Savage Sacrifice: Savage Angels MC #5 (6 page)

“Jealous?” asks Shaz, coming up behind Bear.

“No, darlin’, but you two nearly scared her half to death. So, keep the old man here on a leash and do it at home.”

Shaz laughs at me and grabs Bear’s hand. “Come on,
old man,
let's go home.”

“Fuck that old man shit,” grumbles Bear.

They start bickering back and forth, and I walk to the bar. Rebel is serving drinks tonight.

“Bar wench! Give me a beer.”

“President or not, you call me bar wench again, and we’re going to have words.” Rebel gives me his best death stare, and I give him a chin lift.

“Fair enough. Can I have a beer
please,
Rebel?”

Before I’ve finished my sentence, he’s taken the top off a beer and placed it in front of me. I take a pull on it and look around the Clubhouse. Most of the usual crowd is here, but I’m not really in the mood to socialize with them. I pick up my beer and head toward my room. After the fire, I made sure all of the senior members got a room with an ensuite. Nothing flash but so that we could all have our own space. We also built another story and added about a dozen rooms with three bathrooms upstairs. It’s more comfortable than it was before. I was impressed with how the town had banded together and helped us rebuild, one of the local architects suggested the improvements after spending time with us, and asked the guys what they thought we needed. What we got was a whole lot of clubhouse with more space and rooms than ever before. It works, though.

I have a leather couch in my room off to one side of the king-size bed. I fall onto it and stare into space. I haven’t even decorated it, I kept hoping Kat would come home and do it for me. My home, outside of town, is lonely without her. Kat is in every room I go into, her personal touch is everywhere. I find myself spending more and more time here. She has no presence here. I can escape her, for a short time. My mind still takes me back to the look on her face as the elevators close and the tear that trickled down her face. I should have gone after her, made her see sense, told her there is no me without her. That without her, I’m just going through the motions, existing. Part of this world but not involved in it, not living it the way I did with her.

There’s a knock at the door drawing me out of my thoughts. “Yeah?” I yell out.

The door opens, and Jonas is on the other side holding a bottle of Crystal Head Vodka and two glasses.

He looks at my beer. “Lightweight. Real men drink vodka.”

“Real men drink whiskey not that watered down shit you drink.”

“We’ll see who’s a real man
after
we finish this skull.” Jonas sits next to me, hands me a glass and says, “You need to put your personal touch in here. It’s fucking depressing.”

“Pour the vodka and when we’’re done, I’m keeping the skull, it’ll look cool on a shelf in here. See, I am decorating.”

“Yeah, with
my
fucking skull,” he replies.

I frown and hold out my glass for him to fill. I prefer whiskey, but I know Jonas likes his vodka.

“Dane, you and I are friends, have been for a long time. You going to tell me what’s going on with you and Kat? The papers have a nice photo of you with your fist raised and Kat flat on her ass on the ground. You want to talk about that?”

I drain my glass and hold it out for a refill. “Didn’t mean to hit her, I was aiming at Will Van Ryken, but Kat got in front of him.” I rub my face, I can feel his stare and continue, “I wanted to surprise her. Got tickets to her show in Mexico but she was kissing Van Ryken on stage, and I fucking lost it when I saw her at the hotel. I don’t know how to apologize, I don’t have
any
fucking idea how I’m supposed to make it up to her.”

“Try telling her everything you just told me. Do you think she’s fucking him?”

Jonas is my friend but after that question I want to rip his fucking heart out. A growl rumbles up out of my chest, and I pin him with a stare.

He holds up his hand in surrender. “Sorry, Brother, just trying to get the lay of the land, so to speak.”

“I don’t fucking know. There was that kiss on stage, and she walked into the hotel laughing, arm in arm with the fucker.” Jonas says nothing, and I drain my glass, he fills it up for me. “I almost forgot, there was a reporter who showed me a picture of Kat holding hands with him too. The worst part is, she looked fucking happy.” The last part kills me to admit. My woman looked happy with someone else.

“Did you ask her?”

“Not exactly, I accused her. She didn’t deny it, she
did
look fucking angry. Maybe I had it all wrong, and the sad part is, even if she is fucking him, I’d have her back.”

Jonas’s eyes bulge at my confession. I’m not known for being lenient under any circumstances. I look at the glass in my hand and place it on the ground. Alcohol isn’t going to work, I’m not sure anything will.

