Page 22 of Diesel
“Anythin’?” Loch asked and I shook my head.
“Everythin’ looks like we left it,” I said, tension stiffened every muscle in my body.
I started walking around the building as Loch and Tank walked around the other side. Not moments later, I heard the deep, angry roar of Tank. I ran, my boots skidding across the gravel. I rounded the back of the building and saw Stone lying there, Loch and Tank attempting to lift his limp body up.
I knew. Even before I saw how badly off he was, I fucking knew. He was gone. His chest wasn’t moving and there was no life left in his body. I walked closer, the dumpster no longer obstructing my view of his upper body. His face was beaten beyond recognition, swollen, bloody and bruised. His white shirt and cut were stained deep red. Still, I couldn’t give up. I ran over to Mr. Smith’s car, knowing the keys were sitting inside on the passenger’s seat. He’d brought it in for an oil change, so I knew it was running. The town was so small and tight-knit that most of the time we didn’t bother locking the keys in the shop. We knew no one would mess with them. I had never really had a feeling about it either way. But right then, I was fucking thankful.
Tank and Loch loaded Stone into the backseat and I took off as soon as the door was shut. I knew they wouldn’t be long behind me on their bikes. The clubhouse was on the other side of town. Which normally the ten-minute drive wasn’t a big deal. But at that moment, it took far too long.
The gates were already open and Patch was waiting outside, along with a few other brothers. They pulled Stone’s body from the car before I even had it in park and hurried him back to the med room. I paced outside the door, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides. The clubhouse was eerily quiet as we all waited for the answer that we already knew in our hearts.
Patch came out of the med room not long after, wiping his bloodied hands on a rag and shaking his head. His lips were set in a thin line and I knew he was barely holding it together. Anger and shock filled the air; brothers cursing and hitting the closest objects.
Stone was dead. And by the way his body was mangled and mauled, it wasn’t an accident. We all knew who did this. Savage. I looked over at Loch. We knew. This was only the beginning.
“Find who did this,” I growled at Bocca and then headed to the bar. I needed a drink. I was sure that was just about everyone’s thoughts, too.
I downed shot after shot. The alcohol mixed with the anger and flowed through my veins like a wildfire, heating up every single crevasse in my body. I knew I had to keep my cool. I had to save all this rage for the right time. I took a deep breath before I tossed back my final shot of the night.
Tanks huge paw clamped down on my shoulder. We exchanged meaningful looks but said nothing. We were all thinking the same thing. How would we deal with this? Who would tell Mel and the kids? What would happen now?
Thinking of Mel and the kids broke my heart even more. She was always there for us. This club was like an extension of her family, the brothers were like her kids. She was endlessly looking after and caring for us.
Now, she wouldn’t be able to grow old with the love of her life. She wouldn’t be able to carry any more of his children. She wouldn’t be able to kiss him good morning. And the kids… Charlie, Anna, and Brent wouldn’t be able to show their father anymore aced tests. They wouldn’t be able to look for him at their graduation ceremony. They wouldn’t be able to see the look on his face when they made him a proud grandpa.
I sighed, knowing all too well how it was to be one of the ones left behind. I knew how hard it was to grieve. And I knew that sometimes people didn’t get over it; they just broke instead. Mel was strong, but I had no doubt that Stone’s death would crush her.
Revenge will be mine. For them and for the club.
I cleared the haze from my vision and looked around. Everyone was taking the hit. This was one of our brothers and he was gone. He would never have another vote or take another ride. The reality of our lives was hitting us hard. Up until then, things hadn’t been all that dangerous. But the moment Savage and his club moved in, things had taken a sharp turn in the direction Cal had always tried to avoid.Thiswould end in war. As I took in all of my brothers’ faces, I wondered how many more of us would fall.
“Call everyone in,” Cal commanded, his big face red with anger. “Church, now.” He turned and headed to his office, the door slamming behind him so hard I was sure the frame splintered.
Within fifteen minutes we were sitting around the table. The tension so thick in the air it was hard to breathe. Cal’s eyes took a moment to look over each of us.
“I’m callin’ a lockdown. Get your families here tonight,” Cal started, his tone calm like a president’s should be. I knew inside he was a mess of anger and hate. He was putting Stone’s death on his shoulders; taking all the blame. But that wasn’t how we all saw it. “No one leaves town.” His eyes pointedly looked at me and I resisted the urge to duck my head like a scolded child. I didn’t think that my constant leaving lately hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“What about the garage?” Loch asked.
“Everyone stays here except to go there for work. Loch, shut the bar down on weekdays. Chris can run it on weekends. Won’t lose too much business that way.” He paused and cleared his throat before continuing. “Diesel, take Lake and talk to Mel. Get her and the kids here.”
I nodded knowing I was chosen because I didn’t have anyone of my own to pack up and bring in. Tank had to go to his mom’s to break the news to her and pick up his little boy, Grass. Loch had to go break the news to Reagan. A few of the others had families they needed to get in and get settled.
“Your asses stay here unless I say so. I know it’s goin’ to be a full house and we are goin’ to get agitated bein’ so cramped, but I don’t want any fuckin’ problems. Round the clock patrols of the compound. Two out there at a time. Got it!” We all nodded in a silent understanding. “Bocca?”
Bocca stood and tossed his tablet on the table. A still of what looked like security camera footage from the garage was glaring up at us. A man with his back to the camera, his cut displaying The Devil’s Kings patch. His face turned to look over his shoulder directly into the camera. A face I recognized all too well. A satisfied evil smirk spread across his face. He was taunting us, laughing at us. He wanted us to see who it was. He wanted us to know why this was done.
“Switchblade.” Tank’s deep voice barked out cutting off whatever Bocca was about to say. His giant hands curled into fists on the table. Savage’s third in command. His smug look always made me want to punch him at every sit down we had with the Devil’s.
“There was also another set of boots but I couldn’t see anything else,” Bocca said after the room settled a bit. “It happened about an hour before you got there.” He looked over at Loch before shifting his gaze to me.
“We will get blood for this,” Cal said reading all of our thoughts. “But we do this right and we do it when I say.” His tone was commanding and left no room for arguments.
“I’ll keep seeing what I can find out about him. See if I can find where he is.” Bocca’s happy-go-lucky attitude long tucked away. A mask of hurt and rage was pulled over his charming smile.
“Loch, call in Brand. Give him the option. He can come home or he can stay there,” Cal said turning to Loch. I watched for any sort of reaction from Loch, but there wasn’t one. “But let him know, this choice will reflect his future.” Meaning, he comes back now, or he finds the South Carolina chapter his new home.
Brand had been gone for months and I knew his feelings for Reagan were the reason behind him taking off. Loch was clueless to it for a long time, but I saw it. Loch’s decision to have Brand sit with her twenty-four hours a day after she was attacked was the wrong move. And who could blame the guy for falling in love with her? She was gorgeous, kind and had spunk. Though Brand stayed true to his loyalties to Loch and the club and didn’t try anything with her, it was still hard on him. He needed to get away and clear his head and the air. I definitely understood that feeling. But it was time for him to come home. I hoped he saw it that way. He was a good asset to the club and he would go a long way. I had no doubt that he would have a seat at the table one day.
“Get gone. Get your people here and get prospects out on the fuckin’ gate.” Cal stood, ending the meeting.
I dashed off and found Lake, telling him to follow me over to Stone and Mel’s house. This was going to be one of the worst things I’d have to do. The guilt about the conversation I was about to have tore me up inside as I rode over there.
