Chapter Six
Hatter
I kept my hand on Jo’s lower back, both guiding and protecting her. She’d unofficially met the entire club. Only the officers had a proper introduction. I knew it was time to fix that. Since I had no doubts as to Carpenter’s loyalty, or Tweedle’s, I thought it would be best to start with them. Since they were playing cards together, I guided Jo over there.
“Tweedle. Carpenter.” They both looked up. “This is Jo. I’ve told her she’s part of our family now, so please treat her accordingly. Jo, if you can’t find me and need something, you can always come to either of them. They’re good men.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” she said.
“Want to join our game?” Tweedle asked, indicating the cards. “We can start over to include the both of you.”
“Not right now, but thanks.” I tugged Jo away. “Need to take her around to everyone.”
“Welcome to Underland,” Carpenter said before gazing back down at the cards in his hand.
I led her over to Knave and Mock. Until I had proof that said otherwise, I’d have to trust them with Jo. I’d keep watch, and make sure she didn’t get hurt from the bullshit going on right now.
“Jo, this is Knave.” He stood, towering over Jo. He gave her a brief nod. His tight jaw and the hardness in his eyes told me plenty. The man had been badly scarred during his years of service, and he’d often had people call him a monster. Now he put up a wall when he met new people.
“Like the Knave of Hearts?” she asked.
“Exactly like that.” I smiled.
“Welcome,” he said, keeping it simple. Idiot probably thought he was going to scare her.
“Thanks,” she murmured, her gaze darted away, and I felt a tremor run through her. Maybe he’d been right. It seemed she was scared of him.
“Mock’s around here somewhere…” My words trailed off as I scanned the room. “I think you met him earlier. Not sure if he introduced himself, though.”
“As in the Mock Turtle?” She gazed up at me. “You really do all have names that fit with the story.”
“Yes, we do. And you’re correct about Mock Turtle.”
I found him across the room. He caught my gaze and approached, knocking a beer bottle off the bar along the way. It shattered, making Jo jump beside me. What the hell was his problem? I eyed him, trying to figure out why he seemed off. Then I realized he was either drunk off his ass or high.
“If it isn’t the new girl…” His tone had a darkness to it that I’d only heard when he’d been in a fight. Instead of jumping to her rescue, I waited to see what Jo would do. If she needed me to hold her hand every step of the way, she’d never be able to stand on her own two feet.
“Jo,” she corrected. She lifted her chin, trying to appear brave, even though I could feel the terror running through her. I had a feeling she’d told him her name already, and Mock either didn’t remember because he’d had too much to drink, or he was being a dick on purpose. If it was the latter of the two, I’d kick his ass.
“Right.” Mock’s laughter came out harsh, but I’d never questioned his loyalty. At least, not until I’d found out we had a rat. As much as I hoped it wasn’t him, or Knave for that matter, I couldn’t rule out either one. Even though Carpenter was technically the newest, he’d come highly recommended from people I trusted. No fucking way he’d become a rat.
I guided Jo through the clubhouse, letting her take it all in now that she’d had time to calm down. She perused the walls, which we’d decorated with old license plates and pieces of motorcycles. She paused when she came to a framed picture -- me and the other club officers, in our military days.
“You’ve known each other a long time,” she murmured.
“Yeah. They’re my brothers, and they will have your back just the same as they have mine.”
“Good to know,” she said. Her expression said she didn’t understand why our loyalty would extend to her. But she would soon enough. Telling her she was family and showing her what it meant were two different things. Not everyone had the support of people who cared. For all I knew, she’d had a shitty home life.
“Make yourself at home,” I said, gesturing to the worn couches and the pool table where some members were racking up balls for a new game. “I know this isn’t much for some people, but it’s the perfect place for us. We each have our own room and bathroom. There’s a kitchen with a large dining area, and this is where we kick back and relax.”
“Who does the cooking?” she asked.
“We take turns for the most part. Except Rabbit. He’s not allowed to work in the kitchen anymore, not after he had a little mishap with a knife and nearly lost a finger.”
“I can help. It isn’t right for me to not pitch in,” she said.
“Anything you need, you let us know. This is your sanctuary now, just like it’s ours. As for helping, give yourself at least a few more days.”
“But…”
I shook my head. “No. Focus on getting better. You were on the run from a monster. You don’t just bounce right back from that. Also, I know you don’t have anything. Clothes, bathroom stuff… None of us have a damn clue what to get for a woman, so…”
I handed her my phone, with a shopping app open for the nearest twenty-four-hour store. It should have anything she’d need. Might not be high end items, but at least she’d have the basics.
