Eighteen
For a long while, Prez silently pensively at the door his eldest twins went out of. Only when I asked for the room did Vex and Bull peel Princess off me to give me time to talk to Prez. They knew, as well as I do, that he needed time to process shit. But they also understood by the set in my jaw that I had some shit to say. I respect my Prez. So, I won’t disrespect him by questioning him or getting into his ass in front of his kids. I also know he was out of pocket with how he came at this situation. The past they share is fucked up. I get that. And I got this shit came out of nowhere. His actions and attitude made him look like a fucking fool, which I know he isn’t. But I’m not willing to sit back and let him be a prick because he’s fucked up in the head.
“Prez, what the actual fuck was that?” I whirl around after closing the door.
Slumping back in his chair, he looks at me like he wants to punch the shit out of my ass for the bass in my voice. He’ll have to get over that shit. It’s a dirty job being his right hand and VP, and I’m more than willing to go a few rounds in to knock some sense into his ass. I've never seen him be so out of line in the sixteen years I’ve known him. Not even in situations dealing with rivals or club issues. He's the one to keep his cool and remain level-headed. Always one to get the facts before reacting until tonight.
My eyes don’t leave his as I watch him work through shit in his head. His focus shifts to the closed door leading out of his office. His face softens, and he lets out a breath and sags further into his chair, and I see it now… he looks lost, stricken, angry, overwhelmed, and frustrated as he should.
“Listen, brother. I know them showing up...” pointing to the door, “and filling you in on everything is a lot. But the way you treated that girl, what you said to her, was fucked up, and you damn well know it.” I plop down in the chair in front of his desk. Never taking my eyes off him. “You may have tampered shit down by the end there, but the damage has been done,” I say. My eyes trail behind at the bonfire still going. My head shakes as I let out a frustrated sigh.
A sharp intake of breath pulls my attention back to him. We sit and stare at each other for a while. He needs to work out in his where the fuck he went wrong and whether he wants to fix it. He damn well should because, like it or not. We need all the information we can get to keep Princess protected. And he needs to fix shit with his other kids because I won’t have his shit affect me and my tornado. Granted, he has no idea, but with the way shit went down, I don’t think she’ll be strutting her fine ass back into the clubhouse anytime soon, and that won’t fucking do.
“FUCK!”
Prez shouts, flinging a mug off his desk, causing it to shatter on the floor. He slumps back into his chair as he looks up at the ceiling. I knew he’d eventually recognize his fuck up. His eyes snap to mine when he hears my chuckle and my following words.
“Yeah, brother, never have I seen you lose your cool on anyone like that, especially a woman. Not even with Bev when she was being a bitch. Hell, Princess has done some wild shit, as has Vex. You are on his ass damn near daily. And yet, you've never been that reckless at the mouth.” He stares at me and shakes his head. But I will keep going because that's my job as his VP. I need him... for us to figure his shit out.
Anguish mars his face as he continues to take in my words. Pushing forward, his elbows go to his desk, and his thumbs push into his eyes. He lets out a long sigh before looking back up at me.
“Brother, when Vex came in here with Princess, I saw her face all battered and fucked up. She was sobbing, saying Bellamy had attacked her. I saw red. No one... and you know this, no one touches my kids.” My eyes narrow on him as he takes a deep breath. I stay silent even though I want to be anything but. “She came in here saying that Bellamy attacked her, telling me that Bellamy was spewing shit, saying that Beverly was a whore, that she ruined her family, and she deserved what was coming to her...” I can hear the waver in his voice. Most likely because he realizes he was played.
I'm not shocked. I know Princess and know how convincing she can be. But I was also out there and knew for damn sure Bellamy didn't start shit. Even then, she let Princess run her mouth and didn’t say much, even after a drink was poured on her. Princess, that lying fucking cunt. She’s just like her fucking lyin’, manipulating, and entitled ass mother.
“Prez…”
He stares and raises a brow at me. I need to tread carefully, but fuck it. I’m sick of Princess doing this shit. She uses her father's love for to get whatever the fuck she wants. This isn’t the first time she’s lied about someone to suit her needs. The bitch is compulsive.
“I find it hard to believe that Vex, who was there, wouldn't speak up about what went down. What really went down?” My brow raises at him.
His reaction is not one I’d typically get from him, shame and embarrassment, but with his raw emotions, he can’t hide behind the steely impassiveness he’s known for. I also know the answer before I ask, “Did you get Vex’s side of the story? Did he tell you what went down? Or did Princess drive the train and turn on her tears?”
My eyes narrow on my Prez. He looks at me like I'm the asshole for questioning him. But my question is valid, and he knows it. He treated Bellamy like shit, and all on the word of his youngest daughter, whom he knows for a fact, does anything and everything to put herself in the winning position. Even when no one else is playing her fucked up games. I know he's tried to rein Princess in after he divorced Beverly, his ex-ol’ lady, and kicked her ass out of the club. But damn, if that girl hasn't gotten better with the shit she pulls. She pulled a fast one on him tonight. She sucked him into her bullshit without remorse or thought of the consequences. The look on his face tells me everything I need to know; he took her word for it without a second thought.
