6. Ethan
6
*********
With Skyler finally off the property and the whiskey finally doing its job, I’m feeling slightly more relaxed as we all pile into church. Gabe takes his place at the head of the table with Caleb and Ghost at his right and left side. Eli sits to the left of Caleb with Xander beside him. Cash and Walker stay standing leaning their backs against the wall, mirroring Mack and Declan who are standing behind me. Me, Jake, Jameson, and Hawk fill in the seats around the table.
The tension in the room is fucking palpable.
Ghost scrubs his face, looking like he hasn’t slept in days. He looks exhausted with a side of murderous looking over the top of his hand at Caleb, then back to Gabe. He’s fucked up over losing his brother, and I’m sure the way I handled the whole Skyler situation didn’t help matters for him. Knowing Ghost, he’ll squash his own emotional shit while in church, but he just might come after my ass after.
Not that I care. It’d be a good opportunity for both of us to blow off some pent-up aggression. But I doubt Gabe will let it happen. There are rules about fighting with a brother. It only happens in the cage and must be sanctioned by the club.
Hawk has a valid point. I could at least be empathetic. Help find his brother-in-law’s killer. It’s a regret I carry with me daily. Not being able to make the person responsible for Emily’s death pay. I can help Ghost settle his brother’s murder and send the motherfucker responsible on the fast track to hell. My brother deserves that much.
I’ll do my duty to settle the debt, but it doesn’t mean I won’t hold a grudge for Skyler being here. I may have lost my shit momentarily, but I can’t help believing everyone here wouldn’t have done the same if they felt blindsided by their past. We’ve all got our own demons we face. Skyler Sinclair is one of mine, and my brothers know it.
While I was fighting off a coronary at the sight of my past and the reminder of my sister’s gruesome death, Skyler seemed to be taking the news of her father’s passing well. She sobbed for a minute when Ghost hugged her, but like a switch, she shut it off. Where she used to be sensitive and soft, she seems to have learned to be hardened off.
Maybe because you verbally attacked her.
Or maybe she just doesn’t fucking care. She didn’t care enough to even show up when we buried Emily. She hasn’t been back to see her father in years. Maybe she couldn’t be bothered.
I have every right to be angry after everything she did. She fucking left taking everything I loved with her. She stole it all from me. From us. She shouldn’t have any right to be here. But I don’t make the rules. I swore an oath of loyalty to uphold them and to the men around this room. To always have my brother’s back.
But who has mine?
I drag my hand through my hair breathing through my frustration.
“Stop scowling.” Hawk nudges my arm.
“Fuck off.”
“Hey, man.” There’s concern in Hawk’s eyes. He’s probably worried I’m going to attack someone again. “You good?”
“As good as I’m gonna get for now.” He studies my face for a minute then turns his attention back to the head of the table.
I watch as Ghost gives Gabe and Caleb both a nod of his head telling them he’s good.
It’s bullshit. We can all see it, but no one is going to challenge him. He got his nickname for his ability to make people vanish into thin air. None of us are going to call him out any time soon. Not while he’s so tightly wound. Everyone’s going to give him a wide berth and let him deal with this in his own way.
He lost his sister to cancer. George and Skyler were all the blood he had left. Ghost has had his brothers in the MC for over twenty years. He has everything he needs right here in this room to help him get through this. I know because it’s what they did for me when I lost my sister. I may be pissed, but I wouldn’t deny a brother if he needed my help.
I wasn’t part of the Kings when Emily died. I tried to get space, to deal with my grief by myself, but Hawk wasn’t having it. We grew up together, though my family wasn’t part of the club like his. His father was a member at one point. I don’t know what happened to his dad and it’s not discussed by anyone in the club, ever.
Hawk and Jake attended Emily’s funeral and kept close tabs on me for a while. They watched me drowning my sorrows night after night. Wasn’t hard when my mother was doped up on antidepressants and pain pills. She left her stocked liquor cabinet unguarded, and I took full advantage.
