Authors: Sabrina Riley
Chapter 3
Mandi watched the man leave and then sighed deeply. It was finally a time that she could soak it all up and then cry it out. All she could think about was her father and never getting to see him again. There was no talk of funerals or anything in the way of normal grieving because she was expected to not break down. Her father’s body, when it was found, would be part of a crime scene and she knew that she was never going to see him again.
Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to cry some. Her mother had left them years before. Mandi didn’t even know where she was anymore. It was too hard to keep up with each move as she went from man to man. Mandi sighed to herself, not sure what she was going to do. Carson’s ideas that she would take over the Demon Riders was just madness. She was a college student that was studying law. The last thing she needed was to get astride a motorcycle and act like she had no sense. It was just silly to think about, but the idea of letting everything that Cass had worked so hard for, go down the drain was not an option either. She was pulled from one thing to the next and there was nothing that she could do about it.
She finally got up, sick of moping and feeling sorry for herself. Mandi knew that something was going to happen, she could feel it, but there was nothing she could do until she was let out of that place. All she had to do was wait for Billy to be caught. Her eyes closed at the memory of the man that had turned on her father. It was a face that she knew now, would never go away, permanently burned in her memory. He was another man that her father had taken under his wing and paid dearly for.
The surroundings were not helping her mood and she went outside, even though she said that she wouldn’t. Mandi felt strange out in the bayou and she wondered if she was on an island. It felt like an island with very little land and water almost all the way around them. With the light she could see what she had suspected, the marks on the house poles told her that the ground she stood on was regularly under water.
It was not a place that Mandi would usually find herself in. She was more the type that stayed close to the city and all of the luxuries that afforded. Her father made good money as the leader of the motorcycle gang and had always taken good care of her. It was just another thing that she would have to think about now, when for so long it was all taken care of by someone else. She was just once again reminded that she was in a very vulnerable position and Mandi didn’t like the feel of it.
After a few minutes outside, she decided to take a shower and find some clothes to wear. She started the hot water and went back into his bedroom to see if there was anything smaller that she could wear. Mandi was shocked to find several women’s clothes there on one side of the closet. She tried a few of them on, but they all seemed ripped and she ended up just finding some of his shorts and a T shirt that looked like it may have been shrunk. It was all there was and when she went out again, she at least felt better dressed.
She walked slowly on the muddy ground and went to the edge of the water and looked out. There were mangroves everywhere and then an opening from the channel. Mandi didn’t know how long she was out there when she heard his voice behind her.
“You know there are alligators in that water, right?”
She looked down and then stepped back from the edge suddenly. He laughed at her sudden movement and she wasn’t too happy with his humor. He was of course being serious, but that didn’t help the situation.
“I thought I told you to stay inside?”
Mandi shrugged and helped him with one of the bags that came from her room. “I don’t like to listen to well, so you will just have to get used to that.”
Carson nodded, though his eyes were on his old shirt from grade school that she was wearing. It fit her top too well and it was clear that she had forgotten to put anything on underneath it. Her slight chest moved as they walked back up to the front of the house and he found it almost impossible to move his eyes away.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Huh. Yeah, what?”
“Did you bring the things on the list?”
He nodded and motioned to the bag that was in his hands. He had gotten almost everything on the list, though a few of the fruits she listed he had never heard of and the store he went to didn’t stock them. Instead of pointed it out though, Mandi just seemed happy that there was something to eat instead. She didn’t ask about Billy until she had made them both lunch.
It was so natural for her and Carson was left just watching her move about his kitchen, in his boxers and bare feet. The scene was almost surreal and he still wasn’t quite sure how he felt about all of it.
“So when are you going to go to the meeting?”
He pulled his eyes from her and focused on the sandwich in front of him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean when are you going to go get Billy? It’s what I would do. Set up a meeting and see if he comes. If not, at least it will let everyone know what is going on. Maybe I should go.”
Carson shook his head no and didn’t even want to talk about it. The last thing that he needed was to have to worry about her, as well as everyone else there. “No, you are going to stay here.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“You have to. I promised Cass that I would keep you safe and I meant it. There is nothing that can be done about it. You need to stay here until I can get this all figured out. Your father wants you safe.”
