“Do you know where Lora is?” Henry looks at me hard.

  “If Rye wasn’t at the ranch, I would say there, but for some reason that woman will not cross a Black brother. I think if she knew that Rye was going to stay with Deb, she would have backed down. That’s the reason Lora would never go after the third sister, that girl is a Black, and Lora is scared to the core of any Black.” I send Rye a message and he replies within seconds. The message has me interested but I will need to look into it later.

  “It seems that Lora was a club whore herself at one time and she had been tangled up with Whiskey. Both Bourbon and Rye ran her off and said they would kill her if she ever showed her head around them again. Seems Lora has a death wish. If she isn’t at the ranch then where?”

  “That dive motel in Mt. Vernon. She’ll be with Driver.” Lora is running out of places to go. I send Sean and Cooper a text to see if they can find out about Braun. I send another text after I think about it a minute. I think this thing is deeper than what we are thinking. All these people have cooperated with very little pressure. These people are being used and so are we. I send Cooper one last text.

  “Keys wrap it up and call the cops.” I know Keys heard me because he has been monitoring the live feed most of the afternoon. Henry and Slayer are the two most shocked. “You assholes are all going to get exactly what you deserve. Shield, you and Buster ride over to the ranch and give Rye and Bourbon the details of where Lora is and keep guard until I get back there. Stealth, you and Zeus decide the punishment for Lee and Chanel but make sure they never return to our clubhouse. They are done here, and they leave with what they came with. I will take care of Dee. There will be someone picking her up so be sure she has access to the bathroom and make sure she is fed and has plenty of water.” I look back to the group of men. “The cops will be picking you up and you will be arrested for your crimes. Don’t try getting out of the charges or I will put a bullet between your eyes before you get out of the parking lot. Slayer and Ritter, you will go down for embezzlement and theft of goods. Either plead guilty or die. I will provide the cops with enough proof that they will bury you. Don’t worry boys, the clean doctored books show every dime you took. Preece, you are going to take a plea for battery of a woman and blackmail, but your lawyer will need to file diminished capacity papers, that way you’ll be sent to a facility to get you some help. If you ever get out don’t let me see your face. Henry, you get the big charges—attempted murder, embezzlement, cruelty to animals, and blackmail—since you supplied the material for Preece. The rest of you just say you’re guilty at whatever they throw at you because if I see any of your faces again, you will be going to ground. I am trying to take this club in a more civilized way of life but just so you know, I will not hesitate to kill any one of you if I ever see you again. Is everyone clear on what I just said. I have surveillance feed of all of you confessing your guilt. Brothers let’s clean up before the cops get here and everyone get some sleep tonight because our new support club will be keeping guard. Oh, and Micah is now my ol’ lady.” I say the last part with a pride I have never felt before.

  23

  Sarge…

  I thought since we were handing off the Lora woman to the Black brothers this would go faster but with the cops tearing the clubhouse apart it’s taken us until early evening until I could get the time to meet Cooper and Sean. Stealth and Keys rode along with me. We pull over in the grass at the city limit sign of Saltillo and wait. Sean and Cooper arrive a few minutes after we do. We get off our bikes and walk to each other.

  “Why did you change your mind about the information?” Cooper asks. I see Sean is watching me closely.

  “I came to you with what was presented to me at that time but when I thought about the situation it seemed off. The men that we had were only fall men and if I am right whoever is controlling this shit going on wants us to be as gullible as the assholes we were questioning. The whole thing just reeks of a trap.” I look closely at Cooper. “I know you have all the high-tech spy shit set up at your homes but how many people know that? This plan has been in motion for a while. Whoever planned it must have known that we crossed paths before. They are probably watching us now. Is there any way if you run that information from me that it could be intercepted by someone else that has as much hardware as you do? I’m thinking someone wants this information bad, someone like Petrov.”

  “No one is listening.” Sean pulls a match box looking device out of his front pocket. “All anyone can hear is static.”

