Chapter 15
Vex
“So, these new guys, we know anything about them?” Sniper asks, arms crossed over his chest.
All us ranked members are standing in a line out front of the clubhouse waiting on Chewy’s contracted dweebs.
“Yeah, their background check was very thorough. Impressive actually. There is also some history with Chewy that they don’t want to revisit so I’d say they’d be on their best behavior,” Prez sniggers.
“Good. We have my girls and the guests we have to keep safe,” I murmur. Not that I have to remind anyone of that fact. We know why we’re here.
“This must be them,” Omen says, straightening from where he was leaning against the door jamb.
We all watch as the blacked out SUV pulls in, braking abruptly and kicking up a cloud of dust. For a moment there no one moves.
Not me or my brothers, nor the people in the car.
We all stand there staring, for what I’m not too sure.
Maybe so Omen can intimidate the drivers with the scowl he has plastered on his face.
He’s really taking his enforcer role seriously.
The driver’s side door opens and out slides a tall lean fucker with white blonde hair, clean cut and extra dorky looking in his suit trousers, short sleeved button up and, shit, is that a pocket protector?
I squint at him until the other car door opens and out hops a man with almost the exact same height and build, but this one is clearly biracial with tanned skin, broad features and light brown tight coily hair.
He also has the same piercing blue eyes as the blonde, however his are magnified to the power of ten thanks to his thick as hell glasses.
“Good thing the cool black guy got the glasses, he’s less likely to get his ass beat than Casper over here,” Chef mumbles under his breath as we try not to snort at the comment.
“Which one of you is which?” Prez asks, stepping forward, but not close enough to shake hands just yet.
“I’m Theo,” the blonde one says. “He’s Jay.”
“Huh. I was expecting something like Penfold and Linus,” Chef says, eyeing them up as if they got their names wrong.
“You’ll have to take that one up with our mother,” Theo says drily.
“Wait, you’re brothers?”
“Twins,” Jay answers.
“Who would have thunk?” Omen grunts.
“Chewy figured it out pretty damn fast,” Theo grumbles.
“Yeah, but Chewy is like an evil genius.”
“You got that right,” Jay adds.
Dex obviously has enough of whatever this is as he rolls his eyes and steps forward, offering his hand. “Nice to meet you, and fucking glad you’re here. We’ve waded into shit up to our balls and it would be good to have you help us try to sort the shit out.”
Theo and Jay share a look before dipping their chins, moving to the back of the SUV and pulling out fancy looking briefcases.
“Point us to where you want us to set up and then we’ll see what we can dredge up for you.”
My shoulders drop from up around my ears, knowing that if these two are as good as Chewy is, then we’ll have answers as to who the hell is going around spraying Eden’s Keep logos around.
Prez tips his head toward the front door of the clubhouse, and we all follow him inside.
The light may be a little dimmer than outside, but it still doesn’t take away from the fact that what we have here isn’t as Clubhouse-y as the DRMC have back in Rose Grove.
Even with them moving out of their original clubhouse into the Tombs’ farmhouse, the DRMC clubhouse has a certain level of grungy homeliness.
The Keep will get there one day, but for now the space is fucking bright white and near damn angelic looking.
Even with the large wooden bar that now sits on one side.
“I like it,” Theo nods. “Looks clean.”
Dex gives them a weird look before he shakes his head, “Right, welcome to the Keep.” He goes on to list off our names, nothing too formal, I mean, we have our names on our cuts. If these guys can’t figure it out, there’s no hope for them.
Before he can introduce the two prospects Damian’s loud as fuck whistle sounds out. “Ain’t lookin’ at the Leroux twins. I got better taste. What dragged you out here?”
We look from Damian, to the two men Chewy sent us, then back again.
“Damian Devereaux? Did Chewy get you, too?” Jay asks, looking genuinely shocked to see a familiar face.
“Ain’t nothin to be got, not by that little lady anyhow,” Damian smirks.
Prez looks between Damian and the geek brothers, “I’m not even gonna ask how y’all know each other, but I do want to know how the hell you ended up working for Chewy.”
Theo and Jay share a look before Jay lets out a breath. “We’re contractors. Got caught up in some shit. Chewy pierced us and now we work for her.”
We all stare at him until Sniper mutters, “Sounds about right.”
