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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: CHROME

We enter the Chapel where Byte has hooked his computer to the wall monitor.

“I set up these cameras on a separate network just in case our traitor shut down security,” Byte explains.

“Which he did,” Mode confirms. “Fucking bastard.”

The first image is from a camera pointed at Mode’s office door. We see a figure enter the room and close the door.

“I couldn’t tell who it was,” I say.

“No, we’ll see him on the way out. It’s coming up on four in the morning, when the security shuts down. The door opens again, and Mouse steps out.”

“Fucking asshole. That’s why we didn’t find him,” Bush mutters.

“Fuck. I hadn’t gotten to him yet,” Byte chimes in. “I’ll run his background next. Maybe it will lead us to Jordan.”

“Or we can ask him when we find him,” Bush growls.

Byte flips through the cameras until he stops at the one inside the basement. Scorch comes down the steps while pulling out his gun. He glances around the space and then moves toward the cells. However, before he makes it too far, the door to the basement opens, allowing Trigger and Mouse entry. Scorch turns back at the sound to confront the newcomers.

The video doesn’t have sound, so we can only watch their body language. We don’t get much from the first few minutes, but the message is clear. The animosity rises between the two slowly until Trigger tries pushing past Scorch. Scorch grabs Trigger, yanking him around. Mouse skirts around the two men. Whatever Trigger says next, has Scorch landing the first punch. Trigger staggers back as Scorch leaps forward to land another blow, but the men Mouse released from the cells surround him. Two grab Scorch’s arms and hold him as Trigger jams his fist into Scorch’s. He beats on Scorch until Scorch’s body sags. The men let him drop and deliver several kicks before walking over his body and up the stairs.

“Well, shit,” Bush huffs out.

“Byte and Mode, see if you can track them via the traffic cams,” I order. “I’m calling Puma.”

Back in my office, I call the Las Vegas Chapter. Maybe Bulldog and Flash are innocent, but they’re both covering for Trigger. Why? Brothers support brothers. Perhaps that’s all this is. Trigger could have given them a reason for why he couldn’t go with them, and then asked them to cover for him. If anyone can find out that reason, it’s Chill.

“Are Bulldog and Flash still at your clubhouse?” I ask Puma when he answers.

“Yeah, they’re about to leave.”

“I need a favor.” Then, I tell Puma about Trigger’s attack on Scorch and my suspicions about Bulldog and Flash covering for Trigger. “I don’t know how deep they are in this fucking mess, but I need information.”

“You want us to find out if they’re traitors?” Puma asks.

“Fuck, I hope they aren’t. We know Trigger is, and I’ve got one more here, but I need to know if he’s turned others. I need to know if they’re covering for him because they’re loyal or complicit.”

“We’ll ask. How far do you want us to take it?”

“Shit. If they’re just two idiots, I don’t want them dead.”

“But, if they’re not just idiots?”

“Bury them deep.”

Ending the call, I sit back in my desk chair and rub a hand over my face. What a fucking mess. How could I have missed the cancer growing in my fucking club? Who else is working against me? Against us? How much did Scorch know about this? He must have suspected something since he was in The Shed last night. If he suspected Trigger, why the fuck didn’t he come to me? I know Trigger is his blood, but the brotherhood should mean more than blood. He should have talked to me.

Standing, I push out of my office and head straight to the infirmary. Just before I reach it, Stitch rushes out. He sees me and skids to a stop.

“He’s awake. Scorch is awake. He wants to talk to you.”

He turns and enters the infirmary with me on his heels. Scorch is sitting slumped against two pillows. I barely recognize him under the bruises and cuts on his face. The eyes staring at me are full of regret and sorrow.

“You’re a fucking mess.”

He nods slowly. “I feel like a fucking mess. Inside and out. Fuck, Chrome. I fucked up.”

“Tell me.”

“First, you need to protect Sammy. He’s in danger. Mouse is here for Sammy. He’s the one who attacked Mode. He planned on grabbing Sammy that day, but Babe raised the alarm before he could get to him. Then we were searching for Min.” Scorch coughs and moans while clutching his chest. “Shit.”

Stitch hands him a bottle with a straw inside. He takes several sips.

“Trigger attacked you when you were transporting Fenhua?” I ask him.

Scorch nods. “I swear I didn’t know. Trigger told me it was Fenhua. I believed him. He told me Fenhua was playing possum.”

“How do you explain the bike?”

Scorch frowns. “What bike?”

“Blue Michaelson’s bike. He’s partnered with Gray Monroe in Stormy Skies. I saw it under a tarp in the garage. Two men delivered it to you. Fenhua’s men by their description. Michaelson claims he rode past an accident and saw two Demon Dawg kuttes. He pulled over to offer his help, and someone attacked him from behind. They left him for dead and stole his bike.”

Scorch shrugs. “I don’t know anything about Michaelson or his bike.”

“His bike is at the garage. Or it was. I called him and he’s picking it up.”

Scorch shakes his head. “I haven’t been to the garage since Fenhua got the jump on me.”

“What have you been doing?”

“Watching Trigger.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you come to me and tell me your suspicions?”

“He’s my blood. I’m the one who brought him in. He’s my responsibility,” Scorch says, his downcast eyes staring holes into the blanket. Then he turns those pain-filled eyes to me. “It’s my fault he turned against the club.”

“How?”

“Remember what it was like when your dad was President?”

I nod, though I’m not in the mood to stroll down memory lane. I let him take the lead—for now.

“We grew up in a club made by men for men. The clubhouse was where we were kings. The women who came to the club knew the score. They were here to fuck us and that’s it. Guys got married and settled down, but they could come here if they wanted a taste of the strange. Old Ladies weren’t welcome.”

“You’re pissed off because I brought Cicely here?” I ask, when I think I see the road he’s taking.

“No. Well, yes. But that’s not all of it. The club is changing and not for the better. Babe and Byte said the Kutte Bunnies are relegated to the back room because the Old Ladies practically live at the clubhouse. Puma has two bitches as members. Not just members, but officers. This isn’t a club just for men any longer. I was angry about it and complained to Trigger.”

“So you and Trigger turn on me and this club because Puma brought in Chill and Viper? What the fuck, Scorch? Puma and Dante run their clubs; we run ours. Dante doesn’t tell the clubs how to run their clubhouses. You should have come to me. You should have talked to me about your concerns. Not bitching and whining to your nephew.”

“I know. I was going to, but then everything went to shit. Fenhua escaped, and Mode was hurt. I didn’t want to believe Trigger was part of it, but I couldn’t shake my suspicions. I didn't know about Mouse until…”

“Until what?” I demand when he trails off. The sickness in my belly roils.

“Until I followed Trigger and saw him meet with Mouse at the hospital. Cicely’s hospital. Trigger was there when Mouse and the other fuckers grabbed Cicely and the other two.”

“You were there? Saw Cicely get grabbed and did nothing to stop it? You didn’t call me to tell me? What the fuck, Scorch? Did you hope she’d die or disappear? Was that your plan? Eliminate my Old Lady?”

“No! Shit. I followed them! I was going to call you when they stopped.”

“But you didn’t.”

“Okay, no, I didn’t. I watched until all hell broke loose. The girls busted out, and you guys arrived and grabbed the men. Mouse took off. I followed him. Saw him meet up with someone.”

“Who?”

“Theodore Jordan.”

“Fuck!” I explode, pacing away from Scorch before turning back. “Where is he?”

“He was at a house in Kenilworth.”

“Address,” I demand.

I pulled out my phone to plug in the address and saw that I have a message from Cicely. My blood runs cold when I play it and hear Trigger’s voice on the other end.