Banished Souls MC (16 page)

Chapter 18

Caine

Caine and T-Bone moved quickly through the club house to the front entrance.

There, Caine retrieved his cell phone. He checked its display. There was a message, the number was Cherish's. He listened, apprehensive. She sounded okay. Not hurt, but she was worried. About what? Was she in danger, or had someone told her something?

Caine looked to T-Bone. "That was her. Sounded all right. But something is up. Come on, let's take my car."

Outside in the lot of the inner compound other members were starting to leave.

Caine was heading to his car, keys in hand when he heard someone yell from behind him. "You traitorous Son of a Bitch!"

Caine turned to look.

Grunt had exited the front door and was marching over to Caine. Blood smeared around his mouth and across his nose, which was probably broken. He looked furious.

Caine stood his ground and checked to see if Grunt was holding a weapon. He was mildly relieved he wasn't, although if he was armed, that would have been the end of his Club membership.

Grunt stopped a few feet from Caine, eyes wide with rage. "I had a deal and you screwed it! You're a poison in this club! A cancer!" He was shrieking now.

Caine yawned.

"When Upper Management hears what you did it won't matter what happened today. You know that!"

Caine flicked lint from his sleeve. Then he took an interest in checking his finger nails.

Other members had come outside to see what the hell the screaming was all about. They looked amused that Grunt's little side show was still going on.

"This is exactly the kind of crap I will take care of when I am Club President. You can't.."

"Who's gonna be Club President?" someone shouted.

Grunt turned around to see who was speaking.

Uncle sauntered out of the entrance, and walked over to Grunt. The current Club President looked greatly amused. "I said, who is gonna be Club President?" He stopped in front of Grunt. "You? You are going to be? And how do I fit into this little fantasy of yours?"

Grunt was gaping like a fish. He must of realized he had really over stepped his bounds. But that didn't seem to stop him from making it worse.

Grunt pointed at Caine, "If he wasn't poking a Krimson Klown's woman we'd have a deal now!"

Caine took a step toward Grunt, but was stopped cold by a raised hand from Uncle.

Uncle levelled Grunt with a stare that could evaporate glaciers. "Listen, you little piss ant. I'm tired of your conniving little games. Now, I don't have the authority to take you to task over all this. But I can certainly make life miserable for you."

Grunt was gasping, almost hyperventilating with rage. He seemed to be working up the courage to do something rash.

Uncle continued. "Maybe it would be best if we reviewed your Club membership."

"No!" Grunt blurted, his eyes were wide.

Uncle said, "We got a lot of members here. Wouldn't be hard to get enough votes to suspend you for - "

Grunt shoved Uncle.

Everyone froze. No one drew breath.

In the distance traffic could be heard. A slight breeze caressed through the courtyard. But there were no other sounds.

It was as if the very universe waited in anticipation.

Grunt had just committed the greatest sacrilege a member of the Banished Souls could commit.

Now, Grunt was a big man. A very big man. But Uncle was a veritable titan, who had an extra six inches of height, and a hundred pounds over him.

And this was Uncle. The biggest, toughest and meanest individual the Souls had ever called a member.

Grunt stared at Uncle, then down at his own hands as if he couldn't believe what he had just done.

"I..." Grunt started to say.

"Get." Uncle said, his tone firm. "Out."

Grunt blinked at Uncle. Then he looked around at all the other members who were now glaring at him. Some of whom took a step or two closer.

"Get out," Uncle repeated. "While you still can."

Grunt fled. He practically flew into his car, started it and screeched through the compound gate. The Prospect barely got it open enough in time for Grunt to drive through. Then Grunt was gone.

And in more ways than one.

Uncle looked down at the blood Grunt had smeared on his shirt. "This was my favorite shirt." He said, then turned without looking at anyone else, and went back inside.

"Well," T-Bone said. "That was dramatic."

Caine found himself exhaling. He didn't have time to digest what just happened.

They got into his car, T-Bone drove. Caine was too worked up to drive.

As they pulled out of the compound, Caine said, "Let's get to her motel."

After they drove for several minutes, T-Bone expertly weaving through traffic, Caine said, "She better be okay." His worry for her was growing by the second. That play by Grunt in the meeting had really spun Caine's head around. He didn't want Cherish to be effected by it all.

"Here we are," T-Bone said, as they pulled into the lot. Caine pointed at her room door. It was open.

Caine jumped out and ran into the room. "Cherish?" He called.

Inside, a maid was changing the sheets on the bed. She looked at Caine in alarm.

He looked around. There were no clothes or items around. Cherish was gone.

T-Bone came in and now the maid looked even more terrified backing up against the wall. "Please don't hurt me!"

Caine raised his hands up. "It's okay. We're looking for our friend. Cherish. She was in this room."

The maid relaxed. "Ah, she checked out a short while ago."

Caine grimaced, and cursed.

The maid was up against the wall again.

T-Bone smiled at her. "It's okay, ma'am. Did you see if she left with anyone else?"

The maid looked from Caine to T-Bone, as if deciding what that answer might cost her. "Yes, she left with a man."

"What man?" Caine and T-Bone said in unison.

