Sword (Bones MC 3), page 8
Bohannon glanced at the president, raised an eyebrow, and then nodded. “Nope. Not long at all.”
Cain was angrier than Sword could remember seeing him in a long time. It had been building since they’d gotten back, but he had worked up a good pissed-as-hell. Which didn’t bode well for anyone going up against Bones.
“Bohannon,” Cain called. “Deadeye, Goose, and Shadow need to set up above the compound. I want one on the room, two at flank.”
“On it,” Bohannon acknowledge with a glance at Sword.
“Mama and Pops have the children and our women in the basement where they will stay,” Cain continued. “Arkham, I want those two nephews of yours with Clutch at the door to the basement. Anyone gets near that door who’s not affiliated with Bones and they don’t kill ‘em, I’ll be skinnin’ someone alive. You make sure they understand I mean fuckin’ business.”
Arkham acknowledged Cain with a nod. Bohannon raised an eyebrow at Cain. The president shrugged. “They either gotta shit or get off the fuckin’ pot. Arkham knows that. I think you made your point when they let your woman slip out on them. They’ve been better.”
“Yeah. Better compared to the train wreck they were before. No place to go but up.”
They all had a little chuckle at that, which lowered the tension to a more manageable level. Cain was definitely in a snit. Not that Sword blamed him. The entire club was in jeopardy in their own fucking territory. Danger they accepted. But not on their home turf. That was their safe haven. El Diablo was about to feel the wrath of a pissed-off bunch of ex-military bikers. Sword could almost feel sorry for the guy.
“I know I haven’t shared all the details about El Diablo with you. Frankly, Data had a hard time finding much on the guy. What he did find suggests the man is a sociopath, killing as he sees fit, whenever he sees fit. As Sword’s woman suggested, he’s a high enforcer for every major mafia and cartel in the world and has been for the better part of two decades. Which means he’s fuckin’ dangerous.” Cain paused, looking at each of them. “Watch each other’s six. You all know your positions. High alert. Every one of you is highly trained. You know what’s blusterin’ and what’s real. This is a use-your-best-judgment situation. You think there is a reasonable chance we’re fixin’ to get shot at, you kill the motherfuckin’ threat. No questions asked.”
The instructions were highly unusual. It not only showed how much Cain trusted every single man in Bones and what he was capable of, but how pissed off he really was. It was basically an open license to kill the enemy. The only person any of them had to answer to was his own conscience. They all understood. It was what Sword was hoping for. He’d take out this El Diablo, bury him in the mountains where even God would have a hard time finding him.
Sword looked around the room. His brothers. Every single one of them was family. Every single one of them would band together to protect every person associated with Bones. He glanced at the hallway entrance, the one leading deeper into the clubhouse. Mama entered the room and quietly went to the weapons and ammunitions table, organizing ammo so the guns that would be emptied quicker than others would have ready reloads. The thing about Mama and Pops was that Pops was the nurturer. Mama was the real threat. Well, until anyone threatened Mama. Then Pops wasn’t so nurturing.
A minute later, everyone seemed ready. No one moved, looking to Cain for direction. Cain nodded once. “Let’s do this.”
They split up into three groups, each group leaving the clubhouse from a different exit. Low one-two whistles from different areas in the woods surrounding the clubhouse indicated the men hidden there were ready and waiting for trouble. The sound of bikes on the gravel road, the only way in or out of the compound area, rumbled in the distance, the signal trouble was indeed headed their way.
“Look sharp,” Sword snapped. “Be ready for anything.”
As Black Reign came into view, Sword noticed two very important things. First, the bikes surrounded a black limo that could only be for El Diablo. No self-respecting biker would be caught dead in a cage like that. Second, he only recognized a couple of the bikers riding guard. Handlebar was there as well as a guy named Rycks. Rycks was younger than Handlebar by a good decade, but the man was one of the few Black Reign members who knew what the fuck he was doing. He wasn’t flashy and didn’t talk much. The only reason Sword had noticed him was because he’d pegged him as the most dangerous man in the room the first time they’d entered the Black Reign clubhouse. He only knew his name by the cut the man wore. There was no officer patch, but he was definitely a fully patched member of Black Reign. None of the other riders in this escort had been in the clubhouse in Florida either time Sword had been present.
