Ride the Wind (Devil's Knights 2nd Generation, #8), page 12
“I am going to take your word on that. I can’t tell you how many birthday cakes we need throughout the year. Meg will be more than happy to pass that task onto you.”
“What task am I giving up?” Meg grabbed a bite size cream puff and popped it into her mouth.
“Birthday cakes, and any other cake we need during the year.” Paige clapped her hands together happily. “Greta’s baby shower cake.”
“Wait,” Meg drawled. “You’re going to make the birthday cakes?”
Did they really have that many birthday cakes throughout the year? And it didn’t seem like Meg was happy about me making them. “Uh, I can do or not do whatever you want me to.”
Meg turned to Paige. “All of them?”
Paige nodded eagerly.
Meg sagged and a huge smile spread across her lips. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. I love to bake, but I hate having constrictions on what I can and can’t bake. You can deal with all of these picky dingleberries.”
Paige laughed lightly. “They are rather picky.”
“I’ll make you a chest sheet of what everyone wants, but there is a good likely hood that they aren’t even going to want what I write down. I swear they just like to tell me something different of weird to see me sweat.”
“Uh, how many cakes are we talking about?” I asked.
“All the guys, all the girls, Kane, and Greta’s baby. Then you’ll need to do the weddings when those happen, and then of course the showers for both baby and wedding.” Meg smiled wide. “It’s really not that bag once you get a schedule of who needs a cake when.”
“Uh, what?” I tried to count how many cakes that would be for just the birthdays. “Twenty-seven?”
“Twenty-nine if you include Kane and the new baby coming.” Paige pointed at Meg. “And I bet there are going to be a lot more babies coming along before you know it.”
“Yes,” Meg hissed. She clapped her hands together. “It’s decided. You are the official cake maker for all the Knights birthdays, and any other time we need a cake.”
“Uh, can we maybe get some parameters on that?” I asked. “Special occasion cakes only?”
“She’s smart,” Paige laughed. “You know if the guys get wind that Paige is making cakes for the club, they’ll be expecting a cake every day.”
Meg scoffed. “You mean like they do from me?”
Luna walked into the bakery and looked between Meg and Paige. “Why do you two look so happy?”
“Reese is making all the birthday cakes and whatever cakes for the clubhouse now.” Paige grabbed the last tray of cookies and gave it to Luna.
“Shut up,” Luna gasped. “That is going to kick ass. No offense to you, Meg. You know damn well your cakes are fucking amazing.”
Meg held up her hands. “I’m pretty happy about it. I can pass the cooking and baking off to Bristol and Reese. It’s about damn time I get to just sit back and enjoy the food instead of slaving over it.”
“You’re really okay with this?” Luna asked.
I wondered the same thing.
Meg nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. It’s not like I can never bake again or anything. It just means I can rip up the calendar of when I need to be making cakes, and just bake when I want.”
“I’m just kind of surprised you guys still celebrate birthdays all together.”
“Cake,” Luna, Meg, and Paige called in unison.
I guess any excuse for cake was a good one.
Luna’s phone rang and she put it to her ear. “Hello, handsome,” she called.
“I didn’t think I would ever see the day where Luna was calling anyone handsome besides a dog,” Paige giggled.
“I guess miracles really do happen,” Meg agreed.
“These two trays need to go out, and then we are sold out again.” That was two days in a row we had sold out of everything Blain and I could make.
“Let me get this one.” Paige picked up the tray with Nutella stuffed croissants and held open the back door.
I grabbed the tray of chocolate chip cookie sandwiches and stepped outside.
We made our way around the building with Meg trailing behind us.
“Have you ever thought of having your own food truck? Like a wagon filled with pastries you could take to craft fairs or farmers markets?”
I glanced over my shoulder at Meg. “If you would have asked me that two days ago, I would have told you that you were crazy. But now that I’ve seen how much bakery you can move in one, I am more than open to that idea.”
