Page 8 of Axe
CHAPTER FOUR
Axe
“We need to head back,” Loch said with a look that let me know it was urgent.
I didn’t want to leave Tank, especially since I didn’t trust his chick one hundred percent yet. Though, it was hard to fucking deny that she cared about the guy. Part of me was over the fucking moon for him, because he deserved that shit. But the hardened part of me was skeptical. I tried my best to put my shit aside and really take her in.
Nadya was no doubt a cutthroat, badass, scary woman. She was too calm and her face was all stone, never revealing her emotions. Well, except when she was looking at Tank. That was the only time I saw her show the smallest amount of human. Even I had to admit, I wouldn’t want to be on her bad side.
But all that aside, it didn’t matter how I felt. Loch was my VP and if he said jump, then I fucking bounced with everything I had in me. Plus, the look of urgent concern on his face let me know we needed to get gone right fucking now.
The ride home was fast. Not even really long enough for me to feel a wave a panic over what was going on. After we pulled through the compound gates, we hopped off our bikes and Lock, Diesel, Bocca, and I ended up in Cal’s office.
Basically, someone had rented Ethel’s house.
Oh, right. Loch was the Vice Prez. Reagan was his old lady. Ethel was her grandmother. That woman was bat-shit crazy and pinched my ass every chance she got. But she was fun and made amazing cookies, so I’d put up with the ass grab as long as I got some of that shit.
Ethel called Loch, explaining the situation and said that the girl seemed skittish and gave her money for rent without even looking at the place. Yep, shit seemed shady to me and with all the stuff the club was dealing with, we couldn’t be too careful.
My first thought, Savage sent someone in to get close and spy on us. I wouldn’t put it past that motherfucker. We’d been under his thumb for too fucking long. I hated him for what he’d turned the club into and we were down two great people because of him. Three, really, because when Logan died in that explosion we lost Tank too. Though I had a feeling he might be making his way back and I couldn’t be more happy about it. Tank was my brother. The closest person I had here. He never looked down on me for all the shit I’d gone through in life and he never judged me for some of the things I thought sometimes.
So, it looked like I was up now. It was my job to check out the house and see who this bitch was. It didn’t bother me any, I knew I had the patience to deal with it.
After a much-needed shower, I rode over to the house. I parked a little ways down the road and cut the engine. I wasn’t going to make myself known, not just yet. I wanted to sit back and watch.
Sometimes watching told more than going in guns blazing and demanding answers. Plus, after dealing with Nadya, I was a little hesitant about being around women. Not that I was scared, it was more that I needed time to process everything that had happened in that basement. I had somehow managed to keep my cool with Nadya, but only on the outside. And I couldn’t help but wonder when my feet would slip off of that wire and I ended up becoming the man I hated with every fiber of my being.
Three hours went by and the house seemed as quiet as it had been for the past few months. The blinds were closed and there wasn’t so much as a shadow that crossed in front of them. I was beginning to think that the old bat had truly gone crazy and that there was actually no one there.
The sun tucked itself behind the tree line and I contemplated calling it a fucking night and letting one of the prospects sit watch. Then I thought I should at least get a closer look. With the night providing cover, I would be able to get close to the house completely unseen.
I pulled out my phone and send Cal a text. I told him to send me some backup. While I had no doubt I could take care of it all on my own, I was smart enough to know that there were surprises waiting around every corner. Nowadays, we couldn’t be too careful.
I pulled out a cigarette while I waited. The harsh smoke that filled my lungs did nothing to ease the strained feeling I had in my gut. I heard two bikes down the road heading my way. I didn’t even have to turn and look to know that one of them was Brand. His nineteen-eighty Triumph Bonneville T140E rumbled through the air and I swore if I closed my eyes I could feel it vibrating the soles of my sneakers through the asphalt.
Brand pulled up behind me while Calvin, one of the new prospects, parked on the other side of the street. Calvin dismounted and rested his ass against his seat like he knew exactly why he was there—to sit and watch my back like a good boy.
“What’s up?” Brand said as he walked over to me.
I blew out my last lungful of smoke as I dropped my cigarette and crushed it under my shoe.
“Cal fill you in?” I asked jerking my head in the direction of the house I’d been watching. With a short nod from him, I had my answer. “Hasn’t been any movement the whole time I’ve been here. I’m starting to wonder if we aren’t chasing ghosts.”
“Thought I heard your bike,” Chris said looking at Brand as he crossed the street. “Everything alright?” he asked looking back and forth between us.
“Ethel rented this place out. You see anything?” I asked.
His house was across the street and two down from Ethel’s rental.
“Yeah. I was actually out front fixing the porch when she drove up. Right away she pulled into the driveway and around back. I didn’t see her until she walked to the end of the driveway to meet Ethel. I really didn’t see much and I was too far away to hear. But I saw her give a pretty plump envelope to Ethel. Then Ethel handed her what I assumed were keys and they went their separate ways. The woman disappeared around back and that was the end of that.” He gave a little shoulder shrug like he knew it wasn’t much help.
“You see what she looked like?” I asked.
“About Reagan’s height. Medium blonde hair. That’s about all I saw,” he replied.
His eyes asked the questions his mouth didn’t dare to. Since he was pretty close with most of us at the club, I opted to let him in a little. It also helped to know that he’d have our backs if we ever needed. And an extra set of eyes wouldn’t hurt either.
“Ethel just said the chick seemed skittish. Wanted us to check it out,” I said and he nodded.
