Mason: Inked Reapers MC (19 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

LUCY

              I began to see the ribs about my car were completely valid. I only managed to get fifty miles away before the radiator burst. Luckily, I had already pulled off the highway to get gas when the smoke began to billow from under the hood. The mechanic at the gas station said it would only take an hour or two to get the hose replaced and fix up the radiator well enough to keep going. The only trouble was, the labor alone ate up half of what I had stashed in my purse. The parts took a good chunk of the rest. If Mr. Doyle didn’t let me work out a deal to pay for the cabin, I’d be homeless real quick.

              The texts from Jayson started right after I got my car back on the road. Took him longer than I thought to figure out I wasn’t coming back. At first he just asked where I was. Then he started to demand I get back home. By the time I turned my car into the narrow road headed up to the cabin, he was slinging threats. Why he thought I’d come running back after he threatened to slice my throat for being disrespectful made no sense to me, but then again it was Jayson. He never made any sense to me.

              The only person I worried about was Mason. I still had no idea where he was or what he was up to. I hadn’t texted him, not wanting to mess up whatever job he was doing. I knew he’d be mad when he got back and found me gone. He had told me to stay put, and I had done the exact opposite of that.

              “Hey! Lucy!” Mr. Doyle grinned at me with his wide mouth grin. He’d always had that smile for me when my mom and I would come up to stay in the cabin. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

              He stepped out onto the porch and gave me a big hug. He’d always been a huggy type of person. Not in that old man creepy way, just in a genuine nice to see you way.

              “No, I didn’t make a reservation. I was sort of hoping the cabin was free though?”

              He looked over my shoulder at my car. “Where’s your ma?” He got that worried look on his face. I’d seen it before. He knew she’d been sick the last time we had used the cabin, and now he was bracing himself for the news.

              “She passed. A few months ago.” I took a deep breath.              

              “You in trouble?” He narrowed his eyes and looked me over.

              “No. Not really. I’m just looking for a place to relax for a few weeks, while I look for work and an apartment or something,” I explained.

              He gave me a slow nod. “The cabin’s open. I’m real sorry to hear about your mom. She was such a great lady. Never understood why no man ever snatched her up.” He felt around his pocket then pulled out a key ring. “Do you remember how to get up there?”

              “Sure do. Thank you so much. I can pay you—”

              “No. I won’t have it. I don’t have any reservations until next month. Stay until then. Everyone needs help getting back on their feet now and then.” He shifted his feet and looked back at my car. “You sure that will make it up the road?”

              “It will have to.” I grinned. “It’ll be fine. Thank you so much.” I gave him a quick peck on his cheek and jumped off the porch. If only I had thought to go to the cabin months ago, I wouldn’t have needed so much of his help at that moment.

              The car rattled the entire way up the mountain. Several times I worried I was going to slide back down, or roll off the side and into the trees. Finally, the cabin came into view. The two-bedroom log cabin looked as cozy as it ever had when I came up here with my mom.

              I parked, thankful that I had been smart enough to stop at the grocer before making my way to the cabin. I wasn’t entirely sure I’d be able to get back down and up again more than once a day. I mentally put new car on the list of things I needed to get, and soon.

              Once I dragged in the groceries and my bag of clothes, I plopped down on the couch and took a deep breath. Mr. Doyle kept the cabin in good repair and even kept fresh potpourri in the bedrooms to keep the place from smelling like mildew.

              My phone vibrated on the coffee table.

On my way home

Mason. It hadn’t even been a week. Did something go wrong? I stared at the screen, tempted to let him know what I’d done. I needed to stay strong. I hadn’t just left to get away from Jayson, I’d gone to keep Mason from making a mistake. He needed his life the way it was, and I was just a distraction. Him coming after me, that would start a war between the MCs that would only leave both sides full of blood and death.

You doing okay?

I turned off the phone and went to the master bedroom. I needed a nap. A month long nap.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

MASON

              Marcus paced across the room while Tick and I finished explaining the fucked up situation from down south. His expression started out pissed, then quickly morphed into terrified. When we were done telling him everything, he threw his fist into the wall.

              “This is bad.” He shoved his hands into his hair. “Where’s Charlie?” He stomped out of the room, leaving us sitting at the table alone, staring at each other. “Goddamn it!” When Marcus returned, without the VP, he picked up a chair and threw it across the room. It slammed into the wall and two legs broke off, wood splintered all over the floor.

