Page 23 of Soul

I leaned my head against the wall and exhaled. Trust Madden to cause trouble. It was a good job I was moving away.

I checked my mobile and saw all the videos had been sent from three numbers I didn’t know.

As I opened each message, I saw a name at the top and then the video attached. The third guy had been called Blue.

I saw a second text from Soul and scrolled down.

‘Save this number. If you need me, call.’

Damn. Had I misjudged him, after all?

Soul

We’d heard the commotion next over the roars of the crowd of TV and had caught most of what turned into a hell of an argument. What a self-centred prick Madden was. How had someone like Bryony been married to him? She admitted to being rich but lived in a normal neighbourhood.

That said a lot about her. She wasn’t into the trappings of the rich and knew what was important. Madden clearly didn’t have a damn clue. I wondered if he’d be back to pester her.

When Priest and Blue left, I checked out the name she’d called in relation to Madden. It turned out Duke Evans was Madden’s agent. I bet the poor guy had his hands full with an arrogant bastard like Madden.

There was no denying Madden was a good actor, but he was a poor excuse for a human being. Bryony was far better off away from him. As were those kids. I couldn’t imagine calling my own children freaks. What a total asshole. If Madden came back, I’d be watching. He deserved to meet Keres.

Chapter Five.

Soul

As I rode into the cemetery, I thought I saw a man on a bike parked up behind some trees. I could not see if he had a cut on, but as soon as I pulled in, he rode out.

Strange, were we being watched? I couldn’t see why I would be; I was not exactly important to the club. But on arrival, I found the staff looking concerned and puzzled.

“What is it?” I asked.

Trevor, our undertaker, looked up. “A wreath. It was here when we arrived. Julie brought it in but wasn’t sure what to do. We’ve only been here ten minutes.”

Which was about right. Julie, the receptionist, looked pale, and I moved forward, and my jaw locked on seeing the wreath. It was white lilies and carnations and had a sash across it. R.I.P RBMC, it stated. Only two clubs would have the guts to send this. It was either the Bloody Scorpions MC or the Screaming Barons. Both were assholes.

“Take it to my office, and don’t worry about it,” I said to Mariah, who did the makeup for the bodies.

She nodded and picked it up. She got to the doorway leading to the offices when she screamed, dropped the wreath, and stumbled back as quickly as she could. A yellow scorpion with brown spots skittled towards her.

Julie shrieked and leapt onto a chair as Trevor grabbed Mariah and dragged her up out of reach. I strode forward and stamped on it.

“Did it sting you?” I demanded, turning to Mariah.

She shook her head violently.

“All of you, let me clean this up, and I’ll take the fuckin’ wreath. Trevor, order in coffees, snacks, and whatever else anyone wants. And from now on in, if you find anything like this, don’t touch it, call it in immediately to the club. Mariah, go calm down and have a few minutes. You’ve had a bad shock.”

“Is it poisonous?” Mariah asked.

“No, it had been de-stinged.”

Mariah relaxed.

“This was somebody’s idea of a joke,” I said, and she nodded.

I didn’t want to tell her that, actually, she had been close to death. You couldn’t de-sting a scorpion as far as I knew. The Maine Chapter of the Bloody Scorpions had a nasty habit of breeding these fucks and leaving them as a calling card. Each one was deadly. The Bloody Scorpions did not give a shit if an innocent died. The scorpion that had headed for Mariah would have killed her.

I scooped the remains up and carefully checked the wreath before phoning Warden. He promised to come immediately, and I carried the jar with the dead scorpion and wreath to my office.

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