17. Aasim
AASIM
Isat at the head of the table, waiting for the rest of the crew to arrive.
We were having church in a few to discuss my issue with Dez.
I hated to leave Rory, but I was grateful that she wasn’t far.
She got very little rest last night because, instead of sleeping, we made love all night long.
We spent all day in bed wrapped up in each other.
She deserved the day of rest. Today I would have to interrupt her peace after me and the crew finished this conversation.
The crew came in all at once and took their seats. Gavin was on my left, and Jaxx was on my right. I gave everyone a minute to talk their shit before I banged the gavel. Church was now in session.
“I appreciate y’all coming on short notice.
I’m sure, by now, I have made you aware of the issue my ol’ lady and me are having with Dez.
Dobbs and Curry have a location on him, and I’m going to handle him tonight.
I want y’all to know you don’t have to ride with me.
This is my issue. It has nothing to do with the crew.
I’m fully prepared to take care of him alone. ”
“Brick, you’re talking crazy. The minute he sent them people to your house, it became club business. If a dude felt bold enough to come to the house of our prez with guns blazing, we gotta put him to sleep,” Wiz, one of the younger club members, said.
A series of ‘yups’ and head nods came from everyone else.
“I appreciate that, Wiz, but still. He’s after Rory, and I can’t have that. If y’all wanna ride, you can, but if you wanna sit this one out, I’m cool with that. No hard feelings.”
I folded my hands together and sat back in my seat. After a few minutes, not one soul moved from the table. My brothers made their decision to ride with me to handle Dez without uttering a single word. Their decision made me proud to wear the patch and even prouder to be their leader.
Gavin took over the rest of the meeting, filling everyone in on our plan.
Dobbs slept with the baby’s mother of some dude in Dez’s crew.
During some pillow talk, he learned they were going to the strip club tonight.
He and Curry had been keeping tabs on him for the past few days.
Based on the way he moved, tonight was the best opportunity to get at him.
That was fine with me. He and whoever he was with could get it.
An hour later, church was over. We all agreed to meet back up at seven.
According to the chick Dobbs smashed, Dez and his crew were meeting around eight.
Gavin sent some of our people over to the club to talk to the owner.
I gave them a bag of my money to give to the owner.
For this to work, we needed the element of surprise.
The only way to do that was with the owner’s help.
We also needed to know every inch of the club.
I was the last one to leave the room because I dreaded telling Rory about my plans for tonight.
My feet dragged toward the room as I tried to get my words together.
Just the idea of having to tell someone about my next move was foreign to me.
Rory was the first woman I ever cared enough about to share so much with.
When I opened the door, Rory was sitting in bed watching television.
She stopped pressing buttons on the remote and smiled at me.
“There you are. Where did you go?” she asked.
“We had church to discuss our plans for tonight.”
“Oh, are we going somewhere?”
“Nah, sweetheart. You’re staying here. I’m going out with the crew to go take care of our problem,” I explained.
Rory wore a look of worry on her face. I sat next to her on the bed and took her hands in mine.
“I need you to trust me. I’m leaving some guys here with you. I know you’re worried, but you have to trust I’m doing this to protect you. I won’t have you living in fear of the what ifs.”
The room was eerily quiet while we stared blankly at each other. Rory opened her mouth more than once to say something but stopped herself.
A faint smile spread across her lips before she said, “Men like you don’t come around often.”
“What kind of man am I?” I asked.
“When people talk about real men, you’re the epitome of one.
You’re a man of your word, willing to risk your freedom for the people you care about.
You’re fearless, caring, and a leader. I want you to go take care of this so we can move on with our future.
I expect to be on a white, sandy beach real soon.
When you get back, I’ll be waiting for you to do exactly what you did last night—lie in bed next to me, wrap your arms around me, and put all of my worries to bed.
That is how I want us to end all our nights from now until the end of our days. ”
Our eyes remained locked on each other as we locked lips. To hear Rory speak life into me confirmed what I felt. I’d fallen in love with this woman.
I broke our kiss, then said, “I knew you were exactly what I needed the moment I laid eyes on you. I promise to come back to you. In a few days, we’ll be on that white, sandy beach you keep talking about.
Say a prayer for me, sweetheart.” I placed a series of pecks on her lips before pulling her in for a hug.
We stayed in bed, hugged up for hours, until my phone chimed, interrupting our time. There was a text message from Wolf.
Wolf: We’re here
When we were in church earlier, I asked him to bring Alexis by to keep Rory company while we were out.
Wolf retired, but he and I had been in the life since the beginning.
Yesterday, when I filled him in on everything, I told him to stay home with his wife today.
He gave me a look that told me he was ignoring what I said.
There was no sense in arguing with him. One thing about my brothers was that there was no conversation once they had their minds made up.
It was time to ride. “Sweetheart, I have someone to keep you company until I get back. Come on. They’re here,” I said to Rory.
“I don’t need company. I’m fine staying here by myself,” she complained.
I stood up and pulled up my jeans. By the time I reached the door, Rory was getting off the bed. There was no way in hell I would have her alone and worrying about me all night. When she reached the door, I grabbed her hand and walked toward the bar area.
