Page 50 of Savage Angels

“All right, everyone out,” Carlos orders. “I don’t want anyone contaminating the crime scene.”

His deputies rush in, setting up a perimeter around the café. The youngest one, a fresh-faced kid barely out of high school, takes one look at Howie’s remains and dashes outside, retching violently. I sympathize with him. The sight of Howie’s blood pooling around his shattered skull will haunt me for a long time.

“Dammit.” Carlos pinches the bridge of his nose. “This is bad, Dane. Really. Fucking. Bad.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” The memory of Howie’s smiling face flashes through my mind, quickly followed by the image of his blood-soaked body on the floor. “He didn’t deserve this.”

Carlos’ jaw tightens as he studies the chaotic scene one last time before gesturing for me to follow him. We stride through the shattered glass on the sidewalk, and he leads me back to the sheriff’s station.

“You don’t want your car?”

“No, it can stay where it is. I was on my way out to see the mayor at his house when the call came in.” He turns to his deputies. “Stay here. If anyone asks, tell them nothing.”

The sheriff’s station is only a short distance from the café. Carlos leads me inside, through the bullpen, and into his office, where he slams the door shut behind us. A sea of papers and files litter the floor as he sweeps them off his desk in a rage.

“Goddammit, Dane!” Carlos bellows, losing his cool. “You had to go and bring this shitstorm to my town? To Howie?”

“Hey, don’t pin this on me,” I shoot back, my anger rising. “We don’t shit where we eat, you know this. This isn’t my fault.”

“Fuck, I know,” Carlos concedes, running a hand through his hair. “But Howie… he was just an innocent kid caught in the crossfire.”

“Tell me about it.” The image of Howie’s lifeless body still burns in my mind, fueling the rage that simmers just beneath the surface. “He was good people, Carlos. He didn’t deserve to die like that.”

“None of us do.” He sighs heavily, leaning against his desk. “But sometimes life doesn’t give a fuck about what we deserve.”

“Yeah.”

None of us are angels—not me, not Carlos, and certainly not the rest of the MC. But it does not mean we deserve to be gunned down in cold blood.

“Look,” Carlos’ voice softens. “I know you’re hurting, Dane. And I know you want revenge, but I need you to let me handle this. I don’t need a damn gang war erupting in my town.”

“It’s my town too,” I grumble, knowing deep down he is right. The last thing I want is for more innocent people to get caught in the crossfire. “But if your investigation doesn’t turn up anything…”

“Then you can do what you have to do,” he finishes, holding my gaze for a moment longer before turning away. “Now get out of here. And for fuck’s sake, stay out of trouble.”

“Can’t make any promises,” I reply with a bitter smirk, walking outside.

If it comes down to it, nothing will stand between avenging Howie’s death and me, not even the law itself.

My cell phone buzzes in my pocket. “Talk to me.”

“Prez,” Jonas says, his voice tense. “We got them… the bastards responsible for the drive-by. They were sent by Tarso Lombardi.”

Lombardi, the slimy fucker who thought he could take a shot at me. I clench my fists, trying to control my rage. “Good work, Jonas. Take them to The Barn.”

“Understood.” He hangs up, and I know he will take care of things from here.

“Everything all right?” Carlos asks as he joins me on the sidewalk.

“Handled,” I reply, not wanting to give him any more details than necessary. “You need anything else from me?”

Carlos eyes me carefully, but instead of pressing me for information, he says, “Don’t leave town.”

“Got it.” I nod, relieved he didn’t push the issue.

As much as I respect Carlos, there are some things that need to be taken care of within the club without involving law enforcement.

As I walk away from the sheriff’s station, I cannot help but think about the consequences of what I have set in motion. By ordering Jonas to deal with Lombardi’s men, I know I am crossing a line that could put the MC and the town in even greater danger. But when it comes down to it, I have a responsibility to protect my own, and I am not about to let anyone threaten us without facing the consequences.

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