“Order what you need. I’ll come back in a bit and finish off the order. Someone can go pick it up and you’ll have the things you need by this afternoon.” I took a step back. “I have to go discuss something with my brothers. If you want something to drink, the kitchen is through the door to the left of the bar.”
I could feel her watching me as I walked away. I sat at the table where Cheshire and March were waiting.
“Any updates on who the rat might be?” I asked, jumping right into it.
Cheshire leaned against the back of his chair, arms crossed, his usual grin wiped clean off. “No. I haven’t found anything more on the situation.”
“Someone’s leaking info. It’s gotta stop,” I said. “Can’t have that around Jo. Hell, we don’t need that kind of trouble period.”
March nodded, silent as the grave, his face hard as stone. “I scouted that warehouse. Whoever had been there, they were gone. Couldn’t find so much as a scrap of trash that would tell us who they were or what they were up to.”
“Here’s what we’re going to do… We tighten the circle. Trust no one outside the officers, as much as it pains me to say that. We watch, we listen. Every move calculated. We find him. We haven’t exactly done the greatest job with it so far. We need to do better.”
“Or her,” Cheshire interjected. No humor laced his voice now, just cold, hard focus. I didn’t think it likely it would be a woman. Although, there had certainly been a few who’d come to the clubhouse multiple times over the years. I supposed it was possible they might have heard more than they should have and could have let the information slip to someone else.
“Right.” I gave a brisk nod. We hadn’t had many women here, but I hadn’t exactly kept the men from bringing any back to the clubhouse. I wasn’t their dad or a fucking nanny. “Protect the club. Protect Jo. That’s top priority.”
“Understood,” March said.
“Good.” I glanced over at Jo again, and her gaze caught mine. I’d brought her here to protect her from Eddie. Last thing I needed was one of my own trying to hurt her.
The air in the clubhouse was thick with tension, a storm brewing beneath the surface. Each officer knew the score. Keeping Knave and Mock in the dark left a bitter taste in my mouth. Just the same, I couldn’t be as sure of them as I was of the others. As for Carpenter… it wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, but I knew he was close with Knave. I didn’t want to risk him saying something he shouldn’t, or feeling awkward around someone he considered a friend and brother.
“See if you two can dig up anything else. Even the faintest whisper, and I want to hear about it. But be careful… since we don’t know who it is, they could be lurking anywhere. Stay vigilant,” I said.
“Always am.” March gave me a slight smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. Standing, he turned and walked off. There were times he took orders a little too well, almost like a machine following whatever code had been programmed into him.
March was solid, unbreakable, but even mountains eroded over time. My gut twisted. This mole business was eating at the foundations of what we’d built, threatening to bring us down from the inside.
As the door closed behind him, I found myself holding my breath, wondering if every goodbye could be the last. I let the air out slow, forced my shoulders to drop. I’d trust that he could handle whatever was thrown at him. He’d made it this long without dying. No way some fucking pissant would take him down.
“March can take care of it,” Cheshire murmured from beside me, clearly reading my thoughts.
“He better,” I said. “We can’t afford screwups, and I refuse to accept that we’ll lose any of our own.”
“Trust him, Hatter.” Cheshire’s voice was low, serious. “He’s one of us. He’s been forged in fire like all of us.”
“Yeah.” My fists clenched at my sides. “But this rat’s one of us too.”
At least, we assumed so. Strangers wouldn’t find out enough about us to leak info to anyone. So if it wasn’t Mock or Knave, then who?
The silence that followed was a living thing, coiling around us, whispering of betrayal and secrets buried deep. I finally tore my gaze away from the door and focused on Cheshire.
“Keep your eyes open,” I said, my words slicing through the quiet. “We’re playing a game with no rules now.”
“Always do,” Cheshire shot back, echoing March, but his tone held an edge of something dark. Despite his joking side, and the way he always smiled, I’d seen him kill. Watched as he eliminated enemies with the cold precision of a killer. It’s what the government had made each of us.
“Good.” I nodded once, sharp and final. We were in this mess together, and it was up to us to claw our way out. “Let’s clean house. And once we’ve taken care of the threat, we’ll be far more careful of who we let in.”
I walked over to Jo and took the phone back from her. Other than a cursory glance at the list of items, I didn’t analyze it. Instead, I checked out and sent a text with the pick up information to Absolem. If I didn’t send him on this errand, he’d stay holed up in the garage with the bike. Man wouldn’t even remember to eat once he got wrapped up in a project. It would do him some good to get out of here for a while.
