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CHAPTER NINE

G omez rode as if the devil nipped at his heels. He sped down the path to the clubhouse, ignoring bouncing pebbles, acorns, and small branches hitting his legs and bike.

The night before, he’d drunk more than his usual six-pack of beers, and when the morning light filtered through his windows, he’d woken up with a start. Bolting out of bed, he’d called out to his houseguest. Pilot hadn’t answered. The fucking bastard had left for the clubhouse without waking him up.

As he dressed in a hurry, an uncomfortable feeling, a strange foreboding, nagged him until he was on the road. But the ugly sensation didn’t go away once he parked. Actually, something about the number of bikes lined up next to each other hit him the wrong way. Only, he couldn’t put his finger on it.

He opened the front door and walked into a storm. Deacon and Axel yelled and insulted each other so loudly, he couldn’t make out the words. As he glanced around the communal room, he located Sydney and Opal. Clinging to each other’s hands and looking terribly distressed, both women cowered in a corner. Odd. They rarely came to the MC part of the clubhouse.

The men were scattered around. Some listened to the argument, standing around the bar. A couple sat on sofas, while others stood with arms folded, frozen expressions on their faces.

And the fight raged on.

“That motherfucker! I opened my house to him.” Deacon leaned dangerously close to Axel’s face. “You can’t control your fucking men.”

Axel shoved him back. “Get the fuck out of my face, asshole.”

Gomez glanced to his right. Trent, a wicked smile on his face, sidled along the wall in his direction. The ominous feeling started to register. It was tied to the argument.

Johnny Gun?

Isolde?

Where are they?

“They’re not here,” Trent said.

He gawked at his friend. “What the fuck. Can you read my mind?”

“It’s your expression, dude.” Trent snickered. “You show what you’re thinking.”

“Are you gonna tell me or fuck with my head?”

Trent spoke under his breath. “Johnny and Isolde took off in the wee hours. No one heard them. When she didn’t come out to help with breakfast, Opal went to her room and found a note she’d left. Deacon is going out of his mind.”

“I’m not Johnny Gun’s handler,” Axel growled at everyone in the room. “He’s an adult and does whatever the fuck he wants. Ain’t my fault Isolde went willingly with him.”

“Fuck you!” Deacon thundered.

“It’s the truth,” Axel shouted back. “Did anyone hear her call out for help? I didn’t, and I’m a light sleeper. She left because she wanted to go. I’ve had enough. I’m calling Blade. ”

“Go ahead, call him. He can’t fix this,” Deacon said.

“There’s nothing to fix, asshole. He’s my prez and has to know why I’m getting the fuck out of here and taking my guys.” Axel tapped the number to engage the speaker. The ring could be heard throughout the room.

“Axel, what’s up?” Blade’s deep voice rumbled.

“Sorry, man. I have you on speaker. The guys have to hear this conversation. I don’t want to be accused of hiding anything.”

“What happened?”

“Johnny Gun and Isolde left in the middle of the night and we don’t know where they went. Sure as fuck, I had no idea they’d planned this. But Deacon’s accusing me of being involved. Before this gets real ugly and I beat the crap out of this jerk, I’m leaving.”

A long, silent pause followed. No one moved or spoke, waiting for Blade.

“Deacon? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah, Blade,” Deacon replied.

“How old is Isolde?”

“Don’t you fucking start on me, Blade,” Deacon warned.

“It’s a simple question with an even simpler answer. How old?”

“Twenty-two.”

“Legally an adult. I have another question.”

“What?”

“What’s happening with the attack?”

Deacon stiffened, as evidently, the question surprised him. “Uh, I don’t know. Nothing’s happened so far, and it’s a good thing because the system didn’t work during the night. We found the problem this morning. A switch was off. I’ll bet you anything it’s Johnny Gun’s work. He wanted the lights off so he could take my daughter. I’ve never trusted that fucking sneak.”

“That’s a bold accusation. Do you have proof?”

“Of course I don’t have proof,” Deacon shouted .

