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“He’s the prez,” I growled.
Hammer looked like he didn’t believe me, his beady eyes running over me. “In my crew, I don’t give a shit what you do on your own time. I’m not lookin’ to be your daddy.”
“What crew? Your crew got blown to bitty pieces last year. Remember?”
He ignored me, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. There was more than one no smoking sign around the joint, but he didn’t give a shit and it wasn’t like there was anyone around to confront him about it. The longer we stood around here without someone coming in through the back, the more I knew this meeting wasn’t a fucking coincidence. He was hoping to meet me here, and he made sure we weren’t interrupted, either.
“What are you doing here, Hammer?”
Blowing out a puff of smoke, he considered me for a moment. “Heard there’s been some unrest at the MC. Some shit about you havin’ a babysitter, since they won’t let you live your life the way you want.”
Unease settled over my shoulders. How the fuck would he know that? Reaper and Brewer swore they weren’t going to say anything to anyone about this bullshit. So how the hell did Hammer know I was trying to get sober?
“Thought I’d offer for you to join me instead. I know you’re a whiz at numbers, and as long as the job gets done, I don’t give a shit what you do in your spare time. Hell, I’ll even supply you the good shit as part of your cut.”
My automatic response was an immediate hell no. I valued my brotherhood over everything, including the high. But Hammer’s offer made me pause. He was offering me a new brotherhood, one where I wasn’t going to be treated like a toddler who needed hand holding and who could choose how he wanted to live his life. I could drop this bullshit about getting sober and just enjoy my life.
I hesitated long enough that a smug look flashed across Hammer’s face. He stood, heading towards me and offering me his hand.
“Think about it. If you wanna switch sides, then meet me at the club. I know you’re one of the best when it comes to numbers. Come help me instead. I’ll give you what you need.”
Without realizing it, I took his hand in a firm shake. He clapped my shoulder roughly and squeezed my hand before walking away. The door jingled, and I felt my fist close around the little baggy he had slipped to me. Just like that, I was back in. I went straight towards the bathroom, glancing over my shoulder when I shut the door behind me. No one followed me, no one chased me down and demanded I stop. It was just me and the hit I’d been hoping for.
Sam’s face flashed across my mind for a second and I came to a halt. Fuck. If I went through with it, I’d be proving her right. She’d have every right to be suspicious of me. I stared down at the bag in my hand, my face screwed up into a grimace. If I took Hammer’s deal, I’d have plenty of tail with sweetbutts, hopefully a new batch that’d show me a good time. But they wouldn’t be Sam. And she’d never trust me again.
A shout drew my focus, and I shoved the baggy into my pocket, rushing out of the diner just in time to see Hammer hop on his bike and jerk his chin with a smirk before taking off. I looked around for the source of the noise and swore under my breath when I figured it out. Running around the car, I found Tyson on the ground and bleeding. Hammer went after him while I was debating about getting high. Tyson was built like a twig, and Hammer had at least sixty pounds of muscle on him. Fucker was always picking on people smaller than him, like women and small guys like Tyson.
I helped him to his feet, putting his ass in the back so I could drive. I couldn’t take him to the hospital, not with what I had in my pocket. Instead, I dropped into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the parking lot, aiming for the clubhouse. I did a U-turn about a block away, swinging back to Sam’s place. No way in hell was I leaving her here with Hammer hanging around.
CHAPTER 23
CLINK
My knee jiggled as the phone rang against my ear. The drugs were burning a hole in my pocket, and it took everything not to open it and take a hit. No one would know. She answered before I had a chance, though.
“Hello?”
“Come downstairs.”
Her voice was hesitant and distrustful. “Clink, I don’t think–”
“Tyson’s hurt. I need to get him back to the club. And I can’t leave you here alone. Get your ass down here, Sammy, and make it quick.”
She didn’t argue anymore, and I heard her scrambling to move as I hung up. While I waited for her, I ground my teeth together. This was fucking bullshit. I never said anything to Hammer about him going after Tyson. He was annoying, sure, but he didn’t do anything wrong and didn’t deserve to get his ass kicked for trying to help me. This was the kind of shit I’d have to worry about if I switched teams. Hammer might be on some shit about how he didn't interfere with lives outside of the job, but his logic was skewed and he didn't wait around to talk it out before taking action.
My gaze jerked over my shoulder, checking behind me. Hammer knew the car Tyson drove. I didn’t want him realizing Sam was with me, so when she stepped outside, I got out of the car and jerked my chin toward her truck.
“We’re taking your ride. Hurry up.”
I grabbed Tyson from the back of his ride, throwing his arm over my shoulder to haul him out. He groaned, leaning heavily against me. He was too out of it to say anything, but the guilt was almost as bad as the need for a hit. He wouldn’t have gotten hurt if I hadn’t drawn attention to him by stopping to talk to Hammer. Croy was going to be pissed. Meeting with the enemy was a stupid idea.
“Just hold on, man. We’ve got you.”
Getting Tyson into the back was a pain in the ass when you had to fold the seat forward to get to the back row. He made a lot of noise, groaning and crying out, and he was bleeding heavily from somewhere. I nudged Sam into the back with him and slammed the door before going around the front.
“What happened?” Her voice was high and strained as she searched for where Tyson was hurt. Aside from putting my hand out for her keys, I ignored her, starting the truck up and taking off. I was going too fast, but I needed to get the hell out of here before Hammer came back looking for trouble.
“Oh, god, Tyson. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. Clink, he’s been stabbed! He needs a hospital, not the stupid MC!”
