Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
LEXI
NOW
I knew based on past experience that the best way to show up to the Viper clubhouse was with a case of beers in your hand, which is why I made sure to pull into the liquor store on my way there and grab Ryan’s favorite. Ryan had been spending all his time here at the clubhouse or with Haz as they tried to work out a way out of this deal with the Horsemen. Which meant we hadn’t spent much time together these last two weeks. He’d been sleeping at my house every night but he would get home when I was already asleep, and most mornings he’d be gone by the time I woke up. I always woke up when he snuck into the bed and wrapped his arm around my waist before pulling me tightly into his chest. I wanted him to know I was here for him. I wanted to support him with this club because I knew Jay and my dad would hate to see this club fall apart, and with Ryan as President and Haz by his side, it was stronger than ever.
“Lexi, let me help you.” Ty quickly walked over towards me and grabbed the case of beers from my hands. Ty reminded me so much of Jay. He was so full of life and you could tell how badly he wanted to be a part of the club, and I knew how much Ryan wanted that too. Ryan and Haz were sitting on the couch the other night trying to work out the best time to get that prospect patch removed from Ty’s cut, and even through Haz’s constant jokes, it wasn’t hard to see how proud they both were. “Thanks, Ty. Is Ryan around?” I followed Ty through the main doors of the club house and into the bar area. I could see the door to the meeting room was closed, which meant it was currently occupied, and as I looked around the room I could see most of the members apart from Ryan and Haz.
“He’s in there with Haz. They’re still trying to find a way to make some cash.”
“Make some cash?” I knew Ryan was meeting with the Horsemen today to try and find a way out of the drug deal, but I hadn’t had a chance to speak to him yet to find out what exactly the way out would be.
“Shit, I thought you knew.” Ty started stressing out in front of me. The biggest rule of the club is not to speak about club business to anyone out of the club, and I suppose to Ty, I was out of the club.
“Ty, Ryan won’t care if you tell me. I’m not an outsider.”
“He needs to pay fifty thousand dollars to get out of the deal, but his dad doesn’t have the money and none of us do either. We all put together the money we did have, but didn’t even get to half that.”
I walked towards the meeting room and pushed open the doors. As I guessed, Haz and Ryan were sitting at the table. It felt strange to see Ryan sitting in the President’s seat at the head of the table because I had only ever seen it occupied by Preston. Ryan looked up at the door, probably wondering who had just walked in here without knocking, but his face softened when he saw it was me in the doorway.
“Baby Davis, always a pleasure.” Haz smiled from his seat as he leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head.
“I can help you,” I said looking straight at Ryan. I closed the door behind me and walked over towards him before sitting on the table in front of him and his hand rested on my knee.
His brows pulled together. “You can help me with what, exactly?”
“Do I need to leave the room?” Haz joked from beside us. I ignored his comment before talking to Ryan again.
“Ty just told me about the way out of his deal. You need fifty thousand dollars. I can help you”
“Lexi, I’m not taking that kind of money from you.”
“It won't be from me. It’ll be from Jay.” Ryan and Haz quickly looked at each other before turning their attention back on me.
“I’m confused,” Haz said as he sat forward on his chair and rested his hands on the wooden table in front of him.
“A few weeks ago, do you remember I met with that lawyer in town?” Ryan nodded. He wanted to come with me to that meeting for support but something came up with the club and he couldn’t make it.
“It was for Dad’s will. My dad left an inheritance for both Jay and I. I guess he never changed it after Jay died which meant it all went to me. I used a small portion of mine to re-decorate the house and move back to Haven Cove. Jay’s is still sitting in a separate account because I didn’t know what to do with it. I was thinking of maybe donating it to a charity or doing something in memory of Jay, but I want you to have it. Use it to get out of this deal.”
“Lex, I’m not taking that money for this. I want you to use it for something else. Build a bloody wooden chair with Jay’s name on it, anything other than this.”
“Ryan, we both know that if Jay was here he would want you to have this. I can’t think of a better thing to spend this money on than protecting this club. Jay would be right here by your side trying to help you out of this deal. This is him helping.”
“I can’t, Lex”
I jumped off the wooden table and sat in Ryan’s lap. He put his hands around my legs, holding me in place as I raised my hand to his face and ran my thumb over his cheek.
“Jay would want you to take it. He would want you to get out of this deal. Let him help you.”
“I love you.” Ryan leaned against my hand and I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss.
Haz cleared his throat as he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Ryan and I alone. The kiss quickly got heated and our hands were running over each other's bodies. Ryan removed his cut and I gripped the bottom of his shirt before pulling it up over his head. I let my finger’s run along the tattoo on his chest that I noticed when I first saw him again. ‘Jayden’ was written in beautiful cursive writing over his heart, right where Jay belonged. Etched on our hearts forever.