Havoc (Los Desperados MC) (18 page)

It took me a while, but I finally managed to get to my feet. I was tangled in Julian’s heavy arms and he had fallen asleep with me still locked in his embrace. Once I was up I took a deep breath of the salty air and let the night’s wind toss and turn the hair on my head, sending locks spiraling above and behind me. There were a million stars above us and the ocean in front, but we only had one place to go: back to Los Desperados’ headquarters. I didn’t know if we were still bothering with the pretense of pretending we weren’t together, but I didn’t really care. People were always going to gossip and talk; it didn’t matter if you were guilty or innocent of whatever they said. I had never bothered myself with it before and didn’t care about it now. It was different for Julian, though. He was high up in Los Desperados’ hierarchy and I knew he must have worked hard to get there. It mattered to the other guys who you were with, what your old lady was like. It was important that she show respect, but not be a pushover, she still had to be fun.

But I wasn’t an old lady. I was a biker chick and that’s a horse of a different color. I wouldn’t be sitting at home playing house. I wouldn’t clean his clothes or make him dinner. I would be out riding, too. But for some bikers there was a sense of pride in having a biker chick that was just as tough as the men. It took a real man to hold onto a woman like that. That was probably why Paul had been so mad when I left him and so eager to get me back.

I didn't want to think about Paul. I had mourned him enough. Any more and it would just be punishment for punishment’s sake. I didn’t need to punish myself. Paul was a biker through and through and he knew what that meant. He had always known that he wasn’t going to retire to a condo in Florida. Bikers die in the game; it’s the cost of doing business and no one ever said it was going to be any other way.

I was naked in the moonlight. I could feel the wind on my thighs and my breasts and my stomach, places the ocean wind had never touched before. I didn’t feel self-conscious or awkward, I felt wonderfully alive. Julian was still lying in the grass where I left him. He was sleeping lightly, one hand underneath his head, his body facing the sky. I smiled over at him; everything between us was so complicated, until it wasn’t. When the two of us became one I remembered everything we were to each other. I remembered how we helped fill in the gaps where the other was lacking. We were good for each other; it was the world that was a mess.

Still naked my bare feet took me over the cool sand and towards the water’s edge. I could hear the waves and see the white caps in the moonlight as they crested and then crashed, spraying foam and salt as far as the wave could. The water ran up the shore and towards my feet and then it surrounded me with cool ocean water that made my skin break into goose bumps. My feet sank into the sand as wave after wave sent water running up before retreating back down the sand.

I stared out into the moonlit ocean and wondered what I was really doing. I had been going through the motions with Los Desperados, I had needed a job and a place to stay and they had been the only ones offering. But now I didn't have to go back. I could leave. I could tell Julian enough was enough and I could ride off into the night and make a new life for myself somewhere else. Maybe I could go down to one of those border towns in the desert, or maybe up to New York City.

And then what? I couldn’t see myself actually living in any of those places. I only saw myself leaving this one. The problem was, I didn’t want to leave. It was Julian; he was like a magnet that kept pulling me back. My mind railed against it and gave me a million great reasons why I should leave. But my heart just laughed and told me I wasn’t going anywhere without him.

I turned and walked back towards Julian, my feet pressing into the sand, the moonlight shining on my naked body, the salty wind caressing me.

“Well, isn’t this a sight, and me without my camera,” Julian was giving me a crooked grin as I walked over to him.

I remembered my un-perfect thighs, and my belly, and for a moment I thought to cover myself up. But it would do no good. Besides, it wasn’t like he hadn’t already seen me naked more than once.

He was half dressed, in his jeans, but his chest was still bare. “What were you doing?” he asked.

“Getting my feet wet,” I said.

“Naked? Why didn’t you ask me to come?”

“You were sleeping, I didn’t want to wake you,” I answered as I slipped into my panties and jeans and then did the clasp on my bra and slipped my shirt over my head. “We should head back anyway. People are going to wonder where we are.”

“People are going to wonder where
you
are. I can go wherever I want.”

“Must be nice,” I said rolling my eyes.

He stood and put his shirt on before walking over to me and placing his hand on that place where my shoulder and my neck met. He pulled me to him and kissed me deeply as his arms encircled my waist. I brought my hands up to his face and then around his neck as we kissed each other and I remembered how wonderful it was to be held by him.

“But you are right,” he said as he finally pulled away from me. “We should be getting back.”

Hand in hand we walked to our bikes and put our helmets on and revved the engines. I let Julian lead this time as we retraced our route back home. The coastal road was empty and we drove side by side with the ocean on our left. The ocean looked like a dark endless pool, the only light where the moon was reflected in its placid surface far out near the horizon.

The drive was quieter and slower, but I was grateful for it. I had enough high-speed chases for one day. It was nice to just ride with Julian, to be beside him when the road was empty and slip behind him when there were other cars. I didn’t bother with road signs or anything else. I just watched his back in front of me and made sure he was never too far away.