  “This plan is too complicated for the dumbasses that we just rounded up. One busted kneecap and they couldn’t talk fast enough. They don’t have the stomach for it.” I give the two men my thoughts.

  “What happened to the men you questioned? Are they dead?” Cooper asks me. No one ever listens.

  “The cops have them in jail with taped confessions.” That’s all they need to know.

  “Where’s the woman?” Sean asks.

  “Rye and Bourbon are taking care of her. They have a beef from years ago. I let them take care of her and the last four men.” I tell them the truth.

  “We are giving you a warning and take and do with it as you may. Stay away from Petrov. He will kill entire families without a bit of remorse. The man is ruthless but for every big shark in the pond there is an even bigger, stronger, and hungrier one. Petrov is not only trouble, but also has trouble hunting him. If Braun has the ability to take Petrov down, then these people are going to want that information. I will tell you Braun is alive. Don’t talk about any of this where it can be heard because if you are no longer useful to whoever wants to use your club then you are expendable and if you become a nuisance then you all will be as good as dead. We are doing some good old-fashioned legwork on this one without technology so we can’t be detected. Petrov also has alerts on him when someone cross-references his name.” Sean looks at Keys to be sure he is paying attention. “We have a score to settle with Petrov ourselves. Until we did a little digging, we didn’t even know it. Watch your backs. Petrov has a ground man that gets sent to the states a lot. He goes by Atticus. We are working on getting a last name and picture. We’ll be in touch. I think we need to work on this together. Think about it. We’re out.” That was it. Cooper stated what he needed to and then he and Sean were gone. We don’t know much more than we did when we got here except Braun is alive and our lives just got a little more complicated.

  “What do you think?” Stealth asks me.

  “I think my gut was right and we just stepped into deeper shit. Spread the news around about what they told us but only to the officers. This needs to be held close to the vest.” I go with my gut reaction.

  “Are you telling Micah?” That is the same question I have been asking myself.

  “No, this is club business. We will handle it and Micah will just need to understand. I do need to warn Dra and Devil. They need to guard their families. I also need to make Rye aware; he has Deb to protect. Not now, but very soon I will make those calls. My mind is straight now. I have a couple of targets and now it is time to search and destroy.

  24

  Two months later

  Micah...

  Everything has fallen into place for Mason and me. I know there are things that he isn’t telling me, but I am alright with that. I don’t need to micromanage every corner in our relationship. I can honestly say that I love and trust him, and he loves and trusts me in his own way. He hasn’t gotten the memo that he can’t micromanage every second of my day. If I am sad or I get the pre-mommy blues, he is ready to kill someone. If I stub my toe, then he is carrying me across the room and keeping me bundle in his arms. He tries to be home every hour he can, but I remind him that he has a club to run and he can’t do that from home. I shove him out the door in the mornings, so I can get some work done. That is the only point of contention in our home. I want to get on with the plans for the ranch and I want to get our home finished. He wants me to take it easy. I’m pregnant, not sick. I can look at plans, pay invoices, and yell at the workers, which I do a lot since we almost started over with the ranch roster. Mason wants me rested so when he gets home, we can get naked for the rest of the night. If I don’t have dinner done by the time he arrives home, we would never eat anything but take out.

  The trouble has died down for now. Mason wants me to believe he is just being cautious to have a prospect tailing me at all times, but I know there is trouble out there somewhere and it’s coming for us one day. I feel it in the depths of my bones. We’ll be prepared though, and we will get through it, with the club’s help.

  I was glad that Mason didn’t need to kill Henry. I know that I should hate the man but every time I think I get there, I remember something he helped me with when I was growing up. I hate what he did, but I can’t despise the man. I’ll get a handle on it. The rest of the things that went on I’m not even clear on. Mason is and that’s all that matters. I hate that some of it was to just hurt Aunt Deb and our family. We have worked hard on this ranch and no one will ever take it from us while we are still alive. Aunt Deb has Rye in her life now and I wouldn’t say it in front of Rye, who am I kidding, of course I would, they are downright cute together. I love that Aunt Deb has that. What is wrong with my head, everything thing is cute or adorable? I’ve never thought like this before, but Callie told me it’s the mommy reaction so to get used to it because I would have it for a long time to come.

