The Winter of Regrets (21 page)

“Hammer, Darko, and Tramp know. I’m sure Bullet is taking care of it as we speak. I won’t put you in a spot. I’m on my way, tell Elena that.” Whiskey hung up the phone.

Mad Jack paced and finally picked up the phone and dialed the last person he normally would have called. “Nailz,” he said into the receiver, clenching his eyes shut and rubbing his temple. “I need you to come over to Elena’s. Now. You need to come because my hands are fucking tied. You owe Hunter this.”

“Elena is good with it? I can be right over, I’ll leave now,” Nailz replied, wondering what had happened.

Jack snarled. “Elena is scared shitless. Don’t tell anyone you’re coming. She’s fine with only you.” He hung up the phone and faced Elena and Dee. “I can’t do anything against Thrash. Thorn can’t either, but the big man can. He has no colors right now. He’s known you the longest, Elena. Nailz will knock some sense into that Thrash. It’ll save a lot of bullshit if he handles this. I’d like you and Dee to go into the bedroom while I talk to him, alright? I got this, trust me.”

Elena did trust him. She stood up and let Dee guide her into her bedroom. Then, Dee went to get another cold wet washcloth.

When Nailz came in later, the women heard, and Dee flipped on the radio. “We don’t need to listen to his messages again,” she assured Elena, “or hear what they’re saying. Really, it’s safer not to know.” She turned the washcloth over and stroked Elena’s hair softly as the music played.

N
ailz looked at Mad Jack’s face and saw the fury in it. He wondered what the hell was going on and hoped Jo wasn’t behind it. Jack said nothing, moving to the answering machine and pushing play. They stood there listening to the messages.

Nailz’ curled and uncurled his fingers, fuming. “That motherfucker. Does Jersey or Thorn know about this?”

“Hell no. Whiskey is on his way up. I figured you owe Thrash a beating, and you’re not in the club now. Would Hunter want him talking to Elena like this? You knew him the longest. Go handle it your way before the MCs can step in.”

“Jackie boy, you’re smart. You have a valid point. Now, to find him in Ocean Cove … You know he ain’t screaming that shit in the clubhouse. You’ll stay here just in case?”

“Yeah. We aren’t leaving until Whiskey gets here. Do you think I’d leave Elena alone? Fuck you, Nailz.”

Nailz slapped him on the back. Mad Jack slipped brass knuckles out of his pocket and silently handed them to Nailz, who pocketed them. The door banged as Nailz left.

Dee came into the room. “Amy has tonight off. Elena said something about her being with JJ. Do you want to get in touch with him? She fell asleep finally.” She put her arms around her ol’ man.

Jack stared at an enlarged picture on the TV set of Whiskey holding Rhiannon and Elena holding Shanna. “No, the less that know, the better. You never saw Nailz. Remember that, unless I tell you differently. Did you take that picture, Dee?”

She pressed into him. “Yeah, it was when Violet cooked at our house. I love it. Do you like it?”

Jack grabbed her hand, pulling her next to him. “They look like a real family, don’t they?” He pulled Dee to the couch and they sat down.

“My dad cares about her. He says he wants to get to know Elena, but wants to be a better man for her. I believe him, Jack.”

Mad Jack silenced her with a long kiss.

N
ailz thought about the calls Thrash had made to Elena as he drove. He knew how drunk his bro was, but he also thought about Thrash and Elena being together. Ever since China had fucked Thrash up, he had been different. Elena was just a Band-Aid for his ego. As he cruised through Ocean Cove, he looked for Thrash’s truck. He tried to think about the off-the-track dives they used to drink in. He went past a few and it came to him: Slinky’s was Thrash’s favorite place to drink alone. He pulled into the parking lot just as he saw a blonde hurrying out of her caddy.

Nailz strolled in and found the blonde chick trying to get Thrash up to leave. He picked her up and placed her aside. Thrash looked at him and didn’t even know him. Nailz felt nothing as he grabbed the back of Thrash’s head and slammed it face down on the bar. He heard the blonde gasp, so he faced her and snarled, “Shut the fuck up or you’re next.” The bar had a few old-timers drinking, and he nodded at Slinky. “You never saw me here and you don’t know me.”

Slinky nodded quickly. “Never saw you before. Take your problems outside,” he said before returning to washing dirty glasses.

