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Sharp - 2009

F uck this. It’d been another damn year, and while he was actually in Romeo’s camp, Sharp wasn’t one of his men yet. This was taking longer than he thought. But Sharp had caught slivers of information. Manticore had fled Rapid City when Rage and Hellfire’s rightful presidents claimed their clubs back. Chance and Drake had allowed no fucker to escape in making sure their MCs were safe.

It had been two years. Sharp wanted to go home. But because he was undercover, they’d learned that Manticore had gone to Florida and had taken over an MC named Venomous Fangs. Anderson had discovered the president was now someone called Wrath, but nobody knew what he looked like. The asshole wore a mask, as did the six others with him. But there hadn’t been a biker named Wrath in Rage or Rapid City. Which meant this was a new alias.

The other MCs were now beginning to clean up their clubs and their little corner of South Dakota was starting to get clean. But bodies were dropping, so Wrath could be anyone.

Anderson was keeping a sharp eye on Florida and had learned the Fangs were spreading out. They’d assimilated four clubs, and Wrath was putting the fear of God into them. Whoever he was, he was a sadistic killer.

Since joining Romeo, Sharp had been on house guard duty. He’d not got close to him. Something had to give, or he was quitting and heading home. Romeo had offered Sharp a job, matched what Toxic was paying, and left him swinging in the wind. That asshole Jackson and the other guy, Brown, seemed to be Romeo’s actual personal bodyguards. Those two were Romeo’s constant companions, although others were present.

Sharp sighed, bored, as he once again checked his area of the estate. Something had better happen soon, or he’d cause chaos himself.

An hour later, it seemed as if his wish was coming true as four guys scaled the perimeter wall. The camera room must have been asleep because nobody called an alert.

Sharp stared as they ducked behind greenery, and he noted their clothes. “We have a breech, four men on the east side,” Sharp radioed in.

Static was his reply. Someone had utilised a jammer.

Shit, this was an attack!

Sharp crouched low; he’d not been seen, so he had the advantage. He waited until two came close and popped the first in the head. People thought using silencers meant guns didn’t make a noise. They were wrong. A silencer made a soft whuff sound as the bullet left the chamber. But with the birdsong and other noises, it would be easily missed.

Sharp hit the second man with another headshot.

His adrenaline pumping, he headed for the remaining two. Suddenly, the sound of rapid-fire broke the air, and Sharp guessed someone had been spotted. His third target came out from behind a bush, and Sharp shot him twice in the chest.

Sharp needed to get to Romeo or he’d have wasted two years of his life.

The fourth man saw his colleague go down and started firing in Sharp’s direction. But he’d already moved. Sharp let out a pained yell, and the idiotic fool stepped out from cover, thinking Sharp was down.

Sharp shot him directly in the throat and shrugged off his suit jacket and tie. Fuck looking smart, he needed to be able to move freely.

Sharp began heading for the side door, keeping an eye out for other invaders. Gunshots were sporadically puncturing the air, but there was still radio silence. Sharp slipped into the mansion that Romeo owned and looked around. Footsteps thudded close by, and he saw two of Romeo’s guards appear in the open.

Before Sharp could warn them to take cover, somebody opened fire, and they both went down. Sharp shook his head at the sheer idiocy. He waited until the intruder turned the corner, and Sharp shot him straight in the face. Ducking low in case the guy wasn’t alone, Sharp waited a few seconds before moving out, hugging the wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a camera turn his way, and he guessed someone was watching him.

Was it friend or foe?

Sharp crossed the expansive hallway and headed for the stairs. Just as he got halfway up, three men appeared in combats, tees, bullet-proof vests and balaclavas. Sharp hit the floor hard and began shooting, aiming for head shots. Two fell, but the third reached cover while Sharp remained exposed. He rolled down a couple while firing constantly.

The guy shot back, and Sharp hissed as something pierced his arm.

Sharp released a groan again and hoped this man would also fall for the trick. He let his arm hang loose, and the attacker stepped out. Sharp leapt into action, and the intruder went down with two bullets in his brain.

He saw a familiar guard enter.

“It’s Sharp!” he yelled as a gun was raised in his direction.

“Shit, I can’t get nobody on the radio,” Dickens responded.

