Read Online One You Never Leave by Lexy Timms - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lexy Timms
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watched as she walked into the house. When her inside light went on, he pulled out of the driveway. At the corner, he was about to drive right to take him back to his apartment. He didn’t want to do that, to go back there and be alone without Emily next to him.
Instead he turned left, in the direction of the Red Bull. He’d barely visited since that night when he and Pez left there on the way to rescue Saks from the Rojos. Knowing that the Red Bull was run by active wise-guy members didn’t make him feel safe or comfortable. But tonight, when all manner of bad things happened today, he just wanted to sit in a familiar place, drink a beer, and then go home.
Entering the Red Bull felt like coming home. Though it was very late, there were still a few regulars scattered through the large bar. Nothing had changed in those few months. The large bar in the center of room still featured a stacked pyramid of different bottles of liquor, the taps for the beer were still shined to reflect the lighting hanging from the ceiling, and different colored and sized bras hung from the rafters.
Luke hung his Hades’ Spawn jacket on the pegs by the door, since Rocco, the owner, had a rule about bikers removing their colors when they entered. Some of the other patrons greeted Luke as he made his way to the bar. He smiled at John, Rocco’s brother and main bartender, and John broke into a bright grin.
“Luke! Where’ve you been hiding, man?” John knew very well that Luke had built his own small bar as part of the Hades’ Spawn clubhouse. But since that was competition, both men avoided that part of the conversation. John drew Luke’s favorite draft and slid it to him.
“Thanks,” said Luke. “Do I still have a tab here?”
“Of course,” scoffed John. “You have credit on it.”
“Good to know.” Luke pulled at his draft and eyed the bar. Here in the center of the room it was bright, but along the walls and in the corners the lighting was low. He couldn’t quite make out who sat at different booths. “Any Rojos around?”
“Nope. We banned them.”
“Really? You banned a whole MC club?” This was unprecedented. Rocco and John had been known to ban an individual or two, but rarely. A whole club, though? Wow.
“The familia didn’t like them around. Troublemakers.”
“So, they aren’t doing business with them?”
“I didn’t say that,” said John. “Business is business, but I can’t say more.”
“And I don’t want to know.”
“Hey, Luke!”
Beer in hand, Luke turned to see Pepper, or rather DEA Agent Hector Garcia, walking toward him with a smile and his hand outstretched. Luke took it, though his smile was strained. Pepper had his Hades’ Spawn jacket slung over his arm. There was nothing that Luke could do about Pepper’s membership in the club. Luke was sworn to secrecy about his involvement with the DEA, and Pepper’s membership was a consequence of the undercover work he did there. While Luke was in the hospital recovering from his gun- shot wound from the shootout at the Spawn’s clubhouse, the other members of the club patched in Pepper. They had thought him a hero in his part in subduing Kinney, Dagger, and Wolf. But the other members of the club didn’t know that Pepper was planted there to spy on them. Had they known, things might have turned out differently.
Luke had no desire to speak with Pepper now. The events of the day had left him raw enough that he wasn’t fit company for most people. Pepper was a reminder that the DEA didn’t follow through on their promises, and had left Luke hanging in immigration hell. In the aftermath of the cluster-fuck that was the shootout at the clubhouse, the DEA pinned the failed operation on Pepper. He was consigned to a desk assignment since then and showed up less frequently on Sundays to work with Luke in the shop. Luke had no idea what he was doing here now.
“Can we talk?” asked Pepper.
“Closing time soon,” said
Instead he turned left, in the direction of the Red Bull. He’d barely visited since that night when he and Pez left there on the way to rescue Saks from the Rojos. Knowing that the Red Bull was run by active wise-guy members didn’t make him feel safe or comfortable. But tonight, when all manner of bad things happened today, he just wanted to sit in a familiar place, drink a beer, and then go home.
Entering the Red Bull felt like coming home. Though it was very late, there were still a few regulars scattered through the large bar. Nothing had changed in those few months. The large bar in the center of room still featured a stacked pyramid of different bottles of liquor, the taps for the beer were still shined to reflect the lighting hanging from the ceiling, and different colored and sized bras hung from the rafters.
Luke hung his Hades’ Spawn jacket on the pegs by the door, since Rocco, the owner, had a rule about bikers removing their colors when they entered. Some of the other patrons greeted Luke as he made his way to the bar. He smiled at John, Rocco’s brother and main bartender, and John broke into a bright grin.
“Luke! Where’ve you been hiding, man?” John knew very well that Luke had built his own small bar as part of the Hades’ Spawn clubhouse. But since that was competition, both men avoided that part of the conversation. John drew Luke’s favorite draft and slid it to him.
“Thanks,” said Luke. “Do I still have a tab here?”
“Of course,” scoffed John. “You have credit on it.”
“Good to know.” Luke pulled at his draft and eyed the bar. Here in the center of the room it was bright, but along the walls and in the corners the lighting was low. He couldn’t quite make out who sat at different booths. “Any Rojos around?”
“Nope. We banned them.”
“Really? You banned a whole MC club?” This was unprecedented. Rocco and John had been known to ban an individual or two, but rarely. A whole club, though? Wow.
“The familia didn’t like them around. Troublemakers.”
“So, they aren’t doing business with them?”
“I didn’t say that,” said John. “Business is business, but I can’t say more.”
“And I don’t want to know.”
“Hey, Luke!”
Beer in hand, Luke turned to see Pepper, or rather DEA Agent Hector Garcia, walking toward him with a smile and his hand outstretched. Luke took it, though his smile was strained. Pepper had his Hades’ Spawn jacket slung over his arm. There was nothing that Luke could do about Pepper’s membership in the club. Luke was sworn to secrecy about his involvement with the DEA, and Pepper’s membership was a consequence of the undercover work he did there. While Luke was in the hospital recovering from his gun- shot wound from the shootout at the Spawn’s clubhouse, the other members of the club patched in Pepper. They had thought him a hero in his part in subduing Kinney, Dagger, and Wolf. But the other members of the club didn’t know that Pepper was planted there to spy on them. Had they known, things might have turned out differently.
Luke had no desire to speak with Pepper now. The events of the day had left him raw enough that he wasn’t fit company for most people. Pepper was a reminder that the DEA didn’t follow through on their promises, and had left Luke hanging in immigration hell. In the aftermath of the cluster-fuck that was the shootout at the clubhouse, the DEA pinned the failed operation on Pepper. He was consigned to a desk assignment since then and showed up less frequently on Sundays to work with Luke in the shop. Luke had no idea what he was doing here now.
“Can we talk?” asked Pepper.
“Closing time soon,” said
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