Page 43 of Puma's Pride

“Because I’m a master safecracker.” Trouble says. “It was why Acid wanted me as part of his club.”

“So Acid sent you to Trouble?” Corinne asks.

I nod. “He did. The fucker. Didn’t warn me that Trouble wasn’t fond of Demon Dawgs. I went alone because Wildcard had to stay behind and watch the safe. That was the last time I trusted Acid.”

“What happened?” Corinne asks.

“I was still new to the MC world. I knew the Demon Dawgs had enemies, but no one mentioned the Shadow Borns. Acid told me that Trouble couldn’t cut it as a 1%. Said Trouble and his crew were hobbyists, weekend wannabe warriors. I had no reason to doubt him. Until I park in front of their clubhouse and have half a dozen guns trained on me before I cut the ignition.”

“Lucky for your man here, I may not have been a fan of the Demon Dawgs, but I was a fan of Maklin Brooks. He earned me some good money while he ran the boards.”

“One of the few times since joining the Demon Dawgs that I was glad someone saw past the kutte and recognized me.” I admit. “Once I explained why I needed help and who sent me to find him, we established a friendship.”

“I hated Acid, but I always had respect for Dante. I considered finding a different chapter after I left LA, but decided, instead, to avoid the problems Acid could cause me. So I joined the Shadow Borns. We aren’t hobbyists, but we aren’t murderers either.” Trouble says. “I heard Puma out and offered my help.”

“You opened the safe?” Corinne asks and Trouble nods. “How do you know how to do that?”

“It’s a skill you can learn. You can even get certified. Not all safecrackers are criminals. I used to work for a security firm. I liked the idea of being in an MC and I could bring my skills to the club. The Shadow Borns run a security business where I can use my talent.”

“Trouble and his team are providing additional security for our charity event.” Desdemona tells Corinne.

Corinne nods and I can see interest in her eyes. I’m not sure how I feel about my son’s mother hooking up with the President of another club, but then again she could do worse. And I know Trouble would do everything in his power to protect Corinne and Mal. Maybe them hooking up isn’t such a bad thing.

“What happened with Squiggy?” Chill asks, drawing me back into the conversation.

“Trouble rode with me back to the clubhouse and opened the safe. We used a prospect to smuggle the evidence off the property. He went to San Diego with instructions to deliver the package to Dante.”

“So the Feds showed up, but found no evidence?” Alisa asks.

“Yep.” I say, my mind playing out the events of that day. “Once we had the evidence out of the way, we waited. We weren’t certain if Squiggy would check the safe before the Feds arrived or not. We had a contingency plan for that scenario. Turns out we didn’t need one. Squiggy took care of it himself.”

“How?” Alisa asks.

“He held a party. Had everyone there when the Feds arrived. Squiggy put on one hell of an act. He postured and protested, but eventually took the agent to his office.” I chuckle at the memory. “A few minutes later, Squiggy comes storming out and grabs his VP, hoisting him up by his kutte. Squiggy screamed at him, demanding to know what he did with the evidence in his safe. The VP was the only one besides Squiggy who had the combination. When the VP protested his innocence, he asked what was in the safe. Squiggy tried to backpedal. Unfortunately for him, the agent was even more pissed than Squiggy. He told everyone what Squiggy offered and what he expected in return.”

“Damn.” Desdemona says. “That was cold.”

“Turns out the agent called in a few favors and made some promises he couldn’t keep. He was in as deep as Squiggy. The VP attacked Squiggy. It was a fucking circus. Agents lost control as the members brawled. In the end, Squiggy, the agent, and our VP were all dead. They tried to pin the agent’s murder on the club, but in the end, they worked it so Squiggy and the VP shot the agent and the agent defended himself. It was the first time I ever saw someone shot, since I was responsible…”

“Fuck that.” Trouble says, slapping me on the back. “You weren’t responsible. That was Squiggy’s doing. You did what you had to do to protect the club. To protect your family. It’s why Dante recommended you as President and why the others voted you in. None of them regret that decision.”

I know he’s right. Dante and I have only spoken about that incident once and he stressed how I should see my part in taking Squiggy down, not as a betrayal against the club, but as its defender. That Squiggy betrayed the club, and I acted to protect it. Even though I know logically, he’s right. I still question if I did the right thing. I glance at Alisa and the look of approval and pride in her eyes soothes me. If I hadn’t done what I did back then, Alisa wouldn’t be safe today. Maybe that’s enough.

“Don’t worry, Puma. If you decide to go rogue, I’ll take you down.” Chill tells me as she stands up.

I chuckle. “I’m sure you will.”

I have my arm around Alisa’s shoulders as we step outside. When she raises her face to the sun, I get lost in her beauty. I want to take her back to the clubhouse and do unspeakable things to her body. But I also know there is no guarantee we’ll be alone long enough to sate my need. I glance at my bike and have the best idea I’ve had all day.

“How about we take a ride?” I ask her. She rewards me with a smile and a nod.

“Let me call Showtime and make sure the kids are alright.” She says, pulling out her phone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: ALISA

When Showtime answers, she assures me that the kids are fine. Diego is feeding them lunch and then he has their afternoon planned. Napping with a chance of a board game or two.

“I thought you were with Corinne.” Showtime says. “I just got off the phone with her and told her the same thing.”

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