Page 8 of Paco
Chapter Three
The encroaching darknessbrought the cold air swirling around Paco, pushing away every lick of warmth it could. Tucking his chin downward, he tugged his jacket tighter around him as he walked toward the clubhouse. Beneath his boots, the ground was slick with ice, and the wind whipped his loose hair about his face, bringing soft pellets of water. He quickened his pace, reaching the front door before the storm hit. A clap of thunder echoed above as he entered the toasty main room.
Glancing at the bar, he saw Steel and Roughneck talking, a bottle of beer in each of their hands. If the president of the Fallen Slayers was there, then something was wrong in Silverado.
“Hey, dude. You’re back. How’s Kendra?” Goldie asked.
“Good. She had another boy. What’s Roughneck doing here?” Paco replied.
“He and Brick came by this morning. Seems like they’re having trouble with the little shits in Silverado. These punk gangs are nothing but a pain in the ass. I heard you got caught in the storm a few days ago.”
“Yeah. It was fucking brutal. I’ve been back a couple of days. You been keeping busy with the tattoo shop and Hailey?” Paco motioned to the prospect for a double shot of whiskey.
Goldie laughed. “Yeah. Having an old lady keeps you busier than hell.”
Another clash of thunder and then the sound of rain hammering the roof, beating at the windows, and bouncing off every hard surface.
Steel turned around and jerked his head at Paco. “You got back from the store just in time.”
“I must be a fucking magnet for the rain.” He took the whiskey Patches handed him and took a long drink. “How’re things in your neck of the woods?” he asked Roughneck.
Brick came over and leaned against the bar next to Roughneck. The president shook his head. “Not so good. I was just telling Steel about the trouble we’re having with that punk gang, the West Avenue Bandits.”
“You got your arsenal stocked, didn’t you? I remember we put you in touch with Liam.” Paco took another gulp.
“We got the guns, but the problem is they’re building up their fuckin’ gun stock. They’re getting their shit from the Los Malos Gang out of Pueblo. We heard they’re working with the Satan’s Pistons.” Roughneck popped a few spicy peanuts in his mouth.
“How in the fuck do the Pistons have any clout right now? We took them out pretty damn good.” Paco motioned for another round of drinks.
“They’re buying the guns after the idiots give them the money. The punks are so stupid they don’t even know the Pistons are ripping them off,” Steel said.
“How’re they getting their money?” Diablo asked as he came up to the bar.
“They’ve set up shop and are dealing in drugs and women. They just opened a new strip bar. We’ve heard rumblings about them wanting to expand their territory and dip into Alina and the rest of the county.”
“No way that shit’s gonna happen,” Paco said, slamming his fist on the counter.
“That’s for fucking sure,” Steel added.
“We’ll chase their asses outta here like we did the Skull Crushers and Satan’s Pistons.” Diablo crossed his arms.
“That’s the way we feel too, but we don’t have the numbers to fight them the way we’d like,” Brick said.
“These sonsofbitches are actively recruiting from around the county. We’ve got the experience, but these wannabes are increasing in numbers. They just react without thinking or strategizing. We may need your help, but for now we’ll see what they’re going to do.” Roughneck picked up his beer.
“We wanna see if they’re full of shit or are a real threat,” Brick added.
Steel shook his head. “They’re going to take over Silverado if you don’t do something. You need to show them you’re not putting up with their bullshit. If you wait around, they’ll think they can do what the fuck they want.”
“I’m with Steel,” Paco said. “You need to come up with a plan, and then either take them out or run them out of the county.” Diablo nodded in agreement.
Roughneck ran his hand over his face. “We don’t have enough brothers to go head-to-head with them.”
“We’ll jump in,” Steel said.
“Okay. Why don’t you guys come to Silverado next weekend and check it out? We can update you then,” Roughneck said.
“They gotta be stopped. If they get a stronghold in Silverado, then we’ll have a damn mess on our hands. And the West Avenue Bandits need to stick to stealing and shit. We need to show them we don’t want them involved in our county, or yours, even if it’s only indirectly.” Paco gritted his teeth. If he had it his way, he’d get a group of them together, ride to Silverado, and blow the assholes straight to Hell.
