Fallen Idols MC - Complete (30 page)

His brows came together, and he didn’t move at first.

“I’ll explain later. I promise,” I told him.

He simply nodded and lumbered away, grabbing the guys and getting to the door as quickly as possible. I looked back at Pops, who still seemed utterly confused. “I need you to keep these guys semi-sober. I’ll be back later, with some answers.”

He shook his head. “Trista, what are you going on about?”

“I think Rocco’s stealing from us. If I get there, and he is, I’m going to kill him.”

I turned and marched straight out of the clubhouse without looking back. I was finally about to find out who the traitor was, and I would deal with him.

SEVEN

TRISTA

As the guys put on their helmets, the questions started to fly. “Why are we going to the warehouse?” Axel asked, as I hopped on my own bike.

“Because I think we’re about to catch the thief.”

“Are you kidding me? You know who did it?” Ryder asked incredulously.

“Yeah, I think I do. Let’s go.”

They dutifully followed me for the twenty minutes, weaving in and out of traffic as I made my way to the warehouse. For the first time ever, I went just over the speed limit, but I kept an eye on the road to make sure that no cops were following us. I had to get to the warehouse as fast possible, and I had to see for myself if Rocco was really a traitor. As we drove into the night, I thought about all the times that he would’ve had opportunity, but Pops had questioned him just like everyone else. And, if he hadn’t seen it, why could I?

We approached the warehouse. Lights were on inside, and there was something on the ground. The closer we got, the easier it was to tell what was on the ground outside. Two bodies of Red Dragons, one near the door, and one that had obviously come out to greet Rocco. This was not going to be good for our business relationship. I dismounted my bike and took off my helmet. The guys did the same, but walked in front of me toward the door, pulling out their guns. If we caught Rocco taking apart any of the cars, they might shoot him. And that was against the MC rules. If we wanted to take any member out, it had to be agreed upon by at least all the officers. But, if Rocco was really doing this, he could pull a gun on anyone of us. Then, it would be self-defense, and no questions would be asked. I stepped over the body of a Red Dragon lying just in front of the door. I followed Blaze, and pulled my own gun out. We looked like some sort of SWAT team, coming in to take over. I heard the clanging of metal as we got closer to the back, but it was difficult to see with all the extra vehicles in the warehouse. Chen’s men had disposed of the tractor-trailers as part of the agreement, but we were still housing the cars. It looked like they had even pulled the metal framing from inside the trailers in order to stack cars on top of each other to save space. The place was packed. And, if someone let off a shot here, the ricochet could kill someone else. We would have to be careful. We walked as quietly as possible to the back left corner of the warehouse where, finally, we saw Rocco in a welding mask, hotwiring a car. A car that none of us were supposed to touch, one that didn’t even belong to us anymore.

“Rocco, you better have a really good excuse,” Axel shouted from about fifty feet away.

Rocco put down his tools, and lifted the mask. “Uh yeah, man. Just following orders.”

“Who’s orders, and who were you talking to on the phone earlier?” I asked him. Our guns were on him, and he knew he had to respond.

He paused, a look of fear was in his eyes. He knew he was caught. “Nobody.”

“Then, who told you to take apart this car?” I asked.

His eyes shifted from side to side, and he was probably looking for an escape route. “I thought Rogue told me. You know, I was having a good time at the party. Maybe it was someone else, I can’t remember.”

“Then, why are there two dead Chinese outside?” Ryder yelled.

“Chinese?” Rocco asked innocently. “I came in the back. I don’t know shit about Chinese.”

“We never said they were out front,” I countered.

He hung his head, knowing he was caught. “I hate those damn chinks, they steal all our money. I just wanted to the club to grow. To be better!”

Ryder steadied his gun. “You motherfucker!” he yelled as Blaze put his arm out to stop him from going after Rocco right then. We didn’t know what he had behind the car, and Ryder didn’t need to get shot over this. Even if he did seem to have a fucking death wish lately.  Rocco would be the one to pay.

“Why? This payout was going to be huge! Why would you screw it up for everyone?”

He stood up, pulling the mask off of his head, and dropping it on the floor with a clang. “I wasn’t! I was making us stronger. Black will pay so much more for these cars. We’re wasting our time with those Red Dragons.”

Blaze set off to my left, and started to move towards Rocco, but as he was speaking directly to me, he didn’t notice. He was going to use that car to get away, probably take it directly to Black and reap the benefits. Fucking traitor.

“How did you do it? How didn’t we catch you before now?”

He rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing to catch. I wasn’t stealing, see? I was helping build a new relationship. A better one.”

