Chapter Twenty
North banged open the clubhouse as he practically dragged her inside. The same bunch of men she’d seen the last time was still there. This time, however, she didn’t have it in her to give them a cheery smile.
“Call everyone!” North yelled, dictating orders like a drill sergeant.
The Wolves hesitated for only a second then they all scrambled.
“We’re on lockdown. Get men up on the roofs, close all the gates and make sure all the men are armed.”
“What happened, Boss?” Pete demanded.
“My house just got shot up!”
Several men reacted in anger, swearing and vowing vengeance. Under all the male testosterone, though, the concern for North was overwhelming. These men cared for him, as any brother would. And by being with him, they accepted her as well.
“Who did it?” someone asked.
“A man by the name of Daniel Two Feathers. He leads a group called the Tribe.”
“Fucking zealots,” someone else added.
“There are a million bullet holes in my home,” North continued. “They shot at me, at my woman and at Givon. I want every person who’s loyal to the Wolves to search for this fucker. I want him brought to me so I can put a fucking bullet in his head! Got it?”
A chorus of yeses rang out as men hurried to follow his orders. North went to move to the staircase, but Pete held up a hand.
“Are we expecting anyone else?”
“Givon’s on his way,” North said.
“Goddamn it,” Pete swore. “You’re bringing a goddamn cop onto Wolf territory? That ain’t gonna fly, North!”
“He’s a friend of the club—”
“I am sick of you saying that. I know about the Tribe. Daniel Two Feathers is a cop so who do you think Givon Halloran is going to defend? A bunch of outlaw bikers or another badge?”
“He’s not like that, Pete.”
“Right,” Pete sneered. “This will turn ugly real fast, North.”
“Your concern is heartwarming. Now get out of my fucking way while I make sure Allis is safe.”
The two had a staring contest for a moment before Pete slowly took a step back and to the side. North stormed by him without a second glance. Allis looked back and saw Pete watching them, fury shining like a beacon. She shivered.
North led her to his old room. He threw the duffle bag onto the floor then turned to capture her in his arms, bringing her flush against his body. Anger and desperation simmered through his tightly wound muscles and it seemed like he poured all of it into the kiss he gave her. He kissed her as if he’d never let her go. She opened for him and he swept his tongue in, claiming hers—dominating her. They were both rattled from what had happened, so she clung to him just as tightly.
When he pulled back, he simply hugged her to his chest and it was only then, pressed so close to him, that she realized he was shaking.
“Are you all right?” she asked softly.
“He violated my home,” North whispered in a hard voice. “He could have killed you. Givon. I want to hunt him down and piss on his lifeless body.”
“Shh,” she said, rubbing his back. “Sit. Come on.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and immediately he opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out the old pack of cigarettes. A book of matches was stuffed inside it and he grabbed one cigarette and lit it. Allis didn’t say anything as she watched him smoke.
“When Giv gets here, I’m going out.”
She shook her head. “No. He’ll hurt you.”
“And I’m going to fucking kill him,” he countered. “Do you think I’d sit here and hide behind my club, Allis?”
“No,” she answered. “But I do think you’d follow your true north.”
She could see that answer confused him.
“You told me you wanted to go legit,” she continued. “That we each have a path to follow, a way to guide us. I wanted to run the other day when the black Ford hit us because I was convinced it was my fault. But Givon reminded me that I wasn’t the same person who had run in the first place. And it was because I found my path—you and Givon. You’re my true north. And if you let this asshole change your direction, then you’ve lost your path.”
“You want me to ignore this and hide? Be a coward?”
“No, of course not,” she said. “But you need to be smart. You have so many people who love you and will stick by you.”
“This isn’t the way we do things in the club. We believe in vengeance.”
“All right,” she agreed quickly. “I understand. I want vengeance too. But let’s draw him into our territory. Wolves’ territory.”
He finished his cigarette and snubbed it out in the nearby ashtray. Then he stood and leaned over to kiss her quick and hard.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
“North—”
“I heard you, Allis,” he interrupted. “But I gotta handle this as I feel is right.”
He left, slamming the door behind him. Allis lay back on the bed and let the tears fall. She’d just lost her home. She hoped she hadn’t lost her men too.
