Smoking Aces: Revenge is King's

Chapter 9

King

Having calls to make and some business to discuss, I told Bonnie I was heading inside but she was adamant about staying outside and getting more practice. She took to her lessons like a fish to water and the look on her face told me that this was something she needed. I watched her from the window as she eyed her target with determination on her face, biting her lip in concentration each time before firing.

"Girl's a natural." Reaper said from behind me.

I nodded. "Yeah, she is. Where's Vicki?"

"Said she got a few meal ideas she wanted to jot down for her business. Hard at work."

"That's what's up." I said continuing to watch Bonnie.

Reaper stood next to me, watching Bonnie shoot the target directly in the heart.

"Seems like she's preparing for someone."

"That Puppeteer bastard won't get his hands on her, I won't let that shit happen."

"We won't. That's not who she's picturing though. Heard her at the table?" Reaper asked as we both watched her hit the target in the head this time.

He was referring to what Bonnie said about not wanting to stop living because someone was out to hurt her again. The minute she said it, my mind zeroed on the part of that sentence where she said she wouldn't go back to that kind of life. I instantly wanted to know the name of the son of bitch responsible for putting that fear in her eyes. Of course, I wasn't going to put her on the spot by asking her right then and there but it never left my brain. The thought of someone trying to hurt her made my blood curdle. Why did bad things always happen to good people? My father Smoke, my brother Prince... Bonnie. Life was so fucking backwards.

"Yeah, I peeped that. Don't worry, I will get to the bottom of it." I said finally looking away from the window at him. "Where are we with the address?"

"Bullet hasn't called yet, guess he's still looking. You do know eventually you're going to have to bring some of this to Ace right?" he asked and I scoffed. "Best way to find a traitor is to give him enough rope to hang himself with."

"I know and I don't want to start a division in the club either. I just need to figure out what information I'm willing to hand over to him first."

"Say Ace is the traitor... then what?"

"He dies... slowly." I said

"Given. I meant for the club. Since you've been back shit has been stirring, lot of brothers wondering if your aiming for that seat at the head of the table. Question is if you had the opportunity to take the gavel... would you?"

Before I could answer my phone rang, it was Bullet calling. I picked it up hoping he would have some good news to tell me. Although I was making progress, I still felt like I was way behind in this investigation.

"Bullet, what you got for me?" I answered downing a shot of whiskey.

"Yeah that address is a cabin located thirty miles from here. It's secluded... nothing around for miles except an abandoned gas station. Also I looked into that phone you gave me... couldn't get much off of it besides a few deleted texts but I'm still working on it. The phone sending the messages is no longer on the grid so they must have gotten rid of it but I did get it's last known location..." he said pausing for a moment.

"And?"

"King... it came from the same area as the clubhouse. You were right man."

It's one thing to have your suspicions but it was a whole new ball game when those suspicions were confirmed. My brother was betrayed by one of our own... someone who was supposed to have his back. More and more, one word kept flashing in my head. Ace! The glass I was holding shattered in my hand and I looked down at the deep cut on my hand, I hadn't realized until now that I had been squeezing it so hard.