Stone Cold led them down a paved, winding driveway past the picturesque three-story house to the outlaying barns, where about fifty Harley’s all stood in neat little rows. Two additional barns in the distance had armed guards at the door, holding nice little AR-15s that would fuck someone up real good. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that was where the real money for the Whiskey Knights was cooking—literally.
Men mingled around a bonfire, drinking, even though it was before noon. Women, some old ladies and some sweet butts, dressed in all forms of provocative outfits hung around the fringe. The sweet smell of marijuana wafted on the soft breeze. They had more than one pair of eyes trained on them and it made Gabby’s skin itch.
Stone Cold parked his bike and kicked out the stand. Gabby and Boone followed his example as the rest of the Whiskey Knights pulled around them, blocking them. He saw Eagle staring at Kaiya once again as she dismounted from behind Boone and took off her helmet, shaking her black hair free. He had the urge to go over and pound the shit out of the fucking scout, which would probably be detrimental to staying alive, seeing he was vastly outnumbered. No doubt the other members would take exception to him killing one of their own.
Above all, he had to watch out for Kaiya. He didn’t trust any of the Knights.
“Come,” Stone Cold said, waving at them. “Let’s talk.”
Boone closed his hand around Kaiya’s as they followed the president. He was a tall man, walking with a noticeable limp to his left leg. All the members greeted him as he parted the tribe, much like Moses had done with the Red Sea.
“Starting the celebration a little early, eh?” Boone asked.
“Most of the men just came back from a successful run.” Stone Cold winked. “Very prosperous.”
They made their way up a dirt path that led to the house. Stone Cold opened the back door and entered, gesturing for them to follow. Eagle snapped the screen door shut behind them. Gabby glared at him and maneuvered so the other man wasn’t at his back. He didn’t like being so vulnerable.
The kitchen was big and bright, with the rich smell of lemon disinfectant lingering in the air. A young blonde woman stood at the sink, washing dishes and, when she glanced up, a shriek of happiness erupted from her. She threw down the sponge to bolt over to Stone Cold. He braced himself as the petite woman threw herself in his arms and slapped her mouth against his for a deep kiss. As they came up for air, the age difference was glaringly obvious. If the woman was legal, Gabby knew it was probably by the skin of her teeth.
Stone Cold disentangled himself from the blonde and turned toward them with a shit-eating grin on his face. “This is Lisa,” he said. “My soon to be old lady. Lisa, make sure you treat these men real nice. They’re special guests of the Whiskey Knights.”
“Men of Hell, eh?” she said, giving him and Boone a onceover before her gaze rested on Kaiya. “Are you an old lady?”
Kaiya shrugged in a generic sort of way. She didn’t want to be rude, but she also didn’t want to play up she could read lips or communicate.
Boone took up the introductions. “I’m Boone. This is Gabby. And this is Kaiya.”
Stone Cold nodded down a hallway and led down them toward the front of the house. Wooden planks creaked under foot, reverberating loudly. Boone held onto Kaiya’s hand just as Stone Cold held Lisa’s. The large farmhouse had been modified for the club’s need, and Stone Cold opened a door to a sealed off room to reveal their chapel. Several club Brothers stood watch just outside the screen door and they greeted Stone Cold with a nod of respect.
Stone Cold pointed at Kaiya. “This is an official meeting. She can go with Lisa.”
“Kaiya stays by my side,” Boone said in a tone that booked no argument. He was taller than Stone Cold by a few inches and greatly out muscled him. “She’s deaf and won’t hear a word of what happens inside Church. But she doesn’t leave my side.”
Stone Cold looked from him to Gabby and back. He wasn’t happy with Boone’s declaration. “Deaf, eh?”
Boone simply turned to Kaiya and signed. “Nonmembers don’t sit in Church, especially women. But I don’t trust them and I don’t want you being alone here.”
“Aren’t they your allies?” she asked with her hands.
“Not really,” he replied.
“All right,” Stone Cold said. “I get it. She can’t fucking hear.” He looked at Eagle. “You have a problem with her inside?”
Eagle shook his head.