The guys came and made themselves comfortable wherever I was and kept watch. They didn’t stop me from drinking, but they didn’t let me do anything too stupid either, like land my ass in jail. They became my self-imposed guardians whether I wanted them or not.
They were the ones who called Caleb. I’ll forever be grateful for the night he took my drunk ass back to his house. He and Liz let me stay with them for a while after Mom left to live with her sister. She listed our house for sale and never looked back as if she forgot I even existed.
I owe all of them for taking me in and saving my ass from my own self destruction.
After that first morning, Hawk started showing up at Caleb’s door. I was surprised he waited a day to show up. His ass would be there at ungodly hours of the morning, not caring what state I was in. He’d wake me up from whatever hellish hangover I had put myself in banging on the door until I finally let his ass in. I prayed Liz or Caleb would get pissed enough to tell him to fuck off, but most mornings they were sitting at the table drinking coffee, smiling sadistically, waiting for me to answer the fucking door.
Hawk found out I left an MMA fighting camp to come home for Emily’s funeral and to help my mother. In doing so, I forfeit my spot and any future I had with the team. I had no home, no job, and a piss poor attitude.
Hawk wasn’t phased in the least. He made it his personal mission to drive me to Knock Out’s Gym every morning and get me training again, introducing me to Kieran O’Rourke the owner and a mixed martial arts master. Over the last couple of years, Kieran went from not only being my friend and trainer, to my business partner and shared owner of the gym.
After a few months, I moved into the apartment above the gym. Shortly after, I got my shit together Caleb sponsored me as a prospect with the Kings. Meeting with Kieran, getting back in the cage, and becoming a part of the Kings of Fury saved me.
“All right! Sit your asses down so we can get this shit started and over with as soon as possible.” Gabe yells ratcheting up the tension in the room. “I don’t know about you, assholes, but I’ve got work to do, family shit to take care of, and at some point, I’d like to get some fucking sleep. First thing’s first.” He turns his attention to the Mountain Heights members. “Welcome back to Oak Ridge, brothers. Glad to have you. Wish it was under better circumstances but appreciate you making the ride to be here.”
There’s a ruckus of hands beating on the table. It’s somewhat subdued due to all the animosity filling the room. Everyone’s still amped up.
Eli gives a nod to Ghost. “George was a good friend. He deserves our respect. Whatever you or Skyler need, we got you brother.”
My body stiffens at his mentioning Skyler’s name.
Ghost tips his chin in thanks.
“Mack,” Gabe starts, “What do we know about George’s death?”
Mack pulls himself off the wall and stands with his arms crossed as he addresses the room.
“The cops got the call around 2:26 in the morning from George’s phone. He was on the second leg of his trip, headed back to Baron’s Edge after dropping his load in Montana. He told the police he was being forced all over the road by a group of motorcyclists. George was found shot on the side of the road, execution style not long after the call was made.” Mack pauses, looking around the room at each of us. It’s not the first truck jacking made on a West International Freight company. It is, however the first one with a death.
The last two were intercepted by the police. The other drivers called Garrison Security, per protocol, and they alerted the cops to the threat. The drivers were both beaten and banged up but they’re both alive. The dash cams on both trucks showed two mustangs with no plates, swerving, and dodging each other in front of the big rig. Apparently, whoever we’re dealing with changed tactics from cars to bikes.
“Cops said they’ll have dashcam footage in the next day or so along with the autopsy report. We should officially have it off the cloud in a few days along with their report. It’s police protocol to verify if the driver exuded any kind of reckless behavior contributing to any kind of incident.”
Hawk opens his laptop and starts tapping the keys rapidly.
“Hawk can access the dash cam records and George’s cell phone records through Garrison Security.”
“The driver of the truck is executed, and the cops want to see if he was behaving recklessly enough to cause someone to run him off the road and kill him?” Jake grumbles. “Because that makes perfect fucking sense.”
Mack glares at his son with disapproval, a warning to shut the fuck up.
“It’s called road rage asshole.”
“It’s called bullshit.” Jake says shaking his head. “There’s no reason to believe George was behaving recklessly when he’s the one calling for help. They just don’t want to do their fucking job.”
