My eyes and mind are all over the place and I know he’s blown my tire with the shot. Everything seems to slow down the more I rush to make my next move. I reach over looking for my cell. I have to call someone. I’m in danger and I need to let someone know. In the chaos of trying to control my car, my cell phone has fallen onto the floor of the car. I release my belt before dipping down, feeling around for it. The anxiety builds and my heart races as I cry out with frustration, trying to get my goddamn phone. Small taps against the window cause me to jerk, holding my hand to my heart trying to stop it from bursting out of my chest. I scramble to an upright position, glaring at the dark eyes that stare at me. “Open the fucking door.”
I know that voice… and those eyes.
I shake my head, frozen in shock. “Why? Why are you doing this to me?” My eyes widen as I watch him smirk. He taps the gun against the window once more and I’m torn. So damn torn. If I open the door I have no idea what he’s going to do to me. But if I don’t he’s going to shoot me.
“What do you want, Ozzie?”
“You need to come with me and fast.” His head whips from side to side as he looks to see if anyone is coming. “Now,” he roars and I jump at the severity of his voice.
“What do you want from me?!” I scream, my throat scratching as I yell out with every emotion in me.
Taking a small step back he lifts his arm, holding it firm. Pointing it at the rear of the car, as if in slow motion, I watch as he pulls the trigger. The crack of the bullet against the glass makes me cower, quivering. I can’t look. I’m scared to look. I remain in the fetal position, praying for a miracle.
Only it never comes.
Heavy hands grab my arms, dragging me from the car. A surge of anger sears through me. I open my mouth to scream, to fight back against this asshole. But it doesn’t work. What the hell? Please, God, help me!
The scream lodged in my throat finally breaks through and echoes around the wood-lined road. But it’s no use. His hand lands heavily against my mouth, silencing me mid scream.
“Don’t fight me, Tara,” he snarls into my ear, pulling me against his chest. One arm wraps tightly around my waist while the other stays pressed against my mouth. Dragging me, he takes me closer to the burgundy car that’s been following me. Pressing my feet down, I try to stop him from taking me, but he’s too strong. I wiggle in his hold, using every bit of strength I can find within me. With one huge tug against the arm that envelops me, I manage to break free and my feet move like they have a mind of their own. I’m running, faster than I think I’ve ever run before. My feet thud against the gravelly road beneath me.
“It’s no use,” he bellows and my legs weaken at the sound of his voice. My heart pounds and every breath stings the back of my throat. But I’m not stopping. No way am I giving into him. Anger bubbles in my chest and I have to keep going. Sooner or later a car has to appear.
But then, suddenly I hear a cracking sound. I’m disoriented and confused as I collapse to the ground. I turn onto my back, scurrying backward in an attempt to work out what just happened. The unexpected pain thuds at the top of my head. I reach up, a sharp pain now thumping through my skull. The asshole just hit me with the handle of his gun.
Standing over me, I look up at the scruffy-looking Ozzie. “It didn’t need to be this way. You should have just come with me. Fighting back got you hurt.”
I hold my hand in front of my face, trying to focus on it, but I’m starting to feel really dizzy. I blink, recognizing the red liquid that covers my hand.
It’s blood.
My blood.
The dizziness soon turns to blackness, and despite fighting it, my eyes start to close as the darkness comes to take me.
Nate
“Where?” I blurt out, rushing down from the desk. Making a turn, I search the desktop for a pen and paper. Noticing a notebook, I pick it up and grab a pen, handing it to her. “Write it down.”
“I… uh…”
“Write it down,” I growl, pushing the pad into her chest. She scrambles to take a hold of it before grasping the small notepad and scribbling something on it. She hands it back to me, her hand shaking as she does. I take note of the look on her face. There’s something I can’t work out. Is it a look of fear or guilt?
“You better not be fucking with me. If I find out this is a lie… some kind of cover-up, I will kill you, Precious.” I draw out her name, my eyes hard and narrowed on her.
“I swear I’m not lying. I’m doing this so that Hunter doesn’t have to.”
Glancing down at the paper in my hand, I don’t recognize the address.
“It’s an old warehouse out in the middle of nowhere. The Deathseekers used to keep their guns and drugs stashed there until they received a tip-off that the police were onto them. They hide them somewhere else now, and this place is empty, well, not now.”
“And Ozzie, the prospect my father brought in. You know anything about him?”
“He’s one of them. He’s a Deathseeker.”
“Fuck,” I say, tearing the address from the notepad and shoving it inside the pocket of my cut. The sound of commotion catches my attention. Precious looks at me and I step over to the door. I reach toward the handle but don’t get a chance to grab it before it flies open.
“What the fuck are you doing with her?” Hunter yells as I stumble back, unsure what the fuck is happening.
Holding the gun in his grasp, he points it at me, his eyes flit between me and Precious.
“Don’t,” she cries out, stepping between me and the gun that points directly at me.
“What the fuck is going on here?” he asks with a scowl.
“Seriously, not what you think.”
“Where the fuck is Levin?”
“You need to come in and take a seat.” I step back, offering him my hand.
“You okay, boss?” Zane asks, appearing at the door.
“Sure,” I reply casually. “Hunter and I are about to have a little talk. Isn’t that right?”
The confused look etched on his face doesn’t change. He looks directly at Precious as if searching for an answer. Moving closer, she rests her slender body against his. “It’s okay. Really,” she reassures, lifting onto her toes and pressing a kiss against his cheek. Nodding, he wraps his arm around her tightly, kissing her back. Clearing my throat, his eyes dart to me and he glowers with annoyance.
