High Voltage (2 page)

~ Minka ~

Getting My Head Together

V
aughn drops me off after leaving Harlow at her
house. He tells me to watch out for Cooper’s receptionist, claiming she doesn’t
like hussies around the boss. I only smile at his insult since I want to save
my hostility for Dino.

The Reapers MC office doesn’t look like much from
the street. I’d guess an accountant worked here, but apparently even vicious bikers
want to play the respectable businessman role.

Opening the door, I find the hussy-hating
receptionist along with Rafael and Dino.

“What took you so long?” Dino asks, acting like he
needs to check me for injuries. “We thought maybe you were abducted.”

“I never once thought that,” Rafael says, smirking.

The receptionist glares at me, and I’m ready to
inform her that I’m no hussy. Never once in my life had I minded lying. This
time should be no sweat either. Before I give her a piece of my mind, she smiles
for Rafael.

“Mister Johansson is ready for you.”

Following Rafael down a short hallway, I quickly
glance back at Dino and find him looking at my ass. His lack of subtly returns
me to high school where boys were still learning to be smooth.

“Knock it off,” I growl at him.

“No, ma’am.”

I want so badly to smack the shit out of him.
Before I can go slap-happy on the bastard, we enter the back office.
Grudgingly, I remind myself we’re working.

Cooper Johansson is the prettiest vicious biker
I’ve ever seen. He gives us a dark frown, and I imagine him killing a man with
his bare hands. I even find myself fantasizing about Dino receiving a beat down
from this handsome young buck.

No deal, I immediately decide.
When Dino’s ass is royally whooped, my boot will
be the one having the pleasure.

Rafael does a quick introduction. He says the
dark-haired chick in the corner is Cooper’s assistant. Tawny looks young and
impressionable. I worry about Dino humping her leg, but he takes one look and
shrugs.

“Wedding ring,” he says to me.

“If not, you’d be all over that, right?”

“No, I’m committed to you, Miss Apples.”

Glaring hard at him, I nearly miss the part where
we’re sitting down and talking business.

“These two will stick out like sore thumbs in
Common Bend,” Cooper says to Rafael.

“Isn’t that the point?”

Cooper shrugs, focusing his dark gaze on Dino. The
horndog leans back in his chair and glances around.

“Do you guys have good spaghetti around here?”

Rafael gestures for Cooper to focus on the job
since Dino clearly isn’t.

“Our territory runs into Northern Tennessee, just
before you reach Nashville,” Cooper says, and I wonder if I should take notes.
“We’ve never had problems down that way until recently. Now all my people are
ending up dead, missing, or in jail on petty charges. I found out a new sheriff
named Black has taken over Common Bend.”

Rafael glances at an uninterested Dino before
focusing on me. “What Cooper needs is for you to find out if the sheriff is
dirty or just a Dudley Do-Right.”

“What if we find out he’s clean?” I ask, feeling
very female in a room with too many large men. Tawny, at least, has the benefit
of disappearing into the corner near the filing cabinet. “I’m not killing a
goody-two-shoes cop.”

“I’ll do it,” Dino blurts out. “Cops bug me.”

Cooper frowns at Dino. “You’re only going down
there to find out what his deal is. If he’s dirty, I want to know if he’s
working alone or who his allies are.”

“So no killing?” I ask rather than calling bullshit
on this entire meeting. “Why not use local people?”

“Sheriff Black will round up any of my people who
show up in town. Besides, we have territorial concerns.”

Rafael leans over to explain. “The surrounding
towns are controlled by other factions. One of them is a club run by the
Reapers’ friendly adversaries. The Rutgers would love to find a reason to
snatch up Common Bend and push the Reapers out of Tennessee. Cooper figures you
two will make less noise than his people.”

“I might, but Dino isn’t exactly subtle.”

The Italian Sausage shrugs. “No one likes the shy
type back in Jersey.”

“You’re not in Jersey anymore,” Cooper growls.

For a few seconds, I get my hopes up that Cooper
will kick Dino’s ass. Once Rafael sighs, the men’s tension fades. The big man
to my left won’t allow the other big men to fight.
What a shame.

Cooper forces his angry gaze off of Dino and looks
at Rafael. “I have a contact who will give you safe harbor. He runs the town
next door to Common Bend.”

“Can we trust him?”

“No. Hayes doesn’t play well with others, but he
wants the sheriff gone. He’ll help until he decides he doesn’t want to help
anymore. No telling with the guy.”

I wish Troy were my partner on this job. Instead,
I’m stuck with Dino, who plays with his phone rather than pay attention. Rafael
ignores Sausage, again focusing on me.