“Me either. I’m going for the boss. Cover the door. If any of our team make it in, get them to cover with you,” Sharp ordered.

Dickens nodded as a third guard entered.

“Stay with Dickens,” Sharp ordered Seabrooke.

“The boss?” Seabrooke gasped, and Sharp saw blood on his shoulder.

“Heading for him now,” Sharp said and began running up the stairs.

Romeo’s office was up here, his real one. The one downstairs was for show and for people he entertained. When alone, Romeo worked up here, and there was a built-in panic room.

He headed along the landing towards the hallway the office was down and stumbled over a house guard.

Fuck, the intruders had penetrated this far. A camera once more pivoted towards him, then shifted to face a different door before returning. Sharp frowned until he heard a scuffle. Somebody was lying in ambush waiting for him.

Sharp put a thumbs up at the camera and crouched low. Taking his shoes off, he crept along the hallway silently. As he reached the door, he saw the shadow and kicked the door hard. It sprang open and hit someone as Sharp dived in on a slide and fired.

The intruder fell, and Sharp checked for any others.

On finding none, Sharp got back to his feet and headed towards the office. Romeo had to be inside.

Suddenly, a man lunged at him and smashed him into the wall, and Sharp grunted in pain. He slammed his joined hands down on the asshole’s neck, and while the guy was stunned, Sharp broke his neck.

He continued past the last few doors and knocked on the office, panting.

“It’s Sharp,” he said; the door opened, and he was dragged in before it was locked again.

Sharp, caught off balance, stumbled and fell. He caught himself on his hands and glanced up into Romeo’s face. The panic room’s door stood open; however, a massacre had taken place.

Jackson and Brown were both down, with a third unknown man between them. Romeo reached down and offered his hand, and Sharp got to his feet. Romeo walked around his desk and sat down, away from the window.

“Seems I had two traitors,” Romeo said, taking a drink of whiskey.

“Shit,” Sharp stated.

“They thought they’d kill me. It backfired,” Romeo stated. “From an early age, my father drummed it into me, never trust anyone. They’ve been with me ten years, and they betrayed me.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Sharp replied. He moved to the window and glanced out. Shots were being fired, which meant the battle was ongoing.

“I watched you from when you got in the house,” Romeo said as his hand played with his weapon.

Sharp’s eyes narrowed as he saw a guy running across the lawn. Was that a fuckin’ missile launcher? Sharp raised his gun and began firing.

“Get in the panic room. They’ve got a missile launcher,” Sharp yelled .

Romeo was up and moving before Sharp shouted the word launcher. Sharp took the man out carrying it and kept watch over it.

“You got camera access?” Sharp bellowed.

“Yes, Mr Sharp, indeed I do.”

“Watch the hallway, I’m gonna cover that until one of ours picks it up,” Sharp replied.

“Are you forgetting who’s the boss?” Romeo replied, amused.

“Nope. But if some fucker gets that launcher, it won’t fuckin’ matter who’s in charge,” Sharp retorted.

“That is true.”

“Any idea who is behind this?” Sharp asked after a few minutes.

“Yes. Retaliation will be swift,” Romeo said calmly.

“I can hear sirens,” Sharp announced.

“That is a problem for you. Perhaps you would like to wait in here until they leave?” Romeo offered.

“You know I’ve got a record,” Sharp stated. He hadn’t, but Anderson had given him one.

“Yes. A rather admirable one. You killed the man who slaughtered your mom and sister. I’m surprised they didn’t give you a medal instead of five years,” Romeo replied. “You’ll wait in here. After you risked your life to save mine, it’s the least I can do.”

“Thanks, boss.”

“When the police have gone, you and I shall talk. I am in need of new bodyguards,” Romeo announced.

Sharp nodded as he watched cop cars come through the gates and officers scramble out .

“It is time. I shall let you out when they’ve left,” Romeo said, and they swapped places.

“Don’t lock me in until they bang on the office door,” Sharp ordered.

Romeo offered him a faint smile. “I understand, Mr Sharp.”

Sharp - four years later - 2013

“Surely we have got enough to bring both father and son down?” Sharp demanded. Anderson glanced at him and rubbed a hand over his face.

“We have, but we haven’t got Manticore yet.”

