Fallen Idols MC - Complete (16 page)

TWO

I dismounted my bike, squinting in the bright morning light, and saw that only Ryder’s bike was there. It must’ve been quiet for him without Axel. As I pushed open the door, I called out to him, so he would know who was there. Otherwise, he might pull a gun on me, thinking I was the thief.

“Ryder! Are you in here?”

He yelled from the back. “Yeah, I’m here. Taking inventory on the sweet ass new Escalade we got in.”

I rounded the corner past some shipping containers back to where he stood next to the table and chairs in front of a beautiful black Escalade. It was brand-new, upgraded leather interior, and a perfect surround sound system. Someone had spent some serious money on this baby.

“This is gorgeous. Can we take it for a test drive?”

“Now that’s something Axel and I would’ve done. But no, I know your driving record. The Escalade stays in the warehouse.”

I fake pouted as I walked over to one of the chairs. “You get lonely down here? Since Axel’s been gone?”

He shrugged, looking at me with this blank look to pretend he didn’t care. “No, it’s fine.”

I sat down on a folding chair, and picked at my nails. The red paint had been chipping away anyway. But, really, I wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on with Ryder. Sawyer was back, and Axel was in jail; yet, he seemed to be unfazed by all of it. I didn’t buy his bullshit, not even for a second.

“So, how do you feel about Sawyer being back?”

That stopped him in his tracks. He set down the clipboard he was working on, and leaned against the Escalade that was set to be shipped out that night. I hadn’t noticed, but it wasn’t truly black; it had dark green accents. It really was something.

He scratched the back of his neck, and let out a loud breath. “I honestly don’t know. I mean it’s all just so fucking intense. She was never supposed to come back, you know? Yet here she is. And she walks back into my life like nothing ever happened. Five years! Five Goddamn years of me sitting here wondering what the hell she was doing. Five years of
me
taking care of
her
mom, and watching out for her little brother like he was my own. And she didn’t even reach out, not once.”

I knew what that felt like. Sawyer and I had been tight for years. And then she just left in the middle of the night after her dad got thrown in the slammer. Like that was supposed to be a good enough reason for leaving. That’s when you stay; that’s when you need your family the most. That’s what we were to her, but, apparently, that didn’t matter. “Screw her. And I don’t mean literally.” I gave him a look.

He put his hands up in surrender. “I can’t promise anything,” he said with a sly smile on his face.

“You don’t have to. You were there that night. Late. I know exactly what, I mean who, you’re doing in your spare time. But, maybe, if you spend a little less time chasing ass, and a little more time focusing on this business, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t understand how any of it happened. For someone to hack into our surveillance, they had to know those cars were coming. And you know that we keep those shipments tight. We don’t tell anybody outside the club. Now, the engine I was working on has gone missing, too. I don’t know, Tris. Rogue is going to kill me.”

“When did that happen?”

“Just last night. I haven’t even told anyone else yet.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah no kidding.”

“I have to be honest,” I said guiltily, still picking at my nails.  “I kind of thought Axel may be involved, but now that more shit has gone missing since he’s been inside, I know it’s not him.”

Ryder looked at me incredulously. “You honestly thought it was Axel? Why the hell would he do something like that?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged. I had actually thought a lot about it. Maybe Axel needed the money. Pops certainly wasn’t in the best health. It wasn’t like the MC offered insurance. I thought maybe he needed the extra cash flow, and was too scared to ask for it. Axel helped run this place; there was a good chance he thought no one would find out. But, since the latest suped up engine had grown legs and walked away, I was sure he wasn’t involved.

“I think I’m going to go visit him.”

Ryder scowled. “Axel?”

“Yeah. See what he thinks about all this shit. I mean he has to know something, right?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, Trista. You’re walking into some dangerous territory. Asking questions when you know he’s not to blame.”

I stopped messing with my nails, and looked at Ryder. “You and I both know that we have to find out who’s at the bottom of this, and, if we have a rat, you know what we have to do.”

He shook his head. “I can’t deny that I find it all a little convenient that the Feds are back onto us. They have no reason to be parked outside. And they keep the weirdest hours.”

I cocked my head, confused. “What do you mean?”

“They’ll only be out there a couple hours a day. And it’s never when shipments come through. So, either they have somebody watching the docks at night, or they are dumb as shit.”

“You think they’re getting information from the inside? Because, if they were, they’d have to be watching the port after midnight.” Wheels began to turn as I ran scenarios through my mind. What the fuck was going on?

He shook his head again. “I don’t know. Nobody is on our radar at night. So, for getting information from the inside, someone’s feeding them wrong info on purpose. Which, thank God for that.”

