Gypsy Read online

  Inez nodded and grabbed her jeans off the floor. As she pulled them on, she realized it would be good to see Shay again. She went to the bathroom and glanced into the mirror. Grimacing at her own reflection, she cleaned up the best she could.

  Her hair looked wild and tangled, so she tried to brush it the best she could. She finally ended up putting it into a braid. When she came back out Gypsy was waiting for her. She flushed as he motioned for her to join him. He grasped her hand and led the way to the main room.

  Everyone was there already by the time they arrived, well everyone but Shay.

  She followed Gypsy over to the breakfast table and made a plate. For the first time in a long time she actually felt hungry. She began eating and watched the group around her. They all seemed to be good men.

  She noticed the President, Gunner was sitting with his VP Boone and a man they called Cobra. They seemed to be in the middle of a very heated discussion. She wondered what was going on then she noticed another man had rushed over to them and whispered something in Gunner’s ear.

  “We got visitors in town and I don’t think it's going to be good,” Rigger told Gunner.

  “Who are they?” Gunner asked with a growl in his voice.

  “I’m not sure but one of them is wearing colors of the Hade’s Demons.”

  Gunner snapped his eyes over to Cobra.

  The other man was watching them carefully.

  “Do you know anything about the Hade’s Demons MC?” Gunner asked.

  Cobra scowled. “Yeah, I know them.”

  “What the hell are they doing in our city?” Gunner wanted to know.

  Cobra frowned. “Damned if I know but I’m gonna find out. They shouldn’t be this far east. They come from around Odessa.”

  “Well, find out then, we really don’t need any more trouble around here. I think we got enough,” Gunner told him.

  Cobra got up and nodded. “I’ll take Jett with me.”

  “Take Gypsy along too. It won’t hurt to have another pair of eyes on the target.”

  Cobra nodded. He looked over at his man, Jett and motioned toward the door, he caught Gypsy’s eyes and did the same.

  Gypsy wiped his mouth and looked over at Inez. “Stay here, Shay should be here soon. I’ve got to go but I’ll be back. I promise.”

  Inez looked a little panicked, then she nodded slowly. She let out a shaky breath.

  Before he left, Cobra looked over at Rigger and asked, “Where did you spot them?”

  Rigger replied, “At Blacky’s warehouse by the river. They seem to be watching the place, so there could be someone else inside. We haven’t seen anyone from inside but they wouldn’t be watching the place otherwise.”

  Cobra nodded. “We’ll check it out.”

  “Be careful out there,” Boone told the men. “If they’re watching someone in the warehouse, they might not want to be caught.”

  Cobra nodded then turned to leave. When he joined the other two outside, he noted they had collected their weapons and they were ready for whatever they might find.

  Jett pulled him aside. “We can’t take the bikes, they’ll hear them and know we’re coming.”

  Cobra nodded. “Yeah... We have to take the damned truck then but this better not be something stupid or someone is going to die.”

  Gypsy drove the truck out toward the river. He parked far enough away, so they could go forward on foot. Both he and Jett grabbed their weapons and they took off. They weren’t exactly sure where the Hade’s Demon men were but they knew they must be out there somewhere.

  Keeping to the tree line, they moved forward carefully.

  When the warehouse came into view, Cobra motioned for Gypsy to go up and scout out the area.

  Gypsy hung his rifle across his back and began to climb the tree. When he was high enough to search the area, he grabbed his binoculars and began searching for not only the bikers but whoever was in the warehouse.

  Gypsy spotted the Demon first. He whistled a bird call down at Cobra and motioned to where the man was hiding. Then he looked back at the warehouse. There was no movement for the longest time then he saw a face appear in one of the second story windows. Gypsy frowned as he focused his binoculars on the face. Then he growled. He knew that face.

  Putting his binoculars away, he slid down the tree and landed silently on the ground beside Cobra and Jett. “I saw only one man watching the warehouse and yeah, he’s wearing a Demon’s cut.”

  “Did you see anyone in the warehouse?” Jett wanted to know.

