Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
HASH
Walking outside of the clubhouse the next morning, I see Levi waiting by his bike, looking all too eager to ride.
“You ready for this, prospect?” I ask as I slap him on the shoulder.
Levi sways slightly from the unexpected contact as he plasters a wobbly smile on his face. “Yeah. Been waiting for this day for a while now.”
“Don’t fuck it up,” I say, my face hard as I mount my bike.
“Yes, sir,” Levi responds, his expression sobering.
“Where the fuck is Cyrus?” I ask, looking around.
Levi looks uncomfortable as he shifts from foot to foot. “Uh, he said he was hungry and was having Evan make him a sandwich for the ride. Said something about not wanting to ride hangry.”
Oh, Jesus fucking Christ.
Right on cue, Cyrus comes strolling out of the clubhouse door, heading straight for us with a giant sandwich in his hand.
“You serious with this shit right now?” I ask as he mounts his bike mid-bite.
“What?” Cyrus shrugs. “I don’t like to ride hungry. Makes my tummy growl extra loud.”
All I can do is shake my head because what the fuck.
“Let’s ride out.” Looking over my shoulder, I see Levi mounting his, looking more nervous than excited now.
This will be good for him. He needs to start meeting these shit heads so he can recognize a face if he sees one when he’s out and can watch his back.
The meeting place is about two hours out from our clubhouse. Sucks it’s a long drive for a run, but it’s better that it’s not close to our territory if shit goes south. And with Rail, that’s very fucking possible.
The entire ride all I can think about is what if shit goes south and he takes it out on Aisling or worse, my son? I’m trying not to think about the what ifs like Evan said, but fuck, if it isn’t hard.
The risk is worth having them in my life, though.
Even if she doesn’t think she’s mine yet.
Cyrus signals ahead that we’re pulling off the main road and onto a dirt one.
We loop around, scoping out the area to make sure Rail doesn’t have someone waiting to ambush us.
“What are you thinking?” Cyrus asks me once we’re parked and waiting for them to show.
“I’m thinking that it makes me uneasy that he uses the same meeting place every time. Maybe I’m just used to rotating spots because that’s how we do shit, but I doubt a guy like this fucking idiot keeps his mouth shut about it,” I say as I take a joint out of the case in my pocket and light it up.
Cyrus grunts in agreement before asking. “Every time?”
“For the last two years. I don’t have a good feeling about this. Something bad’s going to happen. Maybe not now, but soon. Feel it in my gut.”
Cyrus studies me, his face hard. We’ve been brothers long enough for him to know my gut is never wrong.
“Well, that’s not good,” Cyrus says, trying to lighten the mood because Levi is growing more and more tense. The last thing I need is for him to piss himself.
“Is something going to go down?” Levi asks in a hushed voice.
“You don’t need to whisper.” I snicker. What it’s like to be young and fresh in this life. “No one can hear you.”
Levi’s cheeks slowly flush.
“What are you worried about?” Cyrus asks as he shrugs. “If something goes down, we’ll fucking kill them.”
I laugh at the look on Levi’s face. “Calm down, prospect. Nothing is going to happen right now.”
All of us turn, looking down the long drive as we hear pipes off in the distance.
“Looks like he didn’t come alone,” Cyrus says.
“Never does.” I throw my roach on the ground and step on it, making sure it’s out before turning to Levi. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” Levi answers. His voice sounds steady, but his hands are shaking.
I don’t blame him. I remember the first time I went on a run.
I thought I was going to piss myself. Back then, everyone seemed like they could end you with one wrong look.
He’ll eventually learn everything is a front.
Don’t get me wrong, some have earned that reputation, but most are pieces of shit like Rail, who let something small go to their head and now they think they run shit.
A true leader knows how to sit back and bide his time. Which is what Cain is doing, and Rail has yet to realize.
Rail and two guys slowly come into our line of sight with Rail leading the way.
“It’s about goddamn time. I’m ready to get this shit over with.” I’m already pissed I had to reschedule with Aisling.
She didn’t seem to be upset about it, but she also didn’t sound excited to hang out.
I know deep down she still feels what we had.
What we still have. If she hadn’t, she would have blocked my ass the same way I did hers.
And honestly? I wouldn’t blame her. Would it kill me?
Fuck yeah. But what I did to her will never hold a flame to that.
“Ladies.” Rail smirks as he walks toward us with the two guys that came with him following behind.
I grit my teeth, trying to stay calm because I know if I lose it right now, I’ll end up shooting the cocky fucking smirk right off his face.
“Got the money?” Cyrus asks, taking the lead and ignoring him.
