Mack: A Wings of Diablo MC Novel
Page 14
I’ve reached out to my sister, but even she isn’t sure if Clean will ever take up his place as president.
Honestly, I don’t know if I could follow if it drops to Ink. He’s a good man, but his need for revenge fuels him. We’d be back in the same predicament. Archer could come back, but he is already set in New Orleans. Maybe I could find a spot there?
I can’t remember the last time I felt so unsure about my life. The only part I was sure about is that I wouldn’t be letting Siren go.
After another hour or so of riding, Siren taps me hard on my leg, indicating I need to stop. She probably has to pee.
I slow down, but there’s no shoulder to pull over on; there are trees I can pull into. I take my lid off, and the second I can see her face, I know something is off.
“What is it?”
“I didn’t feel it. I’m sorry.” She hands me my phone, and I can see that there are three missed calls. All of them from Clean.
“Shit!” I grab the phone and immediately call back. I’ve been waiting for his call, almost pathetically. I hate this feeling of limbo, this feeling of maybe. I need to know for sure what the future holds for myself and my brothers.
The phone rings a few times before Clean picks up, “Yeah?”
“Hey, it’s meet.” I curse under my breath, “It’s Mack.”
“If you’re coming in, be here for church by noon on Saturday. If you don’t show, I’ll take that as you want out.” He hangs up the phone before I can say anything else.
I look at the phone, not used to him being so fucking rude. I guess it’s going to be a bit before we get the old Clean back. He deserves this time to heal, though.
I can’t lie; I’m excited to get on the road and get back. It’s only Tuesday, and it will take us a max of three days four if we sleep in.
Shit, Siren. I know how much she loves this freedom. With her being locked up for so long, being out on the road with the wind on her back and exploring is good for her. Will I leave her if she doesn’t want to go back to that life? Will I give up all she is to me because I know deep in my soul, my place is with the Wings of Diablo, no matter how fucked up we are right now? I don’t think I can.
I look at her and hope she can see the need inside of me. I hope she’s strong enough to face this with me. I’ve already asked her to sacrifice so much it seems wrong to ask her for more, but I will.
“We don’t have to go bat. If you don’t want to be a part of that life anymore, we don’t have to go back.”
She looks at me before she looks to the horizon. She turns back to me and runs a hand through my beard like she always does. “This is your family?” She asks, uncertainty in her tone.
“Yes, I know it’s fucked up, but this,” I run my hand over the patch on my chest, “is my family.”
She puts a hand over mine. “Then it’s mine as well. Let’s go home.”
I pull her against me and kiss her hard. This woman never ceases to fucking amaze me. We hop back on my bike, turn in the opposite direction, and we ride.
It’s Saturday, and everyone has shown up, minus Ryder and Wire. I don’t know if it’s because I know what needs to be done or because I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to make sure Maven and the kids are ok. When I walk into the clubhouse and see them laughing and hugging each other, I have to stop myself from ripping someone’s fucking head off.
For a second, I look around for Wire to call church only to remember that it’s me who holds that duty. Me fucking president. I guess it’s fitting they call me Clean. The club is shit; it’s time for me to clean house.
I ignore it when everyone calls out to me to shoot the shit. I told them church was noon today, and it’s 11:59 am. I walk into the back room and quickly look at my new seat before I sit down. I take the VP patch off the front of my kutte and pick up the President patch that’s still on the table.
I hear a small commotion before people start to file in. Ink is the first to step in, and he goes to the chair directly to my left-hand side. I put my hand up to stop him. He’s right, the VP seat should go to him, but I can’t allow it. He looks at me strangely, and everyone else watches the interaction.
“Mack,” I call out, “This is your seat.” I point to the VP chair. Mack’s mouth opens as if he’s going to speak, but he doesn’t, just sits where I tell him.
Ink backs up, and I can see his jaw twitching in anger. “This going to be a problem?”
He shakes his head.
“Good,” I point to the Sergeant at Arms spot on my right, “This is your spot. If you chose to accept it.” Ink nods his head and goes to his seat.
That’s all I have right now for a table, but it’s all I need. Mack sees more than anyone gives him credit for. If there’s anyone I trust to watch my ass and tell me how it is, it’s Mack. Ink is a monster, but that plays to my advantage, and I’m sure before all this is over, we will need to release him again. Unfortunately, I don’t trust that if I were to fall, he’d be able to curb the killer inside him to do more than seek revenge.
