Black Dogs Motorcycle Club: Full Series Box Set (39 page)

“We are literally standing
on the ruins,” said Ghost. “You’re lying to yourself, and we can’t let you drag
these people into this anymore.”

Before Will could explode
at Ghost, he heard Eva’s voice from behind the bar. “Will, what are they
talking about?”

Will felt pain in his chest
as he turned. Her big brown eyes stared into his, beautiful and trusting and
sweet. She didn’t belong in this dark, brutal world of his—just like his
grandmother had not belonged, had been completely unprepared. He wanted to
shuffle her away to some place as peaceful and pretty as she was, where he
could keep her safe and happy and ignorant of all of this.

He couldn’t find words to
answer her. He could only feel the desperation in his eyes, on his face, as he
stared at the sadness on hers.

“He’s a fucking fake, is
what he is,” said Charlie. “Should’ve known you were a crazy asshole from the
second I saw you.”

Will turned to glare at
Charlie. “You would be a pile of bones right now if it weren’t for me, you
helpless little fuck. You have no idea—”

The rage in Will’s eyes
made Charlie take a step back, and made Jase take a step forward, putting out a
big arm to act as a barrier between the two men. “Jesus, Will, get a grip.”

When Jase’s other hand
made contact with Will’s shoulder, he threw it off angrily and shoved Jase in
the chest with both hands and all his weight. Surprised, Jase stumbled
backwards until the jukebox broke his fall. “Don’t fucking tell me what to do,
you stupid prick! I’ve had it with your shit!”

With frightening speed,
Jase launched himself off the jukebox and came at Will, eyes as black as hell.
Will squared up and stood his ground, fists knuckle-white, knowing Jase’s hit
would likely knock him on his ass and not giving a single fuck anyway.
Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around him from behind and twisted him away from
Jase’s warpath.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, now!”
said Ghost, as he kept Will wrapped in his left arm and stuck out his right to
bring Jase to a halt. Ghost positioned his body like a shield between them,
using his weight to keep them apart. Jase scrabbled and shoved at Ghost’s arm,
his teeth gritted, glaring at Will. “I know we’ve all been wondering about this
‘will they or won’t they’ tension between you two, but let’s save it for the
clubhouse.”

Jase gave in first, but
pointed a threatening finger at Will. “You’re fucking asking for it, Bowers.”

Will flipped him the bird
and yanked himself out of Ghost’s grip, straightening his shirt. He looked over
to see Eva watching him with a sad look in her eyes. In the chaos, Charlie had
moved around to stand next to her, and his expression gave no illusions to how
he felt about Will.

“Let’s go,” said Ghost,
tapping on Will’s shoulder. “They’re waiting for us.”

Will didn’t know what to
say to Eva. He was so full of rage and bile and resentment that he couldn’t
imagine what she must be thinking at that moment, staring at him from across
the room. He watched her until Ghost was tugging at his arm, pulling him toward
the door. Jase didn’t wait for either of them, but stalked out into the parking
lot.

Will left without saying a
word to her, unsure of where he was being led or what the fates had in store
for him next.

~ SIXTEEN ~

Everything was just a blur of green light and deep
shadows as Eva pushed her way out of the bar and into the forest meadow. The
cooling air of coming autumn made the tears on her skin sting cold. She could
still hear the rumble of the motorcycles as they wound their way down the
highway and into town. Charlie called out after her, but she ignored him,
picking her way through the forest until she found a spot still lush with wildflowers
and soft, green grass. She lowered herself to the ground and pulled her knees
to her chest.

Her thoughts raced with
the new information. Will, in a motorcycle gang? It certainly explained a
lot—and the thought of being pressed up against him as he drove them around on
a powerful bike was instantly appealing. Eva wondered why he had bothered to
keep such a miniscule thing from her, considering, but the confrontation
between him and the two other bikers made clear that it wasn’t about hiding it
from her—it was about hiding
her
from
them.

