Page 128 of Paladin's Hell

“Me,” Shooter agrees. “I particularly admired the parts you stole from the Satan’s Devils.”

Drayton’s eyes widen. “I didn’t. I never. I bought them. I said… They were from Boulder.”

“Prove it,” Shooter snaps. He sounds so much like Drummer I almost laugh.

“I don’t keep receipts.” Drayton puffs himself up as though proud he’s thought of the answer. “No point.”

“Dray? Who is it?” His wife’s face appears around the door. “Oh my God. Who are these people?”

Hellfire clearly wants to move this along. He steps down from his bike and goes to stand beside Shooter. “We’re here for the bike,” he informs man and wife. “We’re taking it in payment for the stolen parts.”

“Hey, man. Those parts were only a couple of hundred dollars.” Drayton’s quickly changed his tune, seems to realise there’s no point in denying it anymore. “Here, let me pay you…” He starts getting his wallet out.

“You can’t take his bike. That’s his everything,” Sylvie protests in a screech. “He’s been working on it for years. Restored it.”

“You know who we are?” Hell asks lazily. “You any fuckin’ idea of what it means to cross the Satan’s Devils?”

The way I can see Drayton gulping from here shows he certainly does. His hands now held up in submission.

“Bike keys. Or,” Hell looks optimistic, “you could come with us. Yeah. You or the bike. Or your wife…”

“No!” Sylvie squeals. “Give him your bike, Dray.”

“Taser…”

“Taser’s gone.” Hell replies ominously.

“Where?”

A shrug from the prez. “Out of state. He won’t be showing his face around here again.”

No, he certainly won’t. Not that there was much left of it after I’d shot him.

At Hellfire’s signal, we all start to dismount. Drayton’s gone white. Sylvie grabs hold of his arm. “Shall I call the cops?”

“Wouldn’t do that,” Hell drawls. “Got proof your husband’s a thief, ma’am.”

I start to wonder how many other parts from the club auto-shop had found their way onto Drayton’s bike over the years, as he looks panicked. “Taser said it would be fine.”

“Taser lied.”

We all stiffen when Dray puts his hand into his back pocket, then relax as it comes out holding keys. Hellfire goes to take them, Drayton snatches them back. “Please, man. That’s my life’s work you’re taking.”

Hellfire leans in, I can’t hear what he’s saying, but as even more blood drains from Taser’s cousin’s face, I take it it’s to the effect it’s his bike or him.

When he finally gets the keys, it’s Shooter who opens the garage door, and starts to wheel the bike out. The shining metal catches the morning sun and sparkles. Cad punches my arm and chuckles. My eyes are still on Drayton. He looks like his life’s been destroyed.

“Be careful,” he calls out, covering his face as Mace and Pyro step forward to help Dan load it onto the crash truck.

Once secured, we don’t hang around. Shooter and Hellfire return to their bikes, Mace and Pyro quickly after. Then the loud exhausts echo off the buildings as we peel off in formation back to the clubhouse.

“Look at this shit.” Demon eyes the monstrosity when Drayton’s bike is unloaded. “Who’d want to ride something as pimped out as this?”

“Not someone who wants to stay under the radar, that’s for sure,” Pyro answers, walking around it.

“You see his face, man? Think he’d have preferred us to take his wife.”

Yeah. That’s what I’d thought. Part of me thinks he got away lightly, but knowing how attached a man can get to his ride, I think he got a just punishment. Taser had been the ringleader after all, and it would have been too risky offing his cousin as well.

“That hurt him, Brother.” Shooter pats me on his back. “Glad I was there to see his face.”

I turn away from the bike, putting my arm around my old friend’s shoulders. “You heading back to Tucson?”

“Yeah. Don’t think you need me now. But stay in touch, you here?”

It’s little enough, but sufficient. We hug briefly, then exchange chin lifts. Then I wave my hand in farewell as Shooter hits the road.

As I watch until his taillight disappears in the distance, it dawns on me, while I’m sad to see him go, I don’t wish I was going with him. Here I’ve got everything I want. I’ve got Jayden and our future.

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