Page 24 of Vapor's Blaze

Looking ten kinds of freaked out, she nods. “Ye…yes. I understand completely. I’ll cooperate.”

“Good,” King says. “Now, get the fuck out of here before I really lose my temper.”

This is a really bad situation, one that I’m still trying to wrap my head around. What in the fuck did I just see and hear? King has a granddaughter, and it’s Trix. Until this moment, we only knew of the two grandsons. This has been one of their mostly closely guarded secrets. But why keep it all under wraps? Keeping her hidden purely so she could be married off to one of their allied clubs seemed a bit farfetched, but knowing how much King values family, maybe he was worried about her safety in the community and that’s the reason? Though seeing how he manhandled Trix, compared with the care he showed his younger grandson last night just raises even more questions.

I watch her head back to her car. She looks stone-faced, but I can see that underneath her mask, she’s terrified. Who wouldn’t be? King deserves a slow death for treating his granddaughter like that.

I jerk the earpiece away and shove it into my pocket.

Pulling out my phone, I call Dutch. “There’s been an emergency and I need to leave now. Can anyone cover for me?”

I watch King take a smoke. He seems supremely aggravated. Another brother comes out and stands quietly behind him. I don’t understand what’s going on right now.

“Yeah, I’m about five minutes away. Take off and I’ll stay until I can get someone in place.”

“Thanks man. Sorry. You know that I’m normally solid.”

“I do know that, brother. Wanna tell me what’s goin’ on,” Dutch sounds concerned.

“Soon, I promise. Right now, I need to get on the road.”

“Alright, call me when you can. If you need anything, your club brothers are here for you.”

I disconnect the call, shove the cell phone in my pocket and pull the earpiece back out. I push it back into my ear, just as the man speaks to King.

“You sure she’s going to be true blue once we’re hitched? She sure as fuck doesn’t sound like she wants to be my old lady.”

“Don’t worry Decker, she’ll do as she’s told if she knows what’s good for her.”

“Sounds like you’re trying to get me hitched to a woman who hates the idea of being with me. That doesn’t like it’s going to be a particularly happy life for either of us.”

King turns to him. “Your old man sent you to us in order to woo my granddaughter, not hang out and drink yourself stupid at our bar every night and avail yourself of the club whores.”

“I know that. She doesn’t spend evenings at the club, and it feels like she’s been avoiding me on the few visits she’s made during the day.”

“Stop whining and do what you were sent here to do or I’m going to have to call your old man. Don’t concern yourself with what she wants, she’ll do as I say. This marriage is meant to cement an alliance between our clubs.”

“People don’t do that kind of thing anymore. You and my old man are living in the past.”

I wasn’t particularly surprised when King immediately backhanded him across the face. “Don’t know how things work at the Grave Diggers MC, but at Hellfire Hounds brothers follow fucking directions from their club president.”

“Yes sir,” Decker spits out along with some blood.

“I’d be ashamed to be given a beautiful young woman and promptly fuck it all up by being a fucking drunk who prefers club whores. I wanted your older brother for my granddaughter and unfortunately, they sent me the family fuck up.”

“She won’t even talk to me.”

“You go to her fucking place and press your point. Buy her flowers and gifts. Make her fucking talk to you. It’s as simple as that.”

Taking a step back, Decker’s upper lip curls back in disgust. “Like you make her do stuff, or are you the only one allowed to give her a busted lip, right?”

King’s head jerks up and he glares at Decker. “Get the fuck outta my face.”

I walk my bike through the brush and back to the interstate before getting on and making for Trix’s house. I was going anyway, but now the rush is on to get there before Decker and spirit her away to someplace where he can’t get to her.

After hearing the conversation, I’m pretty sure she’s not a spy. She’s just a poor woman caught up in a biker war, and I’m determined to keep her safe.

Chapter 9

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