Grabbing a beer from behind the bar, I gave Jo some space. If I stuck by her side, she’d never come out of her shell. From the corner of my eye, I kept watch as she slowly mingled with the club.
When she approached Knave, I tried not to tense. Whatever he said to her, she threw her head back and laughed. The light in her eyes made me relax. Even if she didn’t realize she was tangling with a potential viper in our midst, I couldn’t take this away from her. Her innocence was a rarity, and I hoped she never lost it. Despite everything she’d been through, she still didn’t see the world as an ugly, miserable place.
Cheshire settled on the stool next to mine. He followed my gaze and snorted. “You seem a little too interested in that one. Going to make her yours?”
“Too soon to tell. I won’t cage her. She’s already been jailed by someone before.”
“No one says she can’t be free.” Cheshire braced his arms on the bar. “Being with you doesn’t mean she’s putting on shackles, Hatter. You’re nothing like Eddie Lewis. If that fucker is like his dad, I can only imagine how she’s suffered. Being with the right person can be freeing.”
I glanced at him. “It sounds like you’re speaking from experience, but as far as I know, you’ve never dated anyone seriously.”
He sighed. “Not since high school, but that’s a story for another day. Preferably one a long way off.”
“Whatever happens, try to keep it from Jo. I don’t want her worrying, not after I told her she’d be safe here with us.”
“She is safe here.” I could hear the conviction in his tone, and knew he’d do whatever it took to make that statement true. It’s one of the things I loved about Cheshire.
“Remember what’s at stake,” I reminded him, my gaze flitted back to where Jo was now chatting with Mock, her smile lighting up the dim clubhouse.
“Underland above all,” he replied.
“Underland above all,” I echoed, feeling the weight of the words settle in my chest like an anchor. Protect the club. Protect Jo.
Let the traitor come. We would be ready.
“Watch your back,” I muttered, low enough so only he could catch it.
“Always do.” There’s a shadow of a smile there, not quite reaching his eyes. Cheshire’s hand fell to his side, and his fingers brushed against the leather of his cut as if feeling for something. Reassurance, maybe.
“Be careful,” I added, the warning clear in my tone.
“Careful’s my middle name, Hatter.”
That got a half-grin out of me. Bullshit, but comforting all the same. He stood, then left the room. If he and March couldn’t find the intel we needed, then no one would.
I forced myself to turn away, to scan the room. My gaze found her again, before I’d even realized I was looking for her. Jo.
She was with both Mock and Knave now. The smile on her face twisted something inside me. I wasn’t sure if it was jealousy over someone else making her feel so happy or worry that the two men who had her so relaxed could stab her in the back.
She spotted me, and once more I was caught watching her. She waved off Knave and Mock, then sauntered over. I saw a confidence in her step that hadn’t been there before. Although, I also caught a tightening in her expression that belied the pain she probably still felt. The woman had so many damn bruises.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Fine,” I said. “Just club stuff.”
“Club stuff,” she repeated, a playful lilt to her voice, but her gaze searched mine.
“Nothing you need to worry about.” I tried to smile, but it felt more like a snarl. Yeah, I didn’t want her to know there might be trouble here. “Let’s get you a drink, yeah?”
She nodded, still watching me with those keen eyes. I’d always been good at hiding my thoughts and fears. With Jo, it felt like she saw too much. Part of me wondered if she would actually be my salvation, or my downfall. Either way, I wanted to find out.
“Sounds good,” she finally said, but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. I knew being here, amongst strangers, had to be scary for her. Learning to trust after everything she’d been through wouldn’t be easy. And I probably sounded like I was hiding shit from her. Well, I actually was, but…
“I’m not trying to be an asshole,” I said. “This club doesn’t have women, but the ones we know who do, there’s one rule the women follow.”
“Only one?” she asked, a smirk on her lips.
“All right. There’s quite a few, but there’s one in particular. When your man says it’s club business, it means back off.” I ran a hand down my face. “It’s not about you, or the thing with Eddie, all right? It’s stuff we had going on before we met you.”
“Not the best way to word it, but fine. I get it,” she said. “Never really been much of a drinker. Eddie allowed me some wine here and there, but nothing else.”
“Then let’s find out what you like,” I said, slinging my arm around her shoulders and leading her over to the bar. She might not be able to spread her wings a lot until I had her issue sorted, but this was a baby step in the right direction.