Page 4 of Karma (Deranged Drifters MC #23)

Chapter Four

Griffin’s Beach Lex

L ex walks towards the hotel but stops and looks around. Again, she feels it. The eyes on her. Someone watches her. Just like the President of the Savage Slashers before he was killed.

Scarface watched Lex for months before he took her.

Took her to torture her for information, and her resilience turned him on.

Made him form an attachment and attraction to her.

He’d send her little love notes attached to rocks through her windows, or going as far as to drug and chain her to Colt’s bed in the clubhouse.

To the best of her knowledge, the club has no active enemies obsessed with her. So who the hell is watching her?

Shrugging it off, she walks into the hotel and looks around the restaurant to see if Raena is dumb enough to be out in the open.

If Lex were that batshit crazy woman who shot the bride of a Drifter, she’d have hightailed it out of town long ago.

But Raena doesn’t seem like the type to leave unfinished business.

“Lex?” a familiar blonde asks as Lex turns around. “I thought that was you.”

“Emme, right?” she asks, even though she knows without a doubt who this woman is. The baby mama to Gavin Short’s daughter, Nancy. The woman Hailey only refers to as the waitress .

She smiles brightly and nods her head. “Yeah! I wasn’t sure if you’d remember.”

“Well, it’s kind of hard to forget the woman who got herself knocked up by my daughter’s boyfriend, and then abandoned the baby because she wasn’t woman enough to raise her.”

The smile falls, and she stammers, “I-I didn’t do it on my own, you know.”

“Yeah, as a mother myself, I’m more than aware of how conception works. No matter what, there is nothing that would make me leave my child and sign away all of my rights.”

“I wasn’t ready.”

“And you’ll never be. Hailey’s a good mother to that little girl, and I’m giving you a very clear warning to stay the hell away from them. Besides the fact you legally have no rights, it’ll piss me the hell off if you disrupt the life they’ve built.”

She nods and licks her lips. “Nancy’s doing okay?”

“Do you really care? Or do you think you can play me into believing you’re a halfway decent human being? Because I don’t believe either.”

“I do care. I care enough to know that I would have been a terrible mother by forcing myself into a life I wasn’t ready for. Nancy deserves a better life.”

“And she has it. Stay the hell away from them. My daughter is a damn good mother, and she’s Nancy’s mom. As Hailey’s mom, I’m going to tell you only once that it’s not a good idea to poke the bear.”

Frowning, she sniffles. “So, that’s it? I have to pretend like I never had a daughter?”

“That’s what the little piece of paper you signed says,” Lex says.

“You walked away from her, and you don’t get to come back because you woke up one day thinking maybe you’ll try out being a parent.

Walking away from that little girl was the best thing you ever did for her, and now you get to stay away. Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Emme says. “I, uh, should get back to work.”

“Buh-bye.”

Lex turns and walks to the front desk. The woman smiles brightly at her. “How can I help you?”

“I was wondering if Raena checked out of room four-oh-three. I was supposed to meet her a couple of days ago, but I got held up. I’m afraid she’s left town.”

“I’m not supposed to give out guest information,” she says, her voice low.

“I understand. I was going to check myself, but she tends to service men in the rooms she rents for a few extra bucks. Sometimes, she has more than one at a time, and when I interrupt, she insists I join. She’s like a mother, and it’s very disturbing.

Having to upset her by letting her know I have no desire to have sex with her makes her stop talking to me for weeks at a time. ”

Eyes wide, the woman looks frightened, but nods her head. “Um, it looks like she’s extended her stay with us. Would you like me to call—Oh wait, I think that’s her now. I did see a few men go with her the past few days.”

Smiling, Lex winks at her. “Thank you so much. You just saved my ass. I’ll catch her in the parking lot. But you might want to have someone check her room. Someone died at the last hotel she stayed in.”

She walks away before anything can be followed by the gasp, and she surprises Raena as she reaches for the doorhandle of her car. Pulling a gun from her purse, Lex leans against the car and shuts the door.

“Hi, Raena.”

“What the fuck is this?”

Poking her stomach with the weapon, she smiles. “Payback.”

“I didn’t mean to shoot her,” she says. “I swear, I wanted to save her from my evil son.”

“Here’s the problem, Raena: Your son isn’t evil.”

“Bullshit.”

“Get in the trunk of your car.”

Her eyes widen, and she chuckles in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Get in the trunk, or I’ll force you in there. If I have to use force, you’re going to be in a lot of pain.”

She glances around before realizing she has no other choice, and Lex waits for her to open the trunk with the key fob. They walk to the back, and Raena hesitates for a minute before she climbs inside.

Winking, Lex slams the butt of her gun onto Raena’s head, knocking her out. “You just get cozy in there,” she says and shuts the lid. Pulling out her phone, she climbs into the driver’s seat. “Hey, Everlee. Meet me at the clubhouse. I got a present for you.”

“ W hat the fuck is this?” Raena cries as she hangs with her hands above her head.

“It’s easier if you don’t fight them,” Cinder says as she hangs beside her.

Heidi hasn’t decided how far she plans to take things with Cinder, but she’s kept her tied up in the basement of the clubhouse since the wedding. No one has bothered to even ask about her, and Lex feels kind of sorry for her. Not even her father’s come around looking.

“What are you going to do?” Raena asks. “Keep me here indefinitely?”

“No, they’re going to kill you,” Venom says, walking down the steps and standing in front of his mother. “Next time you try to kill someone, you should make sure you succeed. Especially in this clubhouse.”

