Page 28

The Guardian Knights

G rizz

We had a complicated relationship with the Guardian Knights. When Titan had been president, we’d been a one percent club, often collaborating with them, if you could fucking call it that. They’d run the product through their territory, meet us at the border, and we’d take over until delivery.

As long as we were making bank, no one cared about the consequences.

Brothers had ended up dead or had gone to jail, Titan was constantly having to recruit, and the three letter agencies were harassing the Old Ladies.

The ultimate had been when Titan had almost let an undercover cop prospect–that had been the beginning of the end.

The risk had no longer been worth the reward.

I had been a patched brother for a few years when the changes occurred.

Titan had funneled the extra money from the runs into new businesses, and Bookie had grown the treasury into what it was today.

We’d exited that life, and under Sabre’s lead, we were never going back, but if we had to throw down to protect our families, we would.

The Guardian Knights had never given up the lifestyle.

The brothers headed towards the main room, but I followed Sabre to his office, closing the door behind us. “Do you want to talk about this before you call?” I asked, taking a chair in front of his desk.

“I don’t even know what to say. How did we fucking miss all of this in our own backyard?” Sabre looked dejected as he sat behind his desk.

“We weren’t looking.” It was the most obvious answer, but the punch to my gut said something different. “Maybe we didn’t want to look. The money coming into the club is about the same as when we were runners.”

“The minute they set the warehouse up, we should have pushed for a payment or burned it the fuck down,” Sabre snapped, his anger about to boil.

“When we head back to church after breakfast, I’ll ask for volunteers.

” My hand laid on top of my club cut, directly above the slice I’d received.

“I want revenge, Sabre. Until they’re gone, the club isn’t safe.

They learned our names, our families, and all the shit that’s been happening.

If they know, how many more people are going to come for us?

” This was the first time I’d verbalized the thoughts I had been pondering over the weekend.

“We can’t worry about the unknown, but once this is all over, we need to leak some of the street cred.

People need to fear us to the point they think twice before they challenge.

” Sabre drummed his fingers on his desk, staring out into space as he shot shit off the cuff.

“I don’t want to be on anyone’s radar or this fucking shit will never stop.

” He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, setting it on the desk between us.

We waited, listening to the phone ring.

Once.

Twice.

It reached five, and I swore we were being ignored again. Sabre leaned forward in his chair, preparing to leave a generic voicemail, when a hiss came through the line. Krait.

Our road names were mostly based on personality traits, but there were a few brothers that had dumb prospecting stories attached to theirs.

The only exemption were the brothers with military service.

They had brought their call signs to the MC, and we’d respected them enough to keep the tradition alive.

The Knights had picked names based on dangerous animals and had made them their complete identities.

“I’ve been waiting for this call,” he laughed.

A krait was a highly venomous snake found in Asia, and the man took it to another level.

Krait, the president, always made a hissing sound at the end of each sentence, no matter if it ended with an S sound or not.

The couple times I’d met him, he’d worn contacts—yellow retinas with black irises.

“You know the phone works both ways, right?” Sabre rolled his eyes at me.

“Now, now. Is that any way to greet an old friend?”

“Friends invite each other for a cup of coffee. I’d poison yours,” Sabre said.

There was a barking laugh through the phone, and it made me wonder if Krait had finally forked his tongue cosmetically. “Duly noted. If I wasn’t such a good neighbor, I could have had your territory and your women by now.”

“If we’re playing these games, you’d have to double-cross El Sombra Roja. Last time I checked, he could wipe you off the face of the Earth, and we wouldn’t need coffee.” Sabre was fucking pissed, and I’d rather enjoyed that comeback.

“The only reason he hasn’t burned your clubhouse to the ground is because of those women. Do they have gold-plated pussies or somethin’?”

“Did you ask El Sombra Roja that?” You would have never known Sabre was shaking with rage. His voice was even, and there was no hint of emotion, but I watched him close his eyes. He wanted to reach through the phone and strangle Krait. I’d be right behind him.

“Fuck, no. I want to live.”

