Savage Sacrifice: Savage Angels MC #5 (9 page)

“Leave the MC? He can’t do that,” Kat whispers.

“No, he can’t, we need him.”

“What did you mean about my mother?”

I grunt, turn and place my glass on the coffee table as I head for the door. “Not my place to tell you. I shouldn’t have fucking said anything. Fix this rift between you and Dane before it gets so bad that you can’t.” I open the door and look back at her. “We all miss you. But I’ll be fucked if I’m losing Dane over this. You fix this, Kat.”

Before she can respond, I walk out into the hallway and close the door. Standing outside is Veronica, one of Dave’s personal assistants.

“Dirt? What are you doing here?” she asks.

“Trying to fix the problem between Kat and Dane,” I reply honestly.

Her pretty face screws up, and she says, “Something I should know?”

“I’m sure you
know
more than I do Veronica.”

A small smile plays on her lips. “Maybe.” I nod at her and start to walk toward the elevators. “Dirt?” I stop and turn back to her. “Not everything is as it appears. Kat is trying hard to keep this tour on track and keep everyone happy. Will isn’t half the man Dane is, and I think she knows that.”

“Maybe you could remind her?” I say as I continue toward the elevators.

I
walk for an hour before I try to hail a cab to bring me back to the hotel, or should I say
stood in the middle of
the street to stop one. The cab drivers were reluctant to stop for the six foot six man in jeans and leather jacket with patches. The cabbie wasn’t talkative and was shocked when I tipped him. Hopefully, it will teach him not to judge a book by its cover.

I walk up to the reception desk in the lobby and speak to the woman behind the desk. “Could you please phone Kat Saunders room?”

She looks up at me and does a quick once over glance. “Certainly Mr. Reynolds. Good to see you.”

“Have we met?”

“No, Sir. I’m a huge fan of The Grinders, I’ve seen your wedding photos in the magazines,” she responds.

“Kat looked good didn’t she?” I grin at her.

“Yes, Sir, she did. If you’ll give me a moment?” The receptionist smiles at me, and I step away as she puts through the call to Kat. “Mr. Reynolds?” I turn around. “Ms. Saunders said to give you a key. It will only take a moment. She’s on the 23
^rd
floor room 2323.”

“Thank you.”

She hands me the plastic keycard and I make my way to the elevators. My mind is in turmoil as I plan what I am going to say to Kat. In moments, I am on her floor, standing outside her door. Instead of using the keycard, I knock.

The door opens, and there she is, in jeans, black t-shirt, and her hair pulled back in a pony-tail. She looks younger with her hair off her face.

She lets out a sigh. “Hello, Dane, come in.” Kat opens the door wider and steps out of the way.

“Hey darlin’,” I say as I move past her and sit on the couch.

“Are you hungry? I could order up room service?”

It’s all very civil. Neither of us wanting an argument.

“No, I’m good.” Kat nods and sits opposite me in a chair. “How’s the tour going?”

“Rockplay are being difficult. I’m trying to keep the peace, but they’re fucking up big time. Missing rehearsals, screwing up on stage–“

“Maybe you should come home?” I ask.

“I can’t. We’ve signed a contract, I’d get sued. Not to mention the fans would be disappointed.” I nod at her wanting to ask about Will but not wanting an argument. “Dirt came to see me. He made a comment about my mother being secretive. What did he mean? He also accused me of sleeping with Will. Did you ask him to come and see me?” She fires the questions at me one after the other her tone becoming icier and icier.

“Dirt said he was going to come and talk to you. We saw you walk through the lobby with Will. I was...upset. He thought he could soften the conversation between us, but I can see he’s only aggravated it.” She nods with barely controlled anger, and all I want to do is hold her to me.

“And my mother?”

“That is a conversation for another time,” I say.

“She was my mother!” replies Kat flinging her arms in the air.

“No, I’m not having that conversation right now,” I growl out. “I’m more concerned about us. I’m more concerned–“

“So, we only get to talk about what
you
want to talk about? Proving yet again that we don’t have a partnership but a dictatorship!”

I stand, my anger getting the best of me. “Enough! I didn’t travel all this way to argue with you! Jesus, Kat, I’m not the one holding hands with another woman, or worse. Tell me, have you slept with Will? Are we over?” I hold my breath waiting for her response.

