Outlaw (16 page)

“So what’d you do as a teenager growing up there?”

She smiled. “I wasn’t riding dirt bikes.”

“I figured that.” He laughed. “So what did you do?”

She shrugged. “Different things. A lot of times a
group of us would drive out, and tube down the Salt River.”

“Tube?” Cole frowned.

“Float down in one of those big inner tubes.
Sometimes the guys would put a cooler of beer in one of the inner tubes.”

He nodded, and smiled. “Sounds like fun.”

The waitress returned, and set down two plates full
of food. “Need anything else?”

“No. Thanks, Mona.” He smiled up at her.

“Enjoy.” She walked away.

Cole poured syrup all over his pancakes. “Ever been
down the coast?”

She shook her head. “No. I’ve only been here a
couple of months. Spent most of it near San Jose.”

“I think you’ll like it.”

They finished eating, and headed out to the parking
lot. They had gotten a late start on breakfast, and it was about noon by the
time they headed out to the bike. They got on, and Cole’s phone rang.

He pulled it out of his pocket, and flipped it open.
“Yeah?”

Angel sat listening to the one-sided conversation.

“Shit. That’s today?

“Yeah. Okay. Where you at?

“What time’s it start?

“You headin’ there now?

“Yeah. Okay. See ya there.” He flipped the phone
closed, and turned back to Angel. “We’re gonna have to postpone this trip,
darlin’.”

“Something come up?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright.”

“Maybe tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure. So, now what?”

“I gotta meet up with Crash and some of the guys.
The War Dogs are having a big gathering and cookout today. I forgot all about
it.”

“War Dogs?”

“They’re a lot of ex-military guys. They don’t carry
the MC patch though.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re not outlaw. Just a riding club.”

“I thought you didn’t have anything to do with clubs
like that.”

“These guys are different. Mack served with several
of the older guys. They’re okay. Anyway, Evil Dead needs to make an appearance.
It’s an annual party they throw.”

“And me?”

Cole thought about it for a minute. “Hell, I guess
you’re comin’ with me.” He turned back to her. “You okay with that?”

She nodded.

They headed back across town. About a half an hour
later, Cole pulled into the gravel lot of an old junkyard. There was a chain
link gate that was open, and he pulled through, and around an old building that
was covered with hubcaps. There were several rows of bikes already parked in
the gravel lot in back.

Cole spotted the guys from his club standing near
their parked bikes. He pulled up to them, and parked. They dismounted.

Angel noticed Crash and several of the other guys.
She could smell the aroma of something being cooked on a grill. There was a
fenced off area, running the length of the back wall of the building and on
beyond it with eight foot high wooden privacy fence all around it. Music was
blasting from inside.

“Sounds like the party’s started,” Cole said to
Crash.

“Yup. They got a full house already. I think they
started a couple hours ago. Mack’s inside already,” Crash replied, turning to
head over there.

Cole put his arm around Angel, and they followed the
rest of the guys into the area. There was a guy sitting on a barstool at the
gate that led inside. He nodded to them, and they walked on past.

Angel looked around. The area was huge, going back a
good ways. There were a bunch of picnic tables, a big, long bar improvised out
of cement blocks and planking set up along the left side under an overhanging
roof that jutted out from the building. There were tiny, colored lights strung
along the bar and all along the top of the fencing. Way in the back, Angel
noticed a huge stone grill that ran about ten feet across. A couple guys were
flipping burgers.

Cole stopped to greet several members of the War
Dogs. They chatted briefly,
then
Cole led her over to
a group of Evil Dead that were standing by the bar. Several of them, she had
never seen before.

Angel could hear the group talking as they walked
up. She noticed one of them had a Scottish brogue when he spoke. He had his
back to them. Angel heard someone say, “Hey, Kilt Boy, look who just crashed
the party.”

The one with the brogue turned around. He was dark
headed, with long hair and a close cut beard. Angel thought if he did have a
kilt on, that he would look every inch the part of a highlander.

He looked at Cole, and smiled. “Fookin’ hell.
Ye ol’ bastaird.
Haven’t seen ye in ages.”

Cole smiled. “Who’re you callin’ an old bastard?”

He and Cole slapped each other on the back.

They broke apart.

“What are you doin’ down in this neck of the woods?”
Cole asked him.

“Came to see your sunny southern coast. Tired of the
bluidy rain up north.”

“I thought it rained all the time in Scotland. You
should be used to it.”

“Aye. But it had a wey of makin’ me homesick.”

Someone slid them a couple bottles of beer, and Cole
turned to hand one to Angel.

Kilt Boy turned to Angel, and asked Cole, “And who’s
this lovely lass?”

Cole put his arm around her. “Don’t even think about
it.”

Kilt Boy smiled. “What? Ye don’t trust me,
Sonny-boy?”

“Nope.” Cole smiled back.

“Come on, introduce me to the wee lass.”

“This ugly mutt is Ferguson. Better known as Kilt
Boy. Kilt Boy, this is Angel.”

He flashed a crooked grin. “He’s just jealous of my
sensuous Scottish brogue, and the wey it drives all the lasses wild.”

“Shit. Half of ‘em can’t understand a word you’re
saying.”

“Aye.
But as long as they nod their
head in agreement.
I don’t care verra much if they know to what they’re
agreein’.” He turned to Angel, and waggled his eyebrows.

She couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head. She
liked him immediately.

“Got some news
.,
” Crash
interrupted, moving to stand next to Cole.

Cole dropped his arm from around Angel, and lit a
cigarette. He turned to Crash, blowing the smoke out. “Yeah. What’s that?”

