Chapter Twenty Five

Maverick walked out of Whale's Tale holding three coffees. Dio stepped up on the sidewalk and relieved him of one of the cups. It was the last day of the search for Los Li. He was starting to think they high tailed it out of the area the day he'd spotted them staking out the pot shop because no one from Havlin had seen any sign of them.

In fact, they'd only seen one black Escalade throughout the entire week, and it ended up being a doctor from Portland traveling to the coast to spend a few days with his family.

The liquid scalded the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed. He needed something to keep him awake. They'd put all their energy into the search, only grabbing a few hours of sleep when their asses got tired of sitting on the bikes.

Brooke peeked her head out of the front door. "Babe?"

Maverick stepped away and went to his old lady. Dio held the cup to his mouth, letting the steam warm his face in the chill of the early morning.

Coastal fog hung thick in the air, dampening everything it touched. He looked up at the sky. It was going to be a hell of a day once the rain started.

"I want to find them more than anyone, but I can't imagine anyone would want to be out today." Ruger held up his arm, showing the dampness pooling into drops on his leather. "It's supposed to be fucking summer."

"Probably a quick storm rolling through." He gazed up at a flock of noisy seagulls agreeing with him. "Even the birds are stirred up."

"Garbage eaters," mumbled Ruger.

He drank from the cup. "How's Rachel doing with you riding this past week?"

"She's not saying much. She's tough." Ruger grunted. "Every time I promise her that it's safe, Los Li pops up to remind her of what she'd lived through."

"Damn." Dio inhaled deeply.

The sight of Rachel tied to Ruger's back when he returned with her was something he wouldn't forget. Bloody, bruised, and scared to death, Rachel clung to Ruger, knowing her hero saved her.

"Now that Rachel's brother Shady got transferred to that new prison on the east side of the state and won't be out for another twenty or so years, I thought Rachel could live each day without worry. Pisses me off that we're back here again, dealing with Los Li." Ruger lit a cigarette. "It's bullshit."

Los Li had impacted each of them in different ways over the years. His MC brother had to live with the reminder daily.

Maverick rejoined them. "Jagger called a meeting for three o'clock today."

Dio looked at his phone. "That gives us six hours."

"Yep." Maverick drained his coffee and cleared his throat. "Let's ride."

He gulped the last two swallows of coffee and threw the paper cup into the bin outside the coffee shop. At his Harley, he used the sleeve of his leather jacket to wipe the condensation off his seat. It was a miserable day, but having a wet ass would make it even more unbearable.

He led the others onto the main drag past the Havlin Parts Shop and the city pool. While the sides of the street were full of tourists and their cars lined the curb, it would be easy for someone to hide in the crowd.

Their search concentrated on the more populated areas—downtown, pot shops, local attractions, and the casino three miles out of town.

People, no matter their background, had the same basic needs. The members of Los Li who dared trespass into Havlin territory had to eat and sleep.

Three people couldn't be everywhere at once, so they relied on their contacts to notify them if they recognized the Escalade in neighboring towns along the coastline.

Maverick revved his engine, rode beside Dio, and motioned toward the taffy shop. He slowed, studying the sidewalk. A dozen people milled around, but two men stood out from the crowd of beachgoers in black suits and white shirts underneath the awning in front of the laundromat.

Of Mexican descent, they failed to fit in with the others who'd dressed for the weather, throwing sweatshirts and jackets over their t-shirt and shorts.

The weather forgotten, he tapped down the adrenaline rush of finally spotting Los Li. They needed to capture them without drawing the tourists' attention .

He looked at Maverick and motioned ahead.

Maverick fell back in formation. He knew his MC brothers would veer off the main road without looking behind him. One of them would hang back. The other would ride around the block, cutting off any exit.

It was up to him to gain Los Li's attention. Whether they came after him or tried to outrun him, he had every avenue covered. He was finally going to get the fuckers.

He revved the Harley. Those on the sidewalk turned in his direction. A little boy pointed and waved as if Dio was a one-man parade going through town. But he only had eyes for the two men.

There was a nudge between them. A warning. He'd seen it.

The two men turned as one, walking away with their backs toward him. He shifted down, keeping them in sight, not wanting to lose them in the crowd.

A car behind him honked. He held up traffic, crawling the motorcycle. He looked ahead of the men and spotted Maverick getting off his Harley. Everyone was in position.

