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“Jesus Christ, like I don’t have enough to do.” He puts his hands on his hips and ducks his head. “Fine, you know what? I need a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“I got a fight out in Johnsonville tomorrow. I could use the extra backup.”
I’m about to strangle his fucking ass. For still taking on underground fights even though everyone upstate has pretty much told him to stop. And also for springing it on me so last minute. “You fuckin’ serious? The president gig isn’t exactly leaving me lots of recreational time, you know. And I’m supposed to leave for California soon.”
Murphy shrugs. “Have some more of the brothers roll with us. It can be a fun bonding activity for the club.”
“Do I look like your summer camp counselor, ya dick? I thought you were done with this shit?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need you there, Z.”
Guilt, a powerful motivator for a brother. “Fucker.”
He gives me a triumphant grin that makes me want to kick his ass. “Fine.” I’m not done making demands, though. “If you promise you’ll get the pool and gym sorted out before I get back from Cali.”
There, that ought to keep his ass out of trouble.
“You got it.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Z
I should’ve known this calm streak couldn’t last.
The dogs are frolicking in the backyard and we’re about to go outside when Lilly’s phone rings.
She picks it up and glances at the screen. “It’s Mara. I should take it.”
“You should invite her to come visit.”
She nods and answers the call.
I pick up Chance. “Want to swim?” Silly question. The answer is always yes.
“What?” Lilly’s shrill tone has Chance and me turning our heads.
I move closer, hoping to overhear some of their conversation.
“Well, good luck to them. I’m at the house—”
“Don’t tell me!” Mara shrieks so loud I can hear her from where I’m standing.
“Let’s go pick out your swim trunks,” I say to Chance. Aunt Hope and Aunt Trinity went bananas buying stuff for Chance once we settled into the house. The kid has enough clothes to fill an entire mall.
He’s settled on a blue pair with bright red lobsters when Lilly finds us.
“They’re trying to subpoena me again.”
The happiness clinging to me from spending the day with my family evaporates. My obsession with Lilly turns dark and hostile with the need to protect her. To protect our family. “What do they think you know?”
“I have no idea.” She bites her lip. “I’m scared. I can’t do it, Z. I can’t be in the same room with him again.”
“Hey,” I stand and pull her into my arms, “no one’s forcing you to do anything. What did Mara say?”
“To lay low. Dodge the process server as long as I can. Hang out at the house since technically no one knows I’m down here.”
“All right. So that’s what we’ll do.”
“I’m worried they’ll go to my brother’s house or my parents’.”
“So what if they do? Fuck ‘em. They know you worked at the legislature. They must have heard about the trial. Nothing else should come up.”
She drops her gaze to Chance who’s playing on the floor with some of his cars. “I don’t want him to know about Chance,” she whispers.
No need to ask which him she’s referring to. I brush my knuckles over her cheek. “It’s clear to anyone with eyes that he’s mine.” I swallow hard, afraid I won’t like the answer to my next question. “Did you name me as the father on his birth certificate?”
Her scared eyes meet mine. “I did,” she whispers. “I wanted it to be true with all my heart, and figured if it wasn’t…”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m glad you did. And obviously it’s true.”
She nods, but fear still lingers in her eyes.
“What can I do, Lilly?” Besides, kill Senator Kelly, because I’m definitely doing that as soon as possible.
“Nothing right now.” The worry fades and she shrugs. “Being holed up in the house with my two favorite men isn’t exactly a hardship.”
The corners of my mouth twitch. “That’s my girl. We’re going to get through this and everything will be fine.”
* * *
After convincing her to put on a red two-piece, that’s become my absolute favorite thing ever, I encourage her and Chance to go outside so I can duck into the office upstairs and make a phone call.
Loco doesn’t seem as happy to hear from me today.
“Z I’m trying. It’s not like I can stick some pop-up ads on his phone, man. What do you want me to do, send him a damn flyer?”
