Chapter Twenty-Three
Rebel
I woke early the next morning feeling ten kinds of out of sorts, not even the mind-blowing sex we’d shared the night before made me feel better this morning. Seven days before our world changed and I had no idea how to get right with the idea when I didn’t ever want to let her go. I was sure this obsession would pass eventually, it wasn’t like I could keep her forever, so it had to go away, just not yet.
After waking Elle up in my favorite way, we headed out for breakfast before hitting the road to Dallas. She drove the new, tricked-out SUV I’d bought with a glass shield between front and back along with the locking back doors. I rode my bike since we’d need it to scope out all of Mander’s normal haunts. Saturday was a great day to catch a biker, especially an Angel, since they all loved to party. If the intel I’d dug up on Mander was solid, we might have it locked down tonight, maybe tomorrow.
We made it to Elle’s place before four.
“You’ll need to be a biker babe if you’re going with me.” I trailed a finger along her jaw line.
“I love being a biker babe.” She clapped her hands then frowned. “I’ll need a new T-shirt, the last one got ruined.”
I grabbed a black club shirt from my bag and tossed it to her.
“What are you going to do?” She dug through a drawer in her bedroom, coming out with scissors.
“I’m going to dig a bit deeper into Mander’s life.” I’d had Trisha running credit card information for me, as well as contacting the site we used to track that stuff down. This guy I knew, Sampson, did excellent freelance skip-trace work, as long as you weren’t picky about legalities.
I carried my laptop bag downstairs and set up in Elle’s office. I had a new report from Sampson and an email from Trish. His credit card showed a history of five bars—I knew them all. There was also some rumors of an Angels party tonight, but if so, I had no way to get an invite nor would I be welcome if I did show up. We’d have to hit the bars and hope for the best.
Elle walked into the doorway of her office and gave me a sexy pout. “Am I dressed okay?”
Fuck. She was on fire. The shirt showed off her ample cleavage and the shorts were painted on, but they stopped too soon showing off lots of her curvy legs. “Damn, baby, you look good enough to eat.”
Her pout widened to a grin. “Let’s go find our man.”
I wanted to undress her then fuck her until she couldn’t remember her name, but we’d done that the night before. Besides we had work, and I liked working with Elle almost as much as I liked sharing my bed with her. I couldn’t explain why I liked working with her, especially when I didn’t even like working with my brothers. We clicked though.
“I have five bars on the list, but we may not find him. There’s a rumor of an Angels party.”
“And we can’t go there?”
I shook my head. “Our clubs aren’t getting along real well right now.” That was more than I should’ve said, technically, but it wasn’t like Elle would spout my business around town.
“Okay, so where to first?”
“A place called the Orange Iguana, a dive bar outside of town.” We left her place on my bike and rode the thirty minutes to the Iguana. I’d been there one other time, but it was too grimy for me. I parked my bike but stopped Elle when she started to walk toward the entrance. “Same rules as before.” I tipped her chin up until our eyes met. “No fighting, stick to my side, oh and don’t use the bathrooms—they’re beyond nasty.”
One side of her lips ticked up. “You sound like a girl.”
“Do not.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
Her chuckle relaxed nerves coiled tight, nerves I didn’t even realize I had. No doubt about it, her announcement had rattled me deep. I pushed that thought aside like I had every other one that had tried to creep into my brain. I had no idea how to deal with it, so I’d ignore it.
Inside, I saw a couple guys I’d met before at the bar. We sat next to Patch and I ordered us both a bottle of Corona, wanting to avoid any open containers. This place was really that nasty, the Unwashed Iguana might be a better name.
Patch and I talked about the weather and club politics, who was on the outs with who, as we drank two bottles of beer.
“I hear you and the Angels of Death are tense.” He glanced my way.
He wasn’t talking about me personally, but my club.
“They made a play on our turf, we sent them packing.” We wanted everyone to know we didn’t allow interlopers.
“They’re trying to be bigger than they are.” He sipped whiskey. “Heard they’re partying tonight with some special guests from down South.”
