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When he was done talking, Judge and Trip both sat back and considered Shade’s words.
“You got a good count?” Trip asked, yanking his baseball cap off, raking fingers through his hair and jerking it back into place.
Shade shook his head. “Tryin’ to keep count of the men. Down to eleven now, if I’m right.”
“Fuck. They gotta know somethin’s happenin’,” Trip said.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m doin’ this sit-down with you. Thinkin’ we need to keep a closer eye on our women and kids. Expect the clan to strike back at any time.”
“What’s to stop them from bringin’ in more?” Trip asked, his expression grim as he glanced at Judge. “Like from that Ohio clan. Hell, they could have branches of the Guardians of Freedom all over the fuckin’ place.”
“But are they all like the Shirleys?” Judge asked, tapping his index finger on the table and staring at the carved Fury logo in the center. “Are they all inbred hillbilly goat fuckers?”
Shade was pretty sure Sig started the “goat fucker” thing, but it had stuck with them all.
“Shirleys are a fuckin’ cult-like clan,” Trip reminded the enforcer.
“So’s the Ohio branch,” Judge answered. “Everythin’ Red told us about them proved they are.”
Trip sighed impatiently. “Sig still wants to do some damage out there on her behalf.”
Judge leaned forward with a whole lot of unhappy pulling his lips downward. “Let’s just worry about what’s in our fuckin’ backyard first. Let’s squash what and who threatens us and our families. I got two kids. Wanna have another one. Got two women in my household to protect, too. Not to mention my sister and maybe even my aunt. That threat on that mountain needs to be extinguished. We already agreed on that. We need to get it done.”
“Gonna be slow,” Shade grumbled. Especially since he was the only one working on the Clan Plan.
Trip shrugged one shoulder. “Better to be slow and careful than rushed and reckless.”
“Still thinkin’ they’re gonna strike back and soon,” Shade warned. “Can’t drag them all off the mountain and dispose of them cleanly. A couple I had to leave where they lay. They know someone’s goin’ in and takin’ them out, that they aren’t just wanderin’ away or escapin’ the cult. Truthfully, not sure why I ain’t seein’ more armed guards. They should know we ain’t gonna just walk away once all the men are gone. Not when there are young boys who’ll grow up to be a thorn in our fuckin’ side. Or women used to produce more Shirleys. Can see them bringin’ more men in from elsewhere. They rule that mountain, they ain’t abandonin’ it. That’s their fuckin’ kingdom.”
Trip frowned. “Especially when the pigs let them do whatever the fuck they want up there. They’re makin’ their money with meth and shine. The more scratch they make the more weapons they can buy.”
Jury groaned loudly as Judge rubbed her ears faster. “Gotta have a source to get their weapons illegally. They ain’t walkin’ into a gun shop and buyin’ them. No legit gun dealer’s sellin’ them a weapon without an ID and background check.”
“Sure they got a source somewhere,” Trip muttered. “Or they’re buyin’ parts and makin’ their own.”
“Haven’t seen that, but will keep an eye out,” Shade told them.
He had found stashes of weapons and ammo but not a “workshop” where they were putting those weapons together. That didn’t mean they weren’t doing it in one of the cabins or homes. The Shirleys were whacked enough to let their kids help assemble them or even reload ammo.
“Lemme worry about protection down here,” Judge grumbled. “Trust you to do whatya gotta do up there. You need help, let me know.”
Shade nodded. Judge trusting him was a huge about-face from when Shade first showed up, when the big man decided his prospect name would be “Shady” because Judge didn’t trust him. The night they worked together to get Autumn back changed everything. “We done for now?”
“We’re done,” Trip answered with a nod.
Shade rose to his feet. “Gonna head out.”
Trip’s eyebrows pulled together. “Ain’t stickin’ around for the party?”
“Got shit to do.”
Judge’s fingers combed through his long beard. “You ain’t goin’ up the mountain tonight, are you?”
“No. Switchin’ days up there so it don’t become a pattern.”
The enforcer nodded. “Good idea.”
“So, what or who do you have to do?” Trip ribbed him with a grin.
Shade wondered how much he should reveal. It wouldn’t hurt to let his prez know why he was disappearing so they didn’t worry. He didn’t need his brothers heading up the mountain looking for him, thinking he got into trouble up there. “Got a side job.”
“Job or piece?” Judge asked with one raised eyebrow.
Trip pushed his chair back and rose to his feet, too, his grin growing into a big smile. “Gotta be gettin’ pussy elsewhere since he hardly hits up the sweet butts.”
