Chapter Four #2
“We should reach out to our brothers farther south,” adds Taz. “They might know names and history.”
“Smiler, ask around the locals. Find me something.” He nods. “I’ll call Mouth from the Liverpool chapter.” I look around. “The rest of you, keep your ears to the ground. This place ain’t big enough for all of us.”
Poison catches me as we leave church. “I made up your new room,” she says.
I frown. “New room?”
“President always gets the top floor.”
I groan. I hadn’t even thought about that. It’s huge up there, with a living space and bedroom. “I don’t need all that room,” I say.
She shrugs. “I don’t make the rules, you do.” And she struts off.
“You seem more relaxed,” says Ragnar, throwing his arm around my neck. “Did you catch up with Liv?”
“You watched her, right?” I ask. “Did she ever meet anyone, a man?”
“No, Pres. I would’ve told you.” I nod, but the feeling in the pit of my stomach is lingering. “Do you need me to keep watching her?”
“Nah, I can take over.”
“You’re the President now,” he says, looking amused. “You have men to do the boring shit.”
I arch a brow. “You’re saying watching my old lady is boring?”
He backs away. “No offence meant, Pres.”
I head for the office and notice the new chair sitting behind the desk. I smile as I lower into it, glancing at the worn chair in the corner. “I feel like you’re still lingering, Hawk,” I say out loud. “I’ve got it from here, Pres.”
I pick up the phone and reach into the drawer for my dad’s old notebook.
It contains the telephone numbers for every single club member in the Royal Bastards.
I used to laugh at him, telling him that mobile phones were much simpler.
But using it, and holding his old office phone, makes me feel like I’m doing something right, so I find Mouth and dial the number.
“What?” he answers.
“Who pissed on your cornflakes?” I ask, laughing.
“Bully?” he guesses. “Shit, brother, I forgot about your release. I’m so sorry.”
I laugh again. “Don’t worry. That’s not why I’m calling.”
“I was gutted to hear about Hawk too.”
“He left us without filling me in on a few things,” I explain. “Seems the Bloody Scorpions have moved into my area.”
“Those fuckers,” he spits. “They’re like poison seeping into the cracks.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. I know fuck all about them, brother, or why they’re suddenly here on our patch.”
“I haven’t heard shit, but if there’s one thing I know about them, they like to pop up where they see opportunity. With Hawk going suddenly, that could be why.”
“That’s a good point. Cheers, Mouth.”
“Yah know, you and that old lady of yours should come and stay. Genevieve would love to see Olivia again.”
“I’ll speak to her about it, and we’ll sort a date. Thanks, Mouth.”
“Anytime. Let me know if you need us, brother. We’re always up for any opportunity to piss all over those fuckers.”
I laugh before disconnecting. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.
Taz enters the office holding up a memory stick. “Whizz got the CCTV from Tudor’s, Pres.”
He hands it to me, and I immediately plug it into my laptop. “Mouth made a good point,” I tell him while I wait for it to load. “He reckons the Scorpions came here cos of Hawk dying. Maybe they didn’t expect me to be out of prison?”
He nods thoughtfully. “You got ten years. They probably thought you were inside for another couple years yet.”
“We need to show we’re not weak. Get Boss to sort out a ride. Make it a charity thing so we get some coverage.” He nods and heads out.
I take my attention back to the screen while bringing up Liv’s details on my mobile phone. I press call and put it on loudspeaker.
The screen flickers through cameras. I select the one that overlooks the entrance just as the call connects. “Bully, I’m busy. I’ll call you back.” I like that she remembers how persistent I am when she ignores my calls.
“You left without saying goodbye.”
“Yeah, well, I knew you wouldn’t have let me go otherwise.”
I spot her arriving on the camera and zoom in. She arrived with her friends, no men in sight. I flick on the camera that covers the bar, watching as she orders her drinks.
“We can’t go back to how shit used to be, Liv.”
I hear some rustling and then a door open and close. “I agree,” she eventually mutters.
“Are you free for lunch?”
“Today?” I note a slight rise in her voice and frown. “Erm, no, I can’t make it today.”
“Then dinner tonight?”
“Bully, you don’t do dinner,” she says, sounding exasperated. “You don’t do dates.”
The next camera only just catches the booth she was sitting at, but she’s out of my view. I notice Bria going off, leaving the rest at the table. “I just told you, things need to change. Starting with making more time for you.”
She sighs heavily. “Tomorrow?”
“It has to be today,” I say firmly. I don’t want to give her time to overthink. “Where are you, anyway?”
“While you were away serving time for your precious club, I was making a life.”
“I know about that,” I say, narrowing my eyes when Bria returns to the table with a group of men, none of which I can make out.
“I have friends to see, and a job.”
“Stop pretending like we didn’t talk every week, Liv,” I snap. “I know about your friends. I know how much you love working at that damn dog sanctuary.”
“Then you’ll also know that Saturdays are my busiest day.”
“Liv, I just got out of prison. Surely, you can make time to see me at lunch. They give you a break, right?”
She scoffs. “Are you shitting me? After what you pulled yesterday? Why is it that when I want to see you, you don’t give me a second thought, but when you want to see me, I have to drop everything?”
I briefly close my eyes. “You’re right,” I mutter. “I’m sorry. I just want to make things good between us.”
“Then start by listening to me and hearing what I’m saying. I can do tomorrow.”
“Fine. Tomorrow it is.”
“Great. I’ll text you where to meet.”
“Actually, I thought I could come over and see your place.”
“You’re doing it again,” she snaps. “I’ll text you.”
I disconnect, groaning out loud in frustration. I can’t make anything out on the CCTV, its images are too grainy. But I can make out her leaving alone, which I already knew seeing as she crashed right into me.