Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Keno—
I watch the girls pull out, then turn to find Shack standing on the porch, smoking a cigarette.
Moving up the steps, I stop next to him.
He lifts a chin to the disappearing car.
“She means something to you. Don’t deny it.”
“Yeah. She does.”
“You’re happy. It’s good to see you this way.” He jerks his chin toward the clubhouse. “Rock wants to see you. He’s waiting in his office.”
“You know what that’s about?” I ask.
“No clue. You?”
I shake my head.
Shack takes a drag off his cigarette, studying me. “He asks us to stay, what are you going to say?”
“You don’t know that’s what this is about.”
“Nope. Just wondered if that’s what you want.”
“I’ve been a nomad for a lot of years,” I say, shoving my hands in my pockets.
“Me, too.” He studies the highway, watching a logging truck roll past. “But it gets old. Sometimes I think stayin’ in one place could have its appeal.” He drops his cigarette and grinds it under his boot. “Better not keep the man waiting.”
“Yeah.” I turn and head inside. Most of the guys have moved to the bar. I take the hall back to his office and tap on the door.
“Come in,” Rock calls.
When I walk in, he’s at his desk, and Darko is sitting across from him.
Rock lifts his chin. “Have a seat, Keno.”
I slip into the chair next to his VP.
“You have a good time last night?” Rock asks.
“Yeah, I did. Thanks.”
He grins. “Evelyn told me she gave Maggie the key to our room.”
“She did.”
“I take it from the unmade bed in there, you used it.”
“We did. Thanks.”
Darko grins. “Glad you had a good birthday, then.”
“Yeah.” Last thing I want to do is over-share. This can’t be the reason he wanted to see me.
“I got a call from Dragon,” Rock says, leaning on his elbows.
“The president at Cedar Creek, Texas?” I frown. I knew the man. We’d met several times. Shack and I had been there just last year.
“Yeah. They’re looking for enough guys to start a new chapter. Texas is a big state. Think they’ve got room for another one. Anyway, this is still all just in the early stages; nothing is guaranteed, understand?”
“Okay,” I reply, wondering where this is going.
“They’re looking to the nomads first. You and Shack came up in the conversation. Dragon likes you. Respects the hell out of you.”
“Cut to the chase already, prez,” Darko says with a chuckle. “Don’t leave the man hanging.”
“This happens, and not saying it’s a sure thing, but if it does, they’re offering you the VP spot.”
My mouth goes slack, and I lift a brow. “No shit?”
“No shit, kid.”
“That’s big,” I whisper.
“That’s huge,” Darko replies.
“You interested?” Rock asks. “It’d mean getting off the road. Running a chapter is a big commitment, even the VP spot, right Darko?”
Darko grins. “Right, ol’ man.” His eyes cut to me. “VPs basically do everything.”
“Shut up,” Rock snaps. “You do nothing.”
They rib each other endlessly, but the bond these two men have is obvious to everyone in the chapter.
“Who are they looking at for president?” I ask. “Wouldn’t he want to pick his own guy ?”
“They said they’re offering it to Cajun Charlie. You know him?” Rock asks.
“Nope.”
“Well, that makes it tough,” he replies.
“Odd they’d put two guys who don’t know each other together,” Darko murmurs.
“Yeah.” Rock glances at me. “You interested? What do you want me to tell them?”
“I need time to think about it. It’s a huge opportunity, but…”
“It’s a big decision,” Rock agrees. “They want an answer by the end of the month. That gives you a few weeks to think about it. Like I said, this might not even happen. I’ve seen things like this fall apart, so keep that in mind.”
“I will. Thanks.”
“You find out any leads on those assholes who robbed the Gaslight?” Rock asks.
“No, but I’m sure it’s the same ones who shot up the Cherry Bomb.”
“Seems they’ve got a vendetta against the club. That’s two businesses we own,” Darko says.
“I was thinking the same thing. I thought they were unrelated until they hit that place.”
“But they don’t act like any other club we’ve got a beef with,” Rock says, stroking a hand over his jaw. His eyes connect with me, and he changes the subject. “How are things with you and Maggie?”
“Good.”
“But?” he prompts.
I sigh. “I worry about the consequences of pulling her into this world. Our life can be dangerous.”
“I think she’s already figured that out,” he replies.
“She got a taste of that when they shot up her bar,” Darko says.
“Exactly. You think I want that for her? If they hit that place because of its ties to the club…”
“I get that, Keno,” Rock says and points a finger toward the clubhouse. “Not an ol’ lady in the place doesn’t know about the dangers.”
“Still. It’s not something I want to expose her to.”
Darko shrugs. “It’s all part of it. You just have to deal with it.”
“Anything else?” I ask Rock, ready to get out of his office.
“Nope. That’s all. You can go.”
“Thanks for the advice,” I say, rising.
“Like I said, taking on that VP spot is a big commitment. Make sure it’s what you want before you accept.”
“I will.” I leave his office and head down the hall to the main room. Shack’s at the bar, and I tap his shoulder and jerk my chin to the door.
He grabs his beer and follows me out.
“What’d he say?” he asks while I light a smoke and stand at the porch railing.
“He talked to Dragon.” I glance at him. “They’re thinking about starting a new chapter in Texas. Nothing’s for sure yet, but if they move forward, they offered me the VP spot.”
“No shit. You gonna take it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Wow. That’s big.”
“Yeah.” I turn and meet his eyes. “They want you, too. Gonna need to fill the table.”
“What spot?” he asks.
“I don’t know. Can’t say for sure you’d be an officer. You want that?”
“Hell, no. Too much responsibility.”
“Yeah.”
“You want all that on your shoulders, brother?”
“I don’t know,” I reply. “Never had much ambition for climbing the ranks before. I was always content with what we had. We were free to come and go, ya know?”
“Yeah, I’ve always loved that. But the road has been getting old, and I’m not getting any younger. Maybe it’s time to settle down.” He shrugs. “Maybe Texas wouldn’t be so bad. What part? Did they say?”
I shake my head.
“Well, if you go, I’ll go. We’ve been together for years. I can’t see letting you go alone.”
“Thanks.”
“What about the girl? She’s got roots here. The bar and all…”
“I know. It’s a lot to consider.”
“Think she’d pull up roots and follow you?”
“I can’t ask that of her.”
“You’d leave her behind?”
I can’t imagine leaving Maggie, but do I want her to be pulled into this life? I stare at the horizon. “Things have been good between us. I never expected to see her again, but since the moment I laid eyes on her, something’s changed for me, ya know?”
“Yeah. I’ve seen it. It’s obvious to every man in there. Especially after last night. You decking that Iron Death member pretty much made it clear how you feel about this girl.”
I grind my cigarette under my boot. “I think she’s the one.”