Chapter 22 #2
“Just a friend. Why does that matter? ” She was speaking quickly now, her words almost fighting each other to get out.
“Of course it matters. If there are drugs in the club, we need to know where they’re coming from,” I followed up, getting fed up with her half-assed responses.
“It wasn’t like I was dealing! It was for personal use, and it wasn’t a regular thing.”
“How long can you hold your breath, Dolly? Scythe, you think pliers would do the trick, or should we take this up a notch?” I asked, and watched a scary smile spread across his face.
“I’ve heard she’s a screamer. The pliers might get a little hard on our eardrums. I’m all for good old-fashioned waterboarding,” Scythe said, with something near glee in his tone. Dolly looked around at him, trying to gauge if he was serious.
“So? What’s it gonna be, Dolly? You ready to start talking, or should I let Scythe have his fun?” I demanded.
“It was Trish! Trish gave me the GHB and told me what to do with it,” she admitted finally.
“Trish?” I barked out as the guys gave each other a look. “What does she have to do with this?”
“We’ve been friends for a few years. She was the bar manager before Ginger, when I was stripping at Honeys. The three of us get together for drinks and stuff when we can. When she told me Fiona got her banned and asked for my help, I agreed.”
Alarm bells rang in my head at the mention of Honeys, especially now that I knew Trish was scheming behind the scenes. I glanced over to Reaper, and he gave me a look, indicating we were on the same wavelength.
“When Ginger took over for Trish, how long were you still working at Honeys?” Reaper asked in a deceptively calm voice.
“I don’t know, maybe for like a month? You guys moved me to another club that needed more dancers around that time, since Honeys was fully staffed,” she replied.
From her response and blank look, it was clear that she didn’t have any additional information regarding the missing money or knowledge of what we were referring to. Pushing that aside for the moment, I got back on track with the questioning.
“How many of my beers did you spike?” I pivoted.
“Just the one. Your last one. I don’t know how much I put in it. I didn’t want to hurt anyone! I just wanted to break you guys up, get Fiona out of the picture so things would go back to normal!” She wailed, sobbing now, ugly, deep cries.
“Normal how?” I asked, confused, since I’d never had much interaction with Dolly in the past.
“Well, you had been with Trish. She knew how things worked, and was a better match for you. I was just trying to look out for you. For the club.”
“What exactly did she tell you?” I prodded.
“She told me how you guys had been together for years. That you took breaks because you had your needs, like most of the Brothers, but you always came back to her. She said Fiona had poisoned you against her, she already got the other girls on her side, and she would shove me out too!”
“What the fuck?” Scythe and Bull said at the same time.
“Why would Fee care about you? What sort of help did you agree to give Trish?” I asked.
“And when did she give you the GHB?” Reaper followed up.
“A week or two ago? We knew that Fiona doesn’t get what this world was really like, that she’s too snobby to handle a man like you.
Trish suggested that I find out what Bash was drinking and make sure I was the one who refilled his next bottle.
You know, so I could make sure he was the only one who took the drug.
That way, Fiona could see what he was like when he was acting like his regular self. ”
“How long were you planning this?” I asked, having a hard time digesting everything she was saying.
“It wasn’t exactly planned. I was just excited for the party last night.
And then I saw Bash, and for once, Fiona wasn’t with him.
I didn’t know the drug was dangerous. I just wanted him to have a good time.
I didn’t think Bull would babysit him all night, even tucking him into bed.
The Bash that I know would have been up all night, partying with the rest of us after that.
” Her tone was judgmental, as if I had disappointed her somehow.
“So what happened after I ruined your plans?” Bull asked drolly.
“I called Trish to complain. Her idea didn’t work, and I was pissed,” Dolly said angrily.
“And what sage advice did Trish give you?” I asked.
“She just, ya know, calmed me down. Said we still had a chance to set things right, that this just presented a new opportunity.”
“She’s taking her time answering these questions.
Should I get the blowtorch?” Scythe leaned over Dolly’s shoulder, startling her.
Once she caught sight of him beside her, she pulled her head as far away as she could before turning back to the group.
The threat of further injury seemed to be the best motivator to get Dolly to elaborate.
