Warlords MC – The Complete Series
Warlords MC: Book 1 – Ace (Truman) : Chapter 12

The brothers all left the shed. They’d given Token some food and water, then allowed him to do what was natural. They even allowed him clean up a bit. Being under guard by 5 large men, didn’t leave you any room to escape. He’d come across with what they’d needed. Now he was again, tied up for the time being.

When they entered the cabin, they found Charli sitting at the kitchen table cleaning her weapons. She didn’t look up from her task nor did she talk to them.

There was a pan of stew simmering on the stove and one by one, they all took a bowl and disappeared.

All but Truman that is, as he took a bowl of the stew and sat down on the other side of the table from her. He watched her clean her blades as he ate the stew. “So what is this place, the old mill, Token told us about?” he finally broke the silence that was growing heavy between them.

“Up until twelve years ago, Old Mill flour was ground here.” Charli did not look up as she spoke, “Then the company was moved somewhere else and the building has sat unused until Andy apparently, began using it as a drug lab.”

“Where is this place that no one would notice people coming and going from the mill?”

Charli shrugged but continued to wipe down her knife with oil. The metal that this morning was tarnished, now gleamed in the sunlight shining through the windows.

Truman exhaled loudly as he sat back in his chair and stared at her. “Look Charli, we don’t have to be at odds with each other here. I know you’re pissed about what happened in the shed but we had a reason for what we did.”

Charli placed her hands face down on the table and rose to her feet. She leaned over the wooden surface and glared at him. “No. Ace of the War Lords MC, I don’t give a flying fuck about your club business or about your mission. But I did care very much about that old man in the next room who took a bullet this morning and I do care about this town and the people living here. I grew up here after my parents died. I went to school here and this farm is part of this town. When Andy and his dad set up shop here, they thought they would be scoot-free here. They thought they could walk all over the people trying to make a living here. A living to support their families. Well, guess what? They were wrong. They can’t spread their poison here. They aren’t above the law and it is high time they figured that out. I won’t let them destroy this town and its people.”

Truman let out a sigh as he regarded her.

“Andy isn’t going to hide behind the badges anymore. I will destroy him. That will leave you and your brothers to complete your stupid mission. Good luck to you all.” With that, she turned on her heels and walked out of the room.

Before she could get past him, Truman caught her around the waist and pulled her to his lap. His mouth crashed down on hers and he kissed her hard. She struggled and opened her mouth to scream but he wouldn’t give her that chance. He thrust his tongue in and mated with her tongue until she was dizzy with want. She groaned and began kissing him back.

When the kiss broke, neither of them could breathe. They both panted as they tried to catch their breath.

Charli turned to him with tears blurring her eyes. She lifted her hand and slapped him hard. “You don’t get to do that anymore,” she stated quietly. Then she got up and walked out of the room.

Truman lifted his hand and rubbed the sore spot on his face. He had allowed her to slap him twice now. No woman or person alive could claim they’d done this to him. He saw it coming, but let her get it out of her system for now. She was reeling from Ben’s death and he hadn’t made it any easier when he’d fucked up after they had sex. He wanted to tell her everything but he knew he couldn’t.

There was a tight spot in his chest that wouldn’t go away. He’d seen the pain in her eyes just now and he knew he’d put it there.

His brother Joker came in the kitchen to put his bowl in the sink. He turned to Ace and took note of the red mark on his face. “She’s still pissed huh?”

Truman looked up at his brother and nodded.

“Maybe you should tell her why we’re here,” Joker suggested.

“You know I can’t do that,” Truman replied.

Joker snorted. “You could but you just won’t.”

“When Kentar first brought this problem to us, he demanded we keep the mission quiet. I can’t tell her. I can’t tell anyone.”

“That’s true but he wanted us to keep it quiet so the wrong people wouldn’t catch on to what we were doing.” Joker shrugged. “I think she’s beginning to mean something to you and if you keep this from her, you’ll lose her.” Shaking his head he commented, “I don’t want to see that happen. Charli, she’s special.”

Truman got up from his chair and walked out of the room.

 Joker watched him go and just shook his head. His brother was a stubborn man sometimes and this time, that trait might just bite him in the ass.

King and Deuce joined him as they set their bowls in the sink. “What the hell are you thinking about so hard?” King asked.

“If Ace doesn’t tell Charli what we’re doing, he’s gonna lose her.” Joker shook his head.

“He can’t tell her,” King argued. “He has orders to keep the mission on to QT.”

Deuce snorted. “Do you really think she’d betray us? Charli? Really?”

“I’m worried about her,” Joker admitted.

“Why?” Deuce paused and stared at his brother.

“She’s gonna do something stupid I just know it.”

“Like what?” King wanted to know.

“I’m not sure but something snapped inside her when that old man died.” Joker shook his head. “It’s like something broke and it’s something we can’t fix.”

