Blitz
This is fuckin’ ridiculous. I was going to stop at Hidden Hills clubhouse for a “visit” and make the introduction between the club and Michael.
I was going to go in and make it look like I was making a visit because I was in the area.
No one from the club knew we were here for a week.
Fuck, they didn’t even know that most of my chapter was in town the day of the memorial.
Usually, I stay the fuck out of chapter politics, but Lilly is family. I can’t do shit about what happened in the past, but I’ll sure as fuck make sure they know not to mess with her family again, even now that she’s gone. They’re still dealing with her loss and don’t need any more bullshit.
Over the twelve years that Will has been in our lives, she has been family—not just to Jaz, Sophia, and I, but to my entire club.
She knows all of my guys’ names and the names of their families.
Fuck, she’s even friends with some of the club girls.
She saved my Jaz and my baby when I couldn’t, and I can never repay her for that.
Jaz became best friends with Lilly, and it was a done deal.
Michael and I formed a friendship because of our wives and Willow, and now, he’s my best friend outside of the club.
Now Will went and saved Sophia again. When Jaz said she called her, I was surprised.
Jaz knows that Will’s family, but we normally handle things “in house.” I haven’t told anyone outside of my club about Will’s business.
The only reason that they know is because I got the go-ahead from Will and Michael.
I know my guys would never betray her, and if they did—if they betrayed family—they’d have a fuckin’ bullet in them before they could blink.
They also know there would be a good chance that it wouldn’t even be from the MC.
Michael’s business, Vital, is well known.
I never had to hire him, but the nature of our businesses is something we have in common.
I was able to vouch for every single one of the brothers in my club before I told them her secret.
I’m not sure if I can do that with Hidden Hills with how much they’re slacking, but because of my loyalty to my club, I don’t have any other options.
I pull up to the warehouse to meet Will; she’s standing in the doorway, blocked from view since I called to give her the heads up that I had a tail.
She looks conflicted, even through the smile that I see on her face when Sophia jumps to me, seeming relatively unharmed.
Her long black hair is messy, but her beautiful face that looks just like her mother’s doesn’t look bad.
It looks like she has a busted lip, but nothing life threatening.
I’m pissed that she was hurt in any way, but I tried to brace myself for the worst.
I’m so fuckin’ thankful that Will was able to get her out fast. “Was it clean?” I rasp out, trying to hold back my anger at the world that’s been brewing all day. I am not an emotional guy, but this is the most scared that I have been in years, since my Jaz was taken twelve years ago.
“As clean as I could make it on short notice,” she replies, looking at her feet as she kicks at the concrete floor. It’s a nervous tick that she had when I first met her. I guess she hasn’t grown out of it.
“I know you wanted to go in with the MC, and I’m sorry if you’re upset, but I wasn’t going to give them the time to break Sophia,” she explains in a voice full of uncertainty, and it pulls at the spot in my chest that is reserved for Jaz and Sophia.
Will hates it when the people she feels are family are upset with her.
She kills people as a job, but she’s still as sensitive and selfless as the day that I met her, covered in blood and dirt, driving a van that she stole.
“No, Will, I’m not mad. Thank you for saving her again. At this rate, I’ll never be able to pay you back,” I assure her as gently as my voice will let me.
She meets my stare with a small smile. “Okay, good. ‘Cause I have some shit to tell you. After I snuck in and started thinning the herd, I lurked around and caught some talk. They have some big shit planned for your club. I have no idea what some of it meant, but it sounded bad, even without the context. I was able to catch it on the body cam footage. I can send it to you.” She talks so fast she has to take a breath when she’s done.
“This isn’t my chapter. I’m not even sure what they have going on with this club.
I’d have to let them watch to understand the situation,” I state, knowing that she’s going to be the deciding factor.
As President, I have to warn the chapter to try and avoid casualties.
But I am not going to be the one responsible for outing her, not just to an entire chapter that I’m not sure I would vouch for, but to Griz and Smoke, too. This has to be her call.
She nods her head, getting what I’m saying.
