by A. Lynn
“Yeah, I’m having some work done at the house.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I hired C & D Construction to remove the security system Crow put in and replace it with one that has cameras on the exterior of the house, along with motion sensor floodlights. I may be being paranoid, but I seem to be all out of fucks to give right now.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, you were assaulted in your home. It’s only natural to want to protect you and yours.”
Nodding, I say, “They will also be installing a five-foot cast iron fence. Oh, and a dog door. I feel like I have said those words so many times today that they don’t sounds like words anymore.” I shake my head with a laugh.
“A dog door?”
“Yes, for the security dog I will be going to pick up in a couple of weeks. He is still in training right now.”
“You’re getting a dog? Jordan is going to love that.”
“I know, right? I have to go and pick him up in Safford the week following New Year's.”
“What kind of dog is it?”
“A Rottweiler,” I answer before I register the trepidation crossing her face. “Sasha, what’s wrong? The trainers at Rotti-Protect assure me that the dogs are the best to have around small children.”
“It’s not that,” she says wringing her hands.
“Then what is it?”
“Would it piss you off too much if I told you I wanted Jordan to stay here until they are finished with the work on your house?”
Sighing in relief, I say, “That is actually what I came here to talk to you about. I want to have all my bases covered before I bring my boy home. Because… I…”
“Because what, Rea?”
“This has to stay between us, okay? Promise me.”
“I promise,” she says readily.
“I kind of lied about the attack. I can tell you some things, but I can’t give you all the details, though.”
“Okay…”
“It wasn’t random,” I admit. “I sort of knew one of the guys.”
“You knew them?”
“Only one of them,” I stress to her. “One of the guys was a cabby that drove Ryan and me out to Fallen and back a few times. I’m pretty sure I saw him parked down the street from my house a few times, too, and then I bumped into him at the liquor store one day. It felt like he was everywhere.”
“Why would you lie about knowing the guy or not?”
“After he was done with me—”
“Done with you?”
“That’s some of the details that I can’t give you.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Does it matter? You don’t need that shit in your head, Sasha,” I say. “So, after he was done with me, he told me he had a message for the Unsaintly Kings.”
“I guess that’s a detail you aren’t going to share either?” I just shake my head.
“That’s why I need him to stay here until the house is ready. The construction company is coming out tomorrow at eight to get started. I paid extra so Asher could have enough guys to complete the job by Sunday.”
“Should we tell Jordan that you’re back in town?”
“I don’t know… what do you think?”
“I think that it will be hard for him to know you are here and not be with you. Maybe not, for now anyway.”
“I think so, too,” I sigh. “I’ll just pull my car into the garage and stay in the house until the work is done. Besides, I need to get ready for Christmas.”
“Shit!” Sasha says after looking at the clock. “I got to go get him.”
“Give him love for me.”
“I will, and we will call you later.”
“Sounds good,” I say walking out of her house and down the street to mine.
Just before I get to the house, my phone vibrates in my pocket.
Nicole: Hey, Bitch! I am off on Thursday and Friday! Shocking, I know! Want to get together?
Me: Absolutely! Dinner at my house? 5-ish? I might even have something for you to drink.
Nicole: For sure.
Me: The contractor and his team might still be here, so it will have to be takeout.
Nicole: Man-meat?! You really should have led with that. *side-eyeing you*
Me: Eee, bitch, whatever! Don’t act like I am holding out on you, your ass texted me first. *giving you the finger*
Nicole: Semantics. See you tomorrow.
Chapter 2
Crow
Gunner: Church at noon
Walking into the Chapel after leaving Reagan’s house, I am shocked to see Dec seated at the table laughing with Cash and Moose. My shock quickly turns anger, and before I realize it, I am across the room and jerking Dec up from the chair he is sitting in.
“What the fuck is your problem?!” I scream in his face.
He has the gall to smirk and say, “It was just a joke, Brother, calm the fuck down.”
“Crow, let him go,” Pop demands.
Ignoring him, I spit through clenched teeth, “How was drugging me a joke, Brother?” Calling him my brother leaves a bad taste in my mouth. He is not just my brother by allegiance, but also by blood. If there is anyone who is supposed to have my back it’s him… It’s something that is supposed to be in our DNA.
“Crow!” Gunner yells. “Let him go.”
I hate that I have to let him go, but it’s either let him go or disregard a direct order from my Prez. There is no way in hell I will do that, though, I have more respect for Gunner than that. But when I let the little weasel go, I give him a shove hard enough to ensure that his ass is nowhere near where I sit at the table.
“Was that really necessary, Crow?” Cash demands.
“Mind your fucking business, Cash. This doesn’t have shit to do with you.”
“Bullshit,” Moose adds. “It’s club business, so it’s all of our business.”
“Is that right?” I retort. “That must mean that you had a hand in him giving Cleo the Molly.”
“Fuck you, Crow! I would never do that shit!” Moose defends.
“Then you must share blood with Dec and me,” I sarcastically reason.
“No, but—” Moose starts.
“THEN MIND YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS!!” I roar.