“I understand you’re pissed, but you’re the Dalton prez. Put your anger aside for a moment and focus on what’s coming. The Wolves mean business. Get your men ready. Once it’s over, I’ll help you locate Isolde. Deal?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Deacon muttered.

“Be grateful Isolde left with Johnny.”

Deacon’s face almost turned purple. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

“Not me. Get out of your own way and set your priorities straight. The Wolves are after Isolde, and now she’s out of their reach. In a way, it’s good she left. Is this a hard concept for you to grasp?”

“But why Isolde and not Opal? She’s also pretty and sweet.”

“I don’t have an answer for you. On that thought, why is Opal still in the clubhouse? Get her out of there until this thing blows over. Meanwhile, calm down and get organized. Axel and his men are good fighters. Isolde is safe wherever she is.”

“How the fuck do you know?”

“Because I’ve known Johnny Gun a long time. His behavior is strange, I’ll grant you that, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt until I speak to him. I know for surethathe’d never force Isolde to go with him. When they come back, we’ll find out why they left. Meanwhile, you have urgent business to handle.”

Gomez nudged Trent with his elbow. “Did you catch that bit?” He kept his voice low.

“About our long-haired friend?”

“Yup.” Gomez nodded.

“Blade knows more than he’s letting on.”

“My thoughts exactly. Maybe he’ll give himself away.” Gomez turned his attention to the phone call.

“Talk to me, Deacon,” Blade urged. “Are we cool?”

Deacon exhaled. “Yeah, we’re cool.”

“Axel? You, okay? ”

“Yes, Blade. Thanks.”

“Good luck, guys.”

Axel ended the call, and Gomez was left wanting more. “What should we do?” he asked Trent.

“We wait and see what shakes,” Trent said.

“Hey, I’m sorry, man.” Deacon offered his hand to Axel. “I said things I shouldn’t have, but Isolde’s behavior threw me for a loop.”

“Forget it.” Axel shook Deacon’s hand, a weak smile on his face. “If I had a daughter, I’d go nuts too.”

Deacon walked over to Opal and Sydney, who’d lost all color. Neither woman had moved from her spot. “Please, Sydney, you heard Blade. Take Opal home with you. Go, now.”

“I don’t want to leave you, Dad,” Opal protested.

Smiling, Deacon caressed her long, silky hair. Gomez could almost feel the sensation in his hand. The girl wasn’t bad-looking. If Isolde didn’t pan out, he considered her sister a decent second choice. Pity Daddy was sending her away. He was losing his eye candy.

“Do this for me, sweetheart,” Deacon said.

“You should go, little girl.” Axel moved next to Deacon. “Your father wants you safe.” Opal turned her huge eyes at him.

What’s this? Gomez arched an eyebrow. Is this guy trying to move into my territory?

“Did you hear that, darling?” Deacon soothed. “Blade and Axel are right. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.” He turned his attention to Sydney. “Don’t even pack. Buy whatever Opal needs, I’ll pay you back.”

“I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry,” Sydney said quietly, then grabbed Opal’s arm. “Come on. Your dad’s worried and needs our cooperation.” Head down and sniffling softly, Opal left with Sydney.

“Stop leching,” Trent hissed. “Go get laid or something. ”

Gomez jerked. “I wasn’t.”

“Yeah, you were,” Trent huffed. “One of these days, someone other than me is gonna notice, and you’ll be in a world of shit.”

“Listen up, guys,” Deacon spoke to the crew. “We have to set up posts around the clubhouse. Before we do, let’s inventory weapons and ammo. See how much we have. I’ll go get my stuff.”

He moved into the hallway, and everyone scattered. The Garden Hills crew rushed to the game room, where they’d stored their weapons bags.

Gomez stomped over to the bar.

“Where are you doing?” Trent asked, his hand on the door handle.

“All this talk about weapons and ammo made me thirsty. I need a beer, pronto.”

“You’re impossible.” He laughed and walked out.

Who knew? Trent kept weapons in his bike too, Gomez mused as he popped his beer open and drank a long gulp. When it came to handguns, he preferred to carry his in the holster clipped to his belt. That’s why most of his T-shirts were big and loose. The Glock’s hardness pressing against his waist made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Once he finished a beer or two, he’d retrieve the two magazines out of his bike’s rear compartment. Hardly enough ammo to repel a full attack. If this thing turned vicious, he’d have to hide in a closet.

