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“Got what?” I rub the space between my eyes, trying to stay calm.
“Maddy’s been up all night. She got all the evidence on Clunk. And the list of his associates. Prez just called church,” he slaps my shoulder enthusiastically before heading toward his bike.
“What was that all about?” Gracie steps out of my bedroom looking sexy as shit with her bed hair, and my club T-shirt covering her body.
“I gotta head to church. Maddy got the list.” Stepping toward her, I gently stroke my fingers over the bruises I made on her skin. Angry purple reminders of what a selfish prick I can be. It wasn’t just the feral in me, I want her marked so everyone here knows that for as long as she’s here, she’s mine.
“It didn’t hurt… I liked it,” she whispers as if she can read my thoughts, and I ignore her, pressing my lips over them anyway.
“You should go hangout with Maddy and Ella today. I don’t know how long I’ll be.” She looks up at me with wide desirable eyes, and it would be so fucking easy to take her back in that bedroom and fuck her through the rest of the damn day. “Help yourself to whatever you need.” I step past her, grabbing a fresh T-shirt from the drawer. I notice her eyes widen further when I take out my holster, slip it over my shoulders and load it up with two pistols.
“Do you really need those?” She chews on her thumb nervously, and I shrug as I put my cut on over the top.
“If you need anything that’s not here, just ask Maddy next door, I’m sure she’s gonna fill you in on everything.” Picking my knife up from the table, I slip it in my boot. Then kiss her on her forehead before I make my way to the door.
Now that we’ve made a deal about what’s going on with us, I feel more relaxed. Affectionate shit like that seems to come without effort.
“Oh, and stay away from Squealer,” I spin back around and warn her before I open the door.
“Which one is Squealer?” She crosses her arms under her chest, tilting her head at me.
“You’ll remember him when you see him.” I roll my eyes as I head out to my bike. Troj is already out in the yard. I assume he’s just taken one of his long assed runs through the woods since he’s resting his hands on his knees, and is drenched in sweat.
“You hear Prez called church?” I call over to him, saddling my bike.
He lifts up a thumb to me, still catching his breath.
“I’ll grab a shower and be down,” he manages back. Troj is a lean fucker, but hell if anyone around here would mess with him. Ain’t many men had the opportunity to ruin his pretty-boy face. He’s still undefeated in the ring and makes the club a shit ton of money by being the best underground fighter in the state.
Grimm comes out of his cabin, heading straight for his bike, his head lifting when he notices me. That one never has a lot to say, too buried in his own head to be in anyone else’s business. I still have no idea how he ended up here and we all have our own stories, but I can sense whatever led him here has damaged him beyond repair.
The chapel where we hold church is already clouded full of smoke when I get there. Prez sits at the head of the table with Jessie by his side. The other space beside him, reserved for Troj, his Sgt in Arms. Grimm follows me in and takes his usual seat, and I take my space at the other end of the table. I’m still not officially patched in, and as a nomad, I don’t get a vote. But I do get to listen in and offer an opinion.
We talk among ourselves while other brothers slowly filter in. Troj is the last to arrive, taking his seat beside Prez just as he slams down the gavel.
“You all know about recent events,” Prez starts. “The club are looking at taking down a group of people who are… tradin’ in kids.” Just saying the words out loud revolts him, and I feel bad for ever doubting him. “I agreed to do all I could to help Agent Scott, on her word that I would have Clunk.” Heads around the table nod as he continues. “You all know that Jessie here made a pact with Lector, and I have every reason to believe his word is solid. The Bastards won’t want the trouble that we could bring to them under new leadership.”
“I don’t know if we can trust them,” Thorne speaks out, leaning forward for the ashtray and releasing a stream of smoke from his mouth before he taps his cigar.
“Let me tell you why I think we can.” Prez rests his elbows on the table, crossing his hands in front of him. “You think the Bastards will get any decent deals if word gets out about what their Prez has been into? There will be doubt, people will suspect that the whole club was involved. That poison will spread to other Charters, and the Bastards will be stripped of any respect and alliances they ever built. They’re facing ruin.”
“So let ‘em rot. They ain’t ever done us no favors,” Squealer pipes up.
“You're right,” Jessie nods. “But we’re doing them one now. They’re in our pockets. Mads got the evidence they need to exile Clunk, and then he’s all ours.” His lips twist into a snarl. Jessie wants the Bastards’ President’s blood as much as Prez does. Prez’s daughter, Hayley, had been like a sister to him. Bastards had taken her from them both, and the Bastards are the reason Maddy can’t leave the compound without someone by her side.
Whatever is gonna happen to Clunk, it goes without saying that it’ll be by their hand, and that it will be brutal.
“There’s more,” Prez’s eyes glance around the table like he’s about to reveal something big. “Jessie’s old lady managed to recover a list that Scott and her partner had put together. Names of other people involved with the agency. We need to decide what we do with that information.”
Nervous glances pass across the table, it’s a big decision to make but I know which one I’d be choosing if I got a vote.
“How many?” Grimm speaks up first, no doubt concerning himself with the mess this could leave behind. He doesn’t make eye contact with anyone, just stares at the table in front of him.
“Nine,” Prez answers, and Grimm slowly nods, still in his trance.
Screwy surprises us all when his fist lands hard on the table, and the room rattles like an earthquake just hit. I’ve never known the guy to react. I wondered when I first met him if he was missing his tongue, but since then I’ve seen him put it to use on more than one occasion, and not for talkin’.
“Think we all know where Screw stands,” Squealer looks sideways at his brother, appearing just as shocked as everyone else by his outbreak.