Thrash moaned, and the pretty, leggy blonde moved toward him, but Nailz shook his head at her, making her retreat. He looked around. The place stunk like old piss, smoke, and beer. It was a dark bar and his leather covered his tats. Nobody here knew him. Slinky wouldn’t say a word to Thrash; he was too afraid of being involved. Nailz was sure he’d swear on his life that everything that happened must have been in the parking lot. This wasn’t the first time Slinky had seen this kind of shit; he knew how to handle it. Nailz was a ghost as far as the owner was concerned. His wooly hat covered his hair and he pulled it down further around his face.

Slowly, he withdrew the brass knuckles from his pocket, slipping them on. He had to play this just right. He kept his face in the shadows as he addressed the blonde and Slinky. “I’m taking him outside for some air. In five minutes, the blonde chick can come get him. When he’s sober, tell him Hunter sent him a message: the blessing is revoked. Got me?”

“My name is Penny,” said the blonde, her face twisted in pain, “and you’re making a big mistake. Do you know who he is?”

“You’ll be making a big mistake if you remember me,” Nailz answered back. “I said five minutes. You don’t want me to fuck his pretty boy face up even more, do you? I’ll even put him next to your caddy so you can get him home. You ever tell anyone what I look like, I’ll come for you next. Don’t forget the message, either.”

Penny’s eyes widened. “Hunter sent you. He has no blessing. Got it.” She looked down at the floor.

The blonde handled, Nailz grabbed Thrash up and had him out the door in record time. He dragged him to the chick’s caddy. Thrash was bleeding both from his nose as well as a cut on his forehead, and was about to bleed a whole lot more. Nailz felt nothing but disgust as he propped him against the car, his fist aiming for Thrash’s ribs. It felt great to pound at them, and he did, over and over.

When the deed was done, Thrash slumped to the pavement. Nailz knew he was almost out of time, so he grabbed his head and looked into his face. “You fucked up, bro. Don’t ever call her again. Hunter sent me, got me? Say it. Say that you know Hunter sent me.”

Thrash hurt all over, but he heard the message. He didn’t understand how Hunter could have sent anyone because he’s dead. He didn’t have a clue who this big man was, but he didn’t want any more pain.

Again, Nailz spoke into Thrash’s ear. “Hunter took back his blessing. Say that you understand me. I’ll be watching you. Say it.”

The hair on the back of the drunken Thrash’s neck stood up. He wasn’t sure who the fuck this man was, but he muttered, “Hunter sent you. He took … He took back his blessing.”

Thrash felt nothing when the fist slammed into his head. Nailz moved fast, leaving him on the ground by the car. He jumped into his truck and drove the hell home. He didn’t like to hit a brother, but he owed Hunter this. A smile crept across his face; Thrash would be hurting like he had, and he’d be wondering who the hell beat him up. Unless Penny saw him again, he wasn’t even known. Let Thrash think somebody was watching him; it might keep his stupid ass away from Elena.

He lit a cigarette and blasted the radio. He wanted his colors back and hoped to hell Thrash hadn’t started something with Satan’s Attitude. He wasn’t a member of Bound for Hell currently, so he had no right to ask. Jack was smart; he wouldn’t talk, either. Flipping the butt out the window, he began to sing, feeling like his old self again. He made it back home in record time. As he came in, he heard the phone ringing. He answered.

D
arko, Black Dog, and Hammer from Nefarious MC, and Rebel, Whisky, and Zero from Satan’s Attitude MC sat in the office at Dirty Deeds club.

Rebel leaned forward, facing the Nefarious members. “History lesson time. I was a founding member of Bound for Hell. I went to jail and left my family with my brother. When I got out, I wasn’t welcome back. I went to Maryland and started my own club. We’re big, and we’re getting bigger. I have no wish to take back what is rightfully mine, but Whiskey is moving to Jersey. We want a bigger presence here. Now, your club isn’t as big as either mine or Bound for Hell. So, we can do this easy, and Nefarious and my club stay on good terms … or we do it the hard way.” He sat back, eyes glinting a bit madly.

Hammer spoke quickly. “I know the history, Rebel. You took a fall, you got fucked. I see no reason why we all can’t stay on the terms we had. Nefarious won’t put a nay on Satan’s in Jersey. Not sure what Tramp will say, but we’re good. We’re not gonna see you go with the Fiends.”

