Sentinel - Devil Riders MC Book 1 (MC Romance Novel with FREE Bonus Novel!) (13 page)

The man grinned again. “Hey junior, catch your breath and tell the taxi man where you live so we can take you home.” Then he laughed. “I’m not sure the kid knows where he lives right now. I think he’s too busy wondering if he’s gonna live at all.”

“I got the address from his license,” the man in the front seat said.

The car roared into life and raced through dark streets. As the fog cleared in his head, Justin could smell the stench of beer from the men. He wondered if they intended to kill him. “I can pay you…”

“No you can’t. We got your wallet.”

“I can get more money.”

The big man pulling his hair slapped his face. “No need to thank us. We have a mutual friend, after all. But here’s a plan… If you want to live, then you should consider forgetting you ever met Chrissy. I don’t know what you got against her, or if it’s just some insane kind of boner driving you, ‘cause she is hot, but you’re gonna get past that. See, the way I see things is that if you never knew her, never heard of her, then you could go on living a nice life. If that isn’t possible, then we are gonna have to pay you a visit. A bad attitude like that would mean we’d need to put you out of your misery. And you are one miserable son-of-a-bitch.”

“And don’t think hiring bodyguards would help much. Trigger don’t have to get close. He got that name shooting people in the eye at a very long range.”

“I’m out of practice, but I know I can hit a target as big as your swollen head.”

When the men slowed the car, opened the door, dumped him out on the sidewalk, naked, Justin skidded across the pavement, scrapping skin off him. Watching the car disappear into the night, he was almost thankful even though he was pretty sure he’d never see it again. He didn’t care.

* * * *

CHRISSY

Inside the bar, Chrissy calmed her breathing and considered her options. There weren’t many.

“What the fuck was that?” Trish asked.

“Trigger was right about an evil demon coming from my past. Unfortunately, that was just the messenger.”

“Let’s call Rafe.”

“No.”

Trish stopped. “No? Your life is in danger and you don’t want Rafe to know?”

“That would put him, all of you, in danger along with me.”

“As if the guys cared about that. They’ll probably thank you for saving them from boredom.”

She faced Trish. “Listen to me. Unless Trigger kills him, sooner or later Justin will get to a phone. When he does, he is going to call a rich bastard who has hired professional goons to track me down.”

“What did you do to him?”

“He was my boyfriend. I left him because he was beating me. He took that as some kind of blood insult. It’s insane, but then he’s a psycho. The moment he knows about this place it will be crawling with these clowns, and he will probably want to take revenge on everyone here.”

“Charming. And you think these guys will be a threat?”

“Benny is crazy. If he’s pissed enough he might send these goons over to lock everyone inside and burn the place down.”

“Then Rafe needs to know. He can make plans.”

“Plans won’t work. I have to leave.”

“And go where?”

“I don’t know, but if I did, better you don’t either. I’ll figure it out as I go.”

“You have to tell Rafe.”

She smiled. “And he’ll say, ‘of course you are right, Chrissy. You should run away now.’?”

Trish shook her head. “Of course not. He’ll insist you stay.”

“And that is going to cause more unhappiness that I can face. Besides, Rafe will get over me quick enough. He’s got the new lady.”

“She’s business.”

“Maybe so, but I’m pretty sure she could get into the idea of consoling him fast enough.”

“You want to think that.”

“I didn’t before, but right now, that’s all that’s keeping me sane.”

Trish held her wrist. “And suppose you leave… how will Benny know you’ve gone? He might pull his crazy shit anyway.”

“I’ll get him a message. I’ll send a video asking him to leave me alone. I’ll make sure there is a landmark in the background that will let him know I’m not in town.”

Trish shook her head. “Can’t you use those kinds of smarts to find a way to stay?”

“I need to go home and pack a bag.” Fighting back tears, desperate to cry out that life was, once again, not being remotely fair, she remembered she’d brought an overnight bag with her, intending to stay with Rafe. That would have to be enough. Benny could have her apartment staked out. She went up the stairs and got the bag, then she looked around the room for the last time.