“You’re wrong,” I told him. “We don’t work with Black. We’re with the Red Dragons, and have been for years.”

Blaze had gone all the way around the car, and was directly behind Rocco when he put the barrel of his gun to the back of his head. “Don’t move.” Rocco hadn’t even noticed him approach while he was talking.

Axel and Ryder sprinted across the warehouse, and seized Rocco by the arms. Blaze pulled a gun out of the back of his pants, and set it on the trunk of the car as they walked him over to me. I grabbed some cable from one of the workbenches and Axel tied his hands behind his back. They put him on his knees in front of me.

“What do we do with him?” Ryder asked the group.

I didn’t give anyone a chance to respond before my fist made contact with Rocco’s face. His head whipped back from the impact.

I pulled my fist back to pummel him again when Blaze caught my arm.

“Trista, you know that this is a club decision. We have to take him back,” Axel said.

“Just a couple more hits.”

Axel shrugged, “Go for it.” He knew better than to get between me and my prey.

But Blaze didn’t let go of my hand. “No. If anyone gets to hit him, we should all get a crack at him.” He smiled, cracking his knuckles.

Rocco tried to reason with Blaze. “I bet this is how your dad felt, Blaze. Betrayed by his own club. He just wanted to make changes, too. I’ve heard the stories. I know what really happened that night.”

I looked at Ryder and Axel, but they didn’t move, their mouths open as they were frozen in their spots. But, when I looked to Blaze, his eyes lit up like he had fire behind them.

He pushed me out of the way, and I stumbled backwards into Axel. He pulled his own gun back out, and put it against Rocco’s temple. “What did you say?”

Rocco didn’t speak.

“I said, what the fuck did you just say about my father?”

Rocco shut his eyes for fear of what was coming next. Making any comment about Stephen Taylor was a fatal mistake on his part.

When he didn’t speak again, I heard the click of the safety on Blaze’s gun. There may not have been blood on my hands, but I knew there was going to be blood on his.

Proven

Fallen Idols MC 8

Axel and Paige Book 3

Savannah Rylan

ONE

AXEL

I watched as Blaze aimed the gun at Rocco’s head, knowing that if one of us didn’t step in, he was going to kill the motherfucker.

“Answer him,” I instructed in a low voice. “What do you know about Stephen Taylor’s death?”

Rocco flinched. “I know it wasn’t what started the war with Las Almas. Maya and Rogue did that. Isidro didn’t want them together, and the night that Taylor died was the night Isidro realized how serious they were. It divided the clubs.”

Blaze’s gun shook in his hand. “But that has nothing to do with my father.”

“It has everything to do with him. He died protecting Rogue from a shot from Isidro, because of Maya. He sacrificed himself to make the club better.”

“Killing my father did nothing for this club.” He pulled the weapon back, twisting it, so he could hit Rocco in the mouth with the butt of the gun.

Rocco slumped on his side and down onto the floor.

I shook my head. “He doesn’t know shit, Blaze. Don’t let him get to you.”

Blaze growled something under his breath before walking away.

Fuckin’ Rocco. That motherfucker put himself—his greed—ahead of his club. Ahead of his family.  My hands fisted at my sides, seeing his pathetic form lying in front of me now, a low growl rumbling in my throat. How could he? I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to believe any of my brothers could be a rat, but there was no denying it any more. And Rocco had to be dealt with—the only way the club dealt with such treachery: permanently.

Trista’d already gotten in her licks, and now it was finally my turn. I leaned over Rocco, and pulled my hand back, landing another punch to his gut. “You goddamned motherfucker. We trusted you. Would have done anything for you, you stupid son of a bitch. And you sell us out? For what?”

Rocco’s head lifted, blood dripping down his face in thick smears. “I know, but just listen. Please, if you could just—”

I didn’t allow him to finish, dealing another blow to his kidneys. My knuckles were raw and bloody, but I didn’t stop. The pain in my hands was nothing compared to the pain I wanted Rocco to feel. “I don’t want to hear your pathetic excuses. If you were in trouble, you come to the club. You let your brothers help you. You do not,” I pulled back, punching again. “Sell us out. There’s no excuse for that shit.”

Rocco wheezed, the air knocked out of his lungs. I knew I should feel pity for the bastard, but I couldn’t see past the blinding rage. Adrenaline surged as I thought back to all the lies he told. For
months
. My jaw tightened.

“I’m sorry,” Rocco wheezed. “I know I fucked up. I know I did.”

“Fucked up doesn’t even begin to cover it, Roc,” I spat. “Just shut your fuckin’ mouth. Your words are as empty as your black soul. We’re all well aware that you’d say just about anything to save your own ass, but, this time, it’s not going to work.”

