Dangerous Affiliations (Knights of War MC Book 1) Page 18

  “My mom found out he was hiding money from her.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. A whole lot of money. Initially, I thought I was going to get around a million dollars.”

  “That’s a lot of money, Holly.”

  “I know. But now, it’s looking more like seven.”

  Hunter’s eyes widened. “Seven million dollars?”

  “Yeah and another four or five million in assets.”

  “Damn.”

  “So, I have an idea. An investment idea.”

  “Okay. Shoot.”

  “You guys need some good PR, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “What do you think about starting a magazine? A biker magazine.”

  “Sounds like it might be fun.” Hunter stuck his hands into the front pocket of his jeans. The chain hanging from his hip clanked. “Are you asking if I want to help you do this?”

  “Well, yeah. I thought maybe the club would be interested in having a hand in it. You know, we could split profits and maybe donate a percentage to charity. I can front the capital and take an extra percentage until I’m paid back. We could spotlight the good stuff the club does. I can cover the writing, and we can hire a photographer.”

  “That sounds pretty cool. I can’t make the decision on behalf of the club. It has to go to a vote.”

  “Do you think they’d go for it?”

  “I don’t see why not. Can you put together a business plan, and I can present it at our next meeting?”

  Holly smiled. “Yes. I can do that.”

  “Cool. I have a rich girlfriend.”

  “Mhmm.” She reached down to untie her tennis shoes. “By the way, did you know that Kol is doing my mom?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Um. I suspected. Did she tell you that?”

  “Yeah. She did, and it was funny as hell.”

  “As long as she’s having a good time …”

  “Oh, she is. Many good times. How was your trip?”

  Hunter scrubbed his hand over his face. “We had a casualty.”

  “A casualty? You mean, someone died.” Her heart jumped in her chest. “Who?”

  “Butch.”

  She recoiled involuntarily. Butch wasn’t someone she really cared about, but she didn’t want him dead. “What happened?”

  “He was shot.”

  The thought of her father with a bullet in his head raced through her mind. “Who shot him?”

  “Don’t know. Might have been a hunting accident. Bullets came from the tree line.”

  “You don’t have to bullshit me, Hunter.”

  The mattress sank down where he sat beside her. He took her hand in his. “Look. There are going to be things I can’t tell you. Things I won’t tell you. It’s better for both of us that way.”

  She already knew that. “I understand that. I just need to know one thing.”

  “What?”

  “Did the club kill him?”

  He exhaled deeply. “No.”

  Doubt niggled her brain. Butch had been the other man who’d abused her. “Okay. I just wanted to make sure this didn’t happen because of what he did to me. I don’t want another dead body on my conscience.”

  “If I was going to kill Butch for what he did to you, I would have done it that night. This had zero to do with you, Holly.” Hunter tipped her chin up. “Look at me.”

  She stared at him. It seemed the salt and pepper color in his beard had gotten a little more pronounced over the last few days. A hint of darkness hung below his green eyes.

  “There are no bodies on your conscience. Not Butch. Not your dad.”

  “I keep thinking this might be a dream. That my dad is going to show up and tell me it was a joke. My mom and I are free now, and we have all this money. It’s just surreal.”

  “You guys earned that money.”

  Chapter THIRTY-ONE

  Hunter

  Hunter and Maddox waited in the visiting area for Kyle Melner. The room smelled of cheap antiseptic cleaner. The last time Hunter had talked to him was to settle the hit on Holly, and he really didn’t relish another meeting. In the interest of keeping the peace, he kept his cool. The Knights needed to keep shit calm with the Irish Sons.

  Two guards led Kyle out with his hands shackled in front of him. The orange shirt and pants weren’t flattering against his pale complexion. The taller guard pulled out a chair opposite the table from Hunter and Maddox.

  Kyle sat down and put his hands on the white chipped laminate tabletop. Nobody said anything, and Kyle shot the guards a look. They disappeared behind the door but were still visible through the chicken wire glass.