She couldn’t forget how
deeply pained Will had seemed as he snarled and shoved at the men, men who
introduced themselves as Will’s friends. The way they talked to him enforced
that, and it was the second time the big black-haired one named Jase had
reached out to Will. They cared about him, just like she did. But she didn’t
understand their anger with him.

“Eva!”

She sighed as Charlie’s
voice came closer, finally spotting her in the meadow. He came to stand before
her with his arms crossed.

“I don’t want to talk to
you, Charlie,” said Eva, sniffling. She turned her head away from him. “I can’t
believe you just betrayed Will like that, after everything he’s done.”

“Excuse me?” said Charlie,
instantly flustered. “Eva, did you not hear everything that was said in there?
That man is a
criminal
, and he works with other criminals.”

“Oh, Christ, that’s not
what bothers you,” said Eva. “Half your friends from the neighborhood have
records, so don’t get all high and mighty on me, Charles Murdock.”

“You know he wanted to
mount a two-man war, with me and him, to track down those cartel boys and kill
them? He was gonna rope me into that bullshit, if I hadn’t put a stop to it.
And it’s not just us he’s tried to fuck over. According to his biker buddies,
he’s been pulling shit for months now. That guy is dangerous, Eva.”

“Of course he’s
dangerous—he lives in a dangerous world,” said Eva. The tears in her eyes
didn’t feel sad anymore; they stung with anger. “And he
protected us
from
that world when it showed up. That’s all he’s tried to do!”

“Jesus, you’re in love
with him, aren’t you?” Charlie spat in disgust.

Eva paused, then rose to
her feet. She didn’t know what she felt for Will, other than that it felt as if
parts of her were on fire that she didn’t know existed. “What the hell does
that have to do with anything?”

“Eva, Christ, you sure
know how to pick ‘em. First Rick, the worthless, abusive dirtbag, and now some
psychotic, fucked-up biker? You’re a piece of work.”

Before she could stop
herself, Eva slapped her brother across the face. Charlie cried out, more in
surprise than pain, but she could still see the red mark where she connected.
Her brother looked at her with shock in his eyes, but said nothing.

“Watch your mouth.” The
voice that came from her sounded unlike any tone Eva had ever taken, especially
with Charlie. “I’m not responsible for Rick’s behavior. And don’t you dare
compare him to Will.”

Charlie scoffed just a
little, rubbing the side of his face. “Christ…”

“Do you have any idea what
he’s been through? Do you know why Uncle Owen was able to afford this land so
cheap in the first place?”

“What?” said Charlie,
frowning. “What are you taking about?”

“Will’s grandmother was
murdered here. Murdered in her own home by the cartel, and he couldn’t do
anything to stop it. You really expect him to sit here a second time, in the
very spot she died, and watch it happen again?”

Charlie took her by the
shoulders. “We’re not his family, Eva, he doesn’t have to protect us. We don’t
know anything about him. I’m trying to protect you, too—don’t you see that?”

“If Will hadn’t been here,
we’d both be dead, and you know it,” said Eva in a cold tone. “Is this really
about protecting me, or is about you being too full of pride to admit that this
time, you can’t?”

Charlie flushed red,
giving her all the answer she needed. She knew her brother too well for him to
get away with a lie so cleanly.

“Will isn’t some crazy
thug out looking for a fight. He used his power to protect us, just because he
could—because he knew it was the right thing to do.”

“Or because he
likes
fighting
,” said Charlie. “Or because he saw an opportunity to get into your
pants by playing the hero.”

Eva folded her arms. “Is
that how little you think of me? Like I’m some child stupid enough to think
fairytales are real and princes come riding in to save people? I’m not an
idiot, Charlie. You can give me shit for caring about Will, fine, but don’t try
to write it off like I’m just some dumb bimbo who can’t help but be seduced.”

“So you do have feelings
for him.”

“Yes, all right? I care
about him,” she said. “I care about Will, and you know why? Because I see
something in him that you apparently can’t look deep enough to see. It’s the
same kindness and gentleness I used to see in Pa—and in you. He’s not perfect.
He’s done bad things. But he’s not a bad man, and he was doing the right
fucking thing by us until you turned him in to his club. You could have at
least been a man about it and told him to his face you didn’t like his plan.”

