Logan: New Crusaders MC (25 page)

There was a pause, and then a gruff voice said, “Logan?”

“It’s me, buddy.”

Another pause that Logan couldn’t account for until Cork’s next words came out hoarse, like he was trying not to cry.

“How you doing, brother?” Cork asked.

“I’m doing just fine.  You’ll never guess who busted me out.”

“Who?”

“The prospect.”

“Danny?”

“The very same.  He and Reno got me out, nursed me back to health.”

“We need to patch that boy in,” Cork said.

“Agreed.  But first we have a war to finish.  How quickly can you be back in Castillo?”

“By tomorrow night.”

“Good.  I’m going to give you a number.  Text me a number I can use to contact you.”

“You hear from Nicole?” Cork asked.

Logan smiled.  “She’s lying right next to me.  You wanna say hi?”

“Yes,” Cork said quietly.

Logan handed Nicole the phone.

“Hi, Cork,” she said.

Logan could hear Cork’s gruff reply floating back to him.

“How you doing, sweetheart?”

“I’m just fine, Cork.  Can’t wait to see you.”

“Same here.  Tell Logan I’m going to round up who I can, and we’ll see him tomorrow night.”

Nicole glanced up at him, and Logan nodded to let her know he’d heard what Cork said.

“See you soon,” she said.

They hung up, and Logan sighed contentedly.  Cork was safe.  He was going to have his club back within the next twenty-four hours.

“Where are you going to meet?” Nicole asked.  “The Devil Kings will notice if a bunch of Crusaders flood back into town.”

“I’ve got an idea for a place,” Logan assured her.  “Should be safe and discreet.  You okay to head back into town with me tomorrow morning?”

“My midterms start next week.  You think you can take back the town before then?”

“Done.”

“Then yeah, I’m with you.  What should we do until then?”

Logan laughed as he rolled back on top of her.  “Do you have to ask?”

By the time they went to sleep that night, Nicole was feeling beyond satisfied.  She’d had enough orgasms to last her a month, but she knew that wouldn’t stop Logan from waking her in the morning with another round of lovemaking. 

They’d gone to a late dinner, had a proper date.  It was amazing how quickly they fell back into their usual routine.  Nicole couldn’t even worry about what tomorrow would bring.  She knew Logan would be instigating a huge battle.  People were going to get hurt, many of them by her man.  But that was how it had to be.  She was beyond feeling any kind of pity for the Devil Kings.  Or Clay.  She was pretty sure if she saw that bastard again, she’d kill him herself.  But that wasn’t going to happen.  She had every intention of keeping her promise to Logan and staying hidden.

Battle or no battle, she was excited to see everyone again.  Her dad and Cork, even Danny the prospect.  She owed him for saving Logan. 

After sex, breakfast, and a shower, she and Logan got into Reno’s car.  They stopped back at the library so Nicole could get her truck.  She took it back to the apartment complex and gave the keys to Hailey.

“I’ll be back for the truck,” Nicole said.

“You’d better be back for midterms,” Hailey replied, closing her hand around the key.

“I will.  Just give me a couple days.”

Hailey reached out and took Nicole’s hand, squeezing it.  “Be safe, hon.”

“I will.  See you soon!”

She went back to Logan, who was waiting in the car.  He’d followed her back from the library.  Hailey waved at them as they pulled out of the parking lot and hit the road.

“I’m excited to go home,” Nicole said.  “I never thought I’d see it again.”

“Unfortunately, you’re not going to see much of it.  We need to go straight to the meeting place, keep our heads down until we’re ready to be seen.”

“I know.  Where are we meeting?”

He smiled at her.  “Somewhere the Devil isn’t welcome.”

Nicole was confused by that statement, until Logan pulled the car into the parking lot of a small church.

“Let’s hope God is on our side,” Logan told her, and went inside.

She followed him in.  They were greeted by a man in religious garb.  He took one look at Logan and smiled.

“God bless, my son,” he said.  “What brings you to my church today?”

“My friends and I are going on a
crusade
,” Logan said pointedly.  “We want to have a private AA meeting.  Somewhere secluded.  Do you think you could help us out, Father…”

“Father Truesdale, at your service.  Your friends want to rid yourselves of the Devil?”

“That’s exactly what we’re hoping to do,” Logan said.

“Thank the Lord,” Father Truesdale said, sounding relieved.  “When do you need a room?”

“Tonight, if possible,” Logan told him.