That was bad news for the hunt. “Hope the Bandits don’t get wind of it.” I thought about calling Charlie, but no doubt he already knew.
“True that,” Patch said.
I paid for our drinks and Elle and I headed out. She tugged me to her when I went to throw my leg over the bike seat. Her kiss pulled me under immediately.
I leaned back and broke our kiss. “You ready to hit another place?”
“Why? Our guy is at the party.”
“I heard that Mander has a woman who bartends at one of the places. Likely she won’t be there, but we can get some information.”
We headed to Tuck’s Tavern and Elle worked her magic on the guy tending bar. Mander’s girl, Sheila, would be on duty tomorrow afternoon. While she worked I dropped Charlie a quick text. We stayed good friends because of the free flow of information between us.
* * *
The next day we made it to the bar by noon, two hours before Sheila, and hopefully Mander, would make an appearance. I started with Corona and Elle ordered a Bloody Mary. We were two of the seven people in the bar, all bikers, but none of them were Angels. The place wasn’t one of my favorite hangouts but it was decent. Clean. And the manager didn’t take any shit so the bikers behaved.
“Are you going to be able to drink all day and still catch Mander?” Elle spoke low then kissed my ear.
“Baby, I’ll be stone sober. What about you?”
“No need to worry about me, baby.” She threw my words back at me. “I’m checking out the bathrooms.” She hopped off the stool and every eye watched her walk to the back of the bar because the sway of her ass was hypnotic
My phone rang. “Hey, my friend.”
“Where are you? We need to get together.” Charlie didn’t sound like his laid-back self.
“Tuck’s, but I’m working, going to take down a guy later.” I didn’t have time for a Charlie party today. The first time I’d ended up at Tuck’s I had been partying with Charlie.
“See ya there soon.” He hung up.
The ten-second conversation set me on edge because it was unlike Charlie in every way. He wasn’t serious, insistent, or short. No, this couldn’t be good news. I had a feeling I was about to see the Bandit side of Charlie, not something I ever wanted to see.
I jumped when Elle rubbed her hand along my shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” She sat down next to me.
“Charlie’s stopping by, and I don’t think it’s a friendly visit.” I rubbed a hand through my hair and debated calling Jericho.
“But we got our own business. By the way, the back door is right next to the men’s bathroom so it would be the easiest takedown.”
“If it’s just him, we strong arm him out of here, no need for waiting.” I wanted this day to be done.
“I like direct.” She squeezed my thigh.
“Yeah, look, I got to make a call, if any of these fuckers bother you, take them down.” I slid off the wood stool.
“Now I hope they start something.” Elle grinned wide. “You never let me beat up bikers.”
I snorted at the glee in her voice, but I walked along the length of the wooden bar to the exit in front. I needed to get with Jericho before I was in a corner.
“What?” Jericho answered.
I told him about the news I’d heard last night about the Angels party and then Charlie’s insistence we meet. “This sounds like Bandit business. I’ve known Charlie for years but we’ve never talked club business.”
“Sounds like the Angels have made a big, bad enemy.” Jericho paused. “If Charlie’s business affects us, then you make the call, you know him, know our limits.”
“What...” I had no words. This was above my pay grade.
“You’re on the Council, you know the area best. Decide and we’ll back your decision.” Jericho hung up.
I stood in the parking lot trying to process what my Prez just said. I’d never carried my club like this, and fear shot through me leaving an ice-cold trail in its wake. My throat clenched tight, no one had ever given me so much responsibility. Jericho trusted me to decide the future of our club. The weight of his trust settled heavy on my shoulders.
When I walked back inside, Elle laughing with the bartender eased me. Her laugh righted something inside me, shifting my burden to a much more bearable load.
“Baby, where’s the pile of bikers I expected to find?” I kissed her cheek.
She turned into my lips for a deeper kiss. She leaned back with a smile. “Chuck will tell you, I tried to lure someone over, but no one came.”
“She even winked at Johnny, over there, but he just left the bar for a table.” Chuck shook his head. “She settled with arm wrestling me.”
“Who won?”
“Chuck,” my woman growled. “He’s like an ox.”
