Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Eli (Handlebar)
We’ve been riding for six hours straight. No one wanted to stop on the way back.
The whole run has been a fucking disaster. From the hidden woman, the revelation about the Veil Line and the fuck up at Hamilton.
It’s usually the actual buy that is the tense part of a run. It says something that part of it went off without a hitch.
I’ve been thinking about the Veil Line and Marshall’s sister for most of the ride home. It’s not what I want to focus on, but if I let my head go where it’s fighting to, I’m going to lose my shit and I can’t do that while I’m riding.
The thought of it, of him touching her.
I grit my teeth as we get closer to Stroudsburg.
We will pass through there before Sussex and I will have to stop and speak to them.
Regardless of my feelings about Mace, he’s still the Prez of this chapter, and I’m not going to be like the men in Hamilton.
I can’t ignore that I disrespected him in front of everyone.
Jesus, Cassie has got my head all fucked up. He was right, I have no claim on her. She is free to sleep with whoever she wants. No, I’m not going there.
A more pressing problem is filling Ink in on what happened. He said he didn’t want me to report back as such, but this whole thing was a huge fuck up. There is no way they’re not going to find out about this.
Mace will tell King, he’ll have to. King needs to know that Ragnar disobeyed a directive that has been sent out to the MC as a whole. The Kingsmen are gone and the ones who stayed, are to be trusted. Ragnar didn’t abide by that last night.
Most of it I picked up at the motel last night. No one spoke to me, but they didn’t hide what they were talking about. When they feel safe, brothers are as gossipy as women.
Mace and Talon disappeared when we arrived but the others couldn’t keep shit to themselves.
Then they dumped me in a room with Hozier.
Fuck knows how he got his bike there without causing an accident.
I lay in the bed listening to him fart and snore and get up at least three times to puke in the trash can.
The smell nearly made me ill, I had to get up and clean the can out every time.
I couldn’t ride off alone. The Kingsmen were our problem a couple of years back, and were neutralized, or swallowed up, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for a member to ride alone now.
And I didn’t want to give Mace the satisfaction of forcing me away. Every time he looks at me, his jaw clenches and not only because of the Cassie situation.
Things got real fucked up at the Hamilton Chapter last night. I could sense it as soon as I walked through the doors. No one wanted us there. They were okay with me, even though I got some looks for association.
We’re about five miles away from the clubhouse when a call comes through.
“Get your ass back to Sussex, no stopping at Stroudsburg.”
There is no room for argument when our Sargent-At-Arms gives an order. “I’m still a couple of hours away.”
“I know.” He hangs up.
No point worrying how he knows, we all have trackers on our phones. Fuck knows what I’m walking into back at the clubhouse, unless word got back from Hamilton, I can’t think what else it would be.
I’m not really surprised when I stay on the highway towards Sussex to see the Fatboy stay on the road. Looks like Mace got the call from Dirt too.
He pulls right up behind me as we fly down the highway. I think about pulling away for about three seconds, but figure I’m in enough shit already and should drop back. Surprisingly though, Mace doesn’t pull ahead, he keeps a safe distance behind and to the left of me.
Guess he doesn’t want to answer to King either.
Since Rip got tossed out of the MC, one of the other prospects is on gate duty and stands blocking the way as it rolls back. Once he’s sure we’re who the cameras clearly showed, he steps out of the way. This time I do defer to Mace and he rolls in ahead of me.
I can’t help but look at the garage as we ride past. The Buick is covered up but there is a large box beside it. Some parts have come in. Fucking hell. If Felix hadn’t got sick, I could have been in there this whole time, happily working on that car, blissfully unaware that Cassie fucked Mace.
“Shit,” I groan as I pull off my helmet.
Mace looks over at me as he does the same. It looks like he wants to ask if I got the same call but he scowls and gets off the bike instead of acknowledging me. As I shut off the engine and get off too, I watch him stomp up the stairs to the clubhouse.
“What’s going on?”
I don’t need to turn around to see who it is. “Shit went sideways.”
“The buy went bad?” Felix ask, then coughs enough that he has to bend over.
“Why aren’t you in bed, aren’t you contagious?”
“I’m bored.”
“Yeah well, I wouldn’t be having to explain myself to Dirt if you’d have gone on this run,” I grumble, pocketing my keys.