Seconds later, the groups stopped. Handlebar revved his engine several times, an obvious show of intimidation, but stopped when none of the others followed suit. He scowled, but said nothing, instead switching off his bike when the others did.
The driver of the limo got out and opened the back passenger door. El Diablo stood, adjusting the cuffs of his shirtsleeves under the suit he wore. As before, diamonds and gold adorned his fingers and the cufflinks. Strangely, it wasn’t gaudy as it should have been, but rather a casual display of his wealth.
“Cain,” he called to their president. “So good to see you.” The guy had the nerve to act like he and Cain were old friends. “I regret we have to meet under such circumstances, but business is business, after all.”
“So they say,” Cain responded. “We can cut the bullshit. Bones isn’t payin’ you a dime, and you don’t get the girl.” Every member of Bones standing at the gate either cocked his weapon or chambered a round, the clicks loud in the silence of the day. Even the birds seemed to have gotten scarce.
“I see,” El Diablo said. The man was a cool customer, Sword would give him that. He glanced sideways to where Cain stood beside him. His president didn’t give an inch of ground or show any more expression than El Diablo. “Then we are at an impasse.”
“Maybe. But I don’t believe so.”
“Oh, really?” El Diablo’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Why would you say that?”
“Because a man like you doesn’t quibble over a mere three hundred thousand dollars. And before you say it’s the principle of the matter, a man like you doesn’t quibble over a mere three hundred thousand dollars.” The sardonic repetition of Cain’s previous remark was evident. “You send an underling to make a less-than-finessed example of the fucker who ripped you off.”
This time, El Diablo laughed full out, genuine humor in his expression. “My, but you are a treasure. Seems Black Reign stumbled onto the one club in the area with both backbone and brains to back it up.” He stepped around the limo door. The driver shut it, standing next to the car with his arms crossed at the wrists in front of him, within easy reach of a gun he carried, but not an offensive gesture. “You’re right, of course. I’m not called in for something of this caliber. My interests lie more with the girl.”
Sword’s hackles rose, and he had to resist the urge to growl and show his teeth at the man. Staying silent was a lesson in restraint.
“Let’s hear it.” Cain shrugged. “Not that it matters.”
“First,” El Diablo said, raising a finger into the air, “what are your intentions with little Magenta?”
Cain glanced at him, Sword’s permission to talk. “She’s mine.”
“Yours? By mutual consent or by… invitation from you?”
“If you mean is she with me of her own free will, then yes. She is.”
“And you believe you’re the man for her?” Sword got a bad feeling. Did this man have some kind of hold on Magenta? Wait…
“She said you knew her mother.”
“I did. Let’s just say little Magenta was mine before she was yours.”
“That may be, but she’s made her choice. She stays with me.”
“Or what? Are you prepared to die for a woman who doesn’t belong to you?”
Sword raised his weapon to point straight at El Diablo. Surprisingly, Handlebar was the only member of Black Reign to counter his threat. “Damned straight. I protect what’s mine to the fuckin’ death.”
“And do your brothers feel the same way? Because, I assure you, if we fight for Magenta, I’ll kill every single member of Bones to get to her. Sparing no one.”
“We fight for each other,” Cain supplied, his voice ringing loud and clear with truth. He aimed his own gun at El Diablo.
“Anything else to say before we start this?” El Diablo sounded almost pleasant. He still hadn’t reached for a gun, nor had any of his men. Even Rycks seemed completely at ease. Given the situation, Sword knew there was another shoe to drop.
“Yeah,” Sword said, shifting his aim to Handlebar. “Once the shooting starts, I can’t concentrate on killing this sorry son of a bitch.” Handlebar glanced nervously at El Diablo. Apparently, the man had put the fear of God into him over shooting before given the order. “I want him dead before we kill the rest of you.”
El Diablo shrugged. “The man is a rather vile creature, is he not?”