Wolf and Alexis stood there waiting for us. “Girl, I gave up a surgery to come hang with you tonight. Don’t do me like that,” Alexis teased when she saw Rory’s sour expression on her face.
Rory let go of my hand and walked over to hug Alexis. “Thank you for coming to keep me company. I prefer to be alone, but I’m sure it would just make me crazy. If anyone can understand how I’m feeling, I know it’s you, girl.”
I gave Rory a kiss on her forehead. If I didn’t leave her now, I wouldn’t go, and that wasn’t an option.
Wolf and I headed out to the parking lot where everyone was waiting.
The owner of the strip club promised the meeting room that Dez and his crew met in was soundproof.
Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to ride our bikes to the spot.
When I got outside, everyone was on their bikes, waiting for me.
I hopped on my bike and led my crew toward the strip club.
Sometime later, we pulled into the back of the strip club.
The security team at the club checked in with Gavin.
They confirmed Dez and his crew were in the champagne room.
According to the plans we looked over, it was the biggest private room in the club.
There were two doors on opposite sides of the room.
The plan was to enter from both doors. Four of us were going in, and we would stage others at the various entry and exit points of the club. We even had a couple of guys scattered throughout the main floor of the club. We would cover every inch of this place, just in case.
In this life, I knew never to underestimate my enemy.
Dez already proved he wanted blood by coming at Rory and me the way he did.
I was sure he was expecting me to hit back.
After I parked my bike, I stood up, then pulled up my jeans.
I tapped my ankle to make sure my backup gun was secure.
Then I pulled my gun out of my waistband.
I turned around to make sure everyone else was ready.
After a few nods in my direction, we made our way inside.
A security guard pointed in the direction we needed to go. Loud music and a crowded club were perfect for our plan. Hopefully, all the noise would drown out the gunshots. My adrenaline was pumping. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Dez’s face when he realized I got the upper hand.
While Jaxx and Wolf went to the other door, Gavin was beside me. With everyone in position, I opened the door and spotted Dez. He and his crew were so busy with the strippers that they never heard us come in.
“Aye, y’all get the fuck out,” I said to the ladies.
As they scurried out of the room, Dez finally noticed us. He put the bottle down he held, then clapped his hands. Everything he did just irked me.
“Bravo, Brick. You caught me slipping. When my men didn’t come back, I knew you’d be on your way. How’s Rory doing?” he asked with a smirk.
By now, his crew had pulled their guns out. We were outnumbered, but out of every member in the Sons of Destruction, we were the deadliest. Anyone else would have folded when ten men pointed guns their way, but not us.
“Rory’s great. She’s tucked in at home, waiting for me to get back. Since she met me, she hasn’t had a care in the world. Once I kill you, she’ll be even better,” I replied.
“Y’all look to be a little outnumbered to me,” Dez said.
I looked around the room. “Damn, I hadn’t noticed. Or maybe I’m not. Maybe I offered some members of your crew the opportunity of a lifetime to make some real money. You’re walking around a millionaire, but your crew is starving. Fellas, who y’all rolling with?”
One-by-one, every gun in the room pointed at Dez.
The look of shock on his face was worth it.
While Dez was busy trying to start a war with JoJo, I convinced JoJo to infiltrate his camp instead.
Once JoJo got to talking, it wasn’t hard for them to switch.
Now that Dez realized he was outgunned, he copped a plea.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. We can do good business together, Brick. Don’t let my issues with your bitch stop us from forming an unstoppable team.”
A low chuckle was all that filled the room before I shot Dez in the middle of his forehead. I watched with deep satisfaction when his body slumped over.
“Y’all fellas have a good night,” I said as I walked out the room followed by Jaxx, Gavin, and Wolf.
As we exited the club, Gavin sent some messages out to let the rest of the crew know we were out.
We finished our business here for the night.
I loved when a plan went smoothly. JoJo really helped me out by getting that crew together before tonight.
If he hadn’t, there would have been a lot more bodies dropping.
After everyone was ready to ride, I led them toward the clubhouse.
The only thing on my mind was getting Rory on a white, sandy beach. When I got to the club, I expected Rory to be up waiting for me. Instead, I found Alexis sitting by the bar, and Rory was nowhere in sight.
“Sis, where’s Rory?” I asked.
“In bed. She was so anxious. I gave her some melatonin to help her sleep. Poor thing was so worried about you that she was giving me a headache,” she explained.
“Don’t talk about my sweetheart like that.”
“Go in there and let that woman know you’re okay. She really loves you. I can’t believe you’ve found your person,” she expressed.
I smiled at Alexis and gave her a hug. By now, Wolf had made his way toward us. As they prepared to leave, I thanked them for everything. I promised to get with them later. Then I went toward my room, where I found Rory sleeping peacefully. I showered before I hopped in bed beside her.
After getting in bed, I reached over to peck her cheek.
“Did everything go well?” she asked groggily.
“Yes. I took care of our problem.”
“Thank you, baby. I love you.”
“I love you more,” I said back. My heart swelled at the admission. I loved this woman, and loving her had been one of the easiest things for me to do in life.