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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

G omez couldn’t believe his eyes. In his mind, he’d expected the Garden City clubhouse to be pretty similar to the one in Dalton.

Boy, was he wrong.

For a moment, he thought he’d walked into a high-tech business office, until he saw the framed Devils’ Spawn banner. As he continued scanning the room, he saw that a collection of blown-up black-and-white photos—racing bikers and action shots—decorated the painted walls. He supposed these guys were some of the brothers he hadn’t met yet. His thoughts went to the Dalton clubhouse with the in-your-face Grim Reaper mural disfigured with bullet holes, and the naked biker chick painting he loved so much—that piece was now resting in tatters on the floor.

Since the girls had been sent away before the attack and hadn’t returned, not one of the guys had thought to clean up the debris or return things to their original place. The Dalton common room would remain messy and beat up until Deacon’s return.

The contrast between clubhouses was stark. The mother chapter was sleek and organized, and the furnishings were actually in good condition. It had the aura of an outlaw MC turned legit. Someone had gone shopping at Furniture Mart or some other mainstream store to outfit the common room.

Imagine that.

“This ain’t a real biker clubhouse,” Trent grumbled as he walked past him, studying the front room. “It’s so fucking clean, it’s giving me the shivers.”

The riders had arrived from Dalton less than ten minutes ago. At the moment, Viper, Trent, and Gomez stood like idiots with their thumbs up their asses, not knowing what to do next. Deacon had disappeared with Axel down a corridor, and the rest of the southern brothers had scattered in different directions without saying much.

“You’ll find a fridge under the bar.” A woman’s voice stopped his thoughts. Tall, with long black hair, she gestured toward a bar area at the far end of the room. “Welcome to Garden City. I’m Cel, Blade’s wife. Make yourselves at home, please. My husband will be out shortly.” She turned and walked away.

“Well, you heard the lady. Don’t mind if I have a brewsky,” Trent said, heading to the bar, his heavy boots clomping on the wooden floor.

“Settle down, asshole,” Viper grumbled. “Show some fucking manners and wait. Our host and Deacon will be out soon.”

Trent blew out a breath. “Really, dude? Since when did you turn nice and mannerly? I gotta find a new MC. This one is going to shit.”

“Be my guest and fuck off,” Viper retorted as he stepped to look out the front window.

Less than five minutes passed before Blade and Deacon entered the living room. “Hey, guys. Welcome to the mother chapter. ”

Gomez searched for Axel in vain. Evidently, the guy had done his thing and left.

“Why don’t you follow me?” Blade continued, smiling. “I’ll show you the clubhouse and the rooms you’ll use during your stay. Viper, I know you’re good friends with Shifter. The choice is yours. You can bunk up with him or stay with us. He’s finishing up some details at the agency and will be over soon.”

“Nice to see you again, Blade.” Viper shook hands with him. “I’m looking forward to catching up with Shifter in real time instead of on the phone. I’ll stay with him and Ginny. It’s been a while since we rode a long stretch of road together.”

Deacon finished the introductions. “Blade, this is Gomez and Trent.”

“Nice to meet you, guys. Follow me.” Blade gestured toward the hallway.

Same as at the clubhouse in Dalton, this one was bigger than it appeared from the outside. Blade had also partitioned the space to separate his family life from the MC. Gomez wondered if Deacon had copied Blade’s arrangements. Nevertheless, Blade showed the guys his family’s private quarters. As Gomez admired the setup and made small talk with Cel and their child, he realized Blade’s wife was responsible for the clubhouse’s common room. Her decorations had similar themes.

As they passed a closed door along the corridor, Blade said, “You’ll sleep here, Gomez.” He opened the door, and everyone looked in. Gomez threw his bag on the bed and kept going when Blade moved along. He did the same thing at the next door. Trent also threw his bag inside, claiming his territory.

“Deacon and I are going to my office,” Blade said. “You guys can come with us or stay in your rooms and relax until we go out for dinner in about an hour. I’ll take you to my favorite Italian restaurant, where you’ll meet some of the other guys. Most will show up.” He laughed. “It’s a free meal. ”

Gomez couldn’t resist his curiosity. He had to see the entire place. “I’ll go with.”

“Me too,” Trent said.

Blade nodded. “Okay. This way.”

Inside Blade’s office, a bald man with a long salt-and-pepper beard and a round belly was busy writing at a desk. He turned bright, beady eyes their way. “How kind, you brought me company,” he said with a smile.

“Gentlemen, meet Breaker,” Blade said. “He’s the Devils’ Spawn vice president and head accountant.”