“Cooper has cars, cash, and weapons for you. If
things get dicey, he’ll send his enforcers. If it gets really dicey, I’ll call
in the rest of the Houston team.”

“For a recon mission, huh?” I say, standing up.
“You boys are full of shit, but I’m a big believer in being a team player.”

“And you?” Cooper asks Dino.

“I go wherever Apples goes.”

Cooper rolls his eyes and gives Tawny a grumpy
look. They share a silent conversation I don’t care about.

“Well, nice meeting you, Cooper,” I announce. “I’m
meeting Harlow for dinner.”

“I’ll go with you,” Tawny says.

I narrow my dark eyes at her. Not knowing any
better, she narrows her dark eyes at me. Normally, I’d do a little ovary
measuring, but I really want away from Dino, who is staring at my ass again. I
can feel his gaze burning through my jeans.

“Let’s go,” I say, walking out of the back office
with her close behind me.

Tawny pauses when we get outside. “I only have my
Harley. Did Vaughn take your bags to the apartment?”

“Yes, but I’m not riding bitch on your hog.”

“Why not?” she asks, climbing onto the Harley.
“I’ll ride real slow for you.” I’m ready to complain until she says all I need
to hear to change my mind. “Dino’s on his way out.”

Climbing on behind her, I sigh. “What was the point
of having you at this meeting?”

“I’m good at reading people, and Cooper wanted to
know if he could trust you and Dino.”

“Well?”

“I’ve got a good feeling about you both.”

“Even Sausage?” I balk while the Harley roars to
life.

Tawny glances back at me and smiles. “He pays more
attention than he lets on. Don’t let his bullshit fool you.”

I tighten my grip on her as we race away from the
office and Dino. Tawny’s words give me hope that this assignment might not be
so bad. In fact, Dino might even be a fun partner if he stopped trying to hump
me constantly.

~ Minka ~

Stuck Between a Fucking Rock and a Fucking Hard
Place

I
manage to dodge Dino all evening in Ellsberg, and
we take separate cars the next day. Even with him following me on the road, I
still somehow feel him looking at my ass the entire two-hour drive. Before we
check into the first of the hotels we have reservations at, I decide to drop in
on our helpful host.

Angus Hayes’s office is a small building in the
middle of an industrial area of White Horse, Tennessee. The parking lot is
empty except for two cars. One is a monster truck horror show. The other is a
tiny blue compact with flower decals in the back window. I sense the latter
doesn’t belong to Hayes.

“Let me do all the talking,” Dino says while we
walk to the front door.

“No fucking way. Just shut up and let me handle
everything.”

“We’ll see who wins this round.”

Inside the office, we find a woman crying behind
messy brown hair. She’s sitting at the front desk, and her name plate says
“Donna.” Not great with crying women, I awkwardly wait for her to pull her shit
together.

“Hey, doll, why the tears?” Dino asks in a sexy,
smooth voice. “Is someone giving you trouble?”

Donna looks back at the office door belonging to
the boss.

“He yells,” she whispers. “I don’t like yelling.”

On cue, a booming voice yells, “Donna, send in the
fucking outsiders!”

Crying, Donna hides behind her hair again. Dino
hands her a tissue and whispers something reassuring. She nods but seems
unconvinced.

“Save it, Romeo,” I mutter, walking away.

Dino follows behind me, and I can feel his gaze on
my ass. Glancing back, I frown hard at him. He grins back and wiggles his
eyebrows.

I open the door to a small office complete with
wood paneling and shag carpet. The place looks like a 1970’s relic.
Who gives
a shit about the décor when there’s an honest-to-goodness giant puffing on a
cigar behind the desk?

I thought I knew big guys, but Angus Hayes is a
fucking tank. Owning the room isn’t even an option since he literally breathes
it in. Next to Hayes, Dino is a twerp.
Well, a nearly irresistible twerp
anyway.

“Don’t even think about it,” Dino says to me while
we stand in the doorway. “His dick would tear you apart. Not worth the risk.”

My mouth opens with a really snappy response ready
to go, but he interrupts me.

“Fine, fuck him. I only ask that you wait until I’m
done with your pussy so that I don’t get the ruined remains.”

My snappy comeback never materializes as we take
our seats. The dark-haired Hayes glares at us with his raging, nearly-black
eyes. In another world, I might find this jackass attractive, but Dino has
blinded me to other men.

Like a drill sergeant, he doesn’t remove his cigar
before barking at us. “Why in the fuck are you fuckers dressed like that?”

