ASHES & PAIN
Chapter 12
BEATEN
The rain started sometime during the flight.
By the time the private jet touched down in Texas, the runway shimmered beneath gray skies and steady drizzle.
The county airport wasn’t much to look at.
Just concrete.
Chain-link fences.
Fuel trucks.
A handful of workers in rain jackets moving through the weather like they were immune to it.
The glamour of Mexico ended the second the cabin door opened.
No more marble floors.
No more private security.
No more imported vodka.
Just wet asphalt and cold wind.
Kriket was waiting for them by the club’s van when they stepped onto the tarmac.
Bags were tossed into back.
Doors slammed.
Engine started.
And everyone began the long drive home.
Rain streaked across the passenger window as Kait watched South Texas roll by.
The tires hummed against wet pavement.
Road spray kicked up behind eighteen-wheelers.
Dryden.
The Nest.
Reality.
By the time they rolled through the Nest gates, the rain had settled into a steady downpour.
Prospects unloaded bags and scattered back toward their own lives.
Randy headed straight for the ranch.
Mack was already talking about work waiting for him.
Ram complained about bills.
Normal life was reclaiming all of them.
The rain started somewhere north of the border and never stopped.
Kait barely had one foot on the ground before Kolton was there.
His hand closed around hers.
“You’re comin’ with me.”
She laughed.
“Hello to you too.”
“Missed you.”
The look in his eyes made it clear exactly how much.
He took her bag before she could protest and steered her toward the stairs.
By the time they reached the room, they were already halfway out of their clothes.
A couple of hours later, Kait stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel.
Steam drifted through the bathroom doorway.
Kolton sat on the edge of the bed pulling on his boots.
Rain tapped softly against the bedroom window.
“How’d everything go while we were gone?” she asked.
Kolton shrugged.
“Same shit.”
“I need more than that.”
He smirked.
Then his expression shifted.
“Well, apart from Diablo transferring.”
Kait stopped drying her hair.
“What?”
“He’s going to Huntsville.”
The word landed harder than it should have.
“Huntsville?”
Kolton nodded.
“Lane put in the request.”
She stared at him.
“Why.”
“Needs him up there, I guess. I dunno.”
Made sense.
The timing was just off.
Lane and Diablo spent weeks together building Huntsville last year.
If Lane needed somebody he trusted, Diablo was probably first on the list.
“Diablo agreed?”
“Sounds like he agreed a while ago.”
She sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Don okay with it?”
Kolton snorted.
“Doesn’t matter if he’s okay with it.”
She looked up.
“Transfer’s gotta go on the table.”
“Yeah.”
A unanimous vote.
Every patch in Dryden.
Every patch in Huntsville.
One “no” vote and the whole thing died.
But she already knew how it was going to go.
Nobody was going to tell Lane no.
Not for something like this.
Kolton finished lacing his boot.
“Alejandra’s goin’ with him.”
Kait groaned.
“Tracy’s gonna lose her shit.”
“Already has.”
That actually made her laugh.
“Said now she’s gotta find two girls. You know, since we never replaced what’s-her-face.”
Kait narrowed her eyes when she thought of Melanie. “Right.”
Kolton got up and got in front of her. “I really missed you.”
“I was gone for like 24 hours.”
“Still,” he said and kissed her. “I don’t like it when you’re gone.”
Kait rubbed his chest. “Well, I’m back now. Did you hear from the lawyer?”
“Yeah, everything’s good. They should be signing the plea this week.”
“You did great.”
He scoffed. “What are you talking about? That was all you.”
Kolton kissed her again and moved her to the bed.
“Kolt, we got shit to do.”
A knock rattled the door.
Kolton looked toward it.
Immediately annoyed.
“Fuck off!”
“Need Toast real quick!” someone said from outside and Kait sat up.
Kolton sighed dramatically.
“Fuckin’ prospects.”
He stood and yanked the door open.
One of the prospects stood in the hallway.
Young.
Wet from the rain.
Already regretting being there.
“What?” Kolton asked.
The prospect looked past him toward Kait.
“Dulce is downstairs.”
Kait frowned.
