Stan wondered where all the men had gone. He didn't understand why suddenly everyone had to be concerned with hurting each other. It was fucking bullshit to him. They were a motorcycle club. That meant honor, loyalty, and most definitely, not being soft.
He began to walk around a little. The house felt claustrophobic to him. All he wanted was to leave and be done with it all. They had jobs to do. Jobs that were far more important and lucrative than sitting in this living room, sipping coffee, and sorting out a love story. They just needed to take care of Johnny and move on.
***
The phone call had been over for about five minutes, but Phil wasn't ready to face them all. He had to make sense of what he'd heard and what had been said so that he could handle it accordingly. That left him standing outside of Bethany's house, pacing.
He could guess the reaction from each of them. He knew what they'd say and if he took a vote he could come pretty damn close to guessing the results. It wasn't like he didn't understand the situation completely, or what was about to happen. He knew all of it very well.
They needed Johnny for this—desperately—which meant that they'd have to table the discussion of him and Dan's old lady. Not because it wasn't important, but because it wasn't as important as what he'd just heard on the phone.
Stan would be unhappy. Hell, most of them would be. However, it was for the good of the club at this point. It was what they needed to do to be able to handle the task at hand. Hopefully, they would understand and concede—if he could make himself step inside and tell them.
***
Johnny heard the door open and instinctively looked in that direction. The expression on Phil's face worried him. What the hell had the phone conversation been about? He looked almost panicked. It was unlike Phil to panic or worry over very much at all.
Johnny wanted to go to him and find out what was up, but he knew better. Something had happened on that phone call that was going to affect them all. The last time he'd seen Phil looking like that, they'd been told that Dan was gone.
The mere thought of that moment was like being shot in the gut to Johnny. It'd been his fault because it was him they were after. He prayed it wasn't another death. He didn't think the club could take any more tragedy.
***
“So back to what the fuck to do about Johnny,” Stan piped up, completely unaware of the facial expressions of his makeshift leader.
“Not now,” Phil said.
Stan stood from the chair he was on and began to try and argue his point. He wanted this out of the way, and he wanted Johnny dealt with so that they could leave this godforsaken town and move on.
“I said not now.” Phil's voice became stern enough that everyone became quiet.
As much as they all differed in their opinions on situations like the one they faced, they all agreed on one thing. Respect. Phil had earned it, and the tone of his voice all but demanded it. So, they gave it.
“What's going on?” Aaron piped up.
Phil looked around at the group of guys eagerly awaiting his answer, and it scared him. He knew they'd be ready for any kind of battle, but he wasn't sure he wanted to risk losing another brother. It was still too soon.
“We need to talk,” he answered and then spoke no more.
***
Bethany was tired of them all being in her house. Couldn't they just pass their judgment and move on? Now everyone was silent and staring at that one guy she barely knew. Even Johnny seemed to care more about his so called family than he did her.
She was over it and wanted it over completely. At this point, she didn't really much care if she ended up with the guy or not. She had spent far too much of her life with this group of fucking losers controlling what happened. It was time to end it.
Her plan had been to ensure them that she didn't want their brother. She had been lonely, and shit had happened, and now she was over it. However, no one was paying attention to anything except that guy they called their leader.
“Can I say something?” she said, hoping she could put an end to the problems and the company.
***
Johnny's head darted in Beth's direction. She didn't realize that something serious was going on. She was still stuck on the situation between them, and he didn't blame her. He just wished she'd pay more attention. Mostly, he wondered what she had planned to say. He knew he wouldn't hear it because they were going to shut her up; but, he was curious.
She wouldn't look at him. She was really upset, and it hurt him to know he was the reason.
“Actually, this is a private discussion,” Aaron answered before anyone else had a chance to.
“It's my house,” she glared at the guy who had just spoken to her. “Not that it matters,” she mumbled and stood to walk off.
“We can leave,” Johnny volunteered and hoped it would ease the tension.
Unfortunately, Johnny's comment garnered a glare from Beth that told him she was even more upset than he'd originally thought.
“No worries, I'll go,” she snapped and stormed upstairs towards her room.
Johnny knew better than to follow her. That would show far too much intimacy between them. He had to let her walk away and know that later he would pay the price. Fucking women. This was why he didn't want to get involved with them.
CHAPTER TEN
Phil looked at the guys in the club. They were waiting patiently on him to tell them all what was going on. Dan's old lady had distracted them, but only briefly. Her nonsense hadn't held their attention, and he knew that he was going to have to continue. All he wanted was the moment it took to form the right sentences in his head.
“What's up Phil?” Aaron was the first to break the silence. “What's going on?”
