Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Repent
I t was a full table, minus Nico’s empty seat. A full prayer, with a rat among them. Priest looked ready to snap without warning. Given the chance, he’d kill everyone at the table with the exception of Slade, Linc, and Cyrus. Linc’s mind raced for a whole lot of reasons.
“First things first,” Cyrus said. “Slade?”
“The money we took from the yellow bunny house I socked away in our rainy day fund,” Slade said. “Anyone object to that?”
Everyone looked at each other.
Custer raised his ancient hand with a smile. “Can we get that Maggie girl some bigger titties? She bounces around all cute but I do love me some melons.”
Half the guys chuckled.
“You want melons, Custer,” Linc said. “Go to the fucking grocery store.”
“Okay,” Cyrus said. “Good. Extra cash on hands helps. We still don’t have full intel on who tried to out our VP . We’ll have to call in some favors and poke around the streets on that one. Before that, obviously with Linc’s voice, we need to settle something up involving Linc’s lady’s brother.”
“Agreed,” Priest said. “She saved our ass. Now we help her.”
“Yes,” Slade said.
Linc nodded. This was all perfectly staged. The rat at the table would get no club information at the moment. All that mattered was the whereabouts of Nick and then move forward with everything else.
“You know I’m biased,” Linc said. “What Nova means to me. I promised her I’d help her. She knows how this works. If her brother is dealing yellow bunny, I’ll take him out myself. If he’s using… club discretion. But no judgement.”
“I’ve been running the socials and I think I know where he is,” Darrow said. “At least I have good idea. He is running with some bad people. Not a crew or a club. Just street guys. Low life stuff.”
“Stuff you do to get into a crew,” Fitz said. “We better get to this guy fast.”
“He even so much as says one word about being part of something…” Deed said, letting his voice trail off.
“We established what we’re doing already,” Cyrus said. “No need to cut this thing deeper. This is respect for what Nova did for this club. It’s not a fucking project. It’s not going to take days. I want this done now. Right now.”
“You’re going to want to hold up on that, Prez ,” Darrow said.
“Why?” Cyrus bellowed.
Darrow turned his laptop around and pointed to the screen.
“Chief Dick just pulled into the lot…”
Cyrus and Linc met Chief Dick outside.
The chief threw his arms up. “Not even going to offer me a beer?”
“You don’t want a beer,” Linc said. “You want your dick sucked by one of the deecee s.”
“That so bad?” Chief Dick asked.
“Not today,” Cyrus said.
“Whoa. Did I just hear a gunshot? Should I call for some backup?”
“Blackmail is not your friend, Dick,” Linc said.
“I’m just ball busting. Wanted to talk to you about Jed. You know that name, right?”
Both Cyrus and Linc nodded.
“You guys did wonders on that. I had Bradmen County up my ass over that car situation. They obviously ran the plates and all that.”
“Doing their job,” Cyrus said.
“I figured heat would be coming,” Chief Dick said. “I checked into it. Imagine my shock when Jed answered the door. He looked fucked up. Really fucked up.”
“Why, what happened?” Linc asked.
Chief Dick laughed. “He told me a story of how he tripped and fell and knocked his television over. I really didn’t give a shit. Bradmen sent three guys down and they wanted to tear the house apart. I let them. You know what they found?”
“What?” Cyrus asked.
“Porn in the basement and old woman undies in the bedroom upstairs,” Chief Dick said.
“I know which you wanted to take home,” Linc said.
“Then what did they do with the porn?” Cyrus asked.
“You guys are hilarious,” Chief Dick said. “I just wanted to stop by personally and thank you guys. Jed told the guys from Bradmen that the car had been stolen. He was too afraid to report it because he didn’t want his dear old granny to worry. I told the Bradmen guys we’d ask around. Then I gently told them to fuck off. Which they did.”
“Anything else?” Cyrus asked.
“ Prez , I’ve got this,” Linc said.
Cyrus turned and walked away.
“Who pissed in his beer?” Chief Dick asked.
“Doesn’t matter,” Linc said. “I need a favor.”
“Of course you do.”
“Listen to me, Dick. We’re up against something right now. There’s no time for chitchat.”
“How bad is it?”
“Doesn’t concern you.”
“You said you needed a favor.”
“I need you to help someone out,” Linc said. “Her name is Gail Vida. She’s over on Brendawood. Shitty looking house. She’s going through some shit. Bad shit. There’s got to be help for her. Programs or something. Get her some real food. Help her with her utilities. And her bills.”
“What the hell do I look like, Linc?”
“Like the guy who owes me a fucking favor.”
Chief Dick reluctantly nodded. “What’s her deal?”
“She’s an alcoholic. She’s a lifer to the bottle. That won’t change. Hook her up, Dick. Get the grass cut. Clean the gutters. Make the house look nice.”
“You’re asking for a lot here.”
“No, I’m not. I’m asking you push some paperwork to the top of the pile. That’s all. And not even you. You’ll have some secretary do it. Call up the fucking mayor if you have to. He’ll love the publicity. Tell Gail she won a contest or something. I don’t give a shit what you do, Dick. Just make it happen.”
“Who is she? The club owe her a favor? She have dirt on anyone?”
“Nothing like that. Nothing to worry about. Get it done for me, Dick.”
Linc patted the chief’s back.
As Linc walked away, Chief Dick called out, “I guess I’ll just leave then. Thanks for offering me a beer!”
Linc didn’t look back. Or even wave. He went back into the clubhouse only to find Cyrus, Priest, Slade, Darrow, and Fitz ready to go.
“We’re on the move,” Darrow said as he playfully punched at Linc’s good shoulder. “I know right where Nova’s brother is.”
Linc hurried forward, through the clubhouse. He almost ran right into Nova in the hallway as she stared at him, her eyes big, beautiful, and scared.
Linc touched her face. “Darrow says he knows where Nick is. We’re going to get him right now.”
Nova nodded. “I’m just…”
“I know, darling. I know.”
Linc lowered his mouth down to Nova’s. They kissed, but not for long.
Linc had to go be an outlaw.