As the introductions continued and the guys shook hands, Gomez studied the office. Framed photographs were scattered around, and from what he could see, shelves and bookcases split the room into areas of interest. One side was dedicated to business. These shelves were loaded with ledgers. He surmised the cabinets under said shelves were likely just as full. The opposite side was dedicated to entertainment. The bookcases were packed with all sorts of books, including paperbacks, hardbound, and some that were leatherbound with gold leaf decoration. Blade was a reader.

Gomez stepped close to a leatherbound book and gently touched the gold leaf. One Thousand and One Nights was the title on the spine.

“Do you like to read, Gomez?” Blade spoke softly behind him.

He jerked. “Um. No. Not really. But these sure are pretty.” Feeling silly and sensing a sudden rush of heat on his face, he moved to Trent’s side. Blade didn’t follow him.

Viper nodded as he scanned the room. “Nice office.”

“I hear a but coming,” Breaker said.

“Not much space for a meeting with the crew.”

Breaker laughed. “We don’t hold church here. Technically, we can hold church anywhere. We use the conference room for that.”

“I brought you into the office because y’all seemed curious,” Blade said. “But Deacon and I were going to discuss MC finances with Breaker.”

“You mean after the matter of Isolde and Johnny Gun,” Deacon said.

Blade squinted. “I told you before you rode down that I don’t know where they are. But you insisted on coming, and since you won’t drop the issue, you’ll have a chance to talk to Barron later. He’s Johnny’s best friend and will join us at the restaurant. He could have information for you, though don’t count on it.”

“If anyone knows Johnny’s whereabouts, it’s Barron,” Breaker said.

“There’s no guarantee.” Blade glared at his vice president. “For all we know, outside sources might’ve helped him. What do you say, Viper?”

All faces turned to Viper.

“Are you hiding something, Viper?” Deacon thundered. “You seemed pretty chummy with him.”

“Me?” The guy lost all color. “Fuck, I don’t know a damned thing. Least of all wherever they’re hiding.”

Blade shrugged. “Don’t worry, dude. I wasn’t pointing fingers, only thinking out loud.”

“Yeah, well. Think aloud someplace else,” Viper grumbled.

Trent moved close to Gomez. “Do you believe Blade’s innocent act?” he whispered.

“That he doesn’t know?”

Trent nodded. “Uh-huh.”

“He’s trying too hard,” Gomez whispered back. “But this guy Barron is interesting. We’ll watch him tonight.”

“Like a hawk,” Trent said, then turned to the group. “Guys, I love your office and all, but if you’re going to discuss numbers, I’d rather take a nap.”

“Me too,” Gomez said.

“Sure. We’ll call you for dinner,” Blade said .

“Thanks. See ya.” Gomez walked out of the office with Trent right behind.

“So, Barron,” Trent said, going to his left.

“He’s our guy,” Gomez agreed, heading to the right and his room. Dinner would be interesting tonight.

Unable to fall asleep, Gomez stared at the ceiling in his room with his arms folded behind his head. Counting the cracks on the plaster, he revisited the evening’s developments.

Shit, the Italian restaurant had been a fiasco.

The curveballs began with Trent. His friend excused himself, claiming a stomach bug. Gomez wasn’t entirely sold on that story and wondered what kind of mischief his friend was working on. Trent ate everything, including the spiciest, hottest food in their local Mexican restaurant. The guy had a cast-iron stomach.

They were munching on appetizers when Barron, the person of interest, joined the group. But the guy showed up with his wife. Complicating matters, the couple sat at the opposite end of the table from Deacon. The separation and the presence of Barron’s wifesquashed Deacon’s opportunity to question the guy about Isolde and Johnny and for Gomez to eavesdrop.

It was actually entertaining to watch his prez sweating it out to find an opening with Barron, while Blade kept sending him warning glances to cool his jets. The final blow fell at the end. Barron and hiswife left soon after dessert. His prez wasn’t happy. Deacon was a driven man. Once he got an idea or had a goal between the crosshairs, he didn’t stop until he completed what he had in mind. Tonight, Deacon went to bed frustrated.

And Gomez couldn’t get a wink in. He turned over once more and gave up. Trying to fall asleep was boring, and he couldn’t stand to stay in bed another minute .

If he went out to the yard, a little fresh air might help, or maybe he could watch TV in the common room. He stepped into his jeans and pulled on the same shirt he’d used for the restaurant. But the shirt reeked of pizza and oregano, and it turned his stomach. Tossing it aside, he wore his cut instead, then glanced at his watch. No one should be awake at two a.m.

