9. Chapter Seven
CHAPTER SEVEN
DECCAN
D eccan let out a sigh as he walked into the clubhouse.
“Prez!” several of his men call out.
He nodded and headed straight toward the bar. He needed a drink.
“Beer.” He tapped the counter as he sat on a stool.
Today had been a day. Echo was fighting him on everything . What was he going to do with her?
Spank her.
He rolled his eyes. His hand had been twitching ever since she walked into the middle of the parking lot without looking. What was she thinking? Obviously, she wasn’t, but he was glad he had been there. What would have happened if he wasn’t? Would she have gotten hit by the car?
Deccan had spanked her once, and he couldn’t wait to do it again. She was walking on thin ice, real fucking thin ice.
Did she think there were no consequences to actions, to her actions?
He was going to prove her wrong. She couldn’t put her life in danger, not think about the consequences or how her actions would affect other people. It was unacceptable.
Xavier sat next to Deccan and tapped the counter as well. Within seconds, two beers showed up in front of them. Deccan took a swig before placing it back on the bar top, waiting for his vice president to say something.
“How’s Little Miss doing?” he asked.
He knew it was coming. Everyone knew he had been following Echo around. Everyone knew she was off limits and to be protected at all costs.
Echo was his girl.
Deccan grunted and took another swig of his beer. How was Little Miss doing? He had thought about keeping her a secret, all to himself, but his possessiveness took over. He needed everyone to know she was his and no one else’s.
He didn’t share.
“Prez, how’s she doing? She run off yet?”
Deccan growled and shot him a glare. “She hasn’t fucking run off.”
But she was close to it. He could see it in her eyes and the way her body moved. Deccan was pretty sure Echo had some money saved up in case she needed to move. His girl. Was she still running from the same people, keeping low and in the shadows?
Her hair sure wasn’t keeping her in the shadows, all bright pink and long. He groaned, thinking about her hair. To feel his fingers wrap around it, giving it a little tug as he thrust into her.
“Prez?” Xavier touched his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he growled.
Deccan needed to get to his office or his private room where he couldn’t get bothered. How many times had he jacked off thinking about Echo? Too many times to count. He couldn’t wait until he got to sink into her and play with her for real.
“Is Little Miss okay?” Xavier asked. “Do we need to protect her?”
“No,” he sighed.
“Then what’s wrong? Why aren’t you answering the question?”
Xavier was like a best friend, they had been through thick and thin together. It all started with Echo and them as kids. Xavier was the only one who knew Deccan knew Echo since they were kids, and he wanted to keep it that way.
Deccan never thought he would run into her again, but here she was, living in Springfield, Missouri. He shouldn’t be surprised she picked a smaller city to move to. He had anticipated it, but he hadn’t always been keeping track of her.
Okay, that was a lie. He had.
He’d had Ace keep track of her all these years, but he didn’t know why. All he knew was she was living in a Springfield, but there were a lot of Springfields in the United States.
He had just gotten lucky. Very lucky.
“She is okay. Wants to do fucking dangerous activities, and I don’t like it,” he grumbled.
“You going to allow her to?” Xavier sipped his beer.
Deccan shook his head.
“What are you going to do about it?”
“Already dealt with a coupleof things, and she ain’t going to like it, but I don’t care.” He finished his beer. “She’s mine, and that’s all that matters.”
She was going to be livid when she realized it was him, but he didn’t mind. He wanted her to get mad and come to him.
“Does she know she’s yours?” Xavier asked, amusement held in his eyes.
“Told her she belonged to me.”
Xavier whistled. “How’d she take that?”
He shrugged. “She said no, but deep down, she knows she’s mine. She feels the connection just like I do.”
“Does she remember?”
Deccan shook his head. “Not that I can tell, but that’s okay. It’ll come back to her; I just know it.”
“And if she never remembers? Will you tell her?”
“Hadn’t thought that far,” he mumbled.
He was betting on her remembering and him not having to say something. He wanted her to come to the realization that she knew him and had for a while. Would that ever happen?
