Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Ripley (Ripper)
Now that Cassie is aware of the shit going on with Victor, it's like a switch has been flipped in all of us today. All it took was twelve hours for us to double down and figure this shit out so our woman never has anything to question ever again.
"Diesel!"
Our secretary's head shoots up immediately. "Yes, Pres?"
As our records and communications specialist, he's the best man to help me. "I want a list of all the Chain Smokers hangarounds by the end of the day. Take Freebird with you. He can take notes for his next prospecting task."
"Yes, sir!" Freebird salutes me as I stomp by.
Diesel sighs, grabbing the young man and hauling ass toward the door. "You call him Pres or Boss. Not sir, kid."
I don't hear the rest of the conversation, and I don't care to. Freebird is a good prospect; he's just a bit socially inept like me sometimes.
Cassie was afraid of me last night.
Physically shaking the thought out of my head, I bark orders every which way. Each member of our club has a specific skill, and if I can use it to finish this threat once and for all for my woman, I fucking will.
I'll feel bad about the obvious way my brothers give me a wide berth later. Right now, we all have shit to do. One man in particular will cause me problems, especially when Parker finds out.
"Jake!" I shout, boots crunching on the gravel as I approach him.
He jumps, making me grin for the first time in hours. When he turns around with a scowl and a hand on his chest, I actually bark a laugh. "Never mind. You might be too jumpy for the job I have for you."
Jake's eyes widen at the same time he screams, "NO! Fuck, sorry. I just mean, let me help. We're all antsy to be out from under that fuckwit’s sweaty sack."
"The hell, man?" Wiping a hand down my face, I call on the last of my patience. "Fine. It's really fucking important, though, so no jokes."
"No jokes," he says, the most serious I think I've ever heard him. "What do you need?"
Glancing around to make sure Parker isn't close, I steel myself. "If Koa, Spider, Shade, or myself are busy, you're on Cassie watch."
"She told me you guys weren't actually planning to keep her prisoner, though."
She told him what happened. That shouldn't piss me off as much as it does, but I get it. My pet doesn't have Violet to talk to much these days now that the purple-haired girl has a kid. Hmm, I bet Cassie misses her and the little one. Something to look into later.
"First of all, we would never. And I said no fucking jokes."
His frown is genuine, forcing me to calm down. "I wasn't joking, Ripper. I'm just confused. What exactly am I keeping an eye on her for if not to make sure she doesn't leave?"
"That's exactly what it means. It's not safe out there without protection, and even then I don't fucking like it. She needs to stay here until this gets sorted. Do you understand?"
The poor guy pales. "You're that worried about her?"
"Jake," I murmur, stepping closer. "We've been playing Victor for seven years. Lying to a fucking criminal. What do you think he'll do if he finds out our one fucking weakness is beyond our reach without help?"
"Fuck," he growls. "Yeah. I'll stick to her like glue if you aren't around."
I nod. Before I turn my back, something else occurs to me. "Don't tell anyone. This stays between you and me."
"Why? Keeping secrets from the bosses could get me a broken nose and no rides for a month with the brothers, Ripper. You know that!"
I can see it means a lot to him that he doesn't risk getting in trouble, but his love for Cassie exceeds that, and I'll play that card all day long if it ensures her safety.
"Because we're a group of men in love with a woman who is hellbent on proving her worth when she doesn't need to. Keep your mouth shut, and I'll protect you from the disrespect and punishments."
Jake's jaw about hits the ground, and I know whatever's about to come out of his damn mouth isn't going to be useful to me. I turn on my heel and ignore his following comment.
"MY BESTIE HAS FOUR MEN WHO LOVE HER!"
Some day...some fucking day he'll get his nose broken. My bet is on Parker.
"I need you ready to drive at any moment. We're not passing up any opportunity to end this. Can you manage that?"
Tank gulps. Our literal security and violence specialist wavering on the job. "Ripper—"
I raise my hand, stuffing down the antisocial beast and empathizing with him.
"I'm asking because I know your old lady is having a tough time.
" Miranda was triggered severely by the spy Victor sent.
At only twenty-five, Tank's old lady is still working through very recent traumas unrelated to club life.
He opens his mouth, but I cut my brother off.
I don't like the determination in his eyes only because I'm convinced it's for me and not his wife.
"Tank, brother," I say, grabbing his shoulder and truly trying to be human with him.
"I asked if you can manage, because if you can't, I need to know who to direct instead. "
"You'll strip me of my—"
Growling, I pull him in for a back-slapping hug. "Don't finish that sentence. You know that's not how we work." I step away. "Now push the feelings aside and tell me...can you be my enforcer for this war, or am I pulling Bash up for this circumstance?"
I can see the battle between his mind and heart. It's incredibly interesting to recognize for once. Normally, I'm completely removed from the day-to-day struggles, but since Cassie has come into my life for good, I think I'm evolving.
"Don't ask me if you'll still be Sergeant at Arms if you sit this out for your woman. You will, and you'll hold all the respect of the club for it."
Tank closes his eyes and hangs his head before looking at me with a newfound determination that doesn't worry me.
"Even if you stripped me of my rank, I'd still tell you I can't leave her.
I can't choose violence over her. Miranda's panic attacks are far too frequent for me to be comfortable leaving her, especially because she won't let anyone but me close. "
"Understood," I acknowledge and clap his shoulder. "Your task for now is getting Bash up to speed. Send Miranda our love."
I'm about five feet away when Tank calls my name. I turn to see a small smile on his face. "Starlight is good for you."
"Starlight?" Did he get her last name wrong? It's Sterling.
Tank frowns, cocking his head as if he can't figure me out. "Cassie. Haven't you heard? The Shadows gave her a road name. She brings light and hope in the darkness, right?"
Well, fuck. "It fits," I croak, immediately turning away before I show even more emotion. Watching Cassie shuffle into the garage with a slight limp in her step makes me smile. We did that. Treated her so well she can't walk right.
Time to fix our shit so our woman knows what it's like to have our full attention.