Page 38 of Property of Stone (Kings of Anarchy MC: Pennsylvania #1)

That had Ransom quickly slowing down the formation as they rode by. In unison, every damn head turned to check out the possible trespassers.

Stone had no idea who the sleds belonged to, whether they were only hobby riders or if they belonged to another MC. If it was the latter, that would be a major fucking problem.

Not only for the Kings but for those unknown MC members.

But first, they needed to verify who the fuck those Harleys belonged to. Could be a bunch of nobodies. Could be another club scouting their territory. Since the Kings have ruled their area since the late 70s, not one damn club in most of Pennsylvania didn’t know that fact.

Whether they had to learn it the hard way or not.

If a lesson needed to be taught today, he and his brothers would certainly take them to school.

It was Ransom, not Wheels, giving the signal to pull off ahead. Less than three miles later, they found an area large enough for all of them to get off the road.

Stone immediately heeled his kickstand down and swung a leg over his sled. Once his boots were planted solidly on the ground, he yanked his bandana down to tell Taryn, “Stay here. Don’t get off my sled.”

“What’s going on? Is there a problem?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, might be a problem. Gonna discuss how to handle it.”

Her eyes might be hidden behind her dark sunglasses, but Stone couldn’t miss her deeply furrowed brow. “Should I be worried?”

“Nope.” With that, he took long strides to the front of the pack where most of his brothers were gathering around Ransom and Ogre.

Since he was VP, he elbowed his way to the center just in time to hear their sergeant at arms say, “No damn clubs reached out to me. Did any reach out to you about bein’ in the area today? ”

With his expression holding a hell of a lot of unhappy, Ransom shook his head. “Fuck no. Woulda said somethin’ if they had.”

“Wanna head back to The Castle and drop the ol’ ladies off before we deal with this bullshit?”

Again, Ransom shook his head. “No goddamn time for that. If another club’s encroachin’, the ol’ ladies all know what needs to be done.”

Ogre glanced at Stone. “‘Cept yours.”

“Maybe ‘cause she ain’t my ol’ lady.” Taryn was the only female on the run who wasn’t.

The sergeant at arms huffed, “Not yet, anyway.”

“Ain’t lookin’ for that. You know it’s only temporary. She ain’t lookin’ for permanent and I ain’t, either.”

A muscle in Ransom’s cheek popped. “Now ain’t a time for this shit.”

“What do we wanna do?” Chopper, appearing a bit wired, asked what everyone wanted to know .

In truth, they all got a bit wired when another MC was in the area. They looked at any club that wasn’t a Kings chapter as a possible rival unless the other club was an already established ally. Those were few and far between since they were careful who they aligned with.

Ransom answered Chopper, “If they ain’t from a club, don’t fuckin’ matter. But if they’re wearin’ colors, it’s an issue we gotta deal with.”

Ogre bobbed his massive bald head. “Thinkin’ we should wait here while sendin’ a coupla us back.

No point in the whole formation turnin’ around.

Don’t wanna make a big deal outta it ’til we know who the fuck it is.

Could also be a trap. What better way to get most of us in one spot than while on a fuckin’ run?

We all go back to investigate, next thing we fuckin’ know is we’re bein’ surrounded by another goddamn club.

Need to avoid that clusterfuck. We need the upper hand. ”

“Agreed. Best to step carefully so we don’t step in deep shit. We’ll send two.”

“I’ll go,” Devil Dog volunteered, stepping forward.

Grim spoke up next from behind Stone. “Gonna go with him.”

With a nod, Ransom ordered, “See who it is but stay outta sight. If it’s just some weekend warriors, let ‘em go. No harm, no foul. If they ain’t and they go east, stick with ‘em and keep me updated on your location. They ride west, let us know they’re comin’ our way so we can give them a proper Kings welcome.

Keep your distance and try not to get spotted right away. Havin’ to chase ‘em will suck.”

While Stone agreed with that plan, it was difficult to go undetected when you rode Harleys with straight-pipe exhausts. That was another good reason to only send a couple of brothers back to the diner. A group of two dozen bikers would catch attention quicker than only two.

After Devil and Grim jumped on their sleds and sped off, Stone glanced back to see Taryn now standing next to his own sled. At least she hadn’t tried to approach him while they were having their little roadside meeting.

He should go back to her because, even from where he stood, her worry was obvious. But until he knew what they were doing next, she would only bombard him with questions he couldn’t answer.

The longer they stood around with their fucking thumbs up their asses, the more restless he and his brothers got. He hoped to fuck the four Harleys belonged to some random riders so Taryn wouldn’t witness how they’d be dealt with if they weren’t.

He could take her back to The Castle and not wait around but that would be a dick move. It would make life easier for him but not for his brothers. And being VP, he needed to help Ransom lead, even if it was for a beat-down.

A few minutes later, the prez glanced at his phone when it dinged. He read the text out loud. “Twisted Souls.”

“Those goddamn motherfuckers?” Ogre bellowed. “They got some balls on ‘em.” His chest expanded, probably trying to hold in all his fury.

For fuck’s sake. That goddamn club. Members of the Twisted Souls MC were in their fucking area. Worse, without a fucking heads up. They had no reason to be in the Kings’ territory unless they were scouting to expand their own.

That meant his brotherhood had no choice but to deliver a message. If they didn’t, other clubs might see them as weak and try the same shit .

Fuck that, this needed to be dealt with here and now.

Since they gave the Kings no warning, the Kings wouldn’t give them one in return.

It was one thing when a club was only riding through on a highway. Highways and interstates were considered neutral territory for the most part. But the minute patched members jumped off and onto a road running through another club’s territory, it became an issue.

Especially since these fuckers weren’t that far from the Kings’ clubhouse.

That was fucked up. And soon, they’d be the same way.

“Where they headed?” Ogre asked.

Ransom glanced up from reading the latest text.

“This way.“ Circling his hand above his head, he yelled, “Mount up. They’re gonna be here in a few.” He stabbed at his phone, then put it to his ear. “Squid. Gather up all the prospects you can find. Put them in the van and head toward Trevorton Road. And hurry the fuck up. Will update you if we change course. No draggin’ your goddamn feet, either. Not if you want your rockers.”

Once Ransom hung up, no other words needed to be said. The rest of their brothers all knew what needed to be done. It was time to not only school those motherfuckers, but confiscate their sleds. A tax they charged any club for entering their territory without permission.

Stone ate up the distance between him and Taryn.

“Now what?” she asked when he reached her.

“Gotta deliver a message.”

“To whoever owns those four bikes? What kind of message?”

“Yeah. A fuckin’ clear one.”

“That says? ”

“This is our territory. We fuckin’ rule it. No one steps on our patch without our approval. No one.”

“Maybe they didn’t know it was your territory.”

“Guess they’re gonna fuckin’ learn.” It was a lesson about to be learned the hard way. “Hurry and get back on. Hold on fuckin’ tight ‘cause shit’s about to go sideways.”