Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
M oon parked his bike next to Shade’s, then checked his messages and saw Viper hadn’t responded to the one he sent when he’d fueled his tank before leaving Jamestown.
He got off his bike, noticing a recruit coming down the steps from the clubhouse.
“Static,” Moon called out, “have you seen Viper?”
“He’s in a meeting at the factory.” Static’s long-legged stride covered the distance to his bike in three steps. “Going on a beer run; need anything?”
Viper hadn’t told him about a meeting today.
“I’m good.”
Making his way to the factory, he walked inside to find Viper, Train, Lucky, Cash, Reaper, Rider, Knox, and Razer involved in a discussion. The moment they spotted him, they stopped talking.
Moon walked further inside. “I must have missed the invite to the meeting.”
“Since when do you care?” Viper asked him sharply.
He deserved that cut. For the last few months, his head had been everywhere but the club.
“Is that what this meeting is about? You’re voting me out?” Feigning unconcern, Moon folded his arms over his chest.
Viper stared at him in disbelief. “You’re shitting me, right? You come in here, interrupting a meeting, which is important, and instead of standing there and keeping your mouth shut, you assume it has to be about you?”
Viper’s words lashed out effectively, showing him how much of an ass he had become.
Moon dropped his arms to his sides. “Sorry.” Raking his hair back, he made the overdue apology. “I’ve never understood why you have tolerated my bullshit. I wouldn’t blame you if you did vote me out. I deserve it.”
Shade narrowed his rapier blue gaze on him. “I find it interesting you had ample opportunity to make it right with us, yet we haven’t heard one fucking word from you until now.”
The emotionless way Shade talked showed the brother wasn’t buying he felt any remorse about his behavior. Ignoring Shade’s attempt of making peace was coming back to bite Moon in the ass.
“Or does this change of heart have something to do with the reason Stud called Viper?”
If the brother was expecting an argument, Shade was going to be disappointed.
“No, it doesn’t. I can be an ass most of the time, I admit, to you annoying fuckers. After the fight and finding out it was Larissa who came into my room, you all tried to apologize. I should have apologized for the way I handled it, but to tell the truth, I was pissed the hell off. At least one of you fuckers could have been on my side.”
The brothers all blinked at him. All except Reaper, whose grim fa?ade wasn’t appeased.
Reaper straightened from leaning against a desk to ask Viper, “I don’t have a fucking thing to apologize for. Are we done here?”
“Sure.” Viper motioned toward the door. “The rest of you can leave, too. Moon, stay.”
Moon didn’t budge out of Reaper’s way with a mail cart and a desk preventing him from going around. The two men came to a standoff.
“I didn’t expect you to apologize. I was in the bad, using the watch to get the information I wanted from Ginny. I’ve never hit a woman, and I’m sick to my gut I did Ginny. It was an accident that shouldn’t have happened. I’ve apologized to Ginny; she accepted it, and I believe her. I wanted to give her the watch, but she refused.”
Reaper still didn’t seem appeased. “No shit.”
“I swear, brother, I didn’t realize Ginny was so close to me. It was like I moved my hand, and the next thing I know, I had hit her.” Unaware his confusion was visible as he relived how the strange circumstances had occurred for the hundredth time, Moon still couldn’t understand.
Reaper frowned. “What did you do with the watch?”
“Nothing. I still have it. I told Ginny I’d keep it in case she wants to exchange it for the IOU I gave her.”
Reaper’s gaze sharpened. “You gave her an IOU?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you offer it, or did she ask?”
“I told her I’d buy any watch or something else. Ginny said I could give her the IOU while she decided, so I did.”
The unapproachable way Reaper regarded him eased. Moon reasoned out it must be the IOU. Reaper must have taken it as a sign he wanted to make amends to Ginny, which he did want to do.
“You want one, too?”
“I think you’re going to have your hands full paying Ginny’s back without adding mine.”
Moon exhaled. “Then we’re good?”
“No, but I’m not planning on burying you in an unmarked grave anymore, either.”
“Hell, that’s progress.” Moon grinned, moving so Reaper could get by.
The other brothers who had hung around to listen started dissipating, leaving him alone with Viper.
