Chapter Two
Raider
“Giaco, it’s not that the guns are missing. The guns never fucking showed up.” I exhale heavily, leaning back in my chair.
“Raider, my friend, either way it creates problems for us,” Giaco drawls, then exhales.
“I’m aware. There is a shift coming to town,” I tell him as a knock on the door catches my attention. I cover the mouthpiece of the phone and yell at the door, “Yeah?”
“I’ve heard. I’ll keep an ear out for changes and new people in town. We’ll talk soon,” I tell Giaco, returning to my phone call as Terro comes through the door.
“Keep an eye out and watch your back, Raider,” Giaco tells me. “You’re shaking a lot of trees, and what falls out might just be your end.”
I laugh hollowly. “Things must be working if you’re hearing about it.”
“Let us know if we can assist. I will gladly help you take out the kind of trash you’re hunting.” Giaco’s sinister tone would cause most people to cower, but for me though, I have a set of psychopathic brothers that have to be handled.
“Is this you offering help as you, or is this coming from Draco?” I wonder, glancing at Terro as he takes a seat in front of me.
“Let’s just say hurting women and children because you enjoy it isn’t something that the Kardoni family is okay with. That’s coming from the motherland,” his growl tells me I’ve hit a nerve.
Not wanting to step on any toes, I back down. “I’ll take that under advisement.”
“See that you do,” Giaco says before ending the call.
I toss my phone onto my desk. “Fucking hell. Why the fuck did I ever agree to do this shit?”
“Because you’re the only man that has a clear enough head to do what needs to fucking be done,” Terro states flatly.
Cocking an eyebrow, I burst out laughing. “Have you lost your damn mind? My head is so fucking clouded by revenge and the need to get every one of the men tied to the sex ring that I can barely do anything else.”
“I know you believe that, brother. On the other hand, I know you will do what you have to do to make sure the club is safe, secure, and everyone involved is taken care of.
No one has any question about whether you will do what is right by us all.
Now if you're done with your fucking pity party, are you ready for church?” His words hold no emotion, just pure fact.
Standing to my feet, I stretch. “Let’s get this shitshow started.”
My office door bangs open to a very pissed off Rhino. “Today is going to be the goddamn day. I’m going to put that motherfucker in the ground.”
The man is so angry that it takes everything in me not to burst out laughing. “Do you want to tell me what happened, or do you want to continue acting like a fucking toddler?”
Rhino looks me up and down before he turns and marches down the hallway towards church without another word.
I look back at Terro, who is staring at the empty doorway with a small smirk on his face.
Shaking my head at the fact I’m surrounded by nothing but overgrown toddlers, we make our way to church.
I look over to see Anvil leaning on the bar talking to Charlie.
Terro comes up behind me. “He finally finished his last tour. Told me last night that he’s out and ready to do more.”
“Do you think he’s ready?” I question, continuing to watch the man.
“Any man who has done and seen what he has is ready. There are only two big questions—will the brothers think so too, and does he want it?” Terro answers, patting me on the shoulder before going into the church.
“Well, I guess there is only one way to find out,” I mumble to myself.
“Anvil,” I call across the room. He looks over and I wave him over to me.
“Sir?” The man has really grown up and hardened since he joined the club and military in the same six months nearly fifteen years ago.
“Rumor is you're home for good.” I watch him tense slightly.
He rolls his shoulders back, placing his hands on his waist. “Seems word travels fast around here.”
My mood flips like a switch. “I’m asking you to verify information. If you want to talk in riddles, then I’ve got other things to deal with.”
Anvil takes a step back, his eyes narrowing on me. “Understood. I am home for good. For the moment I’m staying in the clubhouse until the final paperwork comes through and I’ve got a better plan.”
“Good to know.” I give him a nod before turning to go into church, stopping just short of going inside. “Stay close. We may need you in church.”
Anvil just gives me a nod before turning to go back to the bar. I make it to the church doors and pull them open to find pure chaos going on in the room. Mercy is standing looking bored between a very pissed off Rhino and a murderous-looking Blender.
