Chapter 24 - Karter
We file out of Church and most of the brothers head to the bar, including me. I need a drink. Nothing too hard, but a beer sounds right.
I nod at the prospect on the other side of the bar, who hands me one of Bulldog’s brands.
His shit is fantastic, but I rarely say it.
Guy’s got an ego, and none of us need him getting more than he already has.
His woman, Lady, does a good job of keeping him in check, but not even she can curb his ways sometimes.
“I’ll take the same,” Kooper calls out as he sidles up next to me at the bar.
The boys are around, but none of them are close like him. Either they noticed and gave us space, or the world doing its thing and making shit come together on its own.
Neither of us speaks, even after we get our drinks. Just sit next to each other in silence as we sip on them, letting the flow of the brothers’ conversations around us filter in the space between.
Till I crack.
“You and Peaches, huh?”
I’m looking at my beer, but I don’t miss his side smile out of the corner of my eye before he takes another pull from his longneck, then a nod before putting it back down.
“Yeah.” Nothing more to add. Which I get. I threw the first punch. I disrespected him and her. He owes me nothing. I’m no longer the president. Even if I were, it would still be me eating humble pie to get back into a compatible talking relationship of sorts.
Either that or we go play pool, say nothing, and move on.
We’re guys, after all. We can smash on each other all we want and still have the other’s back.
Most of the time, at least. Bringing an old lady into the argument might make things take longer to heal, but eventually we could go back to what was.
If that was something I wanted, or had the time to deal with.
But that’s not an option, especially with what Ruby told me the other day and what she has growing inside her.
Something about being a granddad is hitting me weird.
I really can’t move on, and I don’t think I should.
Biker life ain’t flowers and rainbows. Weekend riders might get that, but we’re a club.
A club that makes money in ways that aren’t all legal.
We don’t deal in heavy shit, but we’ve transported things across Kansas for people with certain reputations.
We’ve got rules on what we transfer—nothing living, and no drugs that fuck up kids.
But guns? Other drugs with lesser issues?
Sure, we’ve done it. We even did some laundering a few years back for some guys up north.
The mercenary gig with OHH has kept us busy enough that lately we don’t mess with the other shit.
And we keep it out of our territory. Sucks for the person moving product, as they’ve got to go around.
It’s harder, but not impossible. Maybe one day we’ll take it all on and clean up everywhere we go.
But not today. Today, only one mess needs cleaning.
The one I made.
“When did you decide?”
He looks at me, and I turn to him. His look is one of confusion, and mine is neutral. No judgment, but I want to know. “That she was worth more than top brass?”
He looks me dead in the eye and speaks so clearly there’s no room for doubt. “Not only the top brass. She’s worth more than the club patch itself.”
His words surprise the shit out of me because I’ve never heard someone say that before. Some might have thought it, but none have ever said it out loud like that.
“Even gave up the club for her.”
“You did?” My gasp sounds girlish, but I don’t give two fucks. His words and actions tell me so much.
He nods and then smirks, shaking his head a bit. “But your damn girl wouldn’t have it and dragged my ass back to the club, then demanded Casper give it back.” He laughs and takes a sip of his drink. Lost in a memory, I’m sure, as I sit dumbfounded.
A brother gave up the club for a girl. Not just any girl—my daughter.
Tells me a hell of a lot about the man beside me, more than I thought I knew.
But it also tells me about the girl. If she can pull a man like Kooper to her, have him choose without her demanding it—because no way would she ask—then she must be one helluva woman.
“She told me.” Now I’m the confused one, just staring at him.
He shrugs. “That we made something special. Just wanted you to know that I’ve been in love with her for a while now.
I fought it for years. Didn’t act on shit till I knew the top brass wasn’t worth losing her.
And I knew if I took it and had her, she’d hate how I got it. ”
“So you want the spot?” I latch onto the easier topic and ignore the rest. I don’t mind hearing about it, but I wonder if I should hate him since he knocked up my kid. Even if there are zero memories of the kid being an actual kid in my mind.
He shrugs and spins to look out, placing both elbows on the bar behind him.
“Maybe. One day. Not today. Not for a while. I told her she leads where we go with this. I might wear the club patch, but she and my kid come first.” He finishes his beer.
“Well, till she tells me otherwise,” he says with a look my way, like I should understand.
And I kind of do. Ruby, no matter if I remember or not, is my daughter.
She’s part of me, and I bet I raised her by showing her all sides of me.
And my need to lead, take command, as well as not having a problem putting another’s needs over something more involved seems like something I’d pass down to her.
If she thinks Kooper is better at a club thing than with her and the kid, then neither I nor he will win that argument. Not even the Reaper himself would.
“Where’s Ruby anyway? Half expected her to be waiting on you after Church.” It’s not the standard for old ladies, but it happens. Especially when we hold Church late in the afternoon, like we did today. Most ride in with their man and stay to hang out.
“Doctor’s appointment.”
“You didn’t go with?” I raise an eyebrow. With the way he was just spouting off poetry and shit, I figured he’d be attached to her more than usual.
“Told you how it is with us. She told me to come here, and she’d go there. I’ve got a prospect on her. He thinks she’s going in for a pap smear. Kid almost turned green when she started describing what they’ll do to her when he asked what it was.”