Prez stares at them for a beat too long before barking, “I’m calling Church in an hour, so we’ll let you get set up and then you can tell us what you’ve found. If anything.” He leaves the room, heading with Sniper toward his office.
The other brothers begin to disperse. TumTum heads back to the kitchen to prep tonight’s meal, Flack back to his favorite chair in the common room and Justice back to his room with Joe.
I’m pretty certain there is something going on there.
Not sure what exactly, but I’ve never seen Justice like this.
He’s always been a protector, looking out for the smaller kids when we were living under the Prophet’s rule.
He’d get in between bullies and their prey, that sort of thing, which makes the revelation of what he was living with even more heartbreaking.
I always knew Elder Blessing was an evil fucker.
Marrying Loyal off at 14 to a man 40 years her senior was evil as shit.
But to torture his son in such a way, forcing himself on his own blood from boyhood to a teen is fucking abhorrent.
I always wondered if he did the same thing to Loyal, but judging by her tears for Justice last night, I have a feeling she left her father’s house untouched.
Only to then be abused at the hands of another evil fucker.
My breath comes in pants and my fists are tight at my sides as I seethe over the injustices Eden’s Keep brought upon so many innocent lives.
“Easy, brother,” Saint soothes, stepping up next to me in the common room.
“You do know that as the Chaplain you’re meant to be the one that keeps everyone level, yeah?” Omen says in his lazy drawl.
“How can I when people I care about are walking around holding scars put there by evil fuckers?” I answer, turning to eyeball my brothers. “There is just so much fucking pain.” I grimace.
“That’s why we’re here, brother. Our father caused all this-” Saint waves his hand around, “it’s up to us to heal those he hurt.”
“Seriously? How the fuck are we going to do that when we got brothers walking around covered in fucking scars put there by people who believed in the shit our father spouted? The same fucking scars we still carry? We aren’t any better off than the people we’re trying to help,” I growl.
“So the fuck what? So what if we’re fucking scarred and damaged goods?
Our little sister’s bullet ended Eden’s Keep for good and it’s up to us to rebuild good shit in its ashes.
Who cares if we fuck it up? As long as we fucking try,” Saint says, eyes wild.
My little brother is not an angry guy, but at this moment I can tell that my slip of confidence has pissed him off royally.
“You need to pull your shit together, big brother. You have a woman and two little girls relying on you. If you can’t do it then back the fuck up and let someone else step in. ”
A low growl comes up from my chest as I lunge for Saint and his stupid face.
He dodges just out of the way while Omen laughs beside us, just as he did as a kid every time Saint and I got into it.
It always diffused the situation, but I’m still hell bent on at least putting my boot up up my brother’s ass for talking shit, only stopping in my tracks when I hear little voices yell “Go Vex! Go Vex!” Spinning on my heel my heart stops at the wide-eyed look on Loyal’s face as she stands in the doorway with Bree and Addy pumping their fists.
My anger leaves my body as quickly as it took over just seeing their little faces.
Deciding that I can’t let my girls down I chase after Saint, catching up with him and putting him in a headlock while the kids whoop and holler.
“See brother?” Saint rasps from his position under my arm.
“Those kids have seen more violence than anyone ever should and yet they’re out here cheering you on as you kick my ass.
” I let Saint’s head go, shoving him slightly away from me.
He stands to his full height, slapping a hand on my shoulder.
“Those kids go to show that once you’re safe and loved, shit don’t seem so bad.
Everyone here has shit we’re carrying around with us, but we’re not victims. We’re survivors.
Remember that before you turn all bitchy and whiny.
” I chase him again as he laughs hysterically around the room with the twins, joined by Nell and Greer, laughing in the background. Even River manages a small smile.
Once Saint gives up and I give him one last noogy I trot over to my little family.
“Got that out of your system?” Loyal asks with a small smile, her large blue eyes bouncing around my face.
“Not all the way out,” I reply as I scoop up both the twins and chase after Saint and then Omen with them in my arms.
Their laughter startles me as it’s more than the little giggles they’ve gifted me before.
This is full on belly laughter and squeals, the sound of happiness.
I decide to embrace it, and them, chasing after whoever Bree has in her sights, Addy just happy to be here, her arms holding around my neck tightly.