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“When he was in his early twenties, he showed up again and apparently when he walked into this very clubhouse, his father kicked him out. He had to earn his way back into the inner circle. He had to start at the bottom, become a pledge, and earn his patches. Everyone assumes that because he was John’s son, it came easy for him, but that’s not true.
“Zack was still trying to earn back his patches when I became a pledge myself. I watched him go through all sorts of shit, and his own father orchestrated most of it. But he didn’t complain or fight back. He took the shit and kept working until he had won back his father’s respect and trust. And in the process, he won everyone’s respect… including mine.”
“What happened between Zack and his father that caused him to leave?” I asked.
“No one knows,” Devon replied. “John never spoke about it, and neither does Zack. Whatever it was… they put it behind them when Zack came back. After the turf war blew up, and we lost John, the decision was unanimous… everyone felt that Zack was the most capable among us and he deserved to be president. There was something poetic about that moment.”
“What started the turf war?” I asked. “Was it just about territory?”
Devon smiled. “It’s never just about territory,” he said. “The truth is that Godwin and John had an old feud brewing between them that went back decades. Both were ambitious young men, and both were part of strong rival MC gangs. The Lucifer’s Knights grew in size and strength though, while John chose to keep his crew smaller.”
“Why?”
“He claimed that it fostered stronger relationships; he was looking to establish familial ties with his men,” Devon explained. “His reasoning was that strength in numbers couldn’t compare to loyalty and trust. He knew every single one of his men, and he was certain of their loyalty. Godwin couldn’t say the same. He was betrayed by quite a few of his men. Really, that was the genesis of the fight that ended up killing John.
“Godwin was deeply enmeshed in the black market—guns, drugs, and prostitutes. He was minting in money, and his attention was split. The cops were trying to make headway with the case, and they offered a huge payoff that included amnesty to anyone who came forward with information.”
“It worked?”
“Of course,” Devon nodded. “Not only was the payoff tempting to many of his men, but his crew had deteriorated from a brotherhood into a cartel. Terry Fletcher decided that the payout was worth the risk, and he decided to inform against the Knights. The problem is, he approached a cop who was being paid by Godwin. Two days later, his burned and broken body was found dumped in a lake in the middle of nowhere.”
“Fuck,” I breathed.
“The murder was linked to the Knights, but nothing could be proved. They had covered their tracks well, but they also had to pare back on their drug deals to avoid being caught since the cops were on high alert. Godwin took a major hit, and I don’t think he’s ever really recovered from it.”
“I’m confused,” I said. “I don’t understand how the Fallen Angels got involved.”
“Terry Fletcher had a brother who was also a member of the Knights,” Devon continued. “Godwin was convinced that the brothers were in it together. He tried to kill Tony, but somehow Tony managed to get away. That started a full-scale manhunt that led right to our doorstep.”
I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. “You’re saying…”
“John took in Tony,” Devon nodded.
“Isn’t that… wasn’t that a stupid move?” I asked.
“Depends on how you look at it,” Devon said. “At the time, everyone thought it was stupid to get involved, but John was making a point. He looked after his men, where Godwin hunted his down.”
“Tony wasn’t one of his men.”
“But he took him in,” Devon said. “The cops were not going to involve themselves in outlaw squabbles; if one of us got in trouble, who could we turn to? It was a strong message, and John got his point across. Godwin’s men left him in big numbers. They just disappeared on their motorbikes, and suddenly, Godwin wasn’t as powerful as he had once been.”
“What happened after that?” I asked.
“It was a challenge,” Devon continued. “And Godwin needed to meet it or risk losing his remaining men. The fight was inevitable. John and Godwin had it out for one another. We were more evenly matched now that half of Godwin’s strength had left him, but the Knights still outnumbered the Angels. Everything came to a head by Thurston Bridge.”
“Thurston Bridge?” I repeated. “That old abandoned spot that nobody ever passes through?”
“That’s the one,” Devon nodded. “The fighting only stopped because Godwin was cornered, and John was severely injured. The truce was agreed in the aftermath only because Zack wanted to get the hell out of there to treat his father’s wounds, but—”
“He died…” I whispered.
“John died,” Devon nodded. “Godwin’s son died in the fight too. Zack was voted in as president, and the shaky truce between the Angels and the Knights remained.”
Devon paused for a second, and he looked a little uncertain. “What?” I asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Devon sighed. “Well, part of the conditions to the truce was that we stay out of each other’s business,” he explained. “Meaning the Fallen Angels don’t go after any of the Knights and vice versa.”
“So are you saying that if Walter is connected to the Knights… I might have restarted this feud?”