  “Thanks for coming, gentlemen.”

  Maddox nodded. “What’s up?”

  “I’m sorry about Butch.”

  “Thanks, man.” Maddox shifted in his seat.

  “It’s no secret we both have beef with the Russians, and you all surely know that Butch was in bed with them.”

  “Word travels fast,” Maddox said.

  Kyle shrugged. “You know how it is. Rats get outed quick. In any event, we’d like to hire your club.”

  Fuck. Hunter didn’t want to get caught up doing business with those assholes.

  Kyle continued, “One of our silent partners was killed. We were in the middle of a very big arms deal involving a whole lot of money. We think it was likely a Russian hit. Possibly the same faction that’s interfering with your business. We’re offering some intel and a hundred grand to take him out. Send a clear message to the fucking KGB that this shit won’t be tolerated in Dallas. Not by the Irish Sons and not by the Knights.”

  Hunter looked at Maddox. “That’ll require a club vote, Kyle.”

  “I understand.” He pulled a small slip of paper from his front pocket and slid it across the table. “If you’re in, call this number, and one of my lieutenants will drop off a file at your clubhouse.”

  “Why are you asking us to do this? Why not just have one of your guys on the outside handle it?” Hunter asked as he stood.

  Kyle looked up at him and smiled. “This is personal, Hunter. For both of us. Turns out the AB’s silent business partner was your old lady’s dad, Chris Farris.”

  Hunter nodded. “Well, all right. I’ll be in touch.”

  Maddox led Hunter out to the parking lot the rounded on him. “What the fuck, Hunter?”

  Hunter’s adrenaline spiked, and his heart reacted, beating hard. “I don’t know, man. This is news to me.”

  “Holly’s dad was funding the Irish Sons, and she’s been hanging out in our club. And her mom?”

  “I guarantee Holly doesn’t know.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Did you forget that just a short time ago the IS tried to have her killed?”

  “Yeah, maybe because she was failing at infiltrating our club.”

  “No. It’s not like that.” Hunter couldn’t tell Maddox that he had killed Holly’s dad. He needed to talk to Hem and to Holly. Jesus fuck.

  A half-hour later Hunter pulled a cigarette out behind the clubhouse then offered the pack to Hem.

  “So, her dad was funding the fucking Irish Sons?”

  Hunter blew out a plume of smoke. “According to Kyle.”

  “And they think the Russians killed him?”

  “Yeah. That’s the kicker.”

  “We can’t tell anyone we did it.”

  “I know. And because of that, I think we’re going to have to carry out this hit.”

  “Shit.” Hem crushed out the cigarette with his boot. “We do what we gotta do.”

  Sin rounded the corner with his hands in his pockets. “You two done kissing out here?”

  Hem flipped him the bird. “Why you wanna join?”

  Sin crinkled his nose. “Fuck off. And get your asses inside. Paul’s here.”

  “We’ll be there in a minute,” Hunter replied. He waited for Sin to leave. “Are you down to do this with me?”

  “Does a bear shi
t in the woods?”

  Hunter clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

  He dropped his phone on the pool table and took his seat to Paul’s right.

  Paul cracked the gavel on the block. “You got the minutes from the last meeting, Hem?”

  “Yep.” Hem passed out a sheet of paper to all members.

  “Let’s take a minute to review, then get to new business.” Paul pushed his glasses up on his nose as he scanned the page. “Any questions, guys?”

  Everybody shook their heads.

  “Okay. New business.” Paul turned to Maddox. “What did Melner want?”

  Maddox tapped his fingers on the table. “I think Hunter should roll that out.”

  Paul raised his eyebrows at Hunter.

  “He wants us to take out a Russian. He’s offering a hundred thousand and some intel he said we’d find useful.”

  Maddox cleared his throat and blinked at Hunter.

  “The reason he wants the Russians gone is because an Irish Sons silent partner was murdered, and it fucked up a big deal they were negotiating. Turns out this silent partner was Chris Farris.”