Deuce nodded. “You could be right. Did you see her when she went to question Token? My lord, she even scared me with those blades.”

“You saw it then?” Joker wanted to know.

“Oh yeah, I saw it and I would really hate to be Andy right now,” Deuce admitted.

“Or his dad,” King added. “She’s gonna reign hell down on both of those men.”

“It’s not like they don’t deserve it.” Joker acknowledged. “Those two especially but then every one of the men who is under their payroll, needs to feel the fury too.”

“It’s not our place to police this town, or any other town,” King argued. “We’re here on a mission. We have our orders and that comes first. It has to come first.”

“Yes, our mission is important but so are the people we meet along the way,” Joker insisted. “We can complete our mission and still be compassionate. I owe Charli so much, my life even. If she hadn’t done what she did, I wouldn’t be here.”

“And that’s just another reason for her to hate Andy,” King told them. “It brought us here and it brought Andy out into the open, then her gramps got caught in the crossfire.”

They looked up in time to see Charli heading out the back door.

Joker peeked out the window and saw her getting onto the ATV. He hurried out the door and rushed over to where she was sitting. He reached her just as she was about to turn on the motor. “Where are you going?” he asked her.

Charli looked at him and shook her head. “I need to go back to the barn and get some wood.”

Joker frowned. “What do you need wood for?”

“I need to build a box to bury grandpa in. I can’t disrespect him by not burying him. He’d want me to do that much at least and I can’t exactly call the funeral home right now can I?” Tears rolled down her face. “I want to bury him next to my grandmother, where he wants to be laid to rest.”

“Do you need some help?” Joker asked gently.

Charli nodded. “Thank you. That would help a lot.”

Joker jumped on the second ATV and they rode off together.

Truman watched them from the window and after they left, he joined his other brothers in the kitchen. “Where the hell did Charli and Joker go?”

“Damned if I know,” King grumbled. “They didn’t exactly tell us before they left.”

“Well, fuck,” he muttered. “How are we supposed to keep her safe if we don’t know where she’s at?”

“I’m sure Charli knows enough to stay away from Andy right now,” Jack argued. “They’ll be back as soon as they can.”

“They’d better and when they do get back. I’m gonna tell Charli she can’t go off on her own until we get through this,” Truman stated.

King snorted. “Yeah. Like that’s gonna work.”

Truman glared at him.

Then they began the wait.

Truman paced the living room while the others grinned and watched him. It was entertaining to these men, who’d never see Ace like this. He was falling for a woman, and none of them ever thought they would see the day when he would worry over a female like this.

Finally, they all heard the noise of the engines returning.

Truman stomped his way through the house. Barely containing his rage and impatience at this foolish running around the dammed county, he paused at the bottom of the steps outside and waited for the ATV’s to come to a stop… Then he bellowed, “Where the hell have you two been? Don’t you realize Andy could have picked you off and we never would have known until it was too late to help you?”

Joker got off the ATV and shook his head.

Charli ignored his insane rant and began unloading the ATV.

Joker glared at his brother and told him under his breath, “She wanted to get wood to make a box to bury her grandfather. She didn’t want to disrespect him and she didn’t think calling the funeral home would be a good idea right now.”

Truman closed his eyes and felt like shit. He stepped over to where she was untying the load. “Honey, why don’t you go tend to your grandfather? The brothers and I will do this for you.” He paused then added, “Please let us do this for Ben.”

Charli lifted her head and stared at him for a moment. Without saying a word, she dropped the rope in her hand and walked back into the cabin.

Truman shook his head and wondered just how badly he bungled this whole situation with her. He loosened the rest of the ropes and noticed the tool box attached to the trailer.

 Joker came over to where he was standing and began helping him unload the wood.

“How upset is she?” Truman asked.

“She’s hurt more than mad. She just lost her granddad and he meant the world to her.”

“I’ll bet. It has been a shock to her. When does she want to bury him?”

“Tonight, I think.” Joker seemed unsure. “Then she said she’s going hunting.”

“Hunting what?” Truman frowned as his gut tightened.

“Andy.”

Truman shook his head. “She’s gonna get herself killed.”

“I don’t think so. She’s got a plan and it might just work,” Joker admitted. “Oh, yeah?” Truman gave his brother a look. “Did she say what the plan was?”

Joker nodded and just then, their brothers joined them.

“What are we building?” Jack asked.

“A coffin,” Truman told them.

Everyone stood silent for a moment then they all reached for something and before long, they were putting together a box big enough to bury a man in.

Charli slowly pulled the towel off her grandfather. He looked at peace. Tears rolled down her face and she began bathing the blood from his cold skin. “Oh, grandpa. I’m so sorry this happened. You didn’t deserve this to happen to you,” she whispered.

Silence fell in the room as she continued to get him ready for his last trip.