Xavier and Deccan sat in silence for several minutes in their own world. The main room was loud, everyone else talking, singing, and partying, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Updates?” Deccan asked.
Xavier stood. “I’ll round them up.”
He pushed his stool back and made his way into the MC’s meeting room, known as Church. When he flopped into his desk chair. Even though he was the president of the Springfield Sinners, he wanted to be watching over Echo, wanted to be with her. That was the only thing on his mind.
But as people started walking into Church, he knew he couldn’t be distracted. Pushing Echo to the back of his mind, he relaxed in his chair, the biggest of them all, and waited for the door to shut.
“This is everyone,” Xavier said, leaning against the door. “Everyone who has an update and could be here. Some are on patrol and some are on the road.”
Deccan looked around the room. “Razor?”
“Drugs are flowing in and selling really well. We’ve made a profit, and people are hungry for more, a lot more,” Razor informed him. “All our people are loyal, but we’re keeping a close eye on them in case of competition.”
He nodded. “Good. Contact our supplier and tell them we’ll need more. If they give you any trouble, come to me and I’ll have a chat with them. ”
Springfield was full of drugs, ones supplied by the Sinners. Business was booming.
“The women have been behaving at the strip clubs,” Hawk said.
“Willing and the ones paying off their debt?” Deccan asked.
They had several repaying a debt. Whether it was them owing the Sinners, taking someone out, ortheir husbands or parents doing something—the women for them in their clubs and paid off the debt. Or they died. Those were the only two options.
“We had trouble with one of the girls this week, but we took care of it. She didn’t want to work anymore. We gave her the usual two options,” he nonchalantly said.
“Good. Keep an eye on her. If she gives you any more trouble, don’t give her another chance.”
Was that ruthless? Absolutely, but it was how they instilled fear and ensured people did what they wanted. Every once in a while, they had to set an example. It meant people knew not to mess with them.
“Doc?” Deccan asked. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Some of the prospects have gotten into trouble. Stitched them up,” he grumbled, clearly not happy. “Stupid fuckers thought it would be funny to mess with Butch and Gears.”
“Doing what?”
His anger was boiling. They had some trouble with prospects occasionally. Normally, they kept quiet and did what they were asked to do.
“Apparently, they were touching their bikes, even after Butch and Gears told them to get the fuck out. Stupid fuckers.”
Deccan sighed. “Give me their names.”
Sometimes, he didn’t understand how stupid prospects could be.
“Jack and Cole,” Doc said as he stood up. “Gotta check on some people.”
Ever since they moved to Springfield, more and more men wanted to join the MC. Half of them Deccan already knew wouldn’t make it to full members. He could just tell with one look at them.
“Xavier?” Deccan sighed.
“We’ve talked to several people who owe us money. We’ve collected what they had and threatened them. We’re keeping an eye on them all in case they decide to skip town. Brick is keeping track of interest,” Xavier explained. “Some are due for a little shakedown.”
He looked over at Razor. “Razor, get Butch and you to go pay them a visit. Show them we mean business, and if they can’t pay, then we’ll start cutting off pieces of them or taking what they hold most valuable.”
How many women had they taken and forced to work at one of their clubs? Too many, but he didn’t care. The people taking loans out with them knew the risks upfront, very clearly, and yet they still signed the dotted line.
“Heard. This weekend?” Razor asked.
“Whenever Butch is free.”
Silence filled the room. Even though they had all moved here several months ago, it was like they had lived there their whole lives. Springfield didn’t like them coming into town, but when people heard they were giving out loans, opening up clubs, selling drugs, and keeping people safe for a price, many people jumped at the chance to do business with them.
“Keep up the good work,” Deccan said. “Everyone is dismissed.”
Everyone but Xavier walked out of Church.
He sighed. “Need something?”
“You going to go watch Echo, Little Miss?”
Deccan glared.
“Honest question.” He raised his hands in the air.
“I have something to take care of first.”
“Let me know if I can help with anything,” Xavier offered as he walked out of his office.