“You should have done what I asked!” she shouts and pulls at the chains.

Cracking her knuckles, Lex sits on the work table and smirks. “Well, you got what you wanted anyway.”

Venom looks back at her and frowns. “What do you mean?”

“Her husband was found dead in her hotel room. Not a smart move considering everything was in her name, but she doesn’t come off as a smart woman. I do have to give her credit for her commitment to carrying out her goals, though.”

“She did what now?”

“Yeah, but she fucked up. In ways outside of shooting your wife. There are cameras all over that place, and the cops are looking for her.”

Sneering, Raena has the gall to chuckle. “So, I guess they caught you forcing me into the trunk of my car.”

“Actually, they didn’t. And that footage has been erased. When I talked to the cops about an hour ago, I told them I tried to stop you, but you took off. They’re looking to charge you for first degree murder for your husband and attempted murder for your daughter-in-law.”

The smile quickly disappears, and she looks ten years older than just a second before. “So, what happens now?”

“Well, the cops think you ran off, and we’re going to get rid of your car to help sell it. Now, here’s where I make an offer to Cinder,” Lex says. “Are you with me, dear?”

“You want me to take the car to my father’s junkyard and piece it out?” Cinder asks. “Or do you want me to crush it?”

Her eyes are nearly swollen shut from the beating Heidi’s delivered, and she’s beyond pale. Well, aside from the giant purple bruises.

“What would you suggest?”

“Piecing it out could come back to you. Honestly, I’d think it would be best to crush the car as small as possible and put it in a larger vehicle to crush.”

“We trust she won’t go to the cops?” Venom asks. “Or take the car to the cops?”

Tilting her head, Lex looks at Cinder and hops off the table. “That’s a good point,” she says and places the knife on Cinder’s palm, closing her fingers around the handle, before removing it.

“I swear,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll never bother you guys again, and I don’t talk to the cops. They can go fuck themselves.”

“And we trust that?” Venom asks.

Lex sets the knife on the workbench and smiles. “I do. But in case you’re thinking of double-crossing us, Cinder, just know that your prints are the only ones on the weapon that will kill Raena.”

“I won’t double-cross you. Honestly, Lex, you’re the one who keeps feeding me and giving me water. You’ve shown a kindness no one else has. Kindness I probably don’t deserve.”

“Oh, you don’t,” she says and moves to the wall. Pressing a button, Cinder slowly lowers to the ground.

Venom unshackles her and looks directly into her eyes. “Go near Marnie ever again, and I promise you that no one will ever find your body.”

“Trust me, I plan to stay as far away as fucking possible from you assholes,” she says. “Where’s the car?”

“I’ll ride with you,” Heidi says with a smirk as she holds a gun in her hand. “A few of our guys will follow behind to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”

“Goodie,” she says and slowly climbs the stairs with what little strength she has left as Heidi remains behind her.

Laughing, Lex shakes her head. “You know, if the situation was different, I think I’d like her.”

“So, what’s your plan?” Raena asks. “Gonna put a bullet in my brain?”

“You’re too stupid for your own good. Lex put a knife in Cinder’s hand, not a gun, dumbass. Besides, a gun is too easy for you. Too quick,” Everlee says and holds a blowtorch in her hand. “We’re gonna play a game to see how much pain you can handle before you pass out.”

Her eyes widen, and she looks at her son. “You’re going to let them do this? To your own mother?”

“As far as I’m concerned, you died the moment you shot my wife,” he sneers and walks to the stairs. “And you will be soon enough.”

“William!” she cries out. “Don’t let them do this!”

“You don’t get to give me orders anymore. I owe you shit, Raena. While I can’t kill you myself for almost killing the woman I love, I will not stop it from happening.”

Holding up a gloved hand, Lex smiles. “And as his best friend, I will be the one assisting this whole thing. You’re not my mom, so I don’t give a fuck about you.”

“And you almost killed my daughter,” Everlee says. “Technically, you did, and I’m going to show you just how big of a mistake you made by showing up that day.”

She turns on the torch and holds the flame to the underside of Raena’s left bicep. Raena screams out in pain as Venom runs up the stairs, unable to watch. No matter how much he hates his mother, he can’t stay here for this.

Crinkling her nose, Lex waits until Everlee pulls the flame away. “That’s a sensitive spot, ain’t it?”

“You fucking psychos!”

“You have no idea,” she says and laughs maniacally. “And before you say what everyone who ends up down here does, you can scream all you want because the room is completely soundproof. No one will come to save you.”

Everlee touches the flame to her neck, and she cries out loud enough to hurt Lex’s ears, making her wince in pain.

“I think she’s testing out the soundproof theory,” Everlee shouts.

“She’s kind of a bitch considering she’s offed more husbands than she legally should have been allowed to marry.”

Moving the flame, she lets Raena catch her breath. She wrinkles her nose and asks, “Do you smell that?”

The older woman pissed all over herself, and Lex knows it won’t be much longer before she loses control of all bodily functions. “Smells like karma. She should’ve looked into us a little more. Maybe she’d have thought twice about coming for one of us.”

“He’s my son!”

“He’s our family,” she snaps back. “And if you think I’m scared of going to hell for what we’re about to do to you, you really don’t know who you pissed off.”

“Her mistake,” Everlee says and hands a second torch to Lex. “Hopefully she doesn’t have fake tits. They’ll probably melt pretty fucking quick if she does.”

“Oh, ouch,” Lex says. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

“Mama bear, Lex. Mama bear.”