The Don's Baby: A Bad Boy Romance (45 page)

“You are never officially out of the club but I can understand if you think you need to get away for a while.” The man was showing him much more kindness than he’d expected or felt he deserved and Rafe didn’t know what to do with all of that.

“Explain awhile, because I’m thinking it’s going to be years before I’ll be able to come back. The Reapers aren’t ever going to leave us alone as long as I’m around and think we messed up some portion of their business.” Rafe wanted the man to know what he was thinking because he didn’t want to let him down again and he wanted to give him the straight facts like he’d have done for him.

“I understand that a while may be never again, Rafe, I just wanted to let you know that if you wanted or needed to come back the door is always open.”

“I’m glad you understand. I was expecting a lot more in terms of anger.” Rafe was blown away by the sincerity and thoughtfulness of his president.

“I can’t say I’m happy that you tipped what was a very good rivalry into the threshold of violence but it was bound to happen. Both sides have been walking on egg shells for a good while.”

“Do you think it’s odd that the Reapers know where you are and when you’re going to be there? I don’t like to go pointing fingers but it sounds like you’ve picked up a spy somehow. Unless you think they’ve been in here to bug the place.”

“There is no way they could have gotten into this place unless they did it like you and walked in the front door. We don’t wear masks here so that would make it pretty difficult.” Aaron said but he looked like he was thinking about it.

“What about the new guys you brought in? I saw a couple of new faces but the mouthy Sausage Boy is the one who draws the most attention to himself. I don’t know if I’d think it’s him. Most spies are quiet and helpful and that one seems like he’s got something to prove.”

“Well, Jimmy is Brett Argan’s son so you’re right about him having something to prove but I’ll look into the other guys. See… this is what I’ll miss if you do go away. You’ve got an eye for things Lucky.” Aaron looked wistful for a minute but quickly got away from that. They were the type of men who took what came to them and tried to make the best out of it.

“Either way this goes the Reapers are going to know that I’m back in town so I’m sure there is going to be some escalation. I got a text from Emma that said she was in trouble and needed some help.”

“If we storm over there to get her it may get us all killed and whoever survived would not rest until this club and all that were in it were gone. That’s how it would be if they came over here with that shit.”

“I got a text that she could meet me tonight at Fenceway Park around 9 pm.” Rafe told Aaron.

“Wow that’s bold. You know she didn’t write that, don’t you?” Aaron looked like he was checking to see how deep in love he really was with this girl. Rafe cared for her and hoped it would be more, but he wasn’t love stupid yet.

“I figured it was a set up especially since it’s so far out. She probably wouldn’t want to go that far by cab and she doesn’t have any transportation that I know of. I need to talk to Fat J to find out what he knows.”

“I always knew you had that man in your pocket. He’s friendly to both sides but what you’ve been able to get from him with supplies and information made me think you guys were friends and not acquaintances like he acts with everyone else.”

“It’s good to know smart guys… how do you think I ended up here with you?” Rafe tapped Aaron on the back as he left the room to get in contact with Fat J. He was really going to miss this place and most of the guys.

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

“Well, well, well…” Joe stood in front of Emma in a place she swore she was going to see in her nightmares for the rest of her life if she ever got a rest of her life.

She was tired of this shit and even though she knew that Rafe was coming to get her it didn’t make her less angry that this asshole had been manipulating her for the last few weeks.

“I’m getting tired of sitting in this room with you and your questions and accusations,” she said as Joe’s smile turned even more evil, although she was surprised that was possible.

“You seem to have a bit more spunk than you’ve had in the last little while. Could it be that you know the man you had kill Mark is back in town?” Joe raised his eyebrow and smirked at her. It still felt like he had something up his sleeve and those dirty nasty sleeves had to have some crazy shit in them.

She was so happy that she’d talked to Fat J earlier and knew that Rafe was back in town. She’d been getting ready for this all day and she knew she could keep her wits about her.

“Since I didn’t have Mark killed I don’t know who or what you’re talking about.” Emma was proud that she’d gotten all that out and it sounded like she was as calm as a southern lady at tea.

His eyes narrowed and he walked around his desk and sat on the edge so he could be closer to her. She knew he was trying to intimidate her but she felt like she’d had her spinach today and could take on the world like Popeye.

“Rafael ‘The Lucky Bastard’ Neal. That’s who I’m talking about.” Joe watched her face for any signs… flinching, gasping, twitching. It wasn’t going to happen because she had her shit together, and she wasn’t going to break for him or anyone else.

“I’ve seen him. Just like all the other girls here have. He’s a hot looking guy but what’s he got to do with me?” She held his gaze like this was a competition but then she knew that he had something else planned because he was entirely too cocky.

“You think you have me fooled but we’ll see about that.” He sat on his desk staring at her and he’d picked up a retractable pen that he clicked every few seconds. He was probably trying to throw her off but she just stared at him like she usually did when she was in this room trying to convince him of her innocence.

