Defiant Loyalty (Comanche Sons Motorcycle Club Book 2) (2 page)

“About work?”

He nodded. “Yes. I’ll drop you off at the bar. Don’t leave until I come back to pick you up. I’ll be there on time.”

He’d turned his life upside down. Earlier he was escorting her only at night, but now he was with her whenever she traveled from the bar or from his house. In fact, she was pretty sure that he was neglecting work to stay at home with her because he didn’t want her to be alone. This was crazy. If they continued like this, he would get into trouble. Sooner or later, she would have to make up her mind as to what she wanted to do: stay or flee. Any decision she made would have an impact on Chance, too.

This time around she would have to be very careful. She had never felt as tense in her life as she was now. Chance made everything difficult, complicated. She didn’t much like it, but she didn’t have a choice. At least now, she didn’t. Maybe if she went away, her life would be hers once more.

Maybe.

Chapter Two

Chance knew that he didn’t have much time. Riley was ready to bolt, and he simply couldn’t allow her to do so. Although he was quite in love with her already, he still hadn’t told her that. Would it make a difference if he said those three magical words? Or would his statement have the opposite effect? She might decide to run away because she didn’t want to share her life with anyone.

On one hand, he could understand that she didn’t want to feel responsible for someone. If he was hunted by a madman, he might have done the same thing. On the other hand, he was angry with her because she wasn’t letting him get close enough to find a solution for this problem.

When it came to his relationship with Riley, it was characterized by confusion and headaches. And just now, there was another mess that he’d to deal with. Chance had expected this call—but still it didn’t prepare him for the fury that was directed at him. After he dropped off Riley, he went off to his club’s headquarters.

The Comanche Sons operated out of a warehouse on the fringes of the city. The area was dangerous. Many gangs operated out of this place, and the streets weren’t safe. Chance never liked coming here. Sure, he could take care of himself, but he tended to avoid trouble.

Outside the warehouse, four people were lounging about. They frisked him before allowing him to enter.

“Hi, Mathew,” he greeted the second-in-command who was waiting for him at a desk. The warehouse was full of cartons and boxes. Chance didn’t know what the club dealt in, and frankly, he didn’t want to know. They had offered him plenty of opportunities in the past to become involved in their business, but he’d always resisted the attempts to drag him into their sordid deals. Chance liked to ride his bike, and he enjoyed earning money by supplying things to their bars, but other than that, he stayed out of the main management.

“You tell me, Chance. Heard you paid a visit to the police station?” asked Mathew.

He wasn’t surprised that they knew. The club had long tentacles, and there were many people who would be happy to report to them for a slight fee. He wondered who it was: Ryan, sweet Jane, Johnny, or someone else from the bar. There were many people who knew that Riley was in trouble and that he accompanied her. “It wasn’t anything related to the club. My girlfriend got into trouble, and I went with her to file a complaint.”

Mathew was a tall, bearded guy. Chance had never seen him wear anything but a black leather jacket and tight, faded jeans that had seen better days. “None of our members can go to the police for any reason. If you have a problem, you come to us and we will deal with it. This is a brotherhood, Chance. You will get help if you ask for it.”

He shifted on his feet, feeling uneasy. The club was a clique. They tended to be very strict about the rules. He’d been informed when he joined that going to the police was an option that they never considered. “It wasn’t for me. As I said, my girlfriend was the one who got into trouble.”

“What kind of a trouble?”

“Her brother is trying to kill her.”

“Some family, huh?” Mathew cracked his knuckles. “What’s the deal?”

Chance told him some details, but he didn’t give too much information. This wasn’t his story. He felt an overwhelming need to protect Riley’s privacy. “We just went in to file a complaint, and the police will investigate it now.”

“The police can’t do shit. A guy who has been clever enough to evade them for that many years isn’t going to come into their grip so easily.” Mathew began to pace. “You know that we take care of our people. Sure, she isn’t a part of our club, but you are. If you tell us that she is your old lady, we would be duty bound to protect her. We would give you men who would stay with you and her, and you know that some of our guys are battle hardened. They would make mincemeat out of any pansy who tries to take a bite out of her.”

It was a tempting offer. Getting help from the club would ensure Riley’s safety. That was more important to him than anything. Chance was aware that if he took on this offer, he would bind himself to the club in more ways than one. If he got any help, he would be required to give support when they asked for it. Still, he felt inclined to say yes. The only reason why he didn’t was because he wasn’t sure what Riley’s reaction might be. If she realized that more people were involved in her life, she might run away sooner than she’d planned. He couldn’t imagine her being ok with this decision.

He simply couldn’t do it unless she agreed.

“I don’t think that will be necessary, Mathew. Thank you for the offer.”

Hearing his words, Mathew scowled. Chance could see that he wasn’t happy. Perhaps he’d thought that if could convince Chance to accept his help, he would be able to have a greater say on his involvement with the club. Ever since he joined, Mathew was busy looking for ways to bind Chance more closely to their business. Perhaps he thought that an ex-army man was bound to be a big asset. Whatever Mathew’s reasons, Chance simply didn’t want to agree to any plan without first thinking about it and discussing it with Riley.

For a few minutes, there was silence in the warehouse. Vaguely, Chance was aware that two of Mathew’s men moved in behind him. He tensed. These men were hard, and it wouldn’t be that easy to fight his way out.

“You let me know if anything changes,” Mathew said with a nod.      

Chance breathed a sigh of relief. There was to be no fight today. “Thanks, Mathew.”

