Chapter 9 Chaos
“Who is this guy to her?” Priest asks, pulling his fingers through his beard.
“From my understanding, he’s just someone she was interviewing on her podcast,” I answer.
“Do you know what the subject was about?”
I scrub my hand across my beard, trying to recall if we had any conversations about it. Turning my lips down, I reply, “I don’t. We didn’t discuss it in depth.”
“I got a feeling it might be tied to that. It’s the only thing that makes sense if the two of them were placed together, and he was beaten, but she wasn’t. Did you guys check her studio to see if anything was missing?”
A knock sounds at Priest’s office door before I can respond, and I jerk my head in that direction.
“Open up,” he hollers out.
The door opens to reveal Sunny’s long, lanky frame and Digger’s short, rotund one.
“Wassup?” Priest asks as they walk inside of the office.
“Dem folks been hanging around the car washes and one of the bike dealerships, asking questions,” Digger announces.
“About what?” Priest asks.
“Our boy,” Digger answers, nodding at me.
“Fuck!” I mumble, rolling my head back and forth against the back of the couch I’m seated on.
“Why are they asking about you?” Sunny asks.
“They must have learned about the ties between Charisma and me.”
“Yeah, they’ve probably figured out she’s either with you or you know how to find her. Don’t worry about it. Whatever they think they’ve got, we’ll handle it,” Priest states. He picks up his cell phone and calls someone. “Aye, Geek. Get in here with ya gear.”
He ends the call, and while we’re waiting on Geek and his laptop, I ask, “What’s the word on Emmanuel Tennison?”
“He’s still in the hospital in critical condition. They’re not letting anyone in to see him right now,” Digger pronounces.
“Still doesn’t make sense how they linked the two of us. I just found this shit out about my kid, and y’all never even knew it,” I declare.
“Yeah. Makes you wonder who she’s been talking to,” Priest murmurs, pulling his drawer open and removing a mixed bag of Jolly Ranchers. He unwraps an apple-flavored one and tosses it into his mouth.
“I’ll get to the bottom of that shit when I get home.”
“Ya boy up in that guy playing house now?” Sunny teases me.
“Man, just trying to keep her li’l ass alive long enough to make sure my little jit got a mama.”
I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees before dropping my head into my hands.
“You good?” Digger asks as Geek walks in the door.
“Yeah, I’m cool.”
“Man, that little guy is the shit. He’s the coolest kid I know,” Geek states.
“Who?” Digger and Sunny ask at once.
“Chaos’s little man. He’s in there teaching people sign language, reading folks lips, and got the ladies falling all over themselves for him,” Geek explains.
“That’s because he fell from his daddy’s nut sac,” I reply, chuckling.
“Gotta give her some credit. She’s had that little man for four years, holding it down,” Priest states.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, but she didn’t have to do that shit alone.”
“Aye, man. I get it. You’re not feeling not knowing you had a child, but it’s not like she could get in touch with you. She didn’t know where the fuck you disappeared to.”
“Didn’t have to be that way. She could’ve called you.” I counter Priest’s statement.
“You knew she wasn’t ’bout to do that, boy. She wasn’t ever feeling us,” Sunny replies.
“Time changes shit. That’s one thing I’ve learned through the years. She’s matured some, and she might have a different POV now. All I’m saying is, don’t count baby girl out. She was a fresh twenty-five when you dipped up out of here, and we were some scary as hell bad asses,” Priest explains.
“Still are,” Sunny teases, laughing.
“Aye, Geek. Get in their shit and see if they got enough for a warrant for any of our businesses,” Priest orders.
“You want me to expand it to include our residential properties too?”
“Everything,” Priest replies firmly.
“A’ight.”
“You really think they’re gonna do all that?” Sunny asks.
“I don’t know. I want to be prepared,” Priest answers.
“Maaaan, you need to turn her ass in and let dem folks handle her. All they wanna do is question her. Get ya kid, let them handle their business, and get the heat off us,” Sunny suggests, pissing me off as I untie my boot.
The minute he finishes speaking, I pull it off my foot and throw it at his head.
I earned my MC name because of my bad temper. Anytime I was pissed, my behavior and actions were so unpredictable and irrational that my MC brothers accused me of creating chaos.
“The fuck?” Sunny shouts as first my boot and then me come flying after him.
Priest is sitting behind his desk, shaking his head; Geek has jumped into a corner with his laptop; Digger is pressed up against the door, and Sunny is pinned against the wall.
“The fuck wrong with you, bitch boy? That’s my gahdamn baby mama you’re talking ’bout. For that reason alone, she deserves mad respect. How ’bout we toss ya ass to dem folks? Huh? I betcha they’d love to have your ass over hers any day.”