  Yes, it’s time that we get the elephant out of the room. We made a trip to Oklahoma to visit Callie and Devil and they both gave us a big congratulations. Mason may have loved Callie at one time but now he is all mine. Callie wished us well and Devil is glad that Mason has someone else to give his attention to instead of his wife. We are all alright together and we don’t need to tiptoe around the subject anymore which is good since I am not good at that at all.

  Stealth is friendlier to me now. He opened up to me about some woman or should I say women trouble he has going on. I think he just needed a woman’s prospective. I would share but since his book is coming this fall, I better let him tell his own story.

  Mason still hasn’t talked me into the idea of the whole wedding rings and ceremony thing. I don’t know how a chunk of metal with a rock on top of it, a marriage license, and a preacher will make our lives any better. I have agreed to a commitment ceremony in theory, but we’ll see. I’m in no hurry and neither of us is going anywhere.

  Soon we will know the sex of our baby. I can’t wait. Mason is determined it will be a girl and I am hoping for a boy. There have been no boys on our ranch with our bloodline for many years and I want to breathe some life back into this place. It’s not that I think a girl couldn’t do that too, but I want a beautiful boy that looks just like his dad.

  I hear a commotion at the back of the house in the kitchen area. I make my way in there and what I see makes me want to laugh and scream at the same time. I see my twin sister but she’s not my twin sister. She looks nothing like me and then B runs up to my legs and I bend down and kiss her head. I see the baby in his car seat and Maddie looks weighted down.

  “What in the hell have you done with your hair and what are you wearing?” I have never seen my sister look like this. Her hair is teased so high if it had a nose it might get nosebleed. She has tight black pleather leggings on with heels so high I know my sister did not buy them. Her makeup looks like she put it on in a dark room and she caked it on and I smell the most pungent aroma and it’s cheap perfume. I want to laugh and cry at the same time.

  “Cut the shit Micah. I thought I was keeping my man happy but that isn’t what I was doing at all. He used me as his personal little project. He was going to make me the woman of his dreams.” That is almost laughable, but I see the hurt in Maddie’s eyes and hear the devastation in her voice.

  “Wait, did you get a boob job? You did, didn’t you.” I am serious. Her boobs are bigger.

  “You are such a bitch. It’s a push up bra to keep the girls where they are supposed to be. Dra doesn’t like the natural look; he wants boobs up on my chin and at attention.” Maddie sets the car seat down and the baby is sound asleep. She puts B at the table with some crackers and a cup of juice. She slumps in the chair beside B and lays her head on the table.

  “Explain Maddie. This look,” I raise my eyebrow. “isn’t you. This could never be you and you are cussing like me. When did that happen?”

  “Micah, don’t you think I don’t know this already. I gave my marriage everything that I could. I tried to be what Dra needed but he wants me to look and act like a club whore. I won’t do it anymore. I can’t. Dra brought one of his brothers home from the club and he thought he was going to share me. I got out of there three nights ago, and I haven’t received one call from him. Have you heard from him because it seems to me if he was worried about me or our children someone would have heard about us missing? I called Callie and she said she hadn’t heard from him. She wanted me to go to Oklahoma, but Micah, I am just ready to come home. I’m done and I’m pregnant again. I want me back and I want my children raised here and away from Dra. The brother was my last give a damn. I have caught him with a club whore in his room, but he swears they were just talking, but he wanted me to have a threesome with him and that same whore. When I refused, he made a prospect take me home and he stayed at the clubhouse for two days. I went there and they made me leave, said I couldn’t see Dra. When he finally came home, he had hickeys all over him. He was daring me to ask him and I wasn’t doing it and then he brought home that brother and I just wasn’t accepting anymore shit. I have eaten shit from that man for too long. I just want a divorce and to raise my children here where I grew up. I will do my part and stay out of your way. I know you and Mason are just starting out and I don’t want to put this burden on you but please let us move home.” I look at Maddie and I want to be the big sister that tells her to stand by her man and make it work for her children but fuck that shit. It is time for Dra to take a little of what he is dishing out. I keep a straight face.

