Page 38 of The Biker’s Second Chance (Chrome Creed MC #2)

NO CONNECTIONS

SPIKE

E ngines roar in the night, the kind of sound that shakes your ribs from the inside.

I ride point, my brothers staggered behind me, Chrome Creed cutting through the dead streets like a line of steel and fire.

The block we’re headed for is abandoned.

Boarded up shops, broken glass, street lights flickering like they're on their last legs.

Perfect place for a snake like Xavier to slither out into the open.

My hands grip the bars tight. I feel like an asshole for leaving Jayne in the dark, but she would’ve demanded to come.

And I can’t risk her life on this. Not tonight.

She doesn’t get it. This isn’t just about the women, or about some deal.

It’s about Zero. It's about getting her to trust me to be who she knows I am.

Most importantly, It’s about ending this rot before it spreads.

We roll up, kill the engines, the silence after is loud. I expected to see a fucking army of people out here waiting for us. The fact that I don't see anyone is alarming.

The smell of old piss hangs in the air. Leo and Lash flank me, Rumble and Tella close behind. Each one loaded, each one ready. Four women stand between us, their arms bound in front of them and tape on their mouths.

I adjust my kutte, grab the duffle with the “proof” Xavier thinks he’s about to bargain for, and head straight for the front doors.

Inside, Xavier’s voice hits me before his face does. I’ve only ever heard it through a phone, slick, greasy, like used oil. In person it’s worse.

I push open the door and scan the room once before I walk in without so much as an invitation.

Game on.

“Well, well. The infamous Chrome Creed finally grows some balls.” He leans back in a cracked leather chair like he owns the room.

His suit’s tailored, too shiny for a dump like this.

A gold chain gleams at his throat. Around him, a handful of guards post up, guns half-raised but not committed. Xavier smirks like he already won.

“You bring me my merchandise?” His eyes flick to the women in the corner behind Lash. The girls we rescued, shaken but alive. They’re here for show, nothing more.

I set the duffle on the table between us. “Got what you asked for.”

He chuckles, “You know it takes a lot of fucking gall to go up against me but I guess I can respect your ambition.

I used to be like that. Now let's get down to business.

I've got clients waiting for these women and your constant interference is costinmg me money. So tell me how we can work together. I already have the product and the clients, what can you give me to justify asking for a cut?”

"Security." I say matter of factly as I continue looking around the room taking count of the guards that are here. I'm waiting for more to come in or for one of these guys to check in with someone else. None of that happens.

This bastard really is here all on his own. What a stupid fuck.

"I already have security." Xavier waves his hand in the air dismissing my idea.

"No, you had security. In case you haven't noticed but we already got rid of all your people down by the docks.

Honestly, how long do you think you'll be able to throw these parties around town before someone like us rolls through and takes you for everything.

It's already happened and it was only a handful of us.

You're just prey ready for the slaughter.

" I smirk at Xavier, trying to keep my resentment off my face. It's hard.

Xavier looks around the room as if he is thinking, "You're right. Thanks to your brutish ways I am a little light on security."

That's exactly information that I was looking for.

"Exactly and no one does business around here without us knowing about it. Chrome Creed runs this town."

Xavier stares me down. Leo and the rest of my brothers tense but they don't make a move.

That slimy smile expands on Xavier's face and I know I've got him. He reaches out his hand to shake mine. "You've got yourself a deal. It's better we do this now anyway. You cleared out all of my stock. I'll need to re up soon."

Finally, the last piece of the puzzle.

He doesn't have any more women stashed away. We've saved them all.

Now to cut off the head of the snake.

I lean forward, resting both fists on the table. “You think I came here to be your partner?”

He grins wider. “What else? You don’t have the brains for anything else, Spike. You’re thugs. Muscle. Dogs waiting for scraps. You want money? You want power? You need me.”

Leo growls low, but I shoot him a look. Not yet.

“Funny thing,” I say, keeping my tone calm, almost bored.

“We cleaned out your docks. Took your girls. Took your paperwork. Phones. Invoices. I’ve been making calls, Xavier.

You don't have anything I need. You don't have anything anyone needs.” I stand and look down at him, the smile on his face lessening. "You're business is over."

