Chapter 34
Army
I enter the clubhouse, coming in through the bar area.
It’s close to suppertime, and many of the brothers and prospects are back from their jobs for the MC.
Most of the Club Pussy is in here as well, except for those on duty helping Cherry—the retired Bunny who oversees them—make supper for the crew.
Razor, Thunder, and the rest of the old guard are huddled in the corner, deep in conversation.
Razor watches me as I walk through the bar, hate spewing from him.
I regret what I had to do to Grinder every single day, but I won’t bend or break for Razor. It’s him and Thunder who pushed for that asinine law years ago.
Thunder looks at his friend and then at me. He nudges Razor and gives him a warning look, making him look away, and Thunder dips his chin toward me, as if in respect.
Razor’s intentions are obvious; it’s clear he wants to shove a gun down my throat. But I’m less certain about Thunder. He could be trying to keep his friend from doing something stupid, or he could be a snake in the grass, waiting to strike when I least expect it.
I don’t disagree with Pix that these two are rot, but I know Ash needs hard evidence before he acts; otherwise, there will definitely be mutiny and internal war.
Tats and Mauler give me a nod, and I knock my knuckles on their table, and keep walking. The Club Pussy smile at me but keep their distance, knowing not to bother trying with me.
Before I reach the door on the other side of the bar that exits into the main part of the clubhouse, Bane fills the doorway. He steps in, holding Slade’s hand. She’s small compared to his large size; the man was born and bred to be a defender, and he takes his road name and role seriously.
Slade isn’t overly emotional—a lingering effect from trauma she survived—but she’s way more expressive than when she first arrived back at the MC’s gates.
“Slade,” I greet her, then turn to Bane. “I need you to join me in Ash’s office.”
His jaw ticks as he regards me, then he nods.
Before we leave, I look over my shoulder and find Razor is back to glaring at me with undisguised hate and malice. It’s not unnoticed by everyone else in the bar, and they look uneasy, expecting weapons to be drawn at any second, forcing them to pick which side they’ll be joining.
Yeah, this is going to be a problem.
It’s almost enough for me to say fuck it, leave the clubhouse, grab Leeva, and just go.
However, I know that wouldn’t be the end of our problem. Because this problem wouldn’t disappear simply by leaving the city.
If it was decided I was guilty and needed to be punished by death, geography wouldn’t matter.
Sure, Ash and the others could pretend they were searching for me to carry out the punishment, but just leave me be, knowing and trusting that I wouldn’t divulge any MC secrets.
But knowing Razor and Thunder, they’d put out a bounty on me, so I’d be hauled back here and forced to face the punishment for my sins.
“Suddenly, my idea doesn’t seem like such a bad one, right?”
I turn back and see that Pix has joined us.
My mouth thins in response to her question.
Bane kisses the top of Slade’s head. “Have a drink with your brothers, baby. I’ll join you soon.” He inclines his head toward the bar where Slade’s brothers, Breaker, Tyr, and Sten, sit watching.
Slade’s green eyes slide to me. While she’s not overly expressive, I see her concern.
We might not be what you’d consider close, but Slade and I share dissociating from PTSD.
The ways it affects us are very different, though; I fall into a catatonic trance, whereas she’s ravaged by memories and the screams of victims she couldn’t save assaulting her mind.
“I’m fine, wiseass,” I reassure her, calling her that because Slade, as a young MC brat, had been a mischievous wiseass, and that part of her is still there.
She smiles, and I swear Bane, the big, dangerous biker, looks at her like she’s his fucking world.
I don’t taunt him, though, because I totally get it. Once you find the woman you love and have her in your arms, there’s nothing you won’t do to keep her.
Just like with Leeva. Now that she’s back, and I know she forgives me and loves me the same way I love her, there’s nothing I won’t do to keep her, even if it means the ultimate punishment.
Slade rises on her tiptoes and kisses Bane, then joins her brothers at the bar. He gives me a grave look and jerks his chin.
Pix leads the way to Ash’s office, with Bane and me bringing up the rear. Since I texted Digits when I was leaving Vixen’s, he’s already in the office when we enter. I take a deep breath and walk inside as Bane shuts the door.
Digits pushes up his glasses, eyeing me. “I just re-scanned the office. We’re clean.”
He keeps a strict schedule to scan Ash’s office and the entire clubhouse for bugs, and he had re-scanned the office again at my request.
A frown mars Ash’s forehead as he looks between Digits and me. “Mind catching the rest of us up on what the hell is going on?” He looks to his VP, but Bane shakes his head, indicating he doesn’t know either.
