“Pity. You could have at least done something more interesting. Later.”
Ally waved at her friend. The rest of her evening was uneventful. No fighting. Just serving. Beer, shots, whiskey, some cocktails.
Ben came to join her toward the end, to hustle out the last of the customers. With the doors closed, she stuck around, cleaning up. There were a few broken glasses, which she told him about.
“Ben, can I ask you something?” Ally asked.
“Sure.”
“Did you ever go to college?”
Ben laughed. “I did. I took business. I never actually passed it though. I was the guy who was always at the parties. Some of the cocktails you serve are my own creations. Why? Are you thinking of going?”
“Sometimes. I’m not really sure what to do with my life.” Her parents hadn’t exactly been inspirational on her career choices, and she didn’t even know what happened to her mom. The last she’d heard, she was living with a junkie downtown.
“Don’t overthink everything. Just find out what you like and go with it. It’s all anyone can do.”
“Says the guy who owns several bars and clubs across the country.”
“Again, a degree didn’t get me that. Go on, get out of here. I’ll finish cleaning up. Would you like me to walk you home?”
“No, I came by car. I heard it was going to rain tonight. I didn’t want to take any chances.”
“You want me to walk you out to your car?”
“I’m good.” She didn’t like accepting help. A strength or a flaw, she wasn’t sure. If she got used to Ben being there for her, it would be impossible for her to imagine going to her car without him. She’d been taking care of herself for so long, accepting help was difficult. “See you tomorrow night.”
“Night, Ally.”
She grabbed her bag and jacket from the back, letting herself out the delivery entrance, toward the back of the parking lot. Her car was beneath a flickering lamp. It hadn’t been flickering for days, and now it suddenly decided it wanted to be on the out.
Shaking her head, she moved toward her car, key at the ready. The alarm was shot, and she didn’t want to waste any cash, so she pressed the key into the lock just as she was leaned against the front of the car.
“Ally Prixman, you’re under arrest.”
“Wait, what the hell?”
Her hands were forced behind her back, cuffed, and she was pulled toward a police car. One she recognized as being from her town.
Resisting arrest was against the law, so she complied. If she did nothing wrong, she’d be okay. Did he know she was working at the bar underage?
Panic consumed her.
She didn’t know what the hell was happening. All she knew was if a cop was arresting her for nothing, it had to do with her father.
What had he done now?
Chapter Two
Lord sat up in bed. It was fucking two in the morning. The cell phone display lit up in the darkness. He hadn’t expected this call so soon.
“Don’t tell me there’s a problem already.” Lord ran a hand through his hair and rolled out his shoulders. He’d been lifting heavy in the gym all afternoon, and his body felt stiff.
“I have her,” said Bobby Joe Ranger. The rat cop’s voice had a musical edge, like he’d just won the lottery. “She’s in the back of my cruiser as we speak.”
He twirled a bullet on his nightside table, pleased the plan had come together so smoothly. It seemed too good to be true.
“You have Richard’s daughter? Ally Prixman?”
“Yes, Lord. I have her, just like I said I would.”
“You woke me from bed, you better not be bullshitting me,” said Lord.
“I swear it’s her. I have her ID and everything.”
He exhaled, looking at the clock again. “I’m not getting out of bed. Lock her in your trunk for the night. I’ll meet back at your place first thing in the morning.”
“Whatever you want. I’ll be ready.”
Lord turned off his phone and tossed it on the empty side of his bed. It would be hard to fall back asleep now. His mind was a blur of Richard’s betrayal, the lies, the deception. He’d trusted the bastard, given him a job, and he got nothing in return but grief. Lord valued loyalty above all else. He’d give his life for any man in his club. Knowing Richard was trying to sell off his secrets, even using one of the cops on his payroll to make it happen, was like a knife to the back.
Now he had the man’s daughter.
Using family members against his enemies had always been the best revenge. It was better when they watched, so they could feel the same pain they caused for the club. With Richard six feet under, Lord would still get satisfaction knowing the rat’s only heir would join him, ridding the world of his bloodline. He’d toy with her a bit, make her suffer, remind her what a bastard her father was when he’d been breathing. Then he’d put a bullet in her head.
He could already feel the sense of closure. The unique satisfaction that came with revenge.
It was time to move on from this betrayal and work on strengthening and expanding the Straight to Hell MC.
When he woke up next, the early morning sun shone right in his face. He rolled to the side to check the time, immediately remembering the call from last night. It was time to clean this shit up.
He opened his bedroom door and whistled. One of the club whores ran up the hall toward him within seconds. Lord grabbed her by the back of the neck and she froze. “Tell Brick, Reaper, and Stump to gear up. We’re heading out as soon as I take a shower.”
“Want me to join you?”
He looked down at the half naked woman. She wasn’t unattractive. He was well aware that getting into his bed was an honor for the club whores, but he had no interest lately. Lord would say he’d lost his fucking libido, but he had no trouble getting his dick hard. It was the dirty pussy he tired of. At forty years old, he wasn’t the same man he was in his youth. He wasn’t looking for a connection, and only when he was extremely pent-up did he ever allow the whores near his cock. It seemed every year he grew darker, withdrew more, and lost bits of his humanity along the way. Some said he was heartless, others said he lacked a conscience. All the rumors were true.
Lord washed up in the shower, running both hands through his hair and allowing the water to flow down over his muscles. He was sore, but it made him feel alive. After he dealt with the cop and the girl, he’d push himself in the gym again. It was his outlet, gave him focus, and reminded him to keep disciplined in every aspect of his life. His body and his rank were testament to his dedication.
By the time he made his way to the yard, his men were ready to go, geared up, and packing heat. He nodded his approval as he approached his bike. The chrome glistened in the morning light.
“Where we heading, boss?” asked Reaper.
“You wanted the cop to get the girl for us. He got the girl.”
Lord lifted his leg and straddled his bike.
He could hear the unspoken words from his enforcer, but the bastard knew better than to open his mouth. Reaper had a soft spot for women. There was no room for weakness in their world. The girl was going to die, regardless of Reaper’s opinion. There was no balancing right and wrong, only their unique form of justice. The Straight to Hell MC had a reputation for a reason. It was Lord’s job to ensure they weren’t seen as weak or ripe for extortion. If his men were more like him, lacking complete empathy for their enemies, they’d be stronger. Their human nature kept bringing down the club.