Rebel smiled, and everyone in the room relaxed a bit.

Tramp, Bullet, and Veiko from Bound for Hell MC walked into the room. They looked at Whiskey, who was visibly pissed off. Grabbing a seat, Tramp left Bullet and Veiko to lean against the walls.

“We haven’t found Thrash,” said Tramp, folding his arms. “I’ve got Nailz coming up here. I understand Whiskey is angry, but Elena doesn’t belong to anyone.”

Darko spoke angrily. “She does. She’s under my protection and has been. Thrash leaves her alone; she doesn’t want him. You can’t give her away because she was done with Hunter. They weren’t together when he died. Calm your boy down, Tramp, or I will. The shit that went on when Rabid was president, it ain’t happening again.”

Whiskey stood up and spoke his piece. “Satan’s is moving numbers up in Jersey. Nefarious is good with it. As for Elena, my boys will be on her farm twenty-four seven. I’ve got an interest in her. I ain’t explaining myself to any of you. I’m telling you. Your boy calls her, he threatens her again, and we will take him out with Nefarious.” He sat down and reached for his glass of whiskey.

Veiko moved away from the wall. “I don’t know what my brother did, but he loves Elena. Nobody is taking my brother out. Understand?”

Tramp waved him back. “You’re increasing numbers here in our area and you expect us to be good with that?”

Rebel chuckled at that. “I was a founding member of Bound for Hell. Diablo was my blood brother. Be glad I like Maryland or I might want to move the entire fucking chapter to Jersey. Do you have a problem with Satan’s Attitude moving a few chapters into Jersey, really? Think hard, Tramp. You’ve got a lot more to lose than we do. My club is in many states. As Bound grew, so did we. Some of your members still know who I am and how I was played dirty.”

The door opened and Nailz walked in. Tramp motioned to Veiko who left the room. Nailz looked at the hard living men around him and saw angry faces.

Rebel stood and moved forward. “Nailz, do you remember me? Whose brother am I?”

Nailz answered him straight. “I recall you coming out of jail. You’re Diablo’s brother. You got fucked over. Most of us know the story, Rebel.”

Veiko came back into the room and handed Tramp a bag. He leaned back against the wall, wondering what the hell was going to happen tonight.

Tramp took a deep breath. “Welcome to New Jersey, Whiskey. Same terms as we had?” He opened the bag and tossed Nailz his colors. He watched Nailz smile as he put them on.

“I see no reason why there isn’t room for all of us. The Filthy Fiends seem to be growing somehow. Makes more sense to band together. Just keep Thrash from bothering Elena and we’ll all be happy. I understand he was drunk, but when she is sitting scared with a fucking gun in her lap, that isn’t good for any of us. Hunter may have thought he was doing her a favor telling Thrash he had his blessing, but she doesn’t want him. Elena is not his kinda woman. But she is mine,” he asserted, his eyes on Veiko. “If it comes down to it, I’ll take your brother on one-on-one, Veiko. Should it come to that? Hell no. You know that, and so does every man here.”

Nailz spoke up. “I stopped at Elena’s house tonight. I was going to see Jersey, but I wanted to tell her I was sorry. I heard the messages on the answering machine Thrash left. He was vile and drunk, but that isn’t the point. She doesn’t want him, and she’s said so before. Where the hell is Thrash anyway? Shouldn’t he be here?” Nailz was covering his ass; he’d never admit to what he’d done to Thrash.

“We looked for him,” said Bullet. “He isn’t in his shop or apartment. Can’t find him. Tramp, I gotta agree with Darko. This kinda shit we can’t have. I saw Kima suffer from Rabid. I ain’t into the forcing-chicks-against-their-will shit. You wanna pull my colors, go right ahead. I hate what I saw in the past and the idea of you coming back was to stop this. I ain’t asking you to pull Thrash’s colors over a chick who isn’t really an ol’ lady, either.”

“Nobody wants anyone’s colors pulled,” Rebel said, his voice growing louder. “We all agree that Elena is her own person, free to choose who she wants. We’re all agreeing that we’ll get along and we’re good, right?”

