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Other chapters tried to rise and take Upland’s place, Vegas included. The close relationship Raze had built with the Vegas president, Ace, had fizzled over the last year as our clubhouse was being rebuilt. Calls went unanswered, which is why I found myself heading in their direction.
I’d been lost without a purpose for the last several months. With the dark shit behind us and a new history being written for our chapter, I found myself adrift, lost in the peaceful calm Raze was trying to foster.
As I approach the Vegas border, the sun begins to set, casting a beautiful pink and orange hue across the landscape. The air is cool, and I feel a sense of anticipation as I ride closer to the Vegas chapter. The city’s neon lights come into view, and I know I’m approaching my destination.
As I pull up to the clubhouse, I notice the gate is open. It’s unusual for a club to leave its gates open, but I decide to take a chance and ride in. The clubhouse looks like any other biker hangout—a large building with the club’s emblem painted on a banner hanging from the roof. There are a few bikes parked outside, but other than that, the place seems eerily quiet.
I walk toward the entrance cautiously, unsure of what to expect. Suddenly, the door swings open, and I’m met with a powerful grip on my shoulder. Without hesitation, I spin around to face my attacker, only to come face to face with Ace, the Vegas president.
“Who the hell are you?” Ace growls, his eyes scanning me up and down.
“Thor. Mother chapter,” I respond evenly, refusing to show any sign of fear.
Ace seems to relax slightly, but the grip on my shoulder doesn’t ease up. “I see Raze can’t be bothered to show up himself. Instead, he sends you. Are you even an officer?”
I point to the patch on my cut—the emblem of my status within the mother chapter.
“Road captain, eh? Surprised he didn’t send Ratchet.”
“He’s next,” I threaten, my tone clear and concise. Raze warned me Ace would test me at every turn. He’d been Vegas’ president since it was formed. Cracking him wouldn’t be easy. Something was going on in Vegas, and I am here to get to the bottom of exactly what that is.
“Might as well come in,” he says gruffly, leading me into the clubhouse.
The inside is dimly lit, the only light coming from the small lamps on the tables and the neon signs on the wall. A few chapter members are scattered around the room, nursing beers and eyeing me warily as I enter.
“Get him a drink,” Ace barks at one of the members, who scurries off to the bar. Ace motions for me to follow him to a small table in the corner of the room. We sit across from each other, and he leans in, his eyes on mine.
“You know why I’m here,” I say, trying to cut through the tension in the air.
“You’re here to see if we’re planning a hostile takeover of your chapter,” Ace says bluntly. “Well, I’ll save you the trouble. We’re not.”
“Then what’s going on here?” I ask, leaning forward. “Why the radio silence from you guys?”
Ace hesitates, then leans back in his chair. “Raze’s decision to go straight. Can’t say I agree with turning our back on the club’s history to play happy family. It might work for your chapter, but the rest of us have deals in places we have to honor.”
“What kind of deals?”
“None that concern you or your chapter, pup.” He takes a drag off his beer. “I think it’s best if you and your club president walk away. We wouldn’t want to soil that new, squeaky clean reputation that prospect of yours bought you, now would we?”
“That so?” I ask, my voice low.
Ace shakes his head. “We didn’t need your chapter before, and we don’t now.”
I lean back in my chair and rub my chin, deep in thought. “Raze feels differently about that.”
“He can take his differences of opinions and shove them up his ass for all I care.”
I can see a flicker of something in Ace’s eye before he quickly masks it. He’s hiding something from me. Whether it’s a plan to take over the mother chapter or something else, I’m determined to find out.
“His opinions are worth more than that. You know it, and I know it.”
“Money is worth more than his word these days. The deal we have in place will leave us sitting pretty for years to come. You don’t turn down a cash grab like that.”
“What deal?”
“None of your concern, pretty boy.” He slides from his chair. The metal legs scrape against the wooden floor with a screech. “Tell your president we don’t need his nose poking into our business.”
I stand, not backing down from Ace. “I’ll relay the message.”