“Wrong. I’m accompanying Romeo to Florida next week. To the main Venomous Fangs compound in Butler Beach. Romeo’s informed me he has some business to take care of. I believe he is making moves to secure his place, and Romeo’s going to make a move on Miguel.”

“You think Romeo plans to kill his father?” Anderson asked.

“Yeah. He’s cold, you’ve not met anyone like him. Family does not mean anything to him. Romeo doesn’t care if anything happens to his wife and kids, it doesn’t matter. He can simply marry another and father more,” Sharp stated.

“Shit.”

“Romeo is a psychopath and a sociopath. All he cares about is power, and he loves playing games. ”

“Is your cover in danger?” Anderson demanded.

“No. I’ve saved that asshole’s life three times now and taken two bullets for it. We’re finally getting the break we need. Let me see what happens in Butler Beach—and if I can identify anyone. Then we’ll look at me getting out. This was supposed to be a two-year thing, brother, it’s been fuckin’ six. I don’t think I’ll ever get clean again,” Sharp replied.

“It wasn’t meant to be this hard,” Anderson agreed.

“The only reason I’m still in is because Manticore is growing the Venomous Fangs. They run Butler Beach, and they are spreading throughout Florida. They’re even taking over clubs hostilely.”

“Just watch your back, Sharp. You need to stay alive,” Anderson said.

Sharp nodded and then rode out on his bike. It wasn’t as good as his Harley, but it would do.

Sharp - four weeks later

Sharp, Dickens, Seabrooke, and Harper watched their backs in the Venomous Fangs’ Butler Beach clubhouse. It was much what Sharp had expected. Smokey atmosphere, stench of weed and booze, and open sex. The other three guards didn’t seem impressed, and neither did Sharp.

The women looked like drugged-out whores, and half had track marks on their arms. Sharp couldn’t blame them when he witnessed how the Fangs treated them.

“Jesus,” Seabrooke mumbled as a biker yanked a woman up, bent her over a stool, and began fucking her. Sharp winced as the guy just shoved his cock into her.

“Don’t look,” Dickens muttered.

“Where the hell do we look? It’s all over the clubhouse. Why the fuck are we here?” Harper murmured.

“The boss has business, and we’re his guards,” Sharp replied.

“I hope we don’t have to come back,” Seabrooke complained as he averted his gaze.

Sharp looked around the room. They couldn’t have stood out more if they tried. In their suits, they were targets.

Jeans that barely covered asses or, in some instances, hung below an ass, scruffy tees and general poor hygiene were the Fangs go to. Except one man. He was a fuckin’ brute, and Sharp had clocked him instantly.

The biker’s eyes were sharp, and his head was on a constant swivel. Where his brothers were drunk or whacked out, this guy wasn’t. There was something about him that made Sharp’s skin crawl.

“Who’s that?” he asked a biker nearby.

“Volcano. Dude’s a true psycho. Killed his brothers. They reckon he also did his mom and sisters. He’s Wrath’s last living kid.”

“He murdered his siblings?” Dickens muttered, horrified .

“Yeah. He goes full-on berserker. Wrath keeps him on a short leash. Seen that cunt kill with his bare hands. Volcano’s a law to himself, dude, keep the fuck away if you want to live,” the biker said as his eyes closed.

Sharp kept watching Volcano out of the corner of his eye. When a member of the club stumbled into him, Volcano knocked him out with one punch. The man was a giant, and Sharp would swear on the bible he was on ‘roids. As if he sensed he was being watched, Volcano’s gaze swung to Sharp.

Dead eyes, like a shark, held Sharp’s before Volcano dismissed him as a threat. A shiver ran down Sharp’s back. He’d seen that expression before in a killer’s stare. No doubt, the man watching everyone, would kill without a second thought. There was a commotion at the office door they were observing, and Romeo exited with Wrath.

Looking for clues to his identity, Sharp studied Wrath. He was six feet, although a little stooped. Wrath had grey hair and had once been a big guy. His muscle was softened, and while he had a beer gut, he wasn’t a weak man. Wrath held himself tall. A mask covered his entire face, and Sharp couldn’t make out features.

Behind Wrath came four other men. The remainder of Manticore? They were all roughly the same age as Wrath. If there were only five left, had two died? They’d had intel that Manticore had been made up of seven. One from each of the clubs they turned dirty.

