Inferno: A Devil Chaser's MC Romance (7 page)

Bishop made his way over to Taylor as she was about to push Renegade again. He grabbed her wrist and said, “Taylor, that’s enough. This isn’t anyone’s fault. As terrible as all this is, your brother knew what he was getting into when he left last night. He wanted to go. No one could’ve predicted that things would turn out like this. It’s been painful for all of us, especially Renegade. You know how close they were, and Ace wouldn’t want you laying blame like this. You gotta know we didn’t mean for this to happen,” Bishop said as he moved closer to her. He had only met Taylor a couple of times, but he knew she loved her brother. There was no doubt that she was hurting.

“Oh Bishop, I can’t believe he’s gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do without him. He meant the world to me. How am I supposed to just accept this?” Taylor cried as she turned and wrapped her arms around Bishop’s neck. She clung to him as the tears flowed down her face. Bishop held her to his chest until she was able to calm down.

“I know this is gonna be rough for you, Taylor. We’ll all be here for you. You’re part of this family, and we’re going to look after you.” He continued to hold her as he spoke to her softly. His hand reached under her chin and lifted her face so their eyes met. “It’s late, and you need to get some rest. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow after the service. Come on, I’ll run you home,” Bishop said as he started to guide her out the door.

“Hold up, Bishop. I’ll take her. It’s on my way,” Renegade said with determination as he took her hand. He never looked back as he led her out the door. His actions surprised Bishop. He didn’t expect him to want to get involved with her like this. Maybe there was more to this than he realized.

Sheppard turned to him and said, “Tomorrow is going to be tough. It’s been a long time since we had to bury one of our brothers, but we need to start making a plan for what happens next.”

“I’ll get in contact with Duce in the morning and set up the meet for Monday. It’s time to cut all ties with them, but we’ll need to be prepared for their reaction. I wanna avoid a lockdown at the clubhouse, but we’ll do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing that motherfucker’s face when we tell him we’re done with them. He won’t be happy. Did you get the contractors lined up for the garage remodel?”

“Yeah, they’re ready to get started. I just need to finalize the plans, and they’re set to go. It’ll be good to have something to look forward to. I’m headed to the house,” Bishop said. As he started to leave, he reached in his pocket for Tessa’s keys. “I need you to do me a favor. There’s a red Buick on the side of the road down by Matt’s Pub. The alternator went out on it. I need you to tell Bulldog and Otis to get the trailer and bring the car back to the garage in the morning. Get one of the guys to fix it. I’ll need them to return it to the owner when you’re done. I’ll text you the address.”

“Sure thing. I’ll get it taken care of. Belong to anyone I might know?” Sheppard asked with a smile.

“Doubt it. Thanks, and I’ll get you that address first thing in the morning,” Bishop replied as he left the kitchen. He was exhausted and needed to get some rest before the funeral tomorrow. Things were going to be hectic over the next few weeks, and he would have to be diligent to make sure things were done right.

Dealing with Duce was going to be a hassle, but he found himself looking forward to meeting with him. The last time Duce showed his face, he made a serious mistake. His threats could easily lead to a war between their clubs, but Bishop didn’t want to lose any more of his men. He would keep them safe at all costs. He would deal with Duce without putting his men in jeopardy. Duce was a fuckup, and it wouldn’t
be difficult to find a way to bring him down. 

Chapter 12

Tessa

The weekend had rolled by with no word from Bishop. On Saturday, when she had finally woken up, she had found her car sitting in the driveway. It was running great, but there hadn’t even been a note left behind. While she was out shopping with Courtney, she had found herself constantly checking her phone for a missed call or text from Bishop. She wasn’t even sure he had her number. By Sunday night when the kids had come home, she’d realized she wouldn’t be hearing from him, and she found herself more than a little disappointed. She’d really thought it would be up to her whether they continued what they had started, but it looked like he may have made the decision for them both. Maybe it would just be easier that way. She told herself that it didn’t really mean anything, and he had just been a flash in the pan. It didn’t keep her from feeling just a little bit sorry for herself though.