The maid's eyes were wide. "Big man, like you all. Arms covered in tattoos."

T-Bone frowned at Caine. "That describes everyone we know."

The maid then said, "And there was another lady. She left after them."

Caine said, "A lady? Can you describe her?"

"Uh, curvy, with bright red hair. Looked a little crazy."

"Addison," said Caine.

"The pretty blond went with the big man. And the red headed crazy lady left in a little pink Volvo."

"Thanks," T-Bone said. Caine was too lost in thought.

The two men left the maid, to her great relief, and stood outside the room.

"Okay," said T-Bone. "I guess the big guy would be, who? Basher?"

"They've been as thick as thieves lately," Caine said. He couldn't imagine Cherish being alone with those two conniving bastards.

"Why did she go with them? Cherish?" T-Bone asked.

Caine shook his head, trying to think. "I dunno. Threatened her? Or more like tricked her somehow. She might not be even aware that she could be in danger."

"So," T-Bone said. "Where would they take her. Addie's apartment?"

"I don't know, but I do know the one place in the world Addie calls home."

"Bumps," said T-Bone.

"But first, we made need some firepower. Just in case."

"Cool," said T-Bone. "I got us covered. We'll swing by my house."

They parked at T-Bone's house, which really was one of several he owned across the town. Most he lived in, others were safe houses for members from other towns on the run.

T-Bone ran in and emerged again after a few minutes. He jumped back in the car and thrust a pistol into Caine's hand. He stuffed another into his waist band under his shirt.

"These should help keep people cooperative."

Caine nodded. He couldn't stop thinking about Cherish and the mess he had gotten her into.

They then raced over to Booty Bumps.

Caine was greatly relieved when he saw Addison's pink volvo parked in the lot. "Least she's here."

They screeched to a stop at the front door and ran inside.

The bar was almost completely empty, except for a couple of cleaners wiping down tables.

Caine noticed a light coming from Lloyd's office. He and T-Bone marched over there.

They burst through the door.

Inside, they found Lloyd sitting behind his desk. Sitting in his lap was Addie. There was an open bottle of champagne in front of them, and each was holding a full glass.

"Celebrating?" Caine asked as he and T-Bone entered the room.

Lloyd stood bolt up right, practically launching Addie who spilt her champagne.

"Uh, not really," Lloyd said. "Just having a little fun."

T-Bone went over to Lloyd and started smacking him across the head just on general principle. Addie backed up against the wall, eyes wide. Caine crossed over to her.

"Where is she?"

Addie looked at him, terror on her face. "I... I dunno."

Frustrated Caine pointed at T-Bone who now had Lloyd crumpled on the floor in a corner. "If you don't talk, you'll be next."

Addie looked from T-Bone to Caine. "It was all Grunt's idea. All of it. I just went along because of you!"

Caine did not have time for this but found himself asking, "Because of me? Why?"

Addie started pouting, tears running down her face. "You don't love me anymore! You know I've always cared for you and wanted you to be with me. I thought even after we broke up, maybe we could still work things out."

Caine tried not to laugh in her face. What a lunatic. She was about as far away from being a girlfriend as she could get. She just couldn't except it.

Caine said, "Tell me where Basher took Cherish. Now."

Addie slouched. Then looked up at him with weepy eyes.

"If I tell you," she said, "can I keep the Volvo?"

Chapter 19

Cherish

As Basher drove the two of them out of the Motel parking lot, Cherish couldn't help but notice the biker was sporting a huge grin.

"Why are you so happy?" Cherish asked, genuinely perplexed.

"It's nothing," Basher said. His grin didn't fade. "I'm just glad you're okay now. That's all."

Cherish frowned. This situation was going from panic stricken to weird. She looked out the window, and watched the buildings whip by.

She was distraught over Caine. She kept envisioning him all beat up and bloody in a hospital bed. Or worse, on the floor of the Banished Souls' clubhouse with no one there to help him.

And it was all because of her.

How did it go so bad so quick? She did not come here looking for trouble. She just wanted to start a new life away from the insanity that was Devlin and the Krimson Klowns. And then she met Caine. A new life with a new man, a different kind of man, seemed possible. Almost guaranteed.

But because of Devlin, that was now all shattered. Caine was hurt, and in trouble with his beloved Club, and here she was in a car with another Biker, one she barely knew.

She looked over at Basher. He was looking very smug.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Why do this? Why risk getting in trouble with your Club?"

Basher frowned at this. "What are you talking about?"

Before Cherish could speak again, Basher's phone rang. Cherish's heart leapt.

"Just keep quiet," he said to her as he answered it.

"Yeah?" he said. He was quiet for a long time as he listened. Cherish strained to hear but couldn't.

Basher's frown deepened. "Okay, so now what? Still the same deal?" He then looked over at Cherish, as if to confirm her existence. "Yeah, she's here."

"Who is it?" Cherish demanded. What the hell was going on?

"Yeah, we're almost there," Basher said, and hung up. He shot Cherish a nasty look. "What is your problem? I told you to keep quiet."

"Who was that you were talking to?"

"A friend. Someone who is going to help us. Actually, help you right now. So show some appreciation."

