MAESTRO
The happiness of yesterday was a dim memory as I watched my brothers file into Church so that I could update them on the trafficking situation as well as tell them about Ford.
For the trafficking, I’d been in touch with our FBI contacts, and while they’d assured me they were aware of what was going on and were investigating the situation, they were close to putting an end to it. I wasn’t sure if I believed him or not. I was cautioned about getting involved.
Like I’d told him, we’d stay out of it until they came for us; then all bets were off.
Once everyone was seated, I picked up the gavel and started the meeting.
“Right, I wanted to update you all on a few things that have happened since our last Church. As previously discussed, Hard-Drive found a fuck-tonne of information that the FBI had no clue about.
“I’ve spoken to our contact in the FBI, and they know about the ring. He’s assured me that they are close to breaking it up. I’m not sure if I believe him or not, even if he’s always been truthful. For now, we’re going to stick to the plan of keeping a back seat but helping where we can until they’re arrested.
“I’ve told my contact they need to sort it sooner than later because I’m not having traffickers fucking around in our backyard, not with our families at risk. He assured me it would be done. Are you all still good with waiting?”
“Did they say how long we’d be waiting for?” Red asked.
I shook my head, “Fuck no, you know what they’re like. I told him he had a month and then we’d start pulling strings and live with the consequences. Apparently, they’re bringing in some hot-shot team who specialise in this type of operation.
“Either way, the fuckers need to get out of this town; my girls need to feel safe, and they don’t. Rosie’s talking about not going back to school and finishing what she can online, and frankly, I’m all for that.”
Cash nodded in agreement, “I hear you, brother. It’s something to think about.”
“What are we going to do about the fucknuts that put their hands on Rosie? They can’t get away with it,” Tinman growled, hands clenched, well aware that things could have gone badly for the girls.
“I’m coming to that, brother. What most of you don’t know is that yesterday, we went over to say thanks to the kid, Ford, who’d helped them. We had a pretty big surprise when we met him; between him and Kyle, they’ve got a plan on how to sort the fuckheads out. Before I get to that, though, yesterday Dad and I found out that Ford is likely Chains’ son.”
Shocked murmurs rose from around the table. Holding up my hand when I could see questions rising, “You’ll see when you meet him why. Yesterday was a big day for the Ivor family; not only did Stacey agree to be my Old Lady—”
I was stopped from continuing as my brothers let out a roar at my news, feet stamping and fists pounding on the table. This right here was why I loved the brotherhood. A grin split my face at their reaction; I’d always known that Stacey was well liked, but I’d not realised quite how much they liked her.
I let them carry on for a bit before I whistled to settle them down. Once they were quiet again, I continued, “Not only did I get an Old Lady, I got two daughters and two sons.” Seeing their puzzled looks, I continued to explain, “Rosie and Kyle are mine because of Stacey, but I’m also claiming Ford and his sister, Poppy. We moved them into my home yesterday. Emily, the woman they considered their grandmother, moved into the cottage behind Red. I’ll introduce them all after Church. We’re going to have a barbecue this weekend to celebrate Stacey and the kids.”
Another roar just about lifted the ceiling. It had been a minute since we’d had so much to celebrate.
As the brothers settled down, I nodded at Red, who’d caught my eye and held up his finger, asking if he could have the table.
Once they were quiet, I asked, “Red, you got something you want to add?”
“Yes, I do,” he stated. “Emily is mine, so none of you fuckers even think of trying anything with her.”
Cash laughed next to me, then hastily turned it into a cough as Dad swung his gaze towards him.
Deciding I’d better save my brother from another mother before Dad let loose, I put the force of my words behind Red’s, “You heard the man. You old fuckers leave her alone. I don’t want you all fighting over her.”
This caused more hilarity and ‘Less of the old Pres,’ being bandied about or ‘Lucky fucker, Red.’
Laughing, I hit the gavel on the table when I couldn’t find it in me to whistle from laughing so hard. “Okay, so that’s the update. Tinman, you wanted to know about the boys that jumped Rosie. Let me bring Kyle and Ford in as this is their thing; we can’t get involved in beating kids up no matter how rotten they are.”
Buck stood up and disappeared, returning not long after with Kyle in his prospect cut and Ford.
I knew the brothers, especially the ones that had known Chains and me when we were younger, would see it, and I was right. As soon as Ford walked in and stood next to Kyle, the murmurs started. That’s how much he looked like us.
“Boys,” I nodded at them, “fill us in on what’s going to happen to the little fuckers who touched Rosie.”
It was Kyle who started explaining, “While I was here, I kept them away from Rosie, but I guess they got brave when I left. This isn’t the first time they’ve done this. There have always been rumours, but their families have money, so more often than not they’ve paid off the girls and the families. Ford has told me there’s one girl, Jessie, in the same year as them who didn’t take the bribes; she made reports and went as far as two towns away to get a rape kit done by a hospital there. It’s all disappeared, and she and her family are struggling to get by because they’ve basically been blacklisted from working in town.