“Mack invited the Devil Kings here.”

Cole pulled the cigarette from his mouth. “What?”

Crash nodded. “Yup.”

“What the hell for?”

“Didn’t he tell you?”

“No, man. He’s been pissed at me since that shit
with Ling.”

Crash nodded, glancing over to where Mack was
sitting at one of the picnic tables. “Yeah. Well, seems he wants to make some
kind of alliance. I think he’s hoping to get a foothold in Arizona.”

Cole shook his head. “Fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“Bluidy hell!” Ferguson added.

Cole looked over at him, and smiled. “Looks like you
showed up at a good time, Kilt Boy.”

He smiled back at Cole. “Aye. Looks that wey.”

They all stood around talking, and drank several
bottles of beer.

One of the War Dogs walked over to Cole.

Angel thought he looked young, probably still in his
twenties, with an athletic build. He had a buzz cut, revealing a face and neck
red from the sun. He wore a pair of desert camouflage pants and a black tee
shirt. A pair of sunglasses was pushed up on his head and dog tags hung around
his neck. If he’d been in the service, Angel imagined he hadn’t been out for
very long.

“Hey, they takin’ care of you?” He nodded toward the
girls tending bar.

Cole looked at him. “Yeah. Thanks. You throw a nice
party, Rusty.”

“Glad you could come by.” They shook hands.

“You hear who might be showing’ up later?” Cole
asked him, taking a hit off his cigarette.

Rusty looked back at the picnic table where Mack was
sitting, deep in conversation with the leader of the War Dogs. “Yeah. I did.”

Cole followed his gaze. “He good with it?”

“JP? Yeah. I guess. Of course, I don’t think he’d
say no to Mack on anything.”

Cole nodded.

“You expecting trouble?” Rusty asked, setting the
sunglasses back over his eyes.

“Don’t know,” Cole answered, honestly.

“Fuck. Looks like we’re about to find out.” Rusty
nodded toward the gate.

Cole turned to look. The Devil Kings were walking
in. Cole noticed the first man through was their leader, a big mountain of a
man called appropriately enough, Big Ed. He was followed by a mean
son-of-a-bitch named, Taz. Cole had had run-ins with him before. About six more
guys followed.

Cole glanced over at Mack.

Mack looked over at the gate, and nodded to Cole.

Angel looked at the group coming in, and a chill
went down her back. She had a bad feeling.

Cole threw his cigarette down, and turned to head
over to the group. He looked back at Angel, and pointed at her. “Stay there.”

She watched him walk over toward the Devil Kings. He
moved to the biggest guy, and blocked his path.

“Christ. What’s goin’ through his bluidy brain?”
Kilt Boy asked Crash.

“I think he’s lookin’ for trouble.” Rusty replied.

“Aye. Well, I think he just found it.”

“Cole wouldn’t start a fight,” Angel insisted.

Kilt Boy turned to her with raised eyebrows, and
then turned back to Crash. “The wee lass hasn’t fookin’ known the mon verra
long, has she?”

“Come on, boys. I’m pretty sure he’s gonna need
backup,” Crash said.

“Aye, lets make it a fair fight.” Kilt Boy threw his
beer bottle into an oil drum. The glass shattered with a crash.

“Hey, Cajun. Stay with her.” Crash nodded toward
Angel.

“Yeah. Sure, ‘dat.” He turned to Angel. “How ya
doin’, sugar?”

Angel watched as the other four walked over to where
Cole was talking to one of the Devil Kings. They formed a semi-circle behind
him.

Mack noticed, and walked over. He said something
that diffused the situation.

Angel watched as Cole glared at Mack, but stepped
back. Mack shook the big man’s hand, and turned, and led him to a table. But
she didn’t miss the look the big guy slid Cole as he walked by him.

Half the Devil Kings followed Mack and the big man
to the picnic table. The other half headed to the bar, just a few feet from
where she was standing with Cajun.

“Just stay next to me, sugar,” Cajun whispered to
her.

Angel kept her eyes on the bar as they ordered their
drinks. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed one of them turned back from
the bar with a beer in his hand, and his eyes swept up and down over her body.
She couldn’t stop herself from looking over at him. He was a good looking guy,
with brown hair and a close-cut beard. His eyes were a bright blue and stood
out against his dark skin.

He smiled at her, and she quickly looked away.

Cajun must have caught it, because he grabbed her by
the upper arm, and walked her forcefully down to the other end of the bar.

She pulled her arm free. “I don’t understand why you
have to drag me around like that.”

“Mais, yeah. I bet there’s lots here you don’
understand, cher,” Cajun drawled, leaning over her. “But let me set you
straight on one. You need to steer clear of dat bunch. Him especially.”

Angel looked back down the bar.

“Dat one, he’s one bad crazy son, him. You hear me, sugar?”

The man was still watching her. He winked at her
when she looked at him. She glanced quickly away, and nodded at Cajun. She
looked toward the table where Mack was sitting across from the big man.

Cole was standing at the end of the table. Mack said
something to him. Angel could see him look from Mack to the big man, and then
nod. He turned, and headed back toward the bar. Crash was right behind him.
Angel noticed the big man’s eyes followed Cole as he walked away. She didn’t
like the look in his eyes.

Mack leaned in close to Big Ed. “Sorry, he’s got a
damn broad got him all turned around.”

Big Ed looked back at Cole as he walked away. “Run
her ass off.”

“It’s not that simple. She did the club a favor. A
big one.”

“Maybe I could help you out with that.”

Mack looked at him, and smiled. “Yeah. Maybe you
could at that.”

Big Ed smiled back.