Warlords MC – The Complete Series
Warlords MC: Book 1 – Ace (Truman) : Chapter 2

Three weeks later...

It was a late afternoon when Charli heard the sounds of motorcycles pulling into the parking lot. She pushed off the table she was wiping down and looked toward the lot. Her eyes widened at the sight of seven cycles as they parked and all seven men stood up. They were all very big guys, tall and broad as they all wore the same jacket Joker did. Long and black and it ended mid calf.

The diner was almost empty and the few remaining patrons hurried to pay their bills and left through the other door. They didn’t seem to want to stick around while these men were there. This left Charli alone in the diner with Louis finally back from his long vacation in the kitchen.

Charli’s heart was pounding in her chest as the door opened and seven giants walked in. She stared as they all sat down at one table. It was in the middle of the serving area and meant for bigger crowds.

Charli figured they were a bigger crowd for sure. She moved slowly to grab seven glasses of water and seven menus from her station. Putting them all on a tray, she walked slowly over to the table. As she handed everything out, she didn’t look at the men at all.

Breathing deeply, she caught the scent of leather and diesel and something she could only describe as freedom. Shaking her head, she told herself not to be so daft. Freedom didn’t have a scent.

“Do any of you know what you’d like to drink?” she asked politely.

“I’ll have coffee,” the biggest of all of them said.

Charli turned to look at him and was shocked by his gaze. He was staring back at her and his eyes were narrowed but his stare froze her in place.

She studied him as much as he studied her. His long brown hair was pulled back to the base of his neck, his features were harsh and unyielding, his eyes were narrowed but she could see the color of his irises. They were hazel leaning toward the darker green. At the moment, they were cold as ice and maybe a little bit sad, or hurt?

Her gaze slid down to his chest and she read the name embroidered there. Ace. Her eyes widened as she looked around the table. King, Jack, Deuce, Storm, Jasper and Bullseye. Everyone was here. Charli swallowed hard.

Joker’s brothers had arrived, just like he said they would.

Again, she wouldn’t look at their faces as each one of them told her what they wanted to drink. When she turned to leave, one of them grabbed her wrist. She stopped and turned slowly to look at the other man. It was Jack. He cocked his head and studied her for a moment before he smiled and asked if he could change his drink from Coke to a cup of coffee.

Charli nodded and turned to leave again. She got two steps away when Ace got to his feet. He cleared his throat and Charli turned to point him down the hall. When he passed her, the difference between them was very apparent. He was every bit six foot eight inches tall and Charli was barely five foot six. She hustled out of his way and went over to the waitress station. Busying herself with filling their orders, she had to wonder how she would pass along Joker’s last message without making herself a target of their vengeance. Cause that was the look they all wore.. Vengeance.

She pulled the necklace out of her uniform and held it for a moment before she tucked it down again. She missed tucking it all the way down as she lifted the tray and hustled back to the table.

Ace was back and seated at the head of the table.

Her hands shook as she passed around the drinks. Being on the short side, she had to reach. One of the men cleared his throat and when Charli looked up, she caught him staring at Ace.

It was King and he ran his hand around the back of his neck.

Charli looked over at Ace but he was staring at his brother. When she moved closer to him to put his coffee in front of him, his hand shot out and grabbed her upper arm.

Charli struggled to get free of his grasp but he simply held her seemingly without effort. “Please let me go. What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded in a low voice.

“What’s your name sweetheart?” Ace growled as he studied her features up close.

She was a small woman and younger than he was, he was sure about that much. Her long dark hair was pulled back and hung down to her waist in a braid as thick as his wrist. He wondered what it would look like loose and covering her bare body. Her eyes were the color of amber and right now, they looked like they were on fire. Peeking down the front of her uniform, he could make out the shape of her breasts and he knew they would fit the curve of his huge hands nicely.

Then before he could make out what was hanging around her neck, she pulled back as much as she could.

“My name is none of your business and I’m not your sweetheart so stop calling me that.” She growled. “Please let me go and mind your manners while you’re here.”

Laughter burst out all around the table and even Ace chuckled. “You are a firecracker aren’t you?” He quipped. He drew her in closer and whispered in her ear, “I don’t mind a bit of fire but watch your mouth little girl, you aren’t woman enough to take me on and win.”

“Go to hell.” She growled as she jerked away from him. “Now is that all you guys want? Or do you need a minute to look at the menu?”

“Give us a minute darling,” the one called King replied in a deep low voice.

The cute but fierce little waitress turned around and stomped away from the table.

Ace immediately looked over at his brother and growled, “What? What did you see that I missed?”