  Paul cocked his head to the side. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

  “Holly Farris,” Maddox said.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? Her dad was financing the peckerwoods in Hutchens?”

  Hunter exhaled. “According to Kyle, yes.”

  “Even so, how do we figure into this?”

  “He thought we might want to exact some revenge on the Russians on Holly’s behalf and to even the score on Butch.”

  “Do we want revenge on either of them?” Paul asked.

  “Not particularly. Both of these dudes are no loss to society. But the hundred grand would replace the vehicles we lost and then we can walk away from the IS and be done. Nothing hanging in the air between us.”

  “Are you volunteering for the job, Hunt?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll take it.”

  Hem raised his hand but kept his eyes on his computer screen. “I’ll back him up.”

  “All right. Figure out the who, what, when and where, and keep it discreet. I don’t want this blowing back on the club,” Paul said. “What’s up next on our charity schedule? We’ll donate ten grand of this money to it.”

  Hem hit some keys on the laptop. “Two weeks. We have an event here in Dallas for that organization that trains service dogs for veterans.”

  Paul nodded. “Make it twenty grand, then.”

  “You got it,” Hem replied as he typed. Gone were the days of taking minutes on a notepad. Hem had it all computerized. He even printed out checks.

  The meeting ended, but Hunter stayed in his seat. “Can you find out where the next Russian thing is happening?”

  Hem was typing furiously. “Already on it, Hunt. Give me a few more minutes.”

  “I’m gonna grab some coffee. You want a cup?”

  “Yeah. That’d be great.”

  Hunter brought two cups to the chapel and shut the door. “What’s up?”

  “According to my snitch, the Russians will be working in the meth lab restaurant tomorrow night. Does it matter who we off?”

  “Kyle didn’t specify. He just wants one picked off.”

  “All right. Well, we know that place already. We can just snipe one of the fuckers and be done with it.”

  “Cool.”

  Hunter tapped his fingers on the steering wheel of the truck. The van would’ve been better but thanks to the Russian assholes, it was no longer usable.

  Hem watched with binoculars. His hair was pulled back in a braid. An AR-15 was propped up next to his leg.

  “See anything yet?” Hunter asked.

  “It’s still dark inside. I wonder if they have something underground in there. I can’t see into the kitchen from here either. Makes sense they’d do their cooking in there.”

  “There are three cars parked in the back. One is a Benz. That’ll be the money shot. Nobody who drives a Chevy Malibu will be a heavy hitter in the Kremlin.”

  “Right,” Hem said.

  “Holly inherited a shit ton of cash from her dad.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yep. Right about now I’m wondering if he didn’t make it from dealing with the Irish Sons. It was in an offshore account that her mom’s lawyer found.”

  “Jesus. If that money is dirty, you don’t think they’ll come looking for it?”

  “Kyle didn’t mention anything about Chris owing the Sons anything. I think he was just investing in big projects that probably tripled his money.”

  “Guns?”

  “Likely, yeah.”

  “So, how much is a shit ton?”

  “Over ten mill in cash and assets.”

  “Holy fuck, dude.”

  “Right? She wants to start a biker magazine with the club.”

  “That would be cool. She’s a smart chick. I like her.”

  “I like her too. I told her to put a business plan together, and I’ll take it to the club.”

  “That’s a legit clean business. Paul will be all over it.”

  Hunter picked up his Styrofoam cup of coffee. “That’s what I’m thinking too. The more legit earning we have, the better.”

  “Look alive,” Hem said as he slouched down in his seat. He wrapped his fingers around the flash suppressor on the AR-15. “Is that the Mercedes?”

  Hunter turned on the ignition but kept the lights off. “Yeah. They’re rolling three deep.” He watched the car pass them and waited until the brake lights lit up at the stop sign at the end of the block before he pulled away from the curb. Hem rolled a ski mask down over his face, and Hunter pulled his hood up over his head.

  “I’m going to cruise up next to them. Take the shot, and then I’ll quick reverse, and we’ll ghost.”

