Chapter 11 Blade
“Where’s Layna?” Money asks as he, Hangman, Viper, Cross, Sasa, and the new guy—King—walk into my office. I guess most of the fucking club decided to show up. Fucking fantastic.
“She overstepped. I’ll be sending her to GH to work,” I tell him as we all sit down in the sitting area out from my desk.
“You’re going to send her to work in a company we wouldn’t even own if it hadn’t been for Ollie’s input?”
“Let it go, Cross. I’m not in the mood.”
“Neither am I. Bear wanted Layna out of the club for a reason. I know you’ve been through hell, brother, but the shit you’re pulling would send your brother over the edge. It’s fucking time one of us reminded you of that.”
“Well, Bear isn’t here to tell me what he wants. So, I don’t guess it fucking matters,” I snap before I can stop myself.
“When I accepted a place in this club, I was told that it was a family place that didn’t believe in hurting innocents,” King interjects.
“Your point?”
“Olivia Davis is not an enemy, and I’ve heard the plans you have. They don’t sit well with me,” he responds.
“Did your old president always decide shit that made you happy?” I ask, smirking at him like he’s an idiot. I’m not about to take disrespect from him.
“I tell you what he didn’t do, and that’s act like a fucking asshole with a small dick trying to flex his muscle on someone weaker than him. I’ve seen that fucking room you’ve set up. You want to lock that girl up in a jail cell of your own making because you think she deserves that shit.”
“I happen to think she does, and I don’t like your disrespect, King. Despite Hangman’s recommendation, I’m thinking I need to reconsider the invitation to let you join up with us.”
The bastard laughs like he thinks I said something funny. “You can take your so-called invitation and stick it up your ass, Blade. I don’t think I want to park my bike and wear the mark of a club that has a man like you at the helm,” King growls, standing up.
“Is that why you had your daddy call me?” I mock. Shock hits him. Apparently, he didn’t know Dragon was reaching out. Interesting.
“Fuck you, asshole,” he growls.
“Let’s all sit down and talk this over, King. We don’t want to lose you,” Hangman wades in.
“My mind isn’t going to change unless he does. I’m heading to Diesel’s club to help them for a bit. I think I need to reevaluate shit.”
“King—”
“Let him go,” I mutter, more than ready to get him out of my office.
King gets to the door, then turns and stares right at me.
I hate to admit it, but the fucker has balls, and I like the way he doesn’t back down.
He’d be a successful addition to the club.
“If I find out you went through with your plans, I’ll be back and I’ll take her out of here myself.
I get vengeance. I spent my life searching for it myself.
It almost cost me everything that makes my sorry life worth living right now. Keep that in mind.”
He leaves with a slam of the door, and the room goes quiet for a bit. I rub the back of my neck. “Why do I get the feeling you all know more about Olivia than I do?”
“Because we bothered to find out more?” Sasa mutters.
“You too, Hangman?”
“Nah, me and Viper are a little clueless, but we’re not really happy with your plans, so we decided to follow Cross and the boys here.”
I let out a sigh. “I will admit that after seeing Olivia at the funeral, I’m rethinking things. That woman was not the same one that I met two years ago when Eyeball had the prison warden deliver me to him so he could beat the shit out of me and used Olivia to hurt me even more.”
“Did it ever occur to you that Olivia was trapped as much as you were?” Cross asked, anger bleeding through his question.
“It sure didn’t seem like she was that night,” I mutter.
“You have to know with that fucker Eyeball, things were never what they seemed,” Sasa answered.
I nod, rubbing the tension that’s gathering between my eyes.
“This whole thing is fucked up. I lost years of my life here. At the very least, if Olivia had come forward about her brother, I could have been home grieving Bear instead of in hell, taking shit from the crooked guards and that shit-for-brains warden.”
“Olivia did everything she could to help you—when she was able,” Cross adds.
“What does that mean?” I ask, confused as fuck.
“It’s not my story and I’m not going to tell you.
