SOULLESS (Black Thorns, #2) (2 page)

“Was just passing through.”

He scoffs. “Bullshit. I know who you were looking for. Riley. How far up your list did he make it? Top ten, yeah? Guy had a major beef with your old man. Skinner killed his sister. Never got his vengeance, but
you’re
still here, so you’ll be his target.
If
you walk. Not as Prez, though. Guy ain’t gonna risk taking on the entire club by going after you.”

He knows way too much.

He goes on, “Figure you got all their locations by now, yeah? Your hit list’s ready?”

I just stare at him.

He shakes his head. “Burn it. Now.”

My eyes narrow. “We got a good relationship going between us, Dealer. You keep talkin’ and I ain’t sure where that’s gonna end up. You feel me?”

Bastard don’t even flinch. “You’re going down a dark road. You ain’t gonna make it back.”

“My business.”

“No. It ain’t, cuz this shit’s ‘bout one thing: my daughter.”

“It’s ‘bout tying up loose ends.”

“Nah. This is ‘bout what I told you. ‘Bout it not being safe for Rox if you two are together, cuz of all the enemies you got—most cuz of Skinner. So, you figured you’d take ‘em all out. Remove those obstacles and then get her back.”

Jesus Christ. His reach is massive. The shit he knows. Shocking.

“Yeah,” I admit. He already knows. No point keeping up this bullshit now.

He leans forward and tells me, “Problem is; you do this, you ain’t gonna come back from it. It’ll twist you. You won’t be the same man. Won’t be the man she knew, Ax. Won’t be nothing left of you to be with her anyway.”

The door flies open then and Runner bursts on in.

“What the fuck, asshole? You don’t fucking knock?” I fume, shooting to my feet.

I’ve told him so many times ‘bout it, but it’s just a reflex with him to be too damn casual ‘bout shit.

I’m more pissed than I should be, cuz of the personal shit that’s gone down between us lately. I still ain’t forgiven him for the way he treated Rox when we were together. Every time I see him, I keep seeing the shit he said to her. Also came out ‘bout him laying his hands on her in my kitchen. Overheard him and Smiter talkin’ ‘bout it a few months back and I lost my shit—threw him across the bar and smashed a bunch of bottles and glasses and shit. Fucker had to get stitched up at the hospital. Ain’t best friends no more. Dickhead.

“Sorry,” he says, looking shit-scared. Probably thinking ‘bout those stitches. “We got trouble down at
The Cove
.”

Damn bar we own down by the docks. We got our fingers in a lot of pies here, in Reirdon Falls. We own a couple of bars. A diner. A used bike shop. We’re also in talks to take on ownership of
Reirdon Construction
. The company’s ‘bout to go belly up, so we’re looking to take it over, save all the jobs of the staff—all locals—and turn it ‘round and make a profit while we’re at it. Everything’s been running smooth with all the businesses, except
The Cove.
Been causing us grief for the last month, cuz of a staff member’s fucked up ex. Already had the boys put him down twice. Guy just keeps coming back for more beat downs.

“Ricky down there again?”

“With a fucking .45 caliber this time.”

“What?”

“Yeah, Prez. He’s holding up the place and demanding Vicky come outta the bathroom she locked herself in.”

“Smiter headed on down there?”

“Gonna. Just waiting on you.”

“Tell him to stand down. I got this.”

“Ax, I don’t think—”

“Didn’t ask what you thought. Go tell Smiter I got this.”

“It’s dangerous.”

“And it ain’t dangerous for Smiter?”

“Yeah, but
you’re
Prez. Putting yourself on the line is—”

“Tell. Smiter. I. Got. This,” I repeat, growling each word.

The look in my eyes has him bolting outta the room a second later. Yeah, he might push it sometimes, but he knows what’s good for him.

Dealer gets to his feet and eyes me worriedly.

“What?” I snap.

“Nothing,” he says, still studying me.