              Charlie finally showed up, buckling his belt as he sauntered in, and Marcus began to rehash the whole story to him. While they were having their hissy fit, I checked my phone. Still nothing from Lucy. I needed to get over there, get her away from Jayson. Whatever was about to play out wouldn’t be safe for her. She could get caught in the crossfire, and from the look on Marcus’s face, there would be fire.

              “It makes no sense. Why would Julio turn on his brother?” Charlie rubbed the side of his neck. “And if he asked you two to do the job, why have someone else step in last minute? Did you give him any reason to think you wouldn’t do it?”

              “No.” Tick shook his head. “I don’t know what the fuck happened. Carmella was never the target either. Maybe we were a fucking decoy, like Mason said. So that Carmella wouldn’t know he was gunning for her, too.”

              “Could be.” Charlie looked to Marcus. “What’s the plan now? If Julio is running shit, will he keep our two clubs tangled up, or is he gonna let us each do our own business again?”

              “I don’t know.” Marcus leaned over the table, propped up by his clenched fists. A layer of sweat began to take over his forehead, a single drop slid down his cheek. “Julio has his own game, no idea what he’s planning now.”

              “Why did you agree to this shit without a club vote?” I asked, getting up. I heard enough, and I really didn’t give a rat’s ass anymore.

              “Not everything needs a vote.” He growled at me, with narrowed eyes.

              “Something like taking out a fucking cartel leader needs a vote!” I jabbed my finger into the table.

              White teeth flashed at me. “You wanna run shit, is that what you're getting at?”

              “What? Fuck no.” I shook my head.

              “That’s why you fucked up down there, so Julio would have my head and you’d take the seat.” He rounded the table, headed toward me.

              “You’re fucked in the head if you think I would turn on my club.”

              “Why not? You want out, isn’t that what I’m hearing around here? You’ve lost love for your brothers?”

              “I love this club.” I watched him stalk toward me, bracing myself for what he was bringing. His shoulders arched, his head ducked down. Pumping his fists at his side, he lunged for me.

              I sidestepped, letting him crash down into the chair I’d been sitting in. The old fuck stumbled back up to his feet and turned on me again, seething. Spit flew from his mouth, and he went for me again. This time I let him come at me. He wrapped his arms around my midsection and tried to push me down. We collided into the wall, and I managed to get my arms under his and broke his hold on me.

              “Marcus!” VP yelled.

              “It’s because of that whore! That little bitch spread her legs for you and now you can’t get your head out of her pussy!”

His fist came at me. I ducked, managing to land a punch to his gut. Even with the thick layer of fat around his middle, he felt it. He cursed again, falling to his knees. He got back to his feet, but Charlie was behind him, pulling his arms back. “Knock it off!” he yelled at him, tossing him away from me.

I glared at him, catching my breath. I could have tossed him around for another hour;

the words he spewed about Lucy got my blood boiling. Tick stood in front of me, more to protect Marcus than me.

              “You need him,” I heard Charlie say to Marcus, still trying to get him to calm down. “The other brothers will follow him, do you get that? They respect him. This club is falling apart.” He slammed his hand against Marcus’s chest, keeping him in the chair.

              Marcus turned his steely gaze on me. “Get out.” He waved a hand at me, his chest still heaving from the physical exertion.

              Charlie looked at me over his shoulder. “Let the other guys know, tonight at eight. We figure this shit out.”

              “You got it.” Tick nodded and gave me a shove to get me moving. I kept my gaze on Marcus, wishing I could have another go at him. One fist to the gut hadn’t appeased my annoyance.

              “What the fuck is there to figure out?” I kicked the dirt once we were outside by our bikes. A few members had been in the clubhouse and had heard the shuffle, but hadn’t asked any questions. They knew better.

              “How to get his ass out of the fire, I guess.” Tick looked at his phone. “Fuck. I missed another doctor appointment.”

              I looked at him, tapping away on the phone, probably begging for forgiveness, and felt another twinge of jealousy hit me. “You’d give this up for her, even if she doesn’t want you to?” I asked him when he slid his phone back in his pocket.

              “She wants me out. She wants to raise our kids without all the drama and danger, but it's the only life she’s known—like you said. She’s scared. And right now, pissed.” He climbed onto his bike.

