Chapter Forty
James
“Thank you for coming, Dimas,” Theo says, clapping the vice president of the Las Vegas chapter on the back outside of the Iron Cage. It’s early afternoon, so the Cage won’t be too crowded, but it’ll fill quickly, with the chapters from Las Vegas and Salt Lake City arriving.
Dimas returns Theo’s hug before turning to me. He smells sharply of tobacco, and his dark skin is covered in a myriad of traditional-style tattoos.
“Of course. Anything for the Saints family,” Dimas says with a slight accent. “I’ve got nineteen of the guys with me. The rest had to stay back to handle things at home.”
“Understandable. How’s Texas?” Theo asks, referring to the chapter’s president. His real name is Marshall Walker, but after several years in the club, his name evolved from ‘The Marshall’ to ‘Walker Texas Ranger’ to ‘Texas Ranger’ before finally landing on ‘Texas’.
“He just had his second grandkid. Junior’s ol' lady had a little boy.”
“Damn,” I say. “Could’ve sworn Junior was still a kid himself.”
“Don’t hate just because your knees barely work, old man.
” This comes from a guy several inches shorter than me but packed with thick muscles.
His cut has far fewer colors than Dimas’s, though he does have the secretary patch now, which is a new development.
He gives me and Theo a nod and wide smile, showing off a gold tooth. “Long time no see.”
“Junior, hey,” Theo says. “So, you’re a dad now?”
He beams, his chest sticking out with pride. “Yup. The kid is already tough as nails.”
“How old is he?”
“Four months,” he says. “He’s huge, too.”
We both smile, asking a few follow up questions. Junior is barely twenty-five, but he and his ol' lady were already talking about having kids the last time we saw them a couple of years ago.
Leading the Las Vegas members into the Cage, Theo motions for Bella to pour drinks. She’s manning the bar by herself, since Axel is on June guard duty and we don’t want any non-Saints hanging around when the other chapters arrived.
Thinking of guard duty, I hang back to send a quick text. Sadie replies immediately, of course.
ME
How’s it going? Raph behaving himself?
SADIE OLIVER
He almost touched the aconite
Next time I won’t stop him
ME
Good. Maybe he’ll finally learn to keep his hands to himself.
SADIE OLIVER
Is that your super chill way of asking if he’s tried hitting on me?
ME
He hasn’t.
SADIE OLIVER
So sure of yourself.
ME
Raph is an idiot, but he’s not that dumb.
SADIE OLIVER
Idk. He just asked if I have any nightlock berries.
ME
Never heard of them.
SADIE OLIVER
Why am I not surprised?
Don’t worry. I’ll add the movies to our list.
ME
Looking forward to it.
I miss you.
SADIE OLIVER
I’ll be there in a few hours <3
ME
How about you come now and I’ll make it worth your while?
I’m distracted from watching the three dots bounce on the screen by a commotion at the front of the Cage. Irritation at being interrupted while talking to my girl flares under my skin, and I look up, preparing to punch whoever is causing the ruckus.
“What the f—” The words die when my eyes land on the last person I want to see. “Dad?”
Rocket looks exhausted. His eyes are bloodshot and his face is lined with far more wrinkles than I remember. Despite wearing his Saints cut, he looks out of place. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t stepped foot in the Cage in almost five years.
“Hey, son.”
His words simultaneously freeze me in place and launch me back in time.
“I’m so sorry, son.”
“It’s not your fault, son.”
“I just can’t stay here, son.”
Before I can untangle free of the swamp of memories, someone barrels past me.
I see Rocket’s mouth open and someone reach for Theo, but no one gets there in time to stop the punch.
My brother slams his fist into my father’s face hard enough to send the old man to the floor, blood spraying from his mouth.
People are shouting, pulling Theo away, and helping Rocket to his feet. Both shove at the people touching them, Rocket to save face and Theo so he can launch himself back at my father.
I want to join him. I want to pummel Rocket into oblivion.
But not with so many people watching. It’s not just our chapter here, and we can’t appear weak or like we’re fighting among ourselves. Not when we need every single person here to help us take down Bowie.
It goes against my every instinct, but I rush forward, step in front of Theo, and say, “Not now.”
His eyes are wild, and he doesn't seem to see me. When he registers my presence, he snarls. “Seriously? James, that asshole—”
“I know,” I interrupt. Lowering my voice, I add only loud enough for him to hear, “But not now. Not here.”
It takes a long moment before Theo realizes what I’m saying. Even still, he doesn’t relax. Instead, he turns and stalks away, disappearing down the hall to his office.