“I’m sorry to break up the party, but we have business to attend to.”
“I’m not here to do business with you, I’m here to see Samantha.”
“Take a seat,” I say pulling out a metal chair from the corner of the room and indicating that he should sit. I rest back against the desk, my eyes locked on him, letting him know it wasn’t a request.
Breaking the hold, Precious steps away and out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Hunter pauses, looking at me like a petulant child. His short sleeves show off what I can tell are newly added tattoos. “Nice ink,” I say with a tip of my head. “I have a studio myself, you should drop in sometime, I could finish that sleeve for you.”
“Enough with the small talk. Just get to the point,” he snaps, dropping heavily into the chair.
“The point is Levin is out of the picture and this business,” I say holding up my hands. “It’s now under Savage management.”
“What the…” His brows knit together as he glares at me. “But why? Why the fuck would you want this place?”
“Because the MC doesn’t want to deal drugs. Taking on this place gives us the chance to earn real money. And that’s where you come in. See, my supplier isn’t happy that the club is taking a change in direction.”
“Why does that involve me?”
“I want you to take over. The money is good and Braxton Harris is a man I trust to do business with. This could be a very lucrative deal for your club.”
“But everyone knows how close you and Braxton are. It’ll look very fucking suspicious if he suddenly starts dealing with the Deathseekers.”
“This will be your deal to make.”
A puzzled look appears on his face.
“When I’ve finished with your father, you’ll be the one to step up and bring in the new narcotics deal—”
“You cannot be fucking serious,” he shouts, jumping up so fast that the chair fires back, hitting the wall. “You want me to be part of your deal to take out my own father? Are you out of your goddamn mind?”
Stepping up from the desk, I hold my hands together in front of me, tipping my chin up, all the while my gaze fixed on him. “It’s going to happen. I’m not asking you to be a part of it, but I am trying to help. Help set you up to be the president you’re destined to be.”
“You don’t know shit about me,” he growls, resting his hand on his gun that’s in the band of his jeans. I don’t flinch, even though it looks like he’s going to draw it on me. “I’m not you, I’m nothing like you.”
“You think about my proposal. I have a meeting with Braxton later today. I’ll run the change of dealership past him and get his thoughts. But it’s time, Hunter. Time to step out of your father’s shadow and become the future of your club.”
Staring at the floor, he doesn’t say a word. Silence fills the room and I can’t help but wonder if I’m barking up the wrong tree. Is Hunter able to grow and become the leader the club needs? I’m not sure. But out of all of the Deathseekers, Hunter is the one I trust the most.
“I’ll think about it. But I need your assurance on one thing. You ensure that Samantha is safe. I would lay down my life for her.”
“But she’s a prostitute. You can’t seriously believe that you’re her only client?”
“I paid Levin more money than she could earn to make her exclusively mine.”
Chuckling, I scratch my head trying to make sense of what is going on. “Why the hell don’t you just date the girl if she means so much to you?”
“This is all she’s ever known. This is how she makes money to take care of her sister.”
Shooting him a sad smile, I let out a huge breath. “Listen, I don’t know much about the girls, or Precious. But I do know that as long as I’m running this place, I’ll do everything I can to look after those girls.”
“Appreciate it, man.” Removing the hand that rests on the gun, he holds it out, offering it to me. Tipping my head to the side, I take it, shaking.
“Stick with me, brother. The world’s your oyster, you just don’t know it yet.” I pat him loudly and he turns to make his way out.
“Business as usual?” he asks with a jerk of his head toward the girls.
“For today. Go enjoy yourself. But I gotta close up for a few days to refurbish the place.”
“You’re taking this shit seriously.”
“You’re not gonna believe your eyes the next time you’re here.”
Pulling out my smokes, I open the pack, tapping the bottom and offer them to Hunter. “Thanks, man,” he says, taking one and holding it in his mouth, digging into his pocket for his lighter. Taking one from the pack, I drop them against the desk before gripping it between my teeth and lighting it. I take a huge drag, the warmth hitting my lungs and I relish the hit.
A thud at the door, and Zane’s voice shouting my name puts me on high alert. Throwing open the door, he races in, his face pale and his chest heaving.
“Boss, you gotta come see this.”
“What? What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
“Jimmy just called. They found Tara’s car not far from the clubhouse. The window has been shot—”
“What the fuck? No! No!” I yell so loud that my voice echoes through the small office.
“Listen to me,” Zane demands pressing his hand down on my shoulder. “She’s not there. There’s no sign of Tara but her purse and cell phone were still in her car. Whoever did this has got her, Nate. Someone has taken Tara.”
My heart drums and I swear I stop breathing. The voices become a blur as the emotion encapsulates me and my head swims. In a fit of rage, I drop my cigarette to the floor and yell, swiping my arm across the desk. The contents clatter to the floor but it does nothing to calm the monster within me.
“I’m going to kill him,” I roar, gripping the edge of the table and flipping it over.
“Brother.” Zane tries to calm me but it’s no use. I turn, shoving him on the chest. “Whoa,” he says with his hands in the air. “I know you’re angry, but we gotta direct that anger at the right person.”
Reaching inside the pocket of my cut, I retrieve the address. “Well. What the fuck are we waiting for?” I say, steaming toward the door in a thunderous rage.
I don’t stop.
I don’t listen to the voices that call to me.
I storm toward my bike, jumping on and start the engine. Revving noisily, I look to my left to see Zane mounting his bike. “What is it?” he asks, shouting over the rumble of the bike’s engine.
“The location to my father.”
“Then let’s get the bastard and bring Tara home.”