“Okay then, how do we get her back?” Jonas’s question shouldn’t take me by surprise, he’s always been there for me.

“I have no fucking idea, Brother. I think I need to give her space, to sort herself out.”

“Fuck that. All you’ve fucking done is give her space. You need to claim what’s yours, you need to set this right. Where is she after Mexico?”

“San Antonio for a week, then Houston.”

“We’ll approach her in Houston. The Chapter there can help.”

I shake my head at him. I’m not sure that I want any other Chapter involved in my marital problems. A man who cannot control his wife is a poor leader of men.

“Dane, we don’t have to tell them anything. We could tell them that you want to surprise Kat.”

“Every man and his dog will have seen the photos of me hitting Kat by now. They’ll know we aren’t together.”

“That’s bullshit Dane, the Chapter will believe what we tell them. We are the
Mother Chapter
if I say that was all bull, they’ll believe it. Let me handle it, I’ll get it sorted,” says Jonas decisively.

I nod at him and attempt a smile. “You know, Brother, you’ll make a good President one day.”

He shakes his head. “Only way that’s going to happen is if you get taken out in a box and let’s be honest, if that happens, I’ll likely be right next to you. You and I started in this MC at the same time. It’s all we know, and Dane,
you
made it what it is today. You have the far-sight to see, we needed to get out of guns and drugs, I’m not sure I would have.” I raise my eyebrows at him and sit back. “It was easy money, but it was dangerous to the Club and us. With all the real estate you’ve started to invest in, and with all the businesses, we’re making more than we did before.”

“Yeah, it’s the way to go. Salvatore is right, we have to move with the times or we’ll get left behind. The old ways are dying.” Salvatore is my brother-in-law and a Captain in the Abruzzi Crime Family, he’s also a real estate genius.

I can sense Jonas is staring at me, glancing up at him I say, “I know I’m fucking pretty, but if you’re going to keep staring at me, at least smile.”

Jonas punches me in the arm, and his expression goes deadly serious. “I don’t want the Presidency, did once, but not now. If something happened to you, of course, I’d take it. The Club isn’t likely to let you walk away Dane. Many would see it as a betrayal. I know you are unhappy without Kat, but
you
fucked that up. You should have gone after her long before now. She’s the only woman you’ve kept for more that a heartbeat. Fight for her. Stop giving her space and time to fucking think. Tell her how you feel, apologize, and for fucks sake, don’t let her leave you again.”

Jonas has been involved with Addy from the Country Inn Motel in town, and since she’s moved in with him, he’s a changed man. I guess she would be the reason that he doesn’t want the Presidency. I nod at him, pick up my drink, and throw it back.

“All right, Jonas. Call the Houston Chapter.”

I
t’s been two weeks since I’ve spoken to Will, after the incident at rehearsals he appears to be avoiding me. It’s mid-morning on Sunday, and I’m standing outside his hotel room door, trying to get up the courage to knock. I need to fix the relationship between our bands, or this tour is going to be hell. It’s like fucking high school, and no one is talking to each other. Now they’ve started playing practical jokes on each other, and I’ve been on enough tours to know, that if you don’t get this shit sorted quickly, it escalates. There’s enough press surrounding the tour with Dane and I, without me having to deal with this bullshit, too.

I raise my hand and I’m about to knock, when Dave, my manager, grabs my wrist, and pulls me away. “Dave! What are you doing?”

“Kat, you all pay me very well to look after you, and I have all this bullshit sorted. All of us are going to sit down and discuss our problems over lunch, like the adults that we are.” Dave has been with me for years and is like a father to me.

“What?” I ask incredulously.

“Yes, my princess, I spoke to their manager, Harry and we agreed that we don’t want a fucking fiasco on our hands. Lunch at twelve thirty in my suite. That way, we’ll have privacy, and can air out all our frustrations in peace.”

“Thank you, Dave. How did you know I’d be here?”

“I didn’t, I just left Harry’s room and saw you looking agonized at Will’s door. I know you, princess, I could tell you were trying to figure out a way to fix the problems. But Kat, Rockplay are beyond fixing.” Dave ushers me down the hallway and into the opened elevator. “I’m going to try and insist on regular rehearsals, and for them to tone it down, but they’re top of the charts at the moment and believe in their press releases.”

