Devil’s Vengeance (Devil’s Disciples MC #6)

Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

CHASE

I was still laughing to myself about Mariah’s questions as I headed downstairs. She took everything she read with a grain of salt, and it surprised her when the books turned out to be right. I could tell she wanted to grill me about it more, but I didn’t have the time to discuss it since I needed to be downstairs. I hoped the interruption would distract her from her line of questioning, since most of the stuff she wanted to know was club business and I wasn’t about to share it with her. I didn’t want her pissed off at me again after just getting on a better footing. If she listened, it was easier to keep her safe.

While I wasn’t the last person to arrive, I was usually earlier than this, so I got a few teasing comments about slacking off. I ignored it for the most part, heading to an open space in the back so I could lean against the wall while I listened. Only the officers got seats at the table. The rest of us peons had to stand and listen.

It was Croy who showed up last, his pissed off demeanor making the whole room fall silent. While he wasn’t a sunshiny person in general, you could actually see the waves of dark and angry energy coming off him, and that only meant one thing. Someone was fucking with our crew. He didn’t sit, instead propping his hands on the table and glaring at the room.

“Got word from a charter that there’s rumors of a big play going to be made against us soon. Not just to screw with us or take our supply lines. They want to wipe us from the map.”

I straightened, listening carefully as he told us about the phone call he got from the prez of the Phoenix chapter to share the information he had. Apparently, the rumor was fucking state wide.

“I need to know who, and I need to know when.”

“And why?” Clink asked in a teasing tone. He was serious about protecting his crew, but he also took it upon himself to lighten Croy up when the man got too dark. He proved just how far he’d go for his crew when he faced Hammer alone.

Croy gave him a look that said he’d fucking murder him if he didn’t act seriously.

“If we take one alive, I’ll find out why,” Reaper said. No one dared to argue with him. Reaper did some fucked up shit to get information from someone. I watched him myself a few times. I did not want to end up tied to a chair in front of that man. It was the worst way to go.

Nevada spoke next, turning to look at the crew as a whole. “Anyone got any information on local crews? Threats to us?”

Alarm bells went off in my head. There was no fucking way Trick was actually dragging his crew and mine into the shit between us. He wasn’t that insane. Was he?

“What about the Dirty Devils? They’re just over the border. I’ve seen them on the highway a few times,” someone threw out.

Someone closer to me cleared their voice and Neo stepped forward. Normally, prospects weren’t allowed in meetings like this, and Neo lost his patch when he screwed over the crew. But he was still IT and had access to a lot of information. Croy obviously felt this threat was legit enough to bring him into it.

He waited for permission to speak from the officers before speaking up. “I looked into every crew within a five-hour drive of us. Dirty Devils aren’t our problem. They’re not 1%. Their president is a legit lawyer. They don’t give a shit about us or our product.”

I saw several guys make a face. Those clubs saw themselves as above us. They followed the law and didn’t get into trouble, and therefore they were better. If they caused us any issues, it’d be easy to put them in line because they wouldn’t fight back. But we didn’t usually waste our time with so-called ‘legit’ crews. It was just a bunch of bitches riding bikes and playing pretend. And letting themselves be led by a lawyer? Who probably worked with the pigs on the regular? Those assholes definitely weren’t worth shit.

“How about that newer club closer to the border? The one with the dumbass name?” Snake Eyes suggested, his brow furrowed.

“What? Like yours?” Viper shot back with a snicker.

“Enough!” Brewer barked, glaring at them both. “We don’t have time for your bullshit. Either spit out some information or shut the fuck up.”

They both went quiet, and Snake Eyes didn’t offer anything more, so Lewis had to speak again to answer for him.

“He’s talking about the Night Bandidos. They’re new. Right on the edge of the border. I haven’t found a lot on them yet. I just found out about them a few days ago.”

“Look into it,” Nevada told him. “Anyone else?”

