Page 23 of Riggs
"Alright. Go on ahead. We'll meet you there." I chose Everest to guard Luna because next to Wick he's the biggest motherfucker we got. He's also shown his willingness in recent months to go the distance for the club. Everest knows the task I've given him is a big deal. He fucks up, and his ass is gone.
Pulling up behind the bar, Luna and I climb off my bike, and I lead her up the stairs to my apartment. When I get to the door, I use my cell to punch in the code for the alarm. I don't have a code panel. I don't trust that shit can't be broken into. "Only three people have the code to this door," I tell Luna. "Me, Wick, and Nova. I trust those two men with my life, and so can you. But you don't need to worry because neither one of them will show up here without mine or your approval."
"Okay, Riggs. I trust you," Luna tells me.
Stepping into my apartment, I go about showing her around. "As you can see, it's not much. The bathroom is there," I point to my right. "The kitchen is straight ahead." I gesture behind her. "Bedroom is there." With my apartment being an open floor plan, she can see the one bedroom I have as we stand right next to it.
"I like it," she confesses. "It looks almost like my place back home." A look of sadness crosses her face at the mention of her home. Wanting to wipe that look off her face, I suddenly remember the surprise I have waiting for her.
"Come on; I have something to show you." Luna follows me to the French doors that lead to the balcony that overlooks Bourbon Street. I open the doors; Luna brings her hand up to her mouth and lets out a gasp. I fucking live for those little noises she sometimes allows to escape her mouth. Stepping out onto the balcony, Luna takes in her surprise. Sitting there is a stool, an easel, a shit ton of paints, brushes, along with several blank canvases. Before leaving Polson, I pulled Sofia aside and found out what materials Luna had been using. We had no way of bringing all of her things with us, but I'll be damned if my girl didn't have her passion waiting for her when we got home. I stressed to Track and Everest to spare no expense. Buy the whole fucking store if need be. And by the look on Luna's face, I'd say I did well.
She's taking in all the paints and supplies like a kid in a candy store. What she does next, shocks the hell out of me and nearly simultaneously brings me to my knees. One-minute Luna is standing stock still, and the next she launches herself into my arms and buries her face in my neck. Her fingers thread through the hair on the back of my head as she begins to cry. I feel her tears run down my skin. Like the greedy motherfucker I am, I hold her in my arms for as long as she allows. Too soon for my liking, Luna releases her grip and takes a step back. "I hope those are happy tears, baby."
Luna beams at me with her violet eyes shining. "They are most definitely happy tears. Thank you. I don't know how I could ever repay you. I feel lost without my art, so this gift means more to me than you'll ever know."
I use the pad of my thumb to wipe away her tears. "Your beautiful smile is all the thanks I need, baby." I kiss the top of her head, then each cheek the same moment she releases a shuttered breath. Her lips are calling for me to taste them, but I resist the urge. When I take Luna's mouth for the first time, I want to be one hundred percent sure it's what she wants. "Alright, sweetheart. I have to run to the clubhouse to talk to my men. If you want to take a shower or a bath, I have everything you need in the bathroom. Josie and Payton went shopping for you." I lead Luna to the closet to where her new clothes are hanging. "I had to guess your size, but if something doesn't fit, we'll take it back, or if you don't like what the girls picked out," I explain as Luna sifts through the clothes on the hangers. The girls went all out. I see an assortment of jeans, shorts, summer dresses, t-shirts.
Also folded on the shelf beneath where the clothes are hanging is an array of undergarments. I don't miss the blush that attacks Luna's face when she spots a few silk nighties. We step out of the closet, and I point to the door that leads down to the bar. "This door will take you down to the bar. Everest will be standing guard at the bottom of the stairs whenever I am not up here with you. If you need anything, you go to him. But he is not allowed up here." I take a phone from the inside of my cut. "This is for you. There is only one number in there, and that's mine. I don't care when or where; you need me — you text."
Luna tucks the phone into her back pocket. "Do you think we should contact Detective Brooks? Let her know what's going on and where I am?"
"I don't want you to worry about any of that. I'll take care of everything."
"Okay," Luna says without argument.
I nod and make my way to the back door. "I'll bring supper home. Is there anything specific you're in the mood for?"
"Do you have food here?" she asks.
"Yeah. I had the refrigerator stocked before we arrived."
"Is it okay if I cook us something. I love to cook," Luna tells me, looking shy.
"You won't catch me turning down a home cooked meal, baby. So, if you want to cook, go for it." I kiss the top of her head once more. "I won't be long."
Striding into church, I take my place at the head of the table and slam the gavel bringing the attention of all my men. "You all know why we are here. Jake contacted us needing a favor, and that was to help him out with Luna. In case some of you have missed what went down, Luna got mixed up with a club that goes by Savage Outlaw. They are based out of Arizona. Luna had been the girlfriend of their President, Rex. She ended up seeing some shit she wasn't supposed to, and that led Rex to try and shut her up permanently. The motherfucker beat the hell out of her, then he and his brother Pike dumped her on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. Luckily a passerby found her and called 911. When word got back to Rex she survived, the club began gunnin' for her life. Luna had been set up in a safe house, but they soon discovered her whereabouts. That is when the detective working Rex's case set Luna up in Polson at New Hope House. Somehow Savage Outlaw found her there too."
"You think the authorities have a snitch? You know anything about this detective?" these questions coming from Nova.
"Jake said the detective and her partner checked out. But to be safe, we've decided not to tell them where Luna is now."
"How do you plan on handling the authorities back in Arizona?" Wick asks.
"I'm going to place a call to them tomorrow. I plan to be straight up with them. Tell them Luna is no longer their concern. It's not like they can force her to come back. The charges against Rex were dropped. There is no case and I damn sure don't trust the cops to keep my girl safe. Not when her last two locations were breached."
"So, what's the end game here, Prez?" Fender speaks up.
"I'm going to hunt that son of a bitch, Rex, down and put a bullet in him," I declare with venom in my voice.
Wick is the next to jump in. "You know, Prez, the Commander is from Arizona. I remember him saying he still visits his parents out there several times a year. Think we should put a call into him. Maybe he knows something about this club since he's from there. Either that or he's heard something. Doesn't hurt to ask. We need to gather as much intel about the fuckers as we can. Find out exactly what kind of shit they're into. Cross our T's and dot our I's before we go in guns blazin'. I've never heard of Savage Outlaw. We don't know what shit they are into or what connections they may have. I say we take them out but be smart. Make sure we don't suffer any repercussions or gain any unwanted enemies in the process."
"Sounds like a plan, brother. You're right. We need to play this smart. Once the situation is handled, I want it dead and buried. I don't want Luna to have to look over her shoulder for the rest of her life and live in fear. And the club doesn't want anything to come back and bite us in the ass later on down the road. For now, the plan is to put a call into our former commander. We'll see what he has to say. My guess is he will jump at the chance to get his hands dirty. You know he retired last year. I'm sure he's itchin' for some action," I say, and Wick chuckles.
"You're probably right, Prez."
"Alright, men," I stand. "If any of you need the prospects for anything, you'll have to hit up Track. Everest will be Luna's personal protection whenever I'm not around until I say otherwise." With that, I slam the gavel.