“You sound like Sadie, bitching because the old bastards in blacked out SUVs don’t give a fuck about anyone but their own.” Hawk taunts.
“She’s not wrong!” Jake snaps. “Those Baron’s Edge bastards should be tracking down the killer not looking for George’s misuse of a fucking blinker! They shot him execution style for shit’s sake! That’s not road rage, that’s someone who wanted him dead for a reason and wanted to send a very specific message.”
“Sadie’s right to question the cops. Look what happened to the girl from her school. They still haven’t done shit to find the guy responsible.” Jameson mutters.
Mack’s face turns menacingly cold. “Even we can’t find the bastard if we don’t have anything to go on.”
“Can we get back to business now ladies?” Gabe growls, rubbing his temples. “Can we get the dashcam footage of the other two high jacking attempts?” Gabe asks, giving a pointed look at Hawk who nods.
“I’ve got the phone records from all three drivers, including George’s. I’m sorting through them now. It’ll take some time to get into the cloud for the dash cam files and sort those. But I can get it.” Hawk affirms.“According to the records, the other two drivers made calls to Garrison Security, and one made a call to his wife not long before the trucks went off the road. George made three phone calls and sent off one large group text all within an hour and twenty minutes prior to contacting the police.”
“He didn’t call Garrison?” Jameson asks.
“No.”
“He knew something was up.” Gabe suggests, giving Ghost a knowing look.
“Wait. You think George knew who was coming for him?” It’s more of a statement than a question, this time from Eli.
“Who’d he call?” I ask, struggling to believe George would knowingly accept someone was coming to kill him. Surely, he would’ve called the club for help, not the fucking cops.
“Based on the calls he made, it makes sense he knew something and didn’t want us involved.” Mack nods.
“But West Enterprises is Garrison’s client. George knew the protocol. He should’ve called Declan first.”
Especially if he thought he was going to die. West Enterprises is Mack’s sole responsibility and Garrison’s largest client. There’s no way Mack would’ve sat on this and let it happen.
“Who did he call?” I’m getting impatient.
“He sent out a group text first to Pres, Ghost, Eli, and a burner phone. It was one word. Skyfall.” Hawk looks up from his laptop for a split second, seemingly confused making eye contact with Gabe.
“Go on.” Gabe instructs.
“He called the burner phone, Ghost…and Vincenzo Parisi.” Hawk says, glancing up from his laptop sounding just as shocked as the rest of us.
“What did he say when he called you Ghost?” Eli asks.
Ghost lays his head in his hands, releasing a long, deep breath. When he lifts his head, there’s an almost hollowness to his eyes. “He said he didn’t have time to explain, then told me he needed me to keep my promise to him and Becca and take care of Skyler. She was going to be coming home and would need me and the club more than ever. Then he hung up.” He takes a deep breath. “I tried to call him back, but it kept going to voice mail.”
“What the hell does Skyfall mean? Why would he send it in a text to all of you and not the rest of the club? Can someone explain to the rest of the class?” I snap.
“Ethan. Watch yourself.” Gabe growls.
“It’s a code word. It means get Sky to safety.” He scrubs the back of his neck. “We made it up years ago to only be used in extreme emergencies.”
“It means get Skyler’s ass home and under the protection of the club.” Eli adds.
“The fuck?” My words are quietly spoken but everyone hears them. Based on all similar look of confusion on most of my brother’s faces, they’re just as confused as I am.
“I’m her family. It’s my job to take care of her now. We made a code after Becca died. With all the shit the club was dealing with back then, George wanted something no one else would understand. At first it was Chicken Little, because it was Skyler’s favorite book as a girl. But it was later changed to Skyfall because it was one of his and Skyler’s favorite movies and easier to type in a hurry.” He shrugs.
I remember Skyler telling me about how much her dad loved James Bond movies. She didn’t really like them, but tolerated watching them whenever he found one on because he believed it was a bond they shared over cheesy action movies.
