Chapter Thirteen.
Falcon
I hung up my phone in disgust and stormed out.
I’d just finished my physio, and the new therapist was pleased with my improvement and reckoned that in the next two weeks I could get back to training.
For now, I could swim a few laps leisurely in the pool.
On my way out, feeling souped up, my cell rang.
It was the ethics board for the National Governing Body of swimming, and they wanted to meet me this afternoon for a drug test. That social media post had gone viral.
And they’d done me a favour and flown in to surprise me.
Wow, what a nice thing to do—bullshit. In a foul mood, I straddled my bike and rode to their hotel.
I’d heard of them doing this, but only when someone had tested positive.
My temper was at breaking point, so I called my agent and manager and informed them what was going on. Then I ordered Luca to meet me there.
I parked in the parking lot and headed up to reception. Luca was already there.
“Ready for this?” he asked.
“Yup,” I ground out. We requested the board and were told they were waiting for us in the bar. With Luca at my heels, I stormed in and held their gaze.
“So, you summon me like a dog to heel, but you’re here partying?” I glared at the two board members I recognised and then at the three men with them.
“We will be lodging a complaint. Now what is this about?” Luca demanded. Marcus Strone, one of the board members, sipped from his glass and held my gaze.
“We witnessed that farce on social media.”
“And? The drugs test, both of them, were negative,” I snarled.
“But you caused scandal…”
“I did nothing. That cunt, Skye Golding, whom you hired, brought shit to your image. Have you sacked her for her behaviour? No. When you do, come back, and we’ll talk. I was her victim, and I won’t be your scapegoat.”
“Falcon. We’re not here for the blame game.
We’re here to conduct a drug test and then to sit with you at a table and have a press conference.
Falcon, we’ve come to defend you and update the public.
After an investigation, Skye Golding has been released from her contract for her behaviour,” Thomas Carrey, the second board member, said.
“Then why the fuck did he just throw shit in my face?”
“Because he’s an asshole; I’m not. Let’s go upstairs, get this crap done, and then we’ve got a press conference booked for two,” Thomas replied.
I swapped glances with Luca, who nodded. The briefing might get this shit off your back. You know we’ve had the press hanging around despite you doing your best to ignore them.”
What was wrong with that? I hated talking to those assholes. They always came back to my Native American heritage and me being in an MC. I didn’t have a problem; they did. Guess it’s time to piss in a cup—again.
Myka
Penny found Falcon’s expression amusing as we watched TV and was laughing hard. I recognised the emotion Falcon was displaying even though I’d not witnessed it before. Falcon was seriously pissed and ready to take offence.
“Oh boy,” Penny chortled. “Falcon loathes press conferences.”
We were watching live, and beside Falcon sat Luca.
Reporters were throwing questions at Falcon, who ignored them.
But I swear he was grinding his teeth. I listened as the man called Thomas stated that Falcon had voluntarily submitted to another drug test today, which had come back clean.
Thomas continued to explain that due to her untrue allegations and bias, Skye Golding had been dismissed.
Several reporters demanded to know whether Skye had messed up Falcon’s injury and made it worse.
Others wanted the latest dirt on Timothy Chambers.
The second board member, Marcus, announced they wouldn’t indulge in gossip.
However, Marcus pointed out Falcon had already made the team by the time Chambers was dismissed.
Falcon threw a few one-word answers at reporters as Luca looked more and more amused.
“How would your grandfather feel about this scandal?”
“What’s my grandfather got to do with this?” Falcon demanded.
“His ancestry…”
Falcon stood up. “And we’re done. Why do you idiots insist on making everything about ethnicity?” And with that, Falcon left the room.
“Oh boy. He really hates the race bullshit,” Penny sighed.
“I don’t blame him. How rude to ask that. And isn’t his granddad in the National Chapter?”
“Yup. And Apache would scalp them,” Penny grinned.
Don’t piss Falcon’s grandfather off; I made the mental note.
“Oh well, at least Skye has been called publicly on her behaviour. What would you like to do now?”
“Falcon told me some of what’s happened. Can you tell me more? I want to know everything before I commit to anything,” I asked.
Penny nodded and began to explain a lot of stuff Falcon had missed out.
Falcon
We stopped off in town as Luca wanted to check a tattoo he was having designed. We parked our bikes outside the parlour and were just about to enter when a screech interrupted us.
“Fuckin’ hell, now what?” Luca demanded grumpily.
I chuckled and slapped his shoulder. “Welcome to Rage MC. The shit never stops.” I turned around and glared when I saw the Beauregards heading towards us.
