Fight (15 page)

“
What
does that have to do with Endo?
”

“
Rocky
and Endo were close,
”
Stoney said. He looked at me again.
“
For
obvious reasons. Maybe Rocky tried pulling Endo into something. All I know is
that Rocky was on his own at the end there. He wouldn
’
t listen to me. We got into a fight, he took off,
and he never came back again. I should have never let him leave alone. And I
knew he was going to go right to them.
”

Tripp shook his head.
“
It
’
s
not adding up. Give me a contact for Skull X. I
’
ll
go up there.
”

Stoney laughed.
“
Are you fucking kidding me? You
can
’
t go near them. They
’
ll tear you apart.
”

“
I
have fists. I know how to fight. I
’
ll
go up there and challenge them.
”

“
And
say what? You tell them who you are, you
’
re
dead.
”

“
I
’
ll stumble across them.
”

“
Talk
sense into him,
”
Stoney
said. He started to move away.

Tripp lunged forward.
“
Hey, I
’
m not done with you yet.
”

Stoney shook away and turned, a gun
in his hand, right between Tripp
’
s
eyes.
“
I
’
ll tell you the same damn thing
I told Rocky before he left. If you go near them, they will kill you. I won
’
t be held responsible for any of
it.
”

“
Tripp,
come on,
”
I said.
“
Don
’
t
…”

“
How
can call yourself a leader when you
’
re
afraid?
”
Tripp asked.
“
All those men in there ride
behind you, fight for you, and you can
’
t
even fight for them?
”

“
I
’
m protecting them,
”
Stoney said.
“
Just like you should be
protecting her. If Skull X is going after everyone involved with that kid,
Winter is going to be next. Mark my word. She will be next.
”

“
Is
that a threat?
”

“
No,
”
Stoney said.
“
I don
’
t threaten. I take action.
”

Tripp took a step back and turned. It
was risky to turn your back on the Red Aces MC President.

I walked alongside him as we walked
back to his car. It was a quiet walk. We were both tired from last night, and I
knew in both our hearts were desperate to make sense of everything that had
gone wrong.

But life was never that easy.

We got into his car and he backed
up.

Stoney was no longer in sight.

“
This
is all wrong,
”
Tripp said.
“
I just have a feeling about it.
Something is going to happen.
”

Before I could open my mouth, a
black car pulled up behind us, blocking our way out. The passenger door flew
open and a man in a suit came out.

“
Ah,
fuck,
”
Tripp growled.

“
What
is it?
”

He looked at me. He grabbed my hand
and kissed it.
“
Darling,
listen to me. Take my car back to your place. Park it around back. Go inside,
lock the doors, leave all the lights off. Just hang. For as long as you can.
”

“
Tripp!
”

The man opened the door and got
out. I turned to watch what was about to happen. Tripp showed his hands and
started to say something. The big man in the suit then punched Tripp in the
stomach and threw him into the side of the car. Tripp ricocheted back and the
guy caught him. He opened the back door and tossed Tripp inside. He slammed the
door, got back into his seat, and the car drove away.

What the fuck just happened?

21.

(Tripp)

This was how it was going to go
down. Something had gone wrong and my number was called. I shouldn
’
t have pushed and poked into
Winter
’
s personal life. Now
I knew too much or I did something to trigger something and I was a dead man.

 I was huddled on the floor of the
car, a gun pressed to the back of my head. A foot on my back. I was a bitch
right now. There was no way in hell I was going out like this.

I put my hands to the floor of the
car and pushed up.

“
Hey,
motherfucker, stay down!
”

I made a quick move, throwing my
right arm up and around, grabbing the guy
’
s
ankle. I locked, twisted, and felt a
pop
sound. The guy let out a scream
and the gun dropped, hitting me in the back.

I got up quick, pulling him by his
ankle, putting him down on the floor. That
’
s
when I unleashed punch after goddamn punch, gut, chest, face.
Gut, chest,
face. Gut. Chest. Face.

My body raged with an anger that
was fresh, hungry for blood. I put my left hand to his chest and held him down.
My right hand came back and punched at him over and over, not giving a damn
about anything.

“
Jesus
Fuck!
”
someone screamed.

I felt something touch the side of
my head.

Another gun.

