Chapter 11

11

GENESIS

I finish up a job for a regular client and sign off on it before heading downstairs. I spot Blade in the corner with Crane, Circus, Hannibal, and Probe and walk over to them, nodding at Legs as she walks by with a smile.

"You done?" Blade asks, flagging down Hoops. "Get me a coffee."

"You got it, Prez." He nods before heading off.

"Just finished," I tell him. "Came down to let you know I got an email from the director. He's invited anyone who wants to, to come check out the set. Said as long as we don't get in the way, we are welcome to come down and watch. I think he wants to pick our brains about possible locations he can use, but I'm going to check it out. If we're going to have these people on site, I want to get a feel for them—know what to expect and who to watch for."

"Really? Fuck yeah, count me in," Circus says loudly.

Hannibal nods. "I'll ride out with you. I'm not working until tonight, so I've got time."

Blade looks around as the others nod. "Sunshine and Alex are with Inigo and Conan at Carnage. I wouldn't mind taking a look. Might as well see what it's all about."

"Alright, I'm leaving in a minute. So if you're coming, I'll meet you at the bikes."

They all take off except for Blade. "Any luck finding any info on Amity?"

"None. But the way I see it is, if you're right, and she wants info on the club, she'll find a reason to come back."

Blade watches me for a moment. I wait for him to say something, but he just sighs and lets it go. "I need to talk to you about something else before I bring it up at church," he says as we head toward the door.

"Hoops, forget the coffee," he yells as we leave.

"What's going on?"

"I know you didn't want to be VP, but given everything right now, I need you to step up."

I sigh but don't fight it. "I can handle being VP. I might not have been ready five years ago, but things are different now. With both you and Conan stepping down, the club needs someone they trust to step up."

"More than you even realize." He rubs his hand over his face, looking tired. "Havoc's getting out in a month."

I turn my head to look at him and frown.

Havoc's from the Ohio chapter of Raven Souls. He's currently serving time upstate for assault and battery. The thing is, he didn't do it. He took the fall for his brother Driller, the current VP of the Ohio chapter, who was already on his second strike.

I don't know the details, but the rumor is that the chapter president ordered him to take the fall himself.

"Okay."

"Never sat right with me what went down, but we were knee-deep in our own shit. And by the time I got wind of it, he'd already copped a plea."

"It was a shitty move on Khan's part if the rumors are true."

"Knowing him, they are. Still, nobody's talking, and the truth is, Havoc could've said no."

"Could he? Going against a direct order from your president is enough to get you kicked out of most clubs, at the very least."

"It doesn't matter now. He's done his time, and he's getting out. That's where we come in."

"Where we come in?"

"He took the fall because he loves the club. Love him or hate him, Havoc is loyal to the bone. It's a shame the same can't be said about the people around him."

"Something going on at the Ohio chapter?"

"There have been rumblings. I've got brothers from other chapters looking into it. After all that shit with Bear, I'm more than happy to clean house, but I won't do it until I've got all the facts."

"How does Havoc play into this?"

"He doesn't. Shit has changed since he's been inside, and he doesn't even know it. As far as I know, only one brother ever visited him, and he was sworn to secrecy. Apparently, they didn't want him losing his shit inside and end up with more time added to his sentence."

"Only one brother visited him? And sworn to secrecy about what?"

Blade scowls. "Yeah. About the fact that his blood brother—the same one he's doing time for—has been fucking Havoc's old lady the whole time he's been inside. She's six months pregnant with Driller's kid."

"You've got to be shitting me. How the fuck can they call themselves brothers? And I'm not just talking about Havoc and Driller—I mean his club brothers. How the fuck did they let that stand?"

"That's a conversation I plan on having with Khan myself."

"Havoc couldn't tell she was pregnant?"

"She hasn't been to see him. Don't know why or if he asked her not to, but I'm worried he'll burn the fucking place to the ground when he gets out and sees just how much the club's betrayed him. Hell, Driller's living in Havoc's house with her."

"If you're heading out there to talk to Khan, take me with you. I'd be more than happy to show Driller my brass knuckles up close and personal."

He smirks at that as we walk into the warehouse and over to our bikes. "I think Havoc should be the one to deal with him. But for obvious reasons, he won't want to stay there. And that's where we come in."