Krait was more scared of El Sombra Roja than us, and while I understood it, I wanted him to feel my wrath for even thinking of the women as just pussy.

“You didn’t acknowledge the gift he sent you. There’s been two SUVs tracking your women. El Sombra Roja didn’t like that you let his women be so…how did he phrase it? Oh, so unguarded. He’s only now appreciated your efforts, but you still have a long way to go before he approves.”

“They have a father. I don’t need his approval.” Sabre mouthed what the fuck at me.

“Their father is only alive because he’s still useful. It’s like that man has nine lives, but eventually, time runs out. It always does.”

Krait was talking in riddles, and I just wanted this to be over. If he wouldn’t give us anything concrete, then this was a waste of time.

“We don’t have any beef, but you should have removed the Lopez Cartel off of our southern border.” Sabre’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“You’ve forgotten how to play this game.

” Krait laughed again. “Or Daddy held your hand a little too tight.” There was a beat before he continued, “The world has changed since the Shield were runners. Everyone wants a piece of the pie, and if you let them eat at your table, then there’s nothing left for you.

” A rattling sound came through the phone.

“You’d eat a bigger piece if you didn’t have direct competition,” Sabre said, shrugging his shoulders, making a face at me. He knew as well as I did, this was a typical conversation with the Knights.

“Diego doesn’t understand why his customers disappear every month.” Krait laughed. “Clients buy one round from him, realize it’s cut with baby formula, and never return. They’re not my competition.”

“You’re stealing his clients, which is why you didn’t burn the warehouse.”

“There’s no honor among thieves.” The hissing was prominent. “I’ll turn a blind eye if that warehouse suddenly disappears, but I want the client list as my payment. Cyph should be able to unlock it. You know he was almost a Knight?”

“No. I don’t have to remind you why he isn’t.” Sabre would never trade a favor that could get Cyph arrested.

“Burn. We need to get together more often. This was fun.”

“The warehouse is disappearing, so you’re going to have to find another way to build your clientele, unless Diego is stupid enough to leave paperwork lying around.”

“Their shipments arrive on the tenth of every month. Bring me whatever they have in stock, and I might consider us even. If those shipments come with a list, we’ll be friends again.

You don’t have enough favors to cross me.

” Krait laughed hysterically. “El Sombra Roja finds you lacking. You only survive because of those women, but the bounties have hit the waves, and you’re going to have every lowlife and professional trying to get a glimpse.

” There was a click, and the phone went black with the disconnected call.

“Motherfucker.”

I couldn’t have agreed more.

***

The prospect closed the door as the other brothers took their seats after breakfast.

“Was my uncle his normal snake-like self?” Cyph directed at Sabre.

“Delightful as always.” Sabre’s attention didn’t leave Cyph. “You need to be careful. He didn’t mention bringing you back into the fold, but he asked for a favor only you can complete.”

“Should be fun.” Cyph opened a new energy drink and took a swig.

“I told him no.” Sabre made sure Cyph was paying attention to him. “My father made you a deal when you prospected, and I have no intentions of breaking that. Krait can go fuck himself.” Cyph just shrugged it off, waiting with the rest of the brothers for the news.

“Wait a fucking minute.” Wreck slammed his hand on the table. “How did you not know Alejandro Rodríguez is El Sombra Roja when you found the tracker in Flo’s emails?”

“How did you know?” Cyph put Wreck in the hot seat.

Both of them sealed their lips, eyes blazing at each other. Neither wanted any more information divulged.

“Alright.” Sabre brought the attention back to him. He quickly told them about the conversation with Krait, not leaving any detail out.

“I already looked. There are no cameras on the building. In fact, there’s no active network, which is why Krait needs the client list,” Cyph said, laying out satellite images over the ID pictures. “It’s right outside of Bently.”

“Fucking flowers. I’m going to have to take allergy pills.” Op scrunched his nose, not thrilled at the prospect.

“It looks like one side has Larkspur in bloom, so at least they’ll be some coverage.” Cyph pointed east of the warehouse.

