Viper's Kiss (21 page)

twenty-six.

“
We
’
ll come in behind you,
”
Miller said.
“
Make it look
…”

“
Let
me talk to him,
”
Blaine
said.
“
Let me do it. Okay?
”

“
Blaine,
”
Gaige said.

“
I
’
m asking. Just let me do this.
”

Miller nodded.
“
Okay. We
’
re outside. Three minutes, Blaine.
”

“
Thank
you, brothers. Keep your eyes open in case company shows.
”

Blaine went to the side door of the
old house. It was a ranch style home, long and narrow. Petey kept the first
floor looking like a normal house would look. Well, besides updating the house
though. It looked like a shrine to thirty years prior and what was popular out
of a catalog. His wife died of a heart attack in her forties and Petey moved
on.

When Petey answered the door, he
looked unkempt. His eyes were bloodshot. His facial hair grown out and messy.
He looked like he had been kidnapped for years and just returned home.

“
You
look like shit,
”
Blaine
said.

“
So
do you in that leather cut.
”

“
Are
you going to invite me in?
”

“
Yeah,
sure.
”

Inside, the two stood there,
nodding. They finally caved and gave each other a hug.

“
You
know, I never got the chance to say I
’
m
sorry to you,
”
Petey said.
“
For what happened.
”

“
Sorry
could never bring them back.
”

“
I
know. That
’
s the worst,
right? All these people fucking telling you these fucking things you don
’
t care about.
”

“
That
was years ago,
”
Blaine
said.
“
I
’
m not here to grieve.
”

“
You
know, I have to be bold and ask, what the fuck are you doing here? I
’
m a cop. You
’
re an outlaw. I have a badge.
You have a leather cut.
”

“
You
told me Vin was dead, Petey. Said he got hit on the street.
”

Petey tensed up. He took a step
back.
“
Yeah, I did. I got,
uh, some bad information.
”

“
Who
told you?
”

“
Friend
of a friend,
”
Petey said.
“
Vin came out and ruffled a lot
of feathers. Old to new. Pushing hard at everyone.
”

“
What
about you? Did he push you?
”

Petey laughed.
“
Look at me. What do I have to
lose?
”

Blaine nodded. On the surface it
looked like Petey had nothing to lose. But he did. He had been pushed around
and forced out of promotions and raises for years. Because he was a loser
drunk. He had been in plenty of trouble after his wife passed and a guy like
Petey was the type who would try and take the world down with him when he went.
Not to mention if Vin was giving him hard cash. Petey could go lose himself one
last time before calling it a life.

“
Good
point,
”
Blaine said.
“
I need to know who told you
that. It
’
s causing me a lot
of heat.
”

“
With
the other outlaws?
”

Blaine grinned.
“
You never understood it, did
you?
”

“
You
want to play cowboys, Blaine, go ahead. Ride motorcycles and drink whiskey.
Whatever. That
’
s your
business now. You used to care about the law.
”

“
I
saw what that law did to good people. Like you. Like my family.
”

Petey went to a cabinet and opened
it.

Blaine readied himself as Petey
reached into the cabinet.

But Petey took out a bottle of
whiskey. He reached again and took out two shot glasses.

“
Old
times,
”
Petey said.
“
Just one, okay?
”

“
Okay,
Petey.
”

Petey poured the shots.
“
Blaine, we had some crazy
nights. Working those streets was like being in a different world. It left you
disconnected from the real world. You know? A playground during the day was for
the kids. I
’
d stand there
and watch kids go down slides, struggle with the monkey bars, everything. Then
at night, it was a different world. This one time
…
I saw a kid drop a toy car, right? He left it there. He forgot about it. Twelve
hours later, someone was shot in the same spot. The bullet casing was an inch
from the toy car. That
’
s
our life.
”

Petey handed Blaine the shot glass.

“
It
was our life,
”
Blaine said.
“
We saw good guys, bad
guys, in between guys. A lot of those guys were us. Right? Good, bad, in
between. Never knowing who the enemy was or why.
”

“
Cheers,
”
Petey said.

They each took their drink.

“
Here,
I
’
ll take that,
”
Petey said.

“
I
’
ll keep it,
”
Blaine said.

Petey was setting up the scene.

Blaine wasn
’
t stupid.

Petey nodded.
“
Okay, Blaine. Your intel is
better than mine. Good for you. Whatever you think you
’
re going to stop, you won
’
t. It
’
s
too deep. It
’
s too far.
”

Blaine stepped toward Petey. He
grabbed the guy
’
s shoulder.
“
But I
’
d rather be dying for what I
believe in, Petey, than die for what I
’
m
told.
”

With that, Petey shut his eyes.

Blaine stepped back, took out a
gun, and pulled the trigger.