"I don't even know what that means. Who is it, and why help me?"

Basher seemed fed up by this. "Your boyfriend really mucked things up today. Caine practically served you up on a platter to the Banished Souls with his stupidity. So it's up to me and Grunt to fix it."

"What the hell is a Grunt?"

Basher barked a laugh. "He's my uncle, he's a Banished Soul and he's one of the few guys there that wants to help you. He feels bad about what happened with Caine and you."

"So he wants to help us out? Me and Caine?"

"Something like that."

Cherish had the bad feeling Basher was just telling her what she wanted to know. To keep her calm.

"Look, here it is," Basher said.

They had driven some distance from town, and were now passing farms and ranches. They turned onto a long driveway.

"This is the dairy?" Cherish asked, feeling a small sense of panic rising in her chest.

"Yeah," Basher said. The grin had returned. "A great out of the way place to make deals."

Cherish looked at him again. Something was definitely wrong here. But she wasn't sure what it was. She figured she was about to find out, whether she liked it or not.

They pulled up to a small farm house which was across from a building that looked like a wide, single level warehouse. She could see empty stalls inside it. There was another car parked here.

"Who's is that?" she asked, indicating the car.

"Grunt's," Basher said. He now looked really frustrated. "You stupid or something? He's here to help."

With Basher's sudden change in attitude, Cherish became very alarmed.

Basher parked the car and took the keys. He gave her a very serious look. "Do yourself a favor, keep your trap shut. Understand?"

Cherish only nodded. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest.

"Get out," he commanded.

"I still want to know what's going on," she said. What could she do?

As if finally giving up on maintaining any more civility with her, Basher produced a pistol out of nowhere.

He pointed it at Cherish.

"I said, get out. Ya deaf?"

Cherish's eyes went wide. "Okay," she whispered. Now terrified she did as she was told and got out of the car.

She looked around. Other than the two buildings there was nothing else around. Vast fields surrounded them lined by forest. She couldn't even see the main road from here.

She felt bewildered, and very afraid.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, finding the courage to do so from some deep place within her.

Basher came around the car toward her. When he got close he suddenly smacked her across the head.

Cherish fell down into the mud. Her world shifted, she saw stars.

Blinking, she looked up. Basher loomed over her. No more grins. Just a look of pure malevolence. "You still owe me a blow job, bitch."

Cherish cowered before him, paralysed with fear.

"What the hell is going on?" someone shouted.

They both looked over at the voice.

A very large man had exited the dairy and walked over to them. He was covered in tattoos and she instantly could tell he was another Biker. His face was all red and his nose had swollen up to the size of a grapefruit. He had jammed wades of paper towels up both his nostrils, which were stained red with blood.

Basher said, "What happened to you?" He looked mortified. "Didn't it work?"

Cherish realized, this must be Grunt.

Grunt glared at Basher as if he was an idiot. "There was a complication," he said, indicating his nose. He pointed at Cherish. "Get her out of the damn mud and inside."

Basher easily hoisted Cherish up onto her feet by an arm. He then propelled her into the dairy, following Grunt.

The building was completely empty of cattle. Just the smell of ancient manure and hay. Near the entrance looked to be some sort of vehicle covered in a large tarp.

Basher waved the pistol at her, "Sit over there, and keep it shut this time." He indicated a stool.

Cherish went and sat down. She was totally confused, but she knew she was in some serious trouble.

"Why the hell you got that out?" Grunt said, pointing to the pistol. "What she gonna do? Run off? There's nowhere to go."

Basher frowned and slipped the pistol into his waistband under his shirt. "What happened to your face? I want to know."

Grunt looked angry. "I tell you what you need to know when it is something I think you should know." When Basher didn't look mollified he said, "The main deal is off. At least for now. Instead, I'm gonna have to modify it."

"What do you mean?" Basher asked.

What deal? Thought Cherish. Something that obviously involved her.

Grunt looked like was making an effort to keep is temper in check. "This whole thing went sideways. Uncle's to stupid to see what I've been trying to accomplish. We need to find a way to deal with him."

"Uncle?" Basher said with alarm. "Did he punch you?"

"No, it was that moron Caine!" Grunt shouted.

This brought Cherish out of her trance. "Caine? Is he okay? What happened to him?"

"Keep you mouth shut, bitch!" Grunt screamed at her. Basher had walked closer to Grunt, and pulled him around by his arm.

Basher said, "This concerns me as much as it does you. What in the hell went down today? You were just suppose to present the deal to the Club. Now what the hell is going on?"

Grunt looked exasperated. "Don't you touch me! I'm the only reason you have a future!"

While the men yelled at each other Cherish did the only thing she could think of at that moment. She ran.

She fled out the dairy's main door. She heard shouting behind her, calling for her to stop.

There was really only one direction to go, and that was back to the main road.

As she approached the beginning of the driveway leading out, a dark blue sedan appeared. It drove straight at her.

She froze, not sure what to do. Her escape blocked. Was it the police?

The sedan stopped directly in front of her. She gasped in shock as the driver calmly got out and looked at her with a wide grin.

"Hey, honey," said Devlin. "What a pleasant surprise."