I punched him square in the jaw, sending blood and one of his teeth shooting across the warehouse floor. Trista eyed Ryder and I from the corner, nodding her head up, and indicating we should go over to her.

“We need to bring this to the club,” she sighed. “As much as I want to just beat that fucker to death right here and now, this needs to be a club decision. We vote.”

Ryder and I nodded, knowing she was right.

“Put him in the van. Make sure he can’t get lose. I’ll call the club and gather everyone.”

Trista pulled her phone out of her back pocket, and began to type furiously, heading toward her bike. Ryder glanced at me and I nodded, knowing we were on the same page.

“She never said in what condition he should arrive to the club,” I smirked. “Round two?”

Ryder’s face lit up and he bumped fists with me. “Round two.”

We took our time getting Rocco back to Raven’s Nest, each of us makin’ damn sure the bastard knew how big of a piece of shit we thought he was. As we pulled up to Raven’s Nest and parked, there were already several members outside waiting, hands fisted, and anger pouring off of them in waves.

Rocco lay still on the floor of the van, no longer pleading and whimpering, hands and feet bound. He was patched long enough to know what happens with this level of betrayal. He knew better than to try to beg for anything different.

Blaze jumped out, conferring with Trista about something. He hadn’t said a word to any of us since hitting Rocco with the gun. I didn’t blame him, poor guy.

I turned back to Rocco. “Better say your fuckin’ prayers,” I spat. “We’re here.”

“Axel? Before we go in, I just wanted to let you know that I’m real proud of the man you’ve become. I watched you growing up in this club from the time you were nothing but a runt kid, and now, well… you’re gonna be a great President one day.”

What the fuck was I supposed to say to that? I nodded, not saying a word.

“It’s okay, Axel. I know my fate is sealed.” Rocco sat up a little on his elbows, and gave me a smile, missing a few teeth from our earlier go-round. “Do what you need to do. No hard feelings, ‘kay?”

“Fuckin’ A, Rocco.” I didn’t bother to respond further. I knew better. The words were as empty as his soul, and anything he said was just him workin’ another angle to benefit only him. I got out, slamming the door, and taking a deep breath before eyeing Ace and Bones. “He’s in the back. Just do me a favor. Tape his mouth shut, too.”

I wasn’t sure if I could handle hearing any more of his sentimental shit, not if I wanted to man up, and do what we needed to do tonight. Pops leaned heavy on his cane, sidled up to me, and clapped me on the shoulder.

“It doesn’t make you less of a man if you can’t do this without at least a few doubts. It makes you more, son.”

I nodded. “I’m just pissed we have to do it at all, Pops.”

He sighed. “You and me both.” We started walking into the club, changing the subject. “How’s that girl of yours? And, when do I get to meet her?”

My smile lifted thinking about Paige. “Surprisingly, after all the shit the Almas put her through, she’s okay. Been workin’ a lot of extra hours and dealin’ with some shit with her roommate, who’s still in the hospital, but the two of us? We’re real good.”

Pops groaned. “Chubs is another problem we need to deal with, but after everything that’s gone down with the Almas and the cars and their guys getting killed, we’re going to need to find another way besides all out war.”

“I know, but we’ve put Chubs on the back burner for too long. I’m more than ready to teach that fuckin’ assholes a few lessons on respect.” My temper rose at the thought, just thinking of how I found Paige that night, bloodied and shaking like a goddamned misfiring engine. I cracked my knuckles, trying to calm the fuck down, but then I thought of Gina, and how she was fighting for her fuckin’ life. Those bastards deserved everything coming to them.

“He’ll get what he deserves,” Pops assured me. “But we take care of our own house first.” He nodded over to where Ace was dragging Rocco across the parking lot.  We were silent for a few somber seconds before Pops spoke again. “So, you’ll bring her by on Sunday?”

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Pops was like a dog with a bone. There was no way he’d drop it until I agreed, and seeing as we had business to take care of, I relented.  “Yeah, Pops. I’ll bring her on Sunday. But only if you’re making your chicken cacciatore.”

The brief moment of happiness thinking about Paige vanished as we made our way into the club. The anger around the room practically vibrated off the walls.  Ace and Bones had strung up Rocco under the stairs, where the punching bag used to be. I guess the irony fit. As the club members filed passed, and headed into the church to place the final vote, each spit at Rocco’s feet. Pops and I were the last two to go in.

As I moved passed his limp form, I sighed, spitting at his feet as the others had done.

Fuckin’ Rocco.