Chapter 9 #2
This war going on with the Vipers has me making some hard decisions that will affect each of my brothers, and could possible get any one of us killed.
Never have we approached the idea of taking out an entire MC before.
There’s a lot to consider to make sure we don’t see our asses in a jail cell when all the dust settles.
After finding the dead prospect on our lot, we met up for Church and decided to bring another chapter and call some of the Nomads in to help us out.
Nomads are patched brothers who don’t have a home chapter and roam wherever their needed.
We don’t have the manpower that the Vipers have created over the last several months and need to make a strong front.
We need more bodies and very capable men who know how to take out others.
They brought this blood to our front door, and if don’t get in front of this, then there will be more bloodshed that will spill out on the streets of Sweetwater where innocent people could get hurt.
The meeting at church we’re about to have is whether or not to do the protection run next week. We also want to promote a few of the prospects who are nearly done with their time. We need more bodies, and I think a good way is to patch them over.
Shit, I should go after Raegan. She shouldn’t be driving right now. I could see how my words upset her. She was hurt and I caused that.
Fuck.
Moving across the lot and over to my bike, I swing a leg over, just as Reaper comes out of the clubhouse.
“Prez, we having church or what?” he asks then lights a smoke.
Shaking my head to get a clear head on my shoulders, I take a pause. I can’t leave now, we’ve club business and as much as I want to go to her and tell her I’m sorry, the club will always come first. Getting back off the bike I nod to Reaper.
“Yeah, let’s do this.”
I’ll make this the shortest meeting ever, and then I’ll go find her. We’ve been together for twenty-four hours, and I’m already screwing things up.
* * *
The firm grip I have on the gavel as I’m banging it down to start the meeting could split the wood.
“We need to decide if doing the protection run is still a go, or should we pass it off to the Wichita Chapter and deal with the Vipers once the Tucson Chapter and Nomads get here next week.”
I pause and leave the floor open for anyone to comment their thoughts.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I need the extra money the protection runs bring in,” Blade pipes up. I hear a lot of mumbles of ‘yeah’ through the table.
“No, I think we need to be here in case the Vipers bring another attack on us. Being away makes us vulnerable,” Brass, our road captain, stresses.
“The money is too good to pass up,” Ledger pipes in.
“I agree,” Hawk says.
“Not if we come back to a leveled clubhouse,” Riot argues.
After a few moments, I pick up the conversation.
“Okay, let’s put this to a vote and majority wins,” I declare. Sometimes our votes have to be unanimous to be pushed forward but not this time.
“My vote is to stay here,” I voice my vote then pass it to my right where Reaper, my Sergeant at Arms, is seated.
The vote goes around the table, and when it falls lastly on Havoc to vote, we’re split down the middle. His vote will determine our fate for this next week.
“I hear what each of you has voiced on both issues, and I can view it from both sides. My issue is that we’ve already committed to do this run and if we don’t stand behind our word then we’re no better than any other fucker out there. My vote is to go on the run.”
He’s right. We pride ourselves with staying true our commitments and never faltering. Even though this might put us in a bind, we need to stick with it. Our other brothers from a different chapter are counting on us.
With the vote in, I bang the gavel.
“Okay, we go as planned. I’ll call in a few more Nomads from the north to help out while we’re gone.
We also need to decide if we want to patch in the three prospects who are up for their patch in a few weeks.
I know we’re a little early, but after blowing up Vipers warehouse, I think we could use the extra bodies around here.
The vote has to be unanimous or the prospect waits until a later date. ”
The three prospects that we’ve named are Trick, Dallas, and Ink. All three have, in my eyes, proven to be what we are looking for in brothers and will serve as good men to our MC. One by one we go to each brother for a vote and when Havoc clocks his vote on the last prospect, I slam the gavel down.
“Okay, all three are to be patched in on Sunday. Is there anything else we need to discuss?” I open the table for discussion.
Twitch speaks up and we talk a little more about the dead prospect from this morning and if we should go on lockdown.
The problem with lockdown is that it can get very claustrophobic after a few days, but since we’re going on a run next week and can’t deal with the Vipers until we get back, I’m hesitating to call it. We vote no on the lockdown for now, but if anything else arises then we go to it immediately.
We all walk out of church after adjourning, and I grab my phone off the pool table itching to call Raegan.
It goes to voicemail, just like I thought it would.
Shit, this can’t be good. I’ve never done this whole relationship thing.
I’m way out of my league for this. I watch Havoc and Riot walk over to the bar and have a seat when a thought pops in my head.