“Thanks for entertaining her.” I gave him a nod. “Two fingers of Jack.”
He turned away from us to get my drink.
“What happened to staying sober?”
“Charlie’s coming to talk serious shit, that’s just a bracer. When he comes, we’ll go to a table, and I need you to stay here at the bar until I come get you.”
She frowned at me. “Okay, but if the opportunity is there, I’m taking Mander down.”
“Fine. No doubt you can handle it, take him in if this thing with Charlie takes too long.” I didn’t have time to worry about bounties, not until I understood what Charlie needed.
“Your business is serious.” She touched my cheek. “You okay?”
“The best.” I meant it. My fingertips tingled in anticipation. I wanted to make this deal. “I’m sorry it’s screwing with our plan.”
“I got your back.” She squeezed my hand. “Chuck, I need another Bloody Mary.”
Chuck sat down my whiskey and turned back to make her drink.
Charlie walked in the door, he had the same easygoing smile and relaxed strut I was used to. In fact I saw none of the intensity from our earlier conversation. His smile grew brighter when he spotted Elle.
“Hey, chica, I like seeing you with my man, Rebel.” He stood between us with one arm over each of our shoulders.
“Do I get to beat up bikers while you talk to Charlie?” She spoke so only me and Charlie heard her.
“Yeah, if any are stupid enough to approach, or if our guy is in position.” I winked at her. “Charlie, what do you want to drink?”
Chuck stopped in front of us, setting down the Bloody Mary on the dark wood bar.
“Give us a couple Coronas,” Charlie told him. Once we got the beer we ambled over to a table in the back corner. “Appreciate you letting me interrupt your business.”
“I’d do almost anything for you, compadre.” And I meant it. He was a great friend who’d helped me in more ways than I could count.
“What I’m going to ask you for may push that boundary.” Charlie’s eyes narrowed and intensity radiated from him. “Know I don’t ask lightly.”
So much for small talk, Charlie went straight to business.
“Man, surely I don’t have to butter you up after all we’ve been through.” He smirked at me.
“You psychic?” He’d read my mind.
“Just psychotic.” He downed half his beer. “But seriously, here’s the deal. The Angels made a deal last night with my club’s supplier.”
They were dead. The club was living on borrowed time.
“Because I wouldn’t make a deal with the supplier to take over your club’s territory—not something we wanted to do, and honestly there’s not enough profit for the war.” His cold analysis sent a chill through me. If that ever changed, the Bandits would rip through us without a second thought.
“The Angels are planning to run meth in and through your territory, want to set up labs in the hills around you since it’s close to their base of operations.”
“That’s not ever happening.” Anger ripped through me. We didn’t allow drugs in our territory, not because we had a moral cause but because it was our territory. The Brotherhood didn’t deal with drugs so no one did in our territory—it was about reputation and pride, the currency of all clubs.
“That’s what I wanted to hear. We’re coming for the fuckers from the south.” A smile colder than Jericho’s crossed Charlie’s face. “We need you to block them in from the north, not give them a way to escape. We will wipe the club off the map.”
“We don’t go all the way to Dallas.” I spoke without commitment.
“Maybe you’d be willing to patrol, control and put down any strays north of Dallas.”
Silence expanded between us. I worked out how to say what I wanted to say.
“We’d be willing to expand our patrols and collect the trash, but you’d have to dispose of it however you see fit. We’re not in the disposal business.” The Bandits would have claws into our club if we did their dirty work. “We would appreciate if your cleanup and disposal happened outside our borders.”
Charlie grinned wide. “You speak for your Prez?”
“Yeah, I called him before our meetup.” I held out my hand.
Charlie grasped it tight in a firm handshake.
“You’ll deal with me on the Brotherhood end.” I didn’t want anyone else possibly fucking up the fragile alliance with the Bandits.
“And I’ll deal with you. This is my mess to clean up.” Charlie leaned back and the intensity left in an instant. He was the Charlie I’d partied with too many times to count.
I glanced over to find Elle, but she wasn’t there, and Sheila was behind the bar. Fuck, had she taken Mander?