“Of course.  We have a lovely meeting room in the basement.  I can send your friends down to you later.”

“Much obliged,” Logan said.

“I’ll take you down now, maybe get you some food and drink.  The young lady will need her rest.”

“Thank you,” Nicole said.

“Of course, my dear.  Right this way.”

He led Nicole and Logan out of the sanctuary and down a flight of stairs.  The room they ended up at was large enough, and some folding tables and chairs were resting against the wall.

“This is perfect,” Logan said.  He turned to the priest.  “Do you have someplace safe you can go if our uh…
meeting
gets a little rough?”

“Yes, son.  Don’t you worry about me.”

He smiled at them, then left to find food.  Logan pulled out his phone and made a few calls.  Nicole pulled up a chair and watched him work, feeling nervous and excited.  She was going to get her town and her life back.

“Plainclothes, Cork,” Logan was saying.  “Spread the word.  Get some Iconoclasts down here if you can find any… Thanks, man.”

He hung up and dialed again.  He winked at her and put the phone to her ear.  With all the calls he was making, Nicole realized there was one she wanted to place, too.  Logan would never allow it, but Nicole felt like it was worth the risk.  She just needed a minute alone.

“Hi, I’d like to place a to-go order with Chuck.”  Nicole’s heartrate picked up when she heard her father’s name.  “Hey, Chuck.  Six o’clock tonight.  Basement of St. Mary’s.  Tell him you’re here for the AA meeting.  Can you make it?”  Nicole held her breath, but Logan was smiling.  “Good.  We’ll see you then… Yes, ‘we.’  Try to act natural.  Gotta go.”

“You couldn’t let me talk to him because he would have blown cover, huh?” Nicole said.

“Sorry,” Logan told her.  “But he’ll be here tonight.  You’re going to see him soon.”

Father Truesdale returned with bottled water and sandwiches from the corner store.  Nicole didn’t understand how she could be hungry again; she’d eaten a big breakfast.  But she tore through her sandwich.

“Our friends will be here tonight around six,” Logan told the priest.  “Everyone who’s in the know will be asking about the AA meeting.”

“Understood,” Father Truesdale said.  “Will you be comfortable down here until then?  There’s a bathroom down the hall if you need it.”

“We’ll be just fine.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then.”  The priest put his hand on Logan’s arm.  “Good luck, son.”

“Thanks, Father.”

The priest left, and Logan dropped down to lie on the floor.

“Now we wait,” he said.

“While we’re waiting, you mind if I use that phone to call work?” Nicole asked.  “I forgot to tell them I was going out of town, and I’m scheduled tomorrow night.”

“Sure.”  He handed her the cell.  “Just don’t tell them where you are.”

“I figured that much out,” Nicole said.  “I’m going to head to the bathroom.”

She started dialing as she walked outside.  Nicole realized how dangerous this phone call was.  She was about to call one of the Devil Kings and tell him what was going on.  If she was wrong about him, she would be responsible for the deaths of every single person she ever cared about.

He picked up after the second ring.

“Rip?  It’s Nicole Hamilton.”

Cork, Yancey, and Sam were among the first to arrive.  They all converged on Logan, pulling him into a group hug.  Then they saw Nicole’s stomach, and cheers went up.  The process repeated every time someone they knew walked through the door.  Soon the room was so full that there was barely enough space for the table Logan had laid out.

Cork had provided exactly what Logan had asked for – a map of Castillo and a box of thumbtacks.  They were going to plan this like a military operation.

There were plenty of Iconoclasts in the room.  They were happy enough to see Logan, and they were definitely out for blood.  Alex Ruiz had made himself plenty of enemies.

“Heard you were dead,” one of the ‘Clasts said to Logan, shaking his hand.

“That rumor made the rounds, huh?” Logan said.  “Any idea who started it?”

“That would be me.”

The room went silent as all eyes turned to the door.  Wiseman was standing on the threshold, smiling beneath his beard.  All at once, the room burst to life.  Cheers echoed off the walls, and the Iconoclasts rushed their president.  Logan couldn’t help smiling.  Wiseman might have been a prick, but he was glad to see the old man had survived.  They were going to need him.

When Wiseman stepped into the room, he brought Chuck Hamilton with him.  Apparently they had come together.  While the Iconoclasts greeted their president, Logan and Nicole went to Chuck.

“Dad!” Nicole ran up to him and threw her arms around him.