“Don’t be a dick.” I probably shouldn’t be that harsh with Loco. He tends to get bent out of shape easily.
“Stop dogging me then. You’re the first call I make if I get what you want.”
“Thanks, Loco.”
“No problem. I’m always happy when the Kings owe me a favor.”
Of course he is.
Chapter Forty-Three
Z
With Lilly planning a girls’ night at the house, I’m confident she’ll be safe. She didn’t want to tell Charlotte or Heidi about the subpoena, but I still gave them the reminder not to open the door for anyone not wearing our colors while I’m out.
There’s shit to take care of at the clubhouse and Murphy’s still dragging me to this fight tonight. I can’t do anything but wait, which kills me. I’m a man of action. Sitting around waiting for a phone call isn’t my style.
While I got the approval from my brothers upstate, Rooster and I have been planning to bomb Senator Kelly all on our own. No reason to risk anyone else getting involved.
“Bro, maybe we should go at it a different way?” Rooster suggests.
“He’s got cameras all over that property. I don’t know where else we can do it and not be seen.”
Murphy knocks on the chapel door and pushes it open. “You ready?”
“Fuck me. We still doing this?”
He just rolls his eyes at me.
“You coming, Rooster?”
“Sure, why not.”
Bikers are supposed to be all about freedom from society’s rules, doing what we want, when we want, so I won’t try to stop Murphy. Unless it starts interfering with club business somehow.
I’ll happily hassle the shit out of him though. Right up until he needs to get serious and focus. I may be annoyed with him, but that doesn’t mean I want him to get hurt.
Somehow Murphy roped Jigsaw into a match as well, so now it really is a club matter. It’s almost two hours from the clubhouse. A good, long ride that does little to clear my head.
Wrath’s business partner, Jake, is also on tonight’s roster. “Thought you retired, Mr. Wallace?”
“Nah, a good fight once in a while does wonders for you.”
“Wonders for your bed,” Murphy jokes. “He can’t find a date otherwise.”
“What would you know about it?” Jake laughs and shoves Murphy. “You’re all wifed-up, pretty ginger.”
I bark out a laugh. “Pretty ginger, I’ll have to remember that.”
Murphy’s less amused.
Ravage, Stash, and Birch amble through the crowd to join us.
“Fuck, I didn’t expect to see you here.” I pull each of them in for a quick handshake and backslap.
“Wouldn’t miss this for anything.” Rav rubs his hands together and searches the room. “Where the ring bunnies at?”
“Thanks for the support, bro,” Murphy says.
Stash slaps Rav’s shoulder. “Don’t chase the girls away like you do at the clubhouse.”
“Are you kidding? I’m God’s gift to women,” Ravage announces.
“More like God’s curse,” I mutter, cracking the guys up.
“If anything scared them away, it’s all the babies at the clubhouse now,” Rav
says. “No offense, Z.”
“None taken. There’s only one baby in the clubhouse—you.”
“That’s cold, bro.” He shrugs. “At least Grace is a cute little shit. Except when she’s screaming her head off.”
Tired of Rav already, I turn to Jake. “You recruiting people for the gym here?” Wrath gave up the underground circuit a couple years ago, and runs a completely legit gym. I can’t see him being okay with Jake potentially making Furious look bad if this ring ever gets shut down.
“Nah, some of ‘em work out at Sully’s place. It’s not about that though. Lot of young, heavy betters with more money than brains. You should make out well tonight.”
I’m still unimpressed. Upstate is doing fine and my bank account is flush. Although, we’ve neglected to share most of our glowing financials with anyone outside of upstate, so I still need to keep up the appearance that I’m always looking to score easy cash.
And let’s face it, downstate needs all the help it can get. Jigsaw’s fight will hopefully bring in some hefty returns for the club.
Really, I don’t give a shit if the younger brothers want to make money getting the shit kicked out of them. Their bodies, their decisions. Murphy, who has a family to take care of, annoys me more. Especially, since I know he’s keeping this from Heidi.