“I went along with whatever George wanted when it came to our girls especially when it came to keeping them safe.”
“Okay, so what about the burner phone? Do we know who he was calling? Can you track it?” Jameson looks to Hawk for answers.
“You don’t have to. It’s Skyler’s phone. I gave it to her not long ago when she left Mountain Heights.” Eli responds.
My chair scrapes the floor and flies back toward the wall when I stand to my feet, shouting, “What the fuck?”
“Ethan!” Gabe shouts. “Calm down.”
“Calm down, Pres? How the hell am I supposed to calm down when my brothers here were helping Skyler? The one person who could’ve put my sister’s killer behind bars. Who I’ve been looking for six fucking years! And what? She was with them. For how fucking long?”
My heart is pounding against my chest, my blood roaring in my ears. My breaths are coming in ragged. I’m ready to go rounds with any one of these motherfuckers in here.
“Calm down!” Gabe shouts again. “Mack! Dec!”
They’re both next to me in seconds ready to lock my ass down.
“Yes, I gave her the burner phone. She was traveling and George wanted her to have a way to reach out. Wanted her to have something untraceable.” Eli leans back in his chair arms crossed over his chest as if his words didn’t just punch me in the gut.
“How long was she in Mountain Heights?” The room falls silent. Half the room looks confused as fuck. The other half, the older half, and the Mountain Heights boys all have faces of stone.
“So, you’re saying you all knew where she was all this time? George knew.” No one denies it. No one says a fucking word. The room fills with suffocating silence.
“And you had a back-up plan. Why would George need to have a back-up plan for Skyler? What kind of shit did she get him into?”
Ghost glares at me. The vein on the side of his head visibly pulsing.
“So much for the enemy of my brother is my enemy, huh?” I roll my neck trying to loosen some of the tension gripping me.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Gabe growls.
“It means, there are people in this room, brothers who know what Skyler did. What happened to Emily because of her. How her killer went free because Skyler fucking bailed on us!” I look around the room making eye contact with each one of them. “My brothers knew what I was going through and where the one person who they knew I was looking for, was hiding, all while pretending they didn’t. To what? Save her ass?” I look directly at Gabe and Eli. “She doesn’t deserve your protection after what she did! I thought I earned your loyalty when I earned my patch. I’m not so sure it’s true anymore.”
“Brother calm down.” Hawk’s voice is quiet but full of reproach.
“You have no idea the shit you’re spewing about!” Ghost shouts, standing beside Gabe. Jake and Jameson stand ready to intervene.
“You best shut the fuck up now because you’re about to owe everyone in this room a huge ass apology and even if you do apologize, you still might get your ass beat. Or worse, lose your patch. Chill the fuck out.” Jake says, now standing between me and Ghost. As the SAA it’s his job to keep the peace amongst the brothers.
“I’m gonna…what the fuck?” I laugh humorlessly. “Skyler’s the reason my sister is dead. She’s probably the reason her own father is dead, but hey. Good to know my brothers have my back. Have George’s back.”
“How is Skyler to blame for your sister’s death?” Cash looks like he swallowed a lemon as he says those words. Ghost’s eyes slide to his then back to me. He doesn’t like the question. If he won’t answer Cash, I will.
“Oh, so you don’t know about the woman you all are so protective over, huh?” I scoff. “They didn’t fill you in on her past. Guess it would explain the blind devotion you’ve all shown since arriving here.”
“You’ve lost your damn mind.” Eli puts his two cents in now.
“You don’t know shit!” Ghost shouts slamming his hand into his chest. “If it weren’t for Skyler…”
“Ghost!” Gabe stands, gripping Ghost’s shoulder, shaking his head.
“I know trouble and death seem to follow her around. She’s not the sweet, little princess everyone here seems to think she is. It’s a fa?ade. Trust me, I get it. I fell for the act once too.”