Meg pointed at me. “Girl, if you need someone to man that wagon for you, I am your woman.”
“You are on the payroll. I’ve seen you work, and I would love to find ten more just like you.” We made it to the food truck, and Greta met me at the door.
“Do not tell me these are filled.” Greta grabbed the tray and inhaled deeply. “Oh god, they’re filled with Nutella.”
“Girl,” Meg laughed. “Did you get a bionic sniffer when Bear knocked you up?”
Greta turned the tray toward Meg. “I wish, but I saw the Nutella oozing out of this one.” She set the tray in the truck and grabbed the one from Paige. “Oh,” she moaned, “you’re coming home with me.”
“Is she talking to the pastries now?” Paige whispered.
I shrugged and tucked my hair behind my ear. “It’s not that weird. I talk to my cakes when I’m decorating them.”
“Do you tell them they’re going to be pretty when you’re done with them?” Paige joked.
A laugh escaped my lips. “Something like that.” I pretty much talked to them like they were people. People that didn’t talk back.
“Reese!” Luna shouted. She ran around the side of the building with her phone pressed to her ear.
“What on earth is she running for,” Meg laughed. “I don’t think I’ve seen her move that fast since she was about seven years old.”
“Reese!” Luna screamed.
“What is it?” I called.
“They found her,” Luna called. “They found her!”
They found her.
“Found who?” Great asked.
“Kerry,” I whispered.
“Greta,” Meg scolded. “She’s talking about Reese’s friend.”
“Oh,” Greta gasped. “I think I already have pregnancy brain.”
Luna skidded to a stop in front of me and grabbed my arm. “They’re taking her to General. We need to go right now.”
“She’s alive?” Oh my god. They had found Kerry, and she was still alive.
Luna nodded and dragged me toward her car.
“The bakery.” I wanted more than anything to go to Kerry, but the bakery was still open. Blain had gone home an hour ago, and Rue and Tracy had off.
“Go, go,” Meg urged. “We can finish up here and lock up. Don’t even worry about the bakery.”
“Okay,” I called.
I hopped into Luna’s car, and she peeled out.
They had found Kerry, and she was alive.
*
Chapter Twenty-Three
Zig
“Ram wants to see you.”
“Is there church or something?” I asked.
Gunner shook his head. “No. He just wants to see you.”
“Where?”
Gunner nodded to the garage.
“Did I not wash his bike to his standards?” I chuckled.
Gunner grunted and wandered over to the bar. “Go fucking find out.”
How fucking charming.
I stood and grabbed my cut off the back of the chair. I shrugged it on and wandered out to the garage. I had been trying to keep a low profile at the club and had been doing a good job of it.
Except now Ram wanted to talk to me.
“Yo,” I called into the dark garage.
“In the back,” Ram answered.
I made my way around two old cars that were in pieces and three bikes that were half built. The Sons of Sin didn’t care about each other and didn’t finish a job after they started it.
Ram was seated on a stool at a workbench with his back to me.
“You need something?” I asked.
Ram slowly turned around. He had a beer in one hand and a gun in the other. “Just need a few answers,” he growled.
I stepped back, and Ram pointed the gun at me. “Move one more step, and I'll put a bullet between your eyes like I did Brain.”
His words rocked me, and my feet rooted to the floor. Ram had killed Brain. But why? “Not moving, man.” I held up my hands.
“Do you know how much of a pain in the ass you are?” he asked.
I didn’t know how I was a pain in the ass for Ram. I had always done what he wanted from me, and I never talked back.
I had been the perfect prospect. Sure, I fucking hated it, but as far as I knew, Ram didn’t know.
“Uh, I don’t know. Did I do something wrong?” What in the fuck was going on?
Ram took a sip of his beer. “You have no clue, do you?”
If Ram would give me a damn clue about what he was talking about, I might have an answer for him other than I don’t know. “A clue about what?”