We were on the long, empty road to Los Desperados’ headquarters when we first realized something was wrong. The clubhouse was between hills on the road and there was no way to see too far ahead, but we heard something. At first I thought it might be fireworks as I heard the loud staccato of a dozens of pops, one right after the other. But no, that’s not what fireworks sounded like. These sounds were too spread out. There was no rhythm to them.

I was riding beside Julian when we first heard the noise and I turned to look at him and he looked at me and then he looked forward as he concentrated on the noise. And then, together, we both realized what we were hearing. Gunfire.

Julian gunned his engine and I did the same and we went faster and faster as we raced to Los Desperados’ headquarters. As we crested the last hill I saw the chaos that awaited us. There was a huge orange fire in the parking lot and I watched as a man with a torch raced for the building only to be gunned down ten steps away. Guns were going off loudly and there were bodies strewn everywhere.

I recognized The Bandits; they were back for one last try at Los Desperados. The Bandits each had a bandana over their mouths and they had built a giant fire in the parking lot and were using the bright flame and smoke as cover. It looked like the entire gang had come out; there were no less than fifty Bandit bikes behind the fire.

Los Desperados was taking none of it lying down. They had busted out the windows from the apartment and got on the roof and were using their positions to act as sharpshooters to stop any of the Bandits from attempting to attack the clubhouse itself. The Bandits were doing similar, long range rifles being assembled in the dark parking lot as men raced to create an offensive position.

I looked at Julian and we both quieted the engines of our bikes and cut the lights as we made our way to The Bandits’ rear position.

Julian took the lead and he revved his engine loudly and shot down the dark street towards home. I revved my engine behind him and followed going faster and faster as the building and the fire loomed in front of us. We didn't slow down. We kept racing straight for the fire and The Bandits that were hiding behind it.

I didn’t think about loyalties. I didn’t think about who was right or who was wrong. This was a war; there was no good side, only the winning side. The Bandits might come and cause some chaos and destruction, but Los Desperados were tougher and more powerful than anyone had guessed. They would rebound from this and every other attack The Bandits would attempt. If this kept going it would only weaken my former gang. They needed to accept their losses and move on, just like I had.

What would happen when they saw me in the fray and I didn’t join their side? I knew they suspected I had turned and joined Los Desperados, but this would be a confirmation. I could already hear Big Mike screaming about it. He would rant and rave about how he had taken a chance on me, how I was nothing without him, and this was how I repaid him.  Why do men always think they’re the reason women are successful?

Julian kept speeding up and he turned towards a line of Bandits who were creating a defensive line around a half constructed long-range sniper rifle. He raced right at them and at the last minute someone finally noticed him and they all screamed and jumped back as Julian rode his bike right through them. I heard a man yell and there was a loud thump as someone went under Julian’s wheels. With a quickness you would never expect from a man so large, Julian jumped off his bike and had his Glock out in one smooth motion.

Someone had their gun pointed at Julian and I revved my engine and headed right for him. I heard him scream when he saw me and then he tried to jump out of the way, but it was too late as I felt a thump and heard a sickening crack as my bike crushed his right leg. His screams echoed around me sending a shiver down my spine. Following Julian’s lead I dismounted, and then realized I didn’t have a gun. Los Desperados trusted me to a point, but that point didn’t include a gun.

I might not have a weapon, but the guy with the broken leg did. I didn't recognize him and I didn’t bother to try. He was screaming and holding his leg and I gave him a swift kick to his head that knocked him out cold. I opened his jacket and felt for his heartbeat and heard its even thump. Once I was sure he was alive I started searching through his pockets until I saw two Glocks and an extra magazine. I grabbed them both just in time as a Bandit came running at me, but before I could shoot the runner, he was hit, his body pushed back as blood sprayed the ground beneath him.

I spun around and Julian was behind me. He gave me a nod and, together, we started taking out The Bandits in the parking lot. There were still about five men desperately trying to put together a long-range rifle and we advanced on them, aiming and shooting, picking off three of them before the other two ran away.

I gave Julian cover as he picked up the half-assembled rifle and threw it into the fire. It was a shame to waste such a good weapon, but better it be destroyed than in the hands of our enemy.  I heard a cheer erupted from above us and the firing from Los Desperados increased as the arrival of Julian and myself had reinvigorated the troops.

The Bandits were being pushed back as other members of Los Desperados poured out of the clubhouse and into the parking lot. The Bandits couldn’t use the fire as a shield and they were retreating back towards their bikes, but motorcycles didn’t offer any real protection and Julian and I quickly advanced on them again.