Viper waited until the last of the brothers left before he started talking. “Stud wants you to stay out of Jamestown.”
“Larissa is under the Destructors’ protection.”
Viper didn’t mince his words. “I’m not going to intercede with Stud. You’re on your own there.”
“You’re not going to order me to stay away?”
“No, she’s carrying your kid.” He turned off the lamp on the work desk he was near. “Do what you feel you need to do, but you’re going to do that regardless.”
Moon gazed at him suspiciously. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Viper’s lips curled mockingly. “Brother, I’m done giving you unsolicited advice. It goes in one ear and out the other. Besides, it would be useless. You have fucked yourself over so bad with that woman she hates your guts.”
“Ask me if I care,” Moon snapped out through clenched teeth.
“Why ask when it’s pretty evident you don’t?” Viper’s hand went to his shoulder as he rolled it tiredly. “You don’t care for her or the kid,” he stated matter-of-factly.
Moon’s head reared back as if he had been struck. “I didn’t mean that I don’t care about my kid!” His voice rose incredulously.
“You need to be real with yourself.” Viper stared at him mockingly. “Put yourself in her place. You aren’t coming across as father-of-the-year material. What in the fuck were you thinking to start a fight with one of Stud’s men in the restaurant?”
“I wasn’t the one who started it. I wanted her to—”
“Jesus.” Viper snapped his mouth closed. “Listen, I said I wasn’t going to do this, and I’m not. Good luck getting past the Destructors.” He turned to the side to switch out another lamp then walked into the office.
“I can handle the Destructors.” Moon raised his voice so Viper could hear him.
Mocking laughter sounded from the office.
Moon saw the lights go off before Viper came back out.
“They aren’t The Last Riders. Stud and his men won’t have any loyalty toward you. You fuck with someone under their protection, they are going to come at you hard. That’s why Stud called me—to give me the heads-up.” The mockery in his expression died. “I owe him too much to pit the club against him, and I’ll tell you straight up—I won’t. He rode with me for months to catch Raul. I owe Killyama for saving Winter’s and Aisha’s life, which I won’t ever be able to repay—ever. Same goes with the Blue Horseman. You know what Calder did for Reaper. I can’t repay that, either.”
Moon stared at him, deadpan, not speaking the words he wanted to say. He didn’t have to; Viper knew what he was thinking.
“I repaid my debt to you when the brothers wanted to vote you out every fucking week.”
“I’ve got this; you’ll see,” Moon said confidently, striding toward the door.
Viper walked out with him, turning to lock the door as Moon started to head toward the clubhouse.
“Moon,” Viper stopped him before he could move away. “You’ve been a loyal soldier, and I don’t think you’re going to be able to get yourself out of this fucking shitshow when you realize you care more about that kid than your pride. If it were me, I would be kissing Shade’s ass to find out how to fix it.”
“I’m never going to kiss Shade’s ass for any reason.”
“You’ll be surprised at what you’ll be willing to do for your kids. I didn’t truly appreciate that fact until I had one of my own.”
“I’d sacrifice my life for any child I have. I don’t need Shade’s help, nor anyone else’s. I’ve got this; you’ll see.” Moon walked off before Viper could say anything else.
The problem with Viper was he considered him just a soldier. Where the club was concerned, Viper was right. He preferred letting Viper and Wizard bear the bulk of the responsibilities while he could take the easy route when he wasn’t needed. Becoming king of the mountain within the club had never held any appeal to him; his forte had always been women. There wasn’t a woman he couldn’t have when he put his mind to it, he told himself confidently. Once he put his mind to having Larissa, she would be putty in his hand. Then, when he had her exactly where he wanted her, he would get custody of his child and throw her ass back to the Destructors.
He was midway up the steps when his cell phone vibrated. He checked it and saw Larissa had texted him her address and the time of her doctor’s appointment five days from now. Pocketing his cell phone, he continued climbing the steps, whistling.
Hell, he didn’t need any advice from Shade. The brother should be the one coming to him for advice. Shade might be an expert marksman, but in a face-to-face battle, no one escaped from the dark side of the Moon.