Chapter 24

Cody,clad only in his tightie whities, hangs precariously from a chain securely bolted into the ceiling. Viper rigged the setup himself, making sure it could hold the largest of men.

The now ex-whore's arms are holding his full weight as his toes just skim the ground. I lean against the back wall next to Pistol and watch Viper get to work.

This is his work area, his specialty, and he's good at it because the guy enjoys bloodshed. Wouldn't hurt a fly for no reason, but give him someone who betrayed or hurt someone he cares about and he loses it.

Viper steps up to Cody and slaps his cheeks a few times. "Rise and shine, shithead."

Cody"s eyes flutter open, adjusting to the brightness of his surroundings. Panic washes over him as he begins to wiggle, fighting the chains.

"What the fuck!? Let me down. I don't belong here."

Viper tsks. "Cody, didn't you try to get the jump on Kiki? Beat her real bad too, didn't ya? But she got one up on your ass. Kinda sad, man. Gettin' ya' ass beat by a woman."

"Fuck you." He spits on the ground at Viper's feet.

Our enforcer is on him in an instant, using his fist to knock the air from Cody's lungs. "Is that how you treat and talk to the people who homed you? You were a guest in our fuckin' house and you disrespect us like that? Disrespect Kiki like that? Why?"

"It'll be worth it in the end," Cody wheezes.

I look at Pistol, shaking my head and rubbing my temple. "What did you say?"

"I said it'll be worth it. You aren't gonna be the Prez soon and then none of this will matter."

Looking around the shed from Viper to Pistol and then behind me where my other officers sit in chairs, watching the show. "Any of you know what he's talkin' about? Something I'm not aware of?"

Their expressions mimic mine, a combination of furrowed brows and mouths slightly parted.

"Continue," I snap in Viper's direction.

He picks up a mallet and swings it, hitting Cody square in his left kneecap. The crunch is loud and there's no doubt it's shattered. "Who are you workin' with?"

"I ain't telling you shit," Cody hisses.

Another powerful blow, this time targeting the other kneecap. Viper doesn't stop there. As the mallet collides with Cody"s ribs, his agonized cries fill the air.

"Fuck. Fuck. I was told to take Kiki out. Don't know why, but I got paid ahead of time in cash and a good time."

"Who?" Viper sets the mallet down.

"I'm dead if I tell you. They hate Steel and if I'm lost in the coup, they won't care," Cody whispers.

So for sure someone, or someones, in the club. I knew we had a rat, but hearing it firsthand validates my thoughts and fuels me to get to the bottom of this. I want them dealt with immediately.

"You're dead no matter what. Cody, my boy, you're not leaving this shed." Viper laughs.

Cody struggles against the chains. "You can't do that. I'm just a whore, not a member. I was obeying member orders. That's my duty as a whore."

"Enough!" I shout. "You also signed a contract stating that you were here on your own free will. That you would uphold the honor and integrity of the club while in its service. We don't hurt women and we don't go behind the back of our president."

Cody whimpers, knowing I'm right. He agreed to be held to the same standards and rules as the members, just without a patch, knowing he was a hole for members to sink into.

"So tell us who turned you against the rest of the club and I'll make sure Viper makes it fast and painless. A nice bullet to the skull. Fuck me around and I'll let him keep you alive for days as you slowly bleed out."

"The only people who ever paid me any attention in this fucking club!" Cody yells. "I wasn't good enough for any of you, but I found who wanted and cared for me. This was my chance to prove to them I was loyal. This was how we'd get to be together!"

My mind begins to race through past parties and times in the main room of the clubhouse. Who was touchin' and flirtin' with Cody? I'm coming up blank. I've never messed with him and know Pistol hasn't since he's straight. But then who?

I look at Viper and shake my head with a shrug. Viper grabs a new tool off his table of treasures and stalks closer to Cody. "Someone come hold him still, so I can work," Viper calls over his shoulder to the group of us spectating.