“Trish told me to find a Brother whose room had a view of the guard booth and just do my thing. So I, um—well, I hooked up with Pike. When we were done and he had gone to sleep, I stayed in his room. I waited near the window to see if Fiona would show up. When I saw her car pull in, I did what Trish told me, and headed for Bash’s room and laid down next to him.
We figured she’d see Bash and I together and leave,” Dolly replied, her tongue sticking out to wet her cracked lips.
With a gulp, she looked at me. “Bash, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just wanted to help. I was doing what was best for the club. Put me on kitchen and bathroom duty, cut my privileges, whatever you need. But I did all of this out of loyalty to the Reaper’s Guard,” she finished her speech.
“Dolly, this wasn’t a catfight or a misunderstanding.
It doesn’t matter if you didn’t mean for it to get this far.
As it stands, you’re cut from the club, banned from all chapters, and if you don’t leave the city limits within twenty-four hours of us letting you go, you’ll be heading out in a bodybag,” Reaper calmly replied, not moving from his spot leaning against the far wall, once again next to Crow.
“Banned? You’re kicking me out of the club?
All over a girl who’s only been around you guys for a few months?
I’ve been with the Reaper’s Guard almost six years!
You’re really going to choose her over me?
” Dolly had the audacity to appear outraged, as if the idea of us picking Fiona over her was one step too far for her small brain to handle.
I snapped and moved forward, making sure her eyes were on me.
“I am the fucking VP of this club! You took it upon yourself to give me drugs without my knowledge or consent. If it was up to me, you’d be dead already.
I’d have you chug an entire bottle of whatever you fed me and just watch as you slowly lost your mind, rotting and pissing yourself until there was nothing left in your system.
You should be grateful that Reaper is showing you mercy. "
“Where am I going to go? What about my stuff?” she cried when none of us responded. Her eyes were wild. She was scanning the room, as if just realizing the seriousness of her situation. I shook my head in disgust.
“I don’t give a fuck! I don’t care what happens to you.
All I know is that in the next twenty-four hours, you are gone from this club.
I don’t want a fucking trace of you in this place.
Pack your shit and go. You take anything that belongs to the MC, including the car we pay for, and I will hunt you down. ”
“Bash. Wait, Bash, please! Look at you. You’re fine, and Fiona didn’t leave! I didn’t do anything wrong! Please.”
“Don’t you fucking say her name again. I am done with you. Fuck you, Dolly. Fuck your twisted ideas. And I hate that you ever came near me or my girl. You repulse me, and you give club girls everywhere a bad name.”
Reaper’s hand landed on my shoulder, and I looked up to see the rest of the Brothers staring at Dolly with varying looks of anger and loathing.
“Get out of here, son. Check on Fee. We’ll wrap this up and get the trash taken out of here.” Dolly gasped, but I didn’t have it in me to feel anything for her. Nodding at the guys, I turned and walked away, grateful it would be the last time I had to see her.
“Bash! BASH! STOP THIS. CROW, PLEASE! STOP THEM. I DID THIS FOR THE CLUB!” Her screams followed me until the door closed behind me, and blessed silence took over. I sagged against the closed door for a minute, trying to gather myself.
The ride home from the clubhouse was a blur, but a part of me felt better as soon as I entered the house and heard Fee’s tinkling laugh. As I turned the corner, I just stood and watched as Fiona, Charlie, and Match bickered over the last slice of pizza.
I must have made some sort of sound, because all three heads turned to look at me. Fiona walked over and immediately pulled me into her arms, and I was grateful when Charlie and Match left without too much fuss. Once it was just the two of us in the house, Fee pulled me over to the couch.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked in a gentle voice.
“No, but you deserve to know what’s going on.” I sighed, wanting the night to end.
Fee stayed close, curled against my side as I told her about Trish and Dolly’s hairbrained schemes to break us up, for the “sake of the club.” By the time I had finished telling her everything, I was exhausted and drained, but also relieved.
Fiona was there, with me, and that meant more than anything.
Coming home to her made all the difference.
Fiona
Morning came too soon, and I felt like I could have slept for another week.
Resting on my side, I did a full-body stretch, reaching my arms up and pointing my toes until they hit the hard, warm body behind me.
Bash took advantage of my positioning and pulled me back against his chest, burying his face in my hair.