“I did tell him that, Eva.
He wouldn’t listen. Has he listened to a damn word I’ve said since he showed up
in this place?”

Eva didn’t respond. She
didn’t have an answer for that. The sounds of the forest filled the silence between
them.

Charlie sighed and came
closer. “Look… all right,” he said, his voice calm. “All right. You’re right,
the guy has clearly been through a lot. And I will even go so far as to say he
maybe, probably thought he was doing the right thing, protecting us. Or
protecting you, is probably more accurate.”

“What’s that supposed to
mean?”

“He doesn’t look at you
like you’re a stranger, Eva. He looks at you like he’s known you all his life.
If I had to guess, I’d say your feelings are reciprocated.”

Eva blushed and felt her
stomach twist in nervous knots.

“But you have to believe
me when I say that Will’s plan, it wasn’t safe. It was insane.”

Eva looked down in silence
at the grass swaying at her feet, the sweet wildflowers bending and bobbing.
She couldn’t admit that she had been worried about Will’s plan, too. In all
earnestness, she assumed his tactical mind would see it was a bad plan as soon
as he was a few days removed from the victory in the bar. But could she really
blame Charlie for what he had done—for not seeing what she saw in Will?

“What do you think is
going to happen to him?” whispered Eva.

Charlie rubbed a gentle
hand up and down her arm. “I don’t know. But I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s
definitely capable of taking care of himself.”

~ SEVENTEEN ~

Tension ran up Will’s back and shoulders, all the way
into his head, as he followed Jase and Ghost down the long hallway. On their
separate bikes, he had followed his MC brothers not back to the Black Dogs
clubhouse, but to an abandoned factory in the foothills outside of LeBeau where
they frequently conducted meetings such as these. In fact, they had acquired
the place after finding it when Jase’s now-wife and Henry’s daughter, Maggie,
was kidnapped and held hostage by a rival gang. Will had flashes of the
memories of helping to save her as he was led through the empty main machine
room, past the empty concrete storage rooms, and into a vast open shipping bay.

Dim, dusty sunlight came
through the enormous windows at the top of the room, some of them with glass
shattered long ago and spider webs in their place. Already, men waited for them
as they entered the room. Will could see Henry, his president, waiting with a
cold look on his face. Across from his club, a line of Latino men stood. Two of
them wore fine, tailored suits, their jet-black hair slicked neatly against
their heads and drawn back in tight ponytails. The other three dressed much
like the men who Will had fought at Swashbucklers, in jeans and tactical boots
and leather jackets meant to be intimidating. Will only recognized one of them:
Jorge Ramirez, leader of the cartel himself, in the blue pinstripes. The last
time Will had seen him was when he had offered up the men who murdered Will’s
grandmother.

Will walked up to Henry and
realized he hadn’t seen him in a while. There was something strange about the
feeling. He met Henry’s face with a blank expression, unsure what to expect.

“Can we get this started,
at last?” said Ramirez.

Will looked around at the
faces. “What’s going on?”

Henry sighed and walked to
the center of the line, standing next to Will. Without instruction, Ghost and
Jase sidled to the ends, flanking.

“Seems we have some
problems to attend to,” said Henry.

“Is this the
pendejo
who has sent mine home, bleeding and broken?” The other man in the suit pointed
a fat finger at Will, snarling. He trailed off in Spanish, something Will
couldn’t translate, but knew wasn’t a compliment.

Will squared his shoulders
as adrenaline began to pump through his veins. “I take it that means you’re the
shit-for-brains who sent your men to get beaten in the first place?”

Henry slapped a huge palm
on Will’s chest and gave him a stone look. He pushed him back to stand a few
steps behind, and Will didn’t argue. Henry turned to the Latino men. “This is a
clear violation of the treaty we drew up, Ramirez. We keep the mountain pass
free and clear, and you keep your men from any operations inside LeBeau or
Howlett. That was the deal. Now I’ve got word of your men pushing in on bar in
Howlett? This is unacceptable.”

