Page 23 of Falcon

“Then what’s with the cold shoulder?”

“I’m fuckin’ pissed you came straight for us. See, De Janeiro updated me on Smith’s extra-curricular activities. Despite numerous other suspects, you came for Rage first. That’s what I didn’t like.”

“I did that to rule the club out immediately,” Cates stated.

“Yeah? That backfired, didn’t it? You hear what was said to my old lady and several others in the Bath and Body Shop. How our old ladies got kicked out because of their criminal husbands, and that bitch tried to embarrass them? Well, that went wrong because Natalie at Moon Showers made a killing. Seven thousand, wasn’t it our women spent?”

“Yeah, Natalie was telling everyone in the bar that night.” Cates smiled. “Jess was furious at losing that much money.”

“Then Jess shouldn’t have been such a judgemental cunt.”

“I don’t disagree, and I’ve spoken to Jess and made it very clear how wrong she was,” Cates stated.

“Ain’t no skin off my nose, Sheriff, nor my old lady’s. Bitch showed her true colours to our faces; now she’s paying for that disrespect. If you don’t mind, we’ve got a meeting,” Calamity said.

Cates looked conflicted, but nodded and stepped away.

I smirked at the nosy onlookers who’d been watching closely. Calamity had just used Cates to send a message. Shit on us and there’d be repercussions.

We entered Aurora-Victoria’s shop and caught the eye of her assistant.

“Aurora-Victoria and Klutz are in the rear,” she said, nodding to a curtain that covered the back rooms. One functioned as an office, another served as a reading room, and the third held stock. A basement featured stairs and a small elevator used for moving goods. We headed for the reading room, but Klutz stepped out of the office.

“In here.”

I changed direction and followed Calamity through the door. Aurora-Victoria sat in her chair, looking pale.

“You okay?” I inquired, concerned.

“Yes, it was a big vision,” Aurora-Victoria replied as she sipped a cup of tea.

“Did you catch it?” Calamity asked.

“Jenna did,” Klutz referred to Aurora-Victoria’s assistant.

“Wanna tell us?” I demanded, and Aurora-Victoria nodded.

“A fire’s coming. It’s huge and will happen in town. This is imminent, Calamity,” Aurora-Victoria said, worried.

“How soon?” Calamity inquired.

“Two to three days.”

“Shit, any idea where?”

“I saw flames in the sky, several buildings burning, chaos, people running scared and screaming for loved ones. But I couldn’t tell you what was alight, but if you guys don’t answer, it’s going to be awful, and there’ll be deaths.” Aurora-Victoria looked guilty as if it were her fault.

“Okay. Put the club on alert, Falcon,” Calamity said.

“Will do.” I moved aside and sent out a text to the group chat all brothers were in, and did the same in the second one, which included prospects.

I began receiving affirmatives almost immediately. Those of us from the National Chapter had received search-and-rescue training. Calamity had insisted those who joined us were also the same. We were then available to help the county and state if we were ever needed. We wouldn’t sit by and wring our hands during a disaster; no, we got in and got messy. A twinge made me wince, and Klutz looked toward me.

“Pain?”

“Shoulder’s throbbing. I carried a young boy home two days ago. He was injured. I think it’s put pressure on the wound.”

Suddenly, three pairs of interested eyes gazed at me.