“I can assure you Skyler had nothing to do with your sister’s death or George’s. You don’t know her at all. She protects those she loves no matter the cost, even to her own detriment.” Walker jumps in, coming to Skyler’s rescue alongside Cash. They’re all drinking from her Kool-Aid. “Matter of fact, I dare you to call her princess to her face. I’ll enjoy watching her lay your ass out.” The smile on his face is sinister.
Jesus. How did she get all of them wrapped around her little finger.
I suddenly have an image of Skyler fucking Walker and my blood goes cold.
Is she fucking all of them?
“Does she belong to one of you? Or is she just a club whore, and everyone gets a taste?”
Ghost jumps to his feet, moving around the table, shoving Jake out of the way to get to me, but Gus and Caleb are quick to stop him.
Jake’s quick on his feet blocking my path, while Mack, Declan and Eli jump up to stop his men from getting involved.
“Easy brother.” Caleb grits holding onto Ghost’s shoulder. “The only reason Ethan here is being such an ass is because the girl he loved came back to town and now his underwear is squeezing his brain a little too tight. This isn’t easy for any of us, but the last thing we need is to shed each other’s blood, yeah? George wouldn’t want that.”
Grumbles and grunts are heard around the table.
“He’s only pissed because he knows I’m right.” I grumble.
“What you are… is an ass.” Eli says, his right eyebrow is raised, his facial expression, not amused. “And about thirty seconds shy of a serious fucking beat down.”
I shrug him off. I could give two shits what he thinks about me or my opinions when it comes to Skyler Sinclair. She’s got all these fuckers fooled.
“You’re out of line, Ethan, and you fucking know it! You’re this fucking close to losing your patch. Is that what you want?” Gabe snaps, pointing his finger in my direction.
Fuck no, it’s not what I want. And I don’t hesitate to say so.
“No.”
“Then I suggest you stay in your seat and shut the hell up. I mean it. Not another goddamn word out of you about Skyler. Am I clear?”
“Pres...”
“I said… Am. I. Fucking. Clear?”
“I’m just...” The look he gives me stops me short of my explanation. I decide to heed the warning given. “Yeah, we’re clear.” I say dejected and furiously fuming. I have no choice but to back down. I may have lost everything before because of Skyler, but I’m not about to lose my patch and my chosen family because of her bullshit too. I’ll get through whatever this is with George’s death, and then I’ll worry about getting her ass out of here, permanently.
“We’re all fucked up over this, but now isn’t the time. Everybody shut the hell up so Mack can finish telling us what we need to know, and we can all get the hell out of here. We need some air and a fucking drink. Jesus.” Gabe drops his hand and gives Mack a chin lift to continue.
“We do think George may have known what was coming for him and you’re right. He was trying to keep the club away from whoever it was, that’s why he kept it to himself.” We all look to Mack for further explanation after the little bomb he just dropped. “It may also be why he called Parisi. It’s possible he struck a deal with Parisi to keep the club away from whatever he was involved in.”
Vincenzo Parisi is the head of a well-known mafia family with a far-reaching hand. He’s also a friend of the club. More like a business associate. He owns several dance clubs, bars, gentlemen’s clubs, and a few larger hotel venues he uses for weddings or other grand events. He often has famous bands and performers coming throughout the year. He hires Garrison Security to help with those big events or guarding some of the special talent he brings in to perform at his venues. With Garrison running the security, it frees Parisi’s men to tend to his other businesses ventures.
The MC isn’t involved in the behind-the-scenes stuff. Gabe doesn’t want our hands in anything illegal unless it’s absolutely necessary, and since the club owns a gun shop and shooting range, we don’t get involved with Parisi’s arms dealing operation…often. On the rare occasion he may have something we need and can’t legally obtain for whenever larger problems arise.
“Why would he want to keep the club away? Who could he be afraid of that he wouldn’t want the club involved?” Jake asks the question, but we’re all thinking the same thing. There aren’t many people the club wouldn’t want to go up against, but it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t if the need arose.
“It may be less about him wanting to keep the club uninvolved and more about wanting Skyler to be kept safe.” Eli suggests. “If the club goes hunting, Skyler’s left unguarded. Or it’s possible he considered the fallout if his enemies came to your door and Skyler was hiding here. George was covering all the bases.”
