Page 48 of Claimed By the Biker Brothers

“Yeah.”

“Stay here. Be ready for anything.”

“Want to call Knox or Jagger out?” he asks.

“No, sit tight. Eyes and ears wide open.”

I leave him by the hogs and make my way across the parking lot. As soon as he sees me coming, the driver rolls his window down and sticks his elbow out to rest his arm. He’s wearing a dark grey suit. Alright. I get closer and feel the dread clutching my stomach tighter and tighter with every step I take.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask Agent Frank Spalding upon reaching the SUV. “Stalking us?”

“Just keeping an eye on the place, Mr. Voight. There’s nothing illegal or unconstitutional about that.”

The tone of his voice irks me, but I can’t go to war with the DEA. Not when we’ve got so much riding on this club. However, I can’t roll over for this overzealous bastard either.

Glancing back at the clubhouse, I notice Knox and Jagger stepping out to join Paulie. I told him not to call them, dammit.

“So, what are you hoping to see, Agent?” I ask Spalding. “Truckloads of heroin coming in and out of the parking lot?”

“If I shake the tree hard enough, anything might fall out,” he quips.

“All of our paperwork is in order. Even our tax returns were filed on time. All of our members are clean, and the few who do have criminal records did their time, paid their debt to society. They’re reformed and compliant like the rest of us,” I say. “In fact, we went ahead and screened everyone again. Checked their alibis for the raid in question, and it’s starting to look like whoever you’ve got in custody is not one of ours.”

“You sound awfully sure, Mr. Voight.”

“I am, because we personally meet with and vet each of our members. I know every man and woman who bears our patches,” I say, then change the subject. “So, who did you arrest? I think I’m entitled to that information.”

Spalding scoffs, allowing himself a bitter smile as he measures me from head to toe. “A young fella by the name of Terrence Mason. Also known as Terry the Menace.”

“Terry the Menace?” I almost laugh. “By that nickname alone, he wouldn’t qualify to be a prospect, let alone a full-fledged Rogue Rider. He’s not one of ours.”

“Let me guess, you have detailed records of every club member.”

“Yes, sir. They pay their membership fees, and every single penny is reported to the IRS, year after year. I told you; the Rogue Riders are 100 percent legitimate.”

“Then I guess he borrowed that vest from someone? Maybe a club member? That would make said club member an accomplice,” Spalding replies.

I give him a wry smile. “Here’s the thing. We checked. Nobody’s missing a vest. Every member gets one vest with patches. Just one.”

“Interesting. And all of your members have sworn they still have theirs?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Bullshit,” Spalding says. “Tell you what, I’m just gonna keep sitting here and shaking the tree. Something else will fall out soon enough.”

“You might not like what falls out of this tree, Agent. We’re not easily scared.”

He looks around, also noticing my men gathering in the parking lot. Following his gaze, I see more of our Riders coming out, quietly watching us. The tension is so thick, I can almost feel the air crackling around my head, snapping, biting. It reminds me of a confrontation we had with a rebel leader back in Kandahar.

“All I’m seeing is a bunch of thugs in leather and jeans who took their motorcycle hobby to an extreme,” Spalding says. “While I have nothing but respect for our veterans, I know how hard it can be to make the switch back to a normal life once you’re back from the service. Some of you fail and end up on the wrong side of the law. And some of you lose a piece of yourselves overseas. You can’t get it back, and it makes you fucking ruthless.”

“Oh, so thank you for your service, but I think you’re all criminals,” I reply. “That’s what you’re saying?”

“Just stating what I know.”

“You know nothing about us. You have nothing to tie us to your drug bust except a vest that might very well be a fake, and some dude who—you didn’t even tell me, did Terry the Menace confirm that he’s a member of our MC?”

I see the change across Spalding’s face as he looks away. “He hasn’t said a word since I slapped the cuffs on him.”

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