The men present all muttered their consent. Darko sent Black Dog out to get a chick to get them drinks. Satan’s Attitude was now officially going to have another chapter or two in New Jersey in addition to Southern Jersey.

W
hiskey knocked lightly on the door of Elena’s house. Jack let him in, followed by Zero and four other men. Rebel had returned to Maryland.  Dee was fast asleep on the couch and Whiskey moved over to stroke her cheek gently. She moved and opened her eyes.

“Daddy, is it all taken care of?” she asked sleepily.

“Up you go. Everything is fine now. Go home with Jack.” He turned and motioned Jack into the kitchen. “I owe you, son. I’m gonna step out of place here and tell you some shit. You keep it to yourself. Satan’s opening chapters in Jersey, with one here. If you want to jump, I’ll take you. I understand if you don’t, I just felt it needed to come from me.”

Jack looked into Whiskey’s amber eyes. “Do I really have a choice? I like being Nefarious. The whole family issue, y’know?”

“I know all about it. It’s an open invitation. Now get my girl home, it’s snowing.” He hugged Jack who hugged him back.

As Jack and Dee left, they saw Whiskey’s boys bringing sleeping bags into the house. Jack wondered if Nailz had found Thrash and hoped he had pounded some sense into him. He also wasn’t the least bit shocked about Whiskey’s news. He had figured it was coming sooner or later. It really wasn’t a surprise to Jack when he saw Nailz’ truck idling in his driveway. He unlocked the front door and told Dee to go on to bed.

Standing at the front door, Mad Jack flicked the porch light twice, letting Nailz know to come inside. He poured them both shots of JD and got two cokes from the fridge.

He heard the door close softly and Nailz walked into the kitchen. “You find him?” asked Jack right away, downing the shot and taking a sip of soda before pouring another.

“Yeah I did. Too fucking drunk to know it was me. We may have a problem named Penny, though. I don’t know if she saw me again if she’d know it was me.” Nailz downed his shot. He laid the bloody brass knuckles on the counter. “You’ll probably wanna wash these.”

Jack laughed. “Penny isn’t a problem. She’s with Satan’s. Want me to bring it up to Whiskey? She’s in trouble back home.” Jack tossed the brass knuckles into the sink and turned the hot water on over them.

“Nah, not unless we gotta,” said Nailz, watching Thrash’s blood swirl in the sink. “I told Thrash that Hunter sent me and that he took his blessing back. I hope he remembers that part. Told Penny to make sure he got the message, too, just in case. Funny as hell, being a ghost. I did say I stopped at Elena’s and heard the messages, too. I need an alibi.” He looked at Jack, wondering if he’d help him.

“Shit, you hung out a few hours with me shooting the shit about all the crap Jo is causing. Dee will say that, and Elena was asleep.” Jack knew covering for Nailz one day might benefit him if he ever needed something in return.

“Thanks. Now I gotta get back to Jo and hope she’s asleep. Gotta admit, it felt damn good hitting Thrash’s ribs.” Nailz laughed.

Jack locked up after him and joined his ol’ lady in their warm bed.

T
hrash moaned as Penny put more ice on his face. He hurt all over and felt like a train had hit him.

“Penny, what the hell happened to me?” he groaned.

She thought about it, then finally answered, “It was like this huge man in the shadows came. I couldn’t really see him, but he said to make sure I told you that Hunter sent him. I don’t get it … something about him taking back his blessing. It was creepy as hell. You should see a doctor, you look awful.”

Thrash felt goosebumps creep over his body. He remembered a shadow talking to him. Who the hell was fucking with him? Ghosts weren’t real.

“It was the shadow man. I don’t know how else to explain it. He wasn’t human, the way he tossed me around. I ain’t seeing a doctor. I’m gonna sleep and stay here. Don’t tell anyone where I am.” Thrash shut his eyes; even talking was too much of an effort.

He drifted back to sleep dreaming of ghosts beating the shit out of him. Penny left Thrash there in her apartment and went to work in the tattoo shop. She planned to check on him whenever she could. Whoever had beat him was sending a message and she was wise enough to go along with Thrash in thinking it was a shadow. She never wanted to run into that man again, and she already made herself forget what he looked like. Not that she had seen much of him. His voice was muffled, too.

She felt a chill as she thought about last night and hoped like hell that man stayed far, far away.