Just do it, you pussy!
“Hey, do you happen to know where Raegan is staying?” I ask as I sit down on the stool next to Havoc. The prospect behind the bar places three beers in front of us.
“Yeah, she’s staying with her mom and stepdad for now. Why?” Havoc answers after dragging a long pull from his bottle.
This is not the time or the right place for this conversation, so I lightly lie.
“She had some kind of business thing she wanted to talk about but left before we had the chance to speak. It sounded important.”
“I’ll give you the address, but you have to promise to hear me out before you make a judgement call,” he counters, and I watch him nod over to Riot.
“Maybe we should go to your office and not talk out here in the open,” Riot suggests, and it gets my hackles up. I’m not sure, but I have a feeling I’m not going to like what they’re about to tell me.
After we all have a seat in the office, I wait for Havoc or Riot to start.
“What I’m going to tell you is going to sound terrible, but I want you to hear us out before you do anything.”
“What the fuck, Havoc? Just fucking tell me already.”
My nerves are shot. I need to find her and talk this out with her. Why should her living arrangement affect me? Unless she’s living with a husband, but then why would she let me be all over her?
“She lives with Carly and Dennis Burns,” Havoc pauses and lets that sink in but when the names don’t register right away he continues, “The mayor of Sweetwater.”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now, Havoc? How the fuck did I not know this days ago when she was first on our lot? How in the hell have we let a possible threat near us?”
I’m on high alert and fuming right now. Have we let a fox in our hen house? Christ, that cocksucker of a mayor has been trying to bring us down for the last three years.
* * *
After pulling up to the park, I step out of my car and grab my phone. I’m so mad at Kane right now I could spit nails. After finding the closest bench, I plop myself down and call the one person who will give me some sound advice.
Ivy has become my best and only friend who I stayed in contact with since college.
She picks up on the second ring.
“Hey, girly!”
“What’s up, buttercup!” I greet her cheerfully and am so glad she answered.
“What’s wrong, Raegan, you sound upset.” I guess I was either too cheerful or failed miserably.
“Nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“You’re such a lousy liar, Raegan. Now tell me the truth.”
The next twenty minutes I dive in and tell her everything. Everything about Havoc, then Kane. I try desperately to skim over the sex, but she wanted even the slightest detail.
“Wow, the hood of your car? That’s hot, Raegan. Damn, I’ve not done that yet.”
I giggle at her. She is always hunting for a way to make me blush.
“My suggestion about what just happened with Kane is to let him cool off. From what you’ve told me, this is the first time he’s trying a relationship and sounds a bit jealous of your friendship with Havoc.”
“He has no reason to though.”
“I know that and you know that, but guys think with their dicks, which can constrict the blood flow to their brains. I’m sure when he calms down, he’ll be kicking himself for acting the way he did.”
“I hope you’re right because I could’ve knocked his teeth in for how he was acting.”
“If you’re going to do it make sure to use the techniques I showed you.
Anyway, make him work for your forgiveness.
If you give in too easily, he’ll think that it’s okay to treat you like that every time.
You both have a lot to learn about having an adult relationship and need to grow up a bit.
It’s a learning process that you both are going to have to work at. ”
“I know,” I say with a sigh not liking how I played a part in tonight’s mess.
“Give it some time, Raegan, and cut the poor bastard some slack.”
We both have a good laugh, and she helps ease the hurt and worry I have weighing heavy in my chest. I think we are experiencing our first fight as a couple and hate it.
“Sooo, I have some good news to tell you,” she offers.
“Oh really, what is it?”
“I’m leaving in the morning for Texas so I can hit up a convention at the Dallas Market for some material and see a few vendors for a bit. Thought I’d make the trek over to you for a few days before I’m needed back here in New York.”
I let out a scream, “Really, you’re not pulling my leg?”
“Nope, I was going to call you later tonight and tell you, but since you called me first I thought I’d break the news. And to also tell you that I mailed off some of my new design pieces to you that didn’t get picked up.”
“Oh, this is such excellent news. Thank you, thank you! I need some girl time in my life right now. It feels like years since I last saw you.”
We talk a little more while the sun begins to dip.
“I’m heading to bed so I can get an early start out of here tomorrow.”
“Okay, see you soon! Let me know when you are heading this way.” I’m so excited she’s coming to Texas. I think I’m in need of a good sounding board right now.
“All right, girly, ’night.”
“’Night. Be careful and call me when you hit the city limits.”
“Love you, bye!”
“Love you too, bye, Ivy!”