Phil took a deep breath before he spoke. Clearing his throat, he made sure that his voice was heard by everyone.
“There's some trouble brewing,” he answered, and that got everyone's attention.
“What kind of fucking trouble?” Stan asked.
“Hell's Order.” Phil looked down.
There was no need to say much more. They would know. Hell's Order was a familiar name. All too familiar lately. The grim expressions of his brothers told him that they understood.
“What are we gonna do about it?” Stan asked
***
Well, they had his attention. Johnny heard the name and that was all it took. Hell's Order. Holy shit. They were really going to start some trouble with them?
Hell's Order. The name itself implied negative feelings for everyone, but especially for him. They were another motorcycle club. One that wasn't so decent. Johnny knew that he and his brothers did some things that would bend the scope of what most call decent, but he also knew that they were nothing compared to Hell's Order.
The guys from Hell's Order had no sense of decency, honesty, or loyalty. They were the ones who had come after him. Multiple times. The last time they'd killed Dan. His best friend. Beth's husband. The father of her child. So, the name automatically garnered his attention more than the others. He had a personal vendetta.
How the hell could those guys even think they wanted to start any kind of trouble with the Devil's Chariot? Did they have a death wish? Obviously so, considering they were starting trouble.
“What kind of trouble?” he asked before Stan's question had even been answered.
***
Beth was listening at the top of the stairs. They wanted to make her feel like she was unwelcome in her own home, then she'd find out why. She knew from being with Dan when she needed to leave the room. Something about those guys preferred their bitches to be gone. Well, Beth was no ordinary bitch.
She'd never been a club girl and had met Dan elsewhere. She considered herself far above those club girls. Plus, they were sitting in her own fucking living room; so, if she wanted to listen in, then damn it she would.
She recognized the name Hell's Order, but she didn't know why—probably something Dan had mentioned at one point. She
wasn't sure, but she heard the tone of Johnny's voice, and it wasn't a good thing, keeping her attention on the conversation they were having.
***
“Threats,” Phil answered.
“What kind of fucking threats?” Stan asked.
The guys sat still and focused on their leader. It was times like these that the brothers showed their loyalty. In one moment, with the mention of one club, all of the troubles amidst them were gone. Johnny and his attention to Dan's old lady wasn't important because—in that moment—they were one.
Phil looked over at Johnny. He was one of them; so, he would have to hear what was going on. However, Phil wasn't positive about telling him—and for a number of reasons.
Johnny wouldn't take the threats in the same way the rest of them would. He would take it far more personally. He was the one they were originally after. His best friend had died. Now, he had a personal stake in the family left behind. Mostly, he was a man with a grudge and a reason to be protective.
That could make him dangerous—to Hell's Order, yes—but also to his own brothers. It could also cause even more chaos in his own personal situation. However, Phil had no choice. He had to include Johnny unless they tabled the threats and decided what to do about Dan's old lady.
***
Johnny was tense. His body was so stiff that he wasn't sure he was going to be able to move when he stood. What the fuck was Hell's Order up to? Phil seemed hesitant to say anything. He'd also been eyeballing Johnny for a minute, and he got the distinct impression that he was the reason for the hesitation.
“Look Phil,” Johnny stood and felt the tension in his calves, “you need to tell us what the fuck is going on. Your face is pale. Your eyes are wide. Something serious is up. We need to know what if we are going to stop it.”
Phil nodded. “What if it can't be stopped?”
“Anything can be stopped Phil,” Aaron said.
“I wish that had been the case last time,” Phil looked down.
Suddenly, there was silence. Everyone knew what Phil meant. If they could have stopped it, Dan would be here. The mere mention sent a stab of pain and guilt through Johnny. He knew he wished he could bring his friend back. He also knew if he could that'd mean he lost Beth. How the fuck could he have even a small hint of happiness over his brother and best friend's passing?
“Well, it wasn't,” Stan injected. “Dan's gone. So what do the bastards that killed him think they are going to do to us now?”
***
Beth's heart stopped for a moment. She tried not to make her gasp noticeable. She didn't want anyone to know that she was at the top of the stairs listening to what they said; but, she had been thrown off-guard by the comment.
That's how she knew the name. That was the club that was responsible for taking her husband. The father of her child. The man she'd loved with all she was. Until Johnny. She couldn't even think of what life would be like if Johnny weren't there. And she refused to think of who she'd choose if she could have either of them.
So this club was the one that took him, and now they were threatening them again? Did that put Johnny in danger? The question seemed stupid. Of course it put him in danger. He was one of them—at least for now. God, she hoped those guys would decide to leave it alone.
