22. Let’s Get It Done
Twenty-Two
Let’s Get It Done
Bullet
Determined to keep the ugliness away from Amelia, I ask Charlotte’s brother, Noah, who is home for a break from college, to keep an eye on Amelia and the school. Noah’s a prospect, but his trial as a prospect is taking longer than the others’.
Noah came to the club as an enemy. He was part of a gang that sent him to take one of our women. It was a suicide mission, but Noah knew that, and he did it anyway to protect his sister from what the gang threatened to do to her.
He was just a kid who didn’t care if he lived or died as long as his sister was all right. Guard had a sense that deep down he was a good kid, so in exchange for getting Charlotte away from the gang, he gave up all he knew about them.
Guard saw something in Noah and offered to let Charlotte stay in town and to send Noah to school.
This gave them both the chance to start over.
Wildcard was gone for Charlotte, and there was no way he was going to let her go.
He took his sweet time making it known to Charlotte that they belonged together, and once she believed him, there was no turning back.
Noah’s finishing his exams, then he’s done.
He wanted to become a prospect, but Guard promised his sister that he would let him finish school.
As a compromise, he became a prospect, part-time.
There’s no doubt that Noah will be a Pride brother.
He’s jumped in, done whatever was asked, and never once backed away from a dangerous situation.
When Wildcard mentioned he was home, I called him up and, without a second thought, he met me at the school.
“Yo, Bullet, I didn’t think you’d fall so hard and fast for Teacher,” he jokes, nudging his shoulder into mine.
“Principal, bud,” I kid, then in a serious voice, I say, “She’s amazing, and she’s precious to me. Izzy’s in there too. Saint’s worried. He wanted her to take time off because she’s a new mom, but she won’t. Chances are those men won’t be back, but if they do, we need a red alert.”
“Got it. Orion sent pics to me on my cell. Is Crush okay?” he asks.
“He’s good. He’s got who they’re after and is keeping her safe.” I clamp a hand on his shoulder. “Thanks for doing this.”
“Anything for you. I’m just sore as hell this shit landed on your doorstep,” he says sadly.
“The Pride always pulls through, brother. Glad you’re here. Makes it easier for me to focus on what needs to get done knowing my girl is in good hands.”
Noah smiles huge, and I’m able to walk away.
“We’ve got names, and now we have last-known addresses,” Dante says to the room filled with Satan’s Pride members. We have Reno and their other brother, Sebastian, on speaker.
Orion discloses their location, and Sebastian says, “We’re closer. Want us to pick them up?”
“I want my guys there when you grab them,” Guard says.
Risk adds, “We’ve got evidence on many of the guys on the list we found. How do you want us to move forward?”
“You can’t be seen approaching them,” Reno says.
“This is our fight,” Guard insists.
“What about if Dante and I approach them?” Demon jumps in.
Demon has an uncanny ability to stay dark in the shadows, and Dante is a presence they won’t expect.
From what I understand of the Viale men, Reno is determined and controlled, Sebastian is the hothead who doesn’t mind getting blood on his hands, and Dante is the calculating one who plans for all circumstances.
However, this doesn’t make Dante any less lethal than his brothers. Guard takes a second before agreeing.
Reno finishes with “Sebastian will pick them up and deliver them to you. I would come, but I have an important matter to attend to regarding the other families. It’s not a meeting I can miss.”
The Pride doesn’t ask questions when it comes to Mafia business. The less we know, the better it is. Risk has always asked that the club be called upon only when needed, and in return, they wade in when it’s important, but we keep our shit tight and try not to cross the line.
“We’ve got work to do,” Guard states. He glances at Demon.
“We can’t have a message getting out to Jonah before we’re ready.
You need to catch these men alone. Get it done, and fast. The sooner we clear our club and get Jonah locked down, the sooner Crush comes home,” he reminds us.
“War, Blade, Roscoe, and Bullet, you stay close. Once Sebastian arrives, we have work to do. I promised Vance we’d let him know who killed his father.
I’m not breaking that promise. He’s going to lose his shit, and we’re going to have to help him lock it down. ”
“He’ll want blood,” I tell him.
“He will. But it might not be the right answer. One step at a time. I want answers, and Reno needs to know the bigger plan Sal was mixed up in. It may not affect us, but Nostra Casa and the other families have a stake in what’s going to come next,” he replies.
To take my mind off the long wait, I work with War and Blade in the garage.
I’ve held off taking any jobs for Fix-It Guys until Crush is back.
It’s good that most of what we have coming up isn’t starting for another week.
I hope this is wrapped up by then, because we have bills to pay.
The club takes a cut of the profits because they’re silent partners, and they’d waive the month due to them, but that’s not how I want to play it.
I started with Risk in construction, but being a prospect gave me the chance to learn about mechanics as well.
War and Blade know I’m not as savvy as they are under the hood, so they give me the simple stuff, but it’s enough to keep me busy.
Hours go by while I’m under a Mustang, then someone taps my foot.
I roll out from under the car to find Blade standing over me.
“Delivery is in the cellar. Guard wants us in his office.”
“Who’s watching them?”
“Sebastian and War. It looks like they didn’t come easy. Sebastian’s not letting them out of his sight. One of his men was injured, and Sebastian is ready to gut them. War is there to make sure he doesn’t.”
Just like we’re protective of our brothers, the Viale brothers look after their own.
I’m sure Reno isn’t too happy either. I’ve heard stories about how the Viale men extract information from their enemies.
It’s violent, brutal, and bloody, and they have no qualms about inflicting excruciating pain to get the answers they need.
“Christ! I’m glad we’re on the same side,” I mutter as I get up and wipe my hands clean of grease on the rag Blade holds out to me.
“Ditto,” he answers, then we walk to the compound together.
Guard
There is nothing I hate more than dirty cops.
What’s more, pointing the finger at the club, my club, is not something I’ll tolerate.
It’s taken me years to build a solid club and reputation.
I made a solemn vow years ago to never start a war, but I would most definitely end one to keep Satan’s Pride free from the shit that goes on in other clubs.
“Guard, you’re too far in your own head,” my brother says. Yeah, Ghost and I have been through hell and back. I lost him for so long, I didn’t think he’d ever come home to the Pride. I turn to find him leaning on the doorframe.
“It’s never done.” I sigh.
“The world is full of shitty people doing shitty things to good people. Remember how you got your name?” he asks, not really asking the question, though. “You’re the guardian of Satan’s Pride. Calian knew you had the gift and that you were destined to be a leader.”
“You have the gift,” I remind him.
He nods and smirks. “I do. And I don’t. I can feel danger, and I can act, but you see what the men need. You’ve kept us safe. You know”—his grin gets bigger—“Gavin is just like you.”
He’s not wrong; my son is my miniature version.
He’s strong-minded and smart. I haven’t spoken to my son yet about the man who raised Ghost and me.
Calian wasn’t our biological father, but he was our father in every other way.
God, I miss him every day. He was taken from us, but it was his teachings that saw me through the rough times.
Calian came from indigenous roots, and the way he lived was simple, but he taught me to read people, search for signs, and to believe in myself.
I vowed I would make a difference, and it’s as if Calian has been watching over me all these years, because it led me to meet an MC president who became my mentor until I was ready to launch my own chapter. The right men came to me, and we’ve been thriving ever since.
“I need to be his Calian,” I tell Ghost. “But first, I need our club washed clean from the shit the Irish mob is trying to land on our doorstep.”
Ghost shows me his sinister glare. “Let’s get it done.”