Stone Cold kissed Lisa on the lips and patted her ass back toward the kitchen before opening the chapel doors. Lisa lingered for a moment, staring at Kaiya, before turning and walking away. Church was the formal dining room, or at least it had been once upon a time. A china hutch still resided against one wall, but instead of dishes, ammunition filled it. Next to it was a safe and a wall of weapons. Gabby had to admit, the guns were beautiful, everything from nine millimeters to Ak-47s. There was even a grenade launcher. The ATF would have a field day with the collection.
“Sit,” Stone Cold ordered. He stood behind the head chair and stared at them. Eagle and another man pulled out chairs on either side of him. Gabby waited until his V.P. and Kaiya sat before taking his own seat at the opposite end of the Whiskey Knights’ table.
“Warm fuzzies aside, why exactly have you brought us to your compound?” Boone asked, getting the ball rolling immediately.
Stone Cold nodded to the duffel bag that Eagle laid upon the table. “I’ll give you about a hundred thousand reasons.”
“The money belongs to the Men of Hell.”
Stone Cold spread his arms. “And yet you’re at the hospitality of the Whiskey Knights.”
Gabby snorted. Eagle shot him a dark look before glancing back over to Kaiya, which didn’t help Gabby’s mood at all.
“You have a beautiful compound,” Boone said diplomatically. “But we’re on a run ourselves and really need to move on.”
“And I wish to talk potential business,” Stone Cold said.
“Business?” Boone asked.
Stone Cold threaded his fingers and cracked them before settling his hands on his belly. “I propose a working relationship with the Men of Hell.”
“What could we possibly have that the Knights would want?” Boone asked. “Besides the hundred grand, of course.”
“The Men of Hell have a lucrative spot along Interstate 80. Now, I know your cashbox is hurting, so I’m very interested in making a deal to pass through your territory.”
“You interested in Colorado or Wyoming?”
“Colorado.”
“Good,” Boone said. “Keeps you out of our territory. The Men of Hell have trade in Wyoming.”
Stone Cold nodded. “I’m well aware of your relationship with the Red Wolves.”
“The Red Wolves are out of the drug-running business.”
“So I’ve heard,” Stone Cold replied. “Human trafficking. Nasty business all around. Not that I’m feeling the loss of the Demon Devils.”
Boone snorted. “Yeah, neither are we. So this trade route you’re looking for, you could easily pass right by Bair via the interstate. Free range. No need to involve us.”
“I was hoping we could become business associates,” Stone cold said. “Since you have Wyoming you can easily take our product into that market.”
“What’s your product?”
“Meth. Figured since you’re now in business with Red Eye we could be copacetic. We mule for you and you can mule for us. We’ll both increase our revenue and product services.”
Boone crinkled his brow. Gabby remembered two barns guarded far away from anything else. Pretty smart, being on private property as well as putting the dangerous kitchen away from any other building. If there were an accident, the only people who would die would be the chef, his minions, and maybe a prospect or two. Gabby wasn’t sure if getting involved with another club would be beneficial, but that’s why he wasn’t the one making the decisions.
“Romeo will want to talk with you,” Boone said. “It’s subject to a club vote, and that I can’t guarantee would be yes.”
“You can back it,” Stone Cold said. “And to show my gratitude, as well as my apologies for Vicious and Bizerk, please stay with us while we celebrate our Brother’s return.”
“You know Bizerk is dead, right?” Boone said.
The Knights stared at them in shock.
“No,” Stone Cold said slowly. “I hadn’t heard. Who did it?”
Gabby tensed. “Does it matter?”
Slowly, the Whiskey Knights’ president shook his head. “No. Vicious and Bizerk left their cuts behind when they hightailed it out of here, traitors to their colors. I would’ve shot them on sight.”
“You killed him, didn’t you?” Eagle asked, looking straight at Boone.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Boone replied coldly. “He was going to kill me.”
“Not to mention the fact that he and your other fucking reject chopped up one of our prospects and blew up our fucking bar,” Gabby snapped. He rarely said anything in meetings, but the whole situation rubbed him the wrong fucking way.
“Well, you killing Bizerk might account for why Vicious is suddenly back,” Eagle said blandly. “Following you.”
“You mean revenge.”
“Yeah, ’cause you killed the love of his life.”
Now it was their turn to stare in shock.
“Come again?” Gabby asked. “They were gay?”
“Nah,” Eagle said. He reached in his pocket and brought out a pack of cigarettes. He pulled one out, stuck it in his mouth and lit it with a lighter. “At least Bizerk wasn’t. I’m not too sure of Vicious. The man fucked pussy, but I do know he had an unhealthy obsession with Bizerk.”