No crying.
You start to cry and you won’t stop. You won’t be gone when Rafe gets back.

When she came downstairs, she saw Trish blocking the doorway. “You have to let me go.”

The girl held out a hand and Chrissy saw an envelope. “You will do what you think is right. I’m not stopping you, just slowing you so you will think for a minute. You’ll need money and this is all we have in the register. Ain’t a lot, but it’ll get you out of town, and if the guys your ex hired are as nasty as you say, you need to get a long way from here.” Trish was crying. “And don’t fucking write. Nobody here can read worth a damn.”

Chrissy took the envelope and wrapped her arms around Trish, who had begun sobbing “I’ll miss you, you bitchy girlfriend. Not as much as your brother, you understand…”

“Fuck you.”

“Tell Trigger I owe him a goodbye kiss.”

“Yeah.”

Chrissy turned and went out the door. She threw her bag in the Honda and got in. She put the key in the ignition and turned it. The motor roared to life. She’d almost hoped it wouldn’t, that she’d have to stay and tell people what was going on. Fuck that Chopper and his good workmanship.

She let out a long breath, put the car in gear and rolled into the night.

She was leaving again, and this time it was breaking her heart.

CHAPTER TEN

RAFE

Rafe was numb. He sat, trying to understand what Trish had told him, trying to get his mind around the idea that Chrissy was gone, that she’d run away, frightened. That she was worried as much for him as herself. “And who the fuck is this guy that has her so scared?”

But Trish didn’t know.

“It wasn’t the guy Trigger and Chopper were nice enough to escort home. As far as I can tell is that he threatened to tell the bigger, badder moron where she was if she didn’t do what he wanted.”

Rafe seethed with an anger that alternated with a painful emptiness. Once again he hadn’t known what he had until it slipped away. It was still sinking in, becoming real, and now, every time he heard a noise, he turned, expecting to see Chrissy, aching to see her.

This was not the best time to have his head up his ass. He needed to be clear for the job. You didn’t mess with arms merchants lightly. You never knew for sure who they were, who or what was behind the curtain. They could be scared or cocky, if they even knew what they were doing. They could cross you, deliberately set you up so they got your money and you took a big fall, or they could just fuck up. Any of those could leave you blowing in the wind.

In Rafe’s experience, the amateurs were far more dangerous than the actual bad guys. The pros wanted to get money for their product and a minimum of hassle. They might shoot you if you smelled wrong, but with them you knew where you stood. Amateurs could panic over nothing. They might inadvertently alert the cops, and start a shootout that no one would win. There were more ways for things to go wrong than right.

With Chrissy gone, however, and it unlikely she’d come back, his options had changed. The entire situation was different. He’d hesitated about taking the job because it was going to turn the world upside down. It would make it harder to stay with her. Now she was gone and staying with her wasn’t an option any longer. He had to think differently.

Basically, Rafe needed to break away from the life he’d settled into. He’d been drifting, getting off track, just keeping watch over the guys and taking enough work so they could keep it together. Trigger didn’t make shit working at the gym and Chopper was dreaming of his own garage. If the blonde would come through on her promises, they’d finally be set up. And he’d be cut loose.

First he had to talk things through with Trish, make sure she’d go for his idea and that she wouldn’t think he was just dumping things on her. He didn’t want to make her angry. They both had short fuses—it ran in the family. If he was going to get moving, he didn’t have time to let her cool down again. So he had to approach it all carefully.

He went behind the bar and got a beer, opened it and took a swig. “I’m thinking about taking a job—me and the guys.”

She grinned. “I didn’t think the blonde was a new playmate. Chrissy did though. So tell me, what the hell is going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“I have been expecting you to hop on your bike and chase after Chrissy.”

His stomach knotted. “I want to, but where would I look? She’s too smart to head for anywhere I know about. I have no idea what direction to look in.”

“A lack of information has never stopped you before.”

“Well, maybe I’m older and wiser. I’ll find her, but not by tearing around like a mad man. And there is something else—I’m kind of at a turning point.”