A tear falls down her face and she looks up at me with disbelief. “No, I’m not sleeping with Will. I don’t cheat, I never have.” Her voice is flat, and I know I’ve misjudged her.

I look up at the ceiling, place my hands on my hips, and let out a sigh of relief.

“Our problems have nothing to do with Will, and everything to do with you,” states Kat.

I look down at her and she looks disappointed.

“Kat, darlin’, I love you. For me, it’s as simple as that. I’m in and prepared to work on this, to fix it, whatever it takes.”

“You say that but you don’t do the work. You shut me out. You miss appointments that are important to me-to us. How am I supposed to believe you?” Hurt infuses her tone.

I sit on the coffee table in front of her, putting my hands on her knees. “I’ll work on sharing more with you. I’ll go to the doctors, darlin’, whatever you want but I’m not the only one who needs to work on this relationship.” She looks me in the eyes. “I’m not the one who ran away and stayed away. I’m in this, I’m fighting for you, but you have to meet me halfway, I can’t do it on my own.”

I lean in and kiss her on the forehead, resisting the urge to embrace her and force her to be mine. I stand and walk toward the door.

“Dane, wait.”

“You have a lot to think about and even though I want nothing more than to test out your bed,” I turn to grin at her. “I need you to want me, too. To want
us
again. Think about what you want. Kat, I’ll walk away from the MC if that will make you happy.”

Kat stands and runs to me, wrapping her arms around me, squeezing me tight. “Dane I don’t want you to–“

“Darlin’, you need to think, and I need to leave before I lose my resolve.” I kiss the top of her head and open the door. “I’ll be in Houston for as long as you are. You have until then to make up your mind. I love you.”

I know if I kiss her lips I will get lost in her. Never has a woman affected me like Kat does and if I let her keep me in this room much longer I will be buried in her up to my hilt.

“Dane, I’ve always loved you.”

“Good then this will be easy.” I kiss the top of her head, drawing in her scent, and leave her behind.

***

I
ride the elevator to the lobby. Waiting in one of the chairs is Dirt. He gives me a two-fingered wave as I approach.

“What did you say to Kat about her mother?” I ask tersely.

“Shit. Sorry, Dane. Nothing really, but enough.” Dirt looks upset and stands. “I got mad. I am mad, at her, at you. This shit has gone on long enough.”

Dirt’s frank admission takes me by surprise. “Are you forgetting who I am?”

“No, but I think you have.”

It’s not unlike him to tell me what he’s thinking, but his tone is not one of respect, and that is unusual.

“I know exactly who I am, and what I fucking want.”

Dirt nods and says, “I need a drink and a meal.”

“Me too, Brother, but not here. Let's find a less refined establishment.”

“Now we’re fucking talking.”

***

W
e ride to the MC Clubhouse in Houston, at least there we can talk and get a meal. As I climb off my Harley, I look at Dirt. He’s always been loyal, but lately, he’s been less than happy with me.

“There are things we need to discuss, and I don’t want to share these things with Milo just yet. You up for it?”

“What do you mean?” asks Dirt.

“To put it bluntly, you seem pissed-off with me.”

Dirt spits on the ground and nods. “I’ve always been impressed with you, Dane. With the way you handle the MC. But I’m fucking disappointed when you talk about leaving. You and the MC are the only family I know.”

Now I understand, he thinks of me leaving the MC as a betrayal.

I punch him in the arm. “Dirt, you will always be my family. You’re my Sergeant at Arms and I trust you with my life. The thing with Kat and I isn’t set in stone. Things will change. I don’t know what’s in my future, but I know you will always be my friend.”

Dirt’s face goes red and he rubs his eyes. For a moment, I think he has tears in his eyes. He coughs and turns his back on me.

“I’m fucking thirsty, let’s get a drink,” he says gruffly as he walks away from me.

With only a few of the MC here, it’s nearly empty inside the Clubhouse. Some of the club whores give me the once over, but I ignore them.  Dirt walks up to the bar, and orders a couple of beers and two steaks with fries. I sit down at a table and watch the few MC that are milling about. Some nod, and give me general greetings, others are absorbed in their own conversations, most ignore me. Dirt comes back to the table and puts a beer in front of me.