A sly smile spread across Ram’s lips. “Malcom.”
The name dripped from his lips.
Fucking Malcom.
Even from the grave, he was fucking with my life.
“What about that piece of shit.”
“Well,” Ram drawled, “Malcom West may be dead, but he still has a message for the Devil’s Knights.”
“Malcom can rot in hell. He can’t do anything more to the Devil’s Knights.”
Ram tipped his head to the side. “You know if you had shown that loyalty to the Sons of Sin, I wouldn’t have done things I did and am going to do.”
“Maybe the Sons of Sin should have shown some loyalty to me and each other. All you guys care about is yourselves. You shouldn’t even call yourselves a fucking motorcycle club.”
Ram tsked and shook his head. “You got some fucking balls, kid. A gun pointed at you, and you still can’t keep your goddamn mouth shut.”
“Because I don’t understand why the hell you’re pointing a gun at me. Was I fucking sunshine and rainbows about the Sons of Sin? Fuck no. But it wasn’t like you assholes rolled out the welcome mat for me. We had a party, but I learned quickly that if the wind blows, you guys think it’s a good reason to have a party.” The Sons of Sin were about partying, and that was it. A detail Brain had failed to mention to me before I joined.
“What the fuck did you want?” he spat. “If you would have just tried to be part of our club, none of this would be happening.”
I looked around the garage. “And what is it that is happening?” I asked.
“Brain was supposed to be the one to do all of this, but he fucked it up royally.”
Do what?
“I should have remembered that his road name was Brain because he didn’t have one.” Ram shook his head. “Fucking idiot. He had one fucking job, and he fucked it all up.”
“What are you talking about?”
Ram smiled. “How about we do a little story time?” he suggested.
If that meant I was going to figure out why I had a gun pointed at me, then I was all for storytime. “Give it to me.”
“Once upon a time, Brain had a friend named Malcom. They went to college together. Malcom pretty much went off the deep end, but Brain kept in touch with him.”
“How did Brain go to college if he didn’t have a brain?” I asked,
Ram shrugged. “I guess when he was younger was trying to help himself.” Ram cupped his hand to his mouth. “Spoiler alert, it didn’t fucking work. Anyway,” Ram drawled, “Brain didn’t hear from Malcom for a couple of years until he contacted Brain last year. Asked him if he could do him a favor.”
I couldn’t even guess what Ram was going to say next. Malcom, knowing Brain was already blowing my mind.
“Malcom struck up a deal with Brain. He asked him to get in touch with someone,” Ram pointed at me, “and get him to join the Sons of Sin.”
Why did Malcom want Brain to befriend me and join the Sons of Sin? “Why?” I demanded.
“He was going to tear apart the Devil’s Knights from every angle he could. Dead club girls, he was pretty good at that and trying to kill you guys whenever he could. He also saw how tight you guys were with each other. He decided not only to kill you guys but torment you also.”
“He’s fucking dead,” I spat. “Why in the hell are you still carrying out his plan?”
Ram shrugged. “That’s where things get a little bit complicated. I didn’t think we would go on with Malcom’s plan, but Brain being the fucking genius he is, didn’t get that memo.”
I still didn’t understand what the fuck was going on.
“Brain had the bright idea to frame you for murder and get your ass thrown in jail for the rest of your life. That’s where Kerry comes into play.”
“You were going to frame me for killing Kerry?” I spat. “What the fuck is wrong with you guys?” I demanded. “Malcom literally had zero connection to you guys besides going to college with Brain, but that made you want to go along with fucking up my family and life?”
“Money, dumbass. He gave me a fuck ton of money to end you and the Devil’s Knights. He wanted to make sure that you assholes would still be destroyed if he wound up dead.”
“But why? He died, and you got your money. Why didn’t you just take the money and leave me alone?”
“I was going to!” Ram shouted. “I was going to just forget about the Devil’s Knights, but then you came knocking on our fucking door like a lost puppy. Brain put shit into motion and then got cold fucking feet. He was going to turn himself into the cops. He was a fucking moron!”