“The hell…”
The prospect shifted awkwardly.
“She’s askin’ for Toast.”
Something in his voice immediately set her on edge.
Kolton heard it too.
The irritation disappeared from his face.
“What’s wrong with her now?”
The prospect hesitated.
“Y’all should probably come see. She don’t look too good.”
The room went quiet.
Kait was already reaching for her jeans.
When she got downstairs, she saw Dulce on a stool with both hands wrapped around a mug.
Alejandra stood beside her.
Diablo leaned against the counter drinking coffee.
Nobody was talking.
Kait immediately spotted the bruises.
One swollen eye.
A split lip.
Finger-shaped marks along the side of her neck.
For a second she just stared.
Then she was off the stool.
The mug nearly tipped over.
Before anybody could react, she crossed the distance and wrapped both arms around Kait.
Hard.
Kait caught her automatically.
“Hey,” Kait said softly. “You’re alright.”
Dulce buried her face against her shoulder.
Kait felt her shaking.
Like somebody whose nerves had finally given out.
The room stayed quiet.
“Easy. You’re safe here.”
Diablo took another sip of coffee.
Nobody said a word.
Kait rested a hand on the back of Dulce’s head.
“Hey.”
Nothing.
“Dulce.”
She finally pulled back.
Her mascara was smeared.
She looked exhausted.
Terrified.
Kait studied her face.
“Who did this?”
Dulce shook her head and glanced around the room as if making sure nobody else was listening.
“Can I… talk to you? Just you.”
Kolton sighed and crossed his arms as Kait and Dulce went toward the pool table.
Dulce sat down at one of the tall tables. Napkin in her hand. “I don’t know what to do…
Remember the guys I was working with?”
“Yeah, the Bosnians or whatever?”
Dulce nodded.
“There was this party tonight…”
She wiped at her face.
“This one girl… Marina… Marisa… I don’t know… She wanted to leave. Rijad wouldn’t let her. Then…”
Dulce shut her eyes.
“He just…”
She shook her head.
“He just kept hitting her. He beat the shit out of her. With, with his fists. He just—” she shook her head as if trying to get rid of the images in her head.
“Fuck, Dulce.”
“I don’t even know how I got away… There was another girl that went missing not too long ago. They probably killed her too.”
Dulce started to cry as soon as Kait put her arms around her.
“Just take it easy. I promise you’re safe here.”
Dulce held her tight. Kait looked over at Kolton and he rolled his eyes. “Were you followed?” she asked.
“I don’t think so,” Dulce said pulling away.
“Stay here tonight. I have to ride out south tomorrow, we’ll figure it out when I come back.
Dulce nodded. “Okay.”
“Alright,” Kait said holding Dulce’s face gently.
“They’re killing girls, Kait. Rijad, Damir… Amar”
“Well, that’s gonna stop.”
Kait nodded and found herself looking past Dulce.
Past the bruises.
Past the dead girl.
Toward something else.
The same thing she’d seen a hundred times at Dirty Alley.
Girls chasing money.
Girls chasing opportunities.
Girls ending up around men who saw them as disposable.
Dulce was clearly terrified.
There would be another girl after her.
There was always another girl.
The thought settled somewhere deep and uncomfortable.
“Alejandra, get Dulce to a room, she’s staying here tonight.”
Alejandra got up and came toward them.
“Thank you, Kait. I’m sorry. I didn’t know where else to go.”
“It’s okay. We got you. Go take a hot shower and get some rest.”
“Okay,” Dulce says and hugged her again. “Thank you.”
Kait nodded at Alejandra and they went through the double doors.
“Damn,” Diablo said putting his mug down.
“Great, now she’s gonna be all over you,” Kolton said still looking at the double doors.
“Since when you have a problem with that?”
He came over to Kait and held her by the waist. “Since it’s obvious she has a thing for you,” he said and gave her a kiss.
“Whatever,” Kait said and let go. Her attention shifted to Diablo. “So… I hear you’re transferring.”
Diablo nodded once.
“Yeah. Head of the Snake wants me there. So I gotta go.”
Kait leaned against the bar.
