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Raid swings his laptop around to face us. “He’s also gotten bigger, recruiting more of an army. We took out many of his men, but in the past few months, he’s almost doubled in size. He’s creating something he knows he can overrun us with, especially because we’re low on numbers.”
Hurricane rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t think we’re gonna have time to recruit before this goes down. We’re gonna have to rely on our alliances—”
“Before we shatter them, you mean?” Bayou snaps.
The rest of us anxiously shift in our seats because we know Bayou is right.
Hurricane places his closed fists on the table. “All right, let’s get this all out in the air… this shit about Six is fuckin’ crazy, and I know it’s a bitter pill to swallow, but we don’t have a choic—”
“We do. We figure a workaround, Pres. We are Defiance. That’s what we do. We come up with plans that suit us,” Hoodoo urges.
Hurricane scrubs at his face in annoyance. “You’re not hearin’ me, brothers. Wedon’thave a choice. The Baroness has us by the balls. You don’t understand the power this bitch has in the South. She ownsevery-damn-thing. She’s put herself out there for us time and time again. If we don’t pay this debt, she’ll be gunnin’ for us like she’s gunnin’ for Six. And trust me, she won’t stop at us. She’ll come for the people we love. I don’t know about you, but I’mnotwillin’ to risk my Old Lady, my kid, or my family for the sake of that woman.Areyou?”
“Why don’t we just take her out then? Won’t that solve all our issues?” Grudge asks.
We all nod in agreement as Hurricane glances at Raid. He dips his head and types something on his computer. “She’s heavily guarded at all times. The woman has action plans on top of action plans in place. If she dies, all the files on corruption and blackmail she has on the people she lords it over will be leaked, including the shit she has on Defiance. And I am talking about every Defiance charter, not just NOLA. She’s made it so she’s impossible to kill,” Raid states, showing us a disclaimer on his computer.
“What the fuck is that?” I ask.
Raid shrugs. “It’s the disclaimer the Baroness sent me when she wanted me to go work for her. Of course, I said no and then checked her systems… unfortunately it’s legit. Her tech team has everything in place the second her death is announced if it’s of suspicious circumstances.”
We all sink into our chairs, seeing a little more of where Hurricane’s coming from now. He tilts his head, looking directly at his twin. “So, can you see why I’m so adamant that wehaveto do this? I don’t fuckin’ like it.It fuckin’ kills me.I love Six like a real fuckin’ brother, and turnin’ my back on Defiance is a mortal sin. But we made a deal with the devil, and now we must live with that consequence. For the sake of our club and our families.”
It feels all kinds of wrong.
But the problem is, I get it.
We did make the deals. In fact, Houston is the one who put us into bed with the Baroness. So, honestly, this is their doing.
They made this damn mess.
And we’re the ones who are going to have to deal with the fallout.
My priority is keeping Ingrid safe.
And to do that, we must be on the Baroness’ right side.
I steel my shoulders, being the first to speak, “I’m with you, Pres.” My tone isn’t convincing, but I say it nonetheless.
Everyone glances at me. I see the hesitation in their eyes, but I can tell they’re all thinking this through.
Grit is the next to nod his head. “Lani means everything to me. I need her to be safe. If this is theonlyway to do that, then I’m in,” he says, shaking his head. “Jesus, forgive me,” he mumbles under his breath.
Hurricane glances at Raid, and he shrugs. “Frankie and Addi are my world. I don’t want to do this, but if it’s the only way, then…” He doesn’t finish his sentence, but his intention is clear.
Grudge simply nods with some kind of grunt.
Hurricane turns to City. “VP, your opinion carries a lot of weight in this room. What say you?”
City runs his hand over his shaved scalp, looks at Bayou, and sighs heavily. “Izzy and I are trying for a family. I want to make that happen for her, and I can’t if everything is falling to shit. Way I see it… we’re gonna be in a world of hurt either way. We’re screwed. But if we do it properly, if we’re discreet, we might be able to pull this off and make it look like an accident, and NOLA’s there to pick up the pieces. We gotta play our cards right. We keep in good with the other Defiance charters and are okay with the Baroness… it’s the only way I see us surviving this fucked-up mess.”
Hurricane risks a side-eye toward Bayou. He’s been the most vocal, and he slumps his shoulders.
“I don’t want you to think my reluctance is me not wanting Novah and my unborn babies to be kept out of harm’s way. To me, turning on your club is a big fucking deal. I wear this patch with pride, and doing this… killing a fellow brother when there’s no good damn reasonfuckinghurts. Idon’tagree with this. Idon’tlike it. I certainly wouldn’t have gotten into bed with the Baroness in the first place if I knewthiswould be the outcome. I guess I’m feeling this deep in my soul because I know part of the reason we need the Baroness is on me.I’mthe reason we stormed into the Bratva camp and shot it up that way. I initiated that call to get Novah back from them when she wasn’t even there. The fallout from that day was always going to land firmly on my should—”
“I made that call too, brother. It’s not on you. We were both worried about her. She’s family, and that’s the reason we’re doin’ this, Bayou. Not because you started somethin’ with the Baroness. This is not your fault what’s happenin’ with Six. Don’t take that weight on your own,” Hurricane offers.
Bayou scrubs at his face, letting a low grumble escape him. “Fuck… fine. But we do it City’s way. We make it look like an accident and are there to help. We don’t need the backlash from Defiance.”