“But getting Parisi involved, “Jameson starts, “had to come with a hefty price.”
“We need to know what kind of deal he made with Parisi. I know he’s a friend of the club, but if George made a deal, we need to know if Skyler will be on the hook for George’s debt.” Jameson adds, looking around the room at the old timers for some answers. He must think the same thing I do. They know more than they’re letting on.
The room is quiet for a minute.
“What we should really be asking is who the fuck killed George and who are they sending a message to?” Jameson interjects.
“How do we know it was him who was in trouble?” I ask. I’m still hard pressed to believe it was George and not Skyler who is in trouble. I don’t have time to ask all the questions floating through my mind about how George would even know to go to Parisi because Jameson is already onto the next question.
Seems everyone was keeping secrets from everyone.
Just fucking great.
“Maybe Ethan’s right. Maybe it wasn’t George who was in trouble. Maybe it is Skyler.” Hawk proposes.
All heads turn my way. Not one of them seem pleased with the assumption, but they know it’s a valid point.
I shrug. “Wouldn’t be the first time she…”
Ghost stands, slamming his chair back into the wall, the movement cutting off my train of thought. Ghost points a finger in my direction. “You better watch yourself kid.” He spouts off before taking his seat. Gabe leans forward on the table bracing himself there.
Kid. Not brother. I see where his fealty lies.
Gabe follows him up and holds him with an arm across the chest. “Sit the fuck down. Now, Ghost.”
“Ethan!” Gabe shoots, leaning forward on the table on his hands to get closer, the warning in his eyes unmistakable.
“You ungrateful little…”
“Ghost, for fuck’s sake, sit down and shut the fuck up! Ethan, not another word, or I’ll put a bullet in your ass myself. You got me?”
Everyone slowly sits back in their places. Mack and Declan stay planted on the wall behind me, close enough to grab me if Gabe orders it. Caleb and Gus do the same for Ghost. The air between us, thick with tension.
Mack looks to Gabe who subtly nods allowing Mack to speak. “We believe George was approached by some men when he was picking up a load a month ago. We caught them approaching him on camera in the yard, but they walked out of view and there’s no sound. As of now, we have no idea who they are or what was said. Based on the way George was shoved out of view, we assume he wasn’t too keen on the conversation. We questioned George about it the following week. He told the security team they were asking about jobs on the docks. When George said he couldn’t help them, he didn’t work for the harbor, he’s an independent contractor for West International, they left pissed off.” Mack looks about as convinced as the rest of us.
“I call bullshit.” Walker scoffs. There are several grunts of agreement around the table.
“We think George not only knew what was going to happen to him, but he knew who was behind it.”
“He just didn’t know when it was coming.” Jameson adds. “So, he had a fail-safe, Parisi, in place for his daughter. Makes sense.”
The fuck?
“Why would Sky need heavy protection like Parisi’s men? Obviously, the club would protect her,” Hawk turns asking Ghost. “Why cut a deal with Vincenzo? He knows we don’t pull other people into our shit.”
“You answered your own question, Hawk.” Walker pipes in. “He knew we wouldn’t ask Parisi for help. Club business is our business. If George gets Parisi involved, the club must make him privy to what we’re doing.”
“It’s his back-up plan.” Cash adds. “If we fail to protect her, Parisi will take over.”
“He didn’t trust the club.” In my eyes it’s the only thing I can see making sense as to why he did what he did.
“No. He doesn’t trust his enemy.” Eli looks to Gabe who agrees with his deduction.
“Skyler moved into an apartment complex owned by Vincenzo not too long ago.” Ghost informs the room. “I didn’t think much of it at the time. Figured he just wanted her to have a place outside of town in case people weren’t so accepting to her returning.” Ghost glares at me, before scrubbing both hands down his face. “I don’t know what the hell my brother-in-law was thinking or doing getting mixed up with Parisi, but we’re going to have to find out.”
Jake’s fingers are tapping on the table. The sound grating on my damn nerves. I’m still on edge and things aren’t getting any clearer.