I kick off the wall and head to him. "What do you need?"

"Hold his foot still. I'm gonna play a little game my momma played with me."

Leaning down, I grab Cody's left foot as he howls in pain. Yeah, I bet this doesn't feel too good with that damaged kneecap. My grip is firm as I look at Viper. "Now what?"

Viper flashes a cruel smile and holds up a pair of very sharp garden shears. "Well, we know none of us have fucked ya. Right, fellas?"

The air fills with a soft murmuring, as everyone agrees.

"So that leaves just the patched-in members. Not everyone would fuck ya ‘cause ya ain't their type. Like Pistol and myself, the dick just doesn't interest us. So it has to be someone who would enjoy dick."

Smart. Viper is often misunderstood as a mindless meathead with a penchant for violence, but in reality, he is quite intelligent. Somewhere along the way, he just went through some shit that made him need a little release now and then. His job as enforcer gives him just that.

"So who could it be? Hmmmm. This little piggy went to the market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had roast beef. This little piggy had none. This little piggy went." Viper laughs as he looks at Cody, the shears positioned by his pinky toe.

Silence. Cody doesn't say a word, just glares at Viper.

"Wee, wee, wee all the way to the floor." And closes the shears, severing the toe from Cody's foot.

Cody screams and I can't believe whoever it is has him so tight-lipped. I'll give it to him. He's holding up better than I thought he would.

"Ready to tell me yet?"

"Fuck." Cody pants. "You."

"Okay, that's fine. My momma always played it more than once."

Viper repeats the rhyme, this time landing on the index toe. He's met by silence again and his rhyme ends the same as before; a long skinny toe falling to the ground.

"Please!" Cody screams.

"Please!" Viper mocks. "Tell me who it is. Minus the men here, those are the only other members who are openly with men. Everyone else is straight. Unless I'm missing someone." He looks around at the guys and they don't say anything.

"Pepper and Combo, but they're straight. Told us very loudly how much they don't approve of LGBTQ anything," Pistol pipes up.

A choking sound comes from Cody, and my eyes flash up to him. Viper notices too, a cruel smile slowly crossing his face. "Is that so? Those bastards are leadin' you on, boy. They've voted against every idea involving this club being open to all sexualities. So if you think one or both of those fucks care about you? You got played."

"Liar!" Cody hisses. "They care about me. Just needed the right man. They told me so themselves."

Viper moves the shears from Cody's foot and trails them slowly up his leg to his crotch. He doesn't hesitate to sink a hand into Cody's underwear, grabbing his soft cock and holding it so he can position it in the middle of the open shears.

I cringe and I hear a few groans behind us, all of us having the same thoughts about losing our cock like this.

"You tellin' me that this little stubby guy was inside one of those two hateful bastards?" Viper laughs. "No fuckin' way."

Cody's nostrils flare and his eyes narrow. "Combo isn't there yet. He will be, though. Pepper, let me suck him off before I went to your office. A task for a task."

Viper closes the shears a bit, and Cody sucks in a breath. "What task?" Viper asks.

"I got to suck him off to prove they were all in for me. In return, I'd break into Steel's office and see if you guys had found anything about the Hellhounds and Michaelov's weapons. Kiki was the icing on the cake. They gave me two grand to get rid of her. Easy choice. I never liked her."

"Thank you," Viper tells him, snapping the shears shut and an ear-piercing wail leaves Cody as his nubby shaft is cut off. Blood pools in his underwear as they snap back into place, dripping down his legs to the floor.

"Let's go. We have two more friends to bring to the shed, it seems." I turn and head toward the door that leads to the outside.

Viper tosses the shears on the table and follows behind me. "I'll leave him here to bleed. He didn't listen and I don't like to hold up promises to rats."

"You're a sick fucker," Zero tells him as he pats him on the back. "Cutting his dick off, really?"

"Had it coming. You don't touch ladies like that."