“If he wanted me safe, he shouldn’t have asked me to take over. He knows that I want to be a lawyer, which is going to be kind of hard if I get involved in this life.”
Carson didn’t know what to say. He knew that Cass’ daughter was going to school, but he wouldn’t have imagined that she was going for law. It seemed strange with what her father did.
“I am just trying to keep you safe Mandi, that’s it. Just bear with me for a couple of days and we will have this whole Billy thing sorted out. I know that it must be hard on you, but I promise it is only temporary.”
“Keen to get rid of me?”
He nodded that he wasn’t. “No one ever cooks for me Mandi, so no, you can stay as long as you like.”
She smiled back at him and it was impossible to hide the pleasure in her face. Mandi was warming up to the man that had kind of scared her in the beginning. He was gentle with her and there was something in his eyes that made her know that she was safe. Her father had not chosen him for no reason, but because he trusted him and Mandi knew that she could trust him too.
“Well I don’t see myself setting up house here, but I don’t know if I am ready to go back home anyways. It is going to be so big and empty there. I don’t know if I want to even think about all of it, but I am worried about school. I can’t really miss any classes right now. I should be there now.”
“That I can’t let you go. If Billy was looking for you it will be the first place that he goes to.”
“Even if I ask nicely?” She gave him a look over her batted eyes that made him nervous. Right then, he knew that Mandi could be dangerous and by the look she was giving him, she knew it.
“No, even if you asked nicely and batted your eyes like that. I just want to keep you safe Mandi, that’s it. When it is all over you can retake those classes. Your father has plenty of money put up for a rainy day for you.”
The reminder that he was gone made her a bit teary-eyed and she looked away. “Sorry Mandi, I don’t think before I speak some times.” He put his arm around her and pulled her in for a half-sided hug from where he sat. She started to cry more and he just held her harder. There was no denying the grief that they both felt and when she finally pulled away from his embrace, her lips brushed against his so softly that he almost wondered if it had actually happened.
“Sorry about that. I know I am not supposed to cry, but I am really going to miss him.”
Carson told her that it was understandable and even his eyes felt the painfully burn around the rims when he thought about Cass being gone. It just hadn’t been very long and he still had to take the time to process it all. Then, he was more worried about what was supposed to happen next.
“Why don’t I get the rest of the stuff put away and you can go take a nap. You look like you need some more rest and try to stay indoors, please.”
“Are you leaving?”
He nodded that he was. “Make sure you get that son of a bitch Carson. Just promise me that you will take care of it.”
“I promise.”
Carson felt strange having to have promise another Norrige. It would seem that he was as much a slave to Cass as he had always been. Could he work under Mandi as well? He wasn’t sure and Carson knew that it was going to be hard for others to follow her as well. She was just so different than what they were used to. Could she really step up and make it happen? He just wasn’t so sure, but knew that he would do his best to take care of it for her.
Chapter 4
Carson couldn’t take his mind off of Mandi at his house, in his bed and with all of her trust in him. Jaime nudged him as a few of the last men came in for the meeting. They were all at the building that Cass had been killed at and a few of them showed signs of knowing that. If their eyes were searching for the man’s body, it was enough for Carson to know that they were involved. He would never have all of the information, but he was more worried about missing a traitor, than taking out someone that was just unlucky. It was a hard way to look at it, but as the list got longer, his resolve got harder.
“Anyone know where Billy is? This would be a good time for him to be here.”
There were a few murmurs, but no one knew where he was and there was a few nervous looks on several people’s face. Carson was smiling, tough on the outside he wanted to just to scream. It was too much for him, but he had to go on. It all had to be settled and there wasn’t much else he could do.
“For those of you that don’t know, we lost Cass last night. He was shot in the chest and died almost immediately from his injuries.”
“Did he say anything about who did it?”
Carson nodded. “No Lee. I wasn’t given anything more to use, but I have some ideas. The Demon Riders have many enemies, so there is a list of them to go through, but I assure you that I will make sure that all parties involved pay.”