Slowly, he padded out to the hallway on bare feet and made it to the common room without running into anyone. As he searched for the remote, he noticed a strange, soft glow on the porch. The illumination was low, level with the steps, and not coming from the overhead light.

Frowning, he opened the door. Trent was sitting on the top step. Hunched over, his friend was so focused on…voices streaming from his phone, he didn’t hear Gomez walk out.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Trent jerked. “Motherfucker,” he hissed. “Don’t sneak up on people.” Quickly, he put the phone on his lap.

Gomez got closer. Shifting over his friend’s shoulder, he attempted to get a better look. Whatever it was, Trent didn’t want him to see it.

“What is it?” Gomez insisted.

“Lower your voice, for Chrissakes. You’re gonna wake up the whole clubhouse.”

Pressing his lips into a firm line, Gomez shook his head. He’d kept his voice low and they were outside. Whatever Trent was keeping from him was also making him paranoid.

“I didn’t raise my voice. You’re obviously hiding something.” He reached for Trent’s phone. “Show me.”

Holding his phone away, Trent stood. He went down the steps to the yard, waving at Gomez to follow. “Over here. This is safe enough.”

“Safe? Geez, such a big mystery. What is it? Are you watching porn? ”

“Porn?” Trent laughed. “Fuck no, man. I’m listening to something way more interesting.”

“Such as?”

Lifting a corner of his lips, Trent sneered. When he spoke, his voice dripped with malice. “Don’t you wanna know where Johnny Gun and Isolde are hiding out?”

“Give me that!” Gomez snatched the phone before Trent could stop him. The screen was dark except for an audio window in play mode. He stared at Trent. “What the fuck did you do?”

“Hit the Stop button and rewind the recording. You can listen to it.”

“What am I listening to?”

“That’s a recording of Blade on the phone talking to someone. I believe it’s Barron. The conversation took place after dinner.”

“How did you get it?”

“When y’all went to dinner.”

“The stomach bug?”

He grinned. “Uh-huh. I jimmied the lock on Blade’s door and put my listening device behind a photo. The bug is small but powerful. I wasn’t sure when I’d hit pay dirt, but I knew Blade or whoever he’s working with would spill the beans eventually. It happened tonight. Go ahead and listen to the recording.”

“How long have you planned this?”

“Not long. I got the idea right after Deacon mentioned riding south. This was the sure way of discovering their hideout.”

“You didn’t tell me.”

Trent shrugged. “Why would I? I’m my own man. Go ahead, listen.”

Gomez hit the Play button. Blade’s voice came through. The conversation was one-sided, but he could figure out what was being discussed. Then it came:

“Are you in contact with Johnny all the time?”

A long silence followed, then Blade spoke again .

“Are you confident they’re safe? Should we move them to a different location? White Springs is pretty and all, but it’s so small. If anyone gets wind of their location, they’ll be found right away.”

Gomez stopped the recording and gawked. “Deacon has to know.”

Trent snatched the phone away. “No, he doesn’t.”

“What do you mean?” Gomez frowned. “Of course he does. It’s his daughter. He’s desperate to find her.”

Trent grabbed his arm. “He will know. After they’re picked up.”

“Picked up?” Gomez blinked furiously. An icy sensation settled in his chest. “By who?”

“My people.”

“Your…people?” He swallowed. Yanking his arm loose, he stepped back from Trent. No, no, no. It can’t be . He forced himself to ask. “Which people are those?”

Trent gave him a bland smile. “Come on, dude. You already know. Rover, the Wolves’ prez, and his cartel friends. How does that line go? ‘They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.’ More fucking money than I could make in a lifetime.” He shook his head. “Not turning that down.”

“Spineless motherfucker. No wonder the Wolves have known our every move. You’re a fucking traitor.” Gomez kept moving back.

“Traitor? Who’s the real traitor here? All of us came to the Spawn because the MC was making money smuggling goods and gun running. But Deacon changed the game on us, following Blade’s lead. Now I can’t pay my bills. Then he double-crossed one of us to the feds to get even.”

“One of us? Who?”

“Killer.”

“But he’s not a Spawn. ”

“Doesn’t matter, he’s still a biker, technically, a brother. Deacon’s need for vengeance was stronger than loyalty to us. When Rover reached out to me, I agreed. There’s real payback for you. The Wolves have been a step ahead of the Spawn, thanks to yours truly. Isolde would already be theirs, but that asshole Johnny Gun got involved.”

“Isolde’s a civilian. An innocent in all this.”