“And you’re taking Alejandra with you.”
He looked over toward the kitchen.
“She kind of decided that.”
A small smile tugged at Kait’s mouth.
“When you leaving?”
“As soon as we put it on the table.”
Kait nodded.
“Are things okay up there?”
Diablo thought about it for a second.
“Yeah, just got a lot of work to do.”
That was answer enough. She nodded and looked toward the rain-covered doors.
Dirty Alley had burned.
The girls had scattered.
And now they were finding protection wherever they could.
Dulce had found the Nest.
The next one might not.
Kait spent the rest of the afternoon doing what she’d done hundreds of times before.
She, Kolton, Ram, and Kode rode the usual protection route, escorting another truck north through the quiet stretches of South Texas.
The rain let up enough to leave the roads slick, the gray clouds hanging low over the highway.
Nobody spoke much when they waited at the truck stop.
The roads have been quiet.
Chrome Union hadn’t made a move since Durst and Murphy were found dead in prison.
That didn’t mean the danger was gone.
It meant they were waiting.
By nighttime, the run was complete.
No problems.
No ambushes.
No surprises.
On the ride back into Dryden, Dulce’s words refused to leave Kait alone.
They’re killing girls.
She’d heard plenty of similar stories at the Dirty Alley.
Girls getting stalked, roughed up.
Girls disappearing for a few days.
But this was different.
The Dirty Alley had been a dump.
But it had rules.
Girls had security. They had her.
Now the Alley was gone.
The girls were on their own.
As they rolled through town, something caught Kait’s eye.
An old corner building on Cactus and Oak St.
Boarded windows.
Once upon a time it had been Dryden Hotel as the sign on top read.
She’d probably ridden past it a thousand times without ever really seeing it.
This time she slowed.
Just for a second.
The main entrance right on the corner, a decent-sized parking lot.
Her eyes lingered a moment longer.
Then Kolton’s bike disappeared around the corner.
Kait twisted the throttle and followed.
She didn’t think about the building again.
Not consciously.
But somewhere in the back of her mind…
the wheels had started turning.
THE NEST - CHAPEL
Church was supposed to start at ten.
By ten-fifteen, everyone was seated except Randy and Blaze.
Don glanced at the door as they all heard steps and voices coming from outside.
Randy and Blaze walked in soaked with sweat, jeans streaked with mud and insulation, bits of hay clinging to their shirts.
Blaze dropped onto the nearest bench with a groan.
“Sorry we’re late, y’all.”
Randy pulled off his hat and ran a tired hand through his hair.
“Damn barn roof finally gave out.”
Several heads came up.
“The whole damn thing?” Mack asked.
“Almost.”
Randy shook his head.
“Just the center section.”
He let out a long breath.
“This rain finally finished it off.”
Blaze leaned his elbows on the table.
“We spent the last four hours gettin’ them horses moved before the rest came down.”
“The animals alright?” Don asked.
“Yeah, just the roof.” Randy said taking his seat.
Don simply nodded once and got another nod from Blaze.
“Alright.”
He looked around the table.
“Let’s get started.”
“First things first.”
His eyes drifted briefly toward Kait.
“Saw Dulce earlier, she told me about some Bosnian pimps killing girls. They almost got to her too, so the girl’s stayin’ with us for a while.”
Nobody interrupted.
“Until we figure out exactly what’s goin’ on.”
Another pause.
“Toast.”
Kait looked up.
“This is you. Find out what’s going on with these guys and if the Bosnians are gonna be a problem for us.”
“Yes, sir.”
Don looked around the table. “Next…”
His eyes landed on Diablo.
“The Devil is transferring to Huntsville. Y’all hear about that yet?”
A few groans rolled around the chapel despite the fact everyone already knew it was coming.
Diablo raised both hands.
“Easy, easy.”
“Traitor,” Ram muttered.
“Fuckin’ asshole, you’re the only other metalhead here,” Kode added.
Laughter bounced around the room.
Diablo smirked. “Hey, man, I’m needed over there. Blame the new president, not me.”
Kait thought of Lane for a moment.
He seemed so far away now.