“The chain around her neck is what you missed brother.” King shook his head. “It looks a lot like the one you wear and I wear… hell, the same as we all wear.”

Ace snapped his eyes over to the girl standing behind the counter of the diner. He hadn’t noticed the braided leather chain around her neck but he called her over to the table again. The closer she got the more detail he took in of her appearance. And he got a look at her name tag. Charli… Cute name for a dammed cute female. He smirked.

He took note of her small stature and while she was small, she was one hundred percent woman. Even in the ugly uniform top she was wearing. Her jeans clung to her wide hips and rounded ass.

This time, she cautiously kept her distance and asked, “Can I take your order?”

“I’ll have a steak, medium rare with fries,” Ace replied as he continued to stare at her.

Charli nodded and began writing down orders. When she finished, she collected the menus and went to the kitchen. When she returned, she saw another vehicle pull into the parking lot. She groaned and prayed he would turn around and go home. This was the first time Andy had returned since he stabbed Joker but she’d felt him watching her off and on over the last three weeks.

He’d been trying to freak her out and as much as she hated to admit it, his plan was working. Then she looked over at the big table and found not just Ace staring at her but King and Jack were as well.

She looked away and watched with a sinking heart as Andy got out of his vehicle and came in to the diner.

He ignored the men at the table and took a booth far enough away, so he knew they wouldn’t pay him any mind.

As Charli was the only waitress on duty at the moment she grabbed a glass of water and made her way over to his booth. The dumbass would deserve getting caught. She just didn’t want Louis’ diner torn up or she would’ve outted the fool right here. He so deserved it anyhow. When she approached the booth she whispered, “Are you fucking crazy or what?” she hissed at him.

Andy just smiled. “I don’t figure I got anything to lose. You aren’t gonna talk about what happened that night. You value your grandfather’s life and your own too much to squeal like a pig to anyone.”

Charli just glared at him. Then she realized something about Andy. “It doesn’t bother you a bit that you killed a man does it? You just don’t care do you?” She hadn’t and wouldn’t let on about Joker being alive. No way. She would allow this fool to think he’d killed him.

Andy shrugged. “Not really. He isn’t the first man nor will he be the last one to die under my blade.”

“You are just plain evil aren’t you?” she whispered in shock as she felt sick to her stomach.

Andy reached out, grabbed her by her braid and pulled her in close to him, tightening his hold on her until she wanted to scream. He growled at her then crushed her lips with his own.

She fought to get loose, as she felt sick to her stomach even more at his slimy mouth on hers.

Finally, he let her mouth go. “Yeah, I may be evil but you just remember that, you fat ass slug. I can and will get to you anytime I feel I can no longer trust you. And I won’t mind cutting into you.”

Charli glared at him then wiped the slobber from her face. “If you ever touch me again, I’ll bash your balls into your belly.” She growled then she spit in his face.

“You fucking bitch!” Andy snarled as he wiped away her saliva from his chin.

“You better run while you still can Andy,” Charli mocked him. “You really think you can take them on the same way you took Joker on? You’re minus your gang of friends to help you now, aren’t you?”

“Your mouth is gonna get you or your grandfather hurt, you know that right?” He glared at her.

Charli leaned close to him. “You touch my grandfather and I will fucking kill you and bury your ass in the south forty. Plus, everyone will know what you did here three weeks ago. I’ve got you on tape doing the deed and if anything happens to me or my grandfather, the evidence goes directly to the FBI.”

Andy didn’t bat an eye at her announcement. It was clear he didn’t believe her.

 But Charli wasn’t kidding. It might only ever be this moment in time that she got the better of him but it was enough. Andy had bullied her for years and this moment was payback for some of the pain he’d caused her.

Ace watched the exchange and almost got to his feet when the other man pulled her close. He curled his fingers into a tight fist when the creep had kissed her, but then relaxed when she spat in his face. When she turned and began walking away, he got a good look at the braided chain she wore around her neck. It was the same as he and his brothers wore. He couldn’t help wonder what that meant, Joker wouldn’t just give it away. His eyes narrowed as he watched her walk back to the kitchen.

He turned and saw the other man glaring at him and he glared back. Finally, after a few tense moments the other man got up and walked out of the diner.

Ace watched him as he got into his vehicle and backed out. Gunning the engine, he roared out of the parking lot almost causing an accident when he pulled out onto the main road.

He turned his head slowly back to his brothers and shrugged.

A few minutes later, Charli began hauling full plates out of the kitchen. One by one, she set the plates in front of the brothers at the big table. She served Ace last. When she did, she slipped something into his hand and walked away quickly.