“I’ll start from the bottom and work my way up.” I look at the prospects. “Pope, Mike, Red, I appreciate the sacrifice the three of you made to be here, but this isn’t the Wings of old. Shit changes. Mike. I vote you not be patched in. I’ve seen nothing but chaos when it comes to you. Mack, Ink, on the business of Mike patching in what do you say. Yay or nay?”
Ink looks over to Mike, “Sorry, brother, nay.”
Mack shakes his head. “Nay.”
“The fuck! I’ve fucking done everything you’ve asked. Who the fuck do you think you are?” Mike screams at me. I turn my head slightly to the right. Shit like this, I can’t allow. Ink should be dealing with it. After a second, Ink jumps up, grabs Mike by the collar, and tosses him out of the room.
“Pope, I vote yay.” I wait for Mack and Ink to give their vote. Both of them; yays.
“Red, I have seen the same chaos in you, but you were brought in during a time of chaos. I’m willing to extend your time as a prospect if you want it.”
“Yeah, I can chill. I want to be here.”
I nod once and move on quickly. “Devin,” I call out, and everyone in the room gasps. Devin is a patched member. A member who has taken life for us and put his life on the line for us. A patched member I don’t trust.
“You’re still a brother, but I have to be extra careful about who we let in. Your background makes me uneasy, and I don’t trust-”
He cuts me off, and I have to stop Ink from getting out of his chair to throw Devin out, “This is bullshit. I’ve ridden with you and killed alongside you. Prez trusted me. Wire trusted-”
“Fuck Wire!” I belt out before he has time to finish, “I don’t fucking trust you! That’s it! If you want to rely on the trust, a dead ex-president gave you, do that shit elsewhere. And Wire isn’t fucking here anymore. You want to keep your spot beside him go find him and have at it, but here is my fucking club.” I relax and sit back in my chair. I couldn’t go off-kilter. I had to stay true.
Devin exhales and shrugs out of his kutte. He hands it over, and I reach behind my back and pull out another kutte. The deep purple insignia feels funny in my hand. “As I was saying before, I know how much you gave up for us. I can’t dismiss that. I spoke with Wyatt and his boys up in Maine. The Boys of Djinn will have you if you want to ride with them. They understand we are going through a change and have better resources to vouch for you than I ever will. I wish things were different. I know you would have made a hell of a brother, but right now, I can’t take that chance.” I raise the kutte Wyatt, and his boys sent for Devin. He would be a transfer on probation. Basically a step above prospect.
He reaches out and takes the kutte, clearly still upset with the change, but he slips it on.
“It looks good on you.” I nod and wait. “You may leave; your business here is done. If you have any belongings, we will have them shipped to you. Next time you step foot into this clubhouse, it will be as a guest, remember tha
t.”
Devin rolls his eyes and storms out.
I look back at the room; it’s bare. This is the WOD stripped to the bones. Now it’s time to build back up.
“All ties we have with the Spawns of Chaos are null. As of right the fuck now, anyone riding with them is the enemy.”
“Clean, Shepard.” Mack starts but stops when he looks at me.
“I said all of them.”
He nods once to let me know he hears me.
“Eve’s Fury is on their fucking own. Their not enemies, but their business is their fucking business and vice versa. Understood?”
Everyone nods, and I continue.
“The Boys of Djinn are affiliated only because the original member was a Wing. But again, their business is their business.”
They nod, and I continue.
“Archer and his boys down in New Orleans, as of right now, they are the only club who we worry about. They call we go. I already explained to Archer that shits changing, and if he isn’t on board with that change, we may need to part ways. So far, he’s with it.”
“What exactly is our business? What are we doing now?” Ink asks.
“What we should have been doing all this time, taking care of our town and our women. I will never go looking for a fight, but I know we have unfinished business. Rooster and Vale. They are our main objective. They must be punished. We do this the right way. We find them ourselves. We depend on no one. If we fail, it’ll be our fucking fault.”
Mack and Ink nod. Red and Pope as well.
I stand ready to end this session, “Oh, if I find out you betrayed your family or me, I’ll make sure you never fucking see the light of day again. Shit will never be the same, and if you can’t fucking handle it, I’d advise you to get out now because once you’re in my family, you stay in. Death is the only way out of this club either by our enemy or your brothers.” I make sure each one of them gets the picture.
I will have loyalty. I will keep my family, even if I have to kill each of them who tries to leave.
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