He turned to leave. His gaze met one of the guys. A smile played on the other man’s lips. Chance really felt as if he’d dodged a bullet. “Chance,” said Mathew, causing Chance to turn to face him, “if you ever go the police again, I expect to hear it from you, not from someone else.”

Chance nodded. “Sure, but they will come and investigate this matter further.”

“That’s fine. As long as the matter remains limited to your girlfriend’s issues, we don’t have a problem. But we would prefer it if you didn’t get involved in anything yourself.”

Chance didn’t like the ultimatum, but he didn’t have much of a choice. After he chose to join the club, he’d agreed to work according to their rules. It was silly to now make waves here for a girl who might not stay long enough for him to have a meaningful relationship with her, and he didn’t want to kick away his only means of income without a good incentive. “Sure, Mathew. It won’t happen.”

He walked out and ran a hand through his hair, as he made his way out on the main street. Sometimes he wondered if he’d made the right choice in getting involved with this bike club. At the time he came in, it sounded like a great option. He loved to ride with them, and the money they paid for giving supplies to their bars was good enough to meet all his needs. Now, however, he felt a little suffocated within their ranks. They had their rules and regulations, and no one could go against them—even at the cost of one’s personal life.

Still, Chance was reluctant to make the decision to move away. This wasn’t the time to do so. From the warehouse, he went to one of his suppliers of meat. He picked up the delivery, got a cab, and rode all the way to one of the bars that was owned by the club.

“Hey, Simon. I’ve got your delivery.”

Simon was old but still tough. He’d been a member of the club from its inception. “Thanks, Chance. You’re never late. It’s good to know that I can count on you. Hey, listen, did you hear any rumblings from the brass?”

Chance sat on the stool. “What do you mean?”

“There’s going to be a big change, boy. Not all of us like the direction this club is going. Ever since Mathew has become the boss’s right hand, we’ve had trouble after trouble. I tell you, we’re doing so well with the bars, what’s the point in getting engaged in deals that are bound to lead to trouble?”

“What kind of deals?”

“Shady work, boy. From what I’ve heard, Mathew is in talks with one of the gangs who operate out of Harlem. They want to take over some of the distribution of drugs, and there is a meeting set in a week to discuss the terms of the agreement.”

Chance felt a prickle of unease. Drugs? He certainly didn’t want to deal with anything that shady. Sure, he’d become a little lenient about the law ever since he was thrown out of the army, but that was his personal business. He didn’t approve of selling drugs to young people who would lose their life because of it.

“That’s not good, man.”

Simon picked up a glass and wiped it. There was a determined gleam in his eyes. “It sure isn’t. I tell you, there’s something wrong with Mathew. Ever since he has taken over all this, he has been goading the boss into making the wrong decisions. Why is more money so important? We’re doing well enough to support all our members and that should be enough. I don’t want trouble with the law.”

The boss, Rick, was the main head of the bike club. He was the founding member, and he was the one who recruited Simon and other old hands. Initially, they did nothing but ride the bikes, but slowly they opened a bar and then another and then another. The club had enough income from the bars to support the bike races and other things that they did.

“Why don’t you talk to the boss?”

“I’ve talked with him until I was blue in the face,” said Simon with a sneer. “There was a time when he used to listen to us, but now all he does is talk to these young boys, and let me tell you that they are not on the right path.”

“What can we do about it?”

“Oh, we’re already doing something. A bunch of us have gotten together and we’re holding meetings of our own. Soon, we will announce our plans.”

Chance had heard about trouble, but until now he never knew for sure if it was rumors or if something was happening. “What kind of plans?”

Simon leaned forward. “We’re going to demand a separation.”

Chance ran his hand over the counter, feeling uneasy. He didn’t think Rick or Mathew would take kindly to the idea of some people separating away from the Comanche Sons. They liked the absolute control they wielded, and what’re more, they would never be willing to give up on the assets that the club had gathered over the years.

“That’s a risky take, Simon. They would come down hard on you.”

“We’re not wet behind our ears.” Simon put the glass down with such force that Chance thought it might break. “Do you think we can’t take care of ourselves?”

Chance knew that he’d pissed off the old man. Slowly and sadly, Simon was pushed to the background as new blood came in and took over. Obviously, he didn’t like it. Chance didn’t blame him for feeling that way, but he also wanted him to be careful. Openly challenging Rick was going to invite trouble that they might not be able to handle. “You guys are strong enough, but these guys don’t play by the rules. They will do things that you haven’t even dreamt of. Just be careful.”

“If we do that, will you come with us? We will take away one bar under our control, and we would like people like you to come and work with us. You’re reliable and efficient, and best of all, you stay away from law-breaking activities.”

“I would love to do that,” he said. Chance meant it. It would be nice to work with someone who wasn’t on the edge of getting into trouble with the law. “But I urge you to be careful, Simon. These people would do anything to maintain control. They are not going to give up easily.”

Simon banged his hand on the counter. It was obvious to see that he wouldn’t back down so easily. Well, neither would the other side. Chance’s instincts told him that there was trouble brewing, and for some strange reason, he felt that he was right smack in the middle of it. “Don’t worry about us. We’re veterans of this game. If they think they can easily intimidate us, they are sadly mistaken.”

“Good luck!” said Chance. He stood. Something in his heart told him that this wasn’t going to end well. He wished that he could do something about it. “Let me know if there is something I can do to help.”

After he left, Chance picked up some other stuff and delivered them to the right places. He ended up at Riley’s bar. She was working the crowd. As always, he was amazed by her grace under pressure. No one could have looked at her face and figured out that she was under so much stress. She laughed and joked, smiled and flirted, and the people lapped it up. It was obvious that she was in her element. As he took his usual place, she flitted by.