“Good. We’re done here. Got shit to do.”

Chapter 2

~Ax~

As soon as I push through the doors into
The Cove
, Ricky spins, his .45 aimed my way. His eyes are wild. Fucking crazy eyes. Guy’s a real psycho. Different time—if we weren’t legit—I woulda had the boys bury him right away. We been playing it safe, just warning him. But he’s hit his third strike and I’m done playing nice.

Shit’s ‘bout to get real.

I scan the bar quickly. It’s early so it ain’t packed, but there’s still ‘bout ten people inside. All of ‘em are curled up in the booths, keeping low. Scared. Most of ‘em are women, too. Makes me sick to my stomach that this fuck’s got ‘em fearing for their lives. Ain’t no staff in view. Probably ran into the back the second they saw him walk in here with a fucking weapon. Good. They were safe.

“Take another step and I’ll shoot,” Ricky threatens, waving his gun at me wildly. “I will, you know? I swear it.”

“Believe you, man,” I say, holding up my hands. “You know who I am?”

He glances at my cut and his eyes widen as he takes in the
President
emblem there.

“You’re him? The President of the Black Thorns MC? Ax?”

“Yeah. So, you know I got a lot of pull here. Gonna help you.”

“How?”

“You want Vicky, yeah?”

“She won’t come out of the bathroom. She won’t listen to a damn thing I say.”

“I got some experience taming wild bitches like her.”

His eyes flicker as he thinks on that. “You think you can get her to talk to me? For real?”

“Let me take over here and she’ll be doing more than talkin’; be on her knees begging to suck you off,” I tell him. “Like this,” I say, snapping my fingers.

He snickers. “I like that.”

I point to the door. “Let’s take a walk and work this out. I’ll tell you exactly what you gotta do.”

My eyes are on his, but I’m keeping a close watch on his fucking gun with my peripherals more than anything else. I watch as he smirks, liking what I’m saying, and then lowers the gun. “Yeah, man,” he says, heading over to me by the door.

He walks on through and I follow him out.

The second he makes it down the steps, I lunge at him, ripping the gun from his grip and slamming him into the brick wall of the bar by his throat.

“What the fuck?” he shrieks. “Thought you were gonna help me?”

I tighten my grip and he gags. “You think I’d let a piece of shit like you near her? Already know you took your hands to her last time you were here, you fuck!”

“She wouldn’t listen. I love her!”

“You dunno know shit ‘bout love! You’re a fucking psycho.” I shake him and growl, “Make you feel like a man, beating on a sweet little thing like her? Huh? Did it, you shit?”

He starts crying then. Ain’t nothing but a pussy hiding behind a gun. “I love her,” he cries. “What do you know about it? Guys like you just screw around with all those whores who hang around your clubhouse. Never care about anyone.”

His words catch me off guard. They’re like a spark, firing me up instantly. Dangerously. Cuz it’s a brutal hit. I ain’t with the woman
I
love. And here this shit head is throwing that in my fucking face?

I can’t hold back.

My fist plunges into the side of his face, hitting so hard that his head snaps to the side. I step back and let go of his throat and then I hammer a blow into his gut.

But I can’t stop.

I keep coming. Beating on him like that bag I was ripping into earlier.

I hear him crying, begging me to stop, but it’s too distant for me to register.

Suddenly, strong arms wrap ‘round me, pulling me back. “Enough,” a voice tells me.

The hold ‘round me breaks and I spin ‘round to see Dealer standing there.

He looks me over with the same worried expression he’d had back at the clubhouse.

“What the fuck you doing here? I’m taking care of club business. Get gone.”

“Guy’s half dead, Ax. You done now?”

“No,” I growl, pulling my gun and eyeing the bloodied mess of Ricky sprawled out in the parking lot. Shit. I can barely even recognize him, cuz I messed up his face so bad.

My hand shakes as I think ‘bout blowing him away, just like I gotta do to all the assholes on my list.

