Chapter 27
Hound Dog
T here was so much that as a president I was not allowed to do, one being out of control and making rash decisions. I needed to be a better leader, and hear from the people who are to use checks and balances. Rage could be ripping through my veins and yet there were other voices that needed to be heard, even if I didn’t like the answer.
“Look I’m not saying that the Hogs don’t deserve what is coming to them, but automatically jumping to fight without them throwing the first punch is risky,” Otis tried to convince us.
“We barely have the cops on tail anymore, do we want to fucking risk them coming back when they see a turf war?” Twitty chimed in.
B.B stayed quiet for once, and yet it concerned me that he was.
“I think we know that this war is going to continue, whether we like it or not,” Hank said. I had counted on Hank to convince the brothers to fight and end it all like I needed it to go. But for some reason he had wanted a peaceful end to things.
I waited for other opinions to take place, knowing that it would be a split decision. “Maybe we wait it out. If we do something now, it’s only to trigger a war, one that we might not be ready for,” Fender spoke up.
“As much as I hate to say it, Prez, we can’t pull the first shot, how many times have you convinced us just that when we wanted to go on a rampage?” Shooter started to say, which I hated. The man thrived on the pain of others, some would say it was the only way for his own to subside.
I rolled my head from side to side, trying to stay calm and collected. But it wasn’t working. I had felt rage before, but nothing like this, nothing like I was feeling. Then again, I never had a woman in my life that I cared about enough to go to war for in another area.
I couldn’t think anymore, control was slipping from my fingers.
B.B lit a cigarette before speaking his mind on this matter. “If I had it your way, I could be compelled to start trouble on the other side of the bridge, but we have everything to lose, the Hogs do not. They are barely surviving as it is. We have to hold back. For now at least.”
I let out a deep sigh, because clearly my judgment wasn’t the best.
“I guess we don’t need a vote unless someone other than myself has any lead on the other side?” I asked, already assuming that they didn’t want to go to war over this. Could I completely blame them? They didn’t want another Trojan War. Only someone put a target on Melody’s back and I wasn’t happy about it.
I felt the guilt in the pit of my stomach. That was my own demon I had to face.
Around the table, everyone else shook their heads. “Fine, we’ll table any further action.”
The brothers nodded their heads before taking their leave. I leaned back into my chair, a million thoughts rushing through my head and the majority of them were about Melody. A puff of smoke blew in my direction. I sat up and looked to see B.B hanging back.
“Got something else to say? Better say it now or drop it,” I grumbled out.
He licked his bottom lip saying, “Well, there are a lot I would like to say, but worry that I’ll meet the other end of your fist.” He wasn’t wrong.
“Floor’s yours.”
“There are times when you need to be the president and make the sound decision and there are times that you shoulder everything, taking someone else’s responsibilities because you think that if you do it it will get done correctly. Or at least correct in the way you want it done.”
“I’m not doing anyone else’s job, but it’s helping those when they can’t do it.” I said defensively.
B.B shook his head, “What I mean is, you don’t ask for help only when you want something done your way and it’s not asking, it’s demanding.”
“You’ve been around Reverend too long, go chase some pussy or something,” I retorted.
B.B was taken back, “Pussy isn’t going to change my mind, and if you must fucking know, I haven’t been chasing anything for a long while now.”
“Things have to be done to make this run smoothly.”
He just shook his head, “Yeah, and what happened to trusting others who are in their roles for a reason?” He leaned on the table, snuffing out his cigarette. “Like me.”
What the fuck did he mean like him? He did a lot for me, especially when I was trying to figure out Melody and how this was going to happen.
“What the fuck you mean?” I knew this was going to be a battle. B.B rarely smoked and when he did, it was a combination of a dramatic effect and to calm his nerves.
“When was the last time you allowed me to take things off your plate or to help you when you were knee deep in the trenches?” he pressed.
Fucker got me there, I couldn’t remember, but he took my silence as his answer. “Exactly. I have always been here to help. It’s gotten worse the past couple of months and I think I know why.”
Melody.
“She’s not the reason why. She’s the reason I found another purpose.”
“You’ve fallen for her.”
“I’ve claimed her.”
“Which was shitty by the way, like she didn’t have a choice.”
“She had a choice,” I shouted.
“No she didn’t. She would have if you fucking asked logically. But it had to be your way,” B.B snapped and his green eyes darkened with anger. “You may have said in bed that you claimed her as yours, but you and I both know that she would have liked it better to say yes.”
He cared in more ways than one. “My way is the only way she’s going to be safe.” I pounded the table before standing up. “When she agreed to be mine, she knew what that was going to be like.”
“Oh yeah, she signed up for you to control every aspect of her life.”
“I know what she needs.”
“How about what she wants?” B.B questioned me.
I knew that, I thought I did. B.B had me questioning myself and if I actually knew what my little songbird wanted.
“What does she want, Hound Dog? Hm? Because from where I’m standing, she’s not going to like it, but she cares about you too much and the way she looks at you, she worries if you’re coming or going.”
I thought she wanted someone to be there for her like no one was after her sister Aria. I thought she wanted to be an artist that wasn’t afraid to put herself out there. I thought she wanted a better life.
I thought she wanted me.
“I know what she wants,” I responded with a slight doubt.
“I’d ask her again, because after today, you’d rethink that response.” He started to get up and walk away. “If she knew any better, she’d kick your ass.”