"You think he'll want to come here instead?"

"I want to give him a reason to."

And it all becomes clear. "You want him to take your place."

"You would've been my first choice, but I know it's not a position you ever wanted."

I want to deny it, but the truth is, it's not me. I think about his choice. "You think he'd be up for it?"

"Yeah. He's got one hell of an incentive, but it's more than that. Havoc is a Raven Soul through and through. It's in his blood. I always thought he was born to lead. He should've been a shoo-in for VP, but once he was locked up, that wasn't an option. And how convenient that his brother was there to slip into his role."

"And his old lady," I grumble, pissed off on the man's behalf. "I respect the guy. He's a little intense, but that's not a bad thing. He'll need it if he wants to be the mother chapter president. He's gonna piss a few people off, though, both here and in the other chapters. There'll be some who'll think they'd be a better choice."

"And if I thought they were, I'd choose them. But I don't. That's why I'm running this by you first. As his VP, I know you'll have his back like you've always had mine. I get you're pissed at me for stepping down, but he's gonna need your loyalty more than anyone else's."

"That's a given. You know me, Blade. You don't need to say shit like that. I was born a Raven, and I'll die a Raven. If you'd've pushed for me to become president, I'd've done it for the sake of the club."

"I know, and you'd have hated it. You're too good at what you do to pull you from the security side of things. I think you and Havoc could make a hell of a team. This club needs younger leaders. I like to think I'm leaving behind a legacy, but it's time to think of the future and what this club will look like in ten years."

"If he's interested, I'll stand behind him. I don't know how the other brothers will vote, but from what I remember, most of the guys respect him. I don't think there'll be any major opposition, even if there's some grumbling about it."

"Here's hoping." He shuts up when the door opens, and the others come in, laughing and joking.

"Took you assholes long enough. What, you stop for a fucking blow job on the way?" I joke, shifting the attention from us to them.

"Well, I needed something to tide me over," Probe replies, and Blade just shakes his head and laughs.

As the current road captain, Circus takes the lead, and we follow him out. We wait for Dice to open the gates, then pull out and head to the Hambleton Ranch, where the movie's being filmed today.

The Hambleton Ranch has been passed down through the generations to the current owners, Chris and Stacey. They're in their late fifties now, with two kids in college, and they're on friendly terms with the club, like most folks around here. Given how much the studio offered to use their land, I can't say I blame them for letting them.

It takes fifteen minutes to get there, and when we do, we park our bikes near the main house, away from the other cars and trucks parked here today.

Blade whistles. "That's a hell of a lot of fucking vehicles. Just how many people are working on this movie?"

"A lot," I tell him as I look around.

"I don't even know what the movie's about or who's in it," Crane says, getting off his bike.

"It's a modern take on a classic Western, whatever the fuck that means. And I can't remember the names of who's in it. None of the names sounded familiar to me."

The door to the house opens, and Stacey steps out with a dish towel thrown over her shoulder. "Hello, boys, what brings you to our neck of the woods?"

"Got an invite from the director. Said we could come by and check things out. They're gonna be filming at Ravens' Nest soon, so it gives us a chance to get a feel for them."

"Oh, well, come on in then. I just made a pot of coffee if anyone wants some."

"I'll take you up on that," Blade says, smiling as she heads back inside.

"Me too," Probe calls out. The rest of us keep quiet.

"You can go on through and out the back. They're in the far pasture. You can't miss them."

"Go on ahead. We'll meet you out there." Blade leans against the kitchen counter as Stacey grabs a couple mugs.

"Alright," I tell him, and the rest of us head out the back doors and across the porch.

I see them in the distance, so we head that way.

"There's the director," Hannibal points out, and I roll my eyes.

"What gave it away? The chair that says ‘director'?"

"Smart ass," he grumbles as the sound of a horse neighing catches my attention.

A woman stands beside the horse, her back to us, before she mounts it with ease as we move in closer.

When the director yells for quiet on set, we all stand still and watch, waiting to see what happens.

Blade and Probe join us a few minutes later, coffee in their hands, and quietly talk with the others as they take everything in, but I can't take my eyes off the woman on the horse.