She laughed. “Bored again big brother? The last time you felt that way that I know of, the next thing I knew you were heading for boot camp. Seeing as they won’t take you back in the military, what are your other choices?”

“Pretty vague. I need to finish this job I took on. Then I’m out of that racket. It will be the last one, at least for a while.”

“Good, I guess, although I’ve never really known what you did.”

“And that’s a good thing.”

“So okay, you protect me from the knowledge of good and evil. So now you finish this job and then what?”

He grinned. “Well, as my favorite sister suggested, I’ll probably jump on my bike and go look for Chrissy.”

“Even though you don’t know where to look.”

“I’d have to try. I’m not sure she wants to be found, or what she’ll say if I do find her. No matter how that goes, I won’t be back. I have to move on.”

She scowled. “Leaves us in a bit of a mess.”

“I want to sign the bar over to you.”

Trish looked at him and he saw her putting the pieces together. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Damn you. First I get the mystery of Chrissy splitting just I when I could almost stand the bitch, and now you are handing me the keys and telling me you’re getting off this ride too?”

Rafe winced. “It’s not like I’m exactly leaving you alone. You can let Johnny move in. He’ll be happy that he doesn’t have to sneak around any longer and knock off a piece in the back room when you two think I’m gone.” She shot him a look of surprise. “You think I didn’t know? Such little faith in your big brother…he’s a good man… well, a good boy. He cares a lot about you. And Trigger and Chopper will be around for backup.”

“Unless, of course, this job of yours gets them both killed.”

“We’ve done these jobs before.”

Right, and the last time you boys came home I had to patch some holes in you that you couldn’t let a doctor see, since he’d have to mention unreported gunshots to nosy people with badges. And this one seems more sinister for some reason. I don’t know if any of you will be back.”

“Hey kid, it’s no different than going off on a bike ride. I can promise to be careful, but I can’t promise to come back.”

She gave him a sullen look. “It isn’t the same thing at all, you dumb fuck. No, there aren’t any guarantees.”

He tipped his head. “I’ll call a lawyer and draw up the papers and make sure the taxes and duties are all paid. The liquor license will be in your name too.”

“You think that’s what I want, you giving me your goddamn bar?”

He shrugged. “I’m not going to claim to be smart enough to know what you really want. For all I know, even Johnny is a passing fancy. That isn’t my concern. I just can’t go on this way anymore. I can’t explain it any better. But the bar, the license, those are your stake. The bar isn’t worth all that much, but the liquor license is. If running the bar sucks, you can sell up and use the cash to live your own dream.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Sure. I sell out to a restaurant chain, and then where do Trigger and Chopper and the other guys go every night? What sensible bar owner is going to want that bunch hanging out in his place, with their all the crap and whoring. Who keeps them out of trouble?”

Rafe couldn’t resist a smile. “It’s your call.”

“Besides, when you come back, you and Chrissy, you’ll need a place to go. You’re gonna come looking for a place to have a cold beer and not be hassled. Bring the stupid bitch back and I’ll even let the two of you use the back room to knock off a piece now and then, if you aren’t too damn loud.”

He took her by the shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Thanks kid.”

“Stupid big brothers,” she muttered, and stomped into the office, leaving Rafe thinking she’d be okay, no matter how the rest of it went down.

Now he had calls to make. First, the lawyer, and then Mandy Evans. She’d have more detail by now and he wanted to negotiate a few fine points in their agreement, so his buddies couldn’t be left hanging out to dry if things went south. She’d have to provide a little other help as well, make some arrangements in case he did survive.

She was an intriguing woman and she had resources. He intended to take advantage of them. He knew she’d accept his terms. The challenge would be keeping her at arm’s length until it was over.

Then he’d find Chrissy and see what the future held.

* * * *

Rafe sat with Trigger and Chopper up in his living room. He could still feel Chrissy’s presence in the room and it was huge. He let out a breath and put her out of her mind.

Just for now, Chrissy. Let me take care of business first.

“Word on the street is that there is more than one buyer for the shipment.”