“Like you know what she wants.” I sounded jealous.
“I’m just saying, think about what I said. Maybe there’s some clarity in there that you didn’t know,” he offered as he left.
It was just me and the empty room, alone with the swirling thoughts that hadn’t subsided. I couldn’t let the club sink, we all had worked way too fucking hard to turn back now. For Melody, maybe this wasn’t the life she expected. I thought she knew about the dangers of this lifestyle.
My head started to pound like someone took a brick and chucked it at my head.
Ask her again? Why couldn’t we just fucking move forward? Figure things out later on in time.
I emerged from the meeting room, craving a smoke to settle my nerves before I went to find Melody and see how we could get out of this fucking nightmare.
As my hand started to rub the back of my neck, my eyes jerked to attention. Melody was engrossed in a conversation with my cousin and Reverend. I would be lying if I said that seeing her so close to them in a deep conversation made me a little envious, because it burned something fierce in me.
I walked up behind the couch she was sitting at, gently glided my hand to her shoulder, laying a claim to her, even though I already did earlier. Melody, my little songbird, leaned in my touch, leaning her head back to offer a small, soft smile.
“Hey baby,” she whispered. I couldn’t help but smile back, offering her a kiss on her forehead. I loved seeing her melt into me, like she craved me.
Just like I craved her with an intensity. Reverend and Waylan stared back, watching my girl making me smile.
“I’m going to steal her away,” I said as I turned and scooped her off the couch and into my arms. She let out a squeak, and a blush of red clouded her cheeks. Her heart raced so fast that it vibrated against my chest. I paraded her through the hallways, weaving around others. I took her to the room that had been barely used within the past couple of months.
What changed?
I had someone worth coming home to.
“Hound, I can walk you know,” she teased.
“I know, but I’d rather have my hands on you.”
“You just didn’t want me talking to your brothers,” she said with confidence. Challenging me for a bit of the truth.
We approached the door and I nodded toward the handle; she picked up the hint and twisted the nob open. The door swung open and showed her the unkempt room, because I barely remembered the last time I was there.
The dark walls shed no light, no other personal effects, only clothes that I kept here just in case we needed to ride out for a whole other reason. She turned as I set her down, trying to find the light switch that beamed a harsh light until I could find the lamp light that I preferred.
Melody quietly walked over to the nightstand, her hand gliding across the furniture, taking in every rough and bump. She stayed quiet until her hand touched the bed and froze there. Her head dipped down. The sheets were still a mess from the last time I slept there. But her mind wasn’t silent, and her shoulders tensed, her breathing heavy with a hint of madness.
“Anything I need to know about this room?” Her voice transformed from the once sweet one that was calling me baby to the harsh jealous tone that demanded answers.
“If you think there was anyone else, the answer would be not for a very long time, way before you flew into my life.” I slid behind her, trying to take back control of this moment.
She looked over her shoulder, her eyes softened but her body remained defensive. Maybe she needed the moment to collect herself while I was gone. Or maybe her words were true that she was going to remain by my side no matter the true ugliness.
I started to rub her shoulders trailing along her upper arms, she leaned back into me. “What do you want, Melody?”
“You know what I want, Hound. I’m pretty sure we’ve discussed this already.” she said, but I knew that she was confused. She twisted around, facing me. “Is this about what happened before the meeting? Your little announcement?”
She was playing with me. I could hear the teasing, little brat in her voice. There was nothing little about claiming her in front of the club.
“Melody,” I warned her before she continued to derail what I needed to say. “I think you need to understand everything before you say anything else.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I think you need to listen.” She was poking the bear, the hidden beast that she got a taste of before. The temper that flared deep.
“Melody, listen to me.” I commanded her, bumping my chest to hers.
She spread a cocky grin. “Or what?”
“You don’t want to do this.”
“Oh but I’m yours, baby. Right?”
“I’m not playing.”
“Me either.” She sneered. Okay, maybe I was poking the bear. “Either you tell me what is making you this crazed man or I’m going home. I'd like my Hound Dog back please, if you don’t mind.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I shook my head.
She sighed, her hands palming my chest. “Let’s recap shall we. You and I were having an amazing time, and then I met Otis and B.B, which side story, I need to talk to you about something B.B recommended,” I started to protest but she put a finger to my lips. “Nope, I’m still talking.”
I needed to sit down for this. Was it wrong to wish that she was back to her timid self, where she kept to herself, guarded? Yeah, it was wrong. I sat on the bed, she edged herself between my legs, her hands under my chin forcing me to look up at her.
“I met your friends, then a call came in, and judging from that call, you changed. I went along with it, not arguing. Then when we got to the clubhouse, which wouldn’t kill y’all to clean it every once in a while, you made a claim and showed it before talking to me. But I knew what that meant. I stayed quiet until I could process it. And thankfully you have some good men here because apparently I could lean on them, just like you can. At least that was what Reverend and I were talking about.”
Well, fuck me sideways and smack me like a pinata. I was wrong about it, and so was B.B, which reminded me that I needed to rub it in his face that my girl didn’t need to be underestimated. A few weeks with me and she’d blossomed.
“So, lover, please ask me again what do I want?” she challenged me. My hands started to grip her ass before I rubbed it.
“What do you want, Melody?” I growled.
She inched closer to my lips, just barely touching them. She smiled like a little vixen. “You. I’ve already chosen you.”