“We’re incognito, big guy,” Dino says, adjusting in
his chair like his dick isn’t fitting right in his stupid dress pants.

“Please ignore him, Mister Hayes.”

“Kiss ass,” Dino mutters.

“Would you two shut the fuck up?”

“Hey, this is a lady over here,” Dino says, jutting
his thumb at me.

“Don’t defend me, Linguini. I can handle my own
shit.”

“I was raised to be a gentleman.”

“Where’s the fucking off button with you two
cunts?”

Frowning at Hayes, I kick his desk. “Watch your
mouth. This idiot might be professional enough not to shoot you, but I’m starting
my period soon, so all bets are off.”

“Sexy,” Dino says, and he isn’t kidding. Adjusting
in his chair again, he acts like his dick is very impressed by my period
declaration.

“Idiot.”

Hayes leans back in his chair, causing the poor
thing to groan in agony. With the big man angry with us, I feel like a scolded
child. I’m a professional, but this guy scares me. If he makes a sudden move,
I’ll likely shoot him and run out the room screaming.

“You two fucks finished?”

Dino leans forward. “In school, did the kids ever
call you anus?”

I smack Dino as soon as he finishes his insult. Hayes
still narrows his eyes, and I suspect we might die soon.

“Here’s how it works,” Hayes says, breathing too
heavily to be healthy. “I run White Horse. Nothing happens here unless I
sanction it. As long as you shits remain in my territory, you won’t get
shanked. I can’t protect you outside of White Horse. I made that fact perfectly
fucking clear to Johansson.”

“We’ll be fine, steak man,” Dino says.

When I roll my eyes, Sausage gives me one of his
deliciously smarmy grins.

“What are your thoughts about this new sheriff,” I
ask Hayes, hoping to find an ounce of professionalism in this train wreck
meeting.

“I think he’s a fucking con. Everyone thinks he’s a
damn saint, caring for old ladies and Girls Scouts and shit. I know he’s a
killer, and his new, better cops are assholes.”

“Know how?”

Dino leans over and loudly whispers, “You’re sexy
when you work.”

I ball my hand, ready to punch him, but he only
leans back and snickers. Hayes chews on his cigar, and I again think we might
need to shoot our way out of this office.

“What the fuck is wrong with that fucker?” Hayes
asks me.

“He’s in heat, and I don’t think his mom hugged him
enough.”

“Or maybe she hugged him too fucking much.”

Dino loses his smile. “Hey, now. I will put up with
a lot of shit from a hot woman, but no one talks about my mom. The woman is a
damn saint.”

“Can I say she did a good job, or is that off
limits too?”

Relaxing again, Dino smirks. “That’s fine.
Compliments are always welcome.”

“So,” Hayes says, standing up and making me reach
for my gun under my jacket, “this cop comes into town, and he’s all friendly
smiles and kissing babies. Like the fucker is running for fucking mayor.”

Hayes clearly loves the word “fuck.” I can’t hear
anything he says except that word. I need to pay attention, though, since Dino
clearly isn’t.

“Everyone in Common Bend was so fucking happy with
him, but I smelled a fucking rat. Soon people started dropping dead from brain
aneurisms, suicides, and overdoses. Not just any fucking people, but the
fucking people who caused trouble. First was the pastor out at Landmark Church who protested against the Sheriff’s Department. He was out there every
fucking day, marching back and forth with his damn sign about corruption never
ending and how fucking Black was a false prophet.

“The old crank was always fucking protesting
something, but people in Common Bend liked him. He was a fucking character
who’d help out anyone. Paid for STD treatments for hookers. Found daycare for
single moms. Shamed abusive husbands. He caused trouble, sure, but no one ever
thought of fucking killing him. Then he keels over one day from a brain
aneurism. Not a big thing, but I was suspicious. I’m always fucking suspicious
of cops, but Black was too fucking nice to be the real deal.”

“No offense, beef boy,” Dino says, “but that isn’t
proof of anything. This preacher likely got himself so worked up that it was
bad for his heart or some shit. I’m no doctor, but his death don’t sound
suspicious.”

“It don’t, huh?” Hayes asks, removing the cigar
from his lips. “Makes me wonder why you never went to medical school, fuckwit.”

“Who else died?” I ask.

“An old deputy suing the department. A clerk fired
for stealing. If someone messed with fucking Black, they died. His deputies
were also putting the squeeze on people. That’s why Johansson is pissed. His
people ran the drugs and sluts in Common Bend. Those people ended up dead,
arrested, or just gone. The deputies started spending a lot of time out at the
Harvest Fields Trailer Parks where all the sluts work. They spend all day with
those girls and then turn around and take a fee for keeping them out of
trouble.”