“Someone could be using Skyler as collateral, to force George’s hand.” Eli elaborates.
It’s Caleb who speaks up next. “If George did in fact refuse a job, and if the guy on the docks had done his research…” Caleb pauses, rubbing his beard between his fingers as he looks to Ghost. “Like following George around for a while.”
Wait. What?
George told me he hadn’t seen or heard from Skyler in years. Has everyone been lying to me all this time? I’m about to ask, but Jameson speaks up first.
“His daughter would be the only thing that would persuade George to do something illegal. Maybe they were enemies of the club. I could see giving Parisi a call if he thought telling us would bring shit to our door. Especially if he knew we would be hiding Sky from whoever the fuck this is. He would betray whoever he had to if it meant saving himself and his kid. Who wouldn’t?”
“George wouldn’t give two shits about himself, but for Skyler…yeah, he’d scorch the Earth to save her.” Ghost agrees. “She was his whole fucking world, man.”
“He’d sacrifice himself.” Eli states. “Like father like daughter.” He grumbles softly, but I hear him.
“So, George knew where she was this whole time. And now, you’re saying she is somehow involved in her father’s death? Fucking shocker.”
A low “Fucker” comes from across the table where Cash stands against the wall. Eli’s eyes snap to mine. Not liking my legitimate question.
“If she is, it’s because someone used her as leverage against George. Skyler’s got nothing to do with why George was killed.” Ghost growls.
I scoff. All eyes turn to glare at me like I’m in the wrong for asking this shit. But can they blame me? It wouldn’t be the first time Skyler found herself in a predicament and someone else lost their life.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Eli’s eyes hold mine in a steely glare. “I don’t answer to you, motherfucker. Or have you forgotten the order of things?”
“Pres?”
Gabe shakes his head. “We’ll keep this discussion about the present.” His response is a complete dismissal. He’s not going to tell me what I want to know. Or maybe he can’t tell me because of present company. I decide to give my president the benefit of the doubt and hope he’s trying to keep in house issues in house. But somehow, I feel like everyone else in the room is in on the big secret and I’m the village idiot without a clue.
“What else do we have Mack?” Gabe glances over my shoulder where Mack is still standing at the ready. He pushes off the wall, squeezing my shoulder as he moves to lean on the table beside me.
“Right now, we need to start planning for the funeral here in town. Ghost will need to go down with me and I.D. the body as soon as the autopsy is done, the investigation cleared. In the meantime, go ahead with making arrangements and I suggest we keep a prospect or a brother with Skyler until further notice or until we catch this son of a bitch.”
“I’ve got Sky.” Cash raises his hand. Eli and Gabe give a nod of approval.
“Take Walker with you and see if Skyler has any idea what the hell’s going on. Find out what she and George talked about when he called. She may be able to shed some light on things.” Eli suggests.
“I doubt he would’ve told her anything. Her stubborn ass would’ve tried to get to him, to help him, which is exactly what he didn’t want. It’s evident by him not telling any of us a goddamn thing.” Ghost grumbles.
“Hawk, you and Xander get to work on the dash cam footage from all three trucks. Mack, get me a list of George’s runs for the last two months, and any yard footage of the men who approached him. Maybe they spoke more than once.” Gabe barks out orders.
“I can help with the video and phone shit.” Ghost offers.
“Your concern is the funeral and Skyler. You’re going to take over all the hardest shit for her and plan this fucking funeral. She’s your priority. We’ll catch this fucker. You’ll get your time with him.” Seemingly appeased with Gabe’s promise, Ghost agrees. “Ma and the ol’ ladies will handle the food and after party arrangements for the funeral. Me, Ghost, and Pop will handle the burial arrangements. The club pays for the funeral. I don’t want Skyler to worry about any of this shit. We all agreed?”
A loud “Aye” fills the room. The gavel drops hard on the table.
“Good. Now let’s all get the fuck out of here.” He grabs Ghost’s shoulder. “I need a fucking drink.”
*********