Page 8 of Scythe (Devil Daddies MC #2)
S cythe stopped in a parking lot two blocks from Winnie’s school to check in with the computer wizard. Just as he anticipated, Pirate had sent him a file of information about Lorraine Oberson. He had the basic facts about her: age, education, arrests, and charges.
Nothing too remarkable at first glance. Lorraine was older than he would have guessed.
Something about her degree made him stop.
Scythe studied the next document in the file.
Pirate had included an investigation of Amberly College.
It didn’t exist except as an empty shell on the internet.
There was no record of the institution on any higher education listing or on tax records.
“You dog, you.” She’d created her own university, given herself a higher education certification, and gone to work as a teacher.
He shook his head as he scrolled to the next items. A court document legally changing her name from Lori Young to Lorriane Oberson.
A rap sheet for Lori Young followed that was years long, listing theft, assault, and extortion.
She’d earned one solicitation charge at twenty-five.
This was obviously not the type of person school districts usually employed.
How had the district gotten bamboozled by this con artist?
Two more files sat in the folder Pirate had created.
A distinguished man in a well-tailored suit stared up at him.
Why did he look familiar? The silver hair and approachable expression made this the perfect headshot for several professions.
Scythe checked to see who he was. Dr. Adam Young, the superintendent of Winnie’s district.
A flash of the previous evening popped into his brain.
That was the man who Winnie had panicked at seeing.
Dr. Adam Young. Lori Young. That couldn’t be a coincidence.
Opening the next page, Scythe confirmed his suspicion.
In the father space, Adam Joseph Young’s name stared up at him from Lori Young’s birth certificate.
The bastard had hired his daughter without a teaching degree and promoted her to the principal’s job. They hadn’t covered their tracks well.
Scythe debated. Did he continue to Winnie’s school and take care of the principal?
He didn’t want to subject Winnie to any negative actions they might levy against her before the information could be used effectively.
He needed to protect her first and to plot how to use those reports in the most effective way.
Pulling back into traffic, he drove toward Inferno. The interstate was packed with rush hour traffic. Scythe maneuvered easily through the crush of stressed and tired drivers at the end of the day. When he hit Inferno, the parking lot was already half full.
Lucien had built Inferno’s reputation for great food at a good price.
Many stopped here on their way home to grab a generous meal and have a beer or two before the dancing and heavier drinking crowd showed up after nine.
Controlling the number inside was essential in the late-night hours, but the extra revenue the early birds created supported the business.
Lucien was a shrewd businessman. Crossing him was a ginormous mistake. Lucien didn’t forget anything and had a dark side. Scythe battled with his own demons. He understood the Devil Daddies MC leader. Well, as much as Lucien allowed. No one was that close to their leader.
Scythe would never have imagined his life here in the city.
Working the family farm was hard, but he’d always felt like a part of the land.
When his plans had crumbled to dust with the loss of his father and all the acres, Scythe had helped move his mother to live close to her sister.
She was happy there and enjoyed filling the free time she had now without demanding jobs like canning and cooking for a hungry harvesting crew.
A fight had introduced him to Lucien and the Devil Daddies.
What had seemed like the worst day of his life had led to this new world.
When he had taken a chance and showed up battered and bruised at Inferno asking to see Lucien, the shrewd business owner had invited him up to his office.
It turned out Lucien needed someone unafraid of hard work and willing to tell him the truth regardless of what Lucien wanted to hear.
Scythe waved a hand to acknowledge the greetings of MC brothers and customers as he drove through the lot.
He backed into the reserved strip of parking places where all the Devil Daddies left their bikes and went inside.
Rocking music greeted him as he walked through the side door.
Scythe headed for the entrance to see if Wraith needed his help.
“Hey,” Wraith greeted him.
The bulky biker was a force to be reckoned with in any skirmish. He also had amazing instincts when it came to working the door. Scythe answered him with a nod before greeting the curvy woman at his side. “Hi, Caroline.”
“Hi, Scythe. You’re less frowny today,” she observed with a smile.
“I’ll try to cultivate a meaner persona.” He scowled fiercely at Caroline, making her giggle and two men at the door take a step back.
Wraith waved them forward. “No worries about Scythe. He’s already met his quota today. You’re safe unless you cause problems.”