“We were just saying that you were a little over the top there,” Cash explains.
“You being butthurt over a bitch who doesn’t want you isn’t a reason to be a dick to every-fucking-body,” Moose spits.
“I’m going to fucking kill—”
“Shut the fuck up, Moose,” Axle yells. “Everybody needs to sit the fuck down, so we can get on with the meeting.”
Once everyone is seated and quiet, Gunner starts, “First order of business: Dec, where the fuck have you been?”
“I feel shitty about helping Cleo, Crow, it was only supposed to be a joke. She wanted to get in your fucking pants. I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I didn’t know she had ulterior motives. I would have never helped her if I did.”
“If you are so sorry, then why didn’t you fess up to it when we brought it to the table?” I demand.
“I don’t know, man, but I fucked up. I was pissed at myself for letting her get one over on me,” Dec says.
“Then don’t you think the better option would have been to stand beside me?” I ask, not buying a single fucking word he said. “You know, to contradict whatever she said happened?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Crow. My actions may not have been what you would have done, but I was trying to give you some time to cool down. Especially after what went down with Reagan. I’m so fucking sorry, bro.”
“I bet you are,” I mock.
“Do you really think that your own brother would try to hurt you, Crow?” Pop chimes in.
“I don’t know, Pop. Why would my own brother supply a conniving ass club slut the ammunition to use against me?”
“Ammunition? It’s not like he gave her a loaded gun, Crow.” Pop shak
es his head.
“Are you for-fucking-real right now, Pop? Are you taking his fucking side in this?”
“There are no sides here, Crow. You are both my sons.”
“There definitely is, the right side and the wrong side,” I snap at him.
“I’m sorry, Colt, but Crow is right,” Trigger offers up. “If you take the blood brother factor away from the equation, you are still left with a patched brother making a move in a negative direction on a patched officer.”
“That’s not—” Pop starts.
Gunner raises his hand, “There is a hierarchy here, that’s the way things have worked since this club started and that is how it is going to work now. When this meeting is over, the officers are to decide on a course of action.”
“This is bullshit!” Dec yells, getting to his feet.
“Sit the fuck down, Dec. Don’t make it worse for yourself,” Pop advises. “Do I get to be present at the meeting?”
“For what? I’m being fucking railroaded here!”
“Railroaded, really? Let’s not be dramatic, Dec,” I retort, rolling my eyes.
“Fuck you, Crow!”
“ENOUGH!! This is fucking ridiculous! Actions have consequences, Dec, man the fuck up,” Gunner yells. “The meeting is for officers only, Colt, so no, you cannot be present.”
“What happened to all that remorse you were feeling a few minutes ago, Dec?” Axle asks, cocking his head. “I would think that you would be accepting of any punishment if it got you back in your brother’s and the club’s good graces.”
He doesn’t even acknowledge that Axle was speaking to him, just sits there mumbling to himself.
“How do you know what happened with Reagan, Dec? You left before we knew about it,” Axle asks. “Nobody has been able to get you on the phone or seen you around? I asked after you every day.”
“What are you getting at, Axle?”
“It’s just a question, Colt, no need to get red. It had to have been someone in this room, right? But every last one of you has denied having any contact with him.”
“That’s because it wasn’t anyone in this room,” Dec says snidely. “I was with Skylar when Ma phoned her about Reagan.”
He wasn’t with Skylar. She was at work. Why is he lying?
“Oh, that makes sense. I didn’t think any of my brothers would lie to my face,” he says, making eye contact with me. Then, in turn, I make eye contact with Gunner, who gives me a minute shake of his head, warning me to bite my tongue.
“Moving on,” Gunner says. “Crow, are you prepared for the run on Monday?”
“Everything is ready to go, just waiting for the location and time.”
“I will let you know when I know.”
“Sounds good, Gun.”
“Is there any other business to be put up?” Gunner asks, but only gets silence. “Okay. Meeting adjourned. Don’t leave, though, we will be handing out the punishment when we are done.”
“Gun, Crow, a word?” Axle asks, going to the far corner of the room.
“He wasn’t with Skylar,” I say lowly. “Why would he lie?”
“That’s what I wanted to say,” Axle replies.
“Maybe he was trying to protect one of the brothers?” Gun adds.
“I don’t know. This whole thing stinks.”
“I know, but I don’t think he had anything to do with Reagan,” I defend him a little.
“I don’t either, but there is something there,” Axle concedes.
“Then what are we saying?” Gunner asks.
“I’m saying that I don’t trust him and I think we should be careful about how we proceed around him.”
“I think so, too,” Gunner agrees.
“Where do we draw the line, though? He is too close to Cash and Moose for him to be kept too far out of the loop.”
“Crow’s got a point, Gun. Moving forward, maybe we should just keep everything surrounding the situations with Cleo and Reagan close to the vest.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” I say. “After the meeting now, anyway. Only Cleo and Dec’s parts are what need to be known for now.”
“We should keep the recording between the three of us.”
“Agreed,” Axle and Gunner say in unison.