The man was on his list and Carson noticed him swallowing hard. He noted it and it made him smile. Good, they should be nervous, because he always kept his promises and the one that he had made to Mandi, he meant to keep. Whether she was sheltered from the life or not, there was her father’s fire in her eyes and Carson knew that it would be enough.
“So who is going to take over, you?”
Carson shook his head. “No, I am just here to make sure that his wishes are carried out.”
“I thought you said that he didn’t say anything before he died?”
Again, he eyed the man speaking and it was another one from the list. It was more of a confirmation for them and he smiled back at Jeff. “He didn’t, but he had everything written out and he had lawyers. You should know Jeff, that Cass was always a few steps ahead of everyone else.”
“That’s true, but I would think it would go to Billy.”
Carson sat back and smiled. There it was. That was what he had been looking for and the several men that shook their heads in agreement made him realize that he was right. They were all telling him without words that they were involved. In the end, it was about money and getting more of it. Billy must have promised the moon to get them all to help him. Carson knew that it was going to be the last mistake they made.
“Well I do not see him here. It makes me wonder if he cares about the Demon Riders or not. He was Cass’ second and where is he now?”
Jeff spoke up again, feeling more confident with the idea of his friend coming to power. “I talked to him earlier and he said he would try to come, but he had a few things to attend to.”
Carson nodded and seemed to be agreeing with it. “Yes, I am sure he has many things to take care of, but he is needed here now. See if you can call him and have him meet us here. This is for everyone and since he was second, I feel like he should be here.”
Jeff kind of looked at him as if he didn’t have a right to ask such a thing. Carson was not going to be in control after all, but still he didn’t have the confidence to say something to him about it. Carson had a reputation of brutality and no one that knew him wanted to get in his way. Everyone there knew him quite well and if they had an opinion, they kept it to themselves.
“I will see what I can do.”
“You do that Jeff and we will reconvene in a couple of hours.”
There was a hint of groaning in the air, but no one really was more verbal than the next, not wanting to be picked out of the crowd. There were over thirty members of the gang and Carson had a list of seven of them that had to be taken care of. Who was left was going to have a different reality and he couldn’t even think about how it was going to be to have Mandi there as their leader. He was going to have to back her up for men like them to follow her. Even if he did, he wondered if everything was going to crumble anyways. That was what made him worry the most and he hoped that Billy showed up at the second half of the meeting.
Carson stayed seated, watching a few of them bunch up and discuss what was going on. It was all of them on his list and then another one had to be added. Jaime looked down at the piece of paper before he put it back in his vest pocket. “Let’s go have some lunch Carson.”
He nodded and followed him out. He could feel eyes on him and he knew that they were trying to figure out what was going to happen. Carson didn’t say a word, let them wonder and he hoped that Billy made an appearance. It was one thing that would really make his day.
***
When Carson got back, a few people were missing, but he already knew that they were trying to get away. Billy showed up though and his mind was pulled from the helpers, to the man with the plan. Billy’s smile was too big and he seemed unbothered about killing off his mentor. Carson let him take over the meeting, his words as shadowed as the man.
“I don’t know what we are going to do without Cass…He was like a father to us all.”
Carson’s eyes closed for a moment and his hands went to fists in his lap. The very idea that he was talking about him in such a way was a joke and it angered him to no end. He caught Jaime looking at him and shaking his head. He was trying to tell Carson not to do what he knew he was going to do, but Carson didn’t have a choice. How could he let him keep talking in such a way about a man that really had been like a father to him?
He stood up and pulled out his gun, shooting Billy and then three of the men there that he knew were involved. Jaime was given the rest of the list and sent out with two other men to take care of the rest of them. Everyone left was left to stare at the bodies and Carson knew he should have waited. But he couldn’t listen to the murderous man any longer and felt like he did what he had to do.
“This was not how this was supposed to go, but the idea was to get Billy here. Cass told me that Billy shot him and his daughter was to be taking over. Revenge was meted as it should have been. If there is anyone that has a problem with that, go now, but if you are part of it and stay, I will find out and your fate will be the same.”
His dark eyes looked at each one and wanted to see their eyes, sure that he would have known if any of them were in on it. There was a lot of shock, but no one said anything to oppose him. Cass may have given the gang to his daughter, but it was clear who was in control at the moment.