“Shit,” Boone muttered as he glanced quickly at Kaiya.
Gabby could read the worry on his V.P.’s face. If Vicious wanted revenge, there wasn’t anything better than an eye for an eye.
“Enough talk about Vicious,” Stone Cold said. He pushed the duffel bag toward Boone. “I’m not going to insist on a toll as a token of good faith. Stay the day and night. The last room on the third floor is yours. Eat, drink, and fuck any sweet butt you’d like. You can even sample our product if you wish, to make sure it’s top quality shit.”
The Whiskey Knights chuckled among themselves, and as the meeting broke up, everybody rose to resume the party outside. Gabby caught Eagle staring once more at Kaiya.
He cracked his knuckles.
Chapter Thirteen
Kaiya wasn’t sure how to process the conversation that had happened in the meeting. She’d gotten most of it, missing only a few things when she couldn’t see someone’s lips. The Whiskey Knights were very different from the Men of Hell—darker, scarier. The compound seemed to have been a farm at one time. The untended fields lay fallow and overgrown. Now it was a fortified fortress that looked a lot like her grandfather’s estate in Los Angeles—the men, the guns, the sense of danger lurking everywhere. The differences came in minute details, like the drugs on blatant display. The sickly sweet smell of weed lingered in the air. Even the more hardcore drugs like crack and heroin were being passed around in small circles. Many women were undressed, showing more tits and ass than she’d ever seen in her life. There were even couples fucking out in the open. Her grandfather would’ve never allowed such open sexual behavior.
Did the Men of Hell party like this? The few times she’d walked into that part of the clubhouse, she’d not seen this type of behavior. Had they and Chloe been sheltering her from this side of gang life? Or were the Men of Hell a different type of club altogether?
She didn’t like the fact that once again someone seemed to be babying her, as if she were capable of breaking. What would it take to prove she was strong? Worthy of being trusted and part of club life? Hell, she didn’t even
know
what it meant to be part of the club life. She tugged on Boone’s hand. When he looked at her, she signed that she had to use the restroom. He glance over her head to Stone Cold and asked for her. Even though she read the answer on the other man’s lips, she still waited for Boone to direct her. She had a feeling she shouldn’t reveal too much to this man.
“Second floor, first door on the right.”
“I’ll wait for you,” Gabby signed.
She shook her head and told him she’d be right back. He didn’t like that, and she could tell by way he furrowed his brow, but she needed a moment. As she walked away, the stares of the men stayed on her back.
She lingered in the bathroom as she took care of business and washed up as best as possible—collecting herself. No use getting worked up over a possibility, especially since they were pilgrims in an unholy land. When she opened the door to exit, Eagle leaned against the opposite wall, arms folded over his chest as he waited. She blinked, suddenly unsure under his bold gaze.
“I know you can read my lips,” he said, straightening. “I see things and I knew you understood everything that was said in that meeting.”
She lifted her chin.
“I’m not here to twist your panties.” He smiled, although it was more predatory than anything else. “You with Boone?”
She nodded.
“Any chance he’d share you?”
She shook her head no.
“Are you sure?”
She walked away without answering and or looking back. She didn’t trust these Whiskey Knights at all, and now she trusted Eagle even less. She could feel his stare on her back and she withheld the shudder of nervousness that coursed through her. Why was he following them? Was it true what he’d said about Vicious? She didn’t know the man, since she’d come after he had shot Chloe, but she knew the story.
At the bottom of the stairs, she glanced where the club’s chapel was located and saw Stone Cold talking covertly to the men who had been sitting in front of the television. He suddenly looked up and their gazes met. The man scared her. He’d clearly gotten his nickname from how emotionless, how soulless his black eyes were. She turned away and headed toward the kitchen. Lisa was still there, chopping vegetables. She smiled at Kaiya and held up a finger, halting her retreat. Lisa wiped her hands and grabbed a pen and small notebook from a drawer. She wrote something and held it up.
“Would you like something to eat or drink?”
Kaiya’s first instinct was to say no, but her belly rumbled. It’d been a few hours since breakfast. She held her hand for the paper and pen and Lisa handed them over. “Eat. Thank you.”