Lips pursed, Sharp looked for a clue and found nothing.

They could walk down the street and Sharp could pass them and never know.

Wrath held a handout to Romeo, who shook it and then headed for them.

“Let’s go,” he ordered.

Sharp instantly took his left side as Dickens fell to his right. Seabrooke claimed the front and Harper the back. Romeo would be covered while here.

“I need a fuckin’ shower. That shithole couldn’t get any dirtier,” Romeo announced as they climbed into the SUV they were using. Sharp got into the front passenger seat.

“You ain’t alone, boss. Tell me we don’t have to return,” Dickens said.

“No. Our business should be done. Wrath wished to speak to me about the lay of the land. He funded my father in the beginning. It’s not needed now, but Wrath likes an update. Clearly, he wanted one from me. War with the Venomous Fangs is not a desired outcome, so we humour him,” Romeo stated.

“Do we need him?” Sharp asked.

“Not really. But I do like the weapons he gets for us. They’re always high quality.” Romeo smirked. “Let’s return to the hotel and scrub that cesspit from our pores and then order a decent meal. I daren’t eat or drink in that place.”

“Food poisoning would have been the last of your worries,” Sharp commented, and Romeo chuckled.

“While I don’t have to come back, the sad news is, I need somebody to act on my behalf with the club. Someone who can hold their own against the dregs of society. A man not afraid to kill but will protect my interests,” Romeo said and held Sharp’s gaze.

Sharp swallowed the ‘hell yeah’ reaction he felt and put on a beleaguered look. “You’re ordering me,” he stated.

“Yes. I wish to know what Wrath and Miguel are planning. Which means we need eyes on Wrath. I’ve told him you’ll be around for a few more days, and you will also be my liaison,” Romeo stated.

Bingo. Sharp had his in with the Venomous Fangs.

“There’s a lot of money at stake, and I do not trust Wrath not to try and screw me over. I want our shipments monitored, which means you come out here when we’re getting one. This is now your… project. Don’t let me down,” Romeo warned in a mild tone.

“Who’s going to guard you?” Sharp demanded.

“You will, unless you’re needed here. Who would you recommend covering you?” Romeo asked.

“Nobody. I don’t trust any fucker,” Sharp retorted, and the other three guards laughed.

“He barely trusts us,” Dickens said, and Sharp nodded.

The conversation turned to more mundane things, but Sharp was jubilant inside. After six years, he’d achieved his goal. Now, all Sharp had to do was collect the evidence Anderson needed to bring Manticore down .

Anderson

He hung up the phone and dipped his head. Anderson could say he wasn’t happy whatsoever that Sharp had finally got the in they required. Simply because it meant Sharp would be in Florida, and Anderson couldn’t protect his brother.

Anderson had heard the rumours and gossip of the shit Manticore was involved in: child and women trafficking, drugs, prostitution, and gun running, to name a few things.

Venomous Fangs were dirtier than dirt too. Several of their members were behind bars, and Anderson knew they ran Butler Beach. Law enforcement was in Wrath’s pocket, which meant Sharp had no back-up there.

Shit was going to get dangerous.

Anderson hesitated about sending in Sharp alone. Should he be discovered, Sharp’s life would be forfeit. Then again, everyone else sent in to infiltrate the Fangs had been exposed and killed. Four agent’s lives had been lost so far. It was unacceptable that this shit kept happening.

Venomous Fangs needed taking down before they got too big. Sharp being undercover for six years meant he wasn’t someone new. He was Santos’s soldier, a better cover than previous agents had owned.

Anderson remembered the first biker war with another famous MC and flinched. It had been a bloodbath, and he wished to avoid a repeat.

However, the Fangs were assuming control of clubs, whether they wanted it or not, and they needed to be stopped. Anderson had no idea why Venomous Fangs wanted to expand so quickly, but they were.

Wrath and his cronies were planning something big, and they needed bodies for it. Anderson wondered what.

In the end, Anderson had to come to terms with the fact he’d set his younger brother down this path knowing how stubborn Sharp was. Sharp wouldn’t stop now until he got answers for Rage and their allies—and until he killed whoever was behind his attempted murder.

Sharp wanted vengeance, and God help him, Anderson had lit that fire in him.