By Tuesday, she was flat out pissed about the whole thing. She was mad at herself for wallowing over some man. She found herself mad at him for kissing her in the first place. It wasn’t like she was some two dollar whore he’d met at some motorcycle rally. He hadn’t even tried to pick up the damn phone to just touch base with her. Hell, he could at least have texted her at some point.
      

She was dreading facing him after school when he picked up Myles. They had finished all the signs, completed their list of donations, and started gathering what they needed for each game. Myles had really seemed to enjoy spending time with Drake and his friends. They had laughed and made plans to meet up at Friday night’s football game.

“That’ll be cool. I’ll meet you at the gate at 7:00,” Myles told Drake. He put on his backpack and turned to Tessa to say, “Ms. Campbell, Dad should be here any minute. I should probably head out front.”

“I’ll walk out with you,” Tessa replied. She straightened her pencil skirt and brushed the lint off her navy sweater. They didn’t talk as they made their way to the door. Tessa was feeling uneasy about seeing Bishop. She was still pissed about how things had been left between them.

It was twenty minutes after 5 o’clock when Myles asked her, “Do you mind if I go call Dad? He’s had a lot going on and may have forgotten to come get me.”

“Sure, I left my phone in my room on my desk. You can run and go get it and give him a call. I’ll wait here in case shows up while you’re gone.” It didn’t take long for him to return from making his call.

“He’s on his way. He was running late from a meeting with his contractor. He’s remodeling his garage,” Myles said with a grimace. “I’m sorry he’s so late.”

“It’s no problem. I don’t mind waiting. Sounds like your dad has been busy.”

“Yeah, we had a funeral for Ace on Saturday, and he was gone all day Monday meeting with some asshole from another club.”

“Language, Myles,” Tessa said firmly, then asked, “Was this Ace a friend of your dad’s?”

“Yeah, he was one of the brothers from the club. He was really tight with Dad. The funeral was pretty sad, and everyone was really upset. Ace’s sister was a mess,” Myles replied with a heartbreaking look on his face.

“I hate to hear that. That must’ve been rough.” Tessa began to feel a little guilty about being so mad at Bishop. Just then, he pulled into the parking lot and quickly got off his bike. Tessa walked down the steps with Myles to meet him halfway.

“Sorry, buddy. Time got away from me today,” Bishop said. “Grab your stuff and head to the bike. I need a minute with Ms. Campbell.” Bishop turned to Tessa with an intense look in his eyes. He waited until Myles had reached the bike before he spoke.

He took a few steps toward her and leaned in close as he said, “You know what those skirts do to me, so I’m guessing you were thinking about me when you got all dolled up this morning.”

Tessa placed her hand on her hip and said, “Actually, you’re right, Bishop. I was thinking about you this morning. I was thinking about all the different ways I could remove your testicles from your body without actually going to jail. Let’s just say that I have a very vivid imagination. I can be pretty crafty when I want to be.”

Bishop chuckled. “Ahh… you were thinking about my balls, were ya? Well, that’s a start. Personally, I’d hate to see anything happen to them. I like having my guys around. You might like ‘em, too, if you give them a chance,” he replied with a sexy smile.

“Myles mentioned that you had a busy weekend, so they’re safe for now.” Tessa’s expression softened as she said, “I wanted to thank you for getting my car fixed. I know you had a lot going on, and I appreciate you taking the time to do that for me.”

“No need to thank me. I wanted to do it.”

“Well, I really appreciate it. It’s running great. Your guys did a great job,”

“I should’ve made time to call. It’s just been a really shitty couple of days, but things are looking up. Just seeing you today has already made things a lot better.” He leaned in closer, just inches from her, “You got plans for Friday night?”

“I’m taking the kids to the football game. Actually, Myles made plans to meet my son, Drake, there around 7 o’clock. He’s been getting to know him while we’ve been working these past few weeks. I think he’s become pretty good friends with Drake and some of the other kids.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Myles told me about him the other night. How ‘bout we go to the football game together? We can grab some pizza when it’s over and maybe run by the clubhouse after that.”