  “Yeah.” Gypsy growled.

  “Did you know him?” Cobra asked.

  “Yeah, I fucking know the bastard,” Gypsy swore. “They call him Odin and he runs the Blood Vikings MC down in San Antonio.”

  Cobra snorted. “He might have at one time but he doesn’t anymore. The cartel all but wiped them out the other day.” He shook his head. “It figures, Odin is here and not lying dead with the rest of his fucking MC. The cowardly bastard probably ran out the back way as the cartel was coming through the front gates.” He sighed. “Let’s go see who the visitor is.”

  “Boss, who are the Hade’s Demons?” Jett wanted to know.

  “They are an Odessa MC, led by a man named Tiberius “Python” Valin. My glorious fucking dear old dad.” Cobra dropped his bombshell then turned and took off in the direction of where Gypsy had seen the Demon.

  Gypsy looked over at Jett in shock. “The fuck?”

  Jett just shook his head and took off after his President.

  Gypsy followed after him.

  When they got close, they paused when Cobra motioned for them to wait as he snuck up on the lone watcher.

  Cobra stepped silently up to the man, watching the warehouse. He’d been taught to walk softly and those were lessons he never forgot. Quietly, he grabbed the blade at his waist and drew it out of the sheath. He got maybe two steps away from the man.

  Then the other man turned and grabbed Cobra.

  Cobra was older and stronger but he still had a good fight on his hands.

  The other man struggled to keep the blade away from his body and in the process, his rich red head of hair was revealed when his beanie went sideways.

  Cobra halted the fight. “What the fuck?” He growled as he jumped back. He then stared at the face of the man he’d pretty much intended to injure until a few seconds ago. “Cottonmouth?”

  Then it was the other man’s turn to freeze. Looking up, he looked into Cobra’s stunned eyes. “Cobra? What the hell are you doing here of all places? I thought your place was down by Hondo?”

  Cobra growled. As he stepped back, he frowned at Cotton. “It is in Hondo. I’m just here visiting. What the fuck are you doing here? Of all the people in the world, I never expected to find you here.”

  Cottonmouth, a.k.a. Micah got to his feet. He studied Cobra intently. Then he held out his hand.

  Cobra stared at it for a moment then reached out and took it. He didn’t shake it however but instead used it to haul the other man in for a hug. “Damned man, it's good to see you kid.”

  Cotton snorted. “Not so much of a kid anymore, old man.”

  Cobra grinned. “Not as old as you think.” He looked over at Jett and Gypsy. He motioned them over. When they joined him, Cobra cocked his head toward Cottonmouth. “Guys, meet my baby brother, Cottonmouth.”

  Jett looked surprised. He hadn’t known Cobra had any family until now. “Your brother, boss?”

  Cobra made a face. “Yeah, he was just a kid when King and I left my dad’s MC to start our own.” He studied the cut Cotton wore and shook his head. “It suits you.” Then he turned and looked at the warehouse. “What the fucking hell is Odin doing here of all places?”

  “Him, Burr and four of his riders took off out the backdoor as the cartel was coming in the front door about six days ago,” Cotton told them.

  Cobra snorted and nodded. “We watched the news coverage of what they did to his men and compound. They must have been really p
issed.” Shaking his head he commented, “I knew that fucker was a coward but he has no loyalty to his own men either. There’s a special place in hell waiting for him.”

  Cotton snorted, as his disgust was there to see on his face. “I guess that’s what happens when you skim millions off the cartel payments and think you can get away with that shit.” He shrugged then told them, “Two of his men left him about four days ago and the other two are dead. Odin fucking shot them himself. I’ve been following them from San Antonio. Best conclusion is that he’s on his way to hook up with another MC in Louisiana.”

  Gypsy narrowed his eyes. “Odin shot his own men? Why the fuck would he do that? Seeing he had none really left?”

  Cotton nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good question. He’s losing it big time. He always was a dickhead before but since he lost his compound, he has definitely gone over the deep end.”

  “So why is he headed to Louisiana?” Jett wanted to know.