There were a few names spit out here and there. Old rivalries that we put in their places years ago. Someone wanted to look into Hammer’s old crew, make sure we got rid of them all like we thought. Hammer was a fucking cockroach, so it’d make sense that more of his stupid crew would show up. But none of them had a reason so far as we knew to come after us now. All except for Trick.

“Gonna say somethin’?” Bear muttered. I hadn’t even noticed him creeping up to stand beside me. He was quiet for such a big dude.

“There’s nothing to say,” I hissed back. There wasn’t, either. My issue with Trick had nothing to do with either of our crews. Sure, he always brought backup because he was a pussy, but that didn’t mean he was stupid enough to pit his crew against mine. They were busy with the law anyway. They didn’t have time to come for us.

“So then, where the fuck were you last night?”

He wasn’t letting this go, and I didn’t want the officers catching on. They’d skin me alive for disobeying an order, and it wasn’t even guaranteed that it was Trick’s crew that was working against us. I didn’t want Bear throwing me under the bus when we didn't have a clue who it was yet. So I lied .

“Mariah got hammered at a club last night. She didn’t feel safe to get home on her own.”

“Uh huh. The same chick you’ve been bitching about for the past week? That Mariah?”

I shot him a dirty look. “I don’t give a shit how I feel about her. I’m not letting some woman get into trouble by ignoring her call when she needs help. I’m not that fucked up. Are you?”

“Chase!” Clink called out to me. We were whispering, so I didn’t think anyone was paying any attention, but apparently Clink wasn’t done messing with me yet. “Anything you want to share with the class?”

Straightening and shooting Bear a look that said to keep his mouth shut, I answered with a quick, “No. Just trying to figure out who it is.”

“Have you talked to Lacey?” Bear asked. I whipped my head around, seething. Fucking bastard.

Brewer shook his head. “She hasn’t heard anything. She’s getting her girls on it tonight, and I’m increasing security at the club. I want someone in that damn office with her at all times.”

And because I was the one who protected the girls, it’d end up being me. None of them knew Lacey let me take some time off to handle business, and they wouldn’t take kindly to me handing the responsibility off either. This was getting a lot more fucking complicated. Between protecting Mariah and doing my job, there was almost no time to confront Trick.

How the fuck was I going to handle this on my own?

Croy dismissed us with the demand to get him more information. He’d be breathing down our necks until we figured it out, too. Maybe if I kept Mariah in lockdown? Or dropped her off to stay with the girls when I had to go to work? She got along with them, and they had constant security when rumors like this kicked up. She’d be safer with them.

I was heading upstairs to tell Mariah the new plan when Bear stopped me.

“You’re sure it’s not him?”

I froze midway down the hallway.

“He followed you to town. Came to the club. Seems like he’s planning something. Scouting, maybe? ”

Spinning around, I moved until we were close enough not to be overheard. I growled low, my hands shaking with the need to hurt someone.

“The shit between me and Trick is personal, asshole. He went to the club to taunt me. It’s got nothing to do with the crew.”

Bear and I were friends. We hung out a lot outside of work. Because of his size, he was on security almost as often as I was. I thought he’d trust my judgment when I said it wasn’t about them. And I was fucking pissed that he tried to call me out in front of the crew.

“Personal or not, he’s in our territory with his crew. You can’t face all of them on your own.”

“I don’t need to face all of them. I just need to get to him. I don’t give a shit about the rest of them.”

Bear crossed his arms with a frown. “Pretty sure the crew would. If you aren’t gonna tell Croy, then at least talk to me. You shouldn’t face that many alone.”

The last thing I wanted to do was bring another person into my issues. But then Mariah poked her head out of my door, looking around with a frown.

“Chase? I’m starving. Trick never took me out to eat last night. Think we can order something?”

Fuck. The look Bear gave me said it all. Mariah just inadvertently admitted that I fucking lied about what happened last night and if I didn’t come clean to him, he was going to Croy. His loyalty, like mine, was to the crew first. He’d throw me under the bus if he had to.

Anything for the crew.