“Take a seat, Ash.” I nod toward his desk.
He narrows his eyes at me. Instead of immediately complying, he grabs a bottle of Jack Daniel’s from a side cabinet before sitting behind his desk. He sets the unopened bottle on the desk and pins me with a hard look. “Spill.”
Pix bumps her shoulder into my arm. “Go on.”
Ash’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t complain that Digits and Pix seem to know what this is all about while he and Bane have been left in the dark.
“Leeva is back, and I know where she is.” I start with things they know and suspect, then continue, “I’ve been with her for the past few days.”
No one speaks at my confession as Ash reaches forward to spin the cap off the bottle. “Define: ‘been with her’.”
“I’ve been with her.”
Bane hisses a breath through clenched teeth. Ash doesn’t say anything, only lifts the bottle of Jack to his mouth and takes a pull.
“And I’m going to continue being with her.”
“Army—” Bane starts, but cuts off with a look from Ash.
“Continue,” he orders me. “And it’s in your best fucking interest to not leave anything out.”
Taking a deep breath, I explain everything, including that Leeva had come to Hedon, and how we were pulled together even without either of us knowing who the other was.
By the time I’m finished, half the bottle of Jack is gone between Ash and Bane, needing a swig to either calm their nerves or stop them from kicking the shit out of me for putting myself in this situation.
For putting them in this situation, because they’ll be forced to kill me if I’m found guilty.
“If there’s no evidence of Guerilla’s tattoo left on Leeva, the law and his claim don’t apply,” Pix comes to my defense.
“It’s a technicality,” Ash growls. “A loophole.”
“Once a woman is your old lady…” Bane shakes his head, eyeing me with concern. “I’d never let Slade go.”
“What you have with Slade is worlds apart, Bane. Guerilla didn’t love Leeva; he only wanted her because of me.”
“You don’t know that, Army,” Ash argues.
“It doesn’t matter if Guerilla thinks the world rotates around Leeva,” I flare, fisting my hands. “Because his brand or any remnant of it isn’t on her skin. It doesn’t fucking matter what he thinks or wants. She’s not his; she’s mine.”
“And this could put you in the ground,” Ash shouts, losing control.
He never loses control; he’s our calm and steady leader. And I know he’s losing control now because he’s worried about what could happen to me.
“I’m willing to face that consequence.”
Digits seethes out a breath and shoves his hand through his dark, tousled hair. Bane and Pix are tense but remain silent.
Ash rises from behind his desk and comes over to me. “I can’t let you do this, brother. This is your guilt over what happened with Grinder—”
“It’s not.” I place a hand on his shoulder.
“I just know that I barely survived losing Leeva once. Without her again…there’s no reason for me to continue breathing.
” I take a breath and continue, “My choice is made, Ash. I know that the club might find me guilty, and that this is a huge risk, but even knowing that, I’m not walking away from her. ”
He studies me for a long time, then slowly exhales and shakes his head. “Let’s go say hello and welcome Leeva back properly.” His dark blue eyes drill into me. “And so I can see for myself that there’s absolutely nothing that remains of that goddamn tattoo.”
“In the meantime, I want your blessing to cut out the rot in this club.” Pix hikes her brow at Ash.
He shakes his head, and she growls in frustration. He turns to Digits. “I need you to do everything you can to find Guerilla.”
He nods. “Having some help with this would be ideal.”
Which is a shock because Digits never admits to needing help.
“We could ask the Santoros to help,” Pix suggests. “Their tech team is top-tier.”
“You don’t need to ask your boy toy, Raf fucking Romani, to help, Pix,” Digits seethes.
Her narrowed eyes could cut glass. “Raf is not my anything, and I’d ask Vito, you dick.”
Vito Santoro is Pix’s counterpart in their mafia family.
“For fuck’s sakes, I’ll talk to Massimo about getting their help,” Ash growls, glaring at the two of them in warning.
Pix stomps toward the door but turns toward me before she opens it. “You know where I stand on things…just give me the word.” Then, with a glare at Digits, she slams the door shut behind her.
Digits shakes his head, staring at the closed door before turning to me. “I’ll do everything I can.” Then he leaves, too.
Bane hooks his thumbs in the loops of his jeans and rocks back on his heels, studying me with a worried look. Whatever he sees, understanding crosses his face. “I’ll do everything I can, too, brother,” he says before leaving.
Ash’s expression is dark and worried.
“We’ve known each other all our lives, Ash. You know I’m not being impulsive or rash.”
“I know, brother.” He threads his hand through his dark blonde hair. “And that’s what concerns me the most.”