Page 9 of Nomad
I took the stairs two at a time and grabbed the burner cell from the nightstand before it went to voicemail. It only rang when a job needed to be done for the club. Getting out of town might be what I needed.
“Yeah?”
I sat on the end of the bed and ran my hand down my face. The day had started like shit, which was normal for this time of the year. Now the weight of tonight, and memories, settled in the pit of my stomach. With Angie out of my life, I was alone again.
Being alone was not an issue for me. Hell, I preferred it. But sometimes, with the silence came the demons. The chaos. The noise only Jade quieted. She was nowhere around, and the fucking noise was becoming unbearable.
“Sandman?” the unfamiliar voice called out.
“Who’s asking?”
I knew it was one of the club’s chapter presidents, but I wasn’t willing to give a stranger my name upfront.
“A brother needing someone put to sleep.”
His response confirmed he was indeed a chapter president. If they called for help, that was the phrase they all used. I shivered as excitement rushed through my body. It never failed. The exhilaration of taking a life from someone who deserved it never went away. That was why I loved my job with the club. I got tired of being in the military, but I never got tired of killing an enemy.
“Hmm…” I responded, the adrenaline pumping harder through my veins as I thought about leaving for a job. This would be the perfect way to focus on something other than the sorrow that came with this time of the year, and the woman I couldn’t have. “State your business with me.”
The stranger chuckled. “Demon said you were a man who got to the point, and the one I needed to call if something major came up. Sandman, this is about as big as you can fucking get.”
Austin Tyler, or Demon as he was known as by One Percenters across the country, founded Demons United’s mother chapter in Georgia and had headed it for a long time. I’d done a lot of runs for the former Prez when I’d prospected with the Georgia Chapter before being patched into the club as a Nomad.
He was a hard ass, but someone you could trust with your life. And I did. It had come as a shock when Demon stepped down after getting married and having a kid. The club had been his life for a long time, and he’d done great things for not only the Georgia Chapter, but all the chapters as he controlled them all. The Georgia Chapter had been through hell since he started it, but I had heard the chapter was doing well under their new Prez, Ghost.
“What do you need from me?” I asked, again ready for him to get to the point. I was so damn tired and ready to get some sleep. The day had been emotionally draining, and the shit that had gone down with Angie only added to it. “I’m sure this isn’t a courtesy call.”
“No, it isn’t a courtesy call,” he said. “I’ve got a job that needs to be done quickly and quietly.”
Only chapter presidents enlisted my help because of the skills I’d learned over the years as a Special Forces Operator. If I was being called in, it was a high-profile hit.
“I’m listening.”
“How long will it take you to get to North Carolina?”
There was only one chapter in North Carolina, so I knew exactly where to go even though I’d never been to the clubhouse or met the president. I gazed down at my watch. It was still early enough that if I packed tonight, and left before the sun came up, it wouldn’t take too long.
“Three days max, if I leave early tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll text you the address.”
“No need. I know where you are.”
“All right. Also, there’s a charity ride happening for one of the city’s fallen vets. The brothers from all the chapters will be in attendance. We can meet up there, get all the pleasantries out of the way. After the event, everybody’s getting together at the clubhouse for a party since all the chapters will be in town.”
Was it for Aaron? Jade ran an organization helping homeless vets, I’d heard. One of the largest in the state. Excitement and dread ran through me. I’d never known it was possible to experience both emotions at once.
“Who’s the ride for?” I asked, curious to see if it was for Aaron and Jade’s organization.
“A Special Forces Operator killed overseas a few years ago. Aaron Milan.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Of course.
“His widow runs an organization helping homeless vets. All proceeds are going to the organization in his name.”
“Yeah, I’m familiar with the organization.” I rubbed my temples. “I’ll see you at the ride.”
“See you when you get here, brother.”