“He hurt Magenta,” Sword said. He didn’t feel like he owed El Diablo an explanation, but he wanted it clear that he’d remove any threat to her, regardless of the threat to himself.
“Indeed. I’ve heard all about his exploits. I have another proposition in mind for you, though.”
“Oh?” Sword had to hear this.
Instead of answering Sword, El Diablo took out his gun and calmly shot Handlebar in the head. No one in Black Reign moved or in any way lifted a finger to stop El Diablo. In fact, they looked as if they’d been expecting the move. The man calmly put his gun back into his shoulder holster before taking a few slow steps toward Bones. Toward Sword in particular. The man’s gaze was glued to Sword’s.
“One thing I need to make quite clear, Sword. I’ve missed much of Magenta’s life because of that bitch of a mother of hers. I don’t intend to miss any more. I also will not tolerate anyone mistreating her.”
Sword opened his mouth but had no idea what to say. Finally, he shook his head. “I’m confused.”
“Magenta is my daughter, Sword.” The man looked deadly. The El Diablo Data had dug up on the dark web. The killer for hire. The man with no soul. “If you intend to keep her, I will know that she’s here because she wants to be. Know that, if you harm one hair on her head, I will hunt you down and make you beg for death.” There was no thin veneer of civility about El Diablo now. Where before he’d seemed refined and aristocratic, now he was the devil himself. The threat was clear. What’s more, Sword believed him.
“I watched you kill Ginger. Magenta knows it was you who murdered her mother. Even if she weren’t with me because she wanted to be, do you honestly think she’d want to go with you?”
“I told you Ginger had her own debts to pay. Fortunately for me, Crow truly cared for her, though he tried to hide it from everyone. Ginger was going to die, regardless. Punishing Crow gave me reason to drag out her death.” The man truly had no soul. Sword saw no regret, only grim satisfaction on his face. “If you must know, the reason for Ginger’s death was the same as the reason for Handlebar’s death. She hurt Magenta. Perhaps not directly, but she knew the girl was being mistreated and did nothing to protect her. Ginger, as always, was only out for her own well-being.”
“Did you kill Magenta’s grandparents?” Sword had to know. Whether or not he killed El Diablo depended entirely on the answer to this question.
“It was certainly what Ginger asked of me, but no. I’m guilty of many things, but I do not kill innocents. When I visited Ginger that day, I did so because she reached out to me. She did so under the pretense that she and Magenta were being abused by her parents and needed help. Of course, I offered to take them both away with me. Back to London. But that wasn’t what she wanted. Oh, she said all the pretty words, not wanting to be a burden to me, not wanting money from me, she just wanted freedom to live her life and raise our daughter in peace.”
“I take it things went sideways?”
“After I left, I investigated the matter. I hadn’t told her ‘no’ outright. Admittedly, my chosen profession isn’t exactly mired in good conscience, but even El Diablo has his own rules. My number one rule is that I do not harm the innocent. I’m not above the occasional threat on someone’s family if I believe it will get the end result I need, but I’ve never carried it out unless it’s a case like Crow’s.” The man waved his hand dismissively. “Anyway, once I looked into the matter, and it was easy really, Ginger and Magenta were doing fine. Ginger’s parents refused to give her access to Magenta’s trust fund, or to extend her already substantial bank account. I told Ginger I was watching her. Taking a teenage girl home with me to raise was out of the question for many reasons, but I told Ginger I’d keep watching. If she failed that girl because of her own greed and lust for power, I’d kill her myself.”
“Took you long enough,” Sword snapped. “She’d been with Black Reign for six fuckin’ years!”
“I’m well aware of that. Circumstances beyond my control made it impossible for me to come for her. It wasn’t until the missing drug shipment I was afforded an opportunity. Beneath my notice, usually, but a legitimate reason to be in that territory.” When Sword opened his mouth to question that, El Diablo raised a hand in surrender. “Suffice it to say there are many men more powerful than I, and I’ve made enemies of several. They are not as discerning as I when it comes to killing.”