“Cops are assholes,” Dino says. “So what?”

“These sluts don’t make a lot of money to begin
with. They do their work during the day when their kids are at school, and they
need a lot of turnover to make enough to pay their pimps and feed their
families. It’s simple economics, meathead.”

When Hayes sits back down, my hand eases off my
gun. “Black’s deputies got rid of the pimps and took what the pimps made.
Except they take up so much of the sluts’ time that those girls ain’t making
enough money. When one of the whores mouthed off about the situation at a local
titty bar, she suddenly turned up in a ravine. The cops ruled her death an
accident. They claim she got drunk, stopped by the side of the road, and then
fell into the ravine where she broke her neck. They didn’t even try to make
that one look real.”

Hayes puffs at his cigar a few times before
continuing. “Now the sluts are all scared, and they can’t make money and feed
their kids. The deputies smack them around too, but who in the fuck are they
going to fucking call? So Johansson’s people got pushed out. Now the only one
making any money in Common Bend is Black.”

Giving Dino a quick glance to find him still
playing with his phone, I ask Hayes, “Why haven’t you taken him out?”

“That’s not how this shit works, darlin’. I don’t
run Common Bend. I might feel bad for the fuckers living there, but I don’t
cross the line between territories. That’s Johansson’s problem. If he’s cashing
the checks during the happy times, then he can sweep up the shit during the
down times. Hell, I assumed you fucks were the janitors in this fucking
situation.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing Minka in a maid’s uniform,”
Dino says, and I smack him again.

“Save the rough play for the bedroom, kiddos. I
told you what needed to be told. What you do with that shit is your fucking
problem.”

“Here’s the thing,” I say, flicking Dino for
playing with my hair, “What if the sheriff isn’t making these moves on his own?
I mean he must have some brass balls behind the scenes.”

“Why?”

“Because the guy seems clean. He shows up and kills
these people and takes over illegal activities, yet no one’s ever touched him
in the past. That seems fishy. Everyone has dirt on them. I’m sure you’ve
gotten hassled by the feds or state cops. Why not the sheriff? We checked, and
his file is squeaky clean.”

“What do I care if he has someone bankrolling him?”

“Because,” Dino says, “after Sheriff Black gets a
stranglehold over his little slice of Honky-tonk Heaven, do you think he’ll be
satisfied? Common Bend is a tiny fucking place with whores and meth. White
Horse has real money invested. Businesses he can shake down. Or use to launder
his dirty money. Whatever, but you’re next on the colonization list.”

Even though Dino nails the situation, I’m mostly
trying not to laugh at the filet mignon thing.

Hayes glares really ugly at Dino, who is back at
his phone. I decide to play peacemaker. Well, what else am I going to do with
these two?

“By helping us get rid of Sheriff Black, you’re
eliminating a future problem for yourself.”

“Sounds about fucking right.”

“So, can you think of who might be pulling Black’s
strings?”

Hayes narrows his eyes, and I’m sure he’s about to
attack. Turns out he’s just thinking.

“You have Memphis fingers all over this state. The
Rutgers family and their club run everything south of Hickory Creek Township for the Dixie Mafia. Johansson holds Common Bend only because the original Tennessee players were once blood-related to their Kentucky counterparts. As you know,
Johansson and his club get backing from Memphis. Who in the fuck wants to fuck
with that organization for a slice of nowhere Tennessee?”

“Hey, do you know a good place to get spaghetti
around here?” Dino asks, standing up.

“What’s the fucking hurry?”

“I know the score about the area now. But until we
spook the sheriff, we won’t find out whose dummy he is. So I plan to take this
lovely slice of fuck pie to dinner. Does that sound okay to you, rib eye?”

I punch Dino in the arm. When he laughs, I hit him
again.

“Chicks, right?” Dino says to Hayes. “The sexier
the slice, the spicier the flavor.”

Standing up, I slap Dino upside the head. He
refuses to be bothered. Hayes studies us before focusing on me.

“I’m assuming you’re the fucker in charge of this
traveling circus,” he says, handing me a white card with a phone number on it.
“Call me if you need fucking help, but only if you’re in my fucking territory.
I ain’t saving you fucks otherwise.”

“So, about that spaghetti,” Dino says, looking at
Hayes. “Anything good around here?”

“No, now get out of my fucking office before I lose
my fucking hospitality.”