  “There are a couple of conditions.” Maddie’s face looks hopeful. What the hell? This is both our homes, not just mine and what does she think I am going to say to her. “Or maybe more than a few.”

  “Anything,” Maddie says in desperation.

  “Tomorrow we make an appointment to get your hair back to its natural color and cut this shit out of it. Blonde is not your color. Then I want us to go and buy clothes that you like to wear and burn these. I mean really, those shoes should be considered lethal weapons and that bra might assault you. That thing is under pressure and one snap of a hook and it’s going to be tits for everyone to see. The last, is please tell me this is the last time you let Dra use you as a rug. He doesn’t own you and you should never do anything that you don’t want to even if you are married to the asshole. This is your home and you never need to ask to live here just do it. Life is life, it is what it is. When you have shoveled enough shit for one person then it’s time to call it quits but be sure Maddie. Being mad is one thing, get pissed, but it’s better to get even and walk away with your head held high.” I try to be as tactful as possible.

  “Are telling me to cheat on my husband?” I know this is what Maddie expects.

  “Never, because that isn’t you getting even, that is you once again stooping as low as him. You’re not the cheating kind, the guilt would eat you alive. I mean be sure it’s over and then live the best damn life that you can with your children. Living the best life and being yourself will always be the best revenge and all you need to be is yourself. I am your twin sister and you have my support every step of the way no matter what you choose, and I know Aunt Deb will feel the same way. Everyone else can kiss your lily-white ass.” Maddie smiles.

  “I love you sister and thank you, that is exactly what I needed. It’s like a kick in the ass with a big hug at the end.” Maddie always finds the silver lining.

  “Right back atcha sista.” I grin from ear to ear. I have everything here now and I couldn’t be happy.

  Epilogue

  Sarge…

  I sit across the street and I wait. I tried to let this go, but I couldn’t. These people not only came to hurt my club, but they came to hurt my ol’ lady, neither is acceptable.

  I could sit back and let the law do their thing. How long would that take and how hard would the slap on the wrist be? No, not acceptable. I will never let anyone walk this earth that tries to harm Micah or our child.

  The club let Dee, Lee, and Chanel walk away but they had conditions and one of those conditions is to never contact the club, any brother, or each other. It’s been two months and here the three of them are sitting and talking like they haven’t a care in the world. I could take all three of them out right now, but Lee and Chanel didn’t commit the offenses that Dee did, so I need to set an example of what happens when you don’t follow the rules.

  I sit in my spot and don’t move. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink. I don’t eat and I don’t even move to piss. I put my body in a total stillness until I see the three get ready to leave the diner. I wipe my hands on my jeans. I get in my last position. Dee walks out first, and one shot is fired. No noise until the screaming. The warning is sent, and Dee is bleeding all over the sidewalk. Already dead before her body hit the concrete. I should feel remorse, I don’t. I feel nothing. I retrieve my shell and I have everything put away and am out the door and then down the stairs. My body concealed by dark clothing and my face covered. I am in the old car I stole and down the block before I hear the sirens. I drive the old beat-to-hell car to the town over and ditch it. I change clothes in the woods and then burn them. I walk back to my truck and it’s time to go home and see my sexy as fuck woman. I can’t get enough of her. Today the earth is a safer place, we are happy, but no one knows what tomorrow will bring. We have a war brewing on the horizon but that doesn’t keep me from living today.