North marched downstairs with a mission. Pete, Branch and Nimrod stood together talking while Tina organized the women into teams for the food and the bar. He pulled his Glock out and checked it before replacing it in his back holster.
“You three stay with me,” he told the men.
They headed out to the yard where another twenty brothers waited with their bikes.
“We’ll spread out,” North said. “Canvas all of Destiny, hit the back roads and make sure to check out the Devils’ lair in case the Tribe is working with those bastards. Check back in—”
“Truck!” yelled one of the sentries.
Every biker withdrew his gun and ran to the front gate. North strode quickly and looked out between the slats. When he saw the red and blue lights on top of the SUV, he waved for to the heavy sliding barricade to open. A minute later, Givon drove through and the gate closed behind him. He turned off the engine and got out, tensing as the whole club waited, armed and ready. Charlie got out of the passenger side and showed his hands that he wasn’t holding a gun.
North could feel the tension among his men. It was obvious they didn’t like the thought of a cop in their midst, even if he was friendly to the club. Anger and testosterone was riding high and it only took one spark to ignite a storm. North took a deep breath to make sure that didn’t happen. Not right now, not here. He wanted that saved for Daniel Two Feathers and his fucking Tribe.
“You learn anything?” he asked Givon.
“A tip,” Givon replied warily, darting his gaze around. “Saw some black trucks heading toward Bull Lake.”
North looked toward his men and nodded. They immediately ran to their bikes and the sound of engines cut through the night like rapid-fire lightning. As the gate opened once more, the bikers raced out into the darkness.
“Where’s Allis?” Givon asked.
“In my old room.”
When he turned to get on his Nightster, Givon grabbed his arm, halting him. “Don’t go after him.”
“Not now, Giv,” North muttered.
“Be smart. They’re armed to the teeth and looking for a fight.”
“So what? I just ignore the fact that my home looks like a war zone and that you or Allis could’ve been killed?”
“No, I’m telling you to calm down.”
North grabbed Givon’s collar angrily and tugged, using the slight height difference to his advantage. “I told you there was going to come a time when you would have to choose.”
“This isn’t a choice,” Givon stressed. “This is recklessness. You can’t go out there half-cocked.”
North let him go. “Then I know your answer.”
As he spun on his heel, pain and disappointment slashed at his heart, although he didn’t let it show. But with each step toward his bike, it seemed like the direction of his life was slowly slipping away. He thought Givon had been the path to a home, to a family, and North hadn’t seen this coming. He didn’t think Giv would actually turn his back on him, wouldn’t support him. Couldn’t he see this was who he was? That he couldn’t—wouldn’t—present a show of weakness against someone like Daniel Two Feathers?
“So I’m supposed to just give in?” Givon yelled at him. “I have to choose, but you don’t give me the courtesy of listening to what I have to say? You go after him and there’s nothing I can do to help you or your club! It’s not just you, North. It’s your members. And it’s Allis. And yes, it’s also me.”
North halted as the words penetrated the betrayal swimming through his mind. He turned around and put his hands on his hips. Givon marched up to him, a frown creasing his brow.
“I will always choose you,” Givon continued. “But you are the most hard-headed son of a bitch I’ve ever met. You go after the Tribe and one of two things is going to happen. They have more men than you do and they’re armed with semiautomatics. And we’re now hunting a tribe that knows how to track, how to disappear, how to use the land to their advantage and you’re pissed off. Anger clouds your mind, makes you do stupid stuff. Can’t you see they want you to follow them, to find them? It’s a fucking trap and I don’t want you risking the lives of your brothers needlessly.”
“He’s right, North,” Pistol Pete called out. “As much as I hate agreeing with a cop, he’s right.”
North let out a breath, releasing his tension along with it. Givon was right. He ran a hand through his hair. “What do you suggest?”
“Call them back,” Givon said. “Don’t give the Tribe what they want. This is your turf. This is Wolves’ land, not theirs.”
There was a murmur of agreement through the remaining men.
“I better not ever hear you say ‘I told you so,’” North warned.
“And that is one thing I cannot promise you,” Givon countered.