I turn to Rocket.
“James—”
“No.” I can hear the venom in my voice, but it’s taking all my willpower not to follow Theo’s lead and knock the fucker out. “I’m going to talk to my brother. You better not be here when we come back.” Then I look away and force myself to follow Theo, despite the roaring fury shaking my bones.
He’s pacing his office when I arrive. Half of his desk has been wiped clean, the contents scattered on the floor. All his veins are bulging. Not a good sign.
“I didn’t know he was coming,” I say.
“Of course you didn’t.” He reaches up and tugs at his hair, pulling it out of the little bun. “You’d never keep that from me.”
“We can’t fight him in front of the club.” The reminder is just as much for him as it is for me. Rocket isn’t just a former club member. He’s the previous president. His father was one of the Saints’ original founding members.
“He’s not fucking staying here.” Theo’s words are harsh and brittle at once.
Reaching the other side of the office, he turns and paces back in my direction, hands curling into fists.
He needs to exert this energy somehow. Preferably by punching something.
Or killing someone. “I can’t look at his fucking face while we’re dealing with Bowie.
Not knowing that this is his fucking fault. ”
“I know.”
“He’s the one who made the first move ten fucking years ago,” Theo continues. “He’s the one who attacked Bowie first. His fucking choices got my family killed.”
“You’re right.” I know he’s not talking with the expectation of a conversation. He doesn’t care if I listen or respond. He’s just speaking because, otherwise, the words will fester until they spread rot throughout his mind.
“Then he fucking left us to pick up the pieces. For five years he’s been gone, and I’m finally happy again.
I have June. And now she’s in danger because of him.
” He stabs his finger in the direction of the Cage’s main room.
“We’re all in danger. My family is in danger again, and he shows up for what?
Absolution? To help? He didn’t tell us the truth back then.
He took the coward’s way out. He LEFT. He doesn’t get to come back and play the hero. Not now.”
“I agree.”
“He left, James.” He’s deflating, losing volume and steam.
“I know.”
“We lost everything. And he left.”
I nod.
Theo stops walking. He leans against the edge of his desk and stares straight ahead. I move to sit next to him.
“Why did he come back?”
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “Guilt, probably.”
“I understood back then. Why he left.” His words are almost a whisper compared to the earlier shouting.
“I even envied him. But now I just hate him. He didn’t leave because he was sad or wanted a fresh start.
He left because he felt guilty and didn’t have the guts to face us every day, knowing what he did. ”
I nod again, knowing that the only answer I can give is none at all.
We accept the silence that follows for several long minutes. It’s filled with the nerves of someone who knows the next detonation is coming but has no idea when or where.
Finally, I break it by saying, “He won’t leave. Not this time. When we actually want him gone, he’ll demand to stay and help.”
“I know.”
“He’s going to try and apologize. And we’ll have to let him because the others will be paying attention. And we need everyone to deal with the South Five.”
“I’m going to punch him again.”
“Me too.”
“One each?”
“You already got one,” I say. “I get two.”
“Deal.” He almost grins, but it’s more of a pained memory of one rather than a real smile.
“You could call June. Maybe she’ll deal with him.”
Theo scoffs. “He’s not her type.”
“Why not? She has daddy issues.”
He shoves my shoulder. “Why don’t we call your girlfriend this time? Seems like it calls for a little non-lethal poisoning rather than a prolonged torturing.”
“You’re probably right,” I mutter. Then, “How did we find these women?”
“Animal magnetism. Or it’s our karma.”
“If those two are karma, then we did something right in our past lives.”
He really does smile now. “We must have.”
~
Turns out, my father isn’t the dumbest person on the planet.
When Theo and I return to the main room of the Cage, he’s gone.
I feel the others’ eyes on us like tiny suns burning my skin.
Upon our reappearance, Valor heads over and says, “He went to the clubhouse. I tried to tell him that wasn’t the best idea, but—”
“It’s fine,” I interrupt. “We’ll need to talk to him, and I’d rather do it away from watchful eyes.”
“Kip is also on his way back.”
I scowl, the hurt and anger I feel at the reminder of Kip’s lies flaring hot and bright. The only thing I can say about him and Daryus is that they were following orders from their former president.
My dad was the one giving the orders.
“Luna?” I ask.
“Still at the safehouse helping set up for the SLC crew.”
I nod and thank him for the update. Theo is talking to Dimas and VB, the Las Vegas chapter’s tail gunner. After seeing my look, he slaps the men on their shoulders and excuses himself, coming to my side.