“No one deserves this but I’ll be damned if he’ll get away with it. He thinks he can hide behind his dad and his dad’s goons but I’m not going to let him. I’m going to use what you taught me and teach young Andy a thing or two,” she vowed, as she had to stop what she was doing to swipe the tears from her face. “He’s going to regret being a bully and he’s going to hate me even more than he does already before this done but he will learn his damn lesson.” She touched her grandfather’s face. “I promise you that.”

She finished up bathing his body then went on to wrap him. She knew she couldn’t do the whole funeral last rites thing with him but she could bury him and that’s what she would do. She began wrapping his body in linen and just before she covered his face, she leaned over him and kissed his forehead. “I promise you, you will never be forgotten. You tell my mom and dad and grandma that I miss them every day and I will add you to my prayers. Goodbye grandpa. I love you so much.”

Then she looked up and saw Ace standing in the doorway.

“We’re ready if you are,” he told her quietly.

“It will have to be good enough for now,” she whispered. She got up and watched as Ace lifted his shrouded body and carried it down the hall to the back door. He carefully laid the old man inside the box they’d just built and then stepped back.

Joker and Jack lifted a cover on and began nailing it together. The brothers then put the box onto the trailer and tied it down.

Then Ace got on the ATV and motioned for Charli to join him.

She paused at this, unsure if she wanted to be riding with him as mad as she still was. Then she shrugged and got on. It didn’t matter. She just needed to see this done. When she got on, she looked back and saw the shovels in the trailer.

She pointed out the way to go and the boys took off.

All eight of them rode quietly to the family cemetery. It was at the top of the hill overlooking the farm. Surrounded by a wooden fence.

Charli got off the ATV and walked inside the fence then strode down the row of head stones to the last one in the row. She knelt down beside the head stone and brushed the debris away from the stone. “Well grandma, he’s probably with you in heaven by now, so this is just the last step. I’m sorry I didn’t keep him safe” She stood up and turned as she heard the sound of shovels hit the ground behind her.

The men all had shovels in their hands.

“Is this where you want to put him?” Ace asked motioning his head to the spot next to where she stood.

Charli nodded.

One by one, he and his brothers began digging the hole.

Charli stood there and watched. It wouldn’t take long with this many men digging.

Joker had come to stand next to her and she leaned into him. Then the hole was done.

The brothers carried the box over and laid it in the ground.

The first shovel full of dirt hit the box with a thud and Charli’s tears began.

When they were almost done filling in the hole, Charli reached inside her pocket and pulled out a small jack knife. Opening the blade, she ran the sharp side down her hand. She didn’t even wince, she felt so numb inside that the pain of the cut didn’t affect her at all. A line of blood welled inside her closed palm as she walked around to the headstone.

Kneeling, Charli reached up to rest her hand on the cool marble stone and bowed her head. This was the gypsy way of sending off a loved one, by leaving your blood on the grave to help to ascend your family member to the beyond. If your loved one was cheated of life, this was also a blood vow to get justice. She then lowered her hand to allow a drop to touch the fresh dirt on her grandpa’s grave.

A moment later, she opened her eyes and found eight pair of eyes looking back at her.

Charli rose up and stared back at them.

Truman noted that she left behind a stain of blood on the headstone. Remembering her Gypsy heritage, he wondered if she had just made some sort of blood vow or something to that effect.

Then Charli dusted off her knees leaving a blood stain on them as well and taking in the brothers all standing around, she spoke, “Well boys, what do you have in mind for Andy? Because if you don’t have a plan then I do.”

“And what kind of plan do you have in mind?” King wanted to know.

She stared at him. “I think we need to show Big Timber and Braaken’s Ridge just what kind of men these cheating Chapman’s really are. We need to expose their dealings and Andy’s drug trade. We need to bring what’s going on here to the notice of the cops and not the cops taking payoffs to keep the secrets either.”

“That would put us under the cop’s scrutiny as well and we can’t have that,” King warned.

She stared at him with no emotion on her face. “You and your brothers are free to leave anytime you want. There is nothing holding you here. You came here looking for Joker and now you found him. You asked me for my plan and that’s what I plan to do. I thank you for your help to bury my grandpa, but otherwise, you are free to go on your merry way.”

King shook his head.

“He’ll kill you before you even get started,” Joker told her worriedly.

She gave him a sad smile. “He’ll try. But he has to find me first. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve and I have a plan. Ben taught me a lot of things growing up and now, I’ll get the chance to use what he taught me. I’m going to topple his little empire along with his dad’s. I’m not going to kill either of them, as that is what they would do. I am not like them, but I will make sure they wish for death in the end.”

The brothers all stared at her.

She looked over at Ace and locked gazes with him. “We all have to live with rules, fair rules for everyone, not one set for the everyday people and another for the wealthy people. One set for everyone. Oliver Chapman and his son are going to find that out the hard way. Token gave me enough information on Andy’s operations to show him the errors of his ways and I’m going to do just that. Starting tonight.”

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