  “He wants to hook up with an MC over there and then he was planning to head for New Mexico and take care of a small MC over that way.” Cotton explained. “He’s hoping to boost his numbers.”

  “What the hell does he hope to accomplish from that?” Cobra wanted to know.

  “He’s going after another MC called the Brothers of Chaos. It’s a hell of a long story and I’m not sure of why but he really hates their President. Shit, I think he hates all of them really. All I ever heard were rumors and you know how they are. You never know if they’re true or not. I’m hoping to get the drop on him then drag his ass that way to finally bring that bastard to justice. He’s got a lot of wrongs to answer for.”

  “Such as?” Cobra raised a brow.

  “Well, kidnapping and possibly a few murders to start with,” Cotton explained. “Like I said, all I ever heard were rumors but Odin is as bad as they come.”

  Cobra sneered. “Well then, let's go get the fucking piece of shit and ask him some questions.” He turned to the warehouse and after a moment, he located the entrances and the exits. He’d learned the lessons his dad and others had taught him and he used that to teach his own men. The Soldiers were feared and respected in their town for a reason.

  Gypsy grabbed his phone and brought up a program Rigger had sent him. It was the plans for the warehouse and he tapped Cobra’s arm to show him.

  Cobra mapped out a way in.

  Gypsy pointed out where he’d spotted Odin and the men quickly formed a plan.

  “As much as I’d like for us to just slit their throats and let them rot, we can’t. So try not to hurt them too bad.” Cobra chuckled.

  “Brother,” Cotton interrupted. “I sent Scarlet and my baby girl to the protection of the Brothers of Chaos. Odin and the cartel made it impossible for them to stay in San Antonio. I have to take this crackhead and his killer brother back for justice.”

  Cobra glared at his brother. “What? You mean this piece of shit intends head to that MC?”

  Cotton nodded. “I think so. There’s more to this story than either of us knows and I think we need answers. Something went down between Odin and the Chaos MC some years ago. I don’t normally stick my nose into things that aren’t my business but Scarlet made friends with someone caught in the middle and she was almost beat to death helping the woman. I want someone to pay for that.” He shook his head. “She never told me who or why but nobody hurts my family and gets away with it.”

  “Then let’s go get these fuckers.” Cobra was enraged to hear this shit. “This Odin will be alive when we take him back, he doesn’t have to be happy about it, but he’ll be breathing.” He turned and took the knife from the sheath at his waist again.

  The others took out their weapons and they all began their advance on the warehouse.

  Chapter Eight

  Inez had waited for over an hour before they got back. When she saw Gypsy walk through the door, the stress inside her melted away. She didn’t realize it mattered so much until she saw him again. Shay still wasn’t here and she was worried about that as well.

  She jumped up to rush over to where he was standing and threw herself into his arms.

  Gypsy was stunned as he wrapped his arms around her. Lifting her up, he held her close. This was a new wrinkle and he wasn’t sure if he should like it or not but right now, he was just happy she'd missed him.

  Inez leaned back and looked at him. “I’m glad you made it back okay,” she told him quietly.

  Gunner, Boone and several of the others went out to see what the guys brought back with them.

  When Gunner saw Cotton standing next to Cobra while wearing a Hade's Demons MC cut, he paused then frowned as he stared at the two men. “What the hell is all this?”

  “Gunner, I want you to meet my little brother, Micah.” Cobra turned to face them. “His handle is Cottonmouth as our dad insisted on giving us names after snakes.”

  “And what is your brother doing in our town?” Boone wanted to know.

  “Chasing vermin.” Cobra's smile fell away. He nodded at the back of the truck.

  Gunner and the others walked to the back of the truck and viewed what the men had found.

  Odin and Burr we hogtied and gagged as they could only glare and mumble. Both men looked bruised and battered but they were still breathing.

  “What are you going to do with them?” Gunner asked.

  “Cotton wants to take them to New Mexico to face MC justice.” Cobra squinted at Gunner.

  “Why New Mexico?” Boone asked.