“I’ll see if Courtney can watch the kids after the game. If she can, it sounds like a plan,” Tessa said with a smile.

“Great. I’ll be in touch this week,” Bishop brushed his knuckles across her cheek. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to leave. “Yep, you definitely made it a better day.”

Tessa watched Bishop and Myles pull away from the parking lot. She was already looking forward to Friday night. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been on an actual date, and she knew the outfit she’d bought with Courtney on Saturday would be perfect to wear to the game.

Chapter 13

Bishop

Bishop’s mood had improved considerably after seeing Tessa. He was surprised how much better he felt just seeing her standing there waiting for him in front of the school. Seeing her gave his mind a break from the past few days. As he made his way back to the garage, his mind wandered back to his meet with Duce.

Duce brought his VP and his club Enforcer to their clubhouse on Monday. Duce had on his worn out Diablo’s cut, and his hair was slicked back. He was shorter than Bishop, but he was far from a small man. He was just over six feet tall and was built like a linebacker. His eyes were jet black like his hair, and he reminded Bishop of one of the old mob guys from those gangster movies. His VP, Link, was a much older man with a long white beard that touched his chest. He was on the smaller side, and he stood close to Mule, their Enforcer. Mule was at least six foot three, and his muscles rippled through his tight shirt. His cut looked too small for him, but he obviously wore it with pride. Mule gave them all a fierce look as their discussion turned into a heated argument.

“Ace’s blood is on your hands. Your men were drunk and reckless, and it cost me one of my best men. We buried him on Saturday along with any ties we have with you and your club,” Bishop said with conviction.

“Your man is the one that made the mistake Saturday night. He should’ve been more careful. You can’t put that shit on us.”

“Your men were drinking and put both of our clubs at risk. You should have a better handle on your guys. I’m not putting my men in a situation like that again.”

“My guys handled the
situation
! They got rid of the cop and cleaned up the mess when your men left them in the middle of a shit storm. Just a bunch of fucking pussies!” Duce spat out.

“We’re done,” Bishop said as he crossed his arms and gave Duce an evil glare.

“The hell you say. I’ll tell
you
when we’re done! We’ve been doing this for ten years, and we’re not about to stop now,” Duce shouted as he jabbed his finger in Bishop’s chest. “I’ve got too many people expecting their shipments, and I’m not taking the heat because you’ve decided you want out!”

Suddenly, Goliath’s voice thundered, “Motherfucker, you need to step back now while you still can! One step closer, and I’ll take you out myself.” He took a menacing step towards Duce as he clenched his fists.

“We’re done here, Duce. No need for any more of this bullshit. You’ll have to find another supplier. We’ve had a decent run of it while it lasted, but I’m not interested in continuing this shit anymore. This conversation is over. Get on your bike and head out,” Bishop continued as he motioned to the door.

“This is far from over, Bishop. You just opened the gates of hell. Your MC released an inferno, and now you’re gonna
burn
,” Duce hissed as he began to walk out the door with his men.

“Bring it on. You don’t wanna fuck with me, asshole,” Bishop said vehemently.
 

Bishop told his brothers to keep an eye out for the next few weeks. He knew that Duce was a hothead, and there would be trouble after their meeting. They would need to be prepared for whatever came their way. Crack Nut Bobby upgraded their security system and cameras, so they would be able access the cameras at any time from their cell phones. He ordered a fourteen foot security swing gate to be installed that included the new addition to the garage. The gate could be operated by a central keypad with a code or from the app installed on each of the club member’s phones. Ten motion sensors and exterior lights were installed throughout the property. Bobby set up a 32-inch widescreen LCD monitor in his room at the clubhouse, so he would be able to keep an eye on things. He’d always had a way with gadgets. What he lacked in common sense, he made up for with his expertise in technology. He truly had a gift with computers, and he made hacking look easy. He couldn’t tell you what he had for lunch that day, but he could defragment, reimage, and black hat with the best of them. He had a knack for breaking into computer systems and provided the club with information about surrounding clubs whenever they needed it.