He had to act fast, crossing the other lane and riding between two parked cars. At the curb, he popped the bike up onto the sidewalk.

A man shielded his woman and child. Dio maneuvered the heavy beast of a bike behind the two Los Li members.

The threat of getting run down by an eight-hundred-pound motorcycle broke through their resolve. The two men sprinted forward .

Dio rode his Harley over the curb at the corner and entered the side street in time to see Maverick punch the biggest Los Li member in the face and take him to the ground. The other one wasted no time, running across the street in front of Dio. He shifted, passing the man and turning in the middle of the street to corral him.

The guy changed directions, running toward Maverick. Knowing they couldn't allow the activities to get on the main street in front of witnesses, Dio toed his kickstand and braked, coming to a skidding stop. He jumped off the Harley and ran to stop the Los Li member from rounding the corner.

Ahead of him, Ruger jogged out of the alley.

"He's coming up on you," Dio shouted.

The man took that moment to look over his shoulder at Dio. At the same time, Ruger shot out of the alley and tackled him. He slowed to a jog, looking past the two men on the ground to the crowd at the corner, gawking at the fight.

He slapped Ruger on the back. "Get him up. We've got company." Moving toward the others, he grabbed the biggest man. "Make one move, amigo, and I'll blow your fucking head off in front of all these nice people."

Maverick exchanged looks with him. They knew what they had to do. Many times, their activities happened in broad daylight with innocent witnesses viewing the crimes. Luckily, their demeaner and dress usually kept people away from them.

Dio threw his arm around the Los Li member and grabbed his belt from the back, pulling him off center. Ruger grabbed the other member, keeping him close.

"Sorry, folks." Maverick held his hands at his sides. "My buddy is getting married tomorrow, and he wanted to have some fun. He's had too much to drink."

A few of the men watching chuckled in understanding and escorted the others away from the scene.

With his back to the crowd, Dio removed his gun tucked under his belt and stabbed the barrel of the pistol into the side of the man. "Tell me where your car is parked."

"No entiendo—"

"Oh, you fucking do understand me." Dio pulled him forward. "You have one more chance to tell me where your car is located."

With the Havlin members only having motorcycles, they'd already planned to use the Los Li car, saving them a trip back to get rid of the vehicle, too.

"Up one block." The man never fought him. "You will regret this."

"I've regretted a lot in my life." He pulled the man off the sidewalk to cross the street. "But this ain't one of them."

It was a job.

Los Li had used, abused, stolen, tortured, and sold more women than they could keep track of. To the Mexican Mafia, women were disposable.

Havlin Motorcycle Club wouldn't let them touch their women. Seaglass Cove would be safe once they feed the men to the sharks .

At the car, he pushed the Los Li member onto the roof of the car. Dio kept his pistol aimed at the man's back.

"Zip tie his wrists." Dio moved out of the way, letting Ruger shackle both men. "We need the keys."

Once they were contained, he slipped his pistol back under his belt and opened the driver's door, pushing the button to unlatch the back of the Escalade. He gazed up and down the side street. The crowd from earlier had dispersed.

Ruger escorted the Los Li members to the back of the vehicle.

Dio looked at Maverick. "I'll drive 'em around for..." He pulled out his phone to check the time. "Let's say, forty minutes to make sure nothing comes at us regarding our fight on the street. I'll meet both of you at the normal spot." He met Ruger's gaze. "This is your game, brother."

Ruger dipped his chin. "Appreciate it."

Dio understood Ruger wanted to be the one to put a bullet in their heads before they were thrown into the ocean. No amount of therapy would help Ruger unsee what happened to Rachel at the hands of Los Li, but retaliating would help him sleep easier.

Maverick slapped the keys into Dio's hand. "Watch your speed. You don't want to draw L.E.'s attention when transporting garbage.

He slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. Maverick stood in the middle of the side street, motioning him away. He made a U-turn and drove down the alley to avoid using Main Street. One of the others would ride his Harley over to the clubhouse before heading toward the secluded rocky spot on the coast that Havlin used to get rid of evidence.

Ahead of him, the backdoor of the laundromat opened and several men walked out. Dio slowed to a stop. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as the three suited men lifted their right arm. Close enough to see the suppressors on the barrel of their pistols, he shifted into reverse, and threw his arm over the passenger seat, looking in the rear window to drive out of the alley.

The windshield shattered.

Searing pain struck his head, and his vision blackened.