We both knew that, on top of stolen parts, we didn’t need an additional problem of a rat. We took care of rats only one way, and it wasn’t pretty. No MC would keep someone who betrayed the family around to tell tales. They knew too much, and if they were willing to spill their guts, well we help them do that more physically than verbally.

Ryder picked up the clipboard again, and walked around the Escalade, writing down different observations about the vehicle. I got up from the chair, and followed him. “Doing a lot of working on your own now. With Axel being gone, I mean. Do you need help?”

It was no question that I knew about cars, but not as much as some of the other guys. And Ryder could teach anybody anything. So, maybe a little muscle would be good around here. I knew exactly who to send down here to keep an eye on things, someone who I was beginning to trust. “You know, we have that new prospect. He could come down here, and keep an eye on things. Stand at the door or whatever.”

A devilish smile spread across his face. “You know a lot more about the new prospect than you’re willing to admit.”

My cheeks flushed. “What do you know about it?”

He stopped and smirked at me. “I know that Larry can’t keep a secret if his life depended on it. So, you want to tell me about how you thanked Blaze after the Las Almas incident?”

I cringed, dropping my gaze. I was going kick the shit out of Larry. I didn’t care that he was three times my size. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. But you’re right; the guy could stand to learn what we do around here. Send him down with Rocco."

“Why Rocco?”

“Well, I would say Rev, but he would break something in a second. Bones has his other job, so he’s never available. And Ace just makes me want to hit him.”

I nodded. “You and me both. I know Rogue says that he’s not playing anymore, but he keeps coming in with nice new things. A new watch, an engraved lighter, and I think I heard him talking about getting a new bike.”

Ryder set his lips into a thin line. “You don’t think…"

I shook my head. “I don’t know what to think. I mean Ace is an asshole, yeah, but to hurt the club so much as to sell parts from underneath us? I don’t think he has the balls.”

Ryder didn’t look convinced. “Yeah, but if he has a debt to settle, I think he’d do just about anything to save his life.”

“He’d go to Rogue first. He would ask for the money before he would steal things from the club. Trust me, as much as the Brit makes me want to pound him, he’s loyal.”

“I just don’t get it. Who would try to do this to us?”

I thought about it for a moment. “I’m going to go talk to the Red Dragons. Set up a meet with Chen. If they’re the only other ones who have business being down here, maybe they noticed something, or have some information we don’t. It’s worth looking into.”

“You’re going to tell them we have a rat?”

I scrunched up my face. “Hell, no. I don’t share our shit with outsiders. I’ll feed him some story about the Feds or something. Trust me, I have ways of getting Chen to open up to me.” I winked at him. “In the meantime, I’m sending Blaze and Rocco down here. Expect them in a couple hours.”

Ryder nodded. “Got it. I’ll watch this baby until then. Shipping goes out tonight. I don’t like how long it’s been sitting here. We got it yesterday afternoon. But the payout is huge. Chen needed a place to store it when it came in early so he’s paying us to hold it, and to sell it. But, while I was watching this, that engine went missing, so extra eyes would be helpful.”

Double dipping on the profit. I liked the sound of that. I didn’t like that we needed other people watching our shit.

“I’ll see you later.” I walked out of the warehouse, and surveyed the landscape to find the town car. I didn’t see it anywhere. I sighed, sliding on my sunglasses. If Ryder was right, and they were only watching at certain hours of the day, then something was up. Maybe they did have a rat that was giving them wrong information, which meant someone was trying to protect us even though they’d been turned. I just had to figure out who it was.

THREE

BLAZE

“Prospect!” she yelled, waving to me from across the bar. “Suit up, you’re riding with me.”

I threw down the cloth I was using to wipe down the bar, and followed her out the front door into the warm California sun. My eyes zeroed in on her sweet ass swaying from side to side, hypnotizing me. All I wanted to do was put my hand around her waist, and turn her around, so I could have a face-to-face with her. I knew we weren’t at that point yet, especially at Raven’s Nest. Things here had already been tense since Axel had been thrown in jail, and it was clear that Las Almas hadn’t taken our threat to heart. I knew Trista’s main focus was the warehouse right now, and the fact that she thought there was a rat among her own.

“Where are we going?” I asked her, as she swung a leather-clad leg over her own bike.

“I’ve a meeting set up with the Red Dragons. You’re there purely for muscle. I don’t want a word from you.” She looked at me sternly, but then added a wink at the end. “Then, you’re going with Rocco to the warehouse. We need more eyes on that place.”

“Anybody else going?” It seemed strange to me that she would be meeting with another club all by herself. I got that she was a tough cookie, but it didn’t make sense to me that no one else would be there to keep her honest. No one else but me.

As she strapped on her dome, she added, “Yeah, Rocco and Ace are going to meet us there. Usually, Rogue handles these meetings with Chen and his father directly, but Chen’s father is out of town, so Rogue feels it’s better for kids to talk to kids." She rolled her eyes at the last part. I could tell that she didn’t like to be referred to as a child. “You ready?”