“Who gives a fuck? She’s collateral damage.”

“You’re insane.” Facing Trent, Gomez hollered, “Deacon! Blade! Wake up. Wake up!”

“Don’t do that. Don’t make me hurt you, Gomez. It’s too late. They’re already on their way. Blade said it. White Springs is small. Before morning, they’ll have her and Johnny.”

Gomez ran toward the clubhouse, bellowing louder than before. “Deacon! Blade! Wake up! Wake?—”

The last shout ended in a gasp. Trent jumped on his back, and a deep burning pain to the middle of Gomez’s back took his breath…

Initially, the buzzing became part of Johnny’s dream. A moment later, the irritating sound woke him up, and he reached blindly for his phone on the night table.

“Hey,” he murmured.

“Get out. Now,” Barron urged. “They know where you are, and they’re coming. There’s no time. Don’t think and don’t pack. Just put Isolde in the truck and leave. Come straight to the clubhouse. We’re waiting for you. Call me from the road. Hear me?”

“Yes.”

Hell yeah. He was wide awake. “Wake up, baby. We have to go.” Jumping out of bed, he spoke and dressed at the same time.

“Hmmm? ”

He shook her shoulder, but Isolde was in a deep sleep and not responding quickly at all. Johnny didn’t have a spare second to waste. Barron’s call didn’t give him any kind of estimate, except to get out now. That was enough for him.

He dropped his phone into his pocket, shoved his SIG in his pants, and wrapped the sheet around her. Lifting her into his arms, he strode toward the front room. He snatched his keys and her purse and ran to the truck. Later, they’d figure out how to recover the rest of their things.

Johnny stretched her on the back seat, jumped behind the wheel, put his gun into the side console, and tore off onto Route 136, lifting dust and loose pebbles. Now he was glad he always listened to his training. He kept his tank full at all times, which meant he wouldn’t have to stop for gas until he got closer to the Georgia border.

However, he’d left like a bat out of hell and would have to stop before the border to regroup and figure out his next destination. Fifteen minutes later, road signs announced Jasper’s proximity. This was a good place to stop and catch his breath.

Slowing his speed, he called Barron one-handed.

“I hope you’re on the road,” Barron said quickly.

“I’m outside of Jasper. Fifteen minutes north of White Springs. What happened?”

“We found Gomez badly wounded and unconscious. On the way to the ER, he mumbled that you’d been discovered.”

“Is it bad? Will he make it?”

Johnny wasn’t crazy about Gomez. Still, he didn’t wish the guy any harm.

“It’s touch and go at the moment,” Barron replied. “Blade and Captain Weaver hope he’ll pull through. He knows the spy’s identity.”

“Now what? ”

“Blade wants you to drive straight to the clubhouse with minimum stops and no deviation. You’ll be safe here.”

“On my way.”

Ending the call, he drove on, making a prelim mental plan. He’d come down from Acworth on I-75. Now he had to head east toward Savannah and Garden City. He’d program the GPS once he stopped. He glanced once more through the rearview mirror. So far, luck was on their side. No one followed them, and he was good at detecting tails.

“Daddy?” A still-sleepy Isolde popped up in between seats.

“Yes, baby?”

“I’m confused.”

“I’m sure you are, sweetheart. We had to get out in a hurry.”

“Why?”

“Barron called. Someone discovered our location, and we had to leave. I don’t have all the details yet.”

“Oh. That’s not good. Do you think the snitch found us?”

“Maybe.”

“I’m wearing pajamas, and I have a sheet around me.”

“I put the sheet there. This was an emergency, and I couldn’t wait for you to wake up. I also didn’t want you to be cold.”

“What do we do now?”

“I spoke to Barron. Blade wants us in Garden City. Just so you know, your father is staying at the clubhouse.”

“He is?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

“What if I have to go to the ladies’? I’m in my jammies.”

“I’d stop to get you clothes, but it’s very early. Nothing opens before nine, and we can’t delay. It’s important that we arrive in Garden City as soon as we can. I don’t want to alarm you, but we could have people chasing us. As far as the bathroom is concerned, use it dressed as you are. We’re in emergency mode, and adjustments have to be made. All right?”

“All right. Can I sit with you?”

“When we stop, you can switch seats.”

“Cool.”

He gave a soft chuckle when she calmly sat back. Not everyone would wake up out of a dead sleep and take all this information without freaking out. Then again, Isolde was unique. He’d known that since day one. Holding the steering wheel tighter, he sighed. The arrival at Garden City with everyone there promised to be interesting.