“Food won’t be long, we’re lucky that it’s not busy,” grumbles Dirt.

“I had a chat today with the local cartel that’s running drugs in Houston.” Dirt’s eyebrows go up. “Apparently the Savage Angels are trying to steal their turf.”

“When did you have a chat with those fuckers?”

“They picked me up after I left you at the hotel.”

Dirt sits bolt upright and slams his fist on the table. “I fucking told you not to go out alone!”

“Keep your voice down,” I growl at him. “I wasn’t hurt only warned. They don’t want a war and worse than that they sell to Rockplay. H and coke.”

“Does Kat know?”

“I don’t think so. The cartel wants to work out a peaceful solution without bloodshed. I need you to feel Milo out. Anything that comes from me, he’ll take as a power move.”

“Are you going to talk to Kat about this?” asks Dirt, not listening to anything else I’ve said.

“No, I’m going to talk to Van Ryken.”

“Do you think that’s a wise choice? Our girl could be in danger, you should tell her,” he says worriedly.

“I don’t want her thinking I’m trying to put a wedge between her and him. I’ll handle it, but I need you to handle Milo and the cartel, can you do that?”

“Yeah, I can do that, so long as Kat’s safe.”

“Fuck, Dirt, anyone would think she was
your
woman,” I growl as I take a sip of my beer.

“I worry,” Dirt says pinning me with a look.

T
he fucking meeting with The Grinders, our managers, and the record company took forever. The guys and I are all back in Larry our drummer's room. We’ve all done a line of coke and are laughing and passing a joint around.

“Tell us, Will, you fucking the one and only Kat Saunders?” asks Larry as he pours himself a drink.

“What are you drinking, Larry?” I ask.

“Fireball.”

In unison, we all say we want one and he laughs. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be the waiter but only if you fess up.”

“Not yet, she’s proving difficult, and I think I overplayed my hand today,” I reply.

Laughter erupts from my band members.

“I’m horny, any groupies around?” asks our lead guitarist, Johnnie.

“You’re
always
horny. Where’s that pretty young wife of yours?” Larry asks.

“She went home to visit her mother,” Johnnie says dejectedly.

“Who’s turn is it to pay for the dope?” I ask bored with this conversation.

“Yours,” replies Larry.

“Fuck,
already
? And what are we going to do about all these fucking rehearsals they want us to do?”

The consensus in the meeting was that we need to tow the party line, be good little rockstars and work harder. Our album is doing really god-damned well, better than our last three. As far as I’m concerned, they need to back off, and let us do what we do, and we do the rockstar lifestyle fucking well.

“It’s not going to kill us to rehearse more,” says Mike, our bass guitarist. “We do need it.”

Mike has always been a pussy, always worried about losing our deal. What he doesn’t know is, we can’t. I have some nice juicy dirt on one of the executives at the record company, for as long as he’s there, we’re solid.

“Whatever man, you lot can practice all you want, me I want to have some fun.” The guys all laugh. “And are we sure it’s my turn to pay the drug lord?”

“Yeah, we are,” says Larry and the others nod.

“Fuck it,” I sigh and stand. “Okay, off to see how much cash I’ve got. I’ll come to the first few rehearsals, for appearances, so let me know.”

I walk out of the room and head for the elevator, I hit the button and the door opens. I get inside and realize it’s headed for the lobby. I ride it down, the doors open, I hit my floor, and a big guy gets into it. I glance up at him, and it’s Kat’s husband, Dane Reynolds.

“Hello, Will.”

“Dane,” I stare straight ahead, not sure how the fuck I’m going to handle this.

“We need to talk.”

“Sure, why not? I’m headed back to my room, anyway.”

Dane leans back in the elevator, and although it’s not a large space it feels much smaller with him in it. The trip up to my floor normally takes a few moments, but right now, it feels like an eternity. I have no bodyguards in my room, either. Those guys are always hitting on the chicks I bring back to my room, and I don’t need that, but right now I wish I’d let them stay.

The doors finally open and I step out and head for my room, my mind is trying to figure a way out of this, but too much coke and booze has me fuddled. I open my door and go through it with him right behind me.

“What can I do for you?” I ask trying to sound casual.

Reynolds walks around my room, picking things up, looking through my stuff. “I had a chat with Juan Cortez today. He had a fascinating story to tell me.”