Desolation Road (Torpedo Ink 4)

“You dance with the devil …” Ice said.

“Exactly,” Maestro agreed. “She can reap what she sowed.”

“Her building stays standing. We’ll do the managers because the Venomous bikers are pieces of shit and they’re willing to gang-rape one of ours and then turn her over to Holden for a price. Code, we have to have up-to-date information on where those three managers are at all times. We know when the clubs shut down in the early morning hours and who is on.”

“There’s actually six of them: the three main ones and their relief managers, the day ones,” Code pointed out.

“The Diamondbacks did include them in the contract, so we’ll take all six,” Czar said. “They won’t get a pass even if they work days. We need to know everything about all six of the managers: What are their names? Are they married? Any of them have long-term partners?”

Absinthe knew Czar would hate taking out a family man, even if that man was an asshole, unless he beat his woman and children, or worse, was into really ugly criminal behavior such as rape or that of a pedophile, something they hunted on a regular basis.

“None of the six are married. Good thing too, they think they’ve hit the jackpot with their new smorgasbord of women at their clubs. The women have tried to quit, but the Venomous club like to fall back on old habits and they use intimidation to get their way. No one has dared to cross them after they made examples out of the first girls that tried to leave.”

“What did they do to them?” Savage asked quietly.

Absinthe threw him a quick glance. That particular tone didn’t bode well for the six managers.

“Beat the holy hell out of them, raped them, and one was chosen to be a prime example for all of them. She was strung up on the pole in the middle of the stage and whipped to death. They had a lot of fun doing it,” Code said grimly. “I found photographs and video on their phones.”

“Send whatever you found to my phone,” Savage said, his tone mild as always.

Absinthe wanted to say that wasn’t a good idea, but he knew better. Whenever Savage got that tone, and he’d already been close to the edge, there was no holding back.

“We know what we have to do,” Czar said. “Code will give all of team one the necessary information. Team two will take care of everyone on the home front. Transporter and Mechanic, you two pull our vehicles for us, match plates and give them to Code to make certain if a cop runs them everything is on the up-and-up. Same thing with licenses. Alena, you ride with Code. I want you looking completely different. Contacts, hair color, nothing the same. I don’t want Ice and Storm to be able to identify you. We’ll make certain the buildings are empty before you take them down.”

Alena nodded. “No problem, Czar.”

“Mechanic, you make absolutely certain no camera is working. I want them all disrupted. Even if you think Code has shut them down, you disrupt everything for blocks around. Alena can’t be seen. None of us can be identified, but I’m not taking chances if this is in any way an attempt to get at her.”

“You got it, Czar,” Mechanic agreed.

“We leave first thing in the afternoon, each of us going at different times, starting around two. We can’t be seen together. Transporter or Mechanic will have your assigned vehicle and your partner. I’ll send the assigned schedule of departures. Use the phones Code provides. You know the drill. Keep texting to a minimum. Dump the phones as soon as we’re on the road home and use the second ones until we’re back and only in an emergency.”

They nodded. They knew the drill. They’d run far too many of these operations together.

“Any last-minute questions?”

They all shook their heads.

“Good. The other very important thing we have to discuss this morning, Absinthe, is your lady. Code’s been monitoring Holden and he got word from the Venomous club that Torpedo Ink is harboring Scarlet. Holden is trying to reach out to the Diamondbacks, looking to get them on board,” Czar continued. “He hasn’t managed to make contact yet, but he has money and connection in the MC world. He will soon. How serious are you about this woman?”

“She’s my woman, one hundred percent,” Absinthe said without hesitation. “I’ve only had this last week alone with her, but it’s been good. Great. We’ve spent the time getting to know one another as best we could. I knew this was coming up fast and was lucky it got delayed as long as it did.”

“I suggest we have a wedding between now and tomorrow when we have to leave. The Diamondbacks won’t give up one of our old ladies. Family is family. Code, get the papers done so they can be married today. License, all of it. I presume you’re good with that?” Czar challenged.