Page 7 of Pearl
I pull on my boots and scrounge around in my backpack before hitting the shower, reholstering the pearl-handled Glock my daddy gave me so long ago, and my trusty knives. I find the little tool I need at the bottom of my bag, saying a silent thank you to the boy who taught me to pick locks and sneak out of foster homes so long ago.Brent, if you’re still out there and alive somewhere, thank you.
Onyx is wrapped in the bedding, sleeping with it around her like a cocoon.I wake my VP with a shake to her shoulder, my backpack already in place and ready to ride. “Wake up,” I whisper as she squints at me through barely opened eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asks with a start, suddenly coming very much alive and ready to throw down if need be.
“Hawg has a truck picking the ladies up at seven tonight. It will take them to Duchess. I’m going to Vegas to get Angel’s sister. I need you to get on the phone, make some calls, find a strip club, this side of Vegas. The owner is apparently a sister to some rogue bike club but some skeeze manages it for her. Text me where I’m going when you find out, but I need to geton the road now. I’ll be back with Lacey before that truck leaves tonight. And keep your phone on.”
Onyx shakes her head, sitting up in a hurry. “Listen to me. You’re fucking crazy. I’ll go with you. There’s no way I’m letting you go alone. Have you lost your fucking mind?”
My jaw tightens. It’s not as if I haven’t thought of every stinking option all night long. “I need you here in case things go south and you need to take charge. Are you hearing me? I am trusting you with the lives of the ladies.” I glance around at all of the Harlots wrapped in sleeping bags lying all over the floor. “That’s a big fucking job. That’s what you need to do. And if you don’t hear from me by six, you get those ladies on that truck, and you and the rest of the Harlots get on it with them, because shit’s gone south and they may be coming after you. The truck will be heading to upstate NY and Duchess will protect you.”
Onyx arches an eyebrow. I meet her look straight on. “I’ll be fine Onyx, take care of the ladies.” She knows exactly what to do if someone takes me out. I have complete faith that if something ever happens to me, my VP and second in command will do whatever it takes to keep these ladies safe and keep the club intact.
She finally says something. “Holy hell! How I ended up with a crazy woman like you for a friend I’ll never know. Get the fuck out of here and you better call me the minute you know you’re okay.”
I grin. “Get me that address, Onyx.”
The little tool that Brent, a friend at foster care gave me years ago, hasn’t let me down once in all these years and it comes through just like always this time. Every door, every single time. None of them are a match for this little silver beauty. I close it behind me, wishing I’d had the good sense to toss some blankets on the couch to make it look like I’m still sleeping in case anyonelooks in on us, but it’s too late for that, I’m halfway up the stairs and not going back.
The bar is dark and eerily quiet as I make my way through the quiet club, heading to the back exit. A floorboard creaks just before I reach the door and stops me dead in my tracks.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
My throat constricts as I swallow hard, but I keep moving, more quickly than before, reaching the door and opening it as quietly as I can before making it out and around the dumpsters to my bike.
I push my Harley almost a block before I jump on, check my watch, and make the engine roar. Five minutes to five in the morning. I’ll beat all the rush hour traffic of Phoenix and hopefully the cops won’t be out in full force until later in the day. If I’m lucky, and I know I’ll need all the luck I can get today. Because nothing about this mission is sane. I know it’s crazy, but I’m doing it just the same.
Three stop lights without having to brake at all, and then I hit the ramp toward the highway, giving my ride enough gas to cruise along at a comfortable speed. Once I hit the wide-open road where it’s just me and the beauty of the desert, I’ll lay the hammer down and make up some time. There’s no room for error on this ride. One stop, and with my record, it could land me back in the slammer and cost Angel’s sister her life.
And that’s not going to fucking happen, not on my watch, and not on my ride. The engine roars between my thighs as mile after mile passes. As president of the Harlots, it’s my responsibility to care for the women in my club, and by extension, anyone we choose to help. Angel’s going to see her sister Lacey again. I’m going to make damn sure of that even if I have to put some fuckers in the ground to make it happen.