“Buckle up, Prospect, you’re about to meet the real-life Clampetts,” I said and grinned at Wanda-Faye.
“Where’s my son!” she screeched.
“Probably hiding under a rock because he’s a weak excuse of a man,” I replied.
“Liar! You’ve done something to my boys!” Wanda-Faye shrieked.
“Lady, your sons beat the crap out of a defenceless woman and left her for dead. They’re fuckin’ running scared because they’re yellow-bellied and not real men,” I retorted.
We were gathering a crowd, and I didn’t give a shit.
“Everyone in town knows what your asshole sons did. Nobody’s on your side, Wanda-Faye. ”
I stared at the two bitches with her. Both seemed young, and both were giving Luca and me lustful stares. Holy fuck, what the hell?
“You harmed my poor babies!” Wanda-Faye wailed. There was a malicious glint in her eyes. “You’re murderers! This town knows you killed Carter Smith and paid that whore of a sheriff off.”
I grinned nastily, and Wanda-Faye flinched as I stepped forward, and she backed up two spaces. “They know, do they? They saw us killing him? Then why ain’t they gone to the police?”
“Everyone’s scared of you, criminals!” Wanda-Faye yelled.
“Bitch, none of us in Rage have a criminal record. Sure, we’ve been arrested but never charged.
Have a guess why. Nothing sticks because there’s no evidence.
Now if we were gonna kill your scumbag kids, we’d torture them for a while.
Let them experience the suffering their victims did.
Then we’d feed them to the hogs, or the gators, or sneak them into a crematorium so they’d never be found. ”
Wanda-Faye gasped dramatically. “You’re admitting it!” she yelled triumphantly.
“Ain’t admitted shit. Because the thing is, your stupid asshole son, Dawson, used his credit card a couple of towns over.” I grinned.
“Liar! That was one of you!” Wanda-Faye yelled.
“Not according to the footage the shop sent over to the sheriff. Haven’t you heard? I’m sure she’ll be in contact soon because your dumbass husband was on the camera with him!” I laughed.
Wanda-Faye went white and then bright red. People in the crowd began laughing. “Think the sheriff is getting a warrant for obstruction of justice.”
“Why don’t you fuck off and die!” she snarled.
“Such a foul mouth.” I looked her up and down. “Yup, hillbillies in Minnesota, who’d have thought it. Ain’t no mountain close by, though, so where do you live? In the sewers because you stink like them.”
Wanda-Faye shrieked and reached out to slap me. I caught her hand. “Hit me, and I’ll retaliate.”
“He just threatened abuse!” Wanda-Faye screeched.
“Anyone got any damn earplugs?” I demanded. “Go home, bitch, you might beat the sheriff there before she arrests your piece of shit husband.”
I grinned as Cates drove past with a deputy following behind. “There she goes.”
“Norma, Nora, come on!” Wanda-Faye yelled. She hitched up the long skirt she wore and began running down the road. Jesus, I certainly didn’t need to see that.
“I need eye bleach,” I bitched to Luca, who was laughing.
“Get going, ain’t nothing for you here,” he said to the two women. One winked at him, and he physically recoiled.
“If you ever want a good time, I’m single,” she cooed.
“I’d rather cut my cock off than stick it in you. Do you even bathe?” Luca spat, and the crowd laughed.
“Once a week. No point wasting water, is there,” she replied, and everyone gaped. She was deadly serious.
“Norma, Nora, come on,” Wanda-Faye shouted.
One of the women leaned in. “Tell that stuck-up whore we’re coming for her. We’ll make a man of her kid.” She waggled her fingers and sauntered away.
“If you don’t move your skinny asses, I’m gonna take a belt to them!” Wanda-Faye roared, and they ran after her.
“Oh my God, somebody call a doctor. I’m going to gouge my eyes out and order a new pair,” I complained. The crowd laughed and dispersed.
“That was entertaining,” a man commented, and I stiffened with a groan. I turned and saw my parents.
“Hey!” I exclaimed and reached out to hug them. Mom grinned as she returned it. “What are you doing here? Where’s the brats?”
“The brats are over there, stuffing their faces with ice cream with Axel, and we’re here to see you. Calamity invited the club to a cookout this weekend. But we thought we’d come up early,” Dad said.
“Yeah, meet your new girl,” Mom deadpanned, and I froze. Ah crap. Myka.
“Don’t scare her, Mom,” I warned.
“Now why would I do that? Looks like I’m getting a grandson,” Mom replied and grinned at me.
Luca eyed me sympathetically before escaping into the tattoo parlour. Fuckin’ coward! Ghost waved through the window at me with a huge shit-eating grin. Asshole.
Myka