Levi hangs back, eyes on the men behind Rail.
Rail motions with his fingers to the men behind him. The guy on his right throws a bag down at Cyrus’ feet.
“Should all be there. Got what I need?”
“Should?” Cyrus asks, brows raised. “Or is?”
“Come on, brother, you know I’m good for it.” Rail smirks.
There’s just something about him I don’t like. He always looks like he’s pulling a fast one on you that no one knows about.
“Told you before, we aren’t your brother,” I growl, throwing the bag at him after Cyrus nods, letting me know the money is all there.
Rail’s smirk deepens. “Not yet, but we will be.”
The air grows tense as my body tightens.
“Cain wants to invite you to our Halloween party on Devils Night at the clubhouse,” Cyrus tells him.
“See?” Rail says, his voice mocking. “It’s already in the works. See you pussies then unless I need more shit before then.”
I take a step forward, but Cyrus’s arm reaches out and stops me.
Rail’s laugh echoes around us as he and his men mount their bikes, giving a finger flick as they ride away.
“I don’t like this.”
“Me neither,” Cyrus agrees.
“Uh, guys?” Levi asks, looking uneasy. Cyrus and I both turn to him. I forgot he was here for a second. “Is he going to try to take over the club?”
A laugh booms out of me, and Cyrus snickers. “He thinks he’s about to.”
“I can’t wait for this shit. It’s been way too boring around here lately. I’m starting to get itchy.” Cyrus smiles as he stares off into the distance where they rode off, thinking about what he wants to do.
“You’ll get your time.” I shake my head as I mount my bike. The brother is always so fucking bloodthirsty. “Let’s get out of here. I’ve got shit to do.”
“Like see your baby mama?” Cyrus wags his eyebrows.
“If you fuck with her tomorrow, I will shoot your dick off,” I say, giving him a deadpan expression before revving my engine and pulling off without looking back.
“You two need to get dressed,” Prez greets Cyrus and me as we walk into the clubhouse.
“Dressed for what?” I ask, confused as I look between Cyrus and me.
There isn’t a place on this goddamn earth that I wouldn’t wear jeans, a tee, and my cut to.
“Adduci invited us to dinner,” Cain answers, like us, a one percenter MC club, is invited out to dinner on the regular. “How did it go?”
“Went as well as we expected. Why the fuck are we going out to dinner?”
“You invite him to the bonfire?”
“I did,” Cyrus responds. “Dude acted like he was moving in here from one invite.”
Cain snorts. “Fucking figures. That guy has a bigger ego than his balls will ever be. We’ll be ready.” Cain raps his knuckles on the bar as he looks us up and down before walking away. “At least put dress pants on.”
Cyrus and I both look at each other because what the fuck?
Dress pants?
“Where the fuck are we fucking going?” I call after him and am met with laughter. “I don’t know what’s so funny about this,” I grumble to Cyrus.
“No clue, brother.” Cyrus shrugs. “I don’t mind it. My slacks let the air flow against my balls. It’s breezy fucking central down there.”
My mouth hangs open as my brows bunch up. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Nothing!” Cyrus retorts. “You just aren’t man enough to admit it.”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I say as I shake my head. “I’m going to get dressed.”
I glare at Cain’s back as we walk into Bella Vita.
If I had known this was the type of dinner we were going to, I would have bailed and gone to Aisling’s, meeting or not. I’m not a going out to dinner type of man, and I’m sure as hell not the
fancy dinner type where you need to use two different forks to eat. Whoever came up with that is stupid as fuck.
The hostess takes us to the back corner of the restaurant, making our way through the tables in a line, one by one.
Every single person in there is looking anywhere but at us.
They know where they’re eating, and they know who owns it.
You wouldn’t step foot in an establishment owned by the mafia if you didn’t agree with the lifestyle.
Cain scares me, but Matteo has more connections than even the club knows about.
“Cain,” Matteo greets with a smile on his face as we approach the table.
“Adduci,” Prez greets back as he shakes his hand and brings him in for a one-armed hug.
“No Trick tonight?” Matteo asks as he watches us all sit down around the round table.
“He stayed back with the girls.”
“Ah, yes. I know how that is. They never listen or stay in when you tell them to. I love the chase, but sometimes I’d like one night without stabbing a motherfucker for touching what’s mine,” Matteo says as he swirls his tumbler of whiskey and signals the waiter over. “What are you guys drinking tonight?”
We all grunt in agreement.
I ordered an 18-year-old whiskey on the rocks. If I’m going to be forced into wearing clothes I didn’t know I had in the back of my closet, I’m going to drink something that comes out of a five-hundred-dollar bottle.