And if the flashing light behind me is any indication, this day just got a whole lot fucking worse and it’s barely started. Because no one, cops included, are going to stop me from my mission.
Chapter 6
Carver
Iwake to a battery of stomping feet above my head, glancing over at the twin bunk that Lucky’s still stretched out on with not a care in the world. I pull myself out of bed and push my hair back out of my eyes, cursing the world for pulling me from a dream with the blonde-haired babe who has a body made for sin and a sharp little tongue to back it up and was riding me to a wicked fucking climax before those assholes upstairs woke me up.
Doors begin to slam, and the noise dissipates to a slow rumble. I grab my shaving bag and head into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Lucky barely stirs as I come back into the room, snoring even louder than he did all night. Living life to the fullest now that he’s on the outside. A few too many beers, a couple bunnies with nice tits on his lap and he was a happy man when I left him to crash for the night.
Not that the ladies weren’t enticing, but I need all my wits about me today. It’s not as easy to dodge the patrols and gangs on the main highway and with my history, I don’t want to run into either. I zigzag a route using the fastest way between here and Vegas, routing the path in my mind, while adding a coupleside trips through the canyons to get me away from one of the weigh stations where I know cops will be. It’ll add a little time but less than getting stopped and thrown into the slammer. And help me avoid biker trouble to boot. With a plan in mind, I’m ready to ride, get there and get back to keep an eye on the Harlots tonight. And one sexy-assed blonde with a mouth made for sin in particular.
One look at the bikers upstairs, getting geared up, pissed off and ready to ride, tells me that staying out of the madness and mayhem of the day is far from likely. They went to bed anxious to rumble and they woke up more than ready to throw down when all the crews come together in the south.
Hawg walks over to me the minute he sees me join them upstairs. “Fucking Scorpions are in our corner of the world again, stirring shit up near one of our bars on the other side of town. We need to go handle our business. No one is going to come anywhere near the Phoenix Crew’s club in broad daylight. Besides, Pearl and the Harlots are strapped, they’ll take care of anyone who gets anywhere close. We wouldn’t go if we didn’t have to handle our business.”
Fuck, I don’t like the idea of the ladies being left alone at all. “How long will it take?”
The big burly guy eyes the round clock on the wall. “As long as it takes me to get across town and put a bat upside their fucking heads. Cause that’s what happens when you hang out where you haven’t been invited and try messing with someone’s ol’ lady. A couple of them boys are going to get more than a lesson today.”
I sigh heavily, just one of the reasons I like to ride solo. Everyone in a club’s problems become yours, but in this case it’s the ladies’. A bunch of innocents who shouldn’t be left alone if we can prevent it, and I can. “Me and Lucky will stay here andwatch out for the women until you get back. I’ll still have time to get to Vegas and back before you need the product.”
Hawg slaps me on the back, his bloodshot eyes from the night before gentle and kind. “I appreciate it man. We owe you one.”
“No, you don’t. It’s what we do. Watch out for each other.” And for the first time in a long time, that’s exactly the way I feel. Even if it causes me to start out a little later and I need to ride faster to get back here on time. Not because the little blonde bottle of fury is downstairs either, or that she makes my cock harder than it’s ever been, or for a thousand other reasons that I shouldn’t even be thinking about, but all seem to revolve around her.
One of the ol’ ladies walks over to Hawg and whispers something in his ear. He exhales a deep breath, pulling on his leather jacket. “Fucking day hasn’t even started yet and we’ve got more trouble than I want to deal with today.” He glares at his second in command. “Who the fuck was watching the ladies? I’m gonna get my ass in a sling if something happens to Pearl. Duchess gave the word to protect her like she was one of ours, and now she’s fucking gone. At the same time, we’ve got fucking Scorpions flaunting the fact they just had an overnight with Brite’s ol’ lady.”
He grabs a bottle of orange juice from the refrigerator and guzzles the contents. “Let’s ride, boys.” He points to me. “Take care of the ladies until we get back. Talk to Onyx. She’s Pearl’s next in command. She’ll know what’s going on with Pearl. Text me the minute you get that information and we’ll go after that pain in the ass. One fucking problem at a time,” he grumbles.