“Hey, baby,” Chuck said.

His eyes went wide when she pulled back from him.  He looked from her stomach to Logan, his expression a cross between pure joy and remorse.

“I didn’t know,” he said to Logan.  “I wouldn’t have sent her away if… But I had no idea.”

“It’s alright,” Logan said.  “You thought I was dead, and she wouldn’t have been safe here.”

“I’m just… I’m so happy for you two,” Chuck said, hugging Nicole again, then embracing Logan.  “You’re gonna be great parents.”

“Thanks, Chuck,” Logan said.

“So,” Wiseman said from behind them.  “Back from the dead?”

Logan turned to talk to the other club’s president.  “You were Chuck’s ‘friend.’  The one who told him I’d died.”

“Thought you did,” Wiseman said, and it was obvious he was sincere.  “I saw you hit the ground, blood all around you, Devil Kings surrounding you.  Had to beat it out of there.  Called in a favor with Chuck.”

“He was staying with me while he recovered,” Chuck added.  “He didn’t want to make his presence known until he could figure out how events were going to play out.”

“Recovered?” Logan asked.

Wiseman smiled and lifted up his shirt to reveal a nasty looking scar.  “Bullet would’ve killed me if Chuck hadn’t come in time.”

“I hope this means your club is good with him,” Logan said.

“Of course.  Chuck’s been a big help.  He’s a friend of the Iconoclasts.”

“Good.  Because we can’t have any bad blood if we’re going to take back our town.”

Wiseman’s expression turned grim.  “Agreed.  You got a plan?”

“Sort of.”  Logan walked to the table at the center of the room and addressed the crowd.  “The Kings are still disorganized.  They’re spread out over almost three times as much territory as they used to have.  We need to hit them where it hurts, take down the front runners.  If we do that, the rest will fall.”

“How do we go in?” one of the Iconoclasts asked.

“All at once,” Logan said.  “We break into teams, and we attack simultaneously, before they have a chance to get organized and fight back.  First we have to figure out where their numbers are concentrated, and we can go from there.”

“Maybe I can help,” Danny said from the doorway.

Another surprise.  Again, the room went silent as they looked to the newcomer.  Danny was smiling like the cat who’d caught the canary, and he had a friend with him.  A bloody mess, the Devil King was bound and gagged.  Danny tossed him into the room.

“Caught him sniffing around the church,” Danny said.  “Thought I’d take him along to help out the cause.”

“Nice going, prospect,” Logan said.

Danny smiled, happy that he was being called a prospect again.  Logan nodded at Cork, who went to grab one of the folding chairs.  Together, they lifted the Devil King into the chair and tied him to it.  Logan pulled out his gag.

“Hey there.”

The Devil King spat at him.  Logan took it in stride.  He turned to Danny, asked for the guy’s name.

“Tommy Ceritas.”

“Tommy,” Logan said.  “Nice to meet you.  You’re going to tell us where we can find Alex Ruiz.”

“Like hell I am,” Tommy replied.

“Well, let me break it down for you,” Logan said.  “You don’t help us out, we’re not going to torture you.  We’re not going to try to beat any info out of you.  We’re gonna let you go.  Then we’re gonna attack the Kings anyway, and when we do, we’re gonna make sure they know it was you who helped us find them.  They’re gonna think you’re a rat.  If you were there for Danny’s punishment, then I’m thinking you know what your club does to rats.”

Judging by the way the color was draining from Tommy’s face, he knew exactly what would happen to him.

“They wouldn’t believe you,” he said, though he sounded far from sure.  “They’ll know you’re lying.”

“Maybe,” Logan said.  “You willing to take that chance?”

Tommy thought about it for a while.  He looked around the room at all the angry faces, perhaps understanding that his situation was not great no matter what he said or did.  There was certainly no chance he’d escape.

“What if I do tell you?” Tommy asked finally.  “You’ll kill me anyway.”

“No,” Logan told him.  “We don’t kill you.  We lock you in a closet ‘til the fighting’s done, and have Father Truesdale let you out.  You can go back to the Kings or you can skip town.  Not our problem.  But we won’t mention your name to Ruiz or anyone else.  They’ll never think you ratted.  Danny beat your ass pretty hard.  If they see you, they’ll believe that you were caught up in the fighting with the rest of them.”