“Why not just let him turn himself in?”
“Because that fuckwad was going to take me down with him. He was rambling about how it was my fault he had did what he did because I had struck a deal with Malcom.”
“So you killed Brain, and now what?”
“And now I kill you, make it look like a suicide, and everything is done. I did what Malcom wanted, and I get to keep my money.”
My phone rang, and Ram fired a shot over my head. “Answer that, and you’re dead before you can even say hello.”
I held my hands in the air. “I’m not answering it.” I wasn’t going to move if that kept Ram from killing me. He was going to have to get close to me if he was going to make it look like I committed suicide.
This could work to my advantage if I worked it just right.
“Who in the hell is calling you?” he demanded.
Maybe Brain wasn’t the only one in the Sons of Sin who didn’t have a brain. “I’m not going to know unless I look at my phone,” I explained.
Ram growled. “One hand reaches for the phone, and the other stays in the air,” he ordered. “If you make one move I don’t like, I will blow your fucking head off.”e
“Hard to make it look like a suicide if you blow my head off,” I countered. I knew I shouldn’t piss Ram off more than he was, but this guy was a tool.
“Who called you?” he shouted.
I slowly lowered my right hand and kept my left in the air.
Ram was unstable as fuck, and I was walking a thin line with him. I grasped my phone and pulled it from my pocket. I swiped the screen to pull up my call log and saw a missed call from Ransom. “Just my mom,” I called.
“What the fuck does she want?” he demanded.
Think, Zig.
“Not sure. You want me to call her back?” I pressed Ransom’s name to put a call through.
“No!” Ram shouted. “Throw your fucking phone on the ground,” he ordered.
I tossed the phone at my feet and ensured the screen was in the dirt.
“Now step toward me,” he growled.
I prayed to god that Ransom didn’t answer the phone and holler for me.
I took a step toward Ram. “I’m doing what you’re asking me to do, Ram.” I made sure to say his name and hoped Ransom was listening.
“Now get down on your knees.”
Shit was about to happen fast, and I needed to slow it down.
“Can’t we talk about this?” I asked. “I mean, you don’t have to go through with this. You can let me go, and I won’t tell anyone about your deal with Malcom. I just want to move on from that psycho.” I cleared my throat. “Besides, do you really think anyone will believe I killed myself in this garage?”
“No one is even going to care where you killed yourself. Your precious club will be beside themselves when I call the police and tell them I found you with a gun in your hand and a bullet through your head.” Ram chuckled low. “They aren’t going to question a damn thing.”
“Why didn’t you make it look like Brain killed himself?” I asked. I just needed to keep him talking. The longer he talked, the more time Ransom had to get here. I just wished he was working in Brayton today and not in Rockton.
Ram shrugged. “I was too pissed at him to think about it. I just wanted him dead before he ran to the police.”
“You don’t think they will find out you killed him?”
Ram curled his lip. “I threw the fucking gun in the Wisconsin River. Ain’t no fucking way they’ll ever be able to pin his murder on me. If anything, I did the world a favor by killing him.” He waved the gun at me. “Now, get on your knees.”
“The prints,” I called. “The ones that were planted in Kerry’s car. Why did you put Easy’s in there?”
“Because Brain is a fucking idiot. As if he wasn’t in enough shit, he thought while framing you; he would add one of your friends into the mix. He followed him until he was able to get his prints. It was like he thought Malcom was watching him even though the guy was dead.
“Did he think that was going to work? That the police were just going to find his prints, and that would be the end of it? Hell, he didn’t even put my prints in the car,” I pointed out. “Easy was the only one who looked like he was there with Kerry.”
“Brain was an idiot. His plan wasn’t going to work. That’s why I took over.”
“The bakery?” I looked up at Ram. “Were you the one to smash the windows?”