“We’ll need somewhere to leave our bikes. The first customer doesn’t show until midnight, so I thought we could send the prospects in with the truck,” Sabre said.

“This is the road that runs through the flower fields.” Op traced his finger down the image. “We could leave them at the all-night grocery store, hop in the back of the truck, and get dropped off in the Larkspur?”

There was a low roar as the brothers talked among themselves.

“Say this works, and we drop off the drugs before the sun comes up. We won’t be able make the trip back. It’ll be too suspicious, and any cop out that early will want to pull us over,” How said. He had a point, and no one volunteered a solution.

I threw my head back and laughed, every brother watching me.

“Meredith’s condo. It’s finally going to be good for something.

” I tried to explain, but I couldn’t contain the laughter.

I waited a minute until I could get myself back under control.

“The condo still has all of her shit. Once we drop off, we can hole up there, pack her up, and head back the next day. We’ll have the truck to transport her things, so if we get stopped on the way back, we’ll just say we’re moving my wife. ”

There was a light chuckle that floated around the room.

They didn’t find it as funny as I had, but they also didn’t understand the irony.

I’d worried for months that one day, I’d come back to the clubhouse, and she’d be gone.

The more I thought about it, the more the condo was perfect to lay low for revenge.

“It’s not a bad idea, and we can stop at Aunt E’s and survey the damage.” Sabre bounced in his chair.

“Uh, Prez?” Twig said, raising his hand.

“Yeah, Twig.”

“Berry and I said nothing because by the time we trailed the SUVs, it was obvious they were cartel. They headed to the building where we left Flo’s fucking ex, and once they pulled into the underground parking garage, we lost sight of them.”

“No one’s faulting you for not getting any good intel.” Sabre acknowledged both men.

“That’s the thing, Prez. Gerry walked out the front door to his car, and then we followed him to a hotel.”

“I went in and talked with the clerk at the front desk. He’d been there a week and asked them to extend his stay indefinitely,” Berry followed up.

“Motherfucker,” Sabre and I said at the same time.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Sabre asked me.

“No fucking clue, but I don’t like it. We haven’t heard from him since Christmas.” I’d honestly thought that had been the end. Gerry would show up for holidays, maybe a phone call for a birthday, but nothing more than superficial fucking bullshit.

“He has to be in the cartel’s pocket again. This time, we’re not bailing him out, but we need to tell the women so that they’re safer. I’ll talk to Grace. You talk to Meredith.”

I nodded, agreeing. Meredith would be more hurt her father was back to his old ways than she would be about the club not offering him help. She’d ask questions about his motives, but I wouldn’t have answers.

“I’ll speak to Elizabeth,” Thunder interjected.

Every eye in the room turned towards him.

“She helped Gerry raise those girls, and she has a right to know what a fuck-up he is.” Thunder hadn’t tried to claim Aunt E, but he had been acting like her old man for a while.

She wasn’t in any position to be in a relationship, but as long as he kept it to board games, no one said anything.

Sabre nodded at him. “This changes everything. I was planning on leaving the women here during our scheduled bonfire. Now, I’m not so sure. Do we even have safe houses anymore?”

“I have the addresses for them, but who knows what condition they’re in,” Pretty answered. As our secretary, he would know.

“Would it be too obvious if they flew to New York as a group?” Zook asked, stroking his beard. “Emily still has her apartment, and there’s enough room. They could all camp out.”

“I’m not worried. I can protect girlie pop wherever you want them to land,” Dead started, nodding towards me.

“Safe houses are nice, but if we show up all at once, it’s like sending a smoke signal into the air.

If I had my choice, I’d stay here, and if we have to, we can outfit the vault for a short-term stay. ”

“Speaking of which, I’m too recognizable.” Count wrapped his hand around one of his blue spikes. “I have no problem staying behind as the only executive, and I can check in with Emily, since she won’t have a guard.”

Zook thanked him.

“One thing’s for sure: I have two weeks to upgrade the fence.” Cyph finished his energy drink as we all sat there, staring at each other. It was going to be an interesting two weeks.