"Hawk and I called this emergency church ‘cause we found out some shit about the gun sale that's due to go down soon. The one with the motherfuckin' Demon Riders. I'll let Hawk take it from here." Banger sat down and gave his attention to the VP.
"After a lot of digging and hacking into programs and layers of security, I found out the Demon Riders have taken on a few more illegal activities. I wasn't surprised by that since Dustin and Shack made money the same way when they were giving Banger and the mother club the finger and doing whatever the fuck they wanted in Nebraska."
The brothers grumbled among themselves, cursing the renegade Insurgents who'd sullied their club and disrespected its colors. Chas pounded his hand on the table. "I know I say this every time those fuckers come up at one of our churches, but we shoulda killed ‘em when we had them." The members yelled out their agreement.
"I agree with Chas. I'm goddamned pissed at myself for letting over twenty years of friendship cloud my judgment. I should've ordered the execution of those two sonsofbitches. I fucked up and now the brotherhood is paying for it." Banger scratched his chin.
"What's done is done. We've all fucked up, so now's not the time to rehash old shit. We gotta deal with the fuckin' mess we have in front of us." Hawk took a gulp of beer. "As I was saying, the money to buy the arms is coming from the Demon fucks' newest endeavors. They're into prostitution-and they're using minors again-counterfeiting, forgery, and it's looking like they're dipping into trafficking women."
"Fuckin' pussies," Chicory yelled out.
"I say we should ride to Iowa and burn their fuckin' clubhouse down with them in it." Throttle shoved back in his chair, his tattoos shimming across his tense arms.
Hawk watched as the brothers screamed out what they wanted to do to the rival club. He had half a mind to take a posse and ride up to Iowa to kick some Demon Riders' ass, but he just leaned back and let the anger dispel. After many minutes, the brothers quieted down, resumed their seats, and looked at the vice president.
"Their businesses are something we gotta discuss at another time since we have to break the money flow, or else we'll be putting fires out like this for too fuckin' long. Liam found out where the Gypsy Fiends are getting their funding. It's from Frederick Blair." Hawk held his hands up as if to quell another outburst. "Frederick Blair is the money behind this deal. He's getting the weapons from a Russian dealer. And Liam's goddamned pissed that Blair didn't use him to make the deal."
"And Liam kissed his ass by asking us to be the fucker's babysitter. I knew the guy was a piece of shit the first time I met him. Thought he was too good for us, and he's as dirty as mud." Bones shook his head and crossed his arms.
Banger stood up. "Agreed. And the asshole's fired us from any future guard gigs. Like we give a shit." All the brothers laughed. "But I'm worried about Rock down in Lafayette by himself. The Gypsy Fiends are there, and I got a feeling Frederick fuckface isn't too far away."
"How the hell did a rich dude like him get mixed up with the Gypsy assholes?" Bear said.
Hawk cleared his throat. "According to what I uncovered, Blair owes the Fiends for helping him with a problem he had in Louisiana several years ago. Seems like he cheated some stockholders. Only a couple were brave enough to agree to testify against him, and they ended up disappearing. The whole incident had the markings of an outlaw club. The Gypsy Fiends also run the casinos that Blair owns in Louisiana."
Banger wiped his forehead with a tissue. "The more shit I'm hearing about this bastard, the less of a good feeling I'm getting with Rock being all alone in the thick of this. It seems like the rich fuck is in tight with the Gypsy Fiends. And he's still livid about that chick Rock's taken up with. Liam said he wants her back real bad, and he's not too happy about Rock plucking her out from under his fuckin' nose."
"She wants a man instead of a wimpy fucker," Wheelie said. "Can we help it if women love biker cock?" The men hooted and whistled as Banger and Hawk laughed.
After the noise died down, Hawk said, "I think we should get some brothers together and go to Lafayette, see if we can offer the Gypsy fucks a better deal with a much bigger price tag. Rock can help us out since he's already down there. Let's take a vote on it."
The vote was unanimous, and by the time church was over it was decided that Hawk, Puck, Throttle, Blade, Axe, Bones, Wheelie, Chicory, Tigger, Bear, Hoss, Blade, Ruben, and Chas would leave early the following morning to make the long journey to Lafayette.
As they drank beer and shots in the great room, Hawk looked around and a swell of pride spread over him. This is what the brotherhood is to each of us. Love, support, loyalty, and respect, and we'll fuckin' come together to crush anyone who threatens that.
He finished his beer and left the club, anxious to spend the night making love to his woman.
Chapter Seventeen
Rock tucked his 9mm Glock into his side waistband, his knife went down his boot, and he placed a large padlock with a bandana tied to it in his back pocket. The padlock was like a blackjack and could do some serious damage to someone; it was a favorite weapon of his and many of his Insurgent brothers.
He went into the bedroom. Propped up on several pillows, Clotille watched him, her face illuminated by the flickering screen of the television.
"Where're you going?"
He walked over to her and kissed her firmly on the mouth while his hands cupped her tits and kneaded them. "Club business." He pulled away, not wanting to arrive too late. He'd decided to get there early and hang out to see if he could spot anyone. He wasn't sure if it was an ambush or a person who wanted to help him, so he'd be prepared.
"What time will you be home?"
"I don't know."
"Is your business dangerous?" Worry creased her brow as she sat straighter.
"Chérie, life is dangerous. I'll be okay. Don't worry. When I get back, I'll fuck you real good." He moved forward and kissed her again, but when he tried to move away that time, she looped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her while her tongue pushed against his teeth, coaxing his mouth to let her in. He parted his lips and her tongue invaded his mouth as she grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked. "Fuck. You're making it hard for me to go," he said against her lips. Her tongue kept pushing in deeper, and his thumbs rubbed her taut nipples. His jeans had grown uncomfortably tight in the crotch, and he knew if he stayed any longer he'd end up fucking her until morning.
He gently loosened her arms around his neck. "I'll be back," he whispered in her ear.
"Be careful," she said, concern punctuating her words. "I really care about you."
He nodded and headed out of the room. Isa was sitting with Charlie watching television when he walked through the family room. "I've got something I have to do. Can I borrow your SUV?" The last thing Rock wanted to do was announce to the neighborhood that he'd arrived with his cams screaming. Charlie and Isa looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't ask any questions ‘cause I can't answer them."
"The keys are in the basket on the side table," Isa mumbled.
"I'll be back later." Before the couple could reply, he'd slipped out the door into the inky night.
Rock had been to Madame Vincennes's house many times when he was a young boy with his mother. She had come to the fortune-teller to find out how she could calm the restlessness in her husband's heart. She'd leave the house with a bag of potions for all sorts of desires: curing the need for alcohol, keeping him home, making him love only her, and keeping the family safe. Rock couldn't remember a time when his mother didn't have a candle burning and some mixture of herbs she'd bought from Madame.
Hidden in the bushes, he looked at the old wooden house and wondered if Madame had seen how his mother was going to die in her tea leaves. He waited, his senses all on high alert, but except for the nocturnal sounds of nature, nothing was amiss. He looked at the time-twenty minutes past nine o'clock. Maybe this is someone playing a joke on me. Deciding to give it ten more minutes, he kept his vigil. Then he saw a figure dart from behind the house and approach the cypress tree. The figure's head moved right and left as though searching for him. He slowly walked out of the brush and came around the house from behind.