I’ve got him hemmed up against the wall, and I know that spit is flying from my mouth, but I don’t give a fuck right now.
“Chaos, chill, bro.”
I don’t immediately respond to Priest’s command, and Sunny pushes back against me. I slam him against the wall again, but this time, both Priest and Digger pull me back.
“Chill the fuck out, bruh,” Priest repeats.
I release Sunny and take several steps back.
“The fuck is wrong with you, nigga? Shit been good since you’ve been gone, and here you come back on that bullshit again!” Sunny shouts.
“Let somebody turn her ass in, and I swear there will be hell to pay. There will be Chaos, Corruption, and Confusion in this bitch,” I emphasize, referring to myself, my gun, and my bike.
“Everybody, calm the fuck down. No one is getting turned in, and nobody is getting questioned. That shit ain’t happenin’ on my watch.” Priest’s voice serves as a stern warning to us all.
“Nigga up in here acting like you did when you fell in love with Ember. If you love that bitch, then say that shit,” Sunny remarks in a gravelly tone.
I jump after him again. Priest and Digger grab and pull me back, while Geek jumps in between all of us.
“The next bitch that comes out ya mouth betta be ya mammy,” I remark.
His nostrils flare, but he doesn’t make a move. He knows I’m not fucking around with him.
“Geek, I need you to create a temporary block and diversion in their system. Digger, find out who knew about Chaos and Charisma’s affiliation and their kid, and who Charisma has been hanging out with recently. Sunny, get with Torch because we need to do a makeover on Charisma.”
Everyone immediately calms down as we see Priest formulating a plan.
“Why is she getting a makeover?” I ask, bending and picking up my boot to place it back on my foot.
“I’m not sure if we’ll need her out and about while we ask questions, or if she will need to make certain connections for us or not.
If so, she needs to be hidden right in plain view.
She needs to take a break from her podcast for a while, and she needs a name change, no matter how temporary.
I’ll get the fake ID prepared, but I need you to get your son out of town until things die down and we can figure out what we’re dealing with,” Priest explains.
“She’s not going to let her baby leave without her,” I reply.
Priest is focused on his phone as he speaks to me.
“She doesn’t have a choice. We need her around to get to the bottom of this situation and to figure out who knows what, why this happened, and who did it.
We can’t do it without her, and your son needs to be stashed someplace safe. Shit could get ugly.”
“A’ight,” I reply, looking out the window that overlooks the downstairs portion of the clubhouse.
Ox is teaching CJ how to shoot pool. The four of us with our arms crossed over our chests all smile and chuckle at the rare innocence that has been brought into the clubhouse.
“What name do you want for her?” Priest asks.
“Venom. Her toxic ass is so bitter against me, and she has stung me enough to be wary of her.”
Everyone leaves the office, and Priest asks, “You sure you’re ready to switch gears?”
“Yeah. I’m sure of it. If not for any other reason than my kid.”
“Cool. That little business we talked about is yours. We’ve been working on it since you’ve been away. We just have to finish some details that you can approve, and you’ll be in business, my G.”
“Thanks, man.” I dap him up.
“Anytime. Make sure you chill the fuck out. You didn’t have to hit that nigga with a boot. He is your VP. I know he wasn’t before you left, but he is now.”
“I didn’t hit him. I could’ve, but I aimed it at the wall to make sure that I didn’t hit him.”
“Yeah, you knew your ass would’ve been in big shit hitting your VP like that.”
“Still don’t know why you chose him. Nigga needs to grow the fuck up.”
“That he does,” Priest states.
I head out of the office, confused as to why I’m protective over Charisma. She doesn’t deserve my loyalty, let alone me beefing with my brothers over her. When I needed her the most, she was all up in another nigga’s face five years ago.
“You ready, li’l G?” I sign.
He nods and beams at me. His hands fly, and I have no idea what he’s saying, but my heart expands and feels warm. I can’t wait to learn how to communicate with my guy, but that will have to wait a while. We’ll have all the time in the world to get to know each other better after I handle business.
CJ holds his tablet up to me as I pull my own out and dial my twin. “You wanna go to The Sweet Spot?” I ask, looking at the picture he has on his tablet.
He nods eagerly. I ask my next question slowly, making sure that he can read my lips.
“How about we stop by the Pizza Barn to pick up lunch for your mama, you, and me first?” I ask, pointing at him and then me.
He nods again.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Chriss. I need a favor.”
“It depends.”
“It’s a matter of life and death.”
“Shoot.”
I head over to meet her at her place so that I can let her know what I want.