  Cotton looked over at them and narrowed his eyes. “This story goes back many years. Can we talk about this inside and I’ll tell you what I know.”

  “What do you want done with these two?” Boone motioned his head at the men in the truck bed.

  “Do you have some cells?” Cotton asked.

  Boone nodded.

  “I don’t know if I would untie them if I were you though,” Cotton remarked. “Odin doesn’t have much sense when it comes to being beat. And he fights dirty too.”

  Boone turned to order a few of his own men to take both prisoners to the cells.

  Cobra led his brother inside and took a couple of beers Ivy Blue handed him. He grinned at her, then introduced her to Cotton, “Brother, this is Ivy Blue, she belongs to me.”

  Cotton looked a bit stunned, but he nodded then grabbed Ivy Blue and hugged her tight.

  Cobra glared at him.

  Ivy Blue lifted her knee to nail him in the balls.

  She would have hurt him if Cotton hadn’t deflected the blow and released her while laughing. “Now Ivy Blue, that wasn’t nice,” Cotton drawled.

  “Mind your manners then, buster.” She growled. Walking over to Cobra, she let him wrap his arms around her and from the safety of his hold, she stated, “You heard the man, I belong to him, not you. I don’t care if you are his brother.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Cotton chuckled and lifted his beer in a salute to his brother. “I can plainly see she is the woman for you.”

  Cobra smiled and shook his head.

  Gunner, Boone and some of the others sat down at a table behind them.

  Ivy Blue moved from Cobra's embrace then Cobra turned to sit himself down.

  Cotton pulled up a chair and sat down beside him. He looked at the group. “From what I’ve been able to understand, this story goes back twenty years or so. Odin, of the Vikings MC grabbed a woman off the street and took her to his compound under protest. Thunder, the president of Brothers of Chaos MC watched him do it and went after her. He didn’t know her but he didn’t like what Odin had done either. He challenged Odin for the woman and Odin fought him but like I said before, Odin fights dirty and so he cheated.” Cotton shrugged. “Odin still lost and Thunder rode away with the woman. Apparently, Thunder was heading home that day after a run when he saw this go down. Someone filled me in just yesterday, as to why he took this particular woman in the first place. She was one of two that knew where a missing shipment of nuclear rods were and Odin was hoping to get h
is grubby hands on them, so he could make a sale to whoever had the most money. He’d heard through the grapevine about one particular group that had been looking for those rods for a few years back then. But he never found the rods.”

  The men raised their brows at this part.

  Cobra nodded at him to go on

  Cotton took a sip of his beer and continued, “In the meantime, Odin’s group got hooked up with the cartel and he began running cartel drugs and guns. He couldn’t find the woman until twelve years later when someone called him and told him exactly where the woman was staying. He sent his brother to get her and bring her back to him. Burr found her but she had a nine year old kid with her. Well, he shot the guard, killing him there in the street then threw the woman and the kid in his car and got away.” He shook his head. “On his way back home, he stopped and left the kid in the desert with a fucking rope wrapped around her throat. Thunder's woman somehow got her hands on a gun, took out the driver, and got away. Odin has been hunting her down since that time... well, I should say, it's been a race between Odin, the cartel and the group who stole the rods in the first place.”

  The men all sipped at their beers as some shook their heads.

  Gunner spoke up, “So this is what caused the bad blood between The Vikings and the Brothers of Chaos. I’d heard about it. Hell, many MCs have. We all hear rumors about it mostly, the hate they have for each other.”

  Cotton nodded as he leaned back in his seat and looked around the room. “Thunder’s daughter finally made her way home again, though she's an adult now. She survived, amazingly. Thunder’s been looking for his woman. But he knows she won’t feel safe until he takes care of Odin and his group. The cartel took care of the MC but Odin was still out there. From what we know, the Brothers of Chaos are trying to make it safe for Thunder's woman to come home again. I followed Odin and Burr and now, we got them.”

  “I can take them off her hands,” a voice called out quietly from just inside the doorway.

  Everyone turned to the doorway.

  Pappy and Dewey smiled as they recognized the man.