Chapter 6 Havoc
HAVOC
“It’s been a month,” Gunner mutters. His chair creaks as he leans forward, his hands braced on the table. “How do we not know which one of the Forsaken scum took down Vike?”
“Probably more than one,” Preacher says. “No way two were enough to take our old Prez down.”
“They’re keeping a lid on it,” Riot, my sergeant-at-arms, explains. “They remember the carnage after they got Savannah.”
“I had fewer grey hairs then,” Trigger jokes morbidly, tapping his knuckles against the table.
“I had fewer hairs on my balls,” Viper snickers.
Bone snorts. “Hell, I had hair.”
The guys laugh, but I don’t join in. This has come up at church too many times since Viking was killed.
Since his daughter came to live with us, plaguing my fucking thoughts.
She’s everywhere I look. Every night, I shower in the bathroom I share with her and jack off with the scent of her shampoo still in the air, my hand fisting my dick as I stroke it, imagining her soft pink lips wrapped around the tip.
I can’t even stomach fucking a sweetbutt to try and forget about Sasha for one goddamned moment. Their perfume smells cheap, their voices grate, their tits are fake, their makeup thick. Shit that never used to bother me before. Because I never used to be a fucking pussy.
“You with us, Prez?”
I blink at Diesel. Now I’m daydreaming like a little girl.
“Yeah,” I grunt. “Ace. Ryder. Get the prospects undercover at Lucky’s Bar in Ashford. See if they hear anything from drunk hangarounds.”
The young enforcers grin at me. “Fucking genius, Prez,” Ace says, Ryder nodding at his side. Those two have been a two-for-one deal since they were kids.
“Now,” I continue. “Monday’s run?”
“Shitty fuckin’ timing with everything,” our road captain, Reaper, says, “but it’s gotta be now. We already have buyers. And the guns will be moving if we’re there to grab them or not.”
I blow air out of my nose. “Yeah. We can’t fuck this up. We paid a lot of money to know which route the truck’s going to take. Viking would be the first one to say we need to untwist our panties and get shit done.”
“Amen,” Tank agrees, slapping the table with his palm.
Some of the younger guys don’t really appreciate what Vike meant to us founding members. Sure, they understand loyalty and family. But to them, this job means money in their pockets.
I nod at Diesel. “Run us through it one more time, VP.”
“Alright, assholes, listen up.” He cracks his neck. “Military guns moving for training exercises. Load’s headed to a base outside Nashville. Truck runs Highway 41 Monday night.”
“Very concise,” Ryder says with a slow clap.
“Read that word in a crossword puzzle?” Bullet asks him.
Diesel snorts. “Implying my little brother knows what a crossword puzzle is.”
Ryder bristles. “Hey. I’m more than just a crack shot and a pussy magnet.”
“Yeah, you’re also delusional,” Ace drawls.
Even I grin this time. I have a giant soft spot for the Cole brothers—Diesel, Ace, and Ryder. Ace may be adopted, but the Coles gave him their name and made him family.
I turn to Riot at my right. “Everyone knows what they’re doing Monday?”
He grunts. “You, Diesel, Ace, and Ryder go for the truck, me, Reap, Bullet, and Viper for the escort. Soon as they’re down, Gun and Trig roll up the cement mixer, we move the load into it, and away it goes across state lines.”
I nod, turning to Bone and Tank.
“We’ll be there, waitin’,” Bone says.
“I should be with you,” I mutter, clenching my fists, the heavy rings on my fingers biting into my skin.
Tank shakes his head. “We’re not doing a repeat of last time. You’re going right back here for a dose of plausible deniability.”
“Make sure your face is between some thick thighs when the law comes knocking,” Trigger smirks.
A muscle in my cheek twitches. There’s only one set of legs I want to get between these days, and one of my brothers would probably shoot me in the foot for doing it. Or their old ladies might. I’ve seen the looks Carol and Ruth throw my way when they see me talking to Sasha.
I bring the subject back to the job, nodding at Tank. “Speaking of alibis. You got the paperwork ready?”
Our secretary nods, a gleeful smile on his weathered face. “Yup. Far as anyone’s concerned, Slade Construction is helping build stables for disabled kids in Kentucky next week.”
Preacher smirks. “Being charitable and making money at the same time. God is good.”
“Hell yeah,” the brothers cheer.
“One more thing,” I say once they quiet down. “We’ve been talking about building housing out back for years now. I think it’s time we finally do that.”
The younger patches shrug, but I see excitement with the ones who’ve already spent a couple of decades sleeping in the clubhouse—Trig, Riot, Preach, and of course Tank and Bone, who live outside the compound.
“That’d be great, Prez,” Tank says. “I know Ruth will love not having to drive here.”
“Same goes for Carol,” Bone adds. “The girls have taken a shine to Vike’s kid and wanna be around to mother her.”
“She is very lovable, our Scandinavian princess,” Diesel drawls, looking at me from the corner of his eyes. I resist the urge to slam the gavel down on his head.
I clear my throat. “Yeah. She’s gonna do online classes instead of going off to college. She could use some space and quiet.”
“I forget how young she is,” Trigger mumbles.
Yeah, well, I don’t. Her age is at the forefront of my mind, along with the fact that her old man was like a brother to me. I was there in the hospital when she was born, for fuck’s sake. And now I can’t get the way her perky tits stretch those whimsical tops she wears out of my head.
“All this talk of the kid and stables reminds me,” Bone begins. “You know my cousin’s still taking care of Savannah’s horse? Maybe now Sasha is here, we could house the mare in the old stable and pen. Sasha might enjoy having it around.”
I blink, pissed for not thinking of it myself. The women found some of Sav’s stuff a couple of weeks ago, and it pulled Sasha out of her grief. Can’t imagine what having her mom’s horse would do for her.
“Bluebell, right?” Preacher asks, and I nod absentmindedly, already thinking of where to put new stables and a pen. Gotta have plenty of space and grass. Can border the forest so it’s peaceful.
“Talk to your cousin,” I tell Bone. “Tell him I’ll bring Sasha over to meet the horse.”
“Will do, Prez.”
“Anything else?” I look around the table where the guys are shaking their heads. “That’s it for today, then.”
The knock of the gavel is still echoing when the brothers start pushing back from the table. Diesel stays behind, looking at me with a curious gaze.
“Yes?” I prompt him once we’re alone.
“I’m just wondering, brother,” he begins, his lips stretching into a devious smirk that spells out trouble. “Are you building a separate house for you and Sasha, or will you be moving your things into hers? And also, will she be riding the horse or will she be riding you?”
“Fuck off,” I mutter, pushing back from the table. “Mind your own goddamned business.”
He’s still laughing when I slam the door behind me on my way out. I need to find Sasha and talk to her about a horse.