“This is the safest place for you. Even though Houser confessed and mentioned Tanner, there is no hard evidence without you. Tanner knows that, which is why he’s lying low. But the heat just went up. Now more than ever, honey, you must remain playing the Bunny persona. You must be yourself and not Janey. Bunny, I could surround this bar with bikers standing side to side, but Tanner would still discover a weakness.”
“What if the leak finds out where I’m hiding? Should Dakota and I run? Find someone secluded and hide out?”
“No, that won’t win anything. That will put you and Pyro in further danger, with only Pyro at your back. You get caught alone, shit will be a bloodbath and not for those hunting you. No, I’ll have a quiet word with the MCs I trust and set up a guard at the bar when I’m not present. Gonna inform Chance he needs to station two of Hellfire here at night and speak with the allied MCs.”
“Can we depend on them?” I asked. Worried, I bit my nail, and Magic slapped my hand away.
“Yes, there’s eight I count on completely. The clubs earned my trust and deserve it. Bunny, I’m going to give you some numbers, programme them into your phone, and if you need to, you fuckin’ call them.”
“Who are the eight MCs you trust?” I inquired, taking another bite of pancake.
“Rage, Hellfire, Fallen Warriors, Unwanted Bastards, Satan’s Warriors, The Devil’s Scythe, The Riders of Vengeance and the Devil’s Damned Disciples. Get into trouble, and I’m not here, Bunny, contact any of their members and tell them this codeword. They’ll recognise it, won’t argue and will take you straight to their compound.”
“What’s the phrase?”
“Unicorns over a rainbow on a sunny day,” Magic said, and I burst out laughing.
“Seriously?” I asked as Magic scowled.
“Yes, now remember it, Bunny, because that may save your life. The phrase will only be recognised by those eight clubs, so remember which clubs. Any of them hear the words, they’ll take your back and fight for your safety.” Damn, Magic was serious.
“What does it mean?” I whispered, placing my hand over his.
“Means that a woman attached to an MC is in trouble and needs aid. It was created when Hellfire, Rage, Unwanted Bastards, and Devil’s Damned Disciples started the alliance. Jailbait had a girl. Poor thing got snatched by a dirty member of his club. Woman saw a brother of Rage and begged for help, but back then, you didn’t get involved in another club’s politics. Jailbait’s girl died a brutal death, and the Rage brother went off the rails when he heard.” Sadness crossed Magic’s face.
“So, they set up a system where women who meant something could seek support. The code has never been used, but the clubs and I make sure women we care about know it. Can tell you, all Rage and Hellfire old ladies would recognise it. The phrase has never been used but could save a woman’s life one day. And we’ll thank our stars that we created it. It’s a silly phrase because no one will understand what it means when uttered. But it’s a code that each member of those eight clubs will recognise and realise the urgency of the situation.
And let me tell you, Bunny, you don’t use it unless your life is at risk. Because any of those men will not hesitate to open fire on whoever is with you and shoot him dead. That’s the power the phrase carries, so don’t mess around thinking you’re clever.”
“Jeez, Magic, I understood the first time you warned me. And thank you,” I said softly, “for protecting me.” Magic’s gaze softened.
“Bunny, we all care about someone. For me, it’s the girls like you and Alice who come through here. The ones who are truly different from the pack out there, the woman who stands out because they’re genuine.” My mind wandered to Magic’s words. By her own admission, Alice had been working for Magic for seven years. Magic hinted Alice had a sad story, but I knew better than to push Magic and decided to get to know Alice. Alice was shy and far more reserved than my pushy persona of Bunny. But I could see Alice was popular with the bar’s customers, as she always got good tips.
Alice was a loner, and I never heard her mention friends or hanging out with someone. Alice came in, did her job, and went home. She didn’t favour any club or any one person and rarely challenged other staff, almost as if she was afraid of confrontation. Alice was more of a mystery than I was because she genuinely tried to fade into the background.
“Oh, I sacked those two lazy ass waitresses. Got a new one coming in today with experience, and you three will take up extra hours until I find a fourth,” Magic stated, and I nodded.
“What’s her name?” I asked.
“Cara, she’s got experience and knows she’ll have to take up extra work. Any issues, tell me. I trust you and Alice.” Magic rose to his feet and filled our cups again.
“Got a few hours, and I’ve got paperwork to finish. I’ll bring it out here in case Cara arrives early,” I said as Magic nodded. Magic’s big hand shot out and cupped my chin.
“Bunny, you and Pyro… shit’s good?” Magic demanded, his eyes searching mine.
“Yeah, we’ve reconnected, and Dakota was telling the truth. We met each other when we were children. And I did get shot on Hellfire.”
“You know about the brother and sister?” Magic asked. “Bunny, I rarely poke my nose in, but if Pyro ain’t told ya about them, you gotta ask because it’s dark.”
“They both died of a drug overdose, and Dakota tried to save them.”
“Knew that fucker wouldn’t reveal everything. Get Pyro to admit the truth, Bunny, because you need to settle the past before you can move forward,” Magic muttered. That made sense in a convoluted, conflicted way, but it was full of mystery.
???
Justice
Justice stared at the woman in front of him. Bitch had been stealing from wealthy old people and then murdering them. She’d already revealed killing four men and three women. And then the wicked cunt influenced doctors to call the deaths natural causes. Justice had stumbled across her plans when an elderly person called in a report that her diamonds were missing, and he’d tracked the felonies back. The police dropped the complaint when a doctor claimed the old woman had Alzheimer’s. Now the perp sat with Justice, and he wondered if he had the whole truth from her. But she’d confessed enough crimes for judgement to be rendered. Justice flicked the match and walked away.