Vicious Heart (Desert Kings MC #2)

6. Cam

six

Cam

She didn’t sit; she paced the kitchen like a tiny ball of energy. If she could bounce against the walls, she might have.

“Rip the bandage off; it’s easier that way,” I said, breaking up weed into a blunt shell as the water kicked on in the shower on the other side of the wall. “Say what’s on your mind. It’s just you and me.”

Kenna stopped, blinked, and wrapped her arms around herself.

“You don’t need to be afraid of me; I’m not going to hurt you.” And I meant it. There were clear lines in my mind. Things I didn’t do, refused to cross.

Archer had taught me to take care of my own.

“I was going to talk to David first, run it by him, but…”

Her stepdad had sat at the table before and been a patched member of the Desert Kings for years. Archer had trusted him.

“But he’s never liked Ghost and after what happened to you and Riley with the peckerwoods”—she chewed her bottom lip and refused to look up at me—“I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble. But the other day… that scared me. Riley, you, somebody could have been hurt.”

“It’s just me and you. What you say here, I’ll never say who told me.”

Kenna’s loyalty had been to the Kings since she was a kid. Same as mine. I’d honor that and protect her. Even if he had no part in Archer’s death, Preacher had forgotten that part of being a Desert King.

I leaned against the counter and lit the blunt. I’d never light a cigarette in Archer’s house, but it wasn’t past me to smoke some weed in the kitchen. And from what I saw, Kenna needed it.

“Yesterday, I thought I recognized one of the trucks that was following you. Puck mentioned finding out exactly who was driving, and I made it a point to keep my eyes open.” She took a long inhale of the blunt I handed her, held it, then blew it out before continuing. “Anyway, Ghost and I kind of got into it last night, and I went to bed before him. But I was too mad to sleep, so when I heard a woman laugh I thought maybe Ghost was trying to pull something and I went to the window.”

We passed the blunt back and forth again. My nerves were getting more and more amped by the minute. I had a feeling where this was going. I’d been putting stuff together on my own. Kenna loosened a little and sat at the kitchen table closest to me.

“I looked outside and there was that same damn truck. I could see straight through the windshield. It was Jessica—you know, Puck’s ex?” When I nodded, she continued. “She was with Kyle Haynes, Wanda’s youngest son. I know because sometimes Ghost sells weed and shit to them. I thought that’s what he might be doing, but then he handed Kyle a fat roll of cash.”

She swallowed hard, took another hit, handed it back to me, and closed her eyes against the emotion I could plainly hear in her voice. Bringing this to me cost her a great deal. I wouldn’t forget that.

“Ghost know you saw them?” Proof the guy was an idiot, having them come to his damn house… with her there. Or maybe he hadn’t had a choice—Preach was his sponsor.

I rubbed at the prickling itch on the back of my neck.

She shook her head. “I pretended to be asleep when he came back in. I was on my way to work when I stopped here. He’s still in bed. I didn’t go to Preacher because…” She let it trail off.

Smart girl. If Ghost was paying off the Hayneses, then Preacher knew all about it.

Mother fucker.

“Keep this on the down low, don’t even say anything to David, and I’ll keep the blow back off you as much as I can.”

She nodded. “Thanks.”

“Don’t even tell Puck.”

She babysat his kid a lot. But had been running around behind him like a lost puppy for years.

“And remember, you don’t have to be Ghost’s ole lady.” She had better options. “You’re a friend, regardless.”

She smiled a sad little smile as Riley walked back in, and I stubbed out the roach in the sink. Riley’s hair was damp, and she smelled fucking delicious. I wanted her now, even this pissed off, when I’d just had her, still smelled of her.

“Thanks. You did the right thing.”

“You’re welcome.” She turned to Riley, her usual bubbly self, having handed her burden to me. “You coming to Desert Lights?”

Shit. I’d forgotten. Despite everything that had happened, life continued to roll on.

Riley’s brow lifted. “I don’t know what that even is.”

“Seriously, Cam?” Kenna rolled her big eyes. “Stop sucking her face and start telling her about the cool stuff.”

Riley laughed.

“It’s a big rave in the desert, a joint thing by a bunch of DJs and fraternities and shit. Lasts for two days. The Desert Kings run security on it since it’s in Dry Valley. Also means we get in free.” She rushed on. “I can do your hair. We can match. Dylan won’t ever go with me and my friend that usually goes is going to be out of town.”

Riley seemed genuinely interested. The way her face lit up and she leaned in told me I’d be taking her with me. “I wouldn’t turn down a chance to see you in something slutty, partying in the desert.”

She grinned, swatted at me with the back of her hand, as they launched into a conversation of glitter and outfits and a good time. Riley deserved that. She hadn’t had many lately. This was something I could give her, happily.