“Not just any fucking
bar,” said Will. “The bar built on the ashes of the place you fucked up last
time. This isn’t just political betrayal, this is sacrilege.”

“Betrayal? You are the one
who has started warfare with my men,” said Ramirez. “Not a single firearm
brought to the fights, no one was threatened with death, and yet they come home
with stories that you threatened to shoot them. Is this not also a violation of
your treaty?”

Henry stiffened. “Your men
wouldn’t have been in any goddamn danger if they hadn’t been trying to break
the rules in the first place! You fucking agreed to this, Ramirez—no cartel
business in my goddamn towns. This is
my
corridor, you understand? And
you play by
my
rules if you want to get through it smoothly.” He took
two steps toward the cartel leader. “The truce has been violated by your men,
first and foremost. Are you going to do something about it—or do I have to?”

Ramirez narrowed his eyes
at Henry. “Be careful, Black Dog.”

“Go fuck yourself,” said
Henry without fear. “You fix this, or we’ll withdraw the whole treaty right
here and now and see who comes out on top.”

Everyone in the room
tensed, eyes shifting from face to face, waiting for someone to break. Everyone
except Ghost—Will swore he heard him giggle in delight as he unclipped his
sidearm in its holster, readying to pull.

Will stared unblinking and
angry at Ramirez as the man stared at Henry, clearly in thought. For a few
moments, everything was silent and still as Ramirez weighed his options and
everyone else waited to see if his decision would end in chaos and death.

Finally Ramirez seemed to
sigh almost indiscernibly. “I see there is no other solution to this problem. I
will be straightforward with you, Henry. This problem with the bar is a symptom
of something bigger—something I was hoping to have worked out internally before
it affected my allies.”

Henry turned to Will and
gave him a curious look. Will returned it, as in the dark as his leader was.

“Leadership is a very
precarious thing. Even the appearance of weakness can threaten it,” said
Ramirez.

“I understand that well,”
said Henry with a nod. “If you’re asking for our discretion, we will provide
it—assuming we come to a satisfactory agreement for this violation.”

Ramirez nodded.
“Gentlemen, would you be so kind as to follow me?” He waved hands at his own
men, gesturing them to lead the way, a show of trust to leave the MC at their
backs. Will and his brothers exchanged glances with each other, making sure
everyone was on guard and paying attention as they followed the cartel
carefully through the shipping bay to the last rolling door at the end of a
long line of docks meant for eighteen wheelers and other big machinery. One of
the men in the leather jackets hoisted up the noisy door, with only a little
trouble, from its rusted hinges.

A black van sat cold and
silent just outside the door. The man in the jacket jumped down off the dock
and opened the rear double-doors of the van before stepping back and out of the
way.

Will and the MC shuffled
up toward the door to get a look at the van. Inside, they saw the bodies of
five men stacked in a haphazard pile, wrists tied and eyes blindfolded. When he
looked closely, Will could see one of the bodies still wore a sling and a cast
on his broken arm.

“These are the men
responsible for bringing us here today,” said Ramirez, folding his hands in
front of him. “Four of my lieutenants were talked into the scheme by…
unfortunately, by a man who was once my closest ally. His name was Paulo, and
he was attempting to sow the seeds for my upheaval from power.”

“A coup?” asked Henry.

Ramirez nodded and blinked
slowly. “He was, in fact, the architect of the arson previously in your
territory, the one to which your man referred earlier.” He nodded toward Will.
“Paulo orchestrated the violence that led to our treaty, and he was always
resentful of losing his men and the territory for the act. He never agreed with
my decision to accord with your club. Apparently, his first act to overthrow me
was to rectify that situation and start where he left off.” Ramirez looked down
at the corpses in the van and sighed. “How he was able to talk the others into
it, I don’t know. But it’s over.”