I will tell you that Olivia did everything—absolutely everything—she could do to make sure Bear survived.
It wasn’t enough. It was never going to be enough, but that woman endured horrors you couldn’t imagine for Bear.
So much that it completely broke her. It took a year to just get her functioning, and when that happened the first thing she did was talk to the Commonwealth’s office and the prosecutors on your behalf. ”
I look at him like he’s grown horns out of his head. It couldn’t surprise me more if he started spouting right in front of me. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I’m telling you that the only reason you’re sucking clean air right now is because Olivia went to them and convinced the prosecutors that you were set up.
The Commonwealth Attorney said there was no way the conviction could be overturned based solely on her say so—especially since she wasn’t exactly steady around people. ”
“So, you’re saying the meltdown today at the funeral wasn’t an act? How can you be sure?” I ask, still not truly believing it—no matter how convincing she seemed at the funeral.
Something flashes across Cross’s face. It’s not guilt, but it’s clearly along that vein. A shiver moves down my spine—a foreboding that whatever comes next, I’m not going to like it much.
“Because Bear left me a note and asked me to take care of her. I couldn’t—not until she finally showed up. I’ve been doing everything I could for her since.”
I look at Cross, the flush of betrayal burning in my gut. “Say what?”
“Bear left four letters. He left me a note that I found when you were arrested. The note told me how to find them and what he wanted done with them,” Cross explains.
“My brother left letters, and you didn’t think this was something I needed to know.”
“Blade—”
“The brother I had lost? The fucking brother I was in jail for murdering?” I growl, my voice rising.
“Blade, brother—” Cross tries again, but I keep going.
“Did you all know?” I snap, standing up, feeling as if I’m about to explode.
“About the letters? No. We did know Olivia tried to help you.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” I bark, feeling like the walls are closing in on me.
“Every time we brought her up, you closed off. You began spouting your vengeance and asking if we were against you, threatening to leave the club, you name it, Blade. You didn’t let us tell you shit when it was about Olivia,” Viper huffs.
“Where’s the letter?”
“It’s been waiting for you at the club. I brought it with me tonight, though.”
He pulls out a beat-up white envelope from the pocket of his cut and reaches out toward me.
I take it, ignoring how hot it feels in my hand.
It almost burns me. As my gaze moves over my brother’s broken scrawl of my name, I feel emotion clog my throat.
I try to clear it, but it’s impossible. “Who … Who got letters?”
“Those most important to Bear. Olivia, you, Ayita, and me—although mine was more telling me what he wanted done. He wrote it quickly before heading out to hunt down Eyeball.”
“What did his note to Olivia say?”
“I have no idea. It was for her eyes only. The same with yours and Ayita’s. My job wasn’t to read them. It was just to carry out what needed done.”
The way he says that gets my interest. “What exactly did he want you to do?” I ask staring at the letter in my hand, unable to process how I feel.
“I’m not sure you’re ready to hear this, Blade.”
“Tell me,” I order, wondering if this is just a new hell waiting for me.
“He asked me to make sure Olivia was taken care of. He left money for her and wanted to make sure that the club—even if you and she parted ways—took care of her. His dying wish was to make sure Olivia was always protected as if …”
“As if she was his,” I finish, as visions of Olivia’s cut the club gave her hits me.
Property of Bear and the Saint’s Outlaws.
It didn’t say property of the club only.
No. My brother had to have his name involved.
I’m quiet for a bit. I don’t know exactly how long.
I need some time to listen to what Cross is telling me.
“I need to be alone,” I finally whisper, unaware how much time has actually passed.
I can feel everyone staring at me, but I ignore it.
“Brother …”
I look up at Cross. “I won’t take my anger out on Olivia. My brother basically claimed her as his. I won’t do shit to mess with that. You get your wish. For now, I need to read Bear’s letter by myself and just digest everything.”
“Call me. I know a little of Bear’s history. I can share when you’re ready to hear it. It might help.”
I nod, unable to respond.