“Promise.”
The call ended, and Silly stood there for a moment, the convention noise washing over her.She closed her eyes, picturing Jock with Maynard’s head in his lap, Tank snoring nearby, and felt a surge of determination.Today and then tomorrow morning, and before long she’d be back where she belonged.For now, she’d pour her heart into her art, knowing it was one more way to carry Jock and their boys with her.
***
Jock
The Incoherent MC clubhouse smelled like leather, beer, and the faint acidic odor of motor oil, a familiar mix that always settled Jock’s nerves.Tonight, though, the air felt thicker, charged with the low swell of voices as brothers gathered around the scarred wooden table in the back room.Twisted, the IMC national president, sat at the head, his grizzled beard twitching as he nodded for Jock to start.Wildman, the local chapter president, sat to his left, arms crossed over his chest, while Ace leaned against the wall, his face shadowed but attentive.
Wrench, the Caddo Hobos Prez, had rolled in with Ace and couple more of his guys, a show of solidarity that meant more than words in their shared territory.Dyno, Wrench’s tech-savvy enforcer, fiddled with a laptop, ready to pull up whatever leads they had.
“All right, listen up,” Jock said, standing tall despite the ache in his back from another rough night with Maynard.He laid out the photos on the table.Clear full-color shots of the pit bull’s agony and grainy footage of the alley.They also had Miss Danielle’s description of the rusted truck.“This isn’t just some stray getting hit by a car.Kent confirmed chemical burns, deliberate.And those old fractures?This boy’s been through hell before.I want the fucker who did it.”
Wildman leaned forwards, his usual party-boy grin replaced by a hard edge.“Brother, you had me at ‘abused pitty.’What’s the play?We got eyes on any rings around here?”
Wrench nodded, his voice a gravelly rumble when he replied, “Since we started asking around, we’ve been hearing whispers about a dogfighting setup out near the parish line.Low-rent assholes, not affiliated, but it sounds like they’ve been poaching strays and small dogs out of backyards for bait dogs.The rumor lines up with the burns on your dog.We’ve heard they use lye or some shit to ‘toughen’ ’em up.”He glanced at Dyno.“Pull up that feed from the gas station.”
Dyno tapped keys, projecting a blurry video onto the wall.A truck drove away.The video didn’t include a view of the license plates, but the driver’s facial scar was clearly visible.“Ricky Calder,” Dyno said.“Small-time dealer, history of cruelty charges that never stuck.He was a Common Enemy prospect who got dropped during that club’s merger with IMC.Word is he’s been running with some independents who hate clubs ever since.The assholes think we’re cutting into their turf with our clean ops.”
Twisted snorted.“Independents?More like rejects.If they’re tied to rivals sniffing around our borders, this could get dicey.But we don’t let this slide.Animals, kids, family.At IMC it’s all the same line.We protect what’s vulnerable.”
Banter kicked in, easing the tension without dulling the resolve.Wildman slapped the table.“Hell, if we’re going after dogfighters, count me in.Jussy’s got a soft spot for pits, but she says if I come home with another rescue, she’ll skin me instead.”
Laughter rippled, Ace chuckling from the shadows.“You’d deserve it, Wild.Last time you ‘rescued’ a pup, it ate half your boots.”
Jock felt the loyalty wrap around him like a vest, brothers pledging resources without hesitation.Wrench offered CoBos eyes on the streets, Dyno his hacks into traffic cams.Twisted assigned a couple of prospects to tail leads.
“We find Calder, we make sure the law handles it clean,” Twisted said, eyes on Jock.“But if it ties to rivals pushing boundaries, we push back harder.”
Ace caught Jock’s eye as the meeting wrapped, giving him a silent nod.“We’ll start at Rusty’s tonight.Calder’s a regular.Let’s rattle him.”
Jock clapped hands with the group, the underlying bond steel strong.“Appreciate it, brothers.This means everything.”
Chapter Six
Jock