“So, now that we’ve all got this warm and fuzzy feelin’,” Cain drawled, “what do you propose we do now? ‘Cause, I gotta tell ya, me and the boys are itchin’ for a fight.”
“Let me talk to Magenta.”
“Not happenin’,” was Sword and Cain’s immediate reply. Sword glanced at Cain apologetically, but said nothing more.
“I’m here.” The subtle feminine voice made Sword want to throw something. Or turn the gun on himself and end it all. Magenta had managed to thwart Mama and Pops as well as the prospects and was even now approaching the group of men. “What do you want to talk about?”
Sword immediately went to her, stopping her forward progress. Arkham moved into Sword’s place without hesitation to cover Cain. “Magenta, you need to get back inside.” He tried to steer her back to the house, but she was having none of it.
“You said you wanted to talk,” she addressed El Diablo. “If I agree, will you leave Bones alone for good?”
“I have no ill will toward Bones. Never did. The money was an excuse to get into the area to get you out of danger.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Only that you’re safe and happy.” Finally, El Diablo looked as if he’d let his guard down. The superior smirk was gone. In its place was a worried, haggard expression that made Sword actually feel sorry for the guy. This was a man whose only concern was his daughter.
“I am now.” She put her hand into Sword’s. “Thanks to Sword and Bones. They got me away from Black Reign. Sword and I are together now.”
“Are you sure that’s where you want to be? You’ve only been away from your mother for two weeks. Don’t you think you need some time to think about all of this?”
“All I know is I feel safe here. I’m still getting to know the ropes and the people here, but they’re good to me. There are teenagers here not much older than I was when I first met you. One girl who’s a few years younger. She reminds me of me when Ginger first moved us to Black Reign. Only difference is, here, Suzie has a chance at a real life. She’s so smart, and everyone realizes she is. They don’t beat her down. They encourage her.” Magenta smiled, and the whole world seemed to light up. “I like it here. And Sword is so protective of me. He treats me good.”
El Diablo glanced up at Sword. “Then I’ll leave my daughter in your care.” Abruptly, he turned his back and went to the limo, where his driver immediately opened the passenger-side back door. “I’ll be in touch. Also, Black Reign is officially under a new president.” He spread his hands and smiled. “El Diablo.” Sword wanted to kick something. Would this club be a friend or enemy?
“This is Bones territory,” Cain said. “You don’t run drugs in our territory. You do and expect to lose anything you bring. Men or smack. We don’t give second warnings.”
“Understood. I’ll spread the word that the Oxy Highway through this part of the state is officially closed. Anyone brings anything through here will be on their own.”
“Expect you to stay in Florida.”
“Unless my daughter needs me, yes.”
“Don’t forget the fuckin’ trash.” Cain nodded once at the body of Handlebar. One of the bikes pulled around the group from the back. Surprisingly, it had a small trailer behind it. Two of the Black Reign men wrapped Handlebar’s body in a tarp, tying it tightly, and shoved it into the trailer, rolling his bike in after.
El Diablo gave them a small salute before ducking into the car. The rest of the group started up their bikes, and they all left the Bones compound in a trail of dust.
Chapter Eleven
The immediate crisis might be over, but neither Sword, Cain, nor Bohannon let their guard down. They locked the clubhouse down tight the rest of the day. Data had managed to get a tracking device on both El Diablo’s car and Rycks’s bike, as well as three other of the Black Reign bikes. Small tracer shot from the rooftop had done the trick nicely. Just to be safe, there was round-the-clock security and lights-out after dark. Which was fine with Sword. He had plans with his woman that didn’t involve leaving his bed. He could give two shits about the lights.
Now, he lay in bed, her slender body pressed tightly against his as he took her mouth gently. How he managed gentle he didn’t know. Even after taking her multiple times a day for two weeks, he was hungry for her. All the damned time. Her squirming against him didn’t help matters at all.
As he kissed her, Sword found the tie at the end of her long braid and tugged it free, wanting her hair surrounding him as he surrounded her with his body. She arched into his chest, brushing her breasts against him in an erotic slide, giggling when he growled.