“They aren’t that bad,” I say in their defense.

“Bullshit, they are worse than that. If you lot played that poorly, I’d cancel the whole bloody tour! No, Kat, I’m trying to get us out of the tour or replace them, but the record company can only see dollar signs, and The Grinders are sitting steady at number eight on the charts,
not
first place like Rockplay.”

“You’d cancel the whole bloody tour?” I chuckle. “Not likely.”

“If I thought you were intent on self-destruction, yes, I would,” Dave says firmly.

“It’s mostly an act. Will does it for the cameras.”

Dave laughs and shakes his head. “Is that what he’s told you? That doesn’t explain the sexual olympics that the press are intent on publicizing to the world. You would think after that girl died they’d be a bit more discreet.”

A chill goes up my spine and I shiver involuntarily. Dave rubs my back, and as the elevator doors open, he guides me back to his room. He knocks on the door, and one of his assistants, Veronica, opens the door, phone to her ear, she smiles at me and motions us inside. I walk in and sit on the couch, his suite is much the same as mine except there are three laptops and four cell phones. Dave is always on call and manages quite a few bands and actors. Dave winks at me and walks into his bedroom and Veronica hangs ups.

“Kat, how are you?”

“I’m good, thanks, Veronica. How are you?”

“Trying to organize more seating be bought up to this room, so we’ll all fit comfortably for our lunch meeting. These last minute get-togethers aren’t as easy to pull together as Dave would have you think,” she says with a smile.

Veronica has worked with Dave for years. I know that when he retires, it will be her that takes over the reigns. She already looks after Dark Ink, and about a half a dozen of Dave’s clients, as well as looking after all of Dave’s needs. I know he’s testing her, but she’s proven herself time and time again.

“You should ask for a holiday,” I say.

“Lord! Can you imagine? Hell, I don’t remember the last holiday I had.”

“All the more reason to ask for one,” I tease playfully.

“No, Veronica, you cannot have a holiday,” responds Dave as he walks back into the room.

“She didn’t ask for one,” I respond in her defense.

“No, she didn’t, but you put that seed in her mind, and I’m squashing it before it turns into a fully formed idea.”

“Mr. Lawrence, I do not need a holiday, besides, what does one do with themselves while on holiday? It’s been so long, I’d be lost,” replies Veronica as she puts her phone back to her ear and walks out of the room.

“You know, if you don’t take better care of her, she’s going to walk.”

“Nonsense! She’s too good at her job. That ones like a bull shark, very territorial. I’ve given her a taste of looking after a few of my clients, and she wants more. Besides, I do look after her, her last bonus was enough to keep a small village in a third world country comfortable for a very long time.”

Dave has always looked after me, so it shouldn’t surprise me that he’s looked after his assistants. He’s a good man and he’s worked hard most of his life. He’s not exactly young anymore, but he’s always looked younger than he really is.

“Now, princess, where do you want to sit? If I were you, I’d take one of the armchairs. They’re big enough to spread out in, and you won’t have to sit next to anyone you don’t want to,” says Dave with a compassionate smile.

Dave doesn’t want me on the couch, so I do as I’m told and sit in the oversized chair he pointed to. He watches me get comfortable then closes the door between Veronica and us.

“I haven’t asked you about Dane. I even kept my mouth shut about that black eye. I also fielded all the questions from the media and downplayed what happened. But now that it’s just you and me, I want you to tell me. What the fuck is going on?” I stare into his blue eyes and the concern for me is evident.

“He didn’t mean to hit me, Dane was already swinging as I stepped in the way.”

“Truth told me as much. Katarina, you know I’m to the point, and it’s none of my business, except that I do love you. Are you sleeping with Will?”

His question takes me by surprise; Dave knows me better than anyone. If he’s thinking this, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Dane might also be thinking the same thing. I’m hurt that the men I love the most could think the worst of me.

“Why do you think that?” I ask softly.

“Kat, I didn’t mean to upset you. I don’t understand why you’re spending so much time away from your husband. A husband who, less than twelve months ago, you couldn’t live without. From the moment you laid eyes on Dane, you’ve been inseparable, now, you can’t even seem to be in the lobby of a hotel together. Do you not love him anymore?” asks Dave with sadness in his tone.