Ace watched her disappear into the kitchen again, before he looked at what she’d given him.

It was Joker’s necklace. He caught his breath and gazed at the thinly braided leather chain and the tiny piece of metal that was once a bullet. A bullet he himself carried in his body when he was shot in Iraq. A bullet that almost took his life.

He had given his youngest brother a piece of the metal as a reminder of what waited for those who fucked up and didn’t follow the rules. He always told Joker that rules were there for a reason and he’d better learn to follow them before he caught a bullet of his own.

He looked up and gazed at the men around the table then held up the necklace they knew belonged to their own brother. Ace got to his feet and lifted his end of the table and with a mighty roar, he flipped the table on its end.

Glasses and cups flew in all directions and smashed on the floor. The men had wisely grabbed their plates and held onto them as they scrambled to get out of the way. Ace didn’t often lose his temper but when he did, it wasn’t good.

Jack put his plate down on the next table over then got to his feet and rushed for the kitchen. He got through the door only to find the cook cowering in the corner.

“Where did she go?” he snarled at the frightened man.

The man pointed toward the back door. “She left.”

By this time all seven men crowded into the small kitchen and the poor cook swallowed hard.

Jack turned to his brothers and told them, “She ducked out the back way.”

Ace turned to the cook and asked, “What is her name and where can I find her?”

The man was shaking at the rage in the other man’s eyes. He tried to speak but no sound came from his throat. He swallowed again and tried to speak, “Her name is Charli Bennett and she lives out on Braaken Farms. About three miles north of town.

Ace reached inside his pocket and pulled out some cash. He tossed the cook a few hundred dollar bills. “We pay our way.” He growled. He looked back at his brothers. “It’s time to get some answers. Let’s ride.”

Five minutes later, the silence was shattered by the roar of motorcycles as they revved their engines and tore out of the parking lot.

Charli pulled her truck up to the house she shared with her grandfather, turned off the engine and rushed inside. “Grandpa, where are you?’ she screamed as she rushed into the kitchen.

Ben Braaken looked up startled from the paper he was reading at the kitchen table. “What’s the matter girl? Why are you yelling at me? I’m right here.”

“Cuz, we got to go,” she told him as she tried to get the old man to his feet.

“Why do we have to go and where are we going?” Ben stalled as he got to his feet slowly.

“Trouble is coming to Braaken Ridge and all hell’s about to break out, that’s why.” She grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to steer him to the front door. “We need to get out of the way for a while, that’s all.”

“No child.” Ben shook his head. “You know I’ll never leave this land, not alive anyways. I will not run and you know why.”

Charli shook her head. “Oh grandpa, I never meant for this to happen. I promise you I never meant to.” She felt her tears running down her cheeks as she looked at the old man who meant the world to her. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I can’t lose you too. If I do, I’ll be all alone in the world and I don’t think I could bear that.”

“Where am I going girl?” Ben lifted his hand to her cheek. “Does this have anything to do with what happened to you three weeks ago?”

“It has everything to do with that night,” she admitted. “How did you know something happened?

“I know you girl. You’ve been spending a lot of time out in that barn and that’s never a good sign. If you run now, you’ll be running the rest of your life. Whoever is after you will hunt you down until they catch you and then you might not get the chance to tell them what happened.” He shook his head. “No it’s always best to face them now.”

Charli swallowed hard and nodded. She’d known he wouldn’t go and she couldn’t leave him behind. But she had to at least try. “Ok, I won’t run. Best get some food out though, I don’t think these guys ate at the diner.”

Ben paused and stared at her. “Guys?”

She nodded as she was still in full panic mode and wrung her hands while looking around.

Ben sighed then shuffled back over to the table and sat down. “Well, I made a big batch of chili today. These old bones been aching something fierce the last couple of days. It’s too late for snow, so we got rain coming. Hot soup on a rainy night will feel good.”

Charli shook her head as he acted calm as could be when she just informed him of their impending visitors. She went over to the fridge and got the big pot of chili out, setting it on the burner she turned the heat on under it. Then she reached for a loaf of bread and laid it out of the table along with the ham and cheese they had in the fridge. Then she made another pot of coffee and got nine cups down. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Serving those men chili in her home? Was she crazy?

Just as she finished stirring the chili, she heard the sounds of motorcycles turning off the main road. She shut the heat off and went to stand next to her grandfather.

 Ben peered out the window. “You said guys, baby girl. You didn’t tell me they were fucking giants!”

Charli shook her head at his comment and released a breath as the giants all stalked to their door.

They both waited in silence for hell to come to them.

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