“Ford says she’s pregnant and intends on keeping the baby. It’s just her, her brother, and her dad, and he’s supportive of her decision to keep the baby. Her brother, Robbie, however, is angry—I mean, seriously angry. He’s one of the ones we’ve approached, and this is the plan we’ve come up with.
“It would be good if we could change the celebration for Mom, Ford, and Poppy to next Saturday. There’s a football game at the high school, and a bonfire after-party is being planned at the usual field. This way, it’s not unusual for Ford and the rest of the guys and girls we’ve recruited to be there, as there’s always a bonfire planned for after the game.
“The four of them tend to do their hunting at these parties and use roofies if the girls aren’t being particularly receptive. Ford overheard a few of the girls in his class talking about how it’s easier just to give them what they want so that their families don’t suffer in the aftermath.” Kyle paused here, his fists clenched in anger, tilting his chin at Ford, who continued where Kyle left off.
“You have to understand most of these girls don’t come from rich families. Almost all are from my side of town, and their families can’t afford to lose income by having their jobs threatened,” Ford explained.
“I’ll be speaking to Robbie at school tomorrow about my plan. Not only have they hurt his sister, but one of the girls that I know they’re targeting is his girlfriend. I’m going to see if she’s willing to be used as bait to get them in the woods. Once we have them there,” he hesitated before looking at me, “it’s best you don’t know the rest, just in case. I don’t want trouble to find its way to the MC.”
I didn’t like that and neither did the rest of the brothers. With those words, he’d cemented his place in the club, no matter his age.
“It doesn’t work that way, Ford. We’ll have your back no matter what. As far as the cops are concerned, you and your friends were all here celebrating your new family. Give me a list of names, and we’ll make sure they have alibis. Just be careful and don’t get caught. If you need us, though, you call; minors or not, they’ve done shit that if they’d been adults, we wouldn’t have let them get away with. We’re a family, and family sticks together.”
For the first time since we’d found him, Ford smiled, “Okay. If I need you, I’ll call.”
“Be sure you do,” I ordered him. “Also give me Jessie and Robbie’s dad’s contact details. Not all of us are under those rich fucks. I’m sure we can find them work in one of our businesses. Do you know what he did for them?”
It was Kyle who answered, “He’s a mechanic; he worked in their shop in town. He sometimes drove for them when they needed a fill-in driver.”
Studying Kyle’s face, I took in the angry tick of his jaw and clenched fists. He’d been angry when he’d heard about Rosie, but this was something else. Going on instinct, I asked, “What’s Jessie to you, Kyle?”
His eyes flashed to mine in surprise; the emotion on his face reminded me how young he still was.
“She was a friend. I tutored her until I left for college. She’s two years younger than me and struggled with math. When I threatened them about Rosie, they didn’t like it. It made them angry.
“I think they targeted Jessie because of me. I’m not sure if they thought we had something going on or not, but they knew we spent a lot of time together. She’s a good person; she wanted to be a nurse. Jessie didn’t deserve what they did to her; none of the girls did,” he took a deep breath, bowing his head. Ford gripped his shoulder in support. “I know originally I said I’d stay out of it because I’m older than them, but now, with what they did to Jessie just because I knew her well, I just want you to know I’m going to do what I got to do.”
The room was silent. We knew what he meant, and I can’t say that I wouldn’t have made the same decision. If he didn’t do something, likely the guilt would eat him alive.
“I’m going to tell you what I told Ford. We’re family, and we’ll stick together whatever happens. That said, you do what you feel the need to do. We’ll be here once it’s over. You’ve always been one of us, Kyle; it’s why you’re wearing a prospect cut, and it’s not because your mother is my Old Lady. You joining the club was decided long before that by all the men in this room.”
I could see my words meant something as Kyle’s shoulders straightened, but he still asked, “Even with who my father is?”
It wasn’t me that answered, though it was Buck, “You are not your father, boy. We don’t judge each other on who we come from but rather on how we act. You worked with me in the garage for a long time before you went to college; I think I know you better than most. Trust me, you are nothing like your father. I put your name forward years ago, but we all knew your mom wanted you to go away to college, so we hung onto your cut for you. Now you’re back and going to college locally, you get to wear it. You’re still going to have to go through all the shit we had to, but I have a feeling we’ll be calling you brother one day.”
We could all see how much Buck’s words meant to Kyle.
“Go on now, you boys get. We’ll move the party to the weekend you asked for,” I ordered them.
“Thanks, Pres,” both boys turned and left as soon as they’d uttered those words.
“And there’s the next generation right there,” Cash said quietly as they walked out of church. “Fuck, it makes me feel old,” he groaned, swiping a hand down his face. “When did we get old?” he grumbled.
His grumbling brought another round of laughter, and on that note, I called the end of Church. The next few weeks would be heavy enough, so we’d get our enjoyment where we could.