“She’s gonna have you whipped in no time.” I grinned at him, swinging my leg over my own hog.

“Have me? Hell, that woman had me wrapped around her finger the first time I laid eyes

on her. She deserves better than this.” He nodded to the clubhouse. Jessie, the blonde waitress that warmed my bed whenever I wanted, walked out of the front door at that moment, wiping her hand across her mouth. Her lips were swollen and her lipstick smeared across her cheek. Looking at her then, remembering the times I’d used her, my gut twisted. Such a waste. When she noticed us staring at her, she narrowed her eyes and turned away. “Still haven't heard from Lucy?”
              “Nah. I’m gonna head to the diner, maybe she’ll be there. If I don’t hear from her soon, I’m going to have to go get her.”

              “You can’t just march into Disciple territory. Not now. Not until we know what the fuck is going on. Wait until tonight; if you don’t hear from her, then you can decide to make a move.”

              I nodded. He was right. Until I knew what happened down in Mexico, walking into their clubhouse would be a crap shoot. “If she’s not at the diner, I’ll head over to my ma’s. I haven’t seen her in a while, and she’s been bugging me to stop by.”

              “You wanna crash with us tonight?” He snapped his helmet strap. “Less time here probably the better.”

              I looked over my shoulder at Marcus, who had come out of the clubhouse still wearing his pissy glare. He watched me—I could feel his eyes on me when I turned back to Tick. “Might be a good idea. Seem to have lost some love around here.”

              “He’s just looking for someone to blame and you were the closest to him. It’ll blow over.”

              “Yeah, but he knows we want out. Probably taking it personally that I haven’t gone to him directly.”

              “Probably,” Tick agreed. “After this is settled tonight, we’ll sit down with him. Tell him our plans.”

              I gave him a wary look. “Maybe we should make some, then.”

              He grinned. “Always wanted to open a bike shop.”

***

              When I pulled into the diner parking lot I realized my stomach was in knots. At the idea of finding her, or not finding her there? As much as I tried to keep telling myself I was looking out for Lucy because she was an innocent, because she was mine for the time being, I realized I was a complete bullshitter.

              I looked out for her because that pixie had wormed her way under my skin, and there was no way I’d be letting her go. Not now, and not ever.

              Her car wasn’t in the lot, but I parked anyway. Maybe I got lucky and she finally upgraded that bucket of bolts

She wasn’t in the diner either, but Lucas was.

              He sat in the back of the place, in a booth with a woman. She looked familiar, someone probably at the Disciple’s house. Lucas noticed me and stood up from the booth. He put his hand out to the woman to keep her there, and marched over to me.

              “We need to talk.” He jerked his head to a booth near me.

              “I don’t have shit to say—”

              “You’re here lookin for Lucy, right?” he shot at me. I swept my eyes across the room, and didn’t see any other members. I nodded. “Well, she ran off.”

              “What the fuck?” I slid into the booth. “What happened?”

              “Here or down south?” he asked with a sly grin.

              “Both.”

              “Rumor has it you’re looking to exit the MC, is that right?” He drummed his fingertips on the table.

“Maybe.” Being non-committal, that was my theme.

“If you are, don’t worry about what happened down South. Just focus on finding Lucy

before Jayson does. He’s searching all over for her.”

“If I’m not?”
              “If you're not, which I don’t think is the case, then get ready for a new ruler in town.” I wanted to smack his shit-eating grin off his face. If Lucy didn’t tell me how much he ran interference for her with Jayson, I might have done just that.

“Julio.” I nodded.

“For one,” he agreed.

“Lucy. Where is she?” I didn’t have time for Julio’s drama or Marcus’s fight. I needed to

find Lucy. If she ran away from Jayson, he wouldn’t give up until he found her. “What happened? Why’d she run?”

“Jayson woke up two days ago to an empty bed. She left him a note that she went out for breakfast, or coffee. When she didn’t show by the afternoon, and didn’t answer his calls, he got pissed. He’s been turning the whole town upside down.”

“Isn’t he preoccupied with the whole Julio-Bernardo mess?” I watched his old lady saunter our way.

“He’s is blissfully unaware of the Julio-Bernardo situation.” He grinned.

“Do you know where she went?”

“I do,” his woman answered as she approached the table. “But first you and I need to chat before I tell you.”