Rafe looked at Trigger and nodded. “That’s what Mandy said. We need to move on the plan. I’ll roll on over there and get a bid in and get the lay of the land. We have the rough plan, and you guys will have to stay loose until we know details.”

Trigger scratched his head. “I don’t know about this, Rafe. These guys work out of a biker bar. Aren’t they supposed to be bad assed dudes? And you’re gonna go in by yourself?”

Chopper laughed, even if Rafe didn’t. He needed to make sure they understood. “This isn’t just a matter of being tough guys, Trigger. We aren’t worried about a biker gang. They’re just muscle and provide a front. Mandy said the place is owned by a mob. The bikers keep tourists away.”

“
The
mob?”

“She thinks they’re the ones that stole the weapons in the first place. They shot up an armory and killed a bunch of soldiers.”

“Bastards!”

Rafe looked at them. “No going rogue on me, now. Your part is support and no more. We aren’t there for revenge. It’s a job. If you’re gonna make more of it than that, walk away now. We need the buy to go down without any fuss.”

Trigger walked to the refrigerator and took out a beer. He tossed one to each of the men. “Ain’t that just like Rafe to try and cut us out of the real fun, Chopper?”

“Just like him.”

“We don’t go along, who’s gonna hold your hand when those bad men say boo to you, Rafe?”

Rafe smiled. “I guess I’ll have to let you tag along then. But if you bums somehow get your asses handed to you I’m not putting up with any whining.”

Chopper grinned broadly. “Rafe thinks we gonna whine, Trigger.”

Rafe scowled at him.

“Chopper, ain’t there a motor what needs tuning somewhere?”

He grinned. “Probably, but if we’re gonna go kick ass I need a couple of beers and a round or two with that big brunette who came in this evening. Her mouth looks like a perfect fit for my dick.”

Trigger hung back as Chopper headed downstairs. “When do we go after Chrissy, Rafe?”

“Go after her? You ever known me to chase after a chick?”

Trigger sighed. “Yeah, okay. For the record we’re all gonna say that Rafe is this big and mean guy and chicks never get to him. We can all raise our hands and say Rafe don’t give a fuck about no one. Now, having done all that, tell me when we go after Chrissy.”

“You don’t, Trigger. Once this is done, I want you and Chopper back here. We are going to have enough cash that you can buy a garage. You run the place and let Chopper do his magic. In a week you’ll probably have more business than you want.”

“And you?”

“I need to take of some shit by myself, and that includes finding Chrissy, making sure she’s okay. Thing is, I can’t do that and worry about Trish, so when you get back I’d really appreciate it if you’d come back when we’re done and watch her back. She might let you hang out if you’re nice. By the way, I told her I know about Johnny, so don’t get too shitty when he moves in with her.”

Trigger looked sulky for a moment. “That’s damn sneaky, Rafe. Truth is, Trish don’t need me around at all.”

“No.”

“No one is gonna fuck with her, Rafe. Still, I like it here, and you want me to think she needs me. You probably told her she did, and she pretended she thought it was true so you wouldn’t go off your nut. Which means, if I don’t pretend I think so too, it screws up all that work you put into this.”

Rafe shook his head. “So, since I’m not smart enough to fox you, will you do it as a favor?”

Trigger grinned. “See, you didn’t think this through. You shoulda told me I gotta hang around to look for Chopper, keep him on track and out of trouble. That would make more sense. He don’t always figure things right.”

“You’re right, Trigger, what can I say?”

Trigger grinned. “That I’m right is about enough. And kinda fresh and new. Now I think I’ll go see what sweet things might’ve wandered in while we were up here. I can’t quite believe Chopper is hot for that piggy brunette. She’s got big tits, but she’s too big all over.”

“No accounting for taste.”

“None at all.”

As he left, Rafe felt sad. He and this crew had been through a lot, and over a number of years now. But some of that was baggage, baggage that was keeping him from moving on. And he had to. They weren’t the crew they’d been once, and doing the things they did was getting more complicated.

Trigger was right about Chopper. He was fading, slowly getting worse. He’d always been a good hand, fearless and great with motors. Best of all, he had a good heart. Trigger would make sure he made good use of his time.