"The hell it is. You don't know who I'm connected to. I have very important clients. People that I can call who will make your life a hell on earth." He threatens.

"Really? Are you sure? I'm thinking you're on your own. No one is going to have anything to do with you."

His smirk twitches. “You're bluffing.”

"Am I?"

I reach into my kutte, pull out my phone, and hit speaker. The first number dials, rings, then clicks. A man’s voice, crisp, professional.

I already know how this call is going to play out.

While I was getting ready in the clubhouse, I already had Leo and several other brothers calling these so called important people.

We laid it out flat, either they stopped kidnapping and abducting girls in our area or we would give every last piece of information, including the invoices, photos and the women's testimony, we had to the authorities.

Xavier was right when he said he had high level clients, some of them deep into politics, others in high society with more money than anyone should ever have.

The only constant between all of them is they were all more than willing to denounce Xavier if it meant not having to deal with the cops.

He just isn't as needed as he thinks he is.

“Mr. Mendez,” I say, staring Xavier dead in the eye. “Still doing business with Xavier Cortez?”

A pause. Then: “I don’t know any Xavier Cortez.” Click.

Xavier shifts in his seat, licking his lips.

Next call. Another voice, thick accent. “No. No ties. Tell him to never call again.” Click.

Third call. A woman, cold as ice. “That name is poison. Don’t call here again.” Click.

Each denial slams the nail deeper. Xavier’s face drains of color. His guards twitch, unsure.

“You see, Xavier,” I say, my voice steel now, “you don’t have friends. You don’t have power. You’re nothing but a parasite. And parasites get burned out.”

“You...fuck you!” He shoots to his feet, voice cracking. “I built this empire! They wouldn’t have shit without me! You think you can just walk in here and?—”

The door bursts open. More guards flood in, weapons drawn. Still not enough to keep me from ending this. Xavier bolts, scrambling for the back office.

“Take ‘em!” I bark, before I grab hold of the women and rush them out of danger. "Get back to the bikes, we'll be there soon."

I come back into the room and it has completely erupted.

Gunfire shreds the walls, sparks raining.

Lash drops two men before they can aim. Rumble tackles one, smashing his skull into the concrete with a wet crack.

Tella moves like a shadow, blade in hand, cutting a man’s throat so clean he drops without a sound.

I put a bullet through the last one’s chest, the recoil sharp in my palm, smell of cordite thick in the air.

We push through the smoke and chase Xavier. His office reeks of cheap cologne and whiskey. He’s cornered, chest heaving, eyes wild.

“You can’t kill me,” he spits, backing up against the desk. “You know who I am? I’ve got protection. I’ve got?—”

“No,” I cut him off. “You had protection. You had allies. You had girls in cages and blood on your hands. Now? You’ve got nothing.”

He fumbles for a drawer, maybe a gun. Leo kicks the desk hard enough it topples sideways, pinning Xavier against the wall.

“Please,” Xavier gasps, desperation cracking his voice. “We can deal, Spike. You want money? Girls? I’ll triple what you’re getting now. Just...just don’t do this.”

I step in, pressing the barrel of my gun to his forehead. His skin is slick with sweat, his eyes darting for mercy that isn’t there.

“This is for Zero,” I whisper.

His mouth opens, some last plea spilling out, but the shot cuts it off. His body jerks, then slumps, blood streaking the wall. The smell of iron fills the room.

Silence settles, heavy, final.

Leo wipes his blade on Xavier’s jacket. Lash spits on the corpse. Rumble mutters something about him getting off easy, low and rough. Tella just stares, unreadable.

I lower my gun, the weight of it heavy in my hand. It’s done. Xavier’s gone. The Burning Souls are leaderless.

But as I stand there, staring at his lifeless eyes, one question claws at me.

With Xavier dead, is this over? Or did we just cut off one head of a hydra we can’t yet see?

Either way, all I want right now is to go home. I want to hold Jayne in my arms and let her know she's got nothing more to be afraid of.

I've fixed it. I've become a different but better version of myself because of this, because of her.

This may not be the last we hear of this shit but for now it's done.

Time to celebrate.