Sting, page 2
“Rycks?”
“My right hand.”
“The VP?”
El Diablo smiled. “No. He’s a trusted friend. One who’s been with me a very long time. I rely on him and Archangel to take care of… shall we say, emotional issues that arise in the club.” He raised a finger in the air and waved it in a decree. “I’d advise you to have one of your own, Sting. Level heads are very necessary in emotional situations.”
“Are you always like this?” I was growing irritated with the other man. I needed to talk to my father. Communicating with him on the phone wasn’t something I wanted to do in this matter. I had to have a place to send some of these guys, and he was the only person I trusted to give me an opinion on how to handle this.
He chuckled. “No. I’m usually worse.”
“Warlock’s on his way.” A man came up beside El Diablo. Though I was sure he spoke to the Black Reign president, he looked straight at me. “Told him who his guest was.”
“Good! Take him to my office. Warlock and Sting need a quiet place to talk.”
“Your office.” Though I didn’t want to openly show my surprise, it was hard. Why in the world would he open up his office to us? Seemed like a risk on his part, but who was I to argue.
“Yes. Warlock has agreed to be my Enforcer. If I can’t trust him, there aren’t many here I can trust.”
If the man was looking to shatter my control, he did it with that. There was no way to school my expression. I was glad my father had found a place he felt he belonged, but to have him diving back into the inner workings of another club was out of character.
“Does that surprise you, Sting?” El Diablo tilted his head, studying me closely. I hated his attention focused on me. I was making every mistake I could make with this man, letting him see my emotions.
“I think you know it does.”
“Well. If it makes you feel better, he fought me on it.” The fucker grinned, obviously enjoying this meeting.
“You seem to be enjoying this. Is everyone here for your amusement, or is it just me?” I needed to talk to my dad, but I’d rather meet up on neutral territory if this guy was going to be poking at me the entire time.
“It’s not just you, Sting.” Warlock entered the room, a woman with him. He held her hand firmly in his. She was little more than a girl, but the way she clung to Warlock left no doubt she was with him. It was one more shock to set my teeth on edge. Also, one more failure in a long line of them on my part in the few minutes I’d been here. El Diablo knew he was getting under my skin, and he thought he knew I disapproved of Warlock’s new position within the club and now, also the woman he was with. He’d have been wrong, but I knew it had to look that way. “Come with me.”
I probably shouldn’t have obeyed him, but it was ingrained in me to do what he said, both as his son and as his vice president in Iron Tzars. I was hopeful El Diablo thought it was respect rather than reflex that had me following my father down the hall to El Diablo’s office.
Once inside and with the door closed, Warlock gave me a hard look. He wasn’t angry or disapproving. No. This was the look he often got when he was trying to keep his emotions under control.
“It’s good to see you, Sting.” He lifted his chin, schooling his features.
Yeah. My dad was holding himself back. He probably thought I didn’t like his position in this place or the decisions he’d made. Nothing could be further from the truth. I was shocked.
With a sigh, I stepped close to my dad and put my arms around him, clapping him on the back several times. “It’s good to see you too, Dad.” Warlock hugged me back, holding me tightly for several long seconds. When he pulled back, he blinked rapidly before assuming a blank expression once again.
He cleared his throat, reaching for the woman beside him and putting his arm around her slim shoulders. “Sting, this is my woman. Hope.”
“We’ve met.” I held out a hand to the young woman. “Seems things turned out differently than I was afraid they would.”
“I know this must be a surprise,” she said softly. “It wasn’t Warlock’s idea.” She sounded as if she were trying to defend Warlock. Like she expected me to look down on both of them, but most especially Warlock.
“Might not have been my idea, but it was the best decision I ever had forced on me, sweetheart.” He bent to kiss Hope’s temple. She blushed and turned into his chest, her arms going around his waist as she shielded her face. Timid little thing.