We both laugh at the thought—well, horror really. Women are amazing to have to do that yearly. I don’t know how I know what happens, but the idea has me shuddering as I finish my beer.
“It’s just a checkup anyway,” he says with a head tilt.
“No pictures or anything, so there’s not much for me to do but twiddle my thumbs.
And the woman hates when I do that because it annoys the shit out of her.
Which is why I do it.” Another smile on his lips, and I can tell he’s truly taken with her.
Thank fuck she found someone so devoted to her.
I would expect nothing less for anyone I raised in a clubhouse like this one.
My phone buzzes. I pull it out, thinking it might be Babygirl, but it’s her grandma instead.
“Hey, Nana, what’s up?”
Kooper snorts beside me, but I ignore him. I did promise her I would help her with the garage makeover she wants, so it isn’t a surprise that she’s calling.
“Have you heard from Diana?” The tone of her voice has me straightening in my seat. Kooper notices and straightens as well as he stands beside me.
“No, why? What’s going on?”
“Don’t know. Someone called and said there was a shooting at the hospital again. I can’t reach her. All the lines are busy.”
“I’ll find out. Stay by the phone.” I hang up and turn to Kooper. “Shit’s going down at the hospital.”
“Peaches,” he murmurs, and I see panic in his eyes. He just got her back, found out she’s pregnant, and now this. Even if she’s nowhere near it, I would be panicking, too, if the roles were reversed.
As it is, I’m already running out the door to get to my bike. The idea of Diana also being involved doesn’t sit well with me at all. I need both of them out of there ASAP.
“Yo,” Casper yells, then whistles, and I look up at him as I put my helmet on.
“Hospital.”
I see him nod, then shout something into the clubhouse that I can’t hear as I start my engine and back up. Before I take off, the entire club comes running out to get on their own bikes.
This is what I like—no, what I love about this club. No questions, just actions. They know when to step up or stand down. The way Kooper and I are gunning it gives them little doubt that something is about to go down and backup is needed.
We speed down the road, but soon the rest of the brothers are right at our backs. We take over the streets as we head to the hospital. Police are trying to block off places, but we pull around and park anyhow. No one is going to keep us out.
We dismount and run to the entrance, only to be stopped by the police.
“Move,” Kooper orders, steel in his voice and rage on his shoulders. He is not a man to be fucked with, and the entire club stepping in line behind him proves that fact.
Not that the cop listens to the warning.
“Sir, we are on lockdown. No one in or out. Please stay behind the line or go home. We need to clear this area of civilians as quickly as we can.”
“Fuck that. My girl’s in there. I need to get in there.” Kooper moves, and I move with him. We cross the barricade, and the boys follow.
The damn cop puts himself right in front of us and holds up his hand as if that’ll stop us. We just push right through and keep going.
“Goddammit, will you fucking stop? Or are you just too stupid to think of someone else besides yourself?”
We all stop and turn as one to the cop, who’s turning red with barely contained anger.
“You think you’re the only ones with people inside who you care about? You think this has anything to do with anyone but you?”
“I’ve got—” Kooper starts, but the cop shakes his head and waves him off.
“Yeah, a girl in there. Heard you the first time. Jesus, man, look around. Half the damn town is showing up to do exactly what you’re doing.
Running in and getting your girl out—you think that will help anyone?
Sure, you all might live through it, since I doubt a man with a gun will deter you, even if you get shot.
But what about someone else? Someone who sees you just walk in and thinks they can too?
Huh? What about when they get shot? Who’s that on?
Me for trying to do my job and getting walked over by the town’s biker club that tries to help with donations to keep it going?
Or the same damn biker club that says they give a shit for rules and do what they want, damn whoever gets hurt? ”
I glare at the guy, but my eyes slide to Kooper’s, then Casper’s. We’re all pissed, but we get his point. He’s got a good one too. And that he’s standing off against two dozen men in leather says more about his character than anything else.
Kooper walks closer to the cop, who doesn’t move an inch. No reaching for his gun or taking a step back. They get eye to eye and hold the stare before Kooper snarls and walks back to the other side of the police barricade.
Reluctantly, we follow. Even me.
I want nothing more than to charge in and get my girl out, but I’ve got no intel on what’s going on in there. Nothing to know if I’m going to get shot in the process or cause someone else to do the same.
So I go back across the safety line. And wait. Like everyone else.
Except we’re Hounds. And waiting ain’t our style.
“Need help?” I ask. I feel the brothers’ eyes on me, but no one counters my offer.
The cop seems taken aback for a second, his bravado slipping a second before he shuts it down.
“We’re on shift change. Half the damn force isn’t here yet.
Could use assistance making sure the perimeter is secure on all sides, as well as redirecting anyone who comes out to a safety spot.
Think you can handle that?” he asks with a smirk, either attempting to call us on our bullshit that we know anything about anything, or to see if we’d be okay with bitch work while we rely on the cops to do the job the taxpayers pay them to do.
Casper steps up with a wide grin. “Boy, we live for this shit.” And then he barks orders to all of us on where to go and what to do to help.
The cop gets on the radio and tells his boys too. He’s smart, I’ll give him that. Knowing he can trust us, and making sure the rest of them do too.
With any luck, they can get this handled quickly, and I can get my girl soon. Because I’m itching to take her in my arms and never let go.