***
“Us? Nothing,” Phil answered solemnly.
Nothing in him wanted to share the rest. He wanted to just make this problem disappear. Something told him that would never happen, so he sat down on the edge of the empty recliner beside him. How the hell was he going to repeat this to the guys?
“I don't understand,” Aaron commented.
Phil's eyes dropped to the floor, wanting to bypass the whole conversation and pretend he hadn't been told. He wanted to go back to arguing over Johnny's love life; but, he couldn't.
“It's not us they are threatening,” he replied. “At least not directly.”
***
Johnny saw it. The rest of them didn't. He saw Phil's eyes dart towards the stairs, as he was speaking. It was subtle. Body language that most didn't pay attention to. However, Johnny used body language a lot to get by in the world; so, he noticed.
The implication of that glance wasn't lost on him. The words spoken at the same time gave it away. Phil wasn't referring to any personal threats. The Hell's Order was threatening her. Beth. Her baby. They were threatening to come after them.
His breathing was staggered, and he felt sweat forming along his brow. He wanted to punch something right that moment. However, common sense and self-preservation told him to calm down and not react. The guys couldn't see him that angry over her.
“What did they say?” Johnny asked and nodded so that Phil understood he got it.
“You know them, Johnny,” Phil answered. “Take your best guess”
The mere thought of his own guess angered Johnny even more. What gave those assholes the nerve to threaten anything or anyone?
“Who are they threatening?” Stan asked. “Us?”
Phil shook his head, and again Johnny noticed his eyes glance towards the stairs. His blood began to boil stronger and harder.
“I don't fucking think so,” Johnny exclaimed, and all eyes turned towards him.
***
She heard him yell. Holy shit, he'd scared her. What the hell was going on? This gang, and yes she knew they didn't like that term—but these fuckers killed her husband and she'd say what she wanted—was making threats. About what or towards whom, she wasn't sure. However, whatever had just transpired pissed Johnny off worse than she'd ever seen.
Beth felt a little scared. She didn't like to hear that anger from him, reminding her of who and what he was. When they were sitting in the living room watching movies, it was easy to forget about the biker side of him. The side that ended up in dangerous situations.
She hated herself in that moment. She was doing it again, pretending that the man she loved wasn't who he really was—much like she'd done with Dan and look where that had gotten her. She didn't want to hear anymore. She didn't want to know what Johnny was thinking or planning to do. She just wanted to go to bed and forget the emotions soaring through her body. Baby was making her sleepy, and the stress she was feeling wasn't helping.
***
“Johnny, we have to remain calm,” Phil stated. “We need to tend to this, but we have to do it right.”
As he watched Johnny fidget on the sofa, Phil regretted telling him. He had known what would happen. There was no way to hide emotion when danger was present. None of the guys would believe that Johnny wasn't involved with Dan's old lady.
Shit, the Hell's Order didn't believe it. That's why she was the target. Their original goal had been Johnny, but Dan got in the way. Then, some things had happened to one of their guys, and now they wanted revenge. It was justice in their minds, which meant Johnny.
What better way to handle it than to go after what mattered the most to him? At this point, a person would be hard pressed to find someone that didn't realize that Dan's old lady was his weakness. Shit, before that nobody would have guessed he had a fucking weakness.
Johnny wasn't helping himself out by reacting like a jealous husband. He was actually making it worse.
“Calm down, Johnny,” Chris said to him.
“Calm down hell,” he answered. “They are threatening her and the baby? They will have to go through me first.”
Phil shook his head, as he realized that this situation was going to get worse before it would ever get better.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Beth heard the door shut, and the house fill with silence. They had left. She wondered if Johnny had left too—probably so. He was so busy trying to convince his brothers that he wasn't messing with her that he wouldn't have stopped to consider her feelings as he walked out.
She was so tired of coming in second to what amounted to a gang of men too old to be in a gang. Dan had always done that, and she'd begged and pleaded. Her love had kept her there when she didn't
really want to put up with it. Now, Dan was gone, and her baby would never know its daddy.
Yet, here she was doing it again. The same shitty people making threats. The same gang of bikers dictating her life. The love inside her holding her on. However, she had more to consider now. She had a baby. She didn't want this life anymore. Maybe it was time to tell Johnny she was done. If he was going to always choose them, then maybe she'd choose herself.
***
It killed him to shut the door and get on his bike without even saying goodbye. He knew it would hurt her, but he had no choice. The club called, and he had to answer—especially this.
Never Let Go (Devil's Chariots Motorcycle Club Book 2) Page 6