I turned and saw the guy that had
first hit me.
“
You
’
re next.
”

“
Like
hell I am. You need to sit down.
”

I fell back to the seat, breathing
heavily.

“
Jesus,
Emilio,
”
the guy said.
“
Are you dead?
”

The guy on the floor gurgled
something as his lips moved.

“
We
have to get him to a hospital.
”

“
Give
it time,
”
I said.
“
Then you can just take him to
the morgue.
”

“
You
’
re a crazy motherfucker, man.
”

“
Where
’
s Aldo?
”
I asked.

“
Waiting
for you. We have to be secure about this. There
’
s
risk.
”

“
There
’
s risk just sneaking up on me
like that,
”
I said.
“
And you left Winter alone.
”

“
I
’
m not at liberty to talk,
”
the guy said and turned around.

The guy on the floor was wheezing
now. I reached down and lifted him, grunting as I turned him.

“
There,
”
I said.
“
So the blood flows out. You might survive.
”

I sat back and caught my reflection
in the rearview mirror. I was smiling.
Smiling.
Why? Because I had just
beaten some guy half to death for no real reason? My smile faded. This was why
Winter shouldn
’
t have been
near me. We shouldn
’
t have
slept together (over and over and over again). She shouldn
’
t have shown me pictures or
anything.

I was in too deep.

Aldo probably knew it.

The car stopped and I was led into
the back of a warehouse. It was some kind of storage center, no doubt a front
for Aldo and his business connections. For every one legit storage unit rented,
there was probably ten with bodies or stolen shit inside.

There were two men guarding the
main office door. They frisked me, took my gun, and then opened the door.

And there he was.

Aldo.

Leaning against a desk, arms
folded.

The office looked like any other
normal office.

Aldo reached down and grabbed a
picture frame from the desk. He turned it around and pointed to it. It was of a
man and woman, cheek to cheek, smiling. They were on some mountain, smiling
big.

“
You
know who this is?
”
Aldo
asked.

“
No
idea,
”
I said.

“
His
name was Andrew. Worked here. Manager type. But then he kept poking at me. Got
real fucking annoying. You know where he is now?
”

“
One
of the storage units?
”
I
asked.

“
No.
He loved his job so much. He told me that. This was his goddamn career. So I
had him buried right beneath this floor.
”

It made me shiver to think. Some
guy tossed into concrete as it was poured for a new floor in the office.

But that was how Aldo and his
family
did business. They did what they wanted, when they wanted, and they
generally acted upon emotion. And Aldo always kept his cool.

“
How
’
s Endo?
”
I asked.

“
Tripp,
I know you
’
re a smart guy,
”
Aldo said.
“
It was always strange to me to
see someone like you fighting on the streets. You were like a dog fighting for
a piece of old meat. But you could fight. And you listened. You never asked for
more than what I was willing to give you.
”

That was probably the best form of
a compliment I
’
d ever
gotten from Aldo.

“
Do
you understand what I
’
m
getting at?
”
Aldo asked.

“
I
’
m not sure.
”

“
You
came here to protect Winter. That was your job. You know, the Red Aces have
come to me several times for assistance. No different this time. But I know
what I was looking for. Guilt is a powerful thing, Tripp.
”

“
Guilt?
”
I asked.

“
I
know everything,
”
Aldo
said. He pushed from the desk.
“
Everything.
”

“
Meaning?
”

“
You
know why you
’
re here now,
”
he said.
“
Not to protect her, Tripp. I
want to know where my granddaughter is.
”

The words came at me, attacked me,
and I stepped back.

“
So
you know,
”
Aldo said with a
grin. He put a hand out.
“
I
’
m not mad at you, Tripp. You
went above and beyond, like I knew you would. I knew you wouldn
’
t be able to resist her. She
’
s a beautiful woman. Just
tainted.
”

“
How?
”
I asked.

“
Endo,
”
Aldo said.
“
The guilt. It was eating him up.
See, we had a meeting about making him. Think of it as a promotion. He
’
d be on my level in the family.
With that kind of power comes a responsibility that not many can take on. So he
started talking. Told me about a deal he had with the Red Aces. About a woman
he met. And how she fucked him over. Tricked him into getting her pregnant.
”

“
That
’
s not how it happened,
”
I said.

