Page 44 of Powerless
“Renold Tash. He’s holding power just south of here in the old New Mexico territory, which he’s going to rename New Ireland, apparently. The territory has no governor as of yet. He’s expected to take the seat himself or appoint someone.”
“Gunner,” Jerry shook his head with a grave expression. “I can’t help you. Tash and I are in the middle of a ceasefire.”
“So?” I retorted. “Break it.”
“I can’t.”
“What, you don’t like going back on your word when the other guys are pointing guns at you?” I mocked.
“Gunner, I have to be smart about this—”
“Oh, I understand. You only lie to those who are completely defenseless, got it.”
“Gunner!” He coughed out my name with a thick cloud of cigar smoke. “If I play my cards right, there’s a chance he’ll sell me part of the New Mexico territory. My province could expand by twenty percent in one move and with no casualties. Think of all the goods I can trade with you then!”
I gave him a long hard look of bewilderment.
“Did you not hear a word I said? Everything was going fine, then he tried to have us executed! You don’t think he’ll do the same to you?”
“You’ve never been a general, so let me explain something to you, son,” Jerry leaned across his desk. “We like hiring MCs because our hands stay clean while you all do the dirty work. And y’all are a dime a dozen, I’m afraid. When we no longer need your services, you’re disposable.”
“Not the Steel Demons,” I hissed. “No other MC can touch us. Treat us like we’re disposable and we’ll return the gesture right back.”
“Even so,” Jerry tented his fingers. “General Tash and I have a mutual respect for each other. We both served our country, back when this place stillwasa country. And now we’ve carved out our own little empires. I’ll always have a soft spot for you because you’re my brother’s kid, but I can’t say I have the same respect for those thugs you ride with.”
I threw my head back and laughed. Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. My stomach ached but the laughter kept coming. I sucked in enough of a breath to say, “Should’ve thought of that before you begged us to protect you. Oh God…”
When my laughter finally ceased, I drained the rest of the bourbon, stood up, and ashed my cigar right on Jerry’s desk.
“What are you doing?!” he demanded, gasping as the charred, circular mark permanently embedded into the expensive wood.
“Remember this, Uncle.” I pointed at him with the cigar. “You and Tash may not ride, and you may not wear patches, but you’re bigger thugs than we’ll ever be.”
I tossed the rest of the cigar carelessly and let it roll across his desk, but didn’t wait to see where it ended up. I was already out the door.
Seventeen
MARIPOSA
"Weapons out!"
"Tighten up, come in close!"
"Shoot their tires!"
Pure chaos surrounded me. The Steel Demons yelled back and forth, repositioned their bikes, ran to others' bikes to grab guns and ammo. And I just sat frozen and watched.
Reaper brought two fingers to his mouth and blew a long whistle.
"We're outnumbered, so do not group up like sitting ducks, Demons," he roared. "Ride your fucking bikes like you just came out of Hell! Make 'em chase you! No one fucks with us and our home!" He raised a pistol in the air, which I realized was a flare gun. "Let's spill some blood tonight!"
His men answered him with a roar of engines and clouds of dust. They peeled off the road one by one, heading off in different directions, but all going toward the enemy about to close in on us.
Reaper fired the flare into the sky before tossing the gun and brandishing one of the biggest handheld assault rifles I'd ever seen.
"Mari, come here." Jandro barked out the Reaper-esque command. "Sit in front and face me."
Only when I tried to move did I realize I was shaking like a leaf, so he grabbed and physically moved me to sit in front of him. I sat between his arms and the handlebars, straddling his thighs and looking directly at his rare, stern expression.
