Payback (Dueling Devils) (4 page)

She saw it in the murderous inten
tions in his eyes. The brown practically turned black with rage. It reminded her of how much she needed to learn about the man she’d practically married.

A ring tone sounded. Rambler stood. “I need to take this.”

Ardy watched him leave with her heart in her throat.

Chapter Two

D
emon walked into the clubhouse, following the two massive prospects with Lefty behind him.

The
Loa Calaveras bordered the Southern portion of town, a few miles out of Newsom city limits. Family oriented, they had a well known affinity for minding their own business. They’d formed a M.C. around the same time as the Dueling Devils, about fifty years ago. After immigrating into the southwestern town from Mexico, the members banded together for safety. They quickly earned themselves respect and a safe place to raise their families. It made sense for Los Calaveras and the Dueling Devils to be allies, so they struck a deal to stay on their side of the city limits. When motherfuckers rolled in looking for trouble, they came together to put them down.

The room seemed
quiet. People lay passed out at tables, on couches and the floor. Speedy, the President stepped up and offered his hand. “You missed one hell of a party brother, but I’m guessing you aren’t’ here for entertainment.” The burly man grinned. His once coal black hair had turned silver. But the sharpness in his eyes remained.

He’d been the leader for as long as Demon could remember. He trusted Speedy as much as he could anyone who wasn’t
actually apart of his own set. “I’m afraid not,” Demon replied.

Speedy inclined his head. “It never says quiet for long, does it?”

“Shit, no.”

Speedy smile
d. “Come on then young Porter, we’ll step into my office.”

“Ain
’t nothing young about me anymore, Juan,” Demon commented amused. It’d been a long time since he heard his given name.

“Compared to me
, you’re practically a newborn, Jonah.”

Demon tilted his
head back and laughed. “You aren’t that old.”

“
Bless you mijo,” Speedy snorted as they stepped inside and shut the door.

“Where’s Creeper?” Demon said glancing around for the hulking shadow never too far away from.

“Hah.” Speedy grinned. “He’s down for a little R&R with a group of bitches, if you know what I mean.”

Lefty laughed. “Yeah
, we get you.”

“Sit, let’s talk shop.” The humor left Speedy’s
eyes as he sank down in the chair behind his desk.

“Sidewinders h
it my house, came after my kids and put a plant in the club.”

“Shit! Didn’
t think they had it in them.” Speedy shook his head.

“Yeah, me either. That was my first mistake,” Demon said scrubbing a hand over his face. “He came a hair
’s breath from snatching my family, so you know I have to shut him down.”

“Understandable and expected. You know we got your back. What’s your next move?”

“I want to shut his shit down…permanently.”

“You need men?”

“That and information. Why get bold all of a sudden? Who’s he working with?” Demon asked.

Speedy frowned. “No one likes them. You don’t make deals with double crossers. That’s why they never grew in size. They just exist on the outskirts
, like cast aside garbage.”

“Guess they
got tired of that,” Lefty interjected.

“Why
target you, though?” Speedy wondered aloud.

“An
other good question,” Demon stated rubbing the hair on his chin.

“I can put some feelers
out if you’d like,” Speedy offered.

“Yeah, we’re not going to be able to get close to him at all. It’s clear he’s been watching me for a long time.” The thought got under his skin.

“Consider it done. You hitting up the Night Riders in the north?”

Demon shrugged.
“Do you think I should? Best I figure, they might be in on it.”

“What would they have to gain? They got that shit up there on lock.
I never had a problem with them.” Speedy shook his head. “The fucker might just be crazy. He’s got that look about him.”

“True enough,” Demon agreed
. “For now, this stays between us.”

“My lips are sealed Mijo.”

Demon stood and tapped the desk. “Thanks. Let me know what you unearth.”

“You’ll know the minute I do.” Speedy stood. “I’ll see you out. Unless you want to scrounge up some trim.”

Lefty snorted. “Oh no, Pres is a taken man now.”

“You got
an old lady?” Speedy looked shocked.

“Yeah
and I’m just as surprised as you.”

“Fuck
, now I really feel old!”

Lefty laughed.

“Wait till the shit blindsides you. I’ll be there to rub it in,” Demon growled.

“Oh no,
ain’t no one clipping these wings,” Lefty argued.

They stepped out the
clubhouse into the sunshine and a light bulb went off in Demon’s head. “We need to find out everything we can about Louis Castile. I get the feeling this bastard isn’t who he makes himself out to be.”

“Want me to
get the techs on it?” Lefty asked, pulling out his phone.

“Yeah, but we both know the best place to get information is Taffy’s. Weak willed men get liquor in them and all kinds of shit slips out. They discount the girls becau
se they’re nothing more than a bit of tits and ass.” Demon shook his head.

“Which is why we keep t
hem paid up to listen in for us.”

“They won’t be open, but
we can hit up Gia at her house.”

“Yeah, she never did turn you down for anything.” Lefty smirked.

“Look. That shit was over a long time ago.”

“Hmm, somehow
…I don’t think she knows that.”

“I ain’t been in
that bitches bed for a year. I’d say it’s pretty clear.”

Lefty shook his head. “It’s all in the way she looks at you, brother. I’m just giving you fair warning.”

“I don’t have time for this. Bitch gets out of line and I’ll put her back in her place.”

Lefty nodded.

The silent treatment had Demon rolling his eyes.
“I swear you’re more dramatic than a teenager on her period. You sweet on Gia? You want to go for her, be my guest.”

“I didn’t say that.
”

“You didn’t have to. Every time we shared her
, your eyes said it all.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, business first, then you can try to get the bitch in your bed,” Demon suggested while mounting his bike and turning the key.

t took twenty minutes to get there.
Gia lived on the nice side of town in a two-story home with a pool and a perfectly manicured lawn, laden with flowers and girly ass statues. As they pulled into her driveway, Demon bit back a laugh.

Her neighbors would
faint if they knew the enterprise that funded her lifestyle. She was a self-made bitch who climbed her way from the bottom and went from making money for others to making it for herself.

Demon admired that.
Apparently not as much as Lefty, though.
The thought of his right in command being sweet on the ex-stripper, would be laughable if he weren’t in business mode. They cut the engines. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and pressed speed dial.

“You finally coming back for some of this good loving, D?” A husky, sleep laden voice whispered.

“Let me be the first to tell you I’m off the market.”

“What?
” She squawked.

“That’
s beside the point. We’re here on business.”

Gia cleared her throat. “Did I do something?”

“Shit naw, Gia. It’s nothing like that. Things with the club are going great. Listen, Lefty is here with me. We need to come indoors to talk about this.”

“Yeah, okay.
Give me five and I’ll be down.” She disconnected.

“She
’ll be down in five.” Demon turned to look at Lefty. The shit eating grin on his face made Demon scowl.

“I see you wasted no time tell
ing her you were off the market.”

“I’m tr
ying to help your no game ass out. If it wasn’t for the club whores, I don’t think you’d ever get your wick wet.”

“Fuck you. I’m charismatic.”

“That’s just a word your mom uses to make you feel better about yourself, fucker.”

Lefty flipped him off and Demon laughed, welcoming the lightened mood.
The door opened and they glanced up. The voluptuous frame covered by a gauzy red robe that made her caramel colored skin pop, would’ve made him hard as a rock a few months ago. Now, she was a piece of art to be admired from afar. It felt like his dick had been reprogrammed for Ardy’s pussy. Leaving his bike, Demon met her in the entryway. “Hey Gia.”

“Long time no see, Demon. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be a visit for pleasure.” She gave him a smile.

But he couldn’t’ miss the sadness in her green eyes. The startling jewels were a throw back from her Jamaican heritage.

“Only you could look this good just climbing out of bed,” Lefty said.

Gia laughed. “You always know the right thing to say, don’t you?” Gia accepted Lefty’s hug and stepped back to let them inside. “Come on in the kitchen, I can get us coffee. I feel like I’m going to need caffeine for this. “

They followed her through the darkened house into the top of the line kitchen. He’d been privy to her cooking skills enough know the equipment wasn’t just for show. The bitch could make a mean meal.
He took a seat in a stool at the black and white marble counter top.

“Cappuccino work?” Gia asked, glancing over her shoulder from t
he monstrous black and chrome machine that took up a good chunk of space on her kitchen counter.

“Yeah, that works,” Demon answered
.

“Lefty?”

“Make it two. You know I’m easy.”

“
I know all too well, Lefty.” Gia winked. “What kind of information are you looking for?” She grabbed a large white mug, placed it under the tap, hit a few buttons and the machine whirred to life, sounding like a waking dragon.

“What do you know
about Louis Castile?” Demon asked the question of the day.

Her shoulders tensed. “That he’s fucking insane.”

“Gia. I don’t like the way you just responded to that,” Lefty growled.

“He doesn’t tak
e no for an answer very well. A few months ago, he got tired of the girls on the floor and decided I was on the menu.” She rolled her eyes and scowled. “I told him no a million different ways, but he keeps coming around, giving me the creeps with those dead eyes of his.”

“You won’t have to deal with him much longer,” Demo
n promised.

Gia turned. “Something happened, didn’t it?”

“Sidewinders made a move last night. Came by my house and started a war.”

“Jesus,” Gia whispered. “What the fuck was he thinking?”

“That’s what I want to know. You see him chatting up any of the other M.C.’s Have your girls heard him discussing any deals?” Demon asked.

“
No, he’s almost always with his crew, or alone. Offhand, I can’t say what the girls might’ve heard, but I’ll start making my rounds and asking them. It’ll take me awhile. You know how many we keep on rotation and they live on club time, totally different from the nine to five.”

“Wake them up. You’re a lot kinder than me. I have no fucking problem going door to door and dragging them out of whatever coked up stupor, drunken binge they’ve
found themselves in,” Demon warned, flexing his muscles as she set their mugs in front of them.

Not all strippers were the same. Some girls needed the cash flow to take care of family or put themselves through school. Others were hot messes who lived for the
next high and easy cash. Those were the ones who ran a little business on the side. They did their best to keep that out of the club, but what they did on their free time was all them.