“If you can trust them, I trust you. But make sure they know what will happen if they tell anyone. I’m very good at handling loose ends, and if I don’t, Gig loves hunting.
If they want, they can go check out my handy work.
I left the bodies so they could see the fun we had.
I didn’t leave survivors, but the entire club wasn’t there, only like thirty or so,” she says as her face turns into a pointed smirk, like hunting someone down excites her.
This girl’s family, but she can be terrifying when she is pissed.
“I’ll make sure they know. I’m probably going to pay more visits to this chapter or send one of the guys.
They need to clean up their shit, and since my kid got taken, they’ve now invited me into it,” I tell her as I finally put Sophia down.
I walk to the doorway to try and keep her out of view from Smoke.
She has done enough today; she shouldn’t have to deal with more bullshit.
I pull her in for a hug, and she gives me the memory card from her body cam.
“I’ll smash it when we are done,” I promise as I put it in the inner pocket of my cut.
“Thank you,” she says, smiling up at me. “Tell Aunt Jaz to call me later so I can talk to her and Sophia, please.”
“Love you, kid. Knowing her, she’ll call you the second they both get settled in the room.
” I smile and back away, straightening my face before I’m back in view of Smoke.
This is why I told him to stay back. He can learn what’s going on with everyone else.
After I help Sophia on the bike and get on myself, I ride right past Smoke.
I’m not giving him a signal. I think this club needs to work on having common fuckin’ sense, so I hope he can understand to follow me.
Thirty minutes later, we’re pulling back into the driveway of the clubhouse.
Jaz is running to us the second I stop my bike and grabs Sophia off the back.
Throwing off the helmet, she begins hugging and kissing the sides of her face.
She fires off, speaking in rapid Spanish that I can’t keep up with.
Her voice stays soft as she whispers in Sophia’s ear, hugging her and rubbing her back.
She looks at me in question, asking me with her eyes if she is alright.
I just shrug my shoulders. Jaz will ask questions about it when they are alone. Sophia seems fine, and if she was injured, Will would’ve had her at a hospital before she even called Jaz. I’m hoping it means nothing too bad happened before Will got to her.
Smoke pulls up next to me and gets off his bike.
I look over Jaz’s head and see Red standing there.
Church, I mouth to him, and he nods. I don’t step on the chapter President’s toes when I show up.
I’ll take control if a chapter is fuckin’ up, and I need to put them in their place, but besides that, I like to see how a chapter functions.
“Church! Fifteen minutes!” Red yells to everyone that came out when we rolled up. Everyone starts to head back inside.
I walk to Jaz, who’s still holding Sophia to her like she is afraid to let go. I hate seeing her like this. That the world that I dragged her into has put her and our child in danger again. She is a good and strong woman, but I will always carry the guilt for bringing her into my life.
I’ll never send her away, though. I’m a selfish bastard, and I refuse to have a day without her with me.
I kiss her on the top of her head. “This is going to be a bit, but I’ll come in and get you when we’re done.
Why don’t you girls go hang out in the room until I’m done?
” I tell her and give Sophia one more kiss on her head.
Jaz was going to go back to the room anyway; she doesn’t like hanging around other clubhouses.
She smiles at me, holding her hug with Sophia, and stands to her full height, with Sophia wrapping her legs around her mother. Not ready to let go of her, either, she starts walking with Sophia in her arms like she did when she was a little girl, not the eleven-year-old that she is today.
Walking into Church, I find everyone’s eyes fixed on me, especially Smoke’s.
I sit down in the same spot that I had earlier, and everyone follows suit and waits quietly.
“I know you have questions, so I’m going to start at the beginning.
Everything said here is to stay in this room.
I’m going to repeat that anyone that betrays this information will be dealt with, no questions asked, no chance to explain.
I know the Fox personally—my entire chapter does.
They’ve been a friend to the club since they rescued my ‘Ol Lady. Jaz was eight months pregnant when the Silver Saints took her.”
“That was around when they fell off the map, right?” Flame asks, interrupting me.
“Yes,” I say, giving him a look that dared him to do it again.