Crash (Black Ice MC Novella Book 2) Read Online Free

sleep.

    “Cruz.   Why do you think he’s an asshole?”

    “I don’t know.   I don’t really know him, it’s just that I’ve worked my whole life for what I had.   I ran the bar back home, and before that, I was putting in sixty hours a week waiting tables.   I’ve always worked as hard as I could, and I don’t respect people who just take it.   The stories he was telling about stealing bothered me.   He just screwed that diner owner out of money.   And did that kid at the gas station lose his job over the missing money?”

    “I never thought of it that way,” mused Mercer.   He kissed the top of her head.   “This is why I’m really happy you’re here with me.   I need you to be my conscience.”

    She lifted her head and they kissed.  

    “I’m always going to be here for you.”

    They kissed again.   Danni fell asleep, wondering if what Mercer said was true.





Mercer was up early the next morning, unable to sleep.   Not from anxiety or fear, but out of excitement.   He was back in Rawlins, rebuilding Black Ice into something great again.   Not that bastardized version that Tank had created, maybe not even what Henry, the original president, had done.   Mercer was going to take Hank’s original idea and build on it.   Mercer would take the values and ideals and update everything.

    Danni was still asleep, and he wanted to let her sleep as long as she needed, so he kissed her lightly on the head and slipped out the door.   He knew it had been a rough trip on her.   As much as she said she wanted a fresh start in a new place, Danni had only lived in Calumet, and it was going to take a while before she settled down.

    The morning was cold, but the sun was shining as Mercer rode through town.   He wanted to get to the clubhouse soon, but there was something he hadn’t had a chance to do since getting back, and that was stopping by Al’s.

    Al’s was the best doughnut shop Mercer had ever been to.   The selection and quality couldn’t be found anywhere else, and it was always warm inside, with the smell of sugar and fresh coffee.  

    He walked in, and the bright yellow walls welcomed him as he saddled up to the counter.

    “Two chocolate glazed and a plain.   And hurry the hell up.”

    Al was pouring coffee to another customer and looked over, very annoyed, until he saw it was Mercer.   The old man’s face lit up. He came right over and poured a cup for Mercer.

    “You are a damn sight to see, sonny.”

    “How you doing, Al?”

    A smile came across Al’s wrinkled face.  

    “Can’t complain.   When did you get back?   I thought you were gone for good after what happened.”

    Mercer took a drink of his coffee as Al got the doughnuts from the display case.

    “You heard about that?”

    “You know all the gossip runs through here anyway.   This place is like a line of old ladies spreading news.   You back for good?”

    “I am.   How’re things in town?   I heard the police aren’t too friendly to MCs these days.”

    Al shook his head.   “It’s been rough around here.   What the big fella did to your club, it hurt a lot of people.   Might seem strange, but we come to rely on the club.   Then it changed, and things got bad.   Then all you went away, and things got even worse.”

    “What do you mean, Al?’

    “Some punks, young kids calling themselves the Rattlers, they come into town like they own the damn place.   Start making demands, saying we owe them protection money.   We tell them we ain’t paying.   Next thing we know, the garage over on Third Street, the one Jared Smith owns, handed to him by his daddy, it burns to the ground.   Whole damn thing went up.   Investigators said it was started on purpose so the insurance company isn’t paying out a goddamn dime.   So the rest of us, we start paying.”

    Mercer felt the anger rise from his neck into his head.   He had to stop himself from jumping up from the counter and taking on all