Shades of Love (Mad Jackals Brotherhood MC Book 3) (4 page)

Chapter Five

Ray is still riled up from his almost-encounter with Mia. He had been sloppy and she’d nearly seen him. That would have caused no end of problems. The last thing he wanted was to give Mia another reason to hate him and he knew for a fact that him following her around was only going to piss her off. She wouldn’t accept his help, not after everything he had told her. She was stubborn and fiercely independent; she always had been ever since he’d known her. It was one of the many ways she had been different from all the other girls he knew. She believed she could handle everything on her own and that confidence just made her all the more attractive to him. It made him want to protect her even more, which is exactly what has brought him to this hole not too far from the shelter’s neighborhood.

He takes a deep breath before going in to the shabby pawnshop. The place looks like it could use more than just a lick of paint; it would need to be bulldozed and rebuilt to be brought up to scratch. The only thing Donnie seems to keep up to any kind of standard is the security cameras that pepper the outside of the storefront. Ray knows there are at least four more inside the shop. It’s been a long-running joke between them. Ray hadn’t understood why Donnie would have invested so much in security cameras when the lock on the door was so flimsy a six-year-old could break it. Besides, it wasn’t like there was anything all that worthwhile to steal in the place.

Ray knows that once he walks through the door he’s going to set in motion a chain of events that will mean his life will never be the same. From where he was standing, he didn’t have a whole lot to lose. If he couldn’t be with Mia, he could, at least, protect her from the ramifications of his mistakes. He owed her at least that much.

“I was wondering when you were going to pay me a visit.” The voice coming from the front of the store catches Ray off guard. “You don’t call, you don’t write. How you been, Ray?” The owner barely looks at Ray as he busies himself moving his goods around the store.

“Trying to make it look like you’ve got some new stuff in rather than just peddling the same old crap, Donnie?” Ray raises an eyebrow at the shorter man as he tries to lift a television that’s about as old as he is and probably a damn sight heavier.

“Business is slow.” He shrugs, finally giving up on attempting to move the ancient screen. “Are you going to stand there staring at me or are you gonna give an old man a hand?” He looks expectantly at Ray, his dark eyes questioning.

Ray rolls his eyes and picks up the television without being asked twice. “Where’s it going?” He looks around the room, trying to figure out where amongst all the piles of stuff it could possibly go.

“Heard the Jackals are in town. Heard they’re looking for someone.” Donnie looks up at him, his brown eyes twinkling like he knows a secret.

“Why do you think I came here?” Ray returns Donnie’s stare without blinking. “I need to talk to you. Now where the hell do you want me to put this?” Ray huffs as the television starts to weigh him down. What is in this thing anyway, a load of bricks? He’s willing to bet money on the fact that it was never going to work again. That won’t stop Donnie from selling it, though. Donnie could sell ice to an Eskimo and if that ice happened to turn to water as soon as they stepped foot out of the door, well that wasn’t his problem.

“Downstairs.” Donnie motions him towards the door at the back of the store and opens it to reveal steep stairs down.

“You were going to carry this down there all by yourself?” Ray raises an eyebrow.

“Did you come here for help or to ask a lot of stupid questions?” Donnie nudges him towards the stairs and the dark basement. For a few seconds, Ray wonders whether Donnie is setting him up, if a group of angry bikers are waiting for him in the shadows, ready to get their revenge on him as soon as he sets foot downstairs. Donnie watches him, clearly reading the thoughts flashing through Ray’s mind. “If I wanted you dead, Ray, I would have shot you as soon as you walked into the store.”

The admission from any other man wouldn’t have exactly instilled Ray with a whole heap of confidence. But he knows Donnie and he knows that the man doesn’t bullshit. Besides, Donnie had his own reasons to hate the Jackals, but just because he isn’t the leader of the MC’s fan club doesn’t mean he doesn’t still inform for them, help them out when it comes to new prospects. The Jackals own him just as much as they do Ray. Ray knows better than to ask what it is the bikers have on Donnie, but whatever it is, it’s bad enough to stop Donnie from talking. And if
anyone
has dirt on the Jackals, it’s Donnie. He probably knew enough about them to put the whole lot of them away for life.

“Just set it down there.” Donnie nods towards a corner of the damp basement before leaning back against the wall and regarding Ray with blatant curiosity.

The only light comes from a naked bulb in the middle of the room. It gives the place a dramatic air that Ray knows from experience is probably exactly what Donnie is going for. This is the place where Donnie had told him about the initiation, about what he would have to do for the Jackals to be considered one of them. He doesn’t want to stay down here any longer, the memories of his own stupidity making him wish he could travel back in time just to slap his idiot self in the head.

Ray turns to head back up the stairs but Donnie’s voice stops him. “You’re here to talk, right? So talk.” He doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to go back into the store and Ray can guess why.

“You don’t want anyone to see us talking.” He nods in understanding at the realization.

Donnie just shrugs. “You can never be too careful. Actually, scratch that, careful doesn’t seem to be something that you’re too familiar with. What the hell were you thinking?” He gives Ray a knowing look that makes him feel like an adolescent kid all over again.

“I don’t work for you anymore, Donnie. Whatever I did, I had my reasons.” Ray glares at the man that looks just the same as he had ten years ago when they’d first met.

Ray had walked in to the store after his mom had pawned the last thing of value that they had: her wedding ring. He’d gone to Donnie to get it back. He’d been so angry that day, but Donnie had seen something in him. He’d offered Ray a job to earn the ring back. It was easy money and a way to get out of the house, two things Ray desperately needed – it had been a no brainer.