  “Got it. I’m already chambered. So, I’m ready when you are, man.” Hem lifted the black rifle up to rest the butt on his thigh.

  There was no love lost between the Knights of War and the Russians. They’d shot up the clubhouse, tapped Butch to give them info and then killed him. They’d crossed the Irish Sons, and now they were going to get a taste of their own Vodka. Hunter wasn’t fond of killing people, but he had to protect Holly, Hem and himself.

  “Here we go,” he said. Hunter hit the accelerator to catch up with the silver Benz. “Ready, Hem?”

  “I was born ready, brother.” Hem rolled down the passenger side window.

  Hunter pulled up beside the car and slowed down. The guy in the backseat was looking down at his phone. The driver was talking to the passenger. None of them looked at the truck beside them.

  Hem opened fire, spraying the car with bullets. Glass shattered, and blood spattered. “Go!” he yelled.

  Hunter threw the truck in reverse. Tires squealed on the asphalt as he flipped direction and sped off toward the main drag. A black Chevy truck would blend in nicely on the busy street. Hem pulled off the ski mask and tucked it into his jacket pocket then slid the gun under his seat. Hunter dropped his hood and merged into traffic.

  “I’m pretty sure the guy in the backseat is a goner. I know I hit the driver but not sure if he’s DOA.”

  “Good job, man.”

  Hem smiled. “Today was a good day.”

  Hunter parked the truck inside the shop to keep it out of sight for now. Hem took the rifle inside. “I’m going to take a shower and grab some shut-eye,” Hunter said.

  “Cool. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Hunter hesitated. “I love you, man.”

  Hem smiled and nodded. “I love you too, brother.”

  It was just after one in the morning. Holly was asleep in his bed. She stayed at the club whenever she had business in Dallas, and she had an appointment at the newspaper the next day. Hunter tried to be quiet as he hung his cut up in the closet and then closed the door to the bathroom.

  He stood under the hot water and closed his eyes. The gunshots echoed in his head, and he took a fe
w deep breaths. He’d been out of combat for quite a while, but the sound of rapid gunfire conjured up memories. He pushed the thoughts out and got cleaned up.

  There was always a bottle of Maker’s Mark in his room, and he twisted the cap off. Hunter leaned against the dresser and drank straight from the bottle. Holly was curled up in her usual ball. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and her mouth was slightly open. Her breathing was slow and even, the way it was when someone was in a deep sleep. She was beautiful and smart and damaged, and she was his.

  Hunter took a few more swigs from the bottle before he turned off the light and climbed into bed beside his old lady.

  Holly woke to the sound of someone muttering. She turned over to find Hunter lying on his back with his arm over his eyes. His lips moved quickly, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. She touched his arm. “Baby?”

  He shot up in bed. “What? What’s wrong?”

  She rubbed his arm. “Nothing. Everything’s fine. You okay? I think you were dreaming.”

  He blinked. “Yeah. I was. Sorry, I woke you up, sweetheart.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Nah. It’s just old shit. War demons.”

  “I’m sorry.” Holly kissed his arm.

  He rolled over and pushed her down. Hovering over her, he stared into her eyes. “I’m glad you’re here tonight.”

  She smiled up at him and laced her arms around his neck. “Me too.”

  Hunter crushed his mouth on hers while he nudged her knees apart. “I want you, Holly.”

  “Mmm.”

  “Can I have you?”

  She nipped his bottom lip. “Yes.”

  He moved his hips, grinding his erection against her panties.

  A jolt of pleasure coursed through her. “God, Hunter. You make me so hot. Get up for a second so I can take these off.” She hooked her fingers into the waistband of her underwear.

  He took the opportunity to grab a condom and roll it on.

  Holly threw her panties aside and sat up to pull her T-shirt over her head. She didn’t want any barriers between them. Hunter brought his mouth to her breast and scraped his teeth over her nipple.

  “Yes.” She moaned and grabbed a handful of his hair.