“Well, let’s get this shit over with. All in favor of Diablo’s transfer?”
They all raised a middle finger as their vote.
“Oh, come on,” Diablo said.
Don chuckled. “Alright, transfer passes.”
Diablo nodded once.
“Thanks. I’m gonna miss y’all.”
“Don’t get all emotional on us,” Ram said.
“I’m savin’ my tears for when my new pres puts me to work.”
More laughter.
“You bet your ass he’s gonna put you to work,” Don said pushing himself to his feet. “Alright, short notice, but we ain’t lettin’ you leave without a proper sendoff.”
“Hell yeah,” Blaze said. “After today, I need all I can drink.”
Church dissolved into conversation as chairs scraped across the floor.
Patches drifted downstairs one by one.
Downstairs, Diablo made his way to the stereo. “It’s my party, so I pick the music.”
“Great, we’re gonna have a mosh pit now,” Kolton said.
“Yeah, and you’re getting in it, VP,” Kode said.
Diablo pushed play on the stereo an immediately started headbanging to Silent Night, Bodom Night.
“Is this Bodom?” Kait asked.
“I knew you would know these guys,” Diablo said pointing at her.“One of the Helsinki Fangs grew up with them, he has a metal band too. Well, everybody has a metal band in Finland.”
“Nice!”
“See?” Diablo said punching Kode on the shoulder. “Toast listens to metal.”
An hour later, Ram frowned behind the bar.
“We’re outta ice.”
“No, we’re not, I told Mack to fix the ice machine,” Don said finding Mack leaning on the counter.
Mack looked up. “Huh? I fixed that shit.”
Don told him to come around and he immediately got up. Don opened the freezer. “You see any ice in there.”
“Fuck… well, what you expect, I fix bikes.”
Don rolled his eyes and looked toward the prospects.
“Jack, um, Jake.”
Mack chuckled.
“He means you, Josh.”
The young prospect looked up immediately.
“Yes, King. What’s up?”
“Get me some fucking ice.”
He tossed him a set of truck keys.
“Grab the truck. Take Alan and Sludge.”
Josh caught the keys.
“For sure.”
The three prospects rushed to the front door happy to do something that was ordered directly by the president.
The party picked right back up.
Nobody thought twice about it.
about a half hour later...
The clubhouse door slammed open.
Sludge stumbled inside.
His prospect kutte was torn.
Blood streamed down the side of his face.
He looked around frantically until he found Don.
“King…”
His chest heaved.
“We got jumped.”
Every patch in the room was on their feet.
“Union?” Don barked. “Hey, shut that fucking music down!”
Someone immediately turned it off.
Everything stopped.
“Yeah… Josh and Alan…” Sludge struggled to catch his breath. “They’re still behind the Pit Stop.”
Don’s exhaled. “What the fuck happened?”
“There were six of ’em,” Sludge said wiping blood from his eye.
“We didn’t even make it into the store. They came outta nowhere. I’m so fucking sorry, King.”
Don looked at Kait, Blaze and Kolton. “Mount up.”
Nobody asked another question.
They were already moving.
Behind them, Randy and Mack headed to the garage.
“Why do I have to go?” Kolton complained as they headed to their bikes.
“‘Cause you’re interim VP,” Kait shot back.
“Klaus never did this shit.”
“Klaus is a fuckin’ founder,” Blaze said.
“Still, I already did the run too. Like all that is… Fang and Koil shit.”
Kait scoffed. “You’re only covering for Klaus. Don’t let Don hear you say stupid shit like that. Let’s just go.”
THE PIT STOP
The flashing lights appeared long before the gas station.
Kolton immediately raised a fist.
The three motorcycles slowed.
Randy eased off the gas and coasted to a stop behind them.
They were about a block away.
Up ahead, two sheriff’s cruisers sat crooked across the parking lot.
Two ambulances.
Deputies talking to the paramedics, another talking to Alan who was sitting inside one of the ambulances. The other ambulance was already leaving. With Josh.
Kait narrowed her eyes and sighed “Shit. Richter’s here.”
He stood near the front entrance, notebook in hand, interviewing the shaken store clerk.