Although God knows what would have happened to Marshall and his sister if I hadn’t been there to explain the Veil Line. That alone makes me feel guilty about giving Felix shit. It’s not his fault he got sick.
“What happened?”
“Dirt wants to see me, I think I better tell him all about it before I report to you.”
“Shit man, that bad?”
I shake my head. “The only thing that went right was the handover.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you need to get back to bed before I call your wife.”
“You wouldn’t.” His eyes widen.
I shove him and then head inside. There aren’t many people in the main room, most of them are out at work, or in bed after a late night.
Usually Casper is behind the bar, even when there is no one around that is where he hangs out, messing with his phone.
I’m not sure whether to be unnerved or not that he isn’t there.
There is no sign of Mace either as I make way to the door that leads to the basement.
It’s where the officers hold Church, but it’s also big enough to house everyone when meetings are called.
Being underground, with no windows and only one door, besides Kings’ office, it’s the most secure place here.
Kansas, our tech guy regularly sweeps it and he has all kinds of jammers so no one can hack anything. It’s all above my head. Mechanics is my thing, not computers.
Ink and Dirt are sitting at the table talking quietly when I come in. There is no one else here. Mace must have been summoned to King’s office. I greet the officers and walk to the table. I’d never take a seat, only officers sit here and they all have their place.
Dirt gets up and walks around me to a smaller table and indicates I sit there.
Ink doesn’t move, but he’s within my line of sight so I don’t need to turn around.
I’m not scared. All I need to do is tell the truth, even the part about standing up on Mace.
It’s the part about Cassie that has me bothered.
“We got a call from Hamilton, said there was some animosity,” Dirt says.
I nearly ask who from, it’s not my business to ask. “They were fine to start off with, but things went sideways after a while.”
“In what way?”
“You can be honest,” Ink stands up and goes to grab us some drinks.
What he means is, they already know and want to see how much I’m going to say. Truth is, my loyalty lies with my own chapter and so long as it’s the truth, it doesn’t matter if I keep parts back. Like me and Mace getting into it.
The beer is welcome, even though I don’t drink a lot, and after this I intend to go back to the garage and see what delivery I’ve had for the Buick. I take a few swallows before filling them in on the situation.
Dirt curses and a look passes between him and Ink.
“We always knew it was going to take some time.”
“I’m not sure time is going to change shit,” Dirt replies. His eyes pass over me before he faces Ink again. “It was always going to present problems. Handlebar, how did Mace handle it?”
“He was fine. He didn’t cause any trouble, he gathered up the brothers and got out.”
This is where I’m guessing, for the most part. I’d already stormed out of the clubhouse. If there had been any trouble, the others would have talked about it when we were at the motel. They were salty about having to leave because the Hamilton chapter viewed Mace and his men as outsiders.
Dirt watches me a moment then nods. Looks like I’m off the hook with any more explanations. Mace is going to have it harder dealing with King. I’m not an officer so it’s not my place to ask more questions, or concern myself with what King is going to do about Ragnar.
The politics of being an officer has never appealed to me. I like my place in the club and I’m at my happiest in the garage. Everyone knows that.
Dirt dismisses me while him and Ink remain in the basement. Taking the steps two at a time, I hurry through the bar area and out onto the porch.
Hudson and Raptor are arriving from somewhere and get off their bikes, they’re laughing at something so I figure they don’t know the shitstorm that went down. I greet them with a quick head nod and start towards the garage.
My steps slow when the door to the women’s house opens and Cassie steps out. What is she doing here? It’s like all my problems are showing up at the same time.
It’s only when she hurries down the stairs and her head lifts that our eyes meet, stopping me in my tracks.
Her lips part as she stares and if I’m not mistake, a flush of guilt crosses her beautiful features.
Then her spine straightens and she walks in my direction.
What the hell do I say to her? It’s not my business who she fucks, but damn if it’s not got my insides all twisted up with jealousy as I watch her hips sway.
She is a mixture of a professional woman and sin incarnate in that skirt and heels. My fist clenches as I get a grip on my shit. I have stuff to do and it’s clear Cassie doesn’t care one way or another about me.
Who can blame her? Doesn’t stop it wrecking me a little.
“Hey,” she pauses and glances at her watch.