I nodded. “I’ll follow you anywhere.”

She smiled ever so slightly before the rev of her engine roared, and she sped off in front of me.

She led us along a route on the highway, keeping her bike just below the speed limit. I could tell she was trying not to raise any suspicion. A couple of small towns that we rode through were rival gang areas, but as long as we didn’t make a fuss, no one would follow us. Once we arrived in San Francisco, I followed her through half a dozen streets before I recognized where we were: Chinatown. We parked in a back alley where the Red Dragon symbol was spray-painted on a brick wall. I’d never been to this part of town except to eat dinner once or twice. I had no idea that this was where their headquarters was even located. I’d always assumed it was at the ports; their smuggling operations were well-known. It seemed almost ridiculous to me to be walking into the back of a Chinese restaurant to see two guys and Chen sitting at a dark lacquer table embellished with a gold fire breathing dragon.

“Looks a bit like home, doesn’t it?” Trista said, turning to me.

I had to admit that it did. Minus all the Asian guys of course. It made me realize that we really didn’t have anyone of any other races back at the MC, besides Bones of course. The darkness of his skin definitely let me know that he was of African-American descent, but that never seemed to be an issue for anyone at the club. Now that the Chinese surrounded me, I wondered if, at one point, it had been an issue.

A petite Asian girl sauntered past me in nothing more than lingerie. I’d heard Trista say that the Red Dragons owned the whole block, including the massage parlor next-door. Everyone who was anyone knew that it was actually a brothel, and you pay the girls to get anything done, but that wasn’t my style. Why would I pay for it anyway? Especially when I had Trista to keep an eye on. And, maybe if I was lucky enough, to get back into her pants. I thought about ripping off her shirt, and taking her in the alley where our bikes were parked. I could almost hear her moan.

Chen spoke from the head of the table, and shook my out of my thoughts. “I see your father doesn’t think this meeting is important enough for him to attend.”

Trista opened her mouth to speak, but Ace and Rocco walked in before she had the chance. “Oh, you know how it is, man. When your dad’s outta town, Rogue thinks he runs the place. So, he sends us to do his dirty work.” Chen raised an eyebrow at the phrase dirty work, and Ace had to retrace his steps. “That’s not what I mean, man You know just that we get to come and have these little conversations.”

Trista sat down at the other end of the table, and I stood behind her. I was just a prospect; I didn’t have a space at our own table, let alone theirs.

“I think what he is trying to say,” she shot him a nasty look. “Is that Rogue just doesn’t find this is important as I do. I know that missing shipments is a huge mistake on our part, Chen. One that I’m prepared to fix.”

He sighed. “And how are you going to do that? I think we’ve shown you that we still have faith in you with the Escalade that’s currently sitting at the warehouse. That you’re making double on.”

She nodded vigorously. “Exactly. And I want your trust to remain with us. We are doing everything we possibly can to find out who stole the shipments. But, I’ve got to tell you, Chen, it’s not one of ours. I trust these guys with my life.”

Chen lifted his eyes to me. “And your prospects?”

She looked back at me, and smiled, hiding it from his view. “As much as any other member. It wasn’t Cruz or Blaze. So, I’ve got to ask you, what have you found out on your end?”

“The only thing I know is that we’ve got some new young dealers just south of Chinatown, but I don’t think they have the balls or the manpower to steal two cars. We did hear from one of our other sources that one of those kids was driving around a new Lexus; wrong color, but the right year.”

Trista sat back in her chair; she didn’t say anything. I could tell that she’d suspected that it might have been some of Chen’s guys all along.  I didn’t buy it.

Ace’s face turned red with anger. “Some young shits aren’t good enough to steal from us. No way was it somebody who’s new to the scene.”

Rocco looked to Chen. “Even if they saw them, how would they hijack them? And right under Ryder’s nose? No way. I don’t buy it for a second. I still think this was an inside job. I think it’s somebody who sits in
your
table, Chen.”

Chen stood up, fisting his hands on the dark wooden table in front of him. “That’s a bold accusation! I won’t have it in my house.”

Rocco put his hands up in surrender, but only for a moment, before he crossed his arms over his puffed out chest. “I wouldn’t want to believe it of my guys either, but I gotta tell you, driving around in a new Lexus… The facts are starting to add up. There’s no way they did it alone.”

Ace nodded in agreement. “I’m with Roc. Something’s not right here. If your guys have the car, then you know someone in your inner circle is talking.”