Randy climbed out of the truck.
“What now?”
Kolton watched the scene for a second. Didn’t answer. Neither did Blaze.
“Well, we can’t just ride in. Not with dumbass Richter standing there. Not with the shit with Murphy and the other one. What the fuck is he doing here?”
“Cop shit,” Mack said.
“I’ll go,” Kait said.
Kolton looked at her.
“No.”
She glanced over.
“Yes. We can’t just stand here either. Looks shady.”
“Yeah, I guess. He likes you anyway.”
“Kolt, stop.”
Blaze looked away, already knowing where this was going.
Kolton folded his arms.
“He gets all fuckin’ puppy-eyed every time you two talk.”
Kait rolled her eyes.
“Well, at least he doesn’t have a reason to arrest me in the middle of a parking lot.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about.”
She gave him a look.
“I’m going.”
Without waiting for permission, Kait stepped off the shoulder and started walking toward the gas station.
“Hey. Can I help you?” One of the officers said blocking her way.
“That’s one of my buddies over there. Hey Alan, you good?”
Alan looked up and offered her a thumbs up from the back of the ambulance. He looked… unsure.
“I got it, Dave,” Richter said already getting himself in front of Kait. “Take over with the clerk for me.”
He waited for Dave to be at a safe distance to speak freely then turned his attention to Kait. His eyes cold, his tone deep. “What are you doing here?”
Kait pointed at Alan. “Our friend got hurt. We came to check on him.”
Richter glanced at Alan. “Well, according to him, he slipped on ice and fell on his face.”
She faked a laugh. “Yeah, that’s crazy, we’re gonna make fun of him for days with that one.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence, Kait.”
“You think I’m an idiot, don’t you?”
Kait straighten up. “Wait, what?”
“I guess what the store clerk just said is all bullshit then.”
“What did he… say?”
“Nice try.”
Office Richter looked past Kait’s shoulder. Frowned.
“What’s going on here?” said Sheriff McNeil.
“Sheriff, what brings you here?” Richter said and Kait turned.
The Sheriff only looked at Kait from head to toe before answering. “You tell me.”
Richter looked at Kait. “Ms. Lokken, if you could please step to the side for a moment.”
Kait complied and when she turned around, she saw Randy and Mack pulled up in the truck followed by Blaze and Kolton.
She joined them.
McNeil scanned the scene. “So what you got?”
Richter straightened.
“Looks like a Chrome Union MC assault on a couple of Krait MC prospects.”
McNeil nodded once.
“And?”
Richter glanced toward Kait.
“Well, this is definitely connected.”
“Connected to what?”
“The Durst and Murphy murders in county, sir. This is clearly retaliation for—”
McNeil’s expression hardened.
“I thought I made myself clear.”
Richter hesitated.
“Sir—”
“I told you to leave that case alone. It’s not our problem.”
“I just think—”
“I don’t give a shit what you think.”
The words landed like a slap.
“You’ve got your own duties. Solving county’s murders is not one of them, and neither is dumbass biker shit.”
He pointed toward them.
Richter’s jaw tightened. Made eye contact with Kait again.
“But, Sheriff—”
“Don’t get on my nerves, Richter.”
Another long silence.
“…Yes, sir.”
“Now stop wasting the county’s resources on idiots and wrap this shit up.”
“Sir,” Richter said and nodded.
Sheriff McNeil went over to the ambulance with Alan.
“We’re recommending to get checked for a concussion but he’s refusing medical, sir.”
“Then don’t give it to him. Have him sign the waiver and go somewhere they do want it.”
The paramedic nodded and went around the ambulance.
McNeil waited until he was far enough to speak safely.
“What you tell ‘em?”
“Nothing,” Alan answered.
“Get the fuck out of here,” he said in a low voice.
“What—”
“Get the fuck outta here as soon as you sign that paper,” he repeated and walked away.
From the front of the store Richter watched the Sheriff get back in his cruiser. Then he watched the Krait prospect joining his friends and getting in the back of the truck as they roasted him.
Kait was the last one to leave.
She caught him staring.
Then winked at him.
He could only keep staring as she rode away.