“I can’t fucking do this anymore.” Rhino points a finger at Blender around the massive wall of muscle that is Blender’s brother. “You cannot just go around throwing stars, knives, and other sharp objects. Hell, you just fucking cut me with a goddamn playing card.”
Blender lifts a shoulder in a shrug, looking at Mercy and ignoring Rhino completely. “This is why I don’t fucking listen to you. They all fucking whine about how I share my toys.”
Not in any kind of mood to listen to these men fight like children, I step in before things escalate to there being actual blood spilled.
We all know Blender may seem calm on the surface and even joking around, yet this man is a ticking time bomb who has no issues sending a brother one way to hell. Without a return option.
“That’s enough, Rhino. Sit the fuck down,” I call out over the escalating argument. “Blender just be … less you!”
Mercy looks over at me, smirking. “That’s all you’ve got to say? I never knew you to be scared.”
Blender turns his dead eyes on me, and I fight every instinct not to take a step back. “Mercy respects and trusts you, and I follow his lead. That means I will be as much me as I want to be—when I want to be.”
He levels his eyes back on Rhino, and before we know it, another playing card flies around Mercy, hitting Rhino in the chest. Blender turns, going to lean on the wall in his unofficial place with a slight sneer curving his lips.
Walking across the room, all the brothers chuckle under their breath, separating and taking their seats at the table.
A round of hushed laughter rolls through the room as Blender says, “I could have thrown something sharp, causing damage or bloodshed. I didn’t, so I don’t know why he’s acting like a fucking baby.”
Mercy takes his seat. “See. Progress. He didn’t bleed anyone in his efforts to share today.”
I just shake my head as I take my seat at the head of the table.
It’s been a fucking year since everything hit the fan.
In that year I was officially voted in as Prez, Terro was voted in as VP, and we have struggled to find his replacement for Sgt at Arms. Everyone has been working tirelessly not only to track down the trafficking ring, but the club that blew up the bar where we found Mercy’s woman.
Not to mention what is going on with the shipments coming in and out of the port.
Looking around at all the men, my chest eases just a little knowing I’ve got the only family I’ll ever need.
I bang the gavel down on the table, bringing us to order. “We have several things we need to go over today. Before I get started on my long list of shit, does anyone have anything they want to bring forward?”
“Eden Rose needs some help down at Petty. Are we good to hire outside the club?” Token asks.
“Is there not anyone here at the club that can help?” Blitz growls.
“Unless you’re willing to give up our Charlie out there, the answer is no. Eden would lose her shit if we sent a club bunny to play in her business.” Rhino laughs, leaning back in his chair.
“What does the table say?” Terro calls.
Everyone throws out an “aye.”
“Let Satchel and Eden Rose know that they’re free to hire someone. Make sure they understand Hermes will dig deep into them to make sure they are legit,” I state.
“Sounds right. We’ll get it taken care of,” Token nods, grinning.
“Anything else before we jump into other matters?” I look around, fighting the restless part of me that wants to rage at them because nothing new has been found in nearly four months.
When no one says anything. I lean forward, placing my forearms on the table. “The first thing I want to bring to the table is a vote for our Sgt at Arms.”
“Fucking hell, we’ve been over this. None of us fucking want to do it. What is the fucking point of the conversation again? Nothing has changed,” Blitz growls in pure annoyance.
And just like that, I am on my feet. “You motherfuckers don’t think I know we’ve been over this time and time a-fucking-gain. That none of you pussies want to step up and take the job. Well, lucky for you lot, I might actually have a goddamn solution to the problem.”
“Raider, dial it in. This ain’t the way,” Terro calls, not even standing from his seat.
I take a deep breath. “I would like to put Anvil’s name on the table as Sgt at Arms. He is home permanently, and with his knowledge of strategy, weapons, and war, he has the mind to do the job and do it well. It helps that he is nearly as crazy as the psychopath brothers.”
“You really think he would step into an officer role right out of the gate? I mean, the kid’s been gone more than he’s been here,” Rhino says, sounding bored as he uses the knife he keeps on his side to dig under his nails.
“All we can do is ask him,” Terro shrugs.
“Let’s fucking do it then,” I storm across the room, yanking the door open. “Anvil, get your ass in here.”