Page 109 of Paladin's Hell

“You stay here. I’m going to ask a few questions.”

“What? Like are those stolen parts on your bike?” he hisses.

“Come on, you know me better than that.” I think my plan will work. Nothing bikers like more than discussing their ride with a fellow biker.

“Let me come with you,” Shooter insists.

“Nah. Best just one of us go. Less threatening.”

“Well, let me go instead. Come on, Paladin, you’ve got a fuckin’ brain, use it. If you’re right, there’s a chance he might have seen you in Pueblo. Me, he won’t know at all.”

I don’t take more than a second to realise he’s right. Having got this close, I can’t afford to blow it now. As he slips his own cut off, I put mine back on. “Be careful,” I warn him.

“Always am.” He waves away my concern with a grin.

As I stay put, he runs back to where we’ve left the bikes. In no time at all, from my vantage spot I watch as he rides down the road, braking and slowing when he passes the gleaming Dyna Super Glide, which indeed does sparkle in the sun, still parked on the driveway. He makes a U-turn, then comes back, stopping at the curb.

“Nice ride,” he calls out. His voice dripping with admiration. “Mind if I take a look?”

Drayton stands from where he’s been crouching. “Sure.” I can see his smile from here. “She’s a beaut, ain’t she?”

“She is that,” agrees Shooter. “Wow. I like those brass parts. Bet they take some cleaning to keep them lookin’ like that.”

“I expect so. They’re brand new.”

Shooter laughs. “Fuel Hole,” he points at the filler cap.

“Matching oil cap too,” Drayton helpfully tells him. “Oil Hole, see?”

As Shooter bends over, I know he’ll be cataloguing the rest of the missing parts. “Where’d you get them, man? Could do with some new shit myself. Got my bike recently and looking forward to makin’ it mine.”

Inwardly I chuckle. Shooter’s had that bike years, prides himself on keeping it as it came out of the factory looks wise, performance, now that’s another matter. He prefers having a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

It might be my imagination, but Drayton looks shifty. “Went to the Harley store in Boulder.”

“Special order?”

“Well, I’ve got places to be, I’m afraid. You’ll have to excuse me now. Need to put this baby away.” Drayton pats the saddle as if it were alive, then starts to wheel the bike into the garage. Shooter takes his cue to leave.

“Thanks man.”

“No worries.” Drayton waves his hand over his shoulder.

I’m back at my bike by the time Shooter’s returned. He’s got a satisfied grin on his face. “Think that’s everything we need.”

“Sure is. I got a few pics as well.” I suppose it might not stand up in court, all we’ve got are identical parts to those that were stolen suddenly turning up on his cousin’s bike. Enough evidence, though, for Prez to start asking questions I would think.

“He got a bit shifty when I started to probe where he got them from.”

“Noticed that.” I pass Shooter his cut.

He slides it on its rightful place on his shoulders. “Ready to get back?”

“Yup.”

As we start our engines, I breathe a sigh of relief that this part of the puzzle has been solved. Now I just need to decide how, and who to deliver the evidence too.

It’s taken an hour to get here, the same amount of time to get back. But now I’m riding with more urgency. There’s a man in the club I haven’t found myself able to trust, and now I’ve got proof I was right all along. I want to get back, somehow, without giving too much away, I need to warn Jayden.

Have I got enough to take to Prez or Demon? Who should I talk to first? Should I run it past Mace, or Thunder? I’m still new to the club, I’m unsure who would be the best person to approach. As I ride, my thoughts are racing. My anger at anyone in this Satan’s Devils Chapter being involved seeps through me. What do they hope to gain? What plans have they got? Have they done enough, or is there still more yet to come on their agenda?

I don’t notice my hand twisting the throttle as my rage grows, forgetting this road is unfamiliar. Fuck, the bend’s tighter than I thought. My rear wheel starts to slide out from underneath me, I try to throw my weight over, but I’m too late, I can’t right my bike. Continuing to fight the inevitable crash that seems to be approaching in slow motion, my time with Jayden flashes through my head, my hopes for our future…

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