Will’s chest tightened,
adrenaline running through his veins. He stared down at the familiar bodies in
the van, knowing one of them was the man responsible for his grandmother’s
death—truly responsible. And he had almost done it again with Eva. More than
that, he saw in Paulo’s anger and resentment some ghost of his future, where
resentment for his own club led him to do something as drastic as Paulo had—and
with as high a price. Could that have been him in the back of one of the MC’s
vans, snuffed out by Henry, or even Jase, for endangering the club in his
prideful quest for retribution? In more ways than one, Will suddenly felt like
he had barely missed being hit by a freight train.

“You have my word that
this will not become an issue again while I lead,” said Ramirez. “Your pass
will remain untouched, and your men need not worry about having to dole out
beatings anymore. I’m sorry you had reason to doubt your faith in us.”

Henry held his hand out
and Ramirez shook it. “Good. Let’s get back to business as usual, then.”

He stood staring at the
van as voices faded into the quiet around him. Suddenly men were closing the
doors, hopping inside, and starting up the vehicle. Jase’s hand landed on his
shoulder.

Jase looked down at Will,
and worry crossed his face. “You all right? You look pale.”

Will looked back at the
closed doors of the van as the brake lights blazed red, tailpipe belching. He
felt lightheaded. “Yeah, just…” He backed up, unsteady, until his back hit the
cold, hard concrete of the docking bay wall. He slid down to the floor. “Just
give me a minute.”

Jase knelt down next to
him and said nothing. From back in the bay, Ghost wandered over with a curious
look on his face.

“You need some water?”

Will shook his head. His
stomach roiled and his pulse beat in his head like a muffled drum. It was like
some floodgate inside him had broken open and spilled inside his brain as soon
as he heard Ramirez’s words, as soon as he comprehended the sight he was seeing
in the back of the van. Had some deep part of Will’s lizard brain understood
all this time that someone hadn’t paid for the death of his grandmother? Had he
known, somehow, Paulo was out there? Because at this moment, he felt the relief
he had expected to feel when he shot the arsonists two years ago in this very
warehouse. Relief hadn’t come then, but it arrived now so forcefully that Will
felt like he was being yanked up and out of a nightmare.

In his mind’s eye, he saw
Eva; sweet, beautiful Eva in her delicate dresses, smiling up at him, kissing
his skin, writhing underneath him. A horrifying realization washed over him. If
he hadn’t been so distraught in his grief—if he hadn’t been unsettled—he might
never have started going to Swashbuckler’s. He would have never met Eva, and he
wouldn’t have been able to protect her from the cartel. He knew deep in his gut
that both she and Charlie would be ash and bone right now, if not for the
crushing grief that drove Will to visit the site of his deepest pain.

His mind felt stuffed,
ready to break. He looked up and saw Jase searching his face with curious eyes.

“What’s up?” asked Jase.

Will shook his head as if
to say he didn’t know. He took a few breaths and tried to find the words. “I
just… I’m overwhelmed.”

Jase nodded.
“Understandable.”

“Call me crazy,” said
Ghost, walking closer, “but you look like a completely different man right now,
Will.”

“You’re crazy,” said Will half-heartedly.

Ghost chuckled. “I’m
serious. Look at his eyes, Jase.” He pointed. “You’re telling me that’s the
same guy that was pushing you around the bar an hour ago?”

Jase did as Ghost asked
and turned to look Will in the eyes. Will expected it to make him
uncomfortable, as it consistently had the last six months, but he didn’t feel
that way now. It was like Jase looked different, too.

Jase stared a moment, then
furrowed his brow. “Huh. That’s… that’s fucking creepy.”

Will actually laughed. He
laughed without thinking about it, or without stopping it. “You’re both crazy.”

“Something’s gone from
your eyes, that’s for sure,” said Jase. “I don’t know how else to explain it.”

“Whatever it is, I hope it
means I can sleep now,” said Will. He looked over at Jase. “I’m sorry man. I
really don’t know what…”

Jase gave him a flat grin
and clapped a hand on his shoulder, shaking him in a friendly way. “Hey, I’d
really just like to get the fuck past it, if it’s okay with you. I’m really
tired of chasing asshole Will around.”

Will gave him a
self-effacing laugh. “Lucky to have you, brother.”