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

of the Rattlers himself.   It must have shown in his face.

    “Calm down, sonny.   Everything’s OK.”

    “The hell it is.   This is going to stop.   When do they come around to collect?”

    They’ll be here in two days.   Always come right at eleven in the morning.”

    “You’re not paying them another cent.   We are going to take care of this, Al.   I promise that.”

    He quickly finished his coffee and took his remaining doughnut with him out the door.   He hopped onto his bike, but he wasn’t riding for more than a minute before he saw blue and red lights flashing in his mirror.   He pulled to the side of the road and the cop pulled in close behind him.   The officer didn’t get out of his car right away, instead making Mercer wait on him for several minutes.

    When he finally did emerge, Mercer saw it was a young cop. Mercer didn’t recognize him.  

    “Dismount from the motorcycle,” said the officer.   His nametag said his last name was Ames.

    Mercer did so and stood in front of the man.

    “Do you know why I pulled you over?”

    “No,” said Mercer honestly.   He wasn’t speeding and all his tags were up to date.

    The officer pulled his arm back quickly and sucker-punched Mercer in the stomach.   Mercer dropped to one knee, grabbing the bike for support, trying to catch his breath.   Ames pulled his foot back and planted his boot in Mercer’s ribs.

    “What the fuck,” gasped Mercer through shallow breaths.

    “Get on your feet, you rat motherfucker.”

    Ames grabbed Mercer’s leather cut and pulled him up.   On his feet, Mercer still hunched over slightly from the blow.

    “What the hell?” said Mercer.

    Ames grabbed his billy club. “Shut the fuck up before I whip the living shit out of you.”

    Mercer did as he was told.   There was real hatred in the man’s eyes.   Mercer thought he looked capable of beating a man senseless, maybe even killing someone.  

    “Look here.   You motorcycle assholes may’ve had a good thing going in the past, but those days are over.   There’s new laws in this town.   Motorcycle gangs have been outlawed.”

    “I’m not in a gang.   I’m in a club of gentlemen who like to spend their free time riding motorcycles.”

    The officer hit Mercer in the stomach with the butt of his club.   This time, he was able to stay on his feet.

    “Any identifying markers that align a motorcycle rider with any club affiliation are prohibited within city limits.”  

    The officer gestured to Mercer’s leather cut.

    “I’ll take if off as soon as I get where I’m going.”

    “You will remove it this goddamn second or I will throw your ass in lockup and you will rot there.   Do I make myself clear?”

    Mercer held his ground for several seconds, but when the officer made a move for his gun, he took off the leather vest with the Black Ice insignia on the back.   The officer yanked it from his hands.

    “Hey, you can’t do that,” protested Mercer.   “I took it off.   You can’t just take it.”

    “Stop me,” said Ames, walking back to his car.  

    Mercer got on his bike and took off, not caring that he was blowing past the speed limit.   All the excitement he’d felt that morning was replaced by pure anger.   A lot had changed in Rawlins since he had left, and none of it for the better.

    ***

    “I tried to warn you, kid.   The shit has hit the fan in this town.”

    Mercer leaned up against the counter.   Doc was varnishing a large piece of wood that would eventually serve as the table in the club meeting room.   He put down his brush and took a drink of beer, despite it only being ten in the morning.

    “Yeah, you did.   I guess I wasn’t listening.   What about not wearing our cuts in town?   You didn’t say anything about that.”

    Doc took another drink of beer.   “That’s a new one on me.   I’ll call my buddy down at the courthouse and find out if that cop was just screwing with