“Forced on you. Never known anyone to force you to do anything, Warlock. Even Bev couldn’t make you do something you didn’t want to do.” I sneered at my father, wanting to hurt him in the only way I knew I ever could. Not because El Diablo had taken the option away from me. Because I knew, no matter how much me or the rest of the Iron Tzars thought he deserved it, there was no way I could physically hurt my father. “How’d this little thing manage to force you into something? And I’m assuming you mean the fact that she’s still here with you and not on her way back to Indiana.”
Warlock’s gaze snapped to mine. Where before he’d welcomed me, now he looked like he wanted to teach me a lesson I’d never forget. Couldn’t blame him. If he’d really taken this girl on as his woman, he should have beaten me to within an inch of my life for the disrespect I’d shown them both.
“Max.” Hope patted his chest before rubbing her face against him. “Let it go. You knew he’d have trouble with this. Can you blame him?”
His hold on her tightened, and he put the other arm around her, kissing the top of her head. “Hope’s not Bev, Sting. And it wasn’t Hope who forced me into marriage with her. It was my mother.”
“Huh.” It didn’t surprise me. “How’d she accomplish that?”
“She married us without my knowledge. It’s all legal. Seems she had no qualms about breaking the law when it suited her.” Surprisingly, there was a wistful smile on Warlock’s lips. “I’m glad she learned.”
I shook my head with a sigh. “So, Hope’s my new step-mom.”
“She is. And I caution you to really think about your next words, Sting.”
I raised my hands, backing up a step. “Nothing to say. It’s clear she makes you happy. I can tell by your expression when you look at her.”
“Good. Now that’s settled. You came to see me. Why?”
That was Warlock. President of Iron Tzars MC. It was comforting to see this side of him again. I was afraid Bev had broken his spirit, especially after he’d had to kill her.
“I need… advice.”
He gestured to the couch for me to sit. He sat on the chair and pulled Hope onto his lap. “If you’re talking about the club, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to get advice from me. I fucked things up pretty bad there.”
“No, you didn’t. It might have looked like you left us open to the CIA, but anything incriminating or leading back to Argent Tech, you were careful to destroy. We actually had a team come in and search the place a few days after you left. They came up empty. Wylde said you’d given him explicit instructions on what to do. He was as thorough as he always is.”
“It could as easily have gone the other way, Sting. You know that.” His voice was soft as he admitted his own failure. In my book, that made him one of the strongest men I knew.
“Maybe. But I don’t think so. If you’re guilty of anything, it was loving Bev. She never deserved your devotion.”
“No. She didn’t. You still haven’t told me what you need, Sting.”
“There are brothers who are still divided over Bev. You weren’t the only one she did a number on.”
“Just one more in a long line of failures to the Tzars,” he muttered. “What do you need from me?”
“There are six men I need to send somewhere else. Four are prospects, but the other two are fully patched members. None of them are men I want to give up, but they’ll never trust each other again. I need to separate them, and I don’t want to show favorites by keeping one over the other.”
“I can guess which six.” Warlock leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes for a few seconds before hugging his woman tighter and resting his chin on her head. “Are you going to be on good terms with Cain at Bones?” Bones was an MC in Somerset, Kentucky. Bev’s daughter, Chloe, had fled to Bones when Bev had tried to get me to agree to make Chloe my ol’ lady. I had no plans to actually take on the girl, but I’d wanted to make sure she was safe. So I’d taken a contingent to Bones only to find Chloe had been claimed by a sniper named Deadeye. She seemed content so I’d left her in his care. Bones was also where Warlock had snapped Bev’s neck. Cain had indicated we should keep an open dialogue, and I tended to agree, but this was a lot to ask another club.
“I’d planned on it. Not sure this is the way to start it out, though.”
“Bringing them here creates its own set of problems, but I’ll talk to El Diablo. Bones has a sister club in Palm Beach. Tech and Pix would be a perfect fit at Argent. I’ll see if there is a way to get them an internship.”
“You think Alexi’d be willing to do that? To take them into the Shadow Demons?”