“We just want a beer and some nachos,” one customer assured Wraith as he kept his eyes on Scythe like he would strike at any moment.
“Enjoy!” Caroline urged, and the men hurried by, giving Scythe a wide berth.
“You know by the end of the night the rumor of me slaughtering all the members of a frat house will be everywhere,” Scythe said.
“Way to maintain the mystique of the Devils,” Wraith said.
Scythe shook his head. “Need me here?”
Wraith patted Caroline’s thigh. “My trainee and I have this under control. Want to come give us a dinner break at seven?” Wraith asked.
“You got it.”
“They needed some help at the back bar if you’re looking for a place to jump in.”
“I’ll head that way. See you at seven.”
Customers slammed the smaller bar. Scythe slid behind the counter and started putting together the servers’ orders.
Thankfully, beer and margaritas filled the vast majority of the requests.
Those were easy to dispense into a glass to send the customers on their way.
He could make fancy drinks, but they took more time.
“Scythe? We’re running out of stock. Could you take those muscles and grab some liquor for us?” Sherry asked. The cheerful bartender was a staple at Inferno. She’d been there from the very beginning.
“You got it, Sherry. I’ll hurry.”
“You’re a gem. Here.” She tossed him the keys to the storage room.
Scythe ducked under the counter to head for the backroom. He quickly gathered all the bottles Sherry needed and loaded two buckets with the booze. He stepped out into the hallway, set the containers down, and locked the door.
“Hey, young man. I’ve been looking for you.”
Scythe turned to see a man dressed in a suit that had to cost as much as a bachelorette party’s bar bill. A lawyer. Automatically, he scowled.
“It’s been a long time since someone called me a young man,” he answered. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get this stock to the bar.”
The man stepped in front of him. “This will take five minutes.” He held out a card.
“Sorry. I’m on the clock,” Scythe told him.
“Better five minutes here than ten years in jail. Take my card.” He dropped it into one bucket. “You’ll want my contact information. You are to stay away from East Elementary School.”
“Ten years in jail, huh? For what?”
“Endangering children and trespassing on private property,” the man answered.
“I see. You’re working for Adam Young?” Scythe asked. Inwardly, he saluted the superintendent. He had acted immediately and had paid enough to get a lawyer to Inferno in the course of a couple of hours—after the office closed. On someone else, this attempt to intimidate might be effective.
“That is privileged information,” the lawyer said.
“Gotcha. Currently, you’re on private property. Allow me to walk you to the front door,” Scythe said evenly. He would never allow this man to guess this crappy move bothered him.
Scythe lugged the two heavy buckets with ease through the crowd, making sure the lawyer followed him. When he reached Wraith, Scythe set down one container and pointed to a spot above the entrance. “Could you read that notice there?”
Automatically, the man glanced up. When he saw the device and the sign stating, You are on camera , he looked immediately down. Too late, they had a clear picture of him. Scythe checked his watch for the time before addressing Wraith.
“This guy is threatening to put me in jail for ten years. Can you add him to the banned list?”
“Sir, you are no longer welcome at Inferno. Please leave,” Wraith informed him loudly.
The man scanned the crowd, noting the attention the encounter drew and nodded. “Of course. I’ve accomplished my mission.”
Scythe leaned forward to share, “Oh, and by the way, we have footage not only of you today but of Adam Young interacting with a bachelorette party last night. Those would be interesting pictures to have appear in the paper before the next school board meeting.”
“Or on the district website. That would be better,” Wraith said.
The man looked back and forth between them. “I would not suggest blackmail to a lawyer.”
“No one mentioned blackmail,” Scythe pointed out. “Have a nice evening, sir. Thanks for your office’s address. I hope your car is okay in the parking lot.”
The man opened and closed his mouth like a fish before rushing out of Inferno. He obviously liked his car. Scythe smirked at his back.
“Something I need to know?” Wraith asked.
“Not now. I’m going to take off after I get the bar restocked.”
“Of course,” Wraith answered.
As he walked away, he heard Caroline ask, “What’s going on with Scythe?”
“I have a hunch Scythe has found….” Wraith’s answer faded as Scythe retraced his steps through the customers.