Leaving them to it, I stepped outside and called the only man I trusted with the information Kenna had just given me to have him meet me at the clubhouse later.

***

The clubhouse was mostly empty, a fact I was thankful for. It was too early in the day for even Dylan to be there working the bar. Only a few old timers who didn’t have day jobs hung around, playing cards at a corner table. I tossed a two fingered wave and made for the stairs.

Merc was already on the roof when I opened the top door.

“Archer’s office.” He half smiled, kind of sad. “Didn’t know being up here would hit me so hard.”

“Every time.” I agreed.

I went to the ledge he peered over. The desert stretched out before us all the way to the mountains in the distance. This was where I’d been the first time I’d realized how much I wanted to kiss Riley Bowman.

It was also where I stood the night Archer offered me an out, a life not spent behind bars. Even signing a deal with the devil it was one hell of a view.

Full circle.

“Someone saw one of the peckerwood’s trucks at Ghost’s place after we ran them out of here.” I didn’t say who. I’d keep that secret for Kenna.

“Sure it was theirs?”

“Yeah. Recognized one of Wanda’s boys driving.”

Merc didn’t say much at first. “Did you see any of the main crew after the chase?”

“Nah, not Dustin or Kyle. I wouldn’t know any of the others. Those fuckers breed like white trash rabbits.” Wanda had at least three sons and a slew of cousins. Inbred fuckers.

He snorted. “No shit. Have you told anyone else?”

What he didn’t say, was that this could shake out two ways—Preacher didn’t know and Ghost is done.

Or Preacher knew.

“All hell would break loose,” Merc said, correctly reading my silence in a way only he could.

“Even worse if I prove he killed Archer.” If it took everything in me, I’d damn sure do that—to protect Riley. And my club.

Merc sucked in a breath between his teeth.

It was the first time I’d said it out loud. No going back now.

“We have to move carefully.” His voice was low. I didn’t have to look at him to know he was running all the scenarios through his head.

His brain wasn’t wired like everyone else’s. That wasn’t the army’s doing—that’s what made him so good at what he did for them. “Find out how many we’ve got at the table.”

I laughed without humor. “Never thought I’d see the Desert Kings dividing loyalties like this.”

“Bound to happen one day.” Matter of fact, much like his dad.

Might not surprise Merc, but it turned me inside out. The Desert Kings were the only security I’d ever known; the only real family I’d ever had. I could lose that forever. There was a time where this very thing had been my biggest fear. Then I’d met Riley…

“You can’t let him get to you. No mouthing off to him when he baits you.” Merc spit into the pebbled rocks on the roof, then raked his boot across to cover them. “Don’t let anyone see him rile you.”

“I can’t make any promises when it comes to her.” I didn’t have to say who, didn’t have to hide the emotion in my voice.

“He knows she’s your trigger. He’ll keep going for it.”

Merc wasn’t wrong. We both turned back to the door emblazoned with the MC logo.

“We don’t make any moves until after the fight.” I told him. That put two events between us and the peckerwood incident. “Maybe give Ghost a shake and see what he drops.”

Merc grunted in agreement. “I’ll scope out the rest of the table.”

We needed to find out who was in Preacher’s back pocket and who would rock with us.

“I don’t think he’ll do anything until we ratify the table, vote on the probies. But…” He slapped a hand on my shoulder. “Watch your back, brother.”

I’d be watching all of our backs. The Kings still meant something to me. And I had a target, something to shoot for. And for the first time since Archer died, I had the beginnings of a plan.

“The big vote is months out. I don’t have that sort of time, brother.” I caught his gaze and held it, letting him read how heavily I carried this shit.

“Ride or die.” Merc held out a fist.

I rapped my knuckles against his.

My phone dinged before he’d made it across the roof. I checked the message since it was from Riley. The anger I’d quieted came charging in, hot, violent, and ready to rip a grown man to shreds with my bare hands. Everything inside me flashed white hot.

“That fucker is at my house.” Not Archer’s, not Riley’s. I had no right, except I did. She was mine .

I glanced up from the phone and all around me everything was red. From the sunset or the rage, I couldn’t tell. Maybe both.

“Easy,” Merc warned, stopping in the doorway and blocking my exit. “Watch that trigger. Jester is there. He won’t let anything happen to her.”

I wasn’t so convinced and shoved him out of the way. He followed me down the stairs.

“Stay out of it.” I jabbed a finger at him when he tried to duck in front of me again. The old timers looked up, grew bored quickly, and looked away.

Merc held up both hands in surrender and stopped at the bottom of the steps, knowing how far to push. I didn’t doubt he fired off a text to Jester as soon as I was out the front door.

I didn’t care. All that mattered was getting to Riley.