Chapter 1 – Bodie
Cold tendrils of wind dug into the back of my neck and pricked the exposed skin above my bandana with icy pellets of drizzling rain mixed with snow. The collar of my leather cut was soaked through and snapped repeatedly like a whip hell bent on lacerating my flesh into ribbons. Shivering, I ignored my body’s reaction and focused on the road ahead. The ride had been long and miserable since I left Carson City and promised more of the same until I reached my destination.
The desert was a fickle mistress. Weather could change her disposition faster than a whore could suck off a flaccid dick. Global warming was blamed for the majority of it, but the truth was that Nevada didn’t usually receive this kind of temperature drop even in the dead of winter. Sure, it was common to get snow in the mountains, but these subzero temps were literally going to freeze my balls off. If I lost a nut, someone was going to pay and Grim would never hear the end of it.
I’d been riding for nearly two and a half hours straight when I noticed the flickering lights ahead and the familiar dive bar just minutes off the exit ramp of Hwy 95. The last time I set foot in the Blacktop, I was with my prez Grim. He liked the little blonde bartender who worked here a little too much but when she was caught in the crossfire between us and our rival, he cut off all ties. Grim wasn’t the type of man to let anything come between him and his club and that sweet little piece of ass had been a distraction he could no longer afford to indulge. It didn’t end well.
The situation had been a fucking mess. Tensions were still high with the Scorpions, especially their prez Acid. I had my own reasons for despising that low life son of a bitch. He was the source of all my misery. Someday soon I’d have my revenge. Until then, Acid was living on borrowed time.
Grim knew the inevitable was coming. As prez of the Royal Bastards MC, he was a hard-ass motherfucker and he didn’t let anyone forget it. All the shit six months ago caused a fucking snowball to grow into an avalanche. Retribution was coming for Acid and his club. Even if I had to officially go rogue to do it.
Grim tried his best to keep the backlash from turning into an all-out war but no one forgot how shit went down. We both lost the women we loved. I knew Grim pushed his ol’ lady away in order to protect her but that shit stuck with him. In truth, it latched onto us both. The months that sped by didn’t change a damn thing. I hadn’t heard my prez utter a word about his ol’ lady since but time for us was meaningless. We loved, rode, and lived hard. It was just the Royal Bastard way – no matter which city you called home.
That was why I knew when he called this morning that it was serious. Grim woke me up out of a dead sleep and I was pissed, caught off guard and a bit disoriented.
“What?” I snarled into my cell, half out of it and still lying in bed when the damn thing went off and wouldn’t stop.
“Hey,” Grim replied with a chuckle. “Catch you at a bad time?”
I knew what he was hinting at. Unfortunately, I was neither balls deep in pussy nor suffering from a hangover. Both would have been preferable to my current situation.
“Nah,” I grumbled with a grin, recognizing Grim’s voice. It had been a few weeks since we’d spoken but I knew his gravelly tone as well as my own. “What the fuck you want so early in the damn morning?”
“It’s almost noon, you lazy fucker.” His laugh filtered through the line and then he grew serious. “Need a favor.”
I lay back against the mattress, stifling a tired groan. I’d do anything for Grim, but I wasn’t interested in club drama. Not after last time. “I’m listening,” I finally replied.
“You remember Tricia?”
Shaking my head, I tried to dislodge the last of the fog and took a few seconds to think about which pair of tits he was talking about. “Your ol’ lady? Or the one who used to be?”
He cursed softly and I heard a scuffle and then a loud bang like he threw something against the wall. “Yeah, that’s the one.”
“What about her?”
“She’s missing.”
“Wanna tell me how you know that?” It wasn’t a surprise he kept tabs on Trish even if he wasn’t fucking her anymore. Hell, I could be wrong about that. Maybe he was still seeing her in secret.
“I know everything that happens with Trish.”
Enough said. The way he spoke the words – full of longing and bitter regret – let me know the relationship hadn’t been rekindled. “What do you want me to do? Check out the Blacktop?”
“Yeah. I need to know if Trish has been there recently. Let me know what you find.”
I didn’t ask why he didn’t send Mammoth or Rael or any of the other brothers. It was obvious he wanted me to go and I knew i
t was because out of all the guys in the MC, we were the closest. Our brotherhood was tight, and we trusted one another with our lives – at least what was left of them – but Grim was the most closed off and ruthless asshole of all the Royal Bastards. We both had a lot of buried shit that we didn’t want to deal with and when it came to secrets Grim was king. I was close second only to Rael. Rael was the Enforcer of our MC and the only brother with an axe to grind harder than mine or Grim. He was one scary motherfucker when he was pissed.
Pulling into the lot, I parked near the entrance and noticed the large space was nearly empty. Only about a half dozen vehicles were scattered about and probably half were employees. Twinkling strands of multi-colored Christmas lights were strung up across the front of the building and the drooping awning above, obviously hung with haste as they dangled precariously in the wind. Snowflakes filtered through the holes and rotting wood while icicles formed on the sharp, descending edges. As I approached, my boots stomped through the salt that someone had the forethought to throw down on the frozen ground and scraped the hard crystals against the mat before I entered. No locks or patrons blocked my path.
With a purposeful crack of my neck, I slammed my palms against the door and strode inside as if I owned the place and I might as well. My reputation as a member of the Royal Bastards preceded me. No surprise. The few patrons in the bar scooted out of the way as I sauntered toward the bartender and moved further back into their seats. I was a big man and well over six-feet-tall. Belonging to the most well-known MC in Nye County – hell, the whole damn country – and being covered in tattoos, bearded, and having a tough, unapproachable demeanor kept the civilians away. In case anyone had any doubts, my cut proved my allegiance to the brotherhood.
I never went anywhere without it, no matter what kind of shit went down six months ago.
Grim knew where my head was at. We were good.
I lowered the skull print bandana from my face and frowned, noticing the lack of whiskey on the bar. Fuck. I really hated this shit. Grim knew it, too. He was probably laughing his ass off back at the Crossroads since he knew I’d have this problem.
“What can I get you, honey?” The little red-head with a heart-shaped ass was full-on clueless and I was already irritated without speaking a word, watching her wipe down the wood with a stained off-white rag.
New bars were fuckin’ annoying. At the Crossroads I didn’t have to worry about telling the bartender or any of the cute little pieces of ass what I wanted to drink. I simply walked in, approached the bar, and my glass was being poured before I had time to blink.
That was the way I preferred it. I didn’t like to explain myself – drinking, fucking, or fighting. I did things my way. Period.
She sent a knowing smirk my way. “Which of the four kings are you slaying tonight? Johnnie, Jameson, Jack, or Jose?”
Grumbling a reply, I reluctantly answered, “Johnnie.”
“Nice choice.”
I picked up the shot she placed in front of me and downed it, happy to see she left the damn bottle. After pouring another, I closed my eyes momentarily and felt my insides begin to thaw with the familiar and welcome heat. A sweet and spicy flavor and robust smoke with a warm finish. I almost always went for my friend Johnnie, preferably the blue label.
“Better warm up, honey. That winter storm warning has turned into an advisory with hazardous traveling conditions. You’re gonna be stuck here for a bit.”
Yeah, I figured that out already.
My gaze shifted to the windows where I could see the snow falling heavier, the fat flakes covering the ground and sticking to the asphalt of the parking lot beneath the meager lights still in working condition. The lot was far darker than I liked which only decreased visibility in the event of an emergency. Scoping the place out and relaxing as I remembered where all the exits were located, I sank onto the barstool with a soft sigh. The far-right side of the bar kept a wall at my backside and a clear view of the entire room, excluding the kitchen and restrooms.