“
You
were there?
”

“
No.
But Winter
…”

“
Is
manipulative,
”
Aldo said.
“
The second she was done with
Endo she moved on to the next guy. Rocky. Poor Rocky met his death and now she
’
s latched onto you. Right?
”

I gritted my teeth, refusing to
answer.

“
Oh,
come on, Tripp,
”
Aldo said.
“
You
’
re telling me you haven
’
t fucked her yet? I know you. You like to fight and
fuck. That
’
s your gig.
”

I swallowed hard and started to
feel angry. I felt used. I felt like I was part of a plan that I wanted nothing
to do with. Worse yet, my heart had been put in the middle of everything too. I
really cared about Winter. I think I loved her.

“
Trust
me, I know I
’
m right,
”
Aldo said.

“
Yeah,
okay,
”
I said.
“
What do you want me to do?
”

“
She
has to know,
”
Aldo said.
“
My son is in a hospital bed
right now. We started talking about the kid before the fight and the gunshot.
He was drunk as anything, almost weeping, feeling embarrassed that he hurt the
bloodline. But the thing is, Tripp, all that shit is for the movies. It
’
s a guideline. And with Endo in
a coma, that child is my only blood now. So I guess you could say there
’
s a provision.
”

“
You
think Winter knows where she is?
”

Aldo nodded.
“
Nobody just gives it up like
that. That woman always has a motive. And I
’
m
sure Endo knows, but he
’
s
not waking up. And I
’
m not
waiting any longer. Someone out there is my blood. Do you realize what that
means to me?
”

“
No,
I don
’
t, Aldo. I don
’
t know much about you. My job
has been to fight and win you money.
”

Aldo laughed. He crept forward and
patted my cheek.
“
Too bad
you
’
re the wrong blood.
Bunch of Irishmen. Wild things. Can
’
t
have that too close to me. Tripp, you
’
ve
gone above and you need to keep going. Winter
’
s
life is in danger, yes. But it
’
s
going to be me who makes the call on her life. I want my granddaughter.
”

Jesus Christ
…
I swallowed hard
again. I forced myself to nod.

“
You
know, we talked,
”
I said.
“
She opened up.
”

“
Legs?
”

“
Her
fucking heart,
”
I yelled.
“
She told me all she knows. Endo
paid for the pregnancy to be hidden. He paid for her to deliver the baby and
had everything arranged for the baby to be taken. That
’
s the last she knew. Endo left her hanging.
”

“
You
really believe all that shit,
”
Aldo said.
“
Pull your head
out of her pussy for a second.
”

“
Fine.
The other thing I know about is Skull X. That
’
s
where the answers are going to be.
”

“
Then
find them.
”

“
Why
can
’
t you?
”
I asked.
“
You have power.
”

“
The
bloodline,
”
Aldo said.
“
This is touchy still. I can
’
t just run around like a damn
fool.
”
Aldo came closer.
“
So here
’
s what you
’
re
going to do. First, you
’
re
going to keep your dick to yourself. No more fucking Winter. It
’
s done. Second, you
’
re going to go back to her with
the assumption that she knows more than she
’
s
been telling you. Remember who she is. A fucking stripper. She got paid to do
that. Then she won over Endo. Then she won over Rocky. Put it all together for
a second, Tripp.
”

That was the problem. My mind was
putting it together. And I hated that it made some kind of sense.

“
Do
you understand me?
”
Aldo
asked.

“
Sure.
”

“
You
’
re on your own from here. I want
answers and I want my granddaughter.
”

I thought for a second.
“
Aldo, if this Skull X group is
serious
…
they killed
Rocky.  They went after Endo too. Do you understand that? If they
…”

Aldo put a hand to my shoulder. He
kissed my cheek.
“
Don
’
t fuck this up, Tripp. You
’
re still owed a bullet to the
head. It
’
s just a matter of
time and what you can do for me. As far as Rocky goes, I had to do something to
bring this to life. Okay?
”

For a second I thought my heart
stopped.

Aldo killed Rocky.

“
Now
if you don
’
t mind, I have
to go visit my son,
”
Aldo
said.

Aldo left the room.

I stood there alone.

Everything I knew was a fucking
lie.

Typical.