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"What was that about?" Seth asked, looking over at me.
"Yeah, thought she liked to stick around to eye-bang Rowe," Dezi agreed. "What'd you do?" he accused, looking at the man in question. "Whatever it is, make it right, so I can get treats."
"Jesus Christ," I said, letting out a chuckle. The term "puppy" that the girls used to describe the new guys really was pretty fitting for Dezi. "Alright, Slash, why don't you show the guys to the room?" I suggested. "We will call in the other members, then Dezi and some of the other guys have been working on a party. We originally planned to just take you to the bar," I explained. "But after the shooting last night, we decided to stay in."
"Yeah? Who got shot?" Crow asked.
"Almost me," I explained. "We're working on it," I added.
"Looks like we rolled into town just in time for some action," Crow said, nodding, then following Slash to go back into the prospect room.
It was many hours later when the party was in full swing that my father pulled me out the back door for some quiet.
"So, we have nothing," he said, releasing a deep breath. "Janie and Lo and Chris have been on it, but we haven't gotten anywhere. Chances are, we won't. Not without more to go on."
And I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what that more was.
"Okay," I agreed, nodding, suddenly wishing I still had a drink in my hand.
"We need to talk to the Vultures," he said, dropping the bomb I'd been expecting, but it still managed to take me by surprise, the impact slamming into me, pushing me back against the wall.
"Yeah," I agreed.
"More specifically, you need to talk to the Vultures," he said, turning to look at me. "This shit is going to fall more on you now. I don't mind doing shit behind the scenes, working old contacts and all that shit, but the face of this club, that's gotta start being you now. I get you and Danny are oil and water, but that's just tough shit. You're doing the meet. Bring some of the guys, since you're walking into a viper's den there. But, you know, maybe don't bring Dezi," he suggested, shaking his head, but he was smiling.
It wasn't helping Dezi's case that before we'd walked out the door, he'd somehow talked a bunch of the partygoers into a game of "strip Twister." Which sounded absolutely horrifying. And this was after he played six rounds of "If You Sink It, You Drink It" where you put a shot glass in another glass and everyone tries to fill the shot glass with various liquors without sinking it, or as the titles states, you have to chug the whole cup. It was no surprise to, well, anyone that Dezi had lost four rounds in a row.
"I'll bring Brooks," I suggested, since he was patched, unlike the others.
"Yeah, good. But bring someone with a violent streak too. Just in case. I like Brooks. He does great shit behind the scenes, working around here. I'm just not sure how he handles shit going down."
"I'll bring Niro. I'd bring Malc too, but I don't think it would look like we're showing up in good faith if we do so en masse."
"True." But there was doubt in his tone. I guess when they were the reason you ended up chained in a garage and beaten for days, it was hard to say they weren't a threat.
"I'll have Malc and Rowe hang on the street, and maybe the new chapter crew on the roof across the street to keep an eye too. Just in case."
"Like that plan better."
I liked that about my old man.
He would have let me carry out any plan I wanted without telling me I was being stupid, but he definitely let me know when I got my plan right.
It had been hard at first not to take every raised brow or uncertain tone as a slap in the face to my authority. But the longer we worked on this transition toward giving me the power, the more I was coming to understand and appreciate his way of letting go of the reins. Which was little by little, then all at once, when he was sure I was on the right path. But he was still going to ride beside me, give input where he thought it would be appreciated, offer praise when it was earned.
In retrospect, I could see why it had taken so long for him to finally start actually stepping aside. He was waiting for me to grow up, to grow into the leader he needed me to be to trust me with all his men.
He'd been through hell building and keeping his empire. He'd come close to losing it all. But he'd always prevailed.