Logan looked around at the assembled men and they nodded in agreement; they wouldn’t hurt Tommy.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Logan told Tommy after the silence had dragged on long enough.  “We’ll untie you, and all you have to do is put some pins in that map there.  I’m assuming you’re not stupid enough to try and make a run for it.”

“Obviously.”

“Right, so let’s get this over with.”

Logan cut the duct tape around Tommy’s wrists.  Tommy stood up, and several men went for their weapons.  But they didn’t need to worry.  Tommy went to the thumbtacks and got to work, placing them in the map.  He used six before he looked at Logan, picked up one last tack, and held Logan’s gaze as he pushed the pin into the map.

That was Ruiz’s location.

“Thanks,” Logan said.  “Cork, Sam, get this guy out of our way.  Don’t hurt him.  He cooperated.”

“I hope Ruiz kills you,” Tommy growled.

“That’s fair,” Logan said.

He waited for Cork and Sam to drag the Devil King out of the room with the chair and the roll of duct tape, then he bent over the table and studied the map.  Seven locations all over town.  They’d have to be smart about this.  Wiseman walked up and moved one of the tacks.

“I’ve got some contacts who have been keeping me informed,” he explained.  “They cleared out of this building a couple days ago.”

“That still leaves us with seven teams,” Logan said.

He looked for Hamilton’s Diner on the map, but Tommy hadn’t put a tack there.  Logan stood up straight and addressed the crowd again.  Sam and Cork slipped back into the room as he spoke.

“We’re not here to cause senseless bloodshed tonight,” he said.  “We’re here because the Devil Kings took our home away from us, and we won’t stand for that.  But that doesn’t mean we hurt civilians.  Do your best to stay clear of innocent deaths.  We’re going to break into seven teams.  I’m telling you now, Alex Ruiz is my fight.”

Cork stepped forward.  “I’m with you.”

Danny, Sam, Yancey, and Chuck joined Cork and looked to Logan.

“You sure about this?” Logan asked Chuck.

“Bastards took my diner and threatened my little girl,” Chuck said.  “I’m sure.”

“We’re going to get your diner back,” Logan assured him.  “It’ll be easy once we take down the Kings and Clay realizes he has no allies to turn to.”

“I’m not too worried,” Chuck said with a wolfish grin.

“Right,” Logan said.  “That leaves us six other places to hit.”

“My sources tell me that the warehouse off Frontier Street is a popular hangout,” Wiseman said.  “That’s where I’ll be.”

A few of his men and even a couple New Crusaders stepped forward to join Wiseman’s team.  The rest of the locations were divvied up quickly after that.  Without any kind of vote, five more team leaders stepped forward.

With that settled, there was only one more issue to address.

“What do we have in the ways of weapons?” Logan asked.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Wiseman said.

He stepped out into the hallway and returned with two black duffel bags. 

“A gift,” he said, tossing the bags on the floor in front of Logan.  “To smooth over the relations between our clubs.  Whatever shit we had going on before ends tonight.”

Logan knelt down and unzipped the bags.  They were loaded with hunting knives, handguns, and a few shotguns.

“My private store,” Wiseman explained.  “It’s not much, but it should help even the odds.”

Logan grabbed a knife and inspected it.  He looked up at Wiseman and smiled.

“We’re going to tear them apart.”  He stood up and shouted, “Help yourselves!”

The men eagerly converged on the bags, and the weapons were quickly and efficiently distributed.  Logan watched the Crusaders, his brothers, as they checked out the weapons and talked with the Iconoclasts on their teams.  They all looked excited.  It was time to go.

“We meet back at the church when we’re done,” Logan said, and the room fell quiet.  “This is going to be a bloody night, but some good will have come out of it.  Wiseman is right.  We may belong to separate MCs, but tonight we are all brothers.  No matter what happens, the New Crusaders will not forget that the Iconoclasts were here with us tonight.”

Wiseman nodded.  “The Iconoclasts will recognize our mutual protection agreement long after this battle is over.”

The two presidents shook hands.  Logan saw Nicole smiling from the back wall, one hand on her stomach.  He winked at her.

With nothing left to say, Logan raised his gun in the air and called for everyone to move out.  The teams exited the building one at a time, with Logan’s team going last.

“I’ll be right out,” he told the guys.

They whistled and catcalled, but they still left him alone with Nicole.  Chuck hung behind to offer her a quick hug.

“Be careful, Dad,” Nicole warned.

“Absolutely.  I’m not about to let some punk kid take away my chance to be a grandpa.  You just stay safe, darling.”