Warlock snorted. “Are you kidding? He’s been trying to get those two since the first day he met them. Are they pissed at each other?”
“You could say that. Before I left, I had to put them both on probation. It’s a testament to how much they both want to be in Iron Tzars that neither of them just fuckin’ quit.”
“Good. Giovanni can put them to work. Shadow Demons will be a ton of physical work. Argent will keep their minds occupied. They’ll be so busy jumpin’ through his hoops they’ll forget they’re pissed at each other. I can make that transfer happen.”
“I’ll talk to Cain about the others. See if he’s willing to take on a couple of the prospects.”
“Good. Sounds like you’ve got a plan, then.”
“Yeah.” I scrubbed the back of my neck. “Dad, I’m not cut out for this.”
“Sure you are.” He sounded so confident I wanted to prove him right. I wasn’t sure I could make it happen. “You need to get your feet under you. You’re twice the leader I ever was.”
That surprised me. “Not sure I’d agree with that assessment.”
“You’ll be fine, Sting. Just do what you learned over the years. Find your vision for the club and mold it into what you want it to be.”
“I want it to be exactly what it’s been since I was a kid. An instrument of justice for people in our community who can’t get it.”
Warlock grinned. “You’ll be fine. Believe it or not, your grandmother would be proud of you.”
I barked out a laugh. “You’re kidding. Right?”
“Nope. Seems she did some soul-searching in her later years. Looking back, if we’d both been better at communication, we’d probably have reached a compromise instead of cutting ourselves off from each other.”
I grinned at Hope. “Seems you were good for my gran.”
“She was good for me.” Hope gave me a small smile.
“Well.” I stood, reaching for Warlock’s hand. “I should go. I appreciate the face-to-face.”
“You’re my son. Anything you need, all you have to do is ask.”
As I was escorted out by Warlock and Hope, something caught my eye. At the gate was a young girl. She appeared to be arguing with the prospects manning the entry but they weren’t giving in to whatever she wanted. She seemed upset, her voice rising the longer the disagreement went on. Hope gasped and pulled away from Warlock.
“Hope!” Warlock lunged for his wife, but Hope managed to dodge him and continue toward the gate.
“Iris?” Hope called out and waved a hand as she hurried toward the girl. “Iris! What’s wrong?”
The girl -- Iris -- jerked her head around to find Hope. She was distraught. Angry. “You know my sister! She was with you last night!”
“Yes. Jerrica.” Hope looked around. “Is she with you? You’re both welcome here if you need a place to stay.”
“She’s gone!” Tears started streaming from Iris’s eyes as she found someone she knew. “Someone took her!”
“Gone? Oh, no! Do you know where?”
Iris shook her head. “Mr. Brown, the administrator at the home, said she was adopted, but I don’t believe him. Girls disappear there all the time. Now it’s Jerrica!”
“Disappear? What do you mean?”
“There’s something going on there, Hope. Since Mr. Brown took over, there have been a bunch of these ‘closed adoptions.’ He said the new parents don’t want a scene and want the children to be able to adjust, to make a clean break from their old lives. But Jerrica would never go along with that.”
“Of course, she wouldn’t. She loves you.” Hope pulled the other woman into her arms. And really, this Iris wasn’t more than a girl herself.
“I need help! I need someone to help me find her!”
“Come inside.” Hope urged her past the gate and back toward the clubhouse. Warlock shook his head as he acknowledged the prospects.
“I’ll take it from here,” he said.
I looked at the girl’s back and followed Warlock back to the clubhouse, though at a much slower pace. Iris was short and slight. Her clothes were ill-fitting, but clean. Her dark hair was in some kind of tight, elaborate braid atop her head. Though her features were etched in worry and frustration, she was still strikingly lovely. For some reason, I felt compelled to continue to follow her even though this -- whatever it was -- certainly wasn’t my fight.
“Just look into it.” Iris was pleading with Hope. Hope looked up at Warlock, her eyes wide, all but begging him to help the girl.
