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“I want peace and how it was before between us. He’s a good man. I just believe the toxic men in his club were too influential and made him act out in ways I never fathomed. Also, I will announce to him I am stepping down, since we will move to Anchorage in a few months.” My father said, looking over the monitor and a grin appeared on his face as I was examining the tablespoons of juice I got from five oranges. “There’s orange juice in the fridge.”
“Good, because my abs are killing me now. Are you going to make Dallas the president?”
I placed his plate beside the laptop. “Mr. Dixon. Put the laptop away. You need to eat,” the nurse, Genevieve, told him. She was a bit older than me, stricter than my father, but had the patience of a group of monks in a monastery.
“I’ve spoken to Dallas, and he is stepping down as Vice President and leaving the club.”
The plate in my hands nearly slipped to the floor upon hearing this news. “What do you mean? Why is he stepping down?” My father arched an eyebrow and pressed his lips into a closed-mouth sneer. “Because of me?”
Shaking his head, he answered. “He’s tired of what the clubs have become and can’t deal with the violence. After what happened to you and Snaggletooth, he couldn’t stomach seeing another one of his brothers hurt.”
“Did he ask about me?”
My father’s face softened into a grin. “Of course he did.”
I felt my cheeks blushed and my heart pound out of my chest when he said it with a sheepish grin. Did my father know something I didn’t? Was there more to this conversation that I wanted to hear about? No, it was better left unsaid and to leave it in the hands of fate to determine if Dallas and I were meant to be together.
NINETEEN
On Monday evenings, the lot was normally filled with a dozen bikes at the Nanuq Shila clubhouse. However, it seemed there was a surge of possible new prospects, which meant Dallas was following through with his plans to build a bigger, better club. But why bother when he was going to leave?
I waited outside with Kennedy as my father, along with Mushu and Genevieve, entered. The cheering was so loud from the outside, it had to be deafening inside. “Do you think this is a good idea, Charlene?” Kennedy asked me, his eyes riddled with fear.
“Hey, I’m as much a bad guy as you are, Kennedy. There is no better time for us all to set aside our differences and make nice with one another.” I took his hand and pulled him, but he didn’t budge. Laughing, I assured him. “You’re going to be fine. I will protect you, if the need arises. But with my father in there, these barbarians won’t think twice to cause trouble.”
The moment we walked in, the chatter and excited voices were booming, until we both turned the corner hand in hand. The silence was deafening, and all eyes were on us as we walked cautiously between the men. Kennedy and I stopped walking and glanced at one another. I knew he was as uncomfortable as I was. My eyes moved from Kennedy to my father, who gave me a single nod, then to Dallas, who glanced away. His anger for me was warranted, but I never expected to be blanketed with nausea that tightened my already tender stomach.
The men all sat down, whispering to one another. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it’s safe to guess. It was slander about both Kennedy and me. Neither of us did anything to honor the Nanuq Shila club or my father. We didn’t deserve any graciousness from these men. We were the enemies, fodder for the pack of wolves, baring teeth and licking their chops.
Dallas stood to his feet, glaring in our direction and clapped his hands together, applauding slowly, causing a ripple effect with the entire room. In my mind, Kennedy and I were admonished. Were we heroes now? It was hard to say. “Char?” My father called my name over the thunderous applause and I rushed over to him, taking his outstretched hand. “I think you have something to say to all the men.”
“No, I don’t.”
Raising his brows, he replied. “YES. YOU. DO.”
Turning slowly on the balls of my feet, their scrutinizing eyes burned through my soul, making me even more nervous. I swear the minute I’d open my mouth, the men in the small meeting room would wear vomit suits. But, I didn’t have a choice. My father forced me to form a public apology to the men I deceived. He was forcing Kennedy to do the same, so I wasn’t alone in this humiliating performance. “Hi guys.” They chuffed at my greeting. A few rolled their eyes and when I opened my mouth to speak, a few of them ignored me and carried on a side conversation.
“HEY!” Austin yelled, immediately quieting the chatter from the group of side chatters. “Are you so inconsiderate that you can’t even listen to what the Chief’s daughter has to say?”
Their eyes widened when Austin gave it away that I was the Chief’s daughter, but it didn’t appease the knots in my stomach. “First off, I want to apologize for deceiving you all.” I looked in Mushu’s direction, with the thought to mention he knew, but I didn't want to throw my best friend under the bus. “I had this grandiose idea of dressing up like a guy to infiltrate both Nanuq and Arklak in order to find out who shot my father and why.” Chuckling, though, I continued with a shaky voice, “It’s funny to me how none of you figured I was a girl. If you ask me, I had succeeded at doing a pretty terrible impression of a man.” The men laughed with me, not at me. “But enough about my failed nom de plume.”
Peering over my shoulder, I mouthed to Kennedy, to join me. “This is the revered Kennedy Townsend. The one you all love to hate. I know him as my godfather. What happened between him and my father should have remained a private altercation between the two. However, one person leaked blasphemous rumors, which led to more rumors-none to be true. Yet, what was a misunderstanding between two friends escalated into something much worse, which in the end wound up becoming violent.”
I let Kennedy take over. “Who made this disagreement into a full-blown war is irrelevant. I am not here to point fingers. Tyler and I made peace with one another, of course, with Charlene’s help. When I shot Tyler, I was going through a rough patch in my life.”
His comment was meant with groans, which I couldn’t argue with. There was absolutely no excuse to shoot another man, and he was pretty coherent when he shot my father. But my father was quick to forgive. I wasn’t, and I only let Kennedy speak to appease both men. Though, if it were up to me, I’d let the Nanuq Shila club members have their way with him for what he did to their leader.
“Men, please let me finish. Alcohol was the only way I could cope and yes, I realize I’m using that as a scapegoat and I'm fully aware, you’d rather see me dead than hear me speak, but let me finish. My men talk, and of course, I believe them. It was another nasty rumor relayed to me that nearly cost my best friend his life. Shooting him is something I regret deeply, and I pray every day that God will give me a reprieve from my stupid decision, but I know he won’t.” Kennedy bowed his head and looked over at my father with a slight grin. “But Tyler is a forgiving man and is making me pay off this debt - which I will not divulge to you, men. It’s between Tyler and me. Men. What I ask is to bring the peaceful union between our two clubs back. Years ago, the rivalry between Nanuq and Aklark wasn’t bitter, it was always competitive, yes, it was, but it was fun and I want that back.” Kennedy cleared his throat, “Thank you for listening to my lecture, I’m going to step outside for some fresh air.”
“Was it necessary for him to come in here, spouting his bullshit?” One member blurted. “Oh, the Chief’s daughter gets involved and now it’s going to be about unicorns farting rainbows. This is a fucking motorcycle club, not the Girl Scouts.”
I approached the loud mouth and held my hand out. “Give me your vest and hat.”
“Screw you. No.”
Leaning over, I bore my eyes into his. “You either agree to the new terms set forth by your president or you leave. It’s entirely up to you.”
“Oh, please don’t tell me a woman is taking over the club. What the fuck has gotten into you men? Just because she’s the Chief’s daughter now we have to break all the rules and allow her in?”