Chen shook in anger, completely red in the face. He turned to Trista. “I hope this doesn’t hurt our relationship, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Two men in black suits about the same size as me flanked Chen with their arms crossed. One directly behind him started moving toward our guys. I was surprised to see Trista didn’t get up or try to diffuse the situation. Rocco and Ace stood and left, not wanting to cause any further trouble. I stood behind Trista, and waited for her to leave as well, but she didn’t move.

“Well, that was a bit dramatic,” she said to Chen, as he sat back down in his chair. Two men had moved to stand by the door, and one stayed behind him. I looked directly into his dark almond shaped eyes, and I felt like we had the same goal. Protect our people. If this should go bad, I was considering all the ways I could break his neck, or relieve him of one of his limbs. I would do anything to keep Trista safe. She made me feel things I had never felt before. It gave me this need to take care of her.

“Did you think so? I love how easy it was for you to point the finger.”

She rolled her eyes, helping herself to one of the steamed dumplings on the center of the table. “I didn’t point any fingers! You pointed them at them yourself. Driving around in the Lexus? C’mon, Chen. You know it was them.”

He shook his head. “No, I don’t know that. I know that one of my dealers got a new Lexus. I know that his sales have been up, and have been some of the best in the county for the past month. What I think I know is that he’s been stealing. But stealing from you—us—I don’t think so.”

I didn’t like how he said us. I tightened my fists, but I didn’t make any moves.

“I still don’t get it,” Trista reiterated, dipping another dumpling in a bowl of soy sauce. “And, now, with the feds watching us, it’s just all too stressful.”

Chen smiled, and put his fingers together underneath his chin. "Are you considering one of your father’s propositions? A little gun running would solve your money problem very quickly.”

I looked down at Trista; I didn’t know that the MC was having money problems. I thought the chop shop was running smoothly enough to keep us going, and then we still had all the cash from the bar out front of the Ravens Nest for extra cash. That was our legitimate business. I’d only been a Prospect for a few weeks, but I’d only ever seen the bar filled with MC members, not any paying customers. I guess I thought we had enough revenue coming in from the other two avenues that we were solid, but Chen’s comment caused doubt to creep into my mind. People did things when they were desperate. Stupid things like stealing cars, and ratting to the feds. Maybe it was one of our guys after all.

Trista licked soy sauce off her fingers. “We don’t have money problems. We have people being greedy problems. The shop is doing just fine, and you know that my MC will never get into guns, regardless of what Rogue wants in the end. Besides, if I think this is stressful, I can’t imagine what it would be like trying to stay away from ATF and homeland security on top of everything else. No, we’ll stick with our cars. It’s what we do well.”

Chen laughed. “It’s what you
did
well.”

This time, Trista stood up. As the chair pushed back from beneath her, I moved directly to her right, so that our shoulders just barely touched. I wanted them to know that I was here for her, more than I was here for the MC. I would pull the gun from underneath my cut in a second and ruin this business relationship before letting anything happen to Trista. So much as one evil word toward her, and shots would be fired.

“We still do it well, Chen, and don’t you fucking forget it! Two cars in almost five years? That’s a joke! I’ve got Feds to worry about, Chen. I don’t need to worry about you being a pansy ass, and wanting to walk on a good deal. Do we have an understanding?”

Chen smiled at her, obviously amused with the fact that she got fired up. If he knew anything about her, he would know that anything could set her off. “Understood. You know I’d much rather work with you than your dumb ass VP. He doesn’t know shit about the business. You actually know what you are talking about. So, let’s talk business. I want a big export to go out next month. Fifteen cars.”

I raised an eyebrow at Trista as she sat back down tenderly. I moved to stand behind her once more. “Fifteen? And where the hell are we supposed to get that type of inventory?”

Chen made a hand motion to the man behind him. He walked around the table, and passed Trista a paper. It advertised a sports car show, with an auction including over a thousand vehicles. “I don’t think they’re going to miss fifteen, do you?”

Her mouth dropped open. “You want us to steal fifteen cars at one of the most elite car shows in the United States? Do you know what security is going to be like? There’s no fucking way we’re getting in there.”

“I don’t expect you to get in there. I expect you to obtain them before they ever get there. You might be interested to know that El Lobo trucking has a contract for eighty of those auctioned vehicles.”

A devilish smile appeared on her face. “So, not only would they lose out on cars, but they would also have to pay up on insurance? Or, even better, a lawsuit?”

Chen nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking.”

Trista’s smile grew even broader. “Sometimes, I really do like the way you think.”

She stood up, and Chen walked around the table to shake her hand. Their touch lingered just a little too long for my liking, but I waited for her to end the connection. “I’ll bring it up at our next church. Someone will be in touch.”

She broke away, and walked back out the door. I gave Chen a final look over my shoulder to see anger etched into every muscle of his face. He might’ve been hiding his true feelings from Trista, but he couldn’t hide them from me.