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CHAPTERONE
“Like I said, keep your heads down and stay out of trouble,” Seer says in a serious voice. “I’m not sure I can bail you out if you get into trouble.”
“What do you think this is actually about?” I whisper to Hex, careful to not be overheard by our Prez. Talking during church is highly frowned upon.
“He’s just grandstanding,” Hex mutters under his breath. “He can’t really believe that he’ll wipe out all crime in New Orleans. What’s he going to do? Stop letting tourists visit next?”
I chuckle. Pocus shoots us a dirty look from the front of the room. If he were still in charge, we’d have to work on our off days. Seer is nowhere as strict as Pocus was, but he deserves our respect nevertheless. Still, it’s hard not to comment on the New Orleans mayor announcing a huge crackdown on crime just a few months before his reelection campaign starts.
“He must be worried about losing to that journalist,” I answer Hex. “It’s not like he’s made any life-changing improvements to the city while he’s been in office. This is all-out war, and he’ll lose.”
“What if he doesn’t?” Hex grumbles, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “It was all well and good to lose our livelihood when I was single, but now I have people depending on me. What will Juliana and Charlie do if we get shut down?”
“You mean what will they do if Mayor Prudent has your ass locked up in jail?” I joke. “Come on, you know I have your back. I won’t let that happen to you.”
I feel for the guy, but then again, no one told him to go off and start a family. As far as I’m concerned, we were better off in the good old days before everyone partnered up and had kids. Sure, the kids are cute, but they’ve made my friends too soft. It used to be brotherhood before everything, but now the club comes second to everyone but me.
It started when Pocus met Abigail. Then, they all fell like dominos. Abigail popped out a couple of brats, Tori had a baby, even Hex adopted a little girl. When we were younger, we used to make fun of guys like that. Family men. We didn’t want any part of it. I guess the draw of family was too much to ignore.
I’d never say it to their faces, but I think it’s pathetic. There’s only one person I’m responsible for, and that’s me. Putting anyone else before number one is weakness. Not just because your enemies have something to exploit, but because now every decision has to be second-guessed. Can I go out drinking, or will my wife disapprove? Can I smuggle guns over the border, or will my kid be disappointed in me?
It’s stupid if you ask me, not that any of them did. Now they’re saddled with responsibilities and expectations while I can live however I want. I don’t envy them for one second, but I miss having people to shoot the shit with. Hell, even Snake settled down. I never would have guessed that one in a million years. He barely left the house as long as I knew him.
Now he and his wife are off galivanting around Europe while we work extra to cover for his absence. Just like everyone else, he’s put his personal life above the club. But does Seer care? Nope. He wants us to be happy and find love like he has. How can he not see how vulnerable it makes him? Just last year he had to send his family away to protect them from a threat.
What would he do if he didn’t have his visions? If I had to bet, I’d say he would pick his family’s safety over ours every time. I don’t blame him for it, anyone in his position would. But that’s the point, isn’t it? My brothers have different priorities now. They can’t protect the club as well as they should. It all comes down to me.
“Bones,” Seer calls, pulling me from my thoughts. “We’ve got a big shipment coming into the port tonight. You and Gator should plan to be there by ten to coordinate the pickup.”
Gator. There’s a son of a bitch who I can count on to stay single forever. I can’t picture him with a woman. He loves his exotic pets a little too much.
“And remember,” Seer continues.
“I know, I know,” I groan, already bored by the discussion. “Stay off the grid and don’t get caught.”
Nothing new here. So what if Mayor Prudent wants to declare war on the gangs of the city? It’s nothing we haven’t faced before. The previous leadership in this town hasn’t been welcoming to us. We’ve always been a blight on the city, but we used to be more carefree. It didn’t matter if we did get caught because no women would be at home to lecture us at the end of the day.
I look around the room at each poor sod who’s been locked down by love. I’m glad as always that I’ll never be one of them.
* * *
“Wow, you’re tall,” the blonde girl at the club slurs her words as she eyes me up and down.
I see the excitement and trepidation in her eyes as she examines me. I know what she’s thinking, what most girls think when we hit it off. They’re wondering if my height means I have the cock to match. The answer, of course, is yes, but I prefer to let them find out on their own. I love the way their eyes light up when I take my pants off for the first time.
“And you’re beautiful,” I say in her ear, loud enough over the music that she can hear me.
Her body shudders at the close proximity, and she presses herself closer. It’s a classic move, one that’s served me well for the last decade. She’s tiny in comparison, probably only five-four, but I see the determination in her eyes. She’ll climb me like a tree if she has to. I’m already semi-hard thinking about it.
“My name is Trina,” she offers without being asked.
Like most girls, she’s probably already let her imagination run wild. I see it unfolding behind her eyes—a whole future she’s concocting this very moment. We’ll hook up tonight, and in the morning, she’ll make me breakfast. She’ll find a way to convince me to stick around, then we’ll start an earnest relationship, but she’ll lie to her friends about where we met.
In reality, I’ll be long gone before breakfast. Poor Trina has no idea that I couldn’t care less what her name is. I want to make her feel good while she makes me feel good, and that’s where my interest in her ends. I’m a pro at extracting myself from these situations. Still, I won’t be rude. She has to at least believe that the two of us could have a chance after we leave this bar.
“My friends call me Bones,” I tell her.
She eyes me again, appreciatively, her eyes lingering for a moment too long at the crotch of my pants. She can probably see the outline of my dick, and she licks her lips seductively.
