I was too afraid to look up, so I kept my head covered, listening to whoever it was that jumped in to save me, fight with the Artillery members.
“This doesn’t concern you, Zodiac,” one of the men sneered.
Zodiac? As in the president of the Celestial Sons MC? Why would he help me? Why would he fight another biker?
“Didn’t you hear, Big Guy? Everything in this town concerns us. We keep the peace while you corrupt the streets,” another voice interjected. I briefly glanced up and quickly reburied my head when I saw a guy in a leather coat aiming a gun above me.
“Does Beretta know you’re out here beating up a defenseless kid, Glock?” It sounded like the Zodiac guy again, but there were so many voices that I was too afraid to move to check and see.
“I’m here under his orders. You mess with the Artillery; you pay the price.”
“And what exactly did this kid do?”
“None of your fucking business, Star Boy. Why don’t you and your son get the fuck out of here before we send you up to those heavens you like to worship so much?”
Star Boy? Why are they speaking to each other like their enemies? Weren’t these the same bikers who threw the rally?. I know the girl told me they were peaceful, but I’ve seen firsthand what bikers are capable of, and I don’t trust any of them.
“I may be a pacifist, Glock, but I play with guns too.”
There was a long pause. What was happening? Why was I so afraid to move? This was my chance to get out of harm’s way, but I just stayed on the ground, balled up in a fetal position, pretending to be dead.
“Is one kid really worth all this bloodshed? Why don’t you fuckers get the hell out of here? I doubt you want to get the Sheriff’s office involved, seeing as your boy Carbine is still a wanted man, and someone from your club shot the Sheriff at our rally. I’d hate for more members of your club to get on their radar all because we decided to step in and save this poor boy’s life. Look, he’s already a bloody mess and barely breathing. You’ve done your job.”
Wait. Someone shot the Sheriff? Fuck! That meant while I was stealing the bike, Beretta was doing more than making mischief. He was committing murder. Would he try to pin that on me too? Damn it, I’m fucking screwed.
“You don’t have shit on us, Zodiac, so stop trying to pretend like you do.”
“Yeah, except there are witnesses to what happened that day, and they’re willing to talk if need be.”
“You’re bluffing,” a deep voice growled.
“Try me. Who are they gonna believe? Your club with a bad reputation, or mine that likes to stay squeaky clean.”
“You know what? Fuck it. Take the damn rat. You can’t protect him all the time, Zodiac. Just be careful who you threaten. I’d hate to see your pansy ass club going up in a fireball all because you took on the big dogs, or something to happen to that pretty little thing you got hiding over there.”
“Yeah, well, my club is still here, Glock, and you can tell Beretta that he knows exactly where to find me if he wants to talk.”
“I’ll pass along the message. And you can pass this message along for me.” Instant pain ricocheted through my body as a heavy boot connected with my head, followed by a kick to my back and kidneys again. Groaning in pain, I clutched my stomach, trying to will the vomit away. I was seeing spots and hearing a buzzing noise in my ears. Everything hurt, but I was in so much pain that I was starting to go numb. “Don’t fuck with the Artillery, or you’ll end up like him,” the deep voice growled. I heard him wind up, then felt his saliva coat the side of my face as the shuffle of heavy boots began to walk away.
Two strong hands gripped my shoulders, but the second they moved me, I cried out, barely able to stand. When I realized I was still surrounded, I dropped to the ground, crawling away from them until my back hit the cold concrete of the building behind me
“Please don’t kill me,” I pleaded, barely able to see past the gun in the older biker’s hand. I wiped at my cheek, trying to get the offending phlegm from off my face.
The other biker laughed as both of them put their guns away.
“Easy, son, we’re not here to hurt you. We don’t kill people. That’s not what our club is about,” the man named Zodiac quietly said.
They don’t kill people? Don’t all bikers kill people?
I rubbed at my throbbing head, feeling the ginormous goose egg starting to form. My mouth dropped into a scowl as my gaze sliced through him. Violent memories flooded me of the past seven days, and all I had been through, and what was happening to Joey. There was no way I was going to trust these assholes. No way. “You’re a biker. All you guys do is hurt people.” A coppery taste covered my tongue as I spat at the ground, seeing my blood coat the cement. I never took my eyes off them, too afraid that if I turned my back, they’d put a bullet in the back of my head.
“Not all clubs are like the Hell’s Artillery,” the other biker said.
“Why were they after you?” Zodiac questioned.
If they were trying to get information out of me, it wasn’t going to happen. I’d already gotten the shit kicked out of me too many times to count, and I wasn’t about to push my luck by being a snitch.
My glare softened when a beautiful older brunette stepped around Zodiac and began to walk toward me. Zodiac halted her mid step, obviously protecting her. “Look, we aren’t going to hurt you. Do you want us to take you to the hospital to get checked out?” she asked, keeping her voice low and non-threatening.