“Also since we are here I don’t like being treated like a prisoner. I’m leaving. You can believe what you want about me but I’m tired of this merry go round.” She saw the hatred in his expression and the clicking of the pen stopped for a few seconds, but then it started back up again when she guessed he’d gotten over what she’d said.

“You’ve got big words today and that’s great. I wanted to tell you that you’re coming with us tonight for a little fact checking assignment. If we find out that you have been telling the truth then you can walk out the door and not worry about The Headless Reapers bothering you but if we find out you’ve been hiding something…” Joe pressed a button on his desk and two men walked in.

She looked at the men and recognized them immediately. They were the same men who were going to take her from her mother before Dustin stepped in the first time. She’d done her research on them and found they were deep into human trafficking. She turned her head back to Joe and found him glaring at her.

“A life for a life,” Joe told her and she couldn’t believe how callous this man was.

“What does that mean?” She knew what he was talking about but he wanted it all on the table.

“It means that my guy Mark is dead and there needs to be someone here who needs to be dead to avenge him.”

Emma couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He wanted to avenge his death? That sounded like something out of a movie. She couldn’t really say that it made much sense to her but this man seemed like he was ready to play the judge, the jury and the executioner.

“So they are going to kill me—” Emma knew these men weren’t in the business of killing people but she wanted to know if he was willing to say what these men did for a living.

“Killing would be too good for a traitor who sold out her Old Man to a rival. When you go with these two men you’ll wish to die every day and you’ll think about why you’re there,” Joe stated in a way that told her he thought she deserved what ever was coming to her. She knew he wouldn’t say exactly what these men were into because he was a cowardly ass.

“You said ‘when I go’. It doesn’t seem like you are going to let me walk away from this either way this night turns out.” She stood up because she’d heard enough of this bullshit, and being in here with three of the world’s creepiest men was making her feel dirty.

“You’ll come with us tonight. Your fate will depend on what we find out.”
Joe repeated, but his words didn’t ring true to her.

She glanced at the two men and shuddered at the expression that passed between them. The look that told her that what Joe said wasn’t the deal they’d heard. This better work out with Rafe because she wasn’t going with those two without a fight to the death.

“Why don’t you get yourself all rested and cleaned up? We plan to leave at 9 pm.” Joe sounded like an activities director on a cruise ship. She probably should rest up because she needed to be at her best with these guys. They wouldn’t bother her for now she knew because they needed her for some reason.

She stood up and walked over to the door not saying another word to any of them. The two men stood there like she was going to say excuse me but she’d be damned if she’d say a word to them. She took turns staring at both of them wanting them to see no fear as she thought about what she’d do to them if she ever got the chance.

“Let her by, gentlemen. The lady needs to get her rest for tonight.” Joe said from behind her and the two men parted like a cheap hookers legs for fifty dollars. She walked out the room like she was regal even though she wanted to run and wondered why she’d stayed this long. No she didn’t have much money and maybe not too many friends, but she still could have run. She walked to her room, but looked at the front door on the way thinking that maybe she should just make a run for it. The door was guarded just like the back door and all the windows for that matter. Yep. She was definitely in jail, but tonight she was going to be free… one way or another.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

“So what’s the plan?” Rafe had called Fat J as soon as he went outside. He didn’t trust the few new men that had been added to the house and he wasn’t sure what kind of screening process had been in place. Aaron usually brought them in personally it wasn’t something you could apply for. They were doing crimes for fuck's sake.

“Hello, Rafe. Nice to hear from you.” Fat J sounded as calm as he usually was.

“Sorry Fat. I don’t have the patience to be nice. I figure you know that tonight is when it’s all supposed to go down.” Rafe told him just in case and he didn’t know, but he was pretty sure that he did.

“Yes, of course, I know. I’ve written out the plan and I’ve left a package for you in the lock box we share.”

They’d had a joint box at the PO Box store since it opened 5 years ago. Rafe had his own box there but he also had the key for Fat J’s box. It came in handy when you didn’t want to be seen in the same place at the same time and no one knew about the share.

“Alright, thanks man.” Rafe was feeling a bit nostalgic because for once his internal receptors seemed to be blocked. This was a shitty time for that to happen, especially when there was so much riding on this. He knew that there was more going on to this than he knew but there was such a sense of foreboding that drove him crazy. “Hey if I don’t make it out of this… thanks for everything. There were a lot of times you got me out of some rough shit and I don’t know if I’ve ever said thanks.”

“It was understood. Hey, don’t go all ‘This is the end of the world’ on me. I swear that you have always been so lucky because you’ve believed you were lucky. Don’t stop believing now. Shit, you need it more now than ever.”

“Hey? When did you start swearing?” In all the years he’d know Fat he didn’t think there was a time he’d heard him swear just for the sake of swearing.

“Sometimes you need to shake the fence and see what happens and sometimes other people need a jolt to get the reminder they need.”

“I get it, Fat and I’m going to use all the luck I can muster for this one.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Also check out one of your new guys Milton Sutter I could have sworn I saw him before with the Reapers. I saw him when I checked out the gun sale gone awry and it’s been on my mind ever since. I didn’t know how the Reapers got involved and how they knew what was going down and the precise time and place.”