Fucking hell.
I rocket out of my chair, turning to the wall beside the door. My breathing is heavy, and even with me trying to rein my shit back in, I can’t. Letting out a frustrated, guttural growl, I punch the wall, trying to release some of my anger and frustration. Hell, my road name says it all when shit goes down. I am a fucking terror. I know it; Prez knows it, fucking everyone knows it. People try to keep me as calm as possible so I don’t lose my shit. Because when I do, it isn't fucking pretty. Glaring at the wall, it takes everything in me not to keep punching the shit out of it because of how fucking livid I’m with not just Princess but my Prez. I’ve never been disappointed in the man, but tonight, I saw a side of him that had my gut churning and my fury rising.
It isn’t enough to put a hole in the wall. I want to beat the shit out of something or someone until this fucking feeling goes away. From the moment I saw my little tornado, I knew. I knew all I’d ever want was to protect her and fix everything wrong in her life. Seeing the pain in her eyes tonight after my Prez essentially told her she was below his other kid. Fuck, that nearly gutted me. And it was all because of a fucking lie. Princess’ lie. Looking at the wall and then the floor, drywall scattered at my feet. I shrug at the destruction. I’ll get a prospect to patch this shit up later. My head shakes in disappointment as I turn to the man who is a part of the reason and cause of this war of emotions inside me.
“Prez, this is not how we do things. We don't do one-sided shit. We get all the fucking facts.” Frustration laced my words.
I take several deep breaths, trying to rein in my shit. Prez is used to me getting like this when I’m pissed. So his silence isn’t abnormal. Finally, I level him with a look.
“Are you fucking serious? You took what Princess said as fact?” I need to hear him say it. I need him to hear himself say it and realize how fucked up it was to do.
My questioning him is pissing him off. But I’m not backing down, even after his eyes become hard. I don't look away. Prez or not, my job is to ensure he stays in check, and tonight, he was reacting to emotion and not facts. Still not answering me, I continue because I refuse to let this shit go, “Well, let me tell you the fucking story...” I retake my set, getting comfortable knowing he needs to hear the fucking truth. Not some cocked-up made-up shit said to turn him against his other daughter.
“First, her oldest brother physically assaulted her. Then you got Princess talking shit, pouring drinks on her, trying to turn the MC on her. And then you treat her like an unwanted guest, a fucking outsider not worth the dirt underneath your boot. All after she told you that despite what went down with you and her mom, she wanted to give your relationship a chance. That despite your spoiled-ass kid, she was here to help keep this club from going to war. And I know you, Prez, you are still trying to come up with some excuse to try not to point the finger at Princess. But don’t. Your precious daughter sat in here and lied. She lied to your face because she’s spoiled and entitled, and you played right into her selfish-ass greedy hands, alienating your other kid by doing so. You are fucked.” I’m on a fucking roll. I don’t stop, even as his jaw ticks. “You are so fucking fucked when it comes to them. You need to adjust your shit. Because those are your kids. Bellamy and Blaze are yours. You are the reason they didn’t grow up in this life. But it is clear as shit they aren’t fucking clueless either. And you can’t blame them for feeling a type of way, either. You can’t blame that girl for defending herself. You need to fix this shit, or you will never have a relationship with either of them.”
His jaw ticks, but I see emotion working behind his eyes. My Prez is not the softest man, rarely emotional, but I can tell he is realizing he fucked up. And that his fuck up was massive. Nothing else is said for a few minutes as he glares at our MC Rocker painted on the wall above the couch. He cycles through so many emotions, and once he comes to whatever conclusion that makes sense to him, he slowly turns his head towards me. Yeah, brother, you fucked up.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,”
He rakes his hand through his shoulder-length hair, which is oddly not in the man bun situation it’s usually in. His dark brown hair, which has shocking gray streaks throughout it, which, to be honest, is the only actual sign that the man is aging. Prez is a big motherfucker who doesn’t look a day over thirty, which is insane given the life we lead and the fact that he is the father of five grown-ass adults. Continuing to watch him rake his hand through his hair a few more times. When I’ve had enough, I stand, intending to leave as much as I want to stay, to talk it out. I need to detach myself from this situation for a little while.
My thoughts go to my little tornado. Bellamy has burrowed herself deep, and I can admit I'm not as rational as I may seem about anything to do with her. Seeing her face, the hurt and betrayal piss me the fuck off. I need to get out of here. Prez also needs more time to think about how things went down and how to fucking fix it.
I’m nearly at the door when Prez speaks up.
“Taz, I fucking stepped in it, brother. But, as much as I want to fix this shit. I know we have to take care of the situation with Princess. That has to be our priority.”
The VP in me understands where he’s coming from. The man in me does not, so his words rub me wrong.
“Yeah, brother. I hear you. But heat me. What you said to that girl, how you treated her...” I sigh and turn to face him. “That shit only confirmed to her and her brother that you are not worth knowing. And you don’t see them, nor will you be willing to put them on a pedestal, as you have your other kids. Think about that...” leaving the rest of what I want to say unsaid. I walk out of the office and close the door. Heading back out to the main room.
Because I need a damn drink.