He finished his first beer, then popped open another as Max and Tank returned to the room with serious-looking rifles Gomez couldn’t identify and bags loaded with heavy stuff. Axel, Bullet, and Pilot followed them in, carrying similar equipment. These southern guys didn’t fool around.

Except for Deacon, the Dalton crew returned, one by one, to the common room. Each guy carried his weapon, or weapons, of choice. Trent had his Smith no one had inspired her to surrender herself so completely until Johnny came into her life. One look at the warmth dancing in his baby blues and she understood desire, thoroughly and unreserved. Everything in her had awakened.

Happily, her drought was over. She had Johnny all to herself, and the future appeared awfully good.

Drying her hands, she smiled and walked out. Johnny couldn’t be far. She meandered down a short hallway. In a moment, she was entering a cozy-looking, medium-sized living room with sofas and a flat-screen TV hooked to the wall. A ceiling fan worked overhead. The AC must have been turned on before they arrived, because she didn’t pick up any musty odors and the ambient temperature was comfortable. Sliding glass doors opened to a porch that took up the entire front of the house and connected to stairs on both sides. One set of stairs led to the left and the river bank and the other to the extensive grounds where Johnny had parked. She breathed easy. The place had good vibes.

“Hi.” She waved at him, and he gestured with his head before closing the truck door. Holding both bags over one shoulder, he ran up the steps, let the screen door slam shut behind him, and pulled her inside by the arm .

Without letting her go, he dropped their bags on the floor. His expression made her skin break out in bumps.

“Oh, no. What happened?”

“Come here.”

He surprised her when he sat in the nearest recliner, then guided her to sit on his lap. “Relax, baby,” he murmured, and she turned to goo. Being cocooned in his arms felt heavenly, and yet…

Suddenly, her stomach twisted with worry.

“My father?”

“He’s fine.”

“Opal? Sydney?”

“They’re okay. I sent Barron a text when I came out to get our things.”

“And?”

Johnny sighed. “The Wolves attacked our guys when we were on the road. Your father, at Blade’s advice, sent Opal to Sydney’s home. They’re both safe. A couple of the men were injured, but nothing serious. The clubhouse suffered some damage. Barron said the attack lasted a few minutes.”

“This is terrible.” She burrowed, trying to get closer to him. “I feel so bad.”

“Don’t. You didn’t do anything. Deacon knew the attack was coming. We all did.”

“He didn’t know about the informer.”

“True. But this was Viper’s decision. He wants to keep the information confidential. I told you my reasons why I agree with him.”

“Yes. Dad’s volatile. He isn’t the type to take things lying down.”

“Or hold his tongue. And the informer would go underground. We want to tighten the noose around him.”

“I understand.” She rubbed her cheek against his solid chest. Lord, sitting on his lap, with his arms around her felt so good and so right, even the news of the attack didn’t seem as important. “Do we have to go back right away?”

“Not yet, shortcake. We’re going nice and slow.” He held her tighter. “First, we let Viper find the informer, then we deal with the old feud between your father and Rover. It has to end if any of us wants peace. Don’t you agree?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “It’s about time the animosity stopped. My mother used to complain about it.”

“I’m sure you miss her.”

“All the time. With her gone, I feel like it’s up to me to smooth things over between those two stubborn heads.”

“I don’t think so. You can forget doing anything that will put you in harm’s way.” His voice rumbled under her ear. “I won’t tolerate it or agree to it.”

“You know best, Daddy.” She used the moniker, hoping it would soothe him.

“Nice try, sunshine. I know when someone is trying to pacify me. Be warned, if you endanger yourself in any way, expect a spanking. Hear me?”

“I do, and I’ll remember. Promise.”

That was the adult side of her speaking, but the brat in her wanted to know how far she could push him and how sexy it would feel to have his rough hand landing on her naked butt.

Something inside her rippled with anticipation and delight thinking about that first strike.