River of Styx

Prologue

      They'd grown up together.  Taken very different paths in life.  And yet none of it had mattered.  Luther Cole had been his best friend and now he was gone. 

     Twenty eight years ago Luther had purchased the River of Styx property sight unseen.  The man had sank every cent he had into the roadside bar, motel and gas bar.  A fool's dream Manix had though and still did.  But leave it to Luther, he'd made the place in the middle a butt fuck nowhere work.  In part due to his tenants The Dark Angel MC. 

     Over the years Manix had done some work for the club so it wasn't like he was going in blind now. Still what he was about to tell them wasn't going to make them happy.  Parking his rental car out front Manix to saw the open sign lit up.  Knew that the club had kept things running when Luther got to sick and since his death four weeks ago.  

       The River of Styx was mostly deserted when he entered finding only a couple of club girls cleaning up.  Maxim refused to call them anything else. 

     " You lost sweetheart?" An older women called out as she came from the back arms loaded with a case of beer. 

      " Here to see Heckler.  Tell him Manix's is here" was all he offered as he took a seat in one of the cleaned booths. 

      " Lacy get the man a drink while I call over" she ordered then disappeared into the back again.  When the girl looked his way Manix  questioned how old Lacy really was.  Girl didn't look more than seventeen, eighteen tops.  "Nothing for now" he told her before taking what he needed out of his briefcase. 

        The girls continued to clean as the next twenty minutes passed and he check his emails.  His hope being that Luther's daughter had responded to his most recent email.  A women who'd taken months to locate and wasn't going by her birth name.  Another mess he was having to clean up to settle his friends affairs.   Last they'd talked she'd wanted everything closed down.  He'd talked her into keeping it open until she decided what she planned to do. 

       Just as Heckler came in with a handful of members his phone pinged a notification.  Seeing it was from her Manix opened it and quickly read it as Rugger filled the other side of the booth.  Then reread it when the words didn't want to sink in. 

     "Whisky please Lacy" he called out setting the phone aside and finally looking up at the mc's president.  "Make it two" Rugger called out after meeting Manix's  eyes. 

From his years of friendship Manix knew that Rugger's legal name was Austin O'Reilly. Second son of the former club president. His rise in the club had seen the end to the violence that had killed both his parents and older brother seven years before. Luther even being only in his mid 50's had been one of the few old men on club property. And the club's executive were all under thirty-five.

Luther had treated them all like family and Manix had never understood the connection. Why he'd chosen to lease them land even when Austin's father was leading the club in a dark direction. Only when he was dying did Luther confess the reason. And that reason was his daughter.

      " I expect this visit is in regards to Luther's will.  The clubs prepared to pay asking price to his ex.  That's who inherits correct?" The man questioned and Manix wished it was that easy.  Candice was a bitch but she would have jumped at the payday.  Her daughter on the other hand had just played a hand he hadn't seen coming.

        "Luther has a daughter.  His will left everything to her." Manix informed as the girl delivered their drinks before disappearing with the other women. 
" She's 28 and living in Chicago.  Emailed me just now to say she will not be putting it up for sale.  She intends to honour the clubs lease but will be taking over management and ownership of the bar.  Which is not a part of your lease and within her rights to do so." He added before handing over a copy of the lease and Luther's will.  It was very clear he didn't like that answer.