“One more thing, guys. Reagan is pregnant. Only Pop, Ma, and Skylar know right now,” I inform them. “Maybe Marley, too. Shit, I don’t know. Just keep it quiet, for now. At least until I know what is going on with Dec.”
“You got it,” Axle assures me.
“Okay, guys,” Gunner says, taking his seat at the head of the table. “Is there any areas that need to be cleared up before we decide what the best course of action for Dec is?”
“How did you find out that it was Dec that helped Cleo?” Mase asks.
“Cleo was the one who informed us that it was Dec,” Axle supplies.
“And we are supposed to believe a club slut over a brother?” Mase follows up.
“Normally I would say no, but Dec’s actions following Cleo’s revelation, was suspect,” Axle answers.
“Doesn’t hurt that he didn’t deny it,” Smooth says.
“There’s that, too,” Gunner concurs.
“I don’t like that he dodged answering where he has been, either,” Einstein says. “I have been stalking him over the last month and he went ghost.”
“Maybe you just weren’t looking in the right place,” Mase shrugs.
“One: fuck you, very much; and two: I didn’t look in specific places—I looked for him, his credit and debit cards, driver's license, I even ran CCTVs recordings through my facial recognition software. You name it, I did it. It’s not as easy to fall off the grid as people seem to think it is,” Einstein rants. “Everything leaves a carbon footprint.”
“Then where the hell has he been?” Hollywood demands.
“That’s the million-dollar question, brother,” I say.
“When the MDMA situation was brought to the table, I thought we decided then that we were going to exile them?” Tex asks. “Doesn’t that kind of make this meeting a moot point?”
“Yes and no,” Gunner answers. “At that time, I sort of assumed it would be another slut helping her, not a brother. I think the brother should always have a chance to explain themselves. To shed light, if for no other reason.”
“But that’s not to say that won’t be the outcome here today,” Axle amends.
“You know what bothers me the most about this?” Rhys asks. “If he was the one who got the Molly for Cleo, so she could—and I quote—‘get in your pants’, why wasn’t it just a few pills?”
“Do we know how many pills he gave her?” Smoke adds on.
“She didn’t say for sure,” I answer. “She didn’t say how many she used doing it the first time—”
“First time?” Rhys cuts in.
“Yeah. She said it was the night before I was late to church last month. All she said is that it wasn’t enough. So, she dosed four drinks with two hundred milligrams the second time—two and a half pills per drink. If I had to guess, I would say between twenty and twenty-five pills.”
“So he stood here and lied right to our faces,” Axle states.
“Where is Cleo, now?” Rhys asks.
“I sent her to stay with the Reapers,” Gunner states. “That way she isn’t here but we still have eyes on her.”
“Good idea,” Hollywood nods.
“It will most likely just be a stepping stone for her, but at least she isn’t here,” Axle says.
“Now that we all know what the facts are, what is everyone thinking?” Gunner asks. “I know we haven’t had to do this before and there is no protocol, so we will go around the table and hear everyone’s opinion. Mase, you’re up.”
“A year of grunt work. Give him a chance to redeem himself.”
“Smooth?”
“Strip his colors. He can’t be trusted.”
“Rhys?”
“Revert to Prospect.”
&nbs
p; “Einstein?”
“Strip his colors.”
“Hollywood?”
“Strip his colors. He was a hard sell for me to vote him in then, and I never will again now.”
“Smoke?”
“Strip his colors.”
“Tex?”
“Year of grunt work.”
“Axle?”
“Revert to Prospect.”
“I think he should go back to Prospect, too,” Gunner adds. “That just leaves you, Crow.”
“I think the best punishment, at this point, would be to let him choose his punishment.”
“That’s diabolical,” Tex cackles. “I like it!”
“Shut up, dick,” I reply, giving him the finger.
“Are you sure that’s the way you want to handle this?” Gunner asks.
“I don’t want to vote whether or not to throw my brother out,” I shrug. “He made his bed, now he has to lie in it. I’m going to leave that choice up to him.”
“Any objections?” Axle inquires, looking around the table.
“I respect that, Crow” Gunner says. “Mase, call the brothers back in.”
When the Chapel door opens again, the brothers enter with Dec and his cronies—Cash and Moose—flanking him.
“So what’s it going to be?” Dec snaps.
“Watch it,” Axle threatens. “You’re not really in the position to be running that mouth right now.”
He rolls his eyes but doesn’t say a word.
“Each officer is going to give you their vote,” Gunner informs him. “You are not to speak until the last officer has spoken. Do you understand?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Mase?”
“Grunt work for a year.”
“Smooth?”
“Strip his colors.”
“Rhys?”
“Revert to Prospect.”
With every additional vote that comes out, I watch as Dec’s face gets redder and redder. He is about to lose it. When I look over at Pop and see that he’s as white as a sheet, I almost feel bad. But Dec has to get what’s coming to him.
“Crow?”
“I vote that you choose your own punishment. It’s a situation of your own making, Dec, it’s only fitting that you decide the outcome now.”