“I’m on it. And Fat? Mmake sure you take care of yourself.” Rafe knew this man was the most careful man in the world  and he made sure that everyone was as careful as he was.

“Don’t I always?”

Fat hung up in his usual fashion without an farewell but Rafe was used to it. He turned his attention to the new recruits of the house. He found Tim and learned as much as he could. It was amazing what the smiling man could find out with no clearance. Tim had told him Jimmy Dean had been cleared as his father was with the club since birth it had seemed, Ray Chuckoveny was the nephew of one of the club’s members and had come from out of town, but Tim said he couldn’t get the third guy to open up. He noted that he was a hard worker but he didn’t talk much. That normally wouldn’t get a guy in trouble but there were too many things going on for this to be a coincidence, and he couldn’t afford to have someone not trustworthy running amock in the club.

He saw the guy sitting there in the middle of everything just watching. Milton Sutter was the rat for sure but he had to get to the PO Box and get the item that Fat J wanted him to have, read the instructions and make sure this ass wipe didn’t put them all in more danger than necessary.

Sliding into the seat next to Milton, Rafe waited to see what the man would say to him, but he just looked at him with clear eyes. This guy was good but he’d already given himself away with the 2 second look of panic.

“I don’t believe we’ve met.” Rafe started the conversation aware that this needed to be a quick one.

“The name is Milton Sutter but I bet you already know that.” The man’s smart ass behavior wasn’t  earning him points with Rafe. So he just stared at him for a few minutes until he had a better understanding of what was going on in Milt’s head.

“Why do you think I’d know that?” Rafe questioned.

“Because I’ve heard you’re a pretty bright guy plus I watched you talking to Tim over there. You’ve been gone for a few weeks so I’m sure you’re just trying to catch up on things.” This guy knew what to say. Rafe gave that to him but it was too practiced to really feel real. It was like this man could just turn it on and off.

“Hmmm, great. Let’s take a walk.” Rafe had to get rid of this one quickly and deal with him later.

“Did you need help with something?” Now the man was trying to ask discerning questions because he probably felt like he was up shit creek without a paddle.

“Yeah, it’ll just take a minute.” Rafe got up and waited for Milton to do the same. It was like the man was thinking of his options and Rafe wondered if he was strapped. He shouldn’t have been. Newbies weren’t allowed guns until they’d been thoroughly checked out and had proven themselves.

Rafe walked behind the man telling him what he needed was outside and led him to the beer cellar that wasn’t attached to the club. He didn’t know if the men who created this cellar didn’t want their supply of beer to be contaminated if anything ever happened to the house or what but he opened up the trap like door and let Milton go in first.

“Milton there have been some things said about you that I don’t have time to look into but they need clearing up. Do you know what I’m talking about?” Rafe watched him and his left eye twitched. This man knew what he was talking out but he was too good to give it up.

The man just stared at him like he couldn’t believe what was going on. The Tribesmen had never used a spy and wondered how and where to get a person like that.

“You just got here. Whatever you think you know about me you just made it up in your head.” The turn around. Rafe wasn’t expecting that and if he wasn’t a danger and detriment to his friends and family he would be impressed by his tactics.

“Is that so? Alright well we will see about that later when I let you out of here.” Rafe told the man who was looking around for something and Rafe hoped the man wasn’t going to fight him in here because he wasn’t in the mood to deal with this and he’d shoot the bastard and let him bleed down here.

“I’ve got something to do tonight.” Milton sounded a bit panicked.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass what you have to do tonight. Let me have your cell phone.” Rafe put his hand out to get the phone from the man but his reddened face and increased breathing told him he was up for a fight.

“What? No!” The outburst from Milton was expected and Rafe wondered with the man would do next, because he knew how it felt to have a business deal go incredibly wrong. It could make you panicked or irate, but when you’re in the corner or cellar the man could either start swinging or take his fate. He hoped the man didn’t want to fight because Rafe was in one hell of a mood but he didn’t want to start racking up bodies.

“Son, that wasn’t a request. Give me your phone or be willing to die for it, but one way or the other I’m getting your phone.” Rafe stepped closer ready to physically take the phone from him if he had to.

Milton took it out of his pocket and slammed it on the ground then finished the job but crushing it with his heel. Rafe almost didn’t believe it although if he were to tell the truth that’s the only thing he could have done.

“That’s what I thought,” Rafe said as he backed his way up the stairs. “We’ll be back to deal with you later.”

“Stupid fuck!” yelled an irate Milton and Rafe knew without a doubt they’d found their spy. He’d probably be down there until the morning and then there would be nothing he could do or say to help the Reapers or to hurt the Tribesmen. At least that was something he could say was completed.

He shot off a quick note to Aaron about Milton.

Found your spy.

it was Milton.

Asked for his phone and the bastard smashed it. He’s awaiting your presence in the beer cellar. Get to him when you can but I’d prefer if he were in there until the morning.

With that done the next step was to pick up the package, read the instructions and pray that this thing worked out like Fat J planned. He was counting on all the luck people thought he had.