Just as we took a step forward there was a spray of machine gun fire creating a line in the dirt right in front of us. I jumped back, but the fire was behind me. I stumbled too close to the flames, and jumped forward, but the bullets were pushing me back. I ran to the left to go around, but when I got to the other side, Julian was no longer with me.

I scanned the parking lot for him, but the darkness and the flames made it almost impossible to see. I opened my mouth to shout for him and then thought better. I didn’t want to give his or my position away. I reloaded my gun and took stock of my surroundings. Julian would be fine, and he knew how to fight. I needed to look after myself and any Los Desperados who were in trouble.

I saw a group of about three men circling around the clubhouse, trying to find a way in. As quietly as I could I ran over, hugging the exterior walls of the clubhouse as they came into my sights. And then I recognized them:

Jamie, Jeff, and Joey, they were three eager young idiots who had only joined Los Desperados in the last year. Jamie and Jeff were Big Mike’s nephews and Joey was a friend who had joined the gang with them. They were all twenty-one and had more energy than sense. They were the first to run into any fight and usually the first to run out of it, as well. They were loud and boisterous and too young to lose their lives in this fight. I wondered who had allowed them to come. Were The Bandits so desperate that they were sending kids in to fight their battles now?

“Hey!” I hissed at them, and as one they turned towards me wide-eyed and terrified.

“Holy shit, Daniela, it is you,” one of them said through gasping breaths.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I demanded.

“We’re rescuing you,” one said, but there was a wavering confusion in his voice. “And we’re looking for Paul. No one’s seen him since he went to track you down.”

“Daniela, they’re saying you joined Los Desperados. Is that true?” another asked as he looked warily at my gun. “You wouldn’t do that, would you?”

“It’s complicated. And Paul’s dead,” I said. “You guys need to go, go back to Big Mike and tell him he can’t win this war against Los Desperados. They have more guns and money than we thought. A lot more. The Bandits need to leave this thing with Los Desperados alone. Go back to business and forget about me.”

“We can’t forget about a brother...er sister.”

“Plus, Daniela, Uncle Mike has a plan. A good one.”

“No-” I started, but I was interrupted.

“Uncle Mike knows you know about the upcoming heist with the gold bars. He figured that either you or Paul told them. But we can screw them over, Daniela. The empty lot where we work, wait with Los Desperados there.” I looked at them confused, that had been my plan. How could they have known? “The thing is, we aren’t taking the truck to the lot. We got a guy on the inside. He’s going to fuck with the engine and the radio, the van is gonna break down about thirty miles into the trip, it’ll pull over to the side with a smoking engine, and we’ll be waiting for them. Meanwhile, you lead Los Desperados to the lot. You lead them in and we’ll take them out. We can destroy Los Desperados and make ten million in one swoop.”

“You’ll do it, right, Daniela?”

“Of course she will, stupid. No one is more loyal to The Bandits than Daniela, Uncle Mike said so himself.”

I stared at them open-mouthed. Mike had that much faith in me. I almost couldn’t believe it. But Mike had always supported me, ever since the beginning when I was a rookie twenty-two year old with a brand new bike. It was a typical Bandit job, well planned and, with my help, perfectly executed. If I could, would I help? I didn’t even know anymore. Could I do it? It was a good plan. That was how Big Mike had come to lead The Bandits, with good strategy. It was why Los Desperados had attacked us; even in their best moments they couldn't plan like BIg Mike could. They could only pick up his scraps.

“Let’s go, time to ride!” I heard a voice yell as a cheer went up from the Los Desperados side. The Bandits had been beaten back again and they were all racing towards their bikes and hurrying to get out of there.

“Go, you morons,” I screamed to them and I watched as the three of them gratefully turned away and raced for their bikes, tripping over each other and their own feet. I tried not to think about what they had said. I wish I hadn’t heard it all. I didn’t know what to do with it. I could help Big Mike and my own crew and all I would need to do is nothing. For The Bandits to win I would just needed to stick with the plan I had given Los Desperados. But if I did that they would all be killed, even Julian. He was bound to be there. There was no way he would let me steal ten million in gold bars alone.

Where was Julian? I ran back towards the fire that was being doused with water and dirt by Los Desperados, but there was no sign of him. I ran farther out into the parking lot where I could hear the grunting and hitting sounds of two men fighting. I raced towards the sound in time to see Julian pounding in the face of one of The Bandits.

“Julian!” I screamed, but he just kept hitting the other man over and over again, turning his face into hamburger meat.

“You don’t know shit!” I heard Julian shout and I realized he was yelling at the man on the ground. But The Bandit he was talking to was out cold.

“Julian, stop!” I yelled as I grabbed his arm and pulled him off The Bandit. He turned to look at me with fire in his eyes and his fist raised and for the first time in my life I was scared of what I saw there. But once he saw me he started to calm down and he lowered his fists as I took his face in my hands. “It’s over,” I said “we won.”

“Did we?”