“I’m taking another perimeter run. Want to come?”
“You bet.”
We headed back out, got on our bikes, and circled the compound. Nothing like riding in the open air cleared your head. We went around twice, then headed down to check out the bar. We stopped for a drink. Everything seemed quiet, so we headed back. The sentries were changing out their shift. We waved to the guys as we rode by. They saluted us.
Once again, we returned to the clubhouse, satisfied that everything was good. I knew Kara was in good care. The Prez of the Crypt Keepers respected her and wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
My cell phone began to ring.
“Tony, it’s Elle. We have a situation at the bar. You better get down here and bring as much back up as you can.”
“What the fuck? We were just down there. What’s the situation?”
“Get down here, and I’ll show you.”
“Yeah, okay, give me ten.” I hung up. “Bar! Now!” I said, jumping to my feet. Seth alerted his Enforcer team and twelve bikes rode down the road. The sentries wanted to follow, but I told them to stay put. The clubhouse needed protecting.
We arrived at the bar, ready for anything, but we hadn’t been prepared for what we found. Hanging from the tree outside the bar was a blow-up doll. Upon further inspection, it was covered in familiar marks. I pulled it down and read the note taped to the doll’s pussy.
Then, my cell phone began to ring.
“Hello?”
“Listen up, asshole, I see you fucking got my message. I’m done waiting for my bitch to come home, so I’m coming to get her. You’re going to be down at least one member by morning because Seth’s a dead man. I’m going to kill him, but first, I’m going to make him watch me cut his child out of Reagen’s gut.”
What the actual fuck? The girls had been talking about someone after them and all this voodoo shit because of that guy at the coffee shop. I had gone along with it because it made Reagen and Seth feel safer, but I didn’t expect a man who Reagen shot and killed in front of more than one witness would suddenly come back from the fucking dead.
“Listen here, you pissant fucking coward, I promise you, you’re the one who will be dead by morning.”
“Ha ha, asshole, you already tried. Looks like I’m fucking immortal. Anyone else who gets in my way will be gunned down, so do everyone a favor and hand her over. You don’t want more bloodshed on your hands, do you? She’s just one whore— your guy will get over it. Hand her over and all of this ends. Now, I can’t speak for Maxum, but my feud with you will be over. You just have to send that bitch whore packing.”
“You can try to come get her, but like I said, you’re the one who will be dead by morning.” I hung up. “We got trouble.”
I sighed, turning to my men, especially Seth, and tried to explain what the hell just happened.
“Well, fuck me. How did that fucker live? He was dead as a doornail. Gone and six feet under. Either there’s a ghost or some other shit going on. Someone messing with us,” Seth suggested. For all I knew, he was right and this was Maxum’s ways of dividing the efforts, but swear to fucking God, that sounded just like the guy.
We searched the bar for any sign of him, but all we found was a camera posted across from where the blow-up doll hung. I threw it against the wall, smashing it to pieces.
“I say we ride out and meet him. Gun him down in the street before he ever reaches our territory again,” Seth said.
That seemed like a good idea, so we jumped on our bikes and rode to the center of the road. Half of us on one side, half of us on the other, since we didn’t know what direction he was coming from. We wanted to be prepared for anything.
Chapter 15
Kara
Eric was in the hospital. He had gotten shot during the confrontation, so I went to see him. He was severely injured and I feared he wouldn’t make it.
I paced the waiting room as he went through several surgeries to pull the bullets out and patch him up. The Prez of the Crypt Keepers stayed with me. The doctor wouldn’t tell us anything till the Prez told him Eric didn’t have anyone but us.
He finally managed to get the doctor to tell him the bullets hadn’t damaged any main organs, just his liver, which they thought they could cut out that part but he would have to be careful for a while. It had missed his heart entirely. He lost a lot of blood, so they gave him a transfusion, and he should be awake in a few hours, then they would let us see him.
Hours passed and I feared the worst, then at last Eric opened his eyes, and when he saw me, he cracked a smile, no matter how much it hurt. “Kara!”
“Eric! I was so worried.”
“Hey, buddy, you gave us quite a scare. How you holding up?” the Crypt Keeper Prez asked him. I stepped back to give them space.
“I’m good. Doc has me on the good shit.” He grinned. “Did we win?”
“That battle, thanks to the Midnight Saints, who rolled in and saved our asses just in the nick of time.”
“Did we lose anyone?”
“Nope, and don’t even think about checking out. You hang in there and you get better. We need you back in the fight.”
“I ain't checking out anytime soon, I promise,” he said. He closed his eyes again.
“You just rest and get better.” The Prez patted his good arm. “I’ll be outside when you’re ready to go. Take your time.”
“Kara . . .”
“Hush you, save your breath.”
“Shut up,” he managed. “Let me say this.” He