***

Blaine had nothing to say. He
appreciated that Miller and Gaige didn
’
t
feel the need to go in and check to make sure Petey was dead. As far as Blaine
was concerned, all old ties were gone now. The facts were simple. Petey, his
old partner, was dead. Vin, the man who murdered Meghan and Janey was out for
blood still. As far as Meghan and Janey went? They were dead. The guilt would
never go away, more for Janey because Blaine just wanted to do good by her. Yet
he should have just let Meghan take Janey and go. How bad would it have been
for Janey? Yeah, some shitty situations and a tough life, but hell, she
’
d have a fucking life.

What about Jessa?

That was present and future.

She was going to be the mother of Blaine
’
s child. Nothing else mattered
but that. Did he love her? Yeah, he loved her. Enough to commit to her? That
was still for the taking. The last person Blaine tried to commit to ended up
with a bullet in her head. He
’
d
rather hurt Jessa by not loving her than find her dead because of his
existence.

If the day couldn
’
t get anymore twisted, the
second Blaine turned to pull into the lot, he saw Chief Ethan and two officers
waiting.

Miller throttled and sped forward.

All the guys were outside waiting
as Ethan leaned against the side of his SUV, arms crossed.

“
Well,
well, well,
”
Ethan said as
Blaine climbed off his motorcycle.
“
How
convenient for the rest of you to show up.
”

“
Why
’
s that?
”
Blaine asked.

“
We
’
ve got dead bodies,
”
Ethan said.
“
One shot between the eyes. One
shot in the chest. Mother. Daughter.
”

The words punched Blaine in the
gut.

Just like Meghan and Janey
…

Vin.

Ethan stared at Blaine.
“
Sound familiar?
”

“
I
was out on a ride,
”
Blaine
said.

“
Where?
”

“
None
of your goddamn business,
”
Blaine said.

“
The
way I see it
…
,
”
Ethan rubbed his chin.
“
I have almost a dozen open
murder cases on my desk. All from the same part in Frelen. Part of me wants to
call in some backup. But then I look weak in my new position.
”

“
I
don
’
t care,
”
Blaine said.

He started to walk and Ethan
grabbed Blaine
’
s arm.
Blaine spun, fist tightened up.

“
That
’
s right,
”
Ethan said.
“
Hit
me. I would love to take you in.
”

Think bigger.

Blaine fought against his urge to
attack.

“
Interesting,
right?
”
Ethan asked.
“
I mean, the other murders were
just drug shit. Deals gone bad. Money. Pussy. Booze. Whatever. I
’
m sure your crew has their hands
covered in that blood. But these two
…
damn, Blaine. It seemed very familiar to me. I
’
ll
say that again for you. One bullet through the head, of the mother. One bullet
through the heart, of the daughter. And she was clutching her favorite stuffed
…”

Blaine felt himself snap. He didn
’
t punch Ethan but he put Ethan
against the SUV.

“
You
fuck,
”
Blaine growled.

“
You
look ready to snap, Blaine,
”
Ethan said.
“
Two murders
that look awfully familiar. And then I got a call about someone else you know.
”

“
Who?
”

“
Your
old partner. He
’
s been
murdered.
”

“
What?
”
Blaine asked.

“
Don
’
t look so surprised, Blaine.
That
’
s out of my
jurisdiction. What are you trying to prove here? You going outlaw on your
outlaw friends?
”

Blaine threw a fist forward and hit
the window of Ethan
’
s SUV.
His fist hit with a thud.

“
Next
one I won
’
t let miss,
”
Blaine said.

“
I
’
m on to you,
”
Ethan said.
“
I
’
m
going to tie you to everything. Then you
’
ll
have to choose. Take the heat yourself or I take down the club.
”

“
Hey,
”
Miller yelled.
“
If you assholes have no warrants
or reasons, get the fuck off my property.
”

“
We
’
re gone,
”
Ethan said.
“
Have
a good day, Blaine. Don
’
t
forget that image I painted for you.
”
Ethan touched his forehead and then his chest.

Blaine made a fist and knew he wasn
’
t going to hold back. He
connected with Ethan
’
s jaw
and sent him to the ground. He brought his foot back, wanting to shatter his
face, but someone grabbed Blaine and pulled him back.

Guns were drawn but Ethan calmed
his officers down.

He climbed to his feet and wiped
blood off his jaw.

“
I
’
ll be in touch, Blaine,
”
Ethan said.

Blaine broke away from the hold
Gaige and Miller had on him.

“
Blaine,
”
Miller said.

“
No,
”
Blaine said.
“
I
’
ve
proved everything I need to with this fucking club right now. You want to make
things right? You want to do this? Then we attack like you said, Miller. We
attacks the guns Vin is trying to buy. That
’
s
the plan. If it puts us in bed with the cartel for a second, oh well. Vin will
take us all down unless we fight back now.
”

“
Sounds
like you have your vote in,
”
Gaige called out.

Blaine lifted his right hand,
throwing the finger.

He made a line right to the
clubhouse, right to the bar.

The first beer was cold and smooth.
The first shot was fire. The second of each were slower and more potent.

Then Jessa appeared. She was with
some of the other women.