Donnie had been part of a motorcycle gang; he’d talked to Ray about it and Ray had listened with rapt attention. Ray had told Donnie about his dad being a biker, about the patch he still had and how, more than anything, Ray wanted to join the Jackals. They were the biggest, most powerful MC on the West Coast and he wanted in.

Donnie was a hard ass, but he was one of the good guys. He did what he had to do to keep his head above water, to look after himself, but he knew exactly what the Jackals were involved in and he didn’t like it one bit. He’d even tried to persuade Ray not to run off and join them. Perhaps if he had listened to Donnie he wouldn’t be in the mess he is now; perhaps his life would be completely different. Perhaps a lot of things, Ray, he tells himself, but wishing will never make it so.

“Sit down, kid. Before you fall down.” Donnie gestures towards a crate in front of him, never taking his eyes off of Ray.

Ray opens his mouth to protest and then figures it’s pointless. Donnie doesn’t respond well to having his authority challenged. If Ray wants to get information out of him the best thing to do is to obey. Besides, Donnie was right; Ray is exhausted. He sits down heavily on top of the crate, grateful to be off of his feet and looks up at his old boss, waiting.

“You look like shit, Ray.” Donnie’s mouth twists in a smile as he says the words, twirling a cigarette through his fingers.

“Thanks Donnie. Coming from a guy as ugly as you, that means a whole lot.” Ray watches as Donnie’s lips quirk up in response to the banter. It was their little ritual, the way they had always talked to each other.

“You’d look a whole lot worse if the Jackals had found you. You’re lucky they haven’t yet. Where’ve you been hiding out?” Donnie pulls a straggly strand of hair out of his eyes and Ray notices more flecks of grey in it than he had the last time they’d seen each other.

Automatically, Ray’s guard goes up. “Here and there.” He’s non-committal as he breaks his gaze from Donnie, looking around the basement.

“Trust no one. Good, at least you remembered something I taught you.” Donnie gives him a meaningful look and seems to relax a little. It occurs to Ray that, perhaps, his old boss really is worried for his safety. “How’d you know they wouldn’t be here looking for you? They’d probably figure this would be the first place you’d come. It’s not like you have a whole lot of options in this town, especially with a target on your back the size of Nebraska.”

Ray gives his old friend a cool look. “I’m not stupid, Don. I figured after last night, the Jackals would be keeping a low profile. Killing that storeowner was wrong but it was also stupid – the cops know it was bikers that did it. The Jackals have to be careful now, not draw attention to themselves. So scoping out your store in full view of the whole street probably isn’t going to be high on their list of priorities for the next couple of days.”

Donnie looks impressed until he manages to school his features back into their habitually nonchalant expression. “How’s your girl?”

Ray feels his spine stiffen at the question and as he looks up at Donnie his tone is frustrated. “She’s not my girl anymore. But I’m keeping an eye on her.” He shrugs signaling that’s all he’s going to say.

Donnie nods slowly, as if he’s understood Ray’s reaction, but Ray knows him better than that. Donnie doesn’t let things go, not until he was satisfied. “What do you need from me?” He settles himself against the wall, that damn unlit cigarette still in his hand.

Ray takes a deep breath and tells Donnie the conclusion that he’s come to. He had been trying to think of a way around it, another solution but it had become clear that there wasn’t one. It was either this or nothing.

“The Jackals want me and they want their money. They’re going to tear this town up until they get what they want. They’ve already gone after someone I care about. And now they’ve killed an innocent man. I can’t let them go any further. There’s only one thing I can do. I have to give them what they want.” Donnie’s head snaps up from his investigation of his worn shoes. “I need to get out of town and I need them to follow me. It’s the only way I can keep everyone else safe.”

“By martyring yourself? You think that’s the solution to all this?” Donnie eyes flash with anger and he pushes himself off from the wall, coming to stand over Ray. “I think that may be the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard you say, and I’ve heard you say some pretty moronic things.”

Ray doesn’t even pretend to try to put a lid on his rage. He stands up, squaring up to Donnie, towering over the short man. “It’s only a matter of time before they find me. I can’t hide forever.”

“No, but it won’t be forever, just a little while, until they cool off. They’ve got too much going in to keep all their energies focused on you. It won’t take long for them to get distracted and then they’ll be gone.” The certainty in Donnie’s voice would almost be convincing if it weren’t for the lie Ray sees in his eyes.

“You know as well as I do that they’re not just going to up and leave one day, never to return. That’s not how they operate.” Ray shakes his head. “I’ve crossed them, they’re not going to forget that. Sooner or later they’re going to come back and I can’t spend my time looking over my shoulder until then. I can’t live like that. Besides, they’re on the rampage now. The longer I sit around and do nothing is the more people they’re going to hurt.”

“Well, they’re not exactly known for their impulse control.” Donnie’s voice drips with sarcasm.

Ray lets out a low chuckle, but his thoughts quickly wipe the smile off his face. “I have to get them away from here. I can’t let them hurt her, Don. If anything happened to her…I would never forgive myself. Never.” He clenches and unclenches his fists by his side, wishing he could punch something, anything to get this feeling of powerlessness out of his system.

Donnie’s eyes soften as he looks at his young friend. He puts his hand on Ray’s shoulder and gently pushes him back onto his makeshift seat. “So what do you need me to do?”

Ray’s shoulders sag in relief that he’s not going to have to talk Donnie round. It had been easier than he had thought to convince the old man of his plan. “I need you to leak them my location. Tell them where I am and tell them that I’m planning to leave town. But we’ll need to time it just right. I want to lead them out of town but I’d rather not get my head shot off in the process.”