Biker’s Collar: Property of Scrap (Rebel Barbarians MC #6)

Chapter 28 – Owen

Twenty-Eight

Owen

Snake eyes.

I hear the disappointed squeak that Vickie tries desperately to muffle. I don’t feel emotionally moved yet. I have two more shakes of the dice and then… I don’t know what the plan is then. I’ll have to do what I said – let Hakeem go and let him take Vickie with him.

It sounds like a pretty clear win-lose situation – but it isn’t. If Hakeem gets his hands on Vickie, he’ll have to deal with Deacon on the way out. He was in no way involved with this fucked up contract and he’s under strict instructions to be on the lookout for any possible escape vehicle.

The recruits we have scattered along the highway could easily take out anything up to the size of a standard Walmart eighteen-wheeler. But that still puts Vickie at risk. Hakeem hurt her. He traumatized her. Allowing her into his custody even for ten minutes puts her at risk. But this opportunity is too good to pass up. If I don’t get Hakeem’s businesses handed over, I’ll have to pick off his associates one by one.

Who knows how long it will take to scare these bastards out of Vegas. This city has so much money in it that nobody who sinks their hooks in ever wants to leave.

I know everyone thinks I’m nuts, especially Vickie, but if there’s one thing I have learned from my brother, it’s that you don’t always have to communicate your plans. The last job the three of us did as brothers was robbing that Jew back when dad was alive. It feels like a million fucking years ago. I wonder what dad would tell me now about all of this.

Double or nothing. That’s what he would say. And I say, it’s a little more complicated than that. Hakeem wouldn’t have sat me at this table so confidently if he didn’t have back up. Which means Vickie was right. We don’t have enough numbers to pull this off. Unfortunately, I don’t know how the next two hands are going to go.

Either way… Hakeem will end up dead. As long as Vickie trusts me.

I might make it hard for her. The dice move around my hand. Magnum Sinclair clears his throat like making that sound can change the outcome of the game. I can feel Vickie watching me, but I know looking at her will screw this game up. Back up. He has back up. Doesn’t matter the outcome of this game, whatever happens, I’ll have to get Thorne on the case.

He’s not even patched in yet, but after we take Vegas and get some new recruits… that can happen at the next club meeting. I think of everything except the number seven because I don’t want to fuck up the dice.

I throw them down – five… and four. Hakeem snickers.

“Alright, alright,” he says. “This is getting good.”

Vickie and Magnum clearly disagree. I can trust Magnum to keep his cool, but if I don’t hit this seven… Vickie is going to kill me when I get her back. I don’t even know if she’ll be able to say those words again. I love you.

I know how hard it is to open up. How putting her on the line like this is utter betrayal. Losing her would be worse.

“What’s getting good?” I snap at Hakeem. “I’m about to own your entire operation.”

Magnum makes a poor effort at stifling some inappropriate sound in the back of his throat. Vickie is silent. But I know she’s there. Scared. Maybe not scared. I bet she just wants to grab me by the back of my neck and smash my head into a wall.

“Roll the dice, Scrap,” Hakeem says with a mocking glance at my patch. I give the man what he wants. Nerves. I act all dramatic and sigh before I scoop up the dice. Win or lose, I’ll get us out of this.

“How many men do you have out there Hakeem?”

“Roll,” Hakeem says. “You don’t need to be worried about me.”

“You knew I was watching you. Set this whole thing up. How did you know I would play this game?”

“I never forget my best clients.”

“He doesn’t have to make this bet,” Vickie says. “I could shoot your ass right now.”

Vickie…

Hakeem’s gaze flickers over to her. I still don’t look. I can’t. Vickie will knock the sense out of me right now and I trust that Magnum will keep her safe and make sure her crazy ass doesn’t fire that damn gun. Her job is obedience but… I know damn well I had to force Vickie into submission with a collar around her neck.

“She won’t shoot,” I say sternly, and before Vickie can do anything downright insane, I roll the dice.

Snake eyes again.

Hakeem laughs.

“I knew it,” he says, rising to his feet. I can tell he’s looking at Vickie. But I can’t face her. I can’t face any of this. The loss twists me up in my gut, but there’s a massive fucking rush from it too. I know it’s messed up, but this shit feels just as good as it hurts.

“He is crazy and he has no right to gamble me away,” Vickie says.

“Scrap?” Magnum says, giving him a look as if to ask what the hell the new plan is now that the game is over.

“Let him take her. It’s what I agreed to.”

“I should a bullet in your fucking head,” Vickie says. But then I hear her gun fall to the ground and I know Magnum is doing what I ask. She screams, pretty much confirming it. I can’t hide from her much longer, can I?

I rise from the table and turn around to watch all fucking hell breaking loose. Magnum has Vickie subdued and Hakeem walks up to her inspecting her with glee written all over his face.

“Bring her out to my car,” he says. “I can’t wait to take this bitch to the middle of the desert and pee in her mouth.”

I try to make eye contact with Vickie to give her a reassuring look. I can tell Magnum is holding her so he won’t hurt her but… will she survive the next hour or so in Hakeem’s custody? When Vickie’s eyes finally meet mine – reluctantly and only because she’s fighting back hard against Magnum – all I see is pure loathing. Hatred.

I try to mouth to her, “Trust me.”

But she mouths back. “Fuck you, Owen.”

It’s like a knife to my heart.

“I love you,” I whisper to Vickie. I have to say it out loud. Even if she hates me. The pain, the twisting in her gut she feels right now will be over soon. I made her a promise. I asked her to trust me.

I’m sorry shit didn’t go according to plan.

Hakeem laughs, his voice taking on an unusual Kat Williams pitch he’s so damn pleased with himself.

“You love her?” he says. “You stupid motherfucker. You should have never told me.”

Eager to get this shit over with, Magnum grunts. “Where do you want her?”

“Hold on,” Hakeem says. “I need to message my people.”

“Walk and talk,” Magnum growls. “The boss needs to get his shit together.”

Hakeem doesn’t catch the look Magnum flashes at me at the last second that tells me he’s playing up the tension between us to make this whole deal more believable. No fucking way Hakeem survives the night. Vickie screeches when Magnum makes a real move to drag her towards the door. I wish I could hold her and calm her down.

But I can’t…

Not yet.