“Of course, we’ll look into it.” El Diablo descended the stairs, a woman on his arm. She was petite and blonde. Maybe close to my age. “Shotgun and Esther will find your sister. If they can’t do it themselves, they’ll reach out to people who can.”
“But if whoever took her figures out you’re on to them --”
“They’ll do it discreetly. Not to worry, my dear Iris.”
She finally let loose a small sob. “I -- I didn’t know where else to go. Hope was so nice to Jerrica. Jerrica loves her.”
“I love her too, Iris. I’ll help in any way I can. Do you need a place to stay?” Hope glanced up at Warlock. “Is it OK if she stays here so she can get information whenever she wants?”
“Of course, it’s fine if she stays.” This came from the woman with El Diablo. She stepped forward and pulled Iris into her arms in a fierce hug. “We’ll take care of everything. I’m Jezebel, El Diablo’s wife. We met at the party last night.”
Iris nodded. “I remember. Please. She’s all I have in the world.”
For some reason, this small plea from Iris tore at my heart. I wanted to slay her demons and, more importantly, find her sister and kill whoever had taken her.
“You have us now,” El Diablo insisted. “We’re all family here.”
Iris looked confused but nodded. “If it means you’ll find my sister, then I’m all for it. I don’t expect you to do anything for free, though. I don’t have much money, but what I have is yours. Maybe I can work around here?”
“Go with Jezebel. She’ll take you to Esther, and she and Shotgun can get started. As to payment, making sure you and your sister are safe is the only payment we need.”
Iris didn’t look like she believed him. Still, she went with Jezebel and Hope.
“You’re welcome to stay and help if you wish.” El Diablo gave me a welcoming smile. “Maybe bring some of your club down here to go hunting?”
I thought about declining, but then I caught a glimpse of Iris before she disappeared through a doorway. She turned her head and looked straight at me. It wasn’t intentional. In fact, her lips parted as her gaze met mine. I thought she inhaled sharply, like the impact of our gazes colliding hit her as hard as it hit me. And it did hit me hard. It felt like a punch to the gut. There was a pull toward her I didn’t welcome but couldn’t avoid or resist. Which is how I found myself nodding.
“I’ll get a team together. I doubt they can be here before late tomorrow evening at best, though. Long ride. Lots to prepare.”
“Good!” El Diablo held out his hand. I took it automatically. “I look forward to an alliance with the Iron Tzars. I’m certain it’s an arrangement that will be mutually beneficial.”
“Look. I have no idea what Warlock told you, but if you’re trying to get a line on our tech, don’t.”
“Argent Tech?” He chuckled. “Boy, Alexi Petrov and I go back further than I care to admit. I guarantee you, I’ve had access to their services and products far longer than your men have. No. Any relationship our clubs have is purely for alliance building. To make each club stronger in times of need.”
I glanced at my father, who shrugged. Under normal circumstances, I’d chalk this up to a bad idea and decline. But, even knowing the devastating consequences if this girl wasn’t on the up and up, I was still going to bring the Tzars to Lake Worth to help with this.
“Why do I get the feeling you know more about what’s going on with this girl than you’re letting on?” I narrowed my gaze at the Black Reign president. He was hiding something.
“Because you’re intelligent?” He grinned. “I looked into Iron Tzars long before I invited Warlock into the fold. Your specialty is finding and destroying human trafficking rings.”
“I wouldn’t call it a specialty. We just happen to have found a few.”
“More than a few. Sometimes you can’t shut them down completely when you’re unable to find the source, but you always free as many as you possibly can and kill those you’re able to find who are responsible. I respect that. I also happen to think little Jerrica might have been a victim of one such ring. Shotgun and Wrath have been working to piece together adoption trails on eight girls who vanished from the same group home where Jerrica and Iris lived. So far, they’ve come up empty. We’d like you to use what you know about how these rings work and help us solve this.”
Well. When he put it like that.
“I’ll have the men assemble their equipment and roll out. They’ll get here ASAP.”