"And action!" the director yells. What happens in the next few minutes is insane. The woman rides the horse at full speed, stands up on its back, and jumps to catch a tree branch, swinging there for a moment before the director yells, "Cut!"

"Holy shit. I thought she was gonna fall on her ass when she jumped," Circus says in awe as he steps up beside me.

The director turns at the sound of Circus's voice, his eyes going comically wide when he sees a wall of bikers behind him.

"Raven Souls MC, right? I wasn't sure you'd come." He stands up and walks over to us, shaking my hand first and then offering his hand to Blade.

"Well, you did invite us, and I'll admit my men and I were curious. It's not every day you get a chance to see how a movie's made," Blade tells him as I watch the dark-haired woman get to her feet and brush herself off.

A guy wearing a headset walks over to her, and they talk for a minute before looking our way. She's too far away to make out what she looks like, but there's something familiar about her.

"Who's the actress?" I ask.

"Monica Miller. You might know her from a string of romantic comedies she did before this."

I repeat the name, but it's not ringing any bells. At least, not to me.

Circus whistles. "She's hot as fuck."

The director flushes. "Yes, well, the audience seems to love her. Excuse me for a minute."

He heads over to the woman I assume is Monica Miller and talks to her, his arms gesturing wildly as he speaks. Whatever he says makes her laugh before she nods. Then, like it's choreographed, everyone returns to their original places, and they shoot the scene again.

Watching it a second time doesn't make it any less intense. It also makes me wonder if she rides a man as well as she rides a horse.

My brain flashes to an image of Amity, making me curse. I'm not interested in fucking another woman when I already have one in mind. I know a lot of guys don't feel that way, including a few brothers. They have a home life and a club life and keep the two separate. I don't agree with it, but it's been that way since long before I started wearing a cut.

Sure, the club could mandate it, but is that even possible? If a man is going to cheat, he's going to cheat. It just means he wouldn't be doing it at the clubhouse—he'd be doing it somewhere else. Fucking women with club ink, even the bunnies, is okay because they know better than to talk about Raven's business. But civilians don't understand our way of life. If a brother shares more than his cock with a woman, it could be a death sentence for them both if Raven's secrets get out.

"And cut! That was perfect."

Monica drops to her feet and gives the director a thumbs up before heading our way. She pauses for a moment, taking us in. She might be too far away for us to see well, but our cuts stand out clearly.

A woman walks past us, heading straight for the director, ignoring us completely. Her dark hair's pulled over her shoulder in a ponytail, and I check her out, knowing my brothers are doing the same. She's wearing tight blue Wranglers, a plaid shirt, and brown cowboy boots. Though the skin-tight outfit covers everything, it leaves nothing to the imagination.

"Is she done yet? I've been waiting forever."

The director turns his head at the sound of the woman's voice, a muscle in his jaw twitching is the only show of his annoyance.

The woman's pretty, I'll give her that, but as soon as she opened her mouth, I knew it was only skin deep. An hour in her presence would probably make me want to claw my ears off or shoot her.

"We've only done two takes, Monica. We're extremely lucky that the stunt team is as talented as they are because I'd planned to do more," he reprimands her, but it goes right over her head.

"Wait, if that's Monica Miller, who's the woman on the horse?" I ask Crane.

Monica turns when she hears me, her eyes devouring us all like we're candy before noticing our cuts and grimacing.

"I'm Monica Miller. I'm sure you recognize me."

"Not really," Blade drawls as I shake my head.

"No. And I wasn't asking who you were. I was asking about her." I point to the woman who's stopped to talk to someone before she nods and starts walking our way again.

"Oh, no."

I turn at the sound of a gasp and frown when I see a vaguely familiar-looking woman standing in front of me with a bottle of Gatorade in her hand. "You." She glares at me, her voice sharp and accusatory.

"You know this chick?" Hannibal asks.

"Tinkerbell," I answer as it comes to me.

"Why are you guys here? Haven't you caused enough trouble?"

"Trouble? Lady, I don't know what you're talking about. Caused trouble for who?"

"Me."

I whirl around at the sound of the voice and find Amity standing there, wearing the exact same outfit as Monica and holding a dark wig. Holy fuck. If I thought Monica looked good, she had nothing on Amity.

"You're the stuntwoman?" I ask in shock.

"And now it all makes sense," Blade mutters.