Jesus. Why ain’t this easy? I gotta be ready and killing this shit head is a good warm up. Ain’t like he don’t deserve it, right?

I flip off the safety and shift my weight.
Come on. You can do this. Take him out.

But then a shot fires.

I watch as a bullet rips through Ricky’s skull, killing him instantly.

I turn to Dealer to see him standing there, his eyes cold, expression completely blank, with his gun still in firing position.

“What the fuck? Why’d you do that?”

“I’m a ghost. You ain’t. Did you a fucking favor.”

Before I can get a word out, he holsters his gun and pulls out his cell and calls for a
cleanup.

“Twenty minutes and this mess will be taken care of,” he says, eyeing Ricky.

Jesus, he’s connected.

“Look, Dealer—”

“You’re on the edge, Ax.”

“I’m fine,” I growl. “Guy had it coming.”

“Don’t doubt it, but ain’t like you to be the one to deal it out. With your fists, sure. But dealing death? Nah, not who you are.”

“What?”

“You ain’t Skinner, but you’re on your way there, kid. Right now, you’re still hesitating. Something’s stopping you from doing it. But that ain’t gonna last if you head down this road.”

Before I can stop myself, I lunge at him. Fisting my hands in his leather jacket, I snarl, “I ain’t nothing like him! You hear me?”

“Think ‘bout what you almost did here and tell me that again,” he says, not the least bit affected by me having hold of him. Guy’s got balls of steel.

I let go of him roughly and blow out a breath. “Why’d you care?”

“Cuz
she
would care.”

“What?” I choke, not expecting those words outta his mouth.

“She wouldn’t want this for you. Would kill her to see you like this.”

“She ain’t gonna, is she? She’s miles away. So, what’s the difference?”

He scrubs his hand over his face, looking distressed. Shit. What is it? “Dealer?”

“I was right ‘bout you being with her putting her in danger. But I was wrong on how deep shit ran between you two.”

“What you getting at?”

“Roxana ain’t over you. She’s good at faking it to most people But not to me. Not to her old man. She ain’t happy.”

“Why you telling me when you know I can’t do nothing ‘bout it ‘til I’ve taken care of every motherfucker on my enemies list?”

“Cuz I’m gonna help you, asshole.”

“What?”

“Can’t let you go ‘round burying a load of guys, cuz, like I said, you won’t come outta it the same guy. Roxana won’t even recognize you. But me…I’m already down that dark road, Ax. Won’t make a bit of difference for me.”

I’m getting sick and tired of hearing all this bullshit from him, of him questioning me. I ain’t a green kid no more. I’m Prez of Thorns now. I know what the fuck I’m doing.

“You think you know me, cuz you knew my old man?” I tell him, stepping into him and getting in his face. “Cuz you guys were tight once?” He just glares back at me, standing his ground like the arrogant fucker he is. “You
don’t
. You dunno what I’m prepared to do. Dunno what I’m capable of. Dunno what I can take. Dunno
me
.”

“Ax—”

I slam my hand into his chest, knocking him back. “Stay outta my way! You feel me? Stay the fuck outta it! This is
my
fight!”

He don’t make a move to retaliate. But I see him ‘bout to argue back yet again.

Then a voice interrupts us.

“Ax?”

I spin ‘round to see Smiter standing there.

“Told you to stand down.”

He shakes his head. “That ain’t never gonna happen when your life’s on the line, brother.”

Fuck. I draw in a breath and then point to Ricky. “Needs taking care of. You got it?”

“Yeah, ‘course.” His eyes dart to my bloodied hands. Ain’t mine. It’s all Ricky’s. “You all right?”

“Fine,” I snap. “Just…sort it.”

“Ax. I got it,” Dealer interferes.

“Then work together,” I say, done with